250 Dervishes and Hadjis. 



holy places still surrounds him, the dust of Mekka and Medina 

 still covers his garments. In Central Asia the hadji is held 

 in much greater esteem than in any other Mohammedan 

 country. It has cost him much to obtain his dignity, hut he 

 is amply repaid. Respected and supported by his fellow- 

 citizens, he is better protected against the tyranny of the 

 government than any other citizen. The title of a "hadji" 

 is a patent of nobility, which during his lifetime he parades 

 on his seal, after death on his tombstone. 



The hadjis — of course such as are not mere beggars — often 

 transact, during their pious pilgrimage, a little commercial 

 business. " Hem tidjaret hen ziaret," " commerce and pilgrim- 

 age together," are not allowed by their religion ; but nobody 

 seems to suffer any pricks of conscience in taking to his co- 

 religionist in Arabia a few articles from distant Turkomania. 

 The products of Bokhara, and other holy places of Central 

 Asia, are in high esteem amongst the people of Arabia; 

 besides, every one wishes to show a hadji some favour, and is 

 easily induced to pay double the value for any article offered. 

 This small trade is carried on between the easternmost point of 

 Islamitic Asia to the Galata bridge of Constantinople. Amongst 

 the crowd of that famous capital one often sees a Tartar whose 

 features contrast as strangely with the rest of the population 

 as the colours of the thin silk kerchief differ from those of an 

 European manufacture. Fine ladies seldom become purchasers 

 of such articles, but old matrons are frequently seen, inspired 

 by feelings of piety, paying a good price for them, pressing 

 them repeatedly to their face and forejiead while repeating a 

 loud " Allahumu Sella," and continuing their walk. 



That the successful sale of the exported articles leads to 

 the importation of similar merchandise, needs no confirmation. 

 No hadji leaves the holy places without making some pur- 

 chases. At Mekka he lays in a stock of scents, dates, rosaries, 

 and combs, but especially water from the sacred well, called 

 Zem Zem.* In Yambu and Djidda are bought European 

 goods ; these go by the name of Mali Istambul, i, e., Stam- 

 boul goods, as the unbelieving Franks must not obtain credit 

 for anything, and they consist of penknives, scissors, needles, 

 thimbles, etc. Aleppo and Damascus enjoy the reputation of 

 supplying the best Misvak, a fibrous root, used as tooth- 

 brushes by all pious Moslems. In Bagdad are bought a 

 Hirkia, made of camel's hair, and of superior quality at this 



* Zem zem is the name of a famous -well on the road, of miraculous power, 

 the water of which is exported in small vessels to all Islamite countries, as a 

 single drop of it, taken just at the moment of death, frees from five hundred 

 years of purgatory. The origin of the well is ascribed to Ismail, who, after 

 being left behind by Hagar, stamped hisjittle foot, and made the well spring up. 



