'Personal Narrative of a pilgrimmage to Al-Madinah and Meccah. Vol. II' [‎143] (170/568)

XXVI. — From Al-Suwayrkiyah to Meccah. 143
The left side was a precipice, grim and barren, but not so
abrupt as its brother. Opposite us the way seemed
barred by piles of hills, crest rising above crest into the
far blue distance. Day still smiled upon the upper peaks,
but the lower slopes and the Fiumara bed were already
curtained with grey sombre shade.
A damp seemed to fall upon our spirits as we
approached this Valley Perilous. I remarked that the
voices of the women and children sank into silence, and
the loud Labbayk of the pilgrims were gradually stilled.
Whilst still speculating upon the cause of this phenomenon,
it became apparent. A small curl of the smoke, like a
lady's ringlet, on the summit of the right-hand precipice,
caught my eye; and simultaneous with the echoing crack
of the matchlock, a high-trotting dromedary in front of
me rolled over upon the sands,—a bullet had split its
heart—throwing the rider a goodly somersault of five or
six yards.
Ensued terrible confusion; women screamed, children
cried, and men vociferated, each one striving with might
and main to urge his animal out of the place of death.
But the road being narrow, they only managed to jam
the vehicles in a solid immovable mass. At every match
lock shot, a shudder ran through the huge body, as when
the surgeon's scalpel touches some more sensitive nerve.
The Irregular horsemen, perfectly useless, galloped up
and down over the stones, shouting to and ordering one
another. The Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. of the army had his carpet spread
at the foot of the left-hand precipice, and debated over
his pipe with the officers what ought to be done. No
good genius whispered "Crown the heights."
Then it was that the conduct of the Wahhabis
found favour in my eyes. They came up, galloping their
camels,—
"Torrents less rapid, and less rash,— "
with their elf-locks tossing in the wind, and their flaring