358 A Muhajjer from Medina [1900 



He is the most beautiful human being I ever saw, going bareheaded, 

 with an immense shock of black hair in ringlets ; his face is very dark, 

 and brilliant as a hawk's, his teeth splendidly white, and his eyes of 

 womanish, gazelle-like lustre. His beard, too, like his hair, is a whole 

 mass of ringlets, and his hands and feet are of perfect form. With 

 all he is kindly and friendly, with a peculiar, inconsequent way, as 

 becomes a saint. [He was fantastically dressed when he came on 

 board, with gorgeous muslin robes, but these got soon draggled with 

 the sea water, without thereby affecting his gay spirits or pleasant 

 smile. He would go about from one to other of the pilgrims with 

 a pleasant word to each, and gave away at once the oranges we gave 

 him. His exact position in life, except that he was a Muhajjer, I never 

 ascertained, but he invited me cordially to his house if I visited Medina, 

 and was especially polite to all of us. Most of those that I have men- 

 tioned talked Arabic, but many knew no word of it, having come from 

 distant parts of Asia.] They are evidently good, pious people, and it 

 is a relief to find ourselves among them at a solemn moment like the 

 present, when we have death, so to say, staring us in the face, and away 

 from the few ungodly Englishmen who frequent the bar of the first 

 class cabin. I never marked the contrast more, and it consoles me not 

 a little for the rest. 



" Miss Lawrence is wonderful in her simple courage and good sense. 

 She makes us all as comfortable as the small space we have will admit, 

 and has not said a complaining word. When I said to her half in fun, 

 ' Your poor patient has almost come to the end of his tether,' she 

 answered simply, ' I cannot think we shall be drowned. God would 

 not allow all these good people who call on him to perish.' Cockerell, 

 too, is full of help. He has made friends with a young Belgian and 

 a young English accountant, who are better than the rest, and gathers 

 a deal of information about all that is going on. 



" It came on blowing terribly again in the afternoon, and the sea 

 has put on the pale green look it has in the northern seas — each wave 

 capped with foam. The waves are pouring over the lower decks, and 

 the ship is sinking a bit in her bed. A great ship was seen just at 

 sunset, and wild hopes were indulged. The sailors hoisted a torch at 

 the mast-head, but the vessel was too far away and soon disappeared. 

 Nor could she have helped us had she come to us for no captain would 

 put out a boat in such a sea. Notwithstanding all this we under our 

 awning on the bridge have passed (12th March) a not quite uncom- 

 fortable night. Only one woke every few minutes with a start, and 

 thoughts forced themselves on one's mind of things beyond the world. 

 There were signs of lightning in the hills in the direction of Mount 

 Sinai, and one seemed to see in them God's anger in his dwelling place, 



