New-York tribune., 1902-02-09

7--+s ,sIume Of essays gives in briefer and
= -,,rr1Iar form an account Of some Of Sir
--..ts-5 Purton's notable exploits which he has
,.--.-,,,ed al greater length in his bulky books
= .-,vel. Most Of the latter are out Of print.
- are III suited 70 the general reader because
= -bair inordiuate size and detail This book
=, ,or.r,lated 10 give a good idea Of the great
-.-ar1er's achievements in different parts Of
the world.
, most famous Of these is doubtless his
osv 10 Mecca and Med.ua-the one that
- brought him renown- He was the first
-lfsbr1an 30 penetrate into the Moslem Holy
-[5,rias tber- Burckhardt a Swiss. had gone
-. him and one OF two have gone since. but
80 Vhan Le accomplished il. il was task
- .to utmost difficulty and danger. He went as
,,oe1a7 starting out from England in the
= NJ .She.kh AbduIah, throughout the
s.,-rev kept up the character, living the life
., -+a AfosIers. wearing their clothes eating
+ber food joining in their prayers and ritual
- snaakn- their language a single false
- one nravar 1nsali, one trifing item of the
.birb1Ieth omitted and the dog Of an infdel
be mad dared ID -rgtane the sanctuary Of the
p~7rbet would have been found out. and his
,o.s g-51,ld have saitened the desert sand"
m Medina is Id, burial place, Mecca. con
.-.-y m 4 widely spread impression among Oc-
s1rfa
,s.-q-f-r 10 the former IS made first. Sir Rich
-.s 7.-..r5r-isn does not make the mosque
-rbzra sI4bornet IS buried seem an altogether
,,,,-.-.-sfv- place Tavdry decorations. a cut
-r,---aI chandelier made Icy an English house
and +lfgrae tower t1at looks like a birdcage
ar -rr7a Of its features. And, alas. the Proph-
e-.- +s-nb is not SUSPENDED in midair between
-,.o MAGNETS. one looks at It in narrow
,bsrbar through q small window; there it
stands. distinguished from those Of the first
Two Caliuhs beside Il by the "han-kab e Durri" /
"A brilliant star ser IN diamonds and pearls" /
Fur 70 sir Richard Burton il looked like the |
round CLASSY shoppers used for the humber |
sort of decau-zrs" As a matter of fact. after |
al the complicated ritual gone through before |
it, Burton observes that the site Of Mahomet's |
sepuItl.-s IS as doubtful a. that Of the Holy |
seuu1hre al jerusalem
Alter Medina comes Mecca. and the caravan /.
Of pilgrims moves on under the terrible pitiless I
sky a motley and picturesque sight:
Respectable men mount dromedaries or blood /
camels. known .E their small size. their fine /
limbs and their arge ieerlike eyes their saddles
show crimson -l--pskln between tall metal .
ramnels and obese ar- girtned over fine saddle .
bags whose long r4=--ls Of bright WOrstrd hang
almost 10 The ground Irregular soldiers have
picturesque.E equipped st-edS. Here and there
rides some Oh Arab sheIkh. preceded by his
vavlets. pert. rr..-- war dance. compared with
which the bears performance is graceful firing
their duck guns j. the air or blowing powder
into the naked -Es If those before them brand
ishing their barred swords. leaping franIicallV
with paTII-col.-aG RAGS floating in the wind and
tossing high the. long spears Women children
and suVa.IlS .- the poorer CLASSES sit upon rugs
carpets spread over the large boxes that
form the cam-l.- load Those "A little better of
use a shilliE -h. or short coat. fastened cross
wise. The richer prefer shugduf pauni-rs. with
awning ike miniature tent. Grandees have
led horses and -orseously painted takhtra7>an
-Itters Ike r1- gangue of BraZil-horue be-
tween calle-S Hr mules. with scarlet ana brass
rappinss. The vehicle mainly regulates the
pilgrims expenses. which may vary from -
10 as many III usands.
The temple at Mecca consists of forest of
columns surrounding a large. unroofed and
slightly ir gglar obIong which Sir Richard
Burton compares TO the Palais Royal in Paris
- in me midst of which rises the far famed
Kaa5ah. or inner temple. The scene at this
bourne OF long and weary travel IS of the wild
est excitement:
Here are Worshippers clinging to the curtain
and soAUlg though their hearts would
break. here some poor wretch with arms thrown
nigh, so thar his beating breast may touch the
stone 1f -.- house, appears ready 10 faint. and
there men urustraIe themselves on The pave
merit. rubbing their foreneads against the
stores. shedding floods Of tears ana pouring
torh t--uz. -d -jaculatiOns.
Inside IS the Hajar Il AsWad. The black stone
of which aL the world talks. glossy and pitch
like. worn and polished by myriads of lips
Here again Elaborate ritual is required. and
then comes The visit 10 the Holy Hin Of Arafat
to near The sermon, an essential 10 the acquire
ment Of ra- title of Hail and all the preroga-