cries Burton, "the bourn of my long
and weary pilgrimage, realising the plans and hopes of many and many
a year,"--the Kaaba, the place of answered prayer, above which in the
heaven of heavens Allah himself sits and draws his pen through people's
sins. "The mirage of fancy invested the huge catafalque and its gloomy
pall with peculiar charms." Of all the worshippers who clung weeping
to the curtain, [129] or who pressed their beating hearts to the sacred
black stone built into the Kaaba, none, thought Burton, felt for the
moment a deeper emotion than he. But he had to confess the humbling
truth that while theirs was the high feeling of religious enthusiasm,
his was but the ecstasy of gratified pride. Bare-headed and footed and
in company with Mohammed, he first proceeded to the holy well, Zem-Zem,
said to be the same that was shown by God to Hagar. [130] They found the
water extremely unpleasant to the taste, and Burton noticed that nobody
drank it without making a wry face. It was impossible at first to get
near the Black Stone owing to the crush of pilgrims. However, they
occupied the time in various prayers, blessed the Prophet, and kissed
the finger tips of the right hand. They then made the seven Ashwat or
circuits, and from time to time raised their hands to their ears, and
exclaimed, "In the name of Allah and Allah is omnipotent!" The circuits
finished, and it was deemed advisable to kiss the Black Stone. For some
minutes Burton stood looking in despair at the swarming crowd of Bedouin
and other pilgrims that besieged it. But Mohammed was equal to the
occasion. Noticing that most of those near the Stone were Persians,
against whom the Arabs have an antipathy, he interpolated his prayers
with insults directed against them--one of the mildest being "O hog
and brother of a hoggess." This having small effect he collected
half-a-dozen stalwart Meccans, "with whose assistance," says Burton, "by
sheer strength, we wedged our way into the thin and light-legged crowd.
...After reaching the stone, despite popular indignation testified by
impatient shouts, we monopolised the use of it for at least ten minutes.
While kissing it and rubbing hands and forehead upon it, I narrowly
observed it, and came away persuaded that it was an aerolite." Burton
and his friends next shouldered and fought their way to the part of the
Kaaba called Al Multazem, at which they asked for themselves all that
their souls most desired. Arrived again