THE MOHAMMEDAN PILGRIMAGE. 247 



ing a forest of lances, guns, swivels, and other arms, 

 and forcing their passage along as they best could. 



The law ordains that the true position of the haj 

 should be on Arafat ; but it wisely provides against 

 any impossibility arising from its scanty dimensions, 

 by declaring that the mountain includes the plain 

 in the immediate neighbourhood. A similar pro- 

 vision is made with regard to the great mosque, 

 which can accommodate at prayers about 35,000 

 persons. There is, however, an opinion prevalent 

 at Mecca, founded on a holy tradition, that it is capa- 

 ble of containing any number of the Faithful even 

 the whole Mohammedan community, who might 

 all enter at once, and find ample room. The guar- 

 dian angels are gifted with the power of invisibly 

 extending the limits of the building, or diminishing 

 the size of the worshipper; but in modern times 

 there is no occasion for this miracle, as the Temple is 

 never half filled, and seldom visited, even during the 

 haj, by more than 10,000 individuals at once. 



About three o'clock the chief ceremony of the day 

 takes place, that of the khoteb or sermon, which is 

 usually preached by the Cadi of Mecca. The whole 

 multitude now unpitch their tents, press forward to- 

 wards the mountain, and cover its sides from top 

 to bottom. The orator takes his stand on the stone 

 platform near the top, whence he addresses the 

 crowd. The discourse lasts till sunset, and no pil- 

 grim, although he may have visited all the holy 

 places of Mecca, is entitled to the name of hajji un- 

 less he has been present on this occasion. 



The cadi, whom Burckhardt describes as mount- 

 ed on a richly-caparisoned camel, read his sermon 

 from a book in Arabic, which he held in his hand 



