246 Voyage of the Novara. 



ment over the spot in which the finger of a Malay prophet 

 lay hid from view. Even to this day the Malays from time to 

 time perform a pilgrimage to the Colony and celebrate their 

 reliofious ceremonies at the Mausoleum. Four followers of 

 the prophet are buried with him, two of them Mahometan 

 priests, who are regarded with much veneration by the Malays. 

 An extensive flight of stone steps leads to the tomb, the ex- 

 terior of which is very insignificant, and, but for a small 

 pointed turret, hardly diff*ers from an ordinary dwelling-house. 

 On entering, a low-roofed vault is visible, a sort of front 

 outhouse, which rather disfigures the fa9ade, and much more 

 resembles a cellar than the portal of a Mausoleum. Above 

 the arch of this vault an Arabic inscription has been engraved 

 with a stylus ; but this is so painted over in brick colour that 

 it has already become almost illegible. Judging by the few 

 words that have been deciphered, it seems to consist of the 

 first propositions of the Koran. 



The inner room, provided on two sides with modern glazed 

 windows at irregular intervals, is about the size of an ordinary 

 room of 12 feet long, 9 wide, and 7 high. In the middle 

 rises the monument, to which access is had by some more 

 brick steps. Immense quantities of unwashed white linen 

 cloth are heaped upon it, which seem occasionally sprinkled 

 with a brown odoriferous liquid (dupa). As at the head of 

 Sheikh Joseph, so at his feet several figures, resembling those 

 in enamel used to ornament tarts, arc drawn upon the linen 

 cloth with the overflowings of the unguent. These have un- 



