with what his business produced, and
was as free in his actions as in his will. During this period he had
for three successive nights a dream, in which an old man appeared to
him, with a venerable aspect but a severe countenance, who reprimanded
him for not having yet performed a pilgrimage to Mecca.

This dream troubled Ali Cogia very much. As a good Mussulman, he was
aware of the necessity for this pilgrimage; but as he was encumbered
with a house and furniture, and a shop, he had always considered these
as excuses, and he endeavored to make up for the neglect by charitable
deeds. But since he had these dreams his conscience disturbed him, and
he was so fearful of some misfortune that he resolved no longer to
defer this act of duty.

To enable himself to perform this in the following year, Ali Cogia
began to sell his furniture; he then disposed of his shop, together
with the greatest part of the merchandise, reserving only such as
might be salable at Mecca; and he found a tenant for his house.

Having thus arranged everything, he was ready to set out at the time
that the caravan for Mecca was to take its departure. The only thing
which remained to be done was to find some secure place in which he
could leave the sum of a thousand pieces of gold, which remained over
and above the money he had set apart for his pilgrimage.

Ali Cogia chose a jar of a proper size, and put the thousand pieces of
gold into it, and then filled it up with olives. After having closed
the jar tightly, he took it to a merchant who was his friend.
"Brother," said he to him, "you are not unacquainted with my intention
of setting out on a pilgrimage to Mecca with the caravan which goes in
a few days; I beg the favor of you to take charge of this jar of
olives till my return." The merchant instantly replied: "Here, this is
the key of my warehouse; take the jar there yourself, and place it
where you think fit. I promise you that you shall find it in the same
place when you come for it again."

The day for departure arriving, Ali Cogia joined the caravan with a
camel laden with the merchandise he had made choice of, which also
served him as a sort of saddle to ride on, and he arrived in perfect
safety at Mecca. He, together with the other pilgrims, visited the
temple--that edifice, so celebrated and so frequented every year by
all the Mussulman nations, who repair thither from all parts of the
globe, to observe the religious ceremonies which are