'The Expedition for the survey of the rivers Euphrates and Tigris, carried on by order of the British government, in the years 1835, 1836, and 1837; preceded by geographical and historical notices of the regions situated between the rivers Nile and Indus. In four volumes. With fourteen maps and charts, and embellished with ninety-seven plates, besides numerous wood-cuts. Volume the first.' [‎688] (787/905)

688
pilgrims' caravans. [chap. xxv.
Damascus and water, only as far as the Gulf of Persia, from whence they cross
principal the country ; but Damascus and Cairo are the grand points of
assembling union, the former for the pilgrims from Eastern Persia, Central
Asia, &c.; and the latter for those from different parts of the
continent of Africa. A pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. of rank is annually appointed
by the sultan to take charge of the caravan at each of those
cities, and provide for the safety of the pilgrims.
Men of every rank, and sometimes distinguished females,
form part of such caravans. The historian El Fasy relates
that the mother of Motassem Ibn Allah, 1 performed the pil
grimage a. h . 631, with 120,000 camels. At an earlier
period, viz., a.h . 97, 900 camels were required to transport
the wardrobe only of Solyman Ibn el Malek; and, in our
time, the wife of Muhammed Ali was distinguished by the
magnificence of her tent, and her truly royal equipage, 500
camels being employed in carrying her baggage from Jiddah
to Mekkah. 2
Caravan from Ever since the kaliphs were in the habit of accompanying it,
Constantinople. ^ gy r j an b een m ore numerous than that which goes
from Africa. Both are, however, regulated by the sultan's
hatti-sheriff; and the branch from Constantinople, which
may be considered the principal, collects in its passage through
Anatolia Peninsula that forms most of modern-day Turkey. , the pilgrims from Northern Asia. It finds at every
station a karvanserai, and is protected by the different pashas
while passing through the territories which they respectively
govern, till "it arrives at Damascus. Here it halts, in order to
purchase provisions, and make other preparations, including
the acquisition of Arabian camels, which become absolutely
necessary for the accomplishment of the remainder of the
journey. The rich hajji form a party by themselves, amount
ing sometimes to as many as forty or fifty individuals, including
females. The latter are accommodated in a shebrye or shekdof,
and occasionally, for those who are wealthy, there is provided
a kind of palanquin, called tack-y-van, having four long shafts,
by which it may be suspended between two mules or two
1 The last of the Abassides.
2 Burckhardt's Travels in Arabia, vol. II., p. 44.