During the night three of Shaykh Hamid’s brothers, who had entered as Muzawwirs with the Hajj, came suddenly to the house: they leaped off their camels, and lost not a moment in going through the usual scene of kissing, embracing, and weeping bitterly for joy. I arose in the morning, and looked out from the windows of the Majlis. The Barr al-Manakhah, from a dusty waste dotted with a few Badawi hair-tents, had assumed all the various shapes and the colours of a kaleidoscope. The eye was bewildered by the shifting of innumerable details, in all parts totally different from one another, thrown confusedly together in one small field; and, however jaded6 with sight-seeing, it dwelt with delight upon the variety, the vivacity7, and the intense picturesqueness8 of the scene. In one night had sprung up a town of tents of every size, colour, and shape; round, square, and oblong; open and closed, — from the shawl-lined and gilt-topped pavilion of the Pasha, with all the luxurious9 appurtenances of the Harim, to its neighbour the little dirty green “rowtie” of the tobacco-seller. They were pitched in admirable order: here ranged in a long line, where a street was required; there packed in dense10 masses, where thoroughfares were unnecessary. But how describe the utter confusion in the crowding, the bustling12, and the vast variety and volume of sound? Huge white Syrian dromedaries, compared with which those of Al-Hijaz appeared mere13 pony-camels, jingling14 large bells, and bearing Shugdufs4 (litters) like miniature green tents, swaying and tossing upon their backs; gorgeous Takht-rawan, or litters carried between camels or mules15 with scarlet16 and brass17 trappings; Badawin bestriding naked-backed “Daluls5” (dromedaries), and clinging like apes to the hairy humps; Arnaut, Kurd, and Turkish Irregular Cavalry18, fiercer looking in their mirth than Roman peasants in their rage; fainting Persian pilgrims, forcing their stubborn camels to kneel, or dismounted grumbling19 from jaded donkeys; Kahwajis, sherbet sellers, and ambulant tobacconists crying their goods; country-people driving flocks of sheep and goats with infinite clamour through lines of horses fiercely snorting and biting and kicking and rearing; townspeople seeking their friends; returned travellers exchanging affectionate salutes20; devout21 Hajis jostling one another, running under the legs of camels, and tumbling over the tents’ ropes in their hurry to reach the Harim; cannon22 roaring from the citadel23; shopmen, water-carriers, and fruit vendors24 fighting over their bargains; boys with loud screams bullying25 heretics; a well-mounted party of fine old Arab Shaykhs of the Hamidah clan26, preceded by their varlets, performing the Arzah or war dance, — compared with which the Pyrenean bear’s performance is grace itself, — firing their duck-guns upwards27, or blowing the powder into the calves28 of those before them, brandishing29 their swords, leaping frantically30 the while, with their bright coloured rags floating in the wind, tossing their long spears tufted with ostrich31 feathers high in the air, reckless where they fall; servants seeking their masters, and masters their tents, with vain cries of Ya Mohammed6; grandees32 riding mules or stalking on foot, preceded by their crowd-beaters, shouting to clear the way; here the loud shrieks33 of women and children, whose litters are bumping and rasping against one another; there the low moaning of some poor wretch34 that is seeking a shady corner to die in: add a thick dust which blurs35 the outlines like a London fog, with a flaming sun that draws sparkles of fire from the burnished36 weapons of the crowd, and the brass balls of tent and litter; and-I doubt, gentle reader, that even the length, the jar, and the confusion of this description is adequate to its subject, or that any “word-painting” of mine can convey a just idea of the scene.
This was the day appointed for our visiting the martyrs38 of Ohod. After praying the dawn prayers as directed at the Harim, we mounted our donkeys; and, armed with pistols and knives, we set out from the city. Our party was large. Sa’ad the Demon39 had offered to accompany us, and the bustle40 around kept him in the best of humours; Omar Effendi was also there, quiet-looking and humble41 as usual, leading his ass5 to avoid the trouble of dismounting every second minute.7 I had the boy Mohammed and my “slave,” and Shaykh Hamid was attended by half a dozen relations. To avoid the crush of the Barr al-Manakhah, we made a detour42 Westwards, over the bridge and down the course of the torrent45-bed “Al-Sayh.” We then passed along the Southern wall of the castle, traversed its Eastern outwork, and issued from the Bab al-Shami. During the greater part of the time we were struggling through a living tide; and among dromedaries and chargers a donkey is by no means a pleasant monture. With some difficulty, but without any more serious accident than a fall or two, we found ourselves in the space beyond and northward46 of the city. This also was covered with travellers and tents, amongst which on an eminence47 to the left of the road, rose conspicuous48 the bright green pavilion of the Emir Al-Hajj, the commandant of the Caravan.8 Hard by, half its height surrounded by a Kanat or tent wall, stood the Syrian or Sultan’s Mahmil (litter), all glittering with green and gilding49 and gold, and around it were pitched the handsome habitations of the principal officers and grandees of the pilgrimage. On the right hand lay extensive palm plantations51, and on the left, strewed52 over the plain, were signs of wells and tanks, built to supply the Hajj with water. We pass two small buildings, one the Kubbat Al-Sabak, or Dome53 of Precedence, where the Prophet’s warrior54 friends used to display their horsemanship; the second the Makan, or burial-place of Sayyidna Zaki al-Din, one of Mohammed’s multitudinous descendants. Then we fall into a plain, resembling that of Kuba, but less fertile. While we are jogging over it, a few words concerning Mount Ohod may not be misplaced. A popular distich says,
“Verily there is healing to the eye that looks
Unto Ohod and the two Harrahs9 (ridges) near.”
And of this holy hill the Apostle declared, “Ohod is a Mountain which loves Us and which We love: it is upon the Gate of Heaven10;” adding, “And Ayr11 is a Place which hates Us and which We hate: it is upon the Gate of Hell.” The former sheltered Mohammed in the time of danger; therefore, on Resurrection Day it will be raised to Paradise: whereas Jabal Ayr, its neighbour, having been so ill-judged as to refuse the Prophet water on an occasion while he thirsted, will be cast incontinently into Jahannam. Moslem55 divines, be it observed, ascribe to Mohammed miraculous56 authority over animals, vegetables, and minerals, as well as over men, angels, and jinnis. Hence the speaking wolf, the weeping post, the oil-stone, and the love and hate of these two mountains. It is probably one of the many remains57 of ancient paganism pulled down and afterwards used to build up the edifice58 of Al-Islam. According to the old Persians, the sphere has an active soul. Some sects59 of Hindus believe “mother earth,” upon whose bosom60 we little parasites61 crawl, to be a living being. This was a dogma also amongst the ancient Egyptians, who denoted it by a peculiar63 symbol, — the globe with human legs. Hence the “Makrokosmos” of the plagiaristic64 Greeks, the animal on a large scale, whose diminutive65 was the “Mikrokosmos” — man. Tota natura, repeats Malpighi, existit in minimis. Amongst the Romans, Tellus or Terra was a female deity66, anthropomorphised according to their syncretic system, which furnished with strange gods their Pantheon, but forgot to append the scroll67 explaining the inner sense of the symbol. And some modern philosophers, Kepler, Blackmore, and others, have not scrupled68 to own their belief in a doctrine69 which as long as “Life” is a mere word on man’s tongue, can neither be proved nor disproved. The Mohammedans, as usual, exaggerate the dogma, — a Hadis related by Abu Hurayrah casts on the day of judgment70 the sun and the moon into hell fire.
Jabal Ohod owes its present reputation to a cave which sheltered the Apostle when pursued by his enemies12; to certain springs of which he drank,13 and especially to its being the scene of a battle celebrated71 in Al-Islam. On Saturday, the 11th Shawwal, in the third year of the Hijrah (26th January, A.D. 625), Mohammed with seven hundred men engaged three thousand Infidels under the command of Abu Sufiyan; ran great personal danger, and lost his uncle Hamzah, the “Lord of Martyrs.” On the topmost pinnacle72, also, is the Kubbat Harun, the dome erected73 over Aaron’s remains. It is now, I was told, in a ruinous condition, and is placed upon the “pinnacle of seven hills14” in a position somewhat like that of certain buildings on St. Angelo in the Bay of Naples. Alluding74 to the toil75 of reaching it, the Madani quote a facetious76 rhyme inscribed77 upon the wall by one of their number who had wasted his breath:—
“Malun ibn Malun
Man tala’a Kubbat Harun!”
Anglice, “The man must be a ruffian who climbs up to Aaron’s dome.” Devout Moslems visit Ohod every Thursday morning after the dawn devotions in the Harim; pray for the Martyrs; and, after going through the ceremonies, return to the Harim in time for mid-day worship. On the 12th of Rajab, Zairs come out in large bodies from the city, encamp on the plain for three or four days, and pass the time in feasting, jollity, and devotion, as is usual at pilgrimages and at saints’ festivals in general.
After half an hour’s ride we came to the Mustarah or resting-place, so called because the Prophet sat here for a few minutes on his way to the battle of Ohod. It is a newly-built square enclosure of dwarf78 whitewashed79 walls, within which devotees pray. On the outside fronting Al-Madinah is a seat like a chair of rough stones. Here I was placed by my Muzawwir, who recited an insignificant80 supplication81 to be repeated after him. At its end with the Fatihah and accompaniments, we remounted our asses11 and resumed our way. Travelling onwards, we came in sight of the second Harrah or ridge44. It lies to the right and left of the road, and resembles lines of lava82, but I had not an opportunity to examine it narrowly.15 Then we reached the gardens of Ohod, which reflect in miniature those of Kuba; and presently we arrived at what explained the presence of verdure and vegetable life, — a deep Fiumara full of loose sand and large stones denoting an impetuous stream. It flows along the Southern base of Ohod, said to be part of the plain of Al-Madinah, and it collects the drainage of the high lands lying to the South and South-east. The bed becomes impassable after rain, and sometimes the torrents83 overflow84 the neighbouring gardens. By the direction of this Fiumara I judged that it must supply the Ghabbah or “basin” in the hills north of the plain. Good authorities, however, informed me that a large volume of water will not stand there, but flows down the beds that wind through the Ghats westward43 of Al-Madinah, and falls into the sea near the harbour of Wijh. To the south of the Fiumara is a village on an eminence, containing some large brick houses now in a ruinous state; these are the villas85 of opulent and religious citizens who visited the place for change of air, recreation, and worship at Hamzah’s tomb. Our donkeys presently sank fetlock-deep in the loose sand of the torrent-bed. Then reaching the Northern side, and ascending86 a gentle slope, we found ourselves upon the battle-field.
This spot, so celebrated in the annals of Al-Islam, is a shelving strip of land, close to the Southern base of Mount Ohod. The army of the Infidels advanced from the Fiumara in crescent shape, with Abu Sufiyan, the general, and his idols87 in the centre. It is distant about three miles from Al-Madinah, in a Northerly direction.16 All the visitor sees is hard gravelly ground, covered with little heaps of various coloured granite88, red sandstone, and bits of porphyry, to denote the different places where the martyrs fell, and were buried.17 Seen from this point, there is something appalling89 in the look of the Holy Mountain. Its seared and jagged flanks rise like masses of iron from the plain, and the crevice90 into which the Moslem host retired91, when the disobedience of the archers92 in hastening to plunder93 enabled Khalid bin94 Walid to fall upon Mohammed’s rear, is the only break in the grim wall. Reeking95 with heat, its surface produces not one green shrub96 or stunted97 tree; neither bird nor beast appeared upon its inhospitable sides, and the bright blue sky glaring above its bald and sullen98 brow, made it look only the more repulsive99. I was glad to turn away my eyes from it.
To the left of the road North of the Fiumara, and leading to the mountains, stands Hamzah’s Mosque100, which, like the Harim of Al-Madinah, is a Mausoleum as well as a fane. It is a small strongly built square of hewn stone, with a dome covering the solitary101 hypostyle to the South, and the usual minaret102. The Westward wing is a Zawiyah or oratory,18 frequented by the celebrated Sufi and Saint, Mohammed al-Samman, the “Clarified Butter-Seller,” one of whose blood, the reader will remember, stood by my side in the person of Shaykh Hamid. On the Eastern side of the building a half wing projects; and a small door opens to the South, upon a Mastabah or stone bench five or six feet high: this completes the square of the edifice. On the right of the road opposite Hamzah’s Mosque, is a large erection, now in ruins, containing a deep hole leading to a well, with huge platforms for the accommodation of travellers. Beyond, towards the mountains, are the small edifices103 presently to be described.
Some Turkish women were sitting veiled upon the shady platform opposite the Martyrs’ Mosque. At a little distance their husbands, and the servants holding horses and asses, lay upon the ground, and a large crowd of Badawin, boys, girls, and old women, had gathered around to beg, draw water, and sell dry dates. They were awaiting the guardian104, who had not yet acknowledged the summons. After half an hour’s vain patience, we determined105 to proceed with the ceremonies. Ascending by its steps the Mastabah subtending half the Eastern wall, Shaykh Hamid placed me so as to front the tomb. There standing106 in the burning sun, we repeated the following prayer: “Peace be upon Thee, O our Lord Hamzah! O Paternal107 Uncle of Allah’s Apostle! O Paternal Uncle of Allah’s Prophet! Peace be upon Thee, O Paternal Uncle of Mustafa! Peace be upon Thee, O Prince of the Martyrs! O Prince of the Happy! Peace be upon Thee, O Lion of Allah! O Lion of His Prophet!” After which, we asked Hamzah and his companions to lend us their aid in obtaining for us and ours pardon, worldly prosperity and future happiness. Scarcely had we finished, when, mounted on a high-trotting dromedary, appeared the emissary of Mohammed Kalifah, descendant of Al-Abbas, who keeps the key of the Mosque, and who receives the fees and donations of the devout. It was to be opened for the Turkish pilgrims. I waited to see the interior. The Arab drew forth108 from his pouch109, with abundant solemnity, a bunch of curiously110 made keys, and sharply directed me to stand away from and out of sight of the door. When I obeyed, grumblingly111, he began to rattle112 the locks, and to snap the padlocks, opening them slowly, shaking them, and making as much noise as possible. The reason of the precaution-it sounded like poetry if not sense-is this. It is believed that the souls of martyrs, leaving the habitations of their senseless clay, 19 are fond of sitting together in spiritual converse113, and profane114 eye must not fall upon the scene. What grand pictures these imaginative Arabs see! Conceive the majestic115 figures of the saints-for the soul with Mohammedans is like the old European spirit, a something immaterial in the shape of the body-with long grey beards, earnest faces, and solemn eyes, reposing116 beneath the palms, and discussing events now buried in the gloom of a thousand years. I would fain be hard upon this superstition117, but shame prevents. When in Nottingham, eggs may not be carried out after sunset; when Ireland hears Banshees, or apparitional118 old women, with streaming hair, and dressed in blue mantles119; when Scotland sees a shroud120 about a person, showing his approaching death; when France has her loup-garous, revenants, and poules du Vendredi Saint (i.e. hens hatched on Good Friday supposed to change colour every year): as long as the Holy Coat cures devotees at Treves, Madonnas wink121 at Rimini, San Januario melts at Naples, and Addolorate and Estatiche make converts to hysteria at Rome: whilst the Virgin122 manifests herself to children on the Alps and in France, whilst Germany sends forth Psychography, whilst Europe, the civilised, the enlightened, the sceptical, dotes over clairvoyance124 and table-turning, and whilst even hard-headed America believes in “mediums,” in “snail-telegraphs,” and “spirit-rappings,”20 — I must hold the men of Al-Madinah to be as wise, and their superstition to be as respectable, as that of others. But the realities of Hamzah’s Mosque have little to recommend them. The building is like that of Kuba, only smaller: and the hypostyle is hung with oil lamps and ostrich eggs, the usual paltry125 furniture of an Arab mausoleum. On the walls are a few modern inscriptions126 and framed poetry, written in a calligraphic hand. Beneath the Riwak lies Hamzah, under a mass of black basaltic stone,21 resembling that of Aden, only more porous128 and scoriaceous, convex at the top, like a heap of earth, without the Kiswah,22 or cover of a saint’s tomb, and railed round with wooden bars. At his head, or westward, lies Abdullah bin Jaysh, a name little known to fame, under a plain whitewashed tomb, also convex; and in the courtyard is a similar pile, erected over the remains of Shammas bin Osman, another obscure Companion.23 We then passed through a door in the Northern part of the Western wall, and saw a diminutive palm plantation50 and a well. After which we left the Mosque, and I was under the “fatal necessity” of paying a dollar for the honour of entering it. But the guardian promised that the chapters Y.S. and Al-Ikhlas should be recited for my benefit, the latter forty times; and if their efficacy be one-twentieth part of what men say it is, the reader cannot quote against me a certain popular proverb concerning an order of men easily parted from their money.
Issuing from the Mosque, we advanced a few paces towards the mountain. On our left we passed by-at a respectful distance, for the Turkish Hajis cried out that their women were engaged in ablution-a large Sahrij or tank, built of cut stone with steps, and intended to detain the overflowing129 waters of the torrent. The next place we prayed at was a small square, enclosed with dwarf whitewashed walls, containing a few graves denoted by ovals of loose stones thinly spread upon the ground. This is primitive130 Arab simplicity131. The Badawin still mark the places of their dead with four stones planted at the head, the feet, and the sides; in the centre the earth is either heaped up Musannam (i.e. like the hump of a camel), or more generally left Musattah (level). I therefore suppose that the latter was the original shape of the Prophet’s tomb. Within the enclosure certain martyrs of the holy army were buried. After praying there, we repaired to a small building still nearer to the foot of the mountain. It is the usual cupola springing from four square walls, not in the best preservation132. Here the Prophet prayed, and it is called the Kubbat al-Sanaya, “Dome of the Front Teeth,” from the following circumstance. Five Infidels were bound by oath to slay134 Mohammed at the battle of Ohod: one of these, Ibn Kumayyah, threw so many stones, and with such goodwill135, that two rings of the Prophet’s helmet were driven into his cheek, and blood poured from his brow down his mustachios, which he wiped with a cloak to prevent the drops falling to the ground. Then Utbah bin Abi Wakkas hurled136 a stone at him, which, splitting his lower lip, knocked out one of his front teeth.24 On the left of the Mihrab, inserted low down in the wall, is a square stone, upon which Shaykh Hamid showed me the impression of a tooth25: he kissed it with peculiar reverence137, and so did I. But the boy Mohammed being by me objurgated-for I remarked in him a jaunty138 demeanour combined with neglectfulness of ceremonies-saluted it sulkily, muttering the while hints about the holiness of his birthplace exempting139 him from the trouble of stooping. Already he had appeared at the Harim without his Jubbah, and with ungirt loins-in waistcoat and shirt-sleeves. Moreover, he had conducted himself indecorously by nudging Shaykh Hamid’s sides during divine service. Feeling that the youth’s “moral man” was, like his physical, under my charge, and determined to arrest a course of conduct which must have ended in obtaining for me, the master, the reputation of a “son of Belial,” I insisted upon his joining us in the customary two-bow prayers. And Sa’ad the Demon, taking my side of the question with his usual alacrity140 when a disturbance141 was in prospect142, the youth found it necessary to yield. After this little scene, Shaykh Hamid pointed37 out a sprawling143 inscription127 blessing144 the Companions of the Prophet. The unhappy Abu Bakr’s name had been half effaced145 by some fanatic146 Shi’ah, a circumstance which seemed to arouse all the evil in my companion’s nature; and, looking close at the wall I found a line of Persian verse to this effect:
“I am weary of my life (Umr), because it bears the name of Umar.”26
We English wanderers are beginning to be shamed out of our “vulgar” habit of scribbling147 names and nonsense in noted62 spots. Yet the practice is both classical and oriental. The Greeks and Persians left their marks everywhere, as Egypt shows; and the paws of the Sphinx bears scratches which, being interpreted, are found to be the same manner of trash as that written upon the remains of Thebes in A.D. 1879. And Easterns appear never to enter a building with a white wall without inditing148 upon it platitudes149 in verse and prose. Influenced by these considerations, I drew forth a pencil and inscribed in the Kubbat al-Sanaya,
[Arabic text]
“Abdullah, the servant of Allah.” (A.H.) 1269.
Issuing from the dome, we turned a few paces to the left, passed northwards, and thus blessed the Martyrs of Ohod:
“Peace be upon Ye, O Martyrs! Peace be upon Ye, O Blessed! ye Pious150! ye Pure! who fought upon Allah’s Path the good Fight, who worshipped your Lord until He brought you to Certainty.27 Peace be upon You of whom Allah said (viz., in the Koran), ‘Verily repute not them slain151 on God’s Path (i.e., warring with Infidels); nay133, rather they are alive, and there is no Fear upon them, nor are they sorrowful!’ Peace be upon Ye, O Martyrs of Ohod! One and All, and the Mercy of Allah and His Blessings152.”
Then again we moved a few paces forward and went through a similar ceremony, supposing ourselves to be in the cave that sheltered the Apostle. After which, returning towards the torrent-bed by the way we came, we stood a small distance from a cupola called Kubbat al-Masra. It resembles that of the “Front-teeth,” and notes, as its name proves, the place where the gallant153 Hamzah fell by the spear of Wahshi the slave.28 We faced towards it and finished the ceremonies of this Ziyarat by a Supplication, the Testification, and the Fatihah.
In the evening I went with my friends to the Harim. The minaret galleries were hung with lamps, and the inside of the temple was illuminated154. It was crowded with Hajis, amongst whom were many women, a circumstance which struck me from its being unusual.29 Some pious pilgrims, who had duly paid for the privilege, were perched upon ladders trimming wax candles of vast dimensions, others were laying up for themselves rewards in Paradise, by performing the same office to the lamps; many were going through the ceremonies of Ziyarat, and not a few were sitting in different parts of the Mosque apparently155 overwhelmed with emotion. The boys and the beggars were inspired with fresh energy, the Aghawat were gruffer and surlier than I had ever seen them, and the young men about town walked and talked with a freer and an easier demeanour than usual. My old friends the Persians-there were about 1200 of them in the Hajj Caravan-attracted my attention. The doorkeepers stopped them with curses as they were about to enter, and all claimed from each the sum of five piastres, whilst other Moslems were allowed to enter the Mosque free. Unhappy men! they had lost all the Shiraz swagger, their mustachios dropped pitiably, their eyes would not look any one in the face, and not a head bore a cap stuck upon it crookedly156. Whenever an “’Ajami,” whatever might be his rank, stood in the way of an Arab or a Turk, he was rudely thrust aside, with abuse muttered loud enough to be heard by all around. All eyes followed them as they went through the ceremonies of Ziyarat, especially as they approached the tombs of Abu Bakr and Omar, — which every man is bound to defile157 if he can, — and the supposed place of Fatimah’s burial. Here they stood in parties, after praying before the Prophet’s window: one read from a book the pathetic tale of the Lady’s life, sorrows, and mourning death, whilst the others listened to him with breathless attention. Sometimes their emotion was too strong to be repressed. “Ay Fatimah! Ay Muzlumah! Way! way! — O Fatimah! O thou injured one! Alas158! alas!” burst involuntarily from their lips, despite the danger of such exclamations159; tears trickled160 down their hairy cheeks, and their brawny161 bosoms162 heaved with sobs163. A strange sight it was to see rugged164 fellows, mountaineers perhaps, or the fierce Iliyat of the plains, sometimes weeping silently like children, sometimes shrieking165 like hysteric girls, and utterly166 careless to conceal167 a grief so coarse and grisly, at the same time so true and real, that I knew not how to behold168 it. Then the Satanic scowls169 with which they passed by, or pretended to pray at, the hated Omar’s tomb! With what curses their hearts are belying170 those mouths full of blessings! How they are internally canonising Fayruz-the Persian slave who stabbed Omar in the Mosque-and praying for his eternal happiness in the presence of the murdered man! Sticks and stones, however, and not unfrequently the knife and the sabre, have taught them the hard lesson of disciplining their feelings; and nothing but a furious contraction171 of the brow, a roll of the eye, intensely vicious, and a twitching172 of the muscles about the region of the mouth, denote the wild storm of wrath173 within. They generally, too, manage to discharge some part of their passion in words. “Hail Omar, thou hog123!” exclaims some fanatic Madani as he passes by the heretic-a demand more outraging174 than requiring a red-hot, black-north Protestant to bless the Pope. “O Allah! hell him!” meekly175 responds the Persian, changing the benediction176 to a curse most intelligible177 to, and most delicious in, his fellows’ ears.30
An evening hour in the steamy heat of the Harim was equal to half a dozen afternoons; and I left it resolved never to revisit it till the Hajj departed from Al-Madinah. It was only prudent178 not to see much of the ’Ajamis; and as I did so somewhat ostentatiously, my companions discovered that the Shaykh Abdullah, having slain many of those heretics in some war or other, was avoiding them to escape retaliation179. In proof of my generalistic qualities, the rolling down of the water jar upon the heads of the Maghribi Pilgrims in the “Golden Thread” was quoted, and all offered to fight for me a l’outrance. I took care not to contradict the report.
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caravan
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| n.大蓬车；活动房屋 | |
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tattered
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| adj.破旧的，衣衫破的 | |
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secondly
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| adv.第二，其次 | |
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stipends
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| n.（尤指牧师的）薪俸( stipend的名词复数 ) | |
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ass
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| n.驴；傻瓜，蠢笨的人 | |
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jaded
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| adj.精疲力竭的；厌倦的；（因过饱或过多而）腻烦的；迟钝的 | |
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vivacity
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| n.快活，活泼，精神充沛 | |
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picturesqueness
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luxurious
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| adj.精美而昂贵的；豪华的 | |
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dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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asses
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| n. 驴，愚蠢的人，臀部 adv. (常用作后置)用于贬损或骂人 | |
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bustling
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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jingling
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| 叮当声 | |
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mules
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| 骡( mule的名词复数 )； 拖鞋； 顽固的人； 越境运毒者 | |
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scarlet
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| n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的 | |
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brass
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| n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器 | |
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cavalry
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| n.骑兵；轻装甲部队 | |
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grumbling
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| adj. 喃喃鸣不平的, 出怨言的 | |
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salutes
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| n.致敬，欢迎，敬礼( salute的名词复数 )v.欢迎，致敬( salute的第三人称单数 )；赞扬，赞颂 | |
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21
devout
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| adj.虔诚的，虔敬的，衷心的 (n.devoutness) | |
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22
cannon
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| n.大炮，火炮；飞机上的机关炮 | |
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23
citadel
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| n.城堡；堡垒；避难所 | |
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24
vendors
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| n.摊贩( vendor的名词复数 )；小贩；（房屋等的）卖主；卖方 | |
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25
bullying
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| v.恐吓，威逼( bully的现在分词 )；豪；跋扈 | |
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26
clan
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| n.氏族，部落，宗族，家族，宗派 | |
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27
upwards
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| adv.向上，在更高处...以上 | |
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28
calves
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| n.(calf的复数)笨拙的男子，腓；腿肚子( calf的名词复数 )；牛犊；腓；小腿肚v.生小牛( calve的第三人称单数 )；（冰川）崩解；生（小牛等），产（犊）；使（冰川）崩解 | |
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29
brandishing
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| v.挥舞( brandish的现在分词 )；炫耀 | |
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30
frantically
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| ad.发狂地, 发疯地 | |
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31
ostrich
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| n.鸵鸟 | |
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32
grandees
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| n.贵族，大公，显贵者( grandee的名词复数 ) | |
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33
shrieks
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| n.尖叫声( shriek的名词复数 )v.尖叫( shriek的第三人称单数 ) | |
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34
wretch
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| n.可怜的人，不幸的人；卑鄙的人 | |
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35
blurs
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| n.模糊( blur的名词复数 )；模糊之物；（移动的）模糊形状；模糊的记忆v.（使）变模糊( blur的第三人称单数 )；（使）难以区分 | |
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36
burnished
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| adj.抛光的，光亮的v.擦亮（金属等），磨光( burnish的过去式和过去分词 )；被擦亮，磨光 | |
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37
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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38
martyrs
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| n.martyr的复数形式；烈士( martyr的名词复数 )；殉道者；殉教者；乞怜者（向人诉苦以博取同情） | |
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39
demon
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| n.魔鬼，恶魔 | |
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40
bustle
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| v.喧扰地忙乱，匆忙，奔忙；n.忙碌；喧闹 | |
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41
humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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42
detour
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| n.绕行的路，迂回路；v.迂回，绕道 | |
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43
westward
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| n.西方，西部；adj.西方的，向西的；adv.向西 | |
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44
ridge
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| n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭 | |
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45
torrent
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| n.激流，洪流；爆发，(话语等的)连发 | |
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46
northward
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| adv.向北；n.北方的地区 | |
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47
eminence
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| n.卓越，显赫；高地，高处；名家 | |
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48
conspicuous
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| adj.明眼的，惹人注目的；炫耀的，摆阔气的 | |
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49
gilding
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| n.贴金箔，镀金 | |
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50
plantation
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| n.种植园，大农场 | |
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51
plantations
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| n.种植园，大农场( plantation的名词复数 ) | |
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52
strewed
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| v.撒在…上( strew的过去式和过去分词 )；散落于；点缀；撒满 | |
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53
dome
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| n.圆屋顶，拱顶 | |
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54
warrior
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| n.勇士，武士，斗士 | |
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55
Moslem
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| n.回教徒，穆罕默德信徒；adj.回教徒的，回教的 | |
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56
miraculous
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| adj.像奇迹一样的，不可思议的 | |
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57
remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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58
edifice
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| n.宏伟的建筑物(如宫殿，教室) | |
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59
sects
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| n.宗派，教派( sect的名词复数 ) | |
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60
bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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61
parasites
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| 寄生物( parasite的名词复数 )； 靠他人为生的人； 诸虫 | |
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62
noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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63
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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64
plagiaristic
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| adj.剽窃的，抄袭的 | |
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65
diminutive
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| adj.小巧可爱的，小的 | |
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66
deity
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| n.神，神性；被奉若神明的人(或物) | |
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67
scroll
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| n.卷轴，纸卷；(石刻上的)漩涡 | |
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68
scrupled
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| v.感到于心不安，有顾忌( scruple的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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69
doctrine
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| n.教义；主义；学说 | |
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70
judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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71
celebrated
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| adj.有名的，声誉卓著的 | |
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72
pinnacle
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| n.尖塔，尖顶，山峰；(喻)顶峰 | |
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73
ERECTED
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| adj. 直立的，竖立的，笔直的 vt. 使 ... 直立，建立 | |
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74
alluding
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| 提及，暗指( allude的现在分词 ) | |
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75
toil
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| vi.辛劳工作，艰难地行动；n.苦工，难事 | |
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76
facetious
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| adj.轻浮的，好开玩笑的 | |
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77
inscribed
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| v.写，刻( inscribe的过去式和过去分词 )；内接 | |
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78
dwarf
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| n.矮子，侏儒，矮小的动植物；vt.使…矮小 | |
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79
whitewashed
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| 粉饰，美化，掩饰( whitewash的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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80
insignificant
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| adj.无关紧要的，可忽略的，无意义的 | |
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81
supplication
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| n.恳求，祈愿，哀求 | |
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82
lava
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| n.熔岩，火山岩 | |
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83
torrents
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| n.倾注；奔流( torrent的名词复数 )；急流；爆发；连续不断 | |
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84
overflow
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| v.(使)外溢，(使)溢出；溢出，流出，漫出 | |
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85
villas
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| 别墅，公馆( villa的名词复数 )； （城郊）住宅 | |
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86
ascending
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| adj.上升的，向上的 | |
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87
idols
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| 偶像( idol的名词复数 )； 受崇拜的人或物； 受到热爱和崇拜的人或物； 神像 | |
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88
granite
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| adj.花岗岩，花岗石 | |
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89
appalling
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| adj.骇人听闻的，令人震惊的，可怕的 | |
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90
crevice
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| n.(岩石、墙等)裂缝；缺口 | |
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91
retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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92
archers
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| n.弓箭手，射箭运动员( archer的名词复数 ) | |
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93
plunder
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| vt.劫掠财物，掠夺；n.劫掠物，赃物；劫掠 | |
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94
bin
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| n.箱柜；vt.放入箱内；[计算机] DOS文件名:二进制目标文件 | |
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95
reeking
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| v.发出浓烈的臭气( reek的现在分词 )；散发臭气；发出难闻的气味 (of sth)；明显带有（令人不快或生疑的跡象） | |
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96
shrub
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| n.灌木，灌木丛 | |
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97
stunted
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| adj.矮小的；发育迟缓的 | |
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98
sullen
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| adj.愠怒的，闷闷不乐的，(天气等)阴沉的 | |
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99
repulsive
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| adj.排斥的，使人反感的 | |
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100
mosque
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| n.清真寺 | |
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101
solitary
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| adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士 | |
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102
minaret
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| n.（回教寺院的）尖塔 | |
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103
edifices
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| n.大建筑物( edifice的名词复数 ) | |
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104
guardian
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| n.监护人；守卫者，保护者 | |
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105
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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106
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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107
paternal
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| adj.父亲的，像父亲的，父系的，父方的 | |
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108
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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109
pouch
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| n.小袋，小包，囊状袋；vt.装...入袋中，用袋运输；vi.用袋送信件 | |
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110
curiously
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| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
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111
grumblingly
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| 喃喃报怨着，发牢骚着 | |
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112
rattle
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| v.飞奔，碰响；激怒；n.碰撞声；拨浪鼓 | |
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113
converse
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| vi.谈话，谈天，闲聊；adv.相反的，相反 | |
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114
profane
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| adj.亵神的，亵渎的；vt.亵渎，玷污 | |
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115
majestic
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| adj.雄伟的，壮丽的，庄严的，威严的，崇高的 | |
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116
reposing
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| v.将（手臂等）靠在某人（某物）上( repose的现在分词 ) | |
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117
superstition
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| n.迷信，迷信行为 | |
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118
apparitional
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119
mantles
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| vt.&vi.覆盖（mantle的第三人称单数形式） | |
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120
shroud
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| n.裹尸布，寿衣；罩，幕；vt.覆盖，隐藏 | |
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121
wink
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| n.眨眼，使眼色，瞬间；v.眨眼，使眼色，闪烁 | |
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122
virgin
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| n.处女，未婚女子；adj.未经使用的；未经开发的 | |
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123
hog
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| n.猪；馋嘴贪吃的人；vt.把…占为己有，独占 | |
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124
clairvoyance
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| n.超人的洞察力 | |
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125
paltry
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| adj.无价值的，微不足道的 | |
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126
inscriptions
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| （作者）题词( inscription的名词复数 )； 献词； 碑文； 证劵持有人的登记 | |
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127
inscription
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| n.（尤指石块上的）刻印文字，铭文，碑文 | |
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128
porous
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| adj.可渗透的，多孔的 | |
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129
overflowing
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| n. 溢出物,溢流 adj. 充沛的，充满的 动词overflow的现在分词形式 | |
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130
primitive
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| adj.原始的；简单的；n.原(始)人，原始事物 | |
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131
simplicity
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| n.简单，简易；朴素；直率，单纯 | |
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132
preservation
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| n.保护，维护，保存，保留，保持 | |
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133
nay
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| adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者 | |
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134
slay
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| v.杀死，宰杀，杀戮 | |
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135
goodwill
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| n.善意，亲善，信誉，声誉 | |
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136
hurled
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| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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137
reverence
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| n.敬畏，尊敬，尊严；Reverence:对某些基督教神职人员的尊称；v.尊敬，敬畏，崇敬 | |
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138
jaunty
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| adj．愉快的，满足的；adv.心满意足地，洋洋得意地；n.心满意足；洋洋得意 | |
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139
exempting
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| 使免除[豁免]( exempt的现在分词 ) | |
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140
alacrity
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| n.敏捷，轻快，乐意 | |
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141
disturbance
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| n.动乱，骚动；打扰，干扰；(身心)失调 | |
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142
prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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143
sprawling
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| adj.蔓生的，不规则地伸展的v.伸开四肢坐[躺]( sprawl的现在分词 )；蔓延；杂乱无序地拓展；四肢伸展坐着（或躺着） | |
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144
blessing
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| n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿 | |
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145
effaced
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| v.擦掉( efface的过去式和过去分词 )；抹去；超越；使黯然失色 | |
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146
fanatic
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| n.狂热者，入迷者；adj.狂热入迷的 | |
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147
scribbling
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| n.乱涂[写]胡[乱]写的文章[作品]v.潦草的书写( scribble的现在分词 )；乱画；草草地写；匆匆记下 | |
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148
inditing
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| v.写（文章，信等）创作，赋诗，创作( indite的现在分词 ) | |
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149
platitudes
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| n.平常的话，老生常谈，陈词滥调( platitude的名词复数 )；滥套子 | |
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150
pious
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| adj.虔诚的；道貌岸然的 | |
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151
slain
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| 杀死，宰杀，杀戮( slay的过去分词 )； (slay的过去分词) | |
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152
blessings
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| n.（上帝的）祝福( blessing的名词复数 )；好事；福分；因祸得福 | |
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153
gallant
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| adj.英勇的，豪侠的；(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
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154
illuminated
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| adj.被照明的；受启迪的 | |
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155
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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156
crookedly
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| adv. 弯曲地，不诚实地 | |
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157
defile
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| v.弄污，弄脏；n.(山间)小道 | |
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158
alas
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| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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159
exclamations
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| n.呼喊( exclamation的名词复数 )；感叹；感叹语；感叹词 | |
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160
trickled
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| v.滴( trickle的过去式和过去分词 )；淌；使)慢慢走；缓慢移动 | |
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161
brawny
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| adj.强壮的 | |
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162
bosoms
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| 胸部( bosom的名词复数 )； 胸怀； 女衣胸部（或胸襟）； 和爱护自己的人在一起的情形 | |
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163
sobs
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| 啜泣（声），呜咽（声）( sob的名词复数 ) | |
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164
rugged
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| adj.高低不平的，粗糙的，粗壮的，强健的 | |
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165
shrieking
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| v.尖叫( shriek的现在分词 ) | |
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166
utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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167
conceal
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽 | |
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168
behold
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| v.看，注视，看到 | |
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169
scowls
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| 不悦之色，怒容( scowl的名词复数 ) | |
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170
belying
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| v.掩饰，与…不符，使…失望；掩饰( belie的现在分词 )；证明（或显示）…为虚假；辜负；就…扯谎 | |
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171
contraction
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| n.缩略词，缩写式，害病 | |
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172
twitching
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| n.颤搐 | |
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173
wrath
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| n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒 | |
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174
outraging
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| 引起…的义愤，激怒( outrage的现在分词 ) | |
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175
meekly
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| adv.温顺地，逆来顺受地 | |
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176
benediction
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| n.祝福；恩赐 | |
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177
intelligible
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| adj.可理解的，明白易懂的，清楚的 | |
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178
prudent
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| adj.谨慎的，有远见的，精打细算的 | |
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179
retaliation
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| n.报复，反击 | |
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