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50 Thousand and One Nights." Mecca is situated on the edge of rough mountainous country in a deep narrow valley, completely hidden on the side towards the Red Sea. It is surrounded by high, rocky cliffs, three of which were crowned with forts garrisoned by the Sultan's most faithful Circassian mercenaries and Turkish troops. On June 13th, the day of the attack, the Arabs swept into the city and captured the main bazaar, the residential section, the Hamidieh or Government building, and also the Mosque of the Holy Kaaba. The majority of the garrison fortified themselves in the barracks, but the Arabs brought up one mountain gun which they had captured at Jeddah a few days previously. That city was attacked on the same time as Mecca. It was cap. tured in five days, and over one thousand prisoners were taken there. Five British merchantmen bombarded the seaport under Captain Boyle, a red-headed Irishman, associated with Admiral Sir Rosslyn Wemyss, who was commanding the Fleet in the East.: THE STRAND MAGAZINE. The bombardment of Jeddah, which is the port of entry to the holy city of Mecca, nearly caused a revolution in India. The Mohammedans there are perhaps the most fanatical in the world, and they charged the British with having bombarded one of their holy places. But it was finally made clear to them that Jeddah, the seaport to Mecca, cannot be regarded as a holy city. THE FALL OF MECCA. Then for eight days the battle raged around the two smaller forts in Mecca, which were finally taken. All during the fighting the aged Sherif remained in his palace, although it was hit by over three hundred three-inch shells from the Turkish forts. The Turks undoubtedly would have been able to hang on for many months longer had it not been for their own folly. The Ottoman is a Mohammedan in theory only. He adheres to the ritual but not to the spirit of the Koran. For instance, the Prophet admonished all the Faithful to abstain from the use of intoxicants, and his Arabian followers were never known to drink wines or other liquors. But all the Turks of my acquaintance did. The soldiers in the fort, heedless of the deep-set religious feeling of their enemies and co-religionists, suddenly began to bombard the mosque of the Kaaba, the secret shrine built over the famous black stone which has been kissed by millions of pious Moslems. One shell actually struck the rock, burning a hole in the Holy Carpet and killing nine people who were kneeling in prayer. The Arabs were so enraged by Google Digitized by this impious act that they swarmed over the walls of the great fort and captured it after desperate hand to hand fighting with daggers and knives. Thus, twenty-one days after the revolution had broken out, they were in undisputed possession of Mecca. With the possible exception of the combined capture by Allenby of Jerusalem, Damascus, Beirut, and Aleppo, this is the most disas- trous event in modern Turkish history, because, with the fall of Mecca, the Ottomans lost the holy Mohammedan city, the control of which had enabled them to usurp the leadership of Islam. Then came a long pause. The Arabs were unable to go on with their revolution because they had expended all their ammuni- tion. Sherif Hussein sent an appeal to the Allies. At this critical moment young Lawrence appeared on the Arabian stage. The British General Staff permitted Law- rence to remain in Arabia because they knew he could speak the several languages of that country fluently and seemed to know something about the customs of the people. They expected him merely to keep them posted on the progress of events in the Hejaz. But at the same time he was given enough freedom of action to make it possible for him to show what he could do toward assisting the Arabs. Lawrence's arrival in Arabia was un- heralded. His exploits there first became known when he stepped up to General Allenby at Ismailia in Egypt, on the arrival of the great General in the East to take command of the Palestine Expeditionary Forces, and informed the new commander- in-chief of the capture of Akaba, one of the most strategical points in the Near East. This incident was dramatic in its simplicity. General Allenby had been sent out from London to take the place of the previous British commander. Allenby was standing at the railway station walking up and down talking to Admiral Wemyss. Lawrence was standing near by in Arab garb and saw a very superior-looking general with the Admiral. "Who's that? he asked of Wemyss's flag - lieutenant. "Allenby," was the reply. doing here?" queried Lawrence. "He has come out to take Sir Archibald Murray's place." Lawrence was frightfully pleased. What's he A little later Lawrence informed the Admiral, who was the godfather of the Arab "show," that Akaba had been taken and that food was needed there very badly. Wemyss at once promised to send ships to the ancient seaport of Akaba, and then he told Allenby what Lawrence had said. The General sent for the youthful lieutenant, who looked very much like a Circassian girl in Arab costume. Original from CORNELL UNIVERSITY