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magnificent, being entirely embroidered with gold and 
silver. 
.The Tob el Kaaba is embroidered at about two 
thirds of its height with a band of gold two feet broad, 
with inscriptions, which are repeated on all the four 
sides: it is called El Hazem, or The Belt. 
The new Tob is put up every year upon Easter 
day; but they do not at first keep it spread out like 
the old one. They fasten it up in drapery; and the 
curtain of the door is kept in parade, and suspended 
above the terrace. The true cause of this custom is, to 
preserve the Tob from the hands of the pilgrims; and 
it is also for the same reason that they cut the old one 
at the ceremony Iaharmo, as well as not to lose the 
opportunity of selling it, which they do, at five francs 
a cubit; but the fraud of the priests has reduced this 
measure to fourteen inches five lines (French). As I 
am persuaded that there are few pilgrims in our days 
that buy any of it, there is a great deal of it left every 
year; so that they will soon have a considerable depot 
of it, for they can make no other use of it, on account 
of its being covered with inscriptions. The belt and 
the curtain return to the Sultan Scherif as his right, 
except when the first day of Easter falls on a Friday, 
on which occasion they expedite it to the Sultan of 
Constantinople, to whom they send the water of Zem- 
zem every year. 
I am inclined to think that the Kaaba had anciently 
a second door exactly opposite the present, upon the 
other side, (at least the exterior surface of the wall 
favours this belief,) and that it was exactly similar in 
shape, &c. 
It has been already said, that there is a parapet about 
five feet high and three feet wide, in front of the norths 
Vol. IL M 
