The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1923-08-21
Pill GRIMS HALTED
ON WAY TO MECCA
,cTTON OF EGYPTIAN Gov
EMINENT CALLS ATTEN-
TON TO ANNUAL EVENT.

WASHINGTON, D. C.-"The sur
.-;s;no action OF the government of
ru,.o+ a Mohammedan country in
r4onning almost at their goal thous-
oods Of its citizens on pilgrimages to
Mecca. draws attention to this unus-
,,,I religious event which attracts
,,,s+ crowds of men and women from
III oarts of the world" says bulletin
from the Washington, D. c., head
quarters of the National Geographic
AS all roads lead to great and
soIendid Rome two millenniums ago,
nov they lead to the rather tawdry
ranital Of the Hedjaz, set down in a
Gare dusty. desert-rimmed valley of
western Arabia. More than 100000
000 people cherish the hope-and in
deed feel it to be their solemn relig-
;ons duty-to travel at least once the
d,stv road to the holy center of their
faith Probably 100000 of them make
the trip annually, about half at one
time during the period of the Madj,
or great pilgrimage, in the last
month of the Mohammedan year. 1t
i this great pilgrimage that has been
in progress since July.
Cairo Caravan Important
Though pilgrims on the Hadj de-
scend upon Mecca from every quar-
ter of the globe, they converge into
some half dozen large caravans along
AZ many routes. For centuries the
two principal groups have been those
from Damascus and Cairo. In some
WAYS the latter has been the most i'm
oortant because it has carried the
black brocade, a gift from the faithful
in Egypt, which is renewed each year
As the converting for the little square,
but ike Koaba, Islam's hottest shrine.
The recalling of the Egyptian caravan
from Jidda, the port of Mecca, be-
cause the king OF the HedJaz would
not permit a medical mission to ac-
company the pilgrims, has many po-
tentialities, and may even mean that
the square stone house to which all
Mohammedan prayers are directed,
may have to put up with its old COW
erng for another season.
The fact that the presence of a
medical mission was the cause OF
trouble&at Jidda emphasizes a con-
dition that aroused European inter
est wears ago and caused steps to be
taken to prevent Mecca's becoming
menace to the rest of the world. Pill
grims from dozens of countries and
thousands of communities, many no
doubt harboring the germs of danger
Gus diseases, congregate N city i'll
equipped to care for them, and dur
ing a portion of the religious observ-
ances occupy crowded camps in a lit
tie desert valley absolutely devoid OF
sanitary arrangements. There was al
ways likelihood that pilgrims return
ing from such surroundings would
carry with them epidemic diseases,
especially cholera, to eastern Europe,
and to European colonies in North
Africa and Asia An international con-
ference called to consider the matter
in Paris in 1894 arranged for the in
spection of pilgrims at ports OF de-
parture, detention when necessary, and
supervision of pilgrim ships and cara
vans.
Pilgrims Must Run, Climb Noun
tains and Throw Stones.
The thousands OF pilgrims who
reach Mecca over the several routes
to take part in the annual Hadj OBJ
Servances go through with ceremo-
MES that seem rather trifling to west
erners. Before reaching Mecca they
prepare for what might literally be
called the exercises by bathing re-
peatedly and .donning the ceremonial
garb; two pieces of seamless cloth
wrapped about them in a prescribed
way. On reaching the holy city they
go to the black-draped Kaaba, kiss
the Black Stone set in its wall, and
then circle the structure seven times,
three times running and four times
walking. They must next run up and
down some nearby sacred hills. On
another day the pilgrims take half
days journey to Mt. Ararat, where
the most important feature of the GER
emonies is observed; they must stand
on the little hill throughout the after
noon and repeat prayers and texts:
The following day they return toward
Mecca but stop at the village of Nina
to sacrifice a sheep, goat or camel. A
very important part of the observ-