MECCA. 205 



Arabs of the ancient tribe of Thakif, so famous in 

 the wars of Mohammed ; and in their possession 

 are all the neighbouring gardens, and most of the 

 provision-shops in the town. A few Mecca wees are 

 settled here ; but the far greater part of the foreign- 

 ers are Indians by extraction. 



MECCA, the holy city of the Moslems, so long for- 

 bidden to the profane eyes of Christians, is now fa- 

 miliar to every reader of Arabian travels ; and, 

 notwithstanding the growing indifference of the 

 Mohammedans to their religion, it is still visited 

 and revered by all orthodox followers of the Pro- 

 phet. Among the natives it is dignified with many 

 high-sounding titles, The Mother of Towns, 

 The Noble, The Region of the Faithful. The 

 city lies in a narrow winding valley, the main 

 direction of which is from north to south, and its 

 breadth varying from 100 to 700 yards. The build- 

 ings cover a space of about 1500 paces in length ; 

 but the suburbs, from one extreme to the other, ex- 

 tend to nearly 3500. The mountains, enclosing the 

 valley and overhanging the town, rise from 200 to 

 500 feet in height, rugged, and completely barren. 

 Mecca may be styled a handsome town; its streets are 

 in general broader than those of Eastern cities ; the 

 houses lofty, and built of stone, which, being of a 

 dark-gray colour, looks more agreeable than the 

 glaring white that offends the eye at Jidda and 

 Mocha. The numerous windows that face the 

 streets give them a lively and European aspect; 

 the greater number project from the wall, and have 



grace had commanded such bad soldiers as the Turkish troops, he 

 would have been able to do what he himself had done in conquer- 

 ing Egypt and Hejaz. 



VOL. II. N 



