Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-07

OF wind. Consequently, We spent four
Of the hottest hours of the August day
crouched, cramped and dripping, in our
intolerably stiff and sticky clothes, on
the least sharp cornered luggage we
could find. AS matter of fact, there
was little choice. because We were so
wedged In that nobody could possibly
move without upsetting the perilous
positions of half dozen neighbors.
X y X
A FTER the first hour or two, women
= began to collapse from the heat,
but there was nowhere to put them. I
squeezed myself into q still smaller cor
ner to allow one sufferer to curl UP
brella I would not give up. Umbrellas
are permitted to women and forbidden
to men, but many of the later use them
to protect their bare or shaver heads.
Just when wondered whether could
endure much longer and whether the
woman in my lap was already dead, for
her groans had suddenly ceased, .
mountainous female who literally bulged
over us from behind, chose this oppor-
tune moment to remark: you are not
In the least like Turk; believe you
are English or French"
Luckily, everybody was so hot and
terest.
think our felucca must have been
somewhat more heavily laden than the
rest, for we were the last to arrive and,
therefore, all places were taken In the
long barn-hke structures that shelter
the unfortunate pilgrims for "a hours.
/ The island, Gezera, is perhaps 200
yards square and, of course, there Is
no water on 1t. All water has to be
brought from the mainland and stored
In cisternS. It Is doled out In small ra-
tons to the pilgrims, but 1t is often
insufficient and the wise bring their
fact, there is not much hardship for the
ordinary pilgrim, as he is never desir-
Gus of privacy and probably finds. no
fault with the long bare shed that he
shares with SO or so others, but 1t Is
very hard, indeed, for the better class
hadji. If he arrives late, he may not
even find a place in one of the rooms,
and he will have to spread his mat on
the shore, or sit on the jetty where he
will have the shelter of a roof.
Bahia and found that there was
no place left In the shade. Every room
was crowded and every corner on beach
and wharf remote from the sun all
ready had its occupants. while free
| fight was going on around the water
cistern. However luck favored us, and
I finally discovered rather dusty pas
| sage between room labeled bureau"
and a sort Of guard-room. Here we
spread our very nice carpet and on 1t
deposited the one thing we had the
physical energy to lift from the boat
to the jetty, and carry all over the
island in search of rest--a basket OF
food.
The idea of being quarantined for
any lengthy period on that island was
terrible, and, for the first time in my
| life, I realized the awful feeling Of
utter helplessness-the useless, rebel
lious despair of the masses against even
beneficent officialdom.
I have spent many uncomfortable
nights in my life-I once sat up for
So hours in second-class Chinese
troop train in Cochin China, got quite
used to polished wood opium coucheS
with no pillow; and ! remember q
weary night spent on singularly hard
| table in a mosquito infested hut on q
Samoan volcano; but I never spent
more acutely miserable hours Of dark
ness than those in the Gezira. made
a pillow of my shoes, while Bahia
curled her portly. dripping form much
nearer me than liked, and the soldier
and his two sons arranged themselves
on the window sills.
| A BOUT 6 am, 1t was suggested
unanimously that I should visit the
doctor, whose footsteps could be heard
4 above, and find out our fate. OF course
i 1t was unwise, but I stumped cheerfully
! upstairs, knowing that was gaining a
1 tremendous. reputation for courage
among the watching pilgrims. Several
elderly sheiks summoned up sufncient
energy to follow me and we were Wet
coined by delightful young Egyptian
who Gained our fears by assuring us
4 that we could depart at 1880 am
After which the men talked politics arlc
/ listened with interest in the back
iground till the usual question came;
t"You are Turkish, va hanem, am sure
you talk French or English"
"Only French replied sadly, aflc
thereafter we had the most charming
conversation about our mutual &C.
quaintances in STEAMBOAT and Cairo
Luckily we had SO many In the latter
place that I was able to be q little
vague about the former. ] was enjoy
ing myself very much when the young
doctor exclaimed: But, Of course, ]
Will HlbIuuuCc you W MASC = VA AAoA
family in Jedda. will take yot
straight to their house and you will
feel at home and be able to talk Turk.
ish with them"
/ If only he could have guessed hoy
little I should feel ct home-but wors'
was to come. "The Enair zeid is Il
Jedda. His mother IL Turkish, 20
must ten him about you--you mus
meet"
"oh, thank you very much" said