Sunday Dispatch

AN UNKNOWN LAND.

Lieut. Burton, an Englishman, has just performed a curious and perilous traveling feat. It was that of visiting Mecca, which, our readers will recollect, is an island city of Arabia, of some 30,000 inhabitants, sacred to Mussulmen as the birthplace of Mohammed, and from which all strangers are rigorously excluded. No Christian foot has been, knowingly, permitted to defile the soil within fifty miles of it. The Christian who should attempt to approach, or who should be discovered in the city, would suffer death without form of law. So severe has been this prohibition, that, although two travelers did reach the city before Burton, they were so fearful of exposing their character, that they took no notes, brought away no drawings or sketches of value, and, therefore, gave us no great amount of information on the subject.

Lieut. Burton has long been in the East Indies, and was thoroughly familiar with the Persian character and the habits of oriental races in general. He planned a visit to Mecca, and, in pursuance of the plan, he took the Peninsular and Oriental steamer from Southampton for Alexandria. He was personally well known in Egypt. To avoid dangers from this fact, he went below deck when the steamer arrived at Alexandria, and when the crowd of white, black and yellow orientals rushed on board, as all Eastern travelers have seen them, Lieut. Burton emerged from the cabin in a Persian derwish's dress, mingled in the crowd, slipped over the side into a shore boat, and from this moment was unknown to the world, until, after long months of concealment, he had accomplished his adventurous and dangerous expedition. He spent some months in Alexandria and Cairo, studying Mohammedanism, so as to be more familiar with the duties of the pilgrimage he proposed to perform, in company with the great Hadj from Cairo.

During this period he lived in a Khan in Cairo, often strolled into the British Consulate, frequently talked with the English hotel proprietors, and with Dr. Abbot, but was never recognized. He, at length, joined the Hadj, made the whole pilgrimage to Medina and Mecca, and, coming down to Jedda, boarded the English steamer, and, to the astonishment of his countrymen, resumed his native language and character.

This was one of the most daring adventures on record among the stories of travellers, and at once placed Burton, high in the list of explorers. His description of the whole journey, published in England, and re-published in New York, are exceedingly readable, and expose fully all the forms and ceremonies of the worship in Medina and Mecca, giving a complete insight into Moslem secrets.

The most curious circumstance in connection with the flood at Mecca, is the fact that it occurred in a region commonly called rainless. It probably does not rain in Mecca, in twenty years, as much water as in New York in any twenty days. But these heavy storms are not unknown. The Libyan and the Arabian deserts are barren, arid wastes, of alternate mountain, rock and sand, but the entire desert country is marked with dry torrent beds, where floods have poured down, sweeping rocks and sand before them.

Mecca is not a self supporting city. Its religious character is its only support. The surrounding country raises no produce, and it is only when the annual pilgrimage arrives that the city is doing any business. Then men of India meet the Moors from the north of Africa and the traders from Damascus. Pilgrims of every grade of wealth carry with them something for a traffic, while the inhabitants of Mecca drive a sharp trade in relics and beads, sandal wood ornaments and fragrant woods of various kinds, to be carried to all parts of Islam, and sold as specially valuable, because coming from the Holy City.