CHAPTER II
THE PILGRIM AT EL KATIF
The bay of Bahrein indents the western shore of the Persian Gulf. Hardby the point on the north at which it begins its inland bend rise thewhitewashed, one-story mud-houses of the town El Katif. Belonging tothe Arabs, the most unchangeable of peoples, both the town and the baywere known in the period of our story by their present names.
The old town in the old time derived importance chiefly from the roadwhich, leading thence westwardly through Hejr Yemameh, brought up,after many devious stretches across waterless wastes of sand, at ElDerayeh, a tented capital of the Bedouins, and there forked, one branchgoing to Medina, the other to Mecca. In other words, El Katif was toMecca on the east the gate Jeddo was to it on the west.
When, in annual recurrence, the time for the indispensable Hajj, orPilgrimage, came, the name of the town was on the lips of men and womenbeyond the Green Sea, and southwardly along the coast of Oman, and inthe villages and dowars back of the coast under the peaks of Akdar,only a little less often than those of the holy cities. Then about thefirst of July the same peoples as pilgrims from Irak, Afghanistan,India, and beyond those countries even, there being an East and a FarEast, and pilgrims from Arabia, crowded together, noisy, quarrelsome,squalid, accordant in but one thing--a determination to make the Hajjlest they might die as Jews or Christians.
The law required the pilgrim to be at Mecca in the month of Ramazan,the time the Prophet himself had become a pilgrim. From El Katif thedirect journey might be made in sixty days, allowing an average marchof twelve miles. By way of Medina, it could be made to permit thevotary to be present and participate in the observances usual on theday of the Mysterious Night of Destiny.
The journey moreover was attended with dangers. Winds, drouth, sandstorms beset the way; and there were beasts always hungry, and robbersalways watchful. The sun beat upon the hills, curtained the levels withmirage, and in the _fiumuras_ kindled invisible fires; so in what theunacclimated breathed and in what they drank of the waters of the landthere were diseases and death.
The Prophet having fixed the month of Ramazan for the Hajj, pilgrimsaccustomed themselves to assemblage at Constantinople, Damascus, Cairoand Bagdad. If they could not avoid the trials of the road, they couldlessen them. Borrowing the term caravan as descriptive of the march,they established markets at all convenient places.
This is the accounting for one of the notable features of El Katif fromthe incoming of June till the caravan extended itself on the road, andfinally disappeared in the yellow farness of the Desert. One could notgo amiss for purveyors in general. Dealers in horses, donkeys, camels,and dromedaries abounded. The country for miles around appeared like agreat stock farm. Herds overran the lean earth. Makers of harness,saddles, box-houdahs, and swinging litters of every variety and price,and contractors of camels, horses, and trains complete did not wait tobe solicited; the competition between them was too lively for dignity.Hither and thither shepherds drove fatted sheep in flocks, selling themon the hoof. In shady places sandal merchants and clothiers wereestablished; while sample tents spotted the whole landscape. Hucksterswent about with figs, dates, dried meats and bread. In short, pilgrimscould be accommodated with every conceivable necessary. They had onlyto cry out, and the commodity was at hand.
Amongst the thousands who arrived at El Katif in the last of June,1448, was a man whose presence made him instantly an object of generalinterest. He came from the south in a galley of eight oars manned byIndian seamen, and lay at anchor three days before landing. His shipbore nothing indicative of nationality except the sailors. She wastrim-looking and freshly painted; otherwise there was nothing uncommonin her appearance. She was not for war--that was plain. She floated toolightly to be laden; wherefore those who came to look at her said shecould not be in commercial service.
Almost before furling sail, an awning was stretched over her from bowto stern--an awning which from the shore appeared one great shawl ofvariegated colors. Thereupon the wise in such matters decided the ownerwas an Indian Prince vastly rich, come, like a good Mohammedan, toapprove his faith by pilgrimage.
This opinion the stranger's conduct confirmed. While he did not himselfappear ashore, he kept up a busy communication by means of his smallboat. For three days, it carried contractors of camels and suppliesaboard, and brought them back.
They described him of uncertain age; he might be sixty, he might beseventy-five. While rather under medium height, he was active andperfectly his own master. He sat in the shade of the awningcross-legged. His rug was a marvel of sheeny silk. He talked Arabic,but with an Indian accent. His dress was Indian--a silken shirt, ashort jacket, large trousers, and a tremendous white turban on a redtarbousche, held by an aigrette in front that was a dazzle of preciousstones such as only a Rajah could own. His attendants were few, butthey were gorgeously attired, wore _shintyan_ swung in rich belts fromtheir shoulders, and waited before him speechless and in servileposture. One at his back upheld an umbrella of immense spread. Heindulged few words, and they were strictly business. He wanted a fulloutfit for the Hajj; could the contractor furnish him twenty camels ofburden, and four swift dromedaries? Two of the latter were to carry alitter for himself; the other two were for his personal attendants,whom he desired furnished with well-shaded _shugdufs_. The camels hewould load with provisions. While speaking, he would keep his eyes uponthe person addressed with an expression uncomfortably searching. Mostextraordinary, however, he did not once ask about prices.
One of the Shaykhs ventured an inquiry.
"How great will his Highness' suite be?"
"Four."
The Shaykh threw up his hands.
"O Allah! Four dromedaries and twenty camels for four men!"
"Abuser of the salt," said the stranger calmly, "hast thou not heard ofthe paschal charity, and of the fine to the poor? Shall I go emptyhanded to the most sacred of cities?"
Finally an agent was found who, in concert with associates, undertookto furnish the high votary with all he asked complete.
The morning of the fourth day after his arrival the Indian was pulledashore, and conducted out of town a short distance to where, on arising ground, a camp had been set up provisionally for his inspection.There were tents, one for storage of goods and provisions; one for thesuite; one for the chief Shaykh, the armed guards, the tent pitchers,and the camel drivers; and a fourth one, larger than the others, forthe Prince himself. With the dromedaries, camels, and horses, the campwas accepted; then, as was the custom, the earnest money was paid. Byset of sun the baggage was removed from the ship, and its partitioninto cargoes begun. The Prince of India had no difficulty in hiring allthe help he required.
Of the thirty persons who constituted the train ten were armedhorsemen, whose appearance was such that, if it were answered by acommensurate performance, the Prince might at his leisure marchirrespective of the caravan. Nor was he unmindful in the selection ofstores for the journey. Long before the sharp bargainers with whom hedealt were through with him, he had won their best opinion, not less byhis liberality than for his sound judgment. They ceased speaking of himsneeringly as the _miyan_. [Footnote: Barbarous Indian]
Soon as the bargain was bound, the stranger's attendants set about thefurnishment of the master's tent. Outside they painted it green. Theinterior they divided into two equal compartments; one for reception,the other for a _maglis_ or drawing-room; and besides giving the latterdivans and carpets, they draped the ceiling in the most tasteful mannerwith the shawls which on the ship had served for awning.
At length, everything in the catalogue of preparation having beenattended to, it remained only to wait the day of general departure; andfor that, as became his greatness, the Prince kept his own quarters,paying no attention to what went on around him. He appeared a man wholoved solitude, and was averse to thinking in public.