“There,” said he, “at but a three days’ journey is the district of plenty, the Canaan of Mecca, whence come the grapes, melons, cucumbers, and pomegranates that are to be seen in our markets.  There are pleasant dales and gardens where the camel-thorn gives way to a carpet of verdure; where the mimosa and acacia give place to the glossy-leaved fig-tree, to stately palms, and pomegranates of the scarlet fruit; where rippling streams are heard, and the songs of birds fill the air.  There is a tradition that Adam, when driven out of the Garden of Eden, settled at Mecca; and there, on the site of the temple yonder, and immediately beneath a glittering temple of pearly cloud, shimmering dews, and rainbow lights said to be in Paradise above,—­the Bait-el Maamur of Heaven,—­was built, by the help of angels, the first Caaba, a resplendent temple with pillars of jasper and roof of ruby.  Adam then compassed the temple seven times, as the angels did the Bait above in perpetual Tawaf.  He then prayed for a bit of fertile land, and immediately a mountain from Syria appeared, performed Tawaf round the Caaba, and then settled down yonder at Tayf.  Hence, Tayf is even yet called ’Kita min el Sham’—­a piece of Syria, the father-land.”

“So then, this Caaba, according to tradition, is of early origin?”

“The Arabs believe that when the earthly Bait-el Maamur was taken to heaven at Adam’s death, a third one was built of stone and mud by Seth.  This was swept away by the Deluge, but the Black Stone was kept safe in Abu Kubays, which is, therefore, called ’El Amin’—­the Honest.  After the flood, a fourth House was built by our father Abraham, to whom the angel Gabriel restored the stone.  Abraham’s building was repaired and in part restored by the Amalikah tribe.  A sixth Caaba was built by the children of Kahtan, into whose tribe, say the Arabs, Ismail was married.  The seventh house was built by Kusay bin Kilab, a forefather of Mohammed, and I have reason to believe that he was the first who filled it with the idols which now disgrace its walls.  Kusay’s house was burnt, its cloth covering (or kiswah) catching fire from a torch.  It was rebuilt by the Koreish (Qurais) a few years ago.  It was then that the door was placed high above the ground, as you see it, and then that the movable stair was constructed.  Then, too, the six columns which support the roof were added, and Mohammed, El Amin, was chosen to determine the position of the Black Stone in the wall.  So, friend, I have now given you in part, the history of the Caaba.”

Bestowing a last look upon the temple, the friends walked for some distance northward across the slopes of Mount Hira, until a low, dark opening appeared in the face of a rock.

Drawing back a thorny bush from its door, they entered the cave.  A low moaning noise sounded within.  For a moment, the transition from the white glare without to the twilight of the cave blinded them, then they saw that the moans proceeded from Mohammed, who was lying on his back on the stone floor.  His head-dress was awry, his face was purple, and froth issued from his mouth.