'Personal Narrative of a pilgrimmage to Al-Madinah and Meccah. Vol. II' [‎378] (413/568)

378
Pilgrimage to Al-Madinah and Meccah.
"During their three days' stay at Mina, scarce any
Hagge (unless impotent) but thinks it his duty to pay his
visit, once at least, to the temple at Mecca. They scarce
cease running all the way thitherward, shewing their
vehement desire to have a fresh sight of the Beat-Allah;
which as soon as ever they come in sight of, they burst
into tears for joy ; and after having performed Towoaf for
a while, and a few Erkaets, they return again to Mina.
And when the three days of Byram are expired, they all,
with their tents, &c., come back again to Mecca.
" They say, that after the Hagges are gone from Mina
to Mecca, God doth usually send a good shower of rain
to wash away the filth and dung of the sacrifices there
slain ; and also that those vast numbers of little stones,
which I told you the Hagges throw in defiance of the
devil, are all carried away by the angels before the year
comes about again. But I am sure I saw vast numbers
of them that were thrown the year before, lie upon the
ground. After they are returned to Mecca, they can
tarry there no longer than the stated time, which is about
ten or twelve days; during which time there is a great
fair held, where are sold all manner of East India goods,
and abundance of fine stones for rings and bracelets, &c.,
brought from Yeamane 1 ; also of China-ware and musk,
and variety of other curiosities. Now is the time in
which the Hagges are busily employed in buying, for they
do not think it lawful to buy any thing till they have
received the title of Hagge. Every one almost now buys
a caffin, or shroud of fine linen, to be buried in (for they
never use coffins for that purpose), which might have
been procured at Algier, or their other respective homes,
at a much cheaper rate; but they choose to buy it here,
because they have the advantage of dipping it in the holy
water, Zem Zem. They are very careful to carry the said
i Al-Yaman, Southern Arabia, whose "Akik," or cornelians
were celebrated.