The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1910-11-10


Tie Ceremony the Pilgrims Per-
f,rm-The Rival Temples Caused
TroubIe-War Between Jews and
christians was Constant-A Spider
Saved Mahomets Life.
correspondence of The Caucasian
Enterprise.)
Bukinsyille, y. c., Nov. 7.-Hit IL I.
gs.erally agreed and understood that
hi. little liz known eTbout the very
early history oy Arabia.
at country hez furnished a few
hist ians, ov course, but they hev
never bin considered very much err
long that line. But after the day ov
NyAammed things became a little
lighter fer Arabia along the history
line, fer he wuz really smart in hiz
own way.
The original Arabian must hev de-
scended from Shem. or, from Ish-
mael, a. son ov Abraham. A guide
many people still claim that they kin
motifs a very strikin' family resemb-
lance even at this late day.
Several thousands ov years ago
Arabia wuz subject to great droughts
an liz yet, fer that matter. Saba,
the fourth king ov Yemen, one ov
the early rulers, had bin readin' the
agricultural papers an had become
Interested in the subject ov irriga-
ton an guide roads an SIGH things.
One nv hiz first official acts wuZ to
cause the buildin' ov a great mound
or reservoir between two high hills,
to receive an store the water that
came from the mountain streams.
Saba had two objects in view. One
wuz to get a never-failin' supply oV
drinkin' water for hiz city, an the
other wuz to cut off the water sup
ply oV hiZ enemies. He had subdued
the most ov them, but if he could
control the flow ov the mountain
streams he had things in better
shape. This great water supply serV-
ed hits purpose for long time-long
after Saba wuz dead. But a great
freshet destroyed the dam, an the
city below hit, an awlso several
other towns. The destruction wuz
so great that no less than eight
tribes ov Arabs were forced to aban-
don the country.
For somethink like five hundred
years Arabia got along very well.
Then a bad ruler wuz elected. Hiz
name wuz Dhu Nowas, and he had
long, curly hair. This prince wuz a
great politician, but wuZ short In
virtue. HiZ chief amusement wuZ
to prosecute Christians. Those who
held out against him were cast into
a fiery pit This induced the King
of Abyssinnia to march into Arabia
with an army ov 100000 men. He
not only whipped the Arabian forces
but he drove the ruler into the sea,
an he wuz drowned.
The new ruler not only assumed
charge ov the country, but ov the
Caaba, or House of God" az hit wuz
called. This consisted ov fine tenn
pie which contained a great white
stone. Pilgrims came from a great
distance to worship in this temple,
which, hit IL claimed, wuz built on
the spot where Adam pitched hiZ
tent after he wuz driven from Para
disc. Another claim wuZ that the
temple contained the stone on which
Jacob reposed hiz head when he saw
the vision of the angel descending
and ascending the ladder that reach
ed to heaven. The ceremony the pill
grims go through IL to march around
the stone seven times and to stop and
kiss the stone one time each round.
After about fourteen centuries the
temple mentioned above led to war.
A rival temple wuz built in Abysinia,
near the Indian Ocean. The pro-
motors claimed that this temple wuz
equal in every way to the temple of
Mecca. The great new temple soon
attracted lots ov attention, an the
rivalry became fierce. A little later
mob visited the new temple an de-
stroyed much ov hit. This act led to
war. When the Abyssinian soldiers
appeared, mounted on elephants, the
Meccans were greatly alarmed, for
they had never gone up against an
army mounted on elephants. They
fed from the city. But the Abys-
sinian leader, for some reason, did
not destroy the temple, even after
awl opposition wuz out ov the way,
and later marched back home with
htz army in a demoralized condition,
without having accomplished any
thing; fine illustration ov the say
IN: "The king marched up the hill,
and then marched down again." or
words to that effect.
a little later, in $50, Mahomet
"u1 porn. He became the legislator
apostle ov the Arabs. But little
-, Hho"n ov this remarkable man I'M
"a, -, Nc "uz about forty years ov age
III ~ even claimed that he wuz an
noiant man. He doubtless wuz,