Chap. XII. Grand Seignofs Seraglio. 63 



who appears at the entrance of it, and {landing upon a low Stool,that he may be feen 

 by thofe who are at the greateft diftance from him, Prayes, and gives his Benediction 

 to all the people, putting a period to the Devotion, with thefe words, That God would 

 enable them to return in Peace, as they came thither. 



From that minute, every one mu ft bethink himfelf, that he is to be it his own 

 charges the Shet\ gives no more, and 'tis then that he begins to make great advanta- 

 ges to himfelf. For whatever is fold for the Suftenance of the Pilgrims, comes from 

 him \ and befides, he holds a correfpondence with the Mailers of the Caravans, of 

 whom the Pilgrims are fore'd to buy conveniences for their riding back again, at more 

 then three times the rate they are worth, when the Beafts they had brought out of 

 their own Countries have fail'd them by the way. 



The Caravan oï Cairo is the moft numerous, and the mod confiderable of all the ^ catdvâh 

 Caravans, that come to Mecha. The Caravan-bachi, who is the Captain and Con- of Cairo, 

 dudor of it, makes his gains by it, at his return, worth him Two hundred thoufand 

 Crowns s and there is a great competition about his place, which is at the difpofal of 

 the Bafja of Cairo, and commonly carried by the higheft bidder for it. The Captain 

 of this Caravan is alfo Malter of the Waters, which are carried into the Cifterns, and 

 it is according to his Orders that they are diftributeds and whereas that diftribution 

 is equal, as well in relation to the Poor, as to the Rich, if the latter would have any 

 beyond the quantity allow'd them, they muft pay dearly for it ■■> and the Captain , 

 who fets what impofition he pleafes upon it, makes a confiderable advantage there- 

 by. 



But let us return to the Grand Seignor's Prefent. The Tent, and the Carpet,which The Prefent fent 

 he fends, are two pieces equally precious, as well for the excellency of the Stuffe,as the pom Mecha to 

 additional embellifhments hereof. The Carpet is defign'd for the covering of Maho- tf}e < ^ rtat Mo °. 

 mefs Tomb i and the Tent, which is erecled hard by the Mofquey, is for the Shec^ £U ' 

 who does not ftirr out of it,during the Seventeen dayes of Devotion. This High Prieft 

 of the Malmmetan Law, has found out the fecret knack, of extracting inexpreffible 

 Summes of Mony, out of that Carpet and Tent, which are renew'd every year : and 

 when the new Prefent is arriv'd from the Grand Seignor, he fends, as 'twere out of a 

 lingular favour, certain pieces of the Curtain of the old Tent, to feveral Mahumetan 

 Princes, of whom he receives Magnificent Prefénts in requital. This Curtain, which 

 is fet up on the out-fide of the Tent, quite round it, to hindet the people from feeing 

 thofe that are under it, conflits of feveral pieces, fix foot high, and of a great length ; 

 and the Shec}^ endeavours to perfwade thofe Princes, That if they faften one of thofe 

 pieces to their Tents, when they are going to engage in a War, againlt thofe whom 

 they account Infidels, good fortune will be fure to attend them, aud it will not be- 

 long- e're they gain the Victory. But if he fends either the whole Curtain, or the 

 Tent, or Carpet entire, it muft be to a great Monarch indeed, fuch as the Great Cham 

 of Tartary, or the Great Mogul : and that he does, once in ten, or twelve years j one 

 while to the one, and another, to the other. 



Of this we have a late inftancë, in Aureng-zeb, who at the prefent is King of the 

 Indies, and whom we otherwife call the Great Mogul. For upon his eftablifhment in 

 Ills Throne, the Shecl^knt him the whole Curtain belonging to the Tent ; and great 

 joy there was at his Court, that the King had receiv'd fo Magnificent a Prefent, from 

 the Holy Place, as they call it. The Shecl^ Was foon after made fenfible of the Royal 

 Liberality of that Great Monarch, one of the Richeft and moft Powerful of the Uni- 

 verfê i and thus does that Spiritual Head of the Mahumetan Religion, who has a kind 

 of Superintendency over all the Members, know how to make his advantage of them, 

 and has found out the way, to enrich himfelf, at the coft of all the Princes and Nati- 

 ons, who fubmit themfelves to the Mahumetan Law. 



I queftion not, but that they who have writ of the Religion of the Taw^r, have 

 given fome account of the Pilgrimage of Mecha^ which is one of the mort effential 

 parts thereof > and therefore, as well for that reafon, as alfo for that I fhould digrefs 



too 



