MECCA. 221 



Near the gate Bab es Salem, a few Arab sheiks 

 daily take their seat, with their paper and inkstands, 

 ready to write for any applicant, letters, accounts, 

 contracts, amulets, billet-doux, or any similar do- 

 cuments. They are principally employed by the 

 Bedouins, and demand an exorbitant remuneration. 

 One species of inviolable property belonging to the 

 mosque are the flocks of wild pigeons with which 

 Mecca abounds, and which nobody dares venture to 

 kill. Several small stone basins are regularly filled 

 with water for their use ; and as it is considered an 

 act of piety to feed them, there are women who ex- 

 pose corn and dhourra for sale on small straw mats, 

 and who occasionally embrace the opportunity of 

 intriguing with the pilgrims, under the pretence of 

 selling them corn for the sacred pigeons. 



The service of the Temple employs a vast number of 

 people, consistingofkhatibs, imams, muftis, muezzins, 

 ulemas, eunuchs, lamplighters, metowafs or guides, 

 with a host of other menial servants, all of whom re- 

 ceive regular pay from the mosque, besides their share 

 of the presents made to it by the hajjis. The first of- 

 ficer is the Naib el Haram or guardian, who keeps 

 the keys of the Kaaba, and superintends the repairs 

 of the building. Burckhardt says he was one of the 

 heads of the three only families descended from the 

 ancient Koreish, then resident in Mecca. Next to 

 him is the aga or chief of the eunuchs, who performs 

 the duty of police-officer in the Temple. His attend- 

 ants prevent disorders, and daily wash and sweep the 

 pavement round the Kaaba. Their dress is the Turk- 

 ish kaouk, and they carry a long stick in their hand, 

 with which they lay freely about them in cases of 

 quarrels or riots. Their number exceeds forty, and 



VOL. II. O 



