'Personal Narrative of a pilgrimmage to Al-Madinah and Meccah. Vol. II' [‎393] (428/568)

Appendix VI.—Giovanni Finati. 393
to return to Cairo, where he began by divorcing his wife
for great levity of conduct. In the early part of 1814,
Mahomet, inspired by the news of Mohammed Ali Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. 's
success in Al-Hijaz, joined a reinforcement of Albanians,
travelled to Suez, touched at Yambu' and at Jeddah, assisted
at the siege and capture of Kunfudah, and was present
at its recapture by the Wahhabis. Wounded, sick,
harassed by the Badawin, and disgusted by his com
manding officer, he determined to desert again, adding, as
an excuse, " not that the step, on my part at least, had
the character of a complete desertion, since I intended to
join the main body of the army;" and to his mania for
desertion we owe the following particulars concerning the
city of Meccah.
" Exulting in my escape, my mind was in a state to
receive very strong impressions, and I was much struck
with all I saw upon entering the city ; for though it is
neither large nor beautiful in itself, there is something
in it that is calculated to impress a sort of awe, and it was
the hour of noon when everything is very silent, except
the Muezzins calling from the minarets.
* * 5;: s;: * *
" The principal feature of the city is that celebrated
sacred enclosure which is placed about the centre of it;
it is a vast paved court with doorways opening into it
from every side, and with a covered colonnade carried all
round like a cloister, while in the midst of the open space
stands the edifice called the Caaba, whose walls are en
tirely covered over on the outside with hangings of rich
velvet, 1 on which there are Arabic inscriptions em
broidered in gold.
" Facing one of its angles (for this little edifice is of
1 " Black cloth, according to Ali Bey; and I believe he is cor
rect. So Mr. Bankes. If Ali Bey meant broad-cloth, both are in
error, as the specimen in my possession—a mixture of silk and cotton
—proves.