The Guns Roared Their
Brazen Notes, Re-Echoed Far And Wide By The Harsh Voices Of The Stony
Hills.
A shower of rockets bursting in the air threw into still greater
confusion the timorous mob of women and children.
At the same time
martial music rose from the masses of Nizam and the stouter-hearted
pilgrims were not sparing of their Labbayk[FN#6] and “id kum
Mubarak[FN#7]”—“May your Festival be happy!”
After the pass of the Two Rugged Hills, the road widened, and old Ali,
who, during the bumping, had been in a silent convulsion of terror,
recovered speech and spirits. This change he evidenced by beginning to
be troublesome once more. Again I resolved to be his equal. Exclaiming,
“My eyes are yellow with hunger!” I seized a pot full of savoury meat which
the old man had previously stored for supper, and, without further
preamble, began to eat it greedily, at the same time ready to shout
with laughter at the mumbling and grumbling sounds that proceeded from
the darkness of the litter. We were at least three hours on the road
before reaching
[p.201] Muzdalifah, and being fatigued, we resolved to pass the night
there.[FN#8] The Mosque was brilliantly illuminated, but my hungry
companions[FN#9] apparently thought more of supper and of sleep than of
devotion.[FN#10] Whilst the tent was being raised, the Indians prepared
our food, boiled our coffee, filled our pipes, and spread our rugs.
Before sleeping each man collected for himself seven “Jamrah”—bits of granite
the size of a small bean.[FN#11] Then, weary with emotion and exertion,
all lay down except the boy Mohammed, who preceded us to find encamping
ground at Muna. Old Ali, in lending his mule, made the most stringent
arrangements with the youth about the exact place and the exact hour of
meeting—an act of simplicity at which I could not but smile. The night
was by no means peaceful or silent. Lines of camels passed us every ten
minutes, and the shouting of travellers continued till near dawn.
Pilgrims ought to have nighted at the Mosque, but, as in Burckhardt’s
time, so in mine, baggage was considered to be in danger thereabouts,
and consequently most of the devotees spent the sermon-hours in
brooding over their boxes.
[FN#1] Ali Bey calls it “Jami al-Rahmah”—of mercy.
[FN#2] Here was a small chapel, which the Wahhabis were demolishing
when Ali Bey was at Meccah. It has not been rebuilt. Upon this spot the
Prophet, according to Burckhardt, used to stand during the ceremonies.
[FN#3] Burckhardt gives this name to a place a little way on the left
and about forty steps up the mountain.
[FN#4] In Solomon’s time the Egyptian horse cost 150 silver shekels,
which, if the greater shekel be meant, would still be about the average
price, £18. Abbas, the late Pasha, did his best to buy first-rate Arab
stallions: on one occasion he sent a mission to Al-Madinah for the sole
purpose of fetching a rare work on farriery. Yet it is doubted whether
he ever had a first-rate Nijdi. A Badawi sent to Cairo by one of the
chiefs of Nijd, being shown by the viceroy’s order over the stables, on
being asked his opinion of the blood, replied bluntly, to the great man’s
disgust, that they did not contain a single thoroughbred[.] He added an
apology on the part of his laird for the animals he had brought from
Arabia, saying, that neither Sultan nor Shaykh could procure colts of
the best strain. For none of these horses would a staunch admirer of
the long-legged monster called in England a thoroughbred give twenty
pounds. They are mere “rats,” short and stunted, ragged and fleshless, with
rough coats and a slouching walk. But the experienced glance notes at
once the fine snake-like head, ears like reeds, wide and projecting
nostrils, large eyes, fiery and soft alternately, broad brow, deep base
of skull, wide chest, crooked tail, limbs padded with muscle, and long
elastic pasterns. And the animal put out to speed soon displays the
wondrous force of blood. In fact, when buying Arabs, there are only
three things to be considered,—blood, blood, and again blood. In Marco
Polo’s time, Aden supplied the Indian market. The state of the tribes
round the “Eye of Yaman” has effectually closed the road against
horse-caravans for many years past. It is said that the Zu Mohammed and
the Zu Hosayn, sub-families of the Benu Yam, a large tribe living
around and north of Sana’a, in Al-Yaman, have a fine large breed called
Al-Jaufi, and the clan Al-Aulaki, ([Arabic]), rear animals celebrated
for swiftness and endurance. The other races are stunted, and some
Arabs declare that the air of Al-Yaman causes a degeneracy in the first
generation. The Badawin, on the contrary, uphold their superiority, and
talk with the utmost contempt of the African horse. In India we now
depend for Arab blood upon the Persian Gulf, and the consequences of
monopoly display themselves in an increased price for inferior animals.
Our studs are generally believed to be sinks for rupees. The
Governments of India now object, it is said, to rearing, at a great
cost, animals distinguished by nothing but ferocity. It is evident that
Al-Hijaz never can stock the Indian market. Whether Al-Nijd will supply
us when the transit becomes safer, is a consideration which time only
can decide. Meanwhile it would be highly advisable to take steps for
restoring the Aden trade by entering into closer relations with the
Imam of Sana’a and the Badawi chiefs in the North of Al-Yaman.
[FN#5] I obtained the following note upon the ceremonies of Wahhabi
pilgrimage from one of their princes, Khalid Bey:—The Wahhabi (who, it
must be borne in mind, calls himself a Muwahhid, or Unitarian, in
opposition to Mushrik—Polytheist—any other sect but his own) at Meccah
follows out his two principal tenets, public prayer for men daily, for
women on Fridays, and rejection of the Prophet’s mediation.
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