'Personal Narrative of a pilgrimmage to Al-Madinah and Meccah. Vol. I' [‎416] (489/564)

AX-
CHAPTER XX.
the visitation of hamzah's tomb.
On the morning of Sunday, the twenty-third Zu 'l
Ka'adah (28th August, 1853), arrived from Al-Sham, or
Damascus, 1 the great Caravan popularly called Hajj al-
Shami, the "Damascus pilgrimage," as the Egyptian
Cafila A train of travellers; a caravan; or any large party of travellers. is Al-Misri, 2 or the Cairo pilgrimage. It is the
main stream which carries off all the small cur
rents that, at this season of general movement, flow from
Central Asia towards the great centre of the Islamitic
world, and in 1853 it amounted to about seven thousand
souls. The arrival was anxiously expected by the people
for several reasons. In the first place, it brought with it
a new curtain for the Prophet's Hujrah, the old one
being in a tattered condition; secondly, it had charge of
the annual stipends and pensions of the citizens; and
thirdly, many families expected members returning under
its escort to their homes. The popular anxiety was
greatly increased by the disordered state of the
country round about; and, moreover, the great caravan
had been one day late, generally arriving on the morning
of the twenty-second Zu'l Ka'adah. 8
1 This city derives its names, the " Great Gate of Pilgrimage,"
and the " Key of the Prophet's Tomb " from its being the gathering-
place of this caravan.
2 The Egyptians corruptly pronounce "Al-Misr," Cairo, as
*• Al-Masr."
3 Note to Fourth Edition.—I reprint the following from the 11-
lustraUd, News in proof that the literati of England have still something
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