'File 61/13 I (D 133) Wahabis and Pilgrimage to Hedjaz' [‎129r] (269/431)

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were received at the Legation and handed over to the Malay pilgrimage officer
for distribution in the course of this season to the next-of-kin; while the effects
of deceased pilgrims accompanied by relatives were handed over to the latter
bv the Beyt-al-Mal.
Malay Pilgrimage Staff.
' 217. Owing to the smallness of the pilgrimage, the pilgrimage officer.
Haji Abdul Majid, did not arrive -in Jedda until the 28th February, some two
months latei than usual, and he was able to leave m the second, and last, returninp*
pilgrim ship on the 14th May. He was again assisted by Haji Mohammad Jamil
who served as clerk for the third season running and took up his duties on the
27th December, 1931.
(13) West A fi "lean Pilgrimage.
218. According to the figures obtained from the local quarantine authori
ties, 780 British West African pilgrims made the Haj in 1932. as compared
with 1,558 last year. These figures comprise only pilgrims arriving at Jedda.
Ao certain estimate can be made of the number of those arriving by dhow A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean. from
Massawa at the smaller ports south of Jedda, where they escape quarantine
dues, but it has been put conjecturely at something over 400.
219. Final agreement was reached in the autumn of 1931 among the various
British authorities concerned regarding the proposals for a better regulation of
the pilgrimage from Nigeria (see paragraph 188 of last year's report). The
scheme, in its final form, provides for the issue of a standard form of Nigerian
pilgrim pass at Maidaguri and the payment of a deposit there to finance the
pilgrims' expenses, including return ticket to Jedda, at Suakin with a margin
of £1 for ultimate assistance at Jedda. The other rules laid down need not be
reproduced in detail. They provide, inter alia, for the transmission to the
Legation of copies of all future pilgrim passes issued to pilgrims included in
the scheme, whether at Maidaguri or at Suakin, together with the return halves
of their steamer tickets. This will enable the Legation to identify the pilgrims
and to put them on their homeward way.
220. It is generally recognised that no measures to regulate this pilgrimage
even on the simple lines contemplated can be entirely effective unless the Italian
authorities can be induced to fulfil more effectively than they have hitherto done
the undertaking given in 1928 to put a stop to the transport of pilgrims by dhow A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean.
from Massawa. Much light has been thrown since the last report was written
on the diversion of this traffic, owing principally to the fact that the depressed
economic conditions in the Hejaz threw on the hands of the Legation many
hundreds of " Takruni " candidates for repatriation to Africa. The Sudan, also
depressed, at first declined to accept any but those who had arrived from that
country, of whom there proved to be 108, but in March further batches totalling
223 were sent to Sudan with the consent of the Sudani Government. In the
interval 581 had been shipped to Massawa. This mass repatriation of Takrunis
necessitated close investigation of individual cases, which was held in collabora
tion with the Italian Consulate at Jedda. It gave the following results as
regards the ports by which the persons examined had reached the Hejaz at
various times since i928 : —
Port of arrival in
Qahma (Asir)
Birk (Asir)
Qunfida
Lith
az-
Number.
739
30
27
3
799
f
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221. The Italian authorities in Jedda and Eritrea were most helpful in
facilitating the repatriation of the persons sent via Massawa at a very cheap
rate. The fact remains that, if so many came forward as destitutes at one time
of stress, the dhow A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean. traffic must have been on a great scale during the years
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