Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-06-01

could afford tickets went by the train, but
hundreds without money walked to Suezi
"nere they frequently crowded paving nil,
srlms out OF line and took their place in
the pilgrim ships. The scene at the en-
oarkation battles description. Men filled
with religious frenzy, to call II nv NO
harsher name, forced a passage over the
T T1uies OF those who were in their way.
Ihousands crowded about the Kfswah
struggling and fighting for the privilege Of
.ouching it, Women let down their shawis
ana mead wells from the latticed windows In
order that the garments might racei,,a -
pressing from contact with the sacrad -
pei w nile the carpet was waiting 10 n.
eaheh ABOARD the natives seemed possessed
Will oh uncomfortable religious frenzy.
Sacred Spot Always
"hen Mohammed laid the obligation unon
ms followers to pay at least one visit IN
the HOLY City, he did not do it simplv for
the reason that Mecca had been his bir-b-
pace out because the city had been from
time lmmemorial sacred spot to all in
nay naptaills OF Arabia. There stood ALA
biet, the frst temple erected for mankind
with Its traditions running back To Isb'
mael, to Abraham, to Seth and TO Adam.
yea even TO the mysterious mythology of
tne orient. This was the palace where
Aoraham stood; there were the graves of
Hasar and lshmael; there the Kaaba. the
Home of God and the Gate of Heaven
Although the kaaba has been rebuilt ten
tiAAicSS ehtSOfulllS 10 MOndmmeQan history
II is stlIl a sacred edfice and annually
thousands of pilgrims travel thither To
make their prayers and perform the cere-
mony of Circumstance and kiss the
Sacred Mcr stone. and five times day all good
Moslems turn their faces thitherward and
pray AT Mohammed's tomb in Medina
the pllgrlms again perform visitations and
repeat numberless prayers
Souvenirs of the Old.
The kfswah is hung before the Kaaba
by the mosque eunuchs, who are Obliged to
perform the service by night and cover
their eyes with wells to protect them from
the supernatural splendors which nour
from the tomb Many of the ignorant bs-
lieve the Kiswah to be let down from
heaven by angels during the night The
ole carpet removed to make place for the
new one is distributed among the officers
OF the Mosque, who cut il into bits which
they sell as souvenirs to the pilgrims A
waistcoat made of one of the pieces fs
thought to give the wearer the power of
becoming invisible at will The poorest
pilgrim hopes to carry home a piece IL
nothing more than scrap of it, to be
used as book mark in his Koran
Many abuses have grown around the nil
grimage of the faithful almost deprivlng
1t of its religious character; still, the good
follower of Islam reverences the sacred
Mosque at Mecca, and goes reverently to
kiss the black stone. He may do his fell
low passengers by the way, but he Will
faithfully perform his prayers and cers-
monies.
Under different sultans the Kaaba has
been many times Rebuilt and has received
a great variety of coverings; sometimes
three tn one year. For a while there wyre
but tive: at the present time there is but
one kiswah sent annually, that which is
made in Cairo; the gift of the khediye
For all the knowledge we have of what
transpires at Mecca and Medina after the
arrival Of the caravan we are indebted
to Burkhardt, Sin Richard Burton and a
Frenchman, each one of whom made the
pilgrimage in disguise at the risk of his
life, since no man not a follower of Mo-
manned is permitted in the sacred city on
pain of death.