MEMOIR OP BURCKHARDT. 99 



The law of the Koran, it is well kfcjwn, com- 

 mands every Mussulman, who has the means, to 

 perform a pilgrimage to Mecca, at least once in his 

 life. The month set apart for this ceremony is 

 called Dulhajja, which, as the Arahs use the lunar 

 calculation, may happen at any period of the year, 

 and gradually shifts its position through the whole 

 circle of the seasons. In 1814, it happened in No- 

 vember. The crowds that assemble on that occasion 

 from all parts of the Mohammedan world are im- 

 mense ; in former times they amounted to several 

 hundred thousands ; but owing to the interruptions 



I of the Wahabis, they had considerably fallen off 

 when Burckhardt travelled in Arabia. He reckoned 



i them at more than 80,000, and the number of 

 camels from 20,000 to 25,000. In general the 

 regular caravans have fixed periods for their arrival. 



I Those from Northern Syria bring the pilgrims of 



j the West as far as Barbary and Morocco ; from the 

 South they come through Nubia and Abyssinia; 

 the Indians take the route through Yemen or arrive 

 by sea at Jiddah ; the Persians assemble at Bagdad 

 and traverse the desert of Nejed ; the Turks, Tar- 

 fcars, and Syrians start from Damascus, journeying 

 along the coast of the Red Sea. Most of these de- 

 votees are merchants, and bring with them, for 

 traffic, the different wares and precious commodities 

 of their respective countries. 



The awful sanctity of Mecca requires that every 

 traveller, whether on a religious visit or not, shall 

 strip off his garments before approaching it in any 



