34 A Glance at Tctuan. [JAN 



route to the port of embarkation, and await the moment of the vessel's 

 departure to surround and forcibly cling to its sides or rigging,, imploring 

 their countrymen,, for the love of the holy prophet, not to hinder their 

 pious intention of doing penance for their sins at his tomb. Too late to 

 remonstrate the vessel is perhaps already under weigh the poor 

 wretches must either be plunged into the waves, or admitted. 



The voyage being one of penitence, harsh feelings are seldom exercised 

 towards brethren in distress. Various are the grounds upon which they 

 claim the charity of their more fortunate companions. One declares he 

 is a scherif,* with royal blood in his veins, and no money in his pockets ; 

 one, that he has committed crimes the guilt of which must fall on the 

 head of the person who repels him ; another, that he has an aged father, 

 blind and leprous, whose only hope of cure is the accomplishment of the 

 vow of his son all irresistible arguments, put forward at a moment they 

 cannot be discussed, but which generally saddles the captain of the vessel 

 with double the number of passengers he has agreed to take. 



Those alone who have witnessed a scene of encampment of hadjees, 

 can form an idea of what a pilgrimage must be, or what is the confusion 

 and inconvenience of this prelude to their task a sea-voyage. They 

 inevitably endure all the difficulties of long and painful marches, fastings 

 and toil beneath a burning sun, and which nothing but the hope inspired 

 by religion could enable them to support. The fatigue of the journey 

 through Arabia alone would cause Europeans to fall victims to a want of 

 comforts they despise. 



A caravan sets out yearly from Morocco by land, across the desert of 

 Angad, passing by Oran, Algiers, and Tripoly, where they are joined by 

 all the Moors who proceed from each of these places. This, of course, 

 is a much more serious undertaking, and requires still greater strength 

 and fortitude to bear than those who proceed by sea to the mouth of the 

 Nile. The pilgrims are likewise often obliged to fight their way through 

 the deserts, as the Bedouin Arabs always reckon upon the robbery of a 

 caravan as they do on a harvest. All these troubles are braved for the 

 mere love of kissing a black stone, and drinking a pitcher of water at the 

 well of Hagar. 



Royalty itself does not disdain to participate in the difficulties of these 

 pilgrimages. It is incumbent on every one who can afford the expense 

 to perform the journey to Mecca at least once in the course of his life ; 

 but many who have acccumulated sins of which they repent, perform it 

 several times ; its efficacy in such cases none attempt to deny ; and those 

 who cannot go in person, commission others to pray for them. 



The return of the pilgrims is an event dreaded by all the European 

 consuls in Barbary, who cannot persuade the Moors of the propriety of 

 putting their vessels into quarantine. Neglect of this precaution has 

 frequently introduced the oriental plague into Barbary, which has often 

 depopulated the country, and, about fifteen years ago, carried off a great 

 number of the inhabitants of this part of the coast. Amongst any other 

 people but Mahommedans, the ravages of the plague might be easily 

 averted ; but the Moors think it a sin to avoid any such evil. " Allah 

 Aikbar ! God's will be done !" is always their cry ; and this they repeat 

 whilst they steal the pestiferous clothes from the dead bodies. S. B. 



* The respect due to a schdrif is very great ; the anxiety to kiss the skirts of their gar- 

 ments is such, that the Moors will steal along behind them to press the bernoos to their 

 lips, or snatch a kiss of their hands. 



