THE MOHAMMEDAN PILGRIMAGE. 235 



Egypt, and those from the coasts of Melinda and 

 Mombaza. All Moslems dwelling near the ocean 

 are certain of finding, towards the period of the 

 haj, ships departing from some neighbouring har- 

 bour to the Red Sea ; but the greater number come 

 with the regular Indian fleet. From all these re- 

 gions swarms of beggars flock to Mecca,- they get 

 a free passage from charitable individuals among 

 their own countrymen, or their expense is defrayed 

 by those who employ them as proxies in perform- 

 ing the indispensable duties of the pilgrimage. But 

 on landing they are thrown entirely on the bene- 

 volence of the hajjis, and the alms they collect must 

 serve to carry them back to their homes. All the 

 poorer class of Indians turn mendicants ; and their 

 wretched appearance would make them worthy ob- 

 jects of commiseration, were it not known that they 

 assume a tone and character of outward misery, be- 

 cause it ensures them a subsistence without labour. 



None of these paupers bear a more respectable 

 character for industry than the Negroes or Tekrouris, 

 as they are called, who employ themselves as por- 

 ters for carrying goods, cleaning the court-yards, 

 or fetching firewood from the neighbouring moun- 

 tains. Some of them manufacture small baskets 

 and mats of date-leaves, or little hearths of clay 

 painted yellow and red, which they sell to the haj- 

 jis, who boil their coffeepots upon them. Others 

 serve as water-carriers, or prepare bouza, or occupy 

 themselves in any species of manual labour. 



Among the pilgrims are to be found dervises of 

 every sect and order in the Turkish empire : many 

 of them are madmen, or at least assuming the ap- 

 pearance of insanity ; and as the Mohammedans re- 



