The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-12-16

finds many Mohammedans in rer<la
and IN Asia Minor. and especial n
| Arabia. 1t is now possible to g -
Mecca, in Central Arabia, where Nj
manned was born. by railroad. ana
in the same way you can visit Medina
where his bones rest in q coffin whtcr
is supposed to be suspended half Nav
between the floor and the roof tv
invisible strings. Hundreds Of tho
sands of Mehammedans make pl-
grimages to Mecca and Medina everv
year, and from now there Will he
large accession 10 the number ~.
these new railroads. When Wa ~
khartum, in the Sudan, a thousand
miles or so south of the Mediterrear-
can sea- l was told that they Were
running pilgrim trains from thar
country to the Red sea in order L.
accommodate the w~orshippers. Who
wished to cross from Port Sudan n
| Jeddah, in Arabia, and thence GO un
to Mecca. There will be an enorrl-
Gus traffic from Asia Minor 70 Mecca.
The road runs through Damascus ana
along the edges of Palestine. and peu-
pie will come from European ana
Asiatic Turkey to go by rail Ia uor-
ship at the tomb of Nohanmed.
Speaking of Jeddah, that place an
til now has been the chief ArahIan
starting point Of these Mohammedan
pilgrimages. 1t lies half way UP thu
coast of the Red sea and within d few
days walk of Mecca. Outside th-
town, under a mosque is the spot
where Eve is said to be buried. and
not far in the interior is a mountain
which the Mohammedans say Was
Adams home after he was cast out
of Paradise. They think the Garden
of Eden was in heaven and say that
- ~ 49, --.
forth they dropped down to earth.
Adam landed en a mountain in Cey-
Ion and crossed to the mainland Il
Asia upon the chain of islands which
lie between it and Hindustan, The
chain being known to this day as
Adams bridge. Eve was dropped
down at Jeddah, and Adam for his sin
spent 200 years in looking for her. AZ
last the two came together. in Arabia
and they lived at Jeddah until they
died. Ewes tomb is 400 feet long. ]
suppose she filed it. for there Were
giants in those days"
I have seen a good deal IF the Mo
Ihammedans Of Africa. They are found
by the Millions in Egypt, and, indeed
the greater part of northern Africa
is inhabited by them. Among the
most fanatiCal are those Of Morocco.
the most of whom acknowledge no
allegiance to Turkey nor to the sui
tan at Constantinople, although he
claims to be the head of the Mo
hammedan world. There are Mo-
desert. and I found millions Of them
in Algeria and Tunisia. | Travelled
among them in Tripoli, where the
people are also fanatical, and saw
something OF them in Zanzibar and in
parts Of South Africa,
The Egyptians are almost altogeth-
er Mohammedans, and some of the
finest mosques Of the world are in
Cairo. There is one which is made
Of alabaster, on the edge Of a court
in hich is a great ~alabaster fountain.
where the ~worshipers battle their feet
and hands before they go in to pray.
Another fine mosque is in Jerusa-
lem. 1t stands on the site OF Solo
mons Temple, and it is Impossible 10
enter it without q permit from the
Mohammedan governor Of the Holy
city. In that mosque ia the rock
upon which Abraham built his altar
upon which he was about to sacrifice
Isaac, when the Angel Of h Lord
called out to him to withhold his
: hand. The mosque is called the
! dome Of the Rock. n h Moham-
! medans, say hat the Angel Gabriel
! will stand there when he blows his
. last trumpet. Then all h people Of
: the world will come to Jerusalem, and
! Jehovah, sitting upon his throne upon
. this rock, will separate the sheep from
I the goats. Some Mohammedans say
l that the whole human ace will lave
to walk a tight rope Or hin wire
: which will hen be stretched across
| the valley OF ~Jehosophat, n at one
: end Of this Mohammed will sit. Az
! the people go over the righteous will
" be upheld by the angels from falling
z They will cross to the Mount OF
= Olives and thence go to heaven Thu
wicked will be unsupported. They will
{ slip off into the valley and descend
: straight to hell.
s Caru ~arD Ux,D xru>