Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-14

largest one and peered down from my
projecting seat on to the dusty porters
who were squabbling over few quruSll
in the toy street below me.
* 81
THE lady of the house came to visit
4 ftie--a pale, frail woman, gray and
toes were hennaed and whose ankles
were encircled by heavy silver bands.
She wore tight-fitting white trousers
and q thin white galabia with trans.
parent scarf wound over her head, and
she looked 30 clean she made my stiff
calico garment seem dirtier than ever.
The appalling state of dirt one must
get into II one follows the rule strictly.
Is perhaps the worst hardship Of the
pilgrimage. Ny hostess had q soft,
sweet voice and she talked to me sadly
about the way the pilgrims from Egypt
were decreasing In numbers. This
year only 5000 have come and few OF
them are people Of good class: It is the
Gezira they are afraid OF, and the Eng
lish do not like the pilgrimage. They
have made many severe rules so as to
stop 1t, Besides, there is war between
the Egyptians and the English, isn't
there?"
assured her We had led o very
peaceful life in Alexandria, but my
words had little effect.
The Egyptian pilgrims are more
frightened of, than adverse to, the
English, but they apparently. spread
some odd stories In Jedda. We came
by the last Egyptian boat, 90 we got the
full favor Of them.
Bahia arrived with the luggage about
4 o'clock, In q state Of collapse from
tAak AVA YAnAtt1xy To- re
She developed fever and had to be
flursed seriously for "a hours, during
which time she lay Imply on divan,
and had to cope with many visitors
alone.
The day Of our arrival was so tired.
having eaten nothing since melon OF
dawn, that discouraged as much as
possible the flow of curious pilgrims who
came to ask our news and tells us theirs,
and devoted most of my attention to
securing food. Generally, pilgrims buy
their own supplies In the suqs and cook
them; but Bahia could not move and
my culinary skill Is not great. There.
fore Abdulla arranged for a cook shop
came on and the first mosquitoes began
biting, there arrived small boy almost
invisible under the big tray he carried.
The feast was somewhat reminiscent
Of Kufara days, for there were the same
numerous dishes Of vegetables and odd
rnerlts of meat buried In rich sauces and
flanked with piles OF savory rice and fiat
hot cakes of bread Unfortunately, the
Jedda water is bad and scarce, because
it Is brought from wells outside the
town by camel loads, and sold to the
people for or qurush tinful. There
is q government condensing machine,
but the pilgrims do not get the benefit
of its water.
4 BDuLLAH woke me at 5 am. and
: we went to the suq to buy necessi-
ties for our journey to Mecca. There
was plenty Of meat Of somewhat in
ferior quality, grapes, figs, bananas,
melons sent all the way from TAFT by
camel. and therefore very expensive,
and dates, but practically no vegetables.
india. Egypt and Persia apparently
all contribute their goods to town that
has no special industries Of its own, and
European stores may be bought at about
double their usual prices. The one thing
in which JeddA appears TO specialize is
strange non alcoholic drinks Of startling
hues, such as sherbets, sirups, lemon
AIDES, etc.
Returning laden with parcels, shut
fling In heelless pilgrim sandals and
trying to keep my sheet from slipping OIL
altogether, I could not resist . shop
where the bottles were ali colors OF the
rainbow. so Abdulla and I split a rich
purple drink and consequently dripped
more than usual as we toiled up his
uneven stairs.
"Bahia is q little better" announced
Tadda, the blacklist slave girl ! have
ever seen, whom / had left in charge,
20 determined to spend the morning
writing In my delightful balcony corner,
but my peace was rudely destroyed py
the sudden appearance Of two richly
CARRIED and imposing men in silken KAT
tans and white turbans swathed around
plated straw caps or briinless mats.
/ had not the least idea who they were,
but it was quite evident that they were
deeply suspicious of me.
While sitting one on each side Oh me
on a big divan, they politely and sfnil-
ingly piled me with intimate questions.
I think they thought I was q Greek inn
postor. One Of them had Q disagreeaDle
face and disliked him ct once, but the
might get on quite well II knew who
he was.
When I had told him the name Of my
Egyptian father and husband and my
! Turkish mother, with other details OF
my life, ne suddenly asked me II ! had
been III America. replied no, but that
I knew Paris well, and, in order to
change the conversation. added that
had seen the Eynir Feisul there, upon
which the nice one smiled his widest and
said that the Efair was beloved IN what
ever country he visited. III thought this
might not be strictly trd Of Paris, but