[Footnote 45:  This description is altogether unintelligible.—­E.]

When they intend to sacrifice, the pilgrims who are able to afford it, kill some three, some four, or more sheep, even to ten, so that in one sacrifice there are sometimes slain above 3000 sheep; and as they are all slaughtered at sun-rise, the shambles then flow with blood.  Shortly afterwards all the carcasses are distributed for God’s sake among the poor, of whom I saw there at least to the number of 20,000.  These poor people dig many long ditches in the fields round Mecca, where they make fires of camels’ dung, at which they roast or seethe the sacrificial flesh which has been distributed to them by the richer pilgrims.  In my opinion, these poor people flock to Mecca more to satisfy their hunger, than from motives of devotion.  Great quantities of cucumbers are brought here for sale from Arabia Felix, which are bought by those who have money; and as the parings are thrown out from their tents, the half-famished multitude gather these parings from among the mire or sand to satisfy their hunger, and are so greedy of that vile food, that they fight who shall gather most.

On the day after the sacrifice to Abraham, the cadi, who is to these people as the preachers of the word of God among us, ascends to the top of a high mountain, whence he preaches to the people who stand below.  He harangued for the space of on hour, principally inculcating that they should bewail their sins with tears and sighs and lamentations, beating their breasts.  At one time he exclaimed with a loud voice, “O!  Abraham the beloved of God, O!  Isaac the chosen of God and his friend, pray to God for the people of the prophet.”  As these words were spoken, we suddenly heard loud cries and lamentations, and a rumour was spread that an army of 20,000 Arabians was approaching, on which we all fled into the city, even those who were appointed to guard the pilgrims being the first to make their escape.  Mid-way between the mountain of Abraham and the city of Mecca, there is a mean wall, about four cubits broad, where the passengers had strewed the whole way with stones, owing to the following traditionary story:  When Abraham was commanded to sacrifice his son Isaac, he directed his son to follow him to the place where he was to execute the divine command; and as Isaac was following after his father, a devil met him in the way near this wall, in the semblance of a fair and friendly person, and asked him whither he went.  Isaac answered that he was going to his father, who waited for him.  To this the arch enemy replied, that he had better not go, as his father meant to sacrifice him.  But Isaac despising the warnings of the devil, continued his way, that his father might execute the commandments of God respecting him.  On this the devil departed from him, but met him again as he went forward, under the semblance of another friendly person, and advised him as before not to go to his father.  On this Isaac threw a stone