Page:"Round the world." - Letters from Japan, China, India, and Egypt (IA roundworldletter00fogg 0).pdf/216

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At the regular timo of morning er evening devotion one can see four or five thousand worshippers in this vast ¢pea court, each kneeling upon one of these marbie squares. Taeir Mowing white robes and parti-celored turbang, a8 they how with perfect uniform- ity towards the Hibla, er that pert of the building which indicates tha direetion of Meces, have a most picturesque ciiict, like afield of immense poppies swept over by the wind.

From the esrnera of the Masque rise two graceful minarets os hundred and twenty feet high, inlaid thycugheus their whola height with flutings of white marble, snd surmounted with the ususi white marble eupalas. Zhe view from the eummit is magnificent. The vaet city becames an ant haap af your feet, and you instinctively peor ont inte apace, and try to discera the sea im the direction of Calentta or Bombay,

AS we deecended an aged urd remarksbie looking priest led us te one corner ef the morque, where ho unloezed astrung door and tock frem a chert a menuzeript vslume earefally wrapped in folds of silk. It was an illuminated copy ef the Koran, said to bs seven hundred years old. It is in Arabic and the eulor of the ink, even now, a bril- lisnt jet, Hs hendiad the sacred relic with all possioie reverence, snd wes unwilling that our vile hands. sheuld icuch it, He next displayed to our sdmiring gsza leek / of hair froma the Prophoi’a seed, (being the eer aovt, Teappose, by which the Mussuimen ewest,) ard 2 stone upon which waw the print of his foot. This last relie capped the slimsx ard we laughed oulright, whieh so ditgusted the old fellay, thet bo slammed down tha lid of the chest, and seemed ia+ clined to turn us scofficg unbellevcra out cf theraom. But thesight of two silver ru- pees had a magical cifeeh to amosth hia scowling brow, and he salanuned us to the door with great deference,

Near cur otel was the famous Caeh- mere Gata, whera the Hritich troops en- tered at the capture of Dilhiis 1857. The -beick then made yet remains, sod isa me- morinl of ths galiantry cf the two saldisr3, who esrried tae bags o? powder along tke Gitck, piled them against the gate and dighted the fuse, with noton¢ chases jn a hundred ofercaping the builela of the be- eieged, One of the brave fellows was killed, but the other cecapsd unhurt.

W. P. F.