114 
the water of Zemzem. I discovered also a bad engraver 
of brass seals. 
The sciences are found in the same state of perfec- 
tion as the arts at Mecca. The whole knowledge of 
the inhabitants is confined to reading the Kourr-an, 
and to writing very badly. They learn from their in- 
fancy the prayers and the ceremonies of the pilgrimage 
to the house of God, to SafFa, and Meroua, in order 
to be able at an early age to gain money by officiating 
as guides to the pilgrims. Children of five or six years 
old are to be seen fulfilling these functions, carried 
upon the arms or shoulders of the pilgrims, who repeat 
the prayers which the children recite word for word, 
at the same time that they follow the path pointed out 
by them to the different places. 
I wished to obtain a Kourr-an written at Mecca, 
but they are not numerous; and they are so badly 
written, and so full of errors, that they cannot be of 
any use. 
There are no regular schools, if we except those 
where they learn to read ajjd write. In short, there are 
only a few talbes, or doctors, who, through caprice, 
vanity, or covetousness of obtaining something from 
their auditors, go and sit under the porticos of the 
temple, where they begin to read in a loud voice to 
draw a crowd of persons, who generally assemble 
pretty quickly, and arrange themselves round the 
doctor, who explains, reads, or preaches, whichever 
he c^an do, and go away or stay as they please. Such 
is the education of the people of this holy city, who 
are the most ignorant of mortals. It is true that their 
geographical situation contributes to it in a great 
measure. 
Mecca, placed in the middle of a desert, does not 
