New-York tribune., 1907-04-05
BOUND FOR MECCA.
Poual Pilgrimage 10 the Holy Cities
a PeriIOms Undertaking.

vt-,, A Af,ass mother. the DoWager KheoiVia-
-. EZ,esivla Valide. she is oficially styled
y +,-,. 20 start pilgrimage TO Mecca ana
,ss,no this being the first instance IN many years
- : member Of any OF the great sovereign iaih-
-, - Ysiarn fulfilling in person this duty, which,
,., -. soealinx is obligatory upon every true
s.,,osr Of the prophet. She is TO accompany the
49, 49, ,,rnet which IS dispatched each year from
80 hv The Khedive TO serve as a covering OF
- Kaaba. or Holy Stone, az Mecca, and WILL OF
course be surrounded by every luxury tiaI ca" O
s,,.aa 10 alleviate the fatigues and hardships OF
- ,rjp But with all that, 1t win be an extreme
= e.fir1ling, unhealthy and dangerous one.
"a n may be questioned whether the two COM
-,nies OF Egyptian infantry and the squadron OF
,,,,,ntsd FIhedivial guards which are TO serve as
- escort win be sufficient 10 protect heF from
--v attempt which may be made to kidnap ano TO
-. bor COR ransom by the turbulent Arab tribes
.or IN open rebellion against the Sultan Of Turkey,
- Tho regard the Khediye with more or less OF
,,,orrence as a Turk. An additional inducenent'
q, their eyes 10 capture the DoWager AheoiFla
4. that she is not only the mother or me ruler
!, F7pvpt. bat likewise princess OF the reigning
80 n Turkey. being granddaughter OF Sultan
.L5uI Medied. who was monarch OF the Ottoman
,-,nire AT the time OF the Crimean War Such a
-, would do more 20 bring the Sublime Porte
% the terms OF the Arab insurgents than any OF
sbe defeats which they have inflicted IN the last
so-r Years upon the Turkish troops. Even IL the
A,bs she viii run serious risk OF succumbing
- fatigue and disease. for she is an enormously
to,,, woman and not IN particularly good health
while Mecca Is simply hotbed OF all sorts OF
deadly epidelncs due 10 the fact that for hum
sreds OF years il has been the bourne Of millions
Of pilgrims devoid OF even the most elementary
notions OF sanitation.
The Khedivia Valide is a remarkable woman Who
although she has many European and American ac-
uuaintances-women presented 10 her at cairo on
the occasion Of their visits TO Egypt-yet has
nevertheless always been distinguished for GER
sain amount Of Oriental luminosity toward the for
signer She is generally credited with being re-
sDonslble for tie favor which her husband. Tewfk
showed toward the anti-fOreign and nationalist
marty 81 the time of the Arab rebellion, and among
TIE leaders OF the insuTrection who we're subse-
Quently hanged or imprisoned in Ceylon were sew
eral OF her near and dear relatives. Throughout
her husbands reign her influence was always un-
friendly toward the English. and she selected as
her honorary lsdy-in-waiting a Russian woman
whose one mission IN Efe at Cairo was 10 keep her
government informed Of everything that went on
at the Khedivial palace and OF the relations OF the
Ehedve with the English. as well as to ernbarrass
the British authorities by every means in her
power. In the early portion OF her sons reign he
was almost wholly under her control. and gave
as II may be remembered much trouble 10 the
English
She was also responsible for his selection OF a
wife in the person Of lovely girl OF humble origin
among her own attendants: in one word an odal-
isque. assuming that a woman that kind would
always remain subservent 10 her control and never
attempt TO rival her influence over the Khedive
IN this she was mistaken. The KhedIve is devoted
70 his wife. who has presented him with several
children; and HIS mother. finding that she no
longer occupies the first place IN his affections and
regard, now spends much Of her time in her palace
On tbs Bosporus, where she has Identified herself
IL conspicuous manner with the Pan-IsIamist
anti-foreign movement She is the dau0lsar 80 ola
Ffincess Fl Hami, who herself was the daughter
Of Sultan Abdul Medjsd OF Turkey and widow
Of that Prince Il Hami who was the only son Of
Abbas OF Egypt