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said at Arafat, but at Mosdelifa, at the perfect square. I looked upon it as such same time as the night prayer, or Ascha, at first sight, but soon discovered my which ought to be said at the last mo- mistake. ment of twilight, that is, an hour and a half after sun-set. These prayers are repeated by each group or family privately. We hastened to say them upon our arrival, before we pitched our tents; and the day was terminated by mutual felicitations upon the happiness of our sanctification by the pilgrimage to the

mount.

The black stone, Hhajera el Assouàd, or Heavenly Stone, is raised forty-two inches above the surface, and is bordered all round with a large plate of silver, about a foot broad. The part of the stone that is not covered by the silver at the angle is almost a semi-circle, six inches in height, by eight inches six lines diameter at its base.

We believe that this miraculous stone

heaven to Abraham by the angel Gabriel, as a pledge of his divinity, and, being touched by an impure woman, became black and opaque.

I must praise the moderation and good order which reigned amidst this number was a transparent hyacinth, brought from of individuals belonging to different nations. Two thousand women who were among them did not occasion the least disorder; and though there were more than forty or fifty thousand guns, there was only one let off, which happened near me. At the same instant one of the chiefs ran to the man who had fired, and reprimanded him, saying " Why did you do this? are we going to make war here?"

THE TEMPLE OF MECCA.

This stone is a fragment of volcanie basalts, which is sprinkled throughout its circumference with small pointed coloured crystals, and varied with red feldspath, upon a dark black ground like coal, except one of its protuberances, which is a little reddish.

The temple of Mecca is known by The continual kisses and touchings of Mussulmen under the name of El Ha- the faithful have worn the surface unram, or the Temple of Excellence. It even, so that it now has a muscular apis composed of the House of God, Beit pearance: It has nearly fifteen muscles, Allah, or, as it is called also, La Kaaba; and one deep hollow.

found the latter had lost nearly twelve lines of its thickness; from whence we may infer, that, if the stone was smooth and even, in the time of the prophet, it has lost a line during each succeeding age.

The interior of the Kaaba consists only of a hall, which is raised above the outside plane, the same height as the door.

of the Well of Zemzem, Bir Zemzem; Upon comparing the borders of the of the Cobba, or Place of Abraham, stone that are covered and secured by Makham Ibrahim; of the places of the the silver with the uncovered part, I four orthodox rites, Makam Hhaneffi, Makam Shaffi, Makam Maleki, and Makam Hhanbeli; of two Cobbas, or Chapels, El Cobbatain; of an arch, called Babes-selem (in the same style as a triumphal arch), near the place of Abraham; of El Mónbar or the Tribune for the Priest, upon Fridays; of the wooden staircase, Daureh, which leads to the saloon of the house of God; of an immense court, surrounded by a triple row of arches; of two smaller courts, surrounded with elegant piazzas; of nineteen doors; and of seven towers, or minarets, five of which adhere to the edifice and the other two are placed between the neighbouring houses, out of the inclosure. La Kaaba, Béit Allah, or the House The Kaaba is the only ancient edifice of God, is a quadrilateral tower, the sides that exists in the temple of Mecca; all and angles of which are unequal, so that the others have been added at a later its plan forms a true trapezium. The period. size of the edifice, and the black cloth which covers it, make this irregularity disappear, and give to it the figure of a

It has been already remarked, that the house of God is entirely covered on the outside with a large black cloth, called Tob el Kaaba, or the shirt of the Kaaba, suspended from the terrace, and fastened below by means of strings, which answer to the bronze rings that are fixed in the base.

El Haram, or the Temple, is situated nearly in the middle of the city, which is built in a valley, that has a considerable

slope from the north to the south. El selves to the pilgrim, whom they believe Bir Zemzem, or the Well of Zem- to be rich; so that he cannot quit withzem, is situated fifty-one feet distant to out leaving 1,500 or 2,000 francs in alms the E. 10° N. of the black stone. and remuneration to them and the tem

It is about seven feet eight inches in ple. There are not any of the pilgrims, diameter, and fifty-six feet deep to the even the poorest, who undertake the surface of the water. The brim is of journey at the expence of public charity, fine white marble, five feet high.

It is known that this well was miraculously opened by the angel of the Lord for Agár, when she was nearly perishing from thirst in the desert with her son Ismael, after having been sent from Abraham's house.

The Kaaba, and the stones of Ismael, are situated nearly in the centre of the temple, and occupy the middle of an oval or irregular elliptical surface, which forms a zone of thirty-nine feet wide round the edifice, upon which the pilgrims make their tours round the Kaaba, It is paved with fine marble, and is situated upon the lowest plane of the temple. The walls of the temple are connected on the outside by houses, so that it has not any external front, and there are some of the houses which have windows that overlook the interior of the building. The two sacred hilis, Saffa and Mèroua, may be considered as dependent on the temple, by the obligation imposed upon all the pilgrims to visit them as soon as they have been round the Kaaba. They were situated outside of the town in the time of the Prophet, but are now within the confines, in consequence of the increase of buildings; there are even whole streets of houses erected upon the mountains themselves.

or who beg their way, that are not obliged to leave some crowns.

The

The pilgrims once had several stoppages to make, which produced many benefits to those employed; but the Wehhabites have abolished all. mosque and the chapel where the Prophet was born; El Djebel Nor, where he received the first revelation from heaven; the house of Aboutaleb, where he passed a part of his life; several places where he used to pray; the mountain Djebel Koubis, where the miraculous black stone descended; the chapels of Setna Fathma, daughter of the Prophet; of Sidi Mahmud, and other saints; no longer exist. The pilgrims are consequently deprived of the spiritual merit which they would have acquired, by making their pious visits to these holy places; and the good inhabitants of the holy city have lost the temporal wealth which resulted from these acts of devotion.

MECCA.

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The city of Mecca, called Mekka in Arabic, is situated in a very narrow valley, the mean breadth of which be about 155 toises, that winds irregularly between mountains from the north-east to the south-west; so that the city, which follows the windings of the valley, is quite irregular; and the houses being also built upon the sides of the mountains, render the plan of it still more so.

Saffa is at a short distance from the temple. It is situated to the south-east, and obliquely opposite to the door of the The principal streets are regular same name, at the foot of the mountain enough; they may even be called handDjebel Koubiis. It is the spot where some, on account of the pretty fronts of the black stone descended from heaven. the houses. They are sanded, level, and Formerly the numerous caravans which very convenient. I had been so long arrived from all quarters of the globe, accustomed to live in the indifferent where the religion of Islamism was prac- towns of Africa, that I was quite sur tised, provided for all the wants of the prised at the fine appearance of the city, by the abundance of alms which buildings of Mecca. they left; but now that the number is The houses are solidly built with stone; diminished, and the pilgrims are not in a they are three and four stories high, and state to contribute to the expences, the even more sometimes. The fronts are number of persons employed being al- ornamented with bases, mouldings, and ways the same, devotion and the prac- paintings, which gives them a very gracetice of religion are become very dear, ful appearance. It is very rare to find a because those employed attach them- door that has not a base with steps, and

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small seats on both sides. The blinds which is without the Holy Land; after of the balconies are not very close and which, turning to the west-south-west, it holes are cut besides in different parts of passes by Drataerk, and terminates at Mehherma upon the coast, at the port named Almarsa Ibrahim, nearly thirtytwo leagues to the south-east of Djedda.

them.

I believe there is no Mussulman city where the arts are so little known as at Mecca. There is not a man to be found that is capable of making a lock or forging a key. All the doors are locked with large wooden keys, and the trunks and cases with padlocks brought from Europe: I therefore was unable to replace the key of a trunk, and that of my telescope box, which where stolen at Mina.

The slippers and sandals are brought from Constantinople and Egypt; for they know not how to make them at Mecca, exceptindeed those of wood or untanned leather, which are very bad.

It appears, therefore, that the Holy Land is fifty-seven leagues in length from the north-west to the south-east, and/ twenty-eight in breadth from the northeast to the south-west.

This space is comprehended in that part of Arabia known by the name of El Hedjeaz, or the Land of Pilgrimage, the limits of which are not sufficiently known to me to hazard a description of them.

Medina and Taïf are included in the Hedjeaz, but are without the Beled El Haram.

There is no river in the Holy Land. The only water to be found is that of some inconsiderable springs, which are not numerous, and the brackish water obtained from the deep wells.

There is not a single man to be found who knows how to engrave an inscription, or any kind of design upon a hewn stone, as formerly; nor a single gunsmith or cutler able to make a screw, or to replace a piece of the lock of an Euro- Thus it is a real desert. It is only at pean gun; those of the country being Mecca and Medina that they have only able to manufacture their rude wrought cisterns to preserve the rain matchlocks, their bent knives, lances, and water,, on which account it is very rare halberds. that a garden is to be seen throughout Mecca is so poor by nature, that, if this large territory. The plains are either the house of God ceased to exist, it composed of sand or bad earth, entirely would be inevitably deserted in two abandoned; and, as the people do not years, or at least be reduced to a simple douar, or hamlet; for the inhabitants, in general, subsist for the rest of the year upon what they accumulate during the time of the pilgrimage, at which period the place puts on a lively appearance, commerce is animated, and the half of the people are transformed into hosts, I believe to be formed of schistus and merchants, porters, servants, &c.; and the other, attached entirely to the service of the temple, live upon the alms and gifts of the pilgrims.

HOLY LAND OF ISLAM.

sow any kind of grain in any part of the country, they are fed with flour, &c. which comes from Upper Egypt, from Yemen, from Taif, where a little island is cultivated, and from India.

Although the whole of the Beled El Haram is covered with mountains, which

porphyry, yet these do not exist in long chains. The highest are those of Medina and Taif; which towns are situated upon a bountiful land, with plenty of water, and covered with gardens and plantations.

The Beled el Haram, or the Holy Land of Islam, of which Mecca is the capital, The Holy Land does not contain any is comprehended between the Red Sea other considerable towns than Mecca and and an irregular line, which, commenc- Djedda. As for the rest, they are geneing at Arabog, about twenty-one leagues rally little else than miserable villages, to the north of Djedda, forms a bend composed of barracks and tents, estabfrom the north-east to the south-east, in lished near a well or a spring, except passing by Yelemlem two days' journey some few pointed out upon my geograto the north-east of Mecca; from thence phical map. it continues to Karna, about twenty-one leagues to the east of the same place, and eight leagues to the west of Taif,

When pilgrims arrive upon the confines of the Beled El Haram, from whatever country they may come, whether by

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land or by water, they ought to sanctify woman, as also a crown and wings; the themselves by the ceremony Iaharmo, prophet, after leaving El Borak at the and put on the Ihram, or sacred costume gate of the tempie, came to offer up his of pilgrimage. prayer upon El Sahhara, with the other prophets and angels, who, having saluted him respectfully, yielded to him the place of honour.

Although the Sultan Scherif is the natural lord of the country, he receives only the contributions of Mecca and Djedda. The rest of the country pays the tenth to the Sultan Saaoud.

TEMPLE OF JERUSALEM.

As no detailed description has been hitherto given of the Mussulman Temple, at Jerusalem, because the Mussulmen are generally not prepared for such a task, and the Christians are not permitted to enter it, I shall now endeavour to give some idea of this magnificent monument of architecture, which ought to interest the learned, whether followers of Moses, or Jesus Christ, or of Mouhhammed.

At the moment when the prophet stood upon El Sahhara, the rock, sensible of the happiness of bearing the holy burden, depressed itself, and, becoming like soft wax, received the print of his sacred foot upon the upper part towards the south-west border. This print is now covered with a large sort of cage of gilt metal wire, worked in such a manner that the print cannot be seen on account of the darkness within, but it may be touched with the hand, through a hole made on purpose. The believers, after El Haram, or the Temple, called also having touched the print, proceed to Beit el Mokaaddes e Scherif, or the sanctify themselves by passing the hand principal holy house in Jerusalem, is an over the face and beard. In the inteunion of several buildings erected at dif- rior of the rock is a cave, into which ferent periods of Islamism, which bear they descend by a staircase on the southupon them demonstrative proofs of the east side. There is a room, forming an prevailing taste of the various ages when irregular square of about eighteen feet they were severally constructed. They surface, and eight feet high in the midform however a very harmonious whole. dle. The roof is a natural irregular The principal part of the temple is vault. In descending the staircase, composed of two piles of magnificent there is upon the right, at the bottom, a buildings, which may be regarded as little tablet of marble, bearing the name two distinct temples by their respective of, El Makam Souliman, or The Place situation; but they form together one of Solomon. A similar one upon symmetrical and consistent whole. The left is named El Makam Davoud, or The one is called El Aksa, and the other El Place of David. A cavity or niche on Sabhara. the south-west side of the rock is called, El Makam Ibrahim, or the Place of Abraham. A similar circular concave step at the north-west angle is named, El Makam Djibrila, or the Place of Gabriel; and a sort of table of stone at the northeast angle is called, El Makam el Hodér, or the Place of Elias.

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THE SEPULCHRE OF DAVID.

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The Mussulman believes that the Sahhara Allah is the place of all others, except El Kaaba or the house of God at Mecca, where the prayers of men are most agreeable to the divinity. It is on this account that all the prophets since the creation of the world to the time of the prophet Mouhhammed, have come hither to pray; and even now the prophets and angels come hither in invisible troops to make their prayers on the rock, exclusive of the ordinary guard af 70,000 angels, who perpetually surround it, and who are relieved every day. On the night when the prophet Mouh- Leaving the city by the gate Beb Dahammed was carried away from Mecca voud, or of David, to the south-east, we by the angel Gabriel, and transported found, at 150 toises distance, an edifice, in a moment through the air to Jeru- which has the appearance of an ancient salem, upon the mare called El Borak, Greek Church. Upon entering it we which has the head and neck of a fine turned to the left, and arrived at the se

After having completed all the cercmonies, and discharged all the alms due to the temple, on the very day of my arrival at Jerusalem; I was conducted on the next day (Friday) to the sepulchre of David.

pulchre by a gallery upon the ground floor, enclosed by several doors and railings of iron. The monument is a species of bier covered with fine silk stuffs of different colours, richly embroidered; it occupies all the end wall of the gallery, which is about thirteen feet wide.

Having finished my prayers at the Sepulchre of David, I was conducted towards the east, along the outside of the walls of the city, and descending a rapid slope arrived near the only spring which

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REPRESENTATIVE HISTORY

GREAT BRITAIN

IRELAND;

Being a History of the
HOUSE OF COMMONS,

AND OF THE

THE UNITED KINGDOM,

is in the place, called by the Christians COUNTIES, CITIES, and BOROUGHS the Fountain of Nehemiah. The Mussulmen believe that the water of this spring, by a miracle of divine power, is made to come from the well of Zemzem. at Mecca.

The Mussulmen say prayers in all the holy places consecrated to the memory of Jesus Christ and the Virgin, except the tomb of Jesus Christ, which they do not acknowledge. They believe that Christ did not die, but that he ascended alive into heaven, leaving the likeness of his face to Judas, who was condemned to die for him; and that, in consequence, Judas having been crucified, his body might have been contained in this sepulchre, but not that of Jesus Christ. It is for this reason that the Mussulmen do not perform any act of devotion at this nonument, and that they ridicule the Christians who go to revere it.

The Mussulmen at Jerusalem revere the remains, or the tombs of a great number of saints, which form a branch of speculation to many individuals, either by the administration of the funds, or pious foundations annexed to each tomb; or by the collection of the alms, which ought indispensably to accompany each visit.

Although the inhabitants of Jerusalem are composed of people of different nations and different religions, who inwardly dispise each other on account of their various opinions; yet as the Christians are the most numerous, there reigns a good deal of social intercourse among them in their affairs and amusements. The followers of Jesus Christ mix indiscriminately with the disciples of Mahomet, and this amalgamation produces a much more extended degree of liberty at Jerusalem, than in any other country subjugated to Islamism.

From the earliest period.
By T. H. B. OLDFIELD.

Six vols. 8vo. 41. 4s..

[At a time when the distresses of the entire population of a country possessing so many capabilities of permanent prosperity, prove that "something is rotten in the state," no literary service could have been performed more important than that of developing the corruptions and abuses of the parliamentary representation, as the primary source of all the misfortunes of the people. Our extracts will prove how interestingly and how honestly Mr. OLDFIELD has performed his task, and will, doubtless, stimulate every literary association, and every public spirited nobleman and gentleman to encourage its universal circulation. Among societies of parliamentary reformers, such a work must necessarily become a sort of political Bible, serving as the just foundation of their cause, and exciting by its details of profligacy, their most zealous exertions. We lament that the space which we are able to devote to this publication has obliged us to limit our anecdotes of corruption to a few of the statements in a single volume of the four which are occupied by similar materials; but we have extracted enough to prove the inestimable value of the work, at this crisis, to every man who loves his country. To render it a complete library on its peculiar subjects, Mr. Oldfield has devoted one volume to a learned and elaborate history of parliaments; and he has, in an Appendix to the last volume, given tables of patrons, lists of disfranchised boroughs, a list of members of the common-wealth parliament, when the rotten boroughs were disfranchised, a table of the duration of parliaments, a list of speakers, and an abstract of the laws of elec tion.]

ORIGIN OF PARLIAMENTS.

HE Dyots in Germany, the Tiers

Etat in France, the Cortes in Spain, and the Legislative Assemblies in every nation in Europe, were all composed of the representatives of cities and districts; and it cannot be imagined that the parliament of England alone, originated in an oligarchy of barons or feudal

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