A Collection of Curious Travels and Voyages, Volume 2 · Observations 2 · Section 14
Of the Aga ſent to meet the Caravan upon their Return.
ABout ſix weeks after the ſetting out of the Caravan of Caire, when they know that it is ready to return from Mecha, an Aga goes from Caire to guard the freſh Proviſions that the People of the Country ſend to their Friends and Relations in the Caravan, every one ſending according to their abilities and Friendſhip, all which are well ſealed up, and delivered to thoſe they belong unto. For this effect the Aga has many Camels with him, and gets conſiderably by the Caravan, which he meets half way. This year it returned on Tueſday the thirteenth of November, and encamped at the Birque, where the Caravan of the Magrebins arrived the day before. Several come to Caire the ſame day, and their Friends go as far as the Birque to welcome them; whereupon meeting, they kiſs again and again five or ſix times, and all who know them ſalute and kiſs them in the ſame manner; and indeed, for ſome days after there is nothing to be ſeen in the City, but people kiſſing one another, or lamenting their Relations who died in the Journey, Men, Women, and Children, who howl and make fearful geſtures, when they hear the news from the firſt of the Caravan, whom they meet. Theſe Pilgrims are forty five days in going, and as much in coming back to Caire, beſides ſome days they ſtay there; but they make but eaſie Journeys, it being impoſſible that ſo great a body ſhould march faſt, for they muſt often ſtop to load the Camels whoſe loads have fallen off, to unload thoſe that fall or die, or to bury their Dead, and a thouſand ſuch other accidents; and when one Camel ſtops, all the reſt muſt wait. They travel commonly (as I ſaid) in the night-time with Links, that they may avoid the heat. In this Journey they find but little Water, and that exceeding bad too: As for freſh Proviſions, they find none, and eat only what they carry along with them: But the worſt thing they meet with in the Journey, are certain hot Winds, which ſtifle the Breath, and in a ſhort time kill a great many people. The Prince of Tunis told me, that in one day ſeveral hundreds died of that Wind, and that he himſelf was much afraid that he ſhould have been one of the number. In fine, in this Expedition there died ſix thouſand, what of Fatigue, Thirſt, and theſe hot Winds. In that Journey People are to be ſeen riding on Camels, and ſinging Verſes of the Alcoran, who ſuddenly fall down dead. Thoſe who return with life are ſo alter'd and extenuated, that they can hardly be known; and nevertheleſs vaſt numbers of People from all parts yearly perform that Pilgrimage, and there paſſes not a year wherein Women and little Children do not make it. They who have performed that Journey are called Adgi, that is to ſay, Pilgrims, meaning though only the Pilgrimage of the Kiaabe, and they are much reſpected by all as long as they live, and highly credited. The Emir-Adge gains much by this Journey, for the Goods of all that dye belong to him, beſides a vaſt deal of other profits that he makes on ſeveral occaſions; and it is thought, that every Expedition he gets above an hundred thouſand Piaſtres, but this year he got above three hundred thouſand, for many People died. The greateſt Prerogative of this Office is, that during the whole Expedition he is abſolute Maſter of the Field, and adminiſters Juſtice as he thinks fit.
Having in my hands an exact Deſcription of Mecha, and conſidering that few or no Travellers have ſpoken of it with any certainty, I thought it would not be amiſs to add it, and make a particular Chapter thereof.