Proceedings in Egypt and Nubia. 55 



to give their connected and continued order in the following 

 sketch. 



The city of Mecca being surrounded by several fixed stations, 

 in all the roads which lead to it from Jedda, Taif, Medina, and 

 Derrayah, embracing nearly the four quarters of the compass, 

 every pilgrim or traveller is compelled to halt there, and if not 

 already thus arrayed, to throw aside his usual dress, and clothe 

 himself in the Haram, as already described. On entering the 

 city, his first duty is that of visiting the Great Mosque, kissing the 

 black stone of the Kaaba, and walking round the building seven 

 times ; after which he performs his devotions in the Temple itself. 

 From thence he has to walk, or rather trot, since it is a pace be- 

 tween walking and running, over a space of nearly half a mile, 

 between the mosque and another fixed station, which is called 

 Maraoot, and this also must be repeated seven times, after 

 which he is at liberty to resume his ordinary dress, provided the 

 period fixed by his vow is expired : for on putting on the Haram, 

 a vow is necessary to be made, fixing the limits of the time it is 

 intended to be worn, and before the expiration of that period, no 

 man can put it off without committing a heinous sin. 



Pilgrims arrive from different parts, by land and sea, at such 

 various periods, that, while many are there for several weeks be- 

 fore the Hadj commences, and even pass their Ramadan there, 

 otliers arrive only the day preceding it. It is on the eighth day 

 of the moon Zeel-Hadj, which is the third moon after that of 

 Ramadan, that all who intend to perform or repeat their pilgrim- 

 age, are obliged to leave Mecca, in the dress of the Haram, 

 generally quitting the city at night, when, after five hours' tra- 

 velling in a S. E. direction, they arrive at Mount Arafat on the 

 morning of the ninth. Here they repose during the former part 

 of the day, and at el Assr, or about three o'clock afternoon, as- 

 semble round the small hillock which bears that name, from the 

 summit of which tlie Kadi of Mecca reads to the auditors from 

 the Koran, while these are stationed on different parts of the 

 hill, according to their separate sects of Hanafi, Sluifi, Hanbeli, 

 Sfc. Those occupying the places near the summit, turn their 

 faces towards those who are near the base, and while the Kadi 



