in front of the palace at Constantinople.  The Levant Herald states that the presents, which consist, beside the large money donation, of rich shawls and gold-woven stuffs, were brought out of the Imperial apartments and packed in presence of the Sultan, on two beautiful camels, which, after the delivery of the usual prayers, were then led in grand procession, accompanied by all the high officers of state, to the landing-place at Cabatash, where the Sure-emini and camels were embarked on a Government steamer and ferried over to Scutari.  There the holy functionary will remain some days, till the ‘faithful’ of the capital and those who have come from the interior have joined him, when the caravan will start for Damascus.  At this latter city the grand rendezvous takes place, and, that accomplished, the great caravan sets out for Mecca under the Emir-el-Hadj of the year.  The Imperial presents on this occasion cost more than L20,000.” [FN#4] The Syrian Shugduf differs entirely from that of Al-Hijaz.  It is composed of two solid wooden cots about four feet in length, slung along the camel’s sides and covered over with cloth, in the shape of a tent.  They are nearly twice as heavy as the Hijazi litter, and yet a Syrian camel-man would as surely refuse to put one of the latter upon his beast’s back, as the Hijazi to carry a Syrian litter.  See p. 223, ante. [FN#5] This is the Arabic modern word, synonymous with the Egyptian Hajin, namely, a she-dromedary.  The word “Nakah,” at present popular in Al-Hijaz, means a she-dromedary kept for breeding as well as for riding. [FN#6] One might as sensibly cry out “John” in an English theatre. [FN#7] Respectable men in Al-Hijaz, when they meet friends, acquaintances, or superiors, consider it only polite to dismount from a donkey. [FN#8] The title of the Pasha who has the privilege of conducting the Caravan.  It is a lucrative as well as an honourable employment, for the Emir enjoys the droit d’aubaine, becoming heir to the personal property of all pilgrims who die in the Holy Cities or on the line of march.  And no Persian, even of the poorest, would think of undertaking a pilgrimage by this line of country, without having at least L80 in ready money with him.  The first person who bore the title of Emir Al-Hajj was Abu Bakr, who, in the ninth year of the Hijrah, led 300 Moslems from Al-Madinah to the Meccah pilgrimage.  On this occasion idolaters and infidels were for the first time expelled the Holy City. [FN#9] “Harrah” from Harr (heat) is the generic name of lava, porous basalt, scoriae, greenstone, schiste, and others supposed to be of igneous origin.  It is also used to denote a ridge or hill of such formation.  One Harrah has already been mentioned in Chapter xv.  The second is on the road to Ohod.  There is a third Harrah, called Al-Wakin or Al-Zahrah, about one mile Eastward of Al-Madinah.  Here the Prophet wept, predicting that the last men of his faith would be foully slain.  The prophecy was fulfilled in