nce it was called Kita min Sham, 'a piece of Syria,' whence it
came. (Burton, ii. 336.) 'Its fertile lands produce the fruits of
Syria in the midst of the Arabian desert' ( Gibbon, _Decline and Fall_,
vi. 255).

[9] At Mecca are 'evident signs, with the standing place of Abraham; and
he who enters it is safe' _(Koran_, iii. 90). On the north side of
the Ka'aba, just by its door, is a slight hollow in the ground, lined
with marble. The spot is called Mi'jan, and it is supposed to be the
place where Abraham and Ishmael kneaded the chalk which they used in
building the Ka'aba: the stone, with the mark of Abraham's feet, is
shown.--Burckhardt, quoted by Hughes, _Dictionary of Islam_, p. 337;
Burton, ii. 311; Sale, _Preliminary Discourse_, p. 84.

[10] The Asiatics, generally, have faith in certain properties of chemical
productions to alter the nature of the common to the precious metals.
I have often witnessed the anxious exertions of Natives in India, who
try all sorts of experiments in alchemy, expecting to succeed; but I
have never known any other issue from the many laborious efforts of
individuals than waste of time and property in these absurd schemes.
[_Author_.]

[11] One of the best-known versions of this famous tale is found in _The
Decameron_ of Boccaccio, Day 5, novel 9. It goes back to Buddhist
times, and is told of Hatim Tai, the model of Oriental
liberality. For numerous parallels, see A.C. Lee, _The Decameron of
Boccaccio, its Sources and Analogues_, 1909, pp. 170 ff.

[12] _Labada_, 'a rain coat, wrapper'.

[13] This is probably some local tradition, of which no record appears in
travellers' accounts of the Ka'aba.

[14] On the north-west side of the Ka'aba is a water-spout, called
Mi'zabu'r-Rahmah, 'the spout of Mercy'. It is made of gold, and was
sent from Constantinople in A.D. 1573. It carries the rain-water from
the roof, and discharges it on the grave of Ishmael.--Hughes,
_Dictionary of Islam_, pp. 257, 337.

[15] The Sharif, 'honourable,' is the local ruler of Mecca and the
Hajaz: see _Encyclopaedia Britannica_, xvii. 952; Burton,
_Pilgrimage_, ii. 3.

[16] _As-Salamu-'alai-kum_, 'Peace be with you!'

[17] Nadir Shah, born a shepherd, A.D. 1687, aided Shah Tahmasp
against Ashraf, leader of the Afghans, defeated him, and restored
his master in 1730. Afterwards he deposed Tah