On The Top Of This Mount Is
A Temple Or Mosque, Built After Their Manner, Having Three Entrances.
At
the foot of the mountain are two great cisterns, which preserve water
free from corruption:
One of these is reserved for the camels belonging
to the caravan of Cairo, and the other for that of Damascus. These
cisterns are filled by rain water, which is brought from a great way
off. We shall speak afterwards of the sacrifices performed at this
mountain, and must now return to Mecca.
On our arrival we found the caravan from Memphis, or Babylon of Egypt,
which had arrived eight days before us, coming by a different way, and
consisted of 64,000 camels, with a guard of an hundred Mamelukes. This
city of Mecca is assuredly cursed of God, for it is situated in a most
barren spot, destitute of all manner of fruit or corn, and so burnt up
with drought, that you cannot have as much water for twelve pence as
will satisfy one person for a whole day. Most part of their provisions
are brought from Cairo in Egypt, by the Red Sea, or _Mare Erythreum_ of
the ancients, and is landed at the port of _Gida_, Joddah or Jiddah,
which is about forty miles from Mecca. The rest of their provisions are
brought from the _Happy Arabia_, or _Arabia Felix_, so named from its
fruitfulness in comparison with the other two divisions, called
_Petrea_ and _Deserta_, or the Stoney and Desert Arabias. They also
get much corn from Ethiopia. At Mecca we found a prodigious multitude of
strangers who were _peregrines_ or pilgrims; some from Syria, others
from Persia, and others from both the Indies, that is, from India on
this side the river Ganges, and also from the farther India beyond that
river. During my stay of twenty days at Mecca, I saw a most prodigious
number and variety of people, infinitely beyond what I had ever before
seen. This vast concourse of strangers of many nations and countries
resort thither from various causes, but chiefly for trade, and to
obtain pardon of their sins by discharging a vow of pilgrimage.
From India, both on this side and beyond the Ganges, they bring for sale
precious stones pearls and spices; and especially from that city of the
greater India, which is named _Bangella_[42] they bring much
_gossampyne_ cloth[43] and silk. They receive spices also from
Ethiopia[44]; and, in short, this city of Mecca is a most famous and
plentiful mart of many rich and valuable commodities. But the main
object for which pilgrims resort thither from so many countries and
nations, is, to purchase the pardon of their sins. In the middle of the
city there is a temple after the manner of the coliseum or amphitheatre
of Rome, yet not built of marble or hewn stone, being only of burnt
bricks. Like an amphitheatre, it has ninety or an hundred gates, and is
vaulted over. It is entered on every side by a descent of twelve steps,
and in its porch is the mart for jewels and precious stones, all the
walls of the entry being gilt over in a most splendid manner.
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