'Personal Narrative of a pilgrimmage to Al-Madinah and Meccah. Vol. II' [‎202] (231/568)

CHAPTER XXX.
the ceremonies of the yaum nahr,
or the third day.
A t dawn on the Id al-Kurban(ioth Zu 'l Hijjah, Wednes
day, 14th September) a gun warned us to lose no time;
we arose hurriedly, and started up the Batn Muhassir to
Muna. By this means we lost at Muzdalifah the "Salat
al-fd," or "Festival Prayers," the great solemnity of the
Moslem year, performed by all the community at day
break. My companion was so anxious to reach Meccah,
that he would not hear of devotions. About eight a.m.
we entered the village, and looked for the boy Mohammed
in vain. Old Ali was dreadfully perplexed; a host of
high-born Turkish pilgrims were, he said, expecting him;
his mule was missing—could never appear—he must be
late—should probably never reach Meccah—what would
become of him ? I began by administering admonition to
the mind diseased; but signally failing in a cure, I amused
myself with contemplating the world from my Shugduf,
leaving the office of directing it to the old Zemzemi.
Now he stopped, then he pressed forward; here he thought
he saw Mohammed, there he discovered our tent; at one
time he would " nakh " the camel to await, in patience,
his supreme hour; at another, half mad with nervous
ness, he would urge the excellent Mas'ud to hopeless
inquiries. Finally, by good fortune, we found one of the
boy Mohammed's cousins, who led us to an enclosure