'Personal Narrative of a pilgrimmage to Al-Madinah and Meccah. Vol. II' [‎397] (432/568)

Appendix VI.—Giovanni Finati.
and Asiatic Caravans part company and return to their
own several countries, many detachments of the pilgrims
visiting Medinah in the way."
Being desirous of enrolment in some new division
of Mohammed Ali's army, Finati overcame the difficulty
of personal access to him by getting a memorial written
in Turkish and standing at the window of a house joined
on to the enclosure of the great temple. After the sixth
day the Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. observed him, and in the " greatest rage
imaginable " desired a detailed account of the defeat at
Kunfudah. Finati then received five hundred piastres
and an order to join a corps at Taif, together with a strict
charge of secresy, " since it was of importance that no
reverse or check should be generally talked of." Before
starting our author adds some "singular particulars"
which escaped him in his account of Meccah.
"Many of the pilgrims go through the ceremony of
walking the entire circuit of the city upon the outside;
and the order in which this is performed is as follows.
The devoted first goes without the gates, and, after pre
senting himself there to the religious officer who presides,
throws off all his clothes, and takes a sort of large wrap
ping garment in lieu of them to cover himself; upon
which he sets off walking at a very quick pace, or rather
running, to reach the nearest of the four corners of the
city, a sort of guide going with him at the same rate all
the way, who prompts certain ejaculations or prayers,
which he ought to mention at particular spots as he
passes ; at every angle he finds a barber, who with
wonderful quickness wets and shaves one quarter of his
head, and so on ; till he has reached the barber at the
fourth angle, who completes the work. After which the
a Haji. None whatever; consequently impostors abound. Sa'adi, in
the Gulistan, notices a case. But the ceremonies of the Hajj are so
complicated and unintelligible by mere description, that a little cross-
questioning applied to the false Haji would easily detect him.