Each Of These Men Have Two Leather Buckets Tied To A Rope On
A Small Wheel, One Of Which Comes Up Full, While The Other Goes Down
Empty.
They do not only drink this water, but oftentimes bathe
themselves with it, at which time they take off
Their clothes, only
covering their lower parts with thin wrapper, and one of the drawers
pours on each person’s head five or six buckets of water.[FN#30] The
[p.373] person bathing may lawfully wash himself therewith above the
middle, but not his lower parts, because they account they are not
worthy, only letting the water take its way downwards. In short, they
make use of this water only to drink, take Abdes, and for bathing:
neither may they take Abdes with it, unless they first cleanse their
secret parts with other common water. Yea, such an high esteem they
have for it, that many Hagges carry it home to their respective
countries in little latten or tin pots; and present it to their
friends, half a spoonful, may be, to each, who receive it in the hollow
of their hand with great care and abundance of thanks, sipping a little
of it, and bestowing the rest on their faces and naked heads; at the
same time holding up their hands, and desiring of God that they also
may be so happy and prosperous as to go on pilgrimage to Mecca. The
reason of their putting such an high value upon the water of this well,
is because (as they say) it is the place where Ishmael was laid by his
mother Hagar.
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