twenty-four cubits long and wide and nearly twenty
cubits high. It has no ornaments or beauty except one rain-spout to carry
the water off the flat roof; you can see it on the right side of the Kaaba
on the picture. This spout is said to be of pure gold. In one corner of
the building is a large black stone which is also an object of worship.
The Mohammedans say it came down from heaven with Adam and was once pure
white. By the many kisses of sinful worshippers it has turned black. Not
only is it black but broken. For about three hundred years after
Mohammed's death the stone remained imbedded in the walls of the Kaaba,
but then some wild Arabs from the Persian Gulf came, sacked Mecca and
stole the black stone. It was carried to Katif, a place near Bahrein,
right across Arabia, and they kept it a long time until the people of
Mecca paid a large sum of money and carried it back. On the long journey
it must have fallen from the camel because, at present, it is cracked and
the broken pieces are held together by a silver band. There once were a
great many of these stone idols in the Kaaba, but Mohammed destroyed them
all except this one when he became master of Mecca.

[Illustration: THE SQUARE HOUSE WITH THE BLACK OVERCOAT.]

At present the stone house is empty of idols and yet all the Moslems turn
in the direction of this old heathen temple to pray. The cloth that covers
it comes every year as a present from the Khedive of Egypt, who is a
Mohammedan. It is very costly and is sent on a special camel, beautifully
decked with trappings of gilt, and a large throng of pilgrims go along
to escort the overcoat.

When the wind stirs the heavy folds of cloth, the pious boys and girls of
Mecca say it is the angels that watch around the Kaaba, whose wings lift
the covering. It must be a wonderful sight to see thousands of Moslem
pilgrims stand around this place and kneel and pray.

Besides running around the Kaaba, kissing the black stone and drinking
water from a holy well called _zemzem_, they have one day on which they
sacrifice sheep or other animals. One curious custom on this day of
sacrifice I must tell you of. It is called "stoning the great devil."
Early in the morning thousands of pilgrims go to a place in the valley of
Mina where there are three white pillars made of masonry; the first and
largest is called the Great Devil. The pilgrims cast stones at this
pillar. Each one must stand at the distance of not less than fift