About the coffee-houses, (or rather sheds,) were seen, in groups, soldiers, smoking their chebouks, and sipping their small cups (resembling egg-cups) of coffee, made from the husk of the berry, without the addition of sugar or milk. They were generally reclining on rough-made settees, covered with the strong leaf of the date-palm. They were of all shades, from the deep black to the brown Bedouin, and to the unadulterated white from Georgia and the Caucasian mountains. They were, with scarcely an exception, men of noble features: their dresses were as various as the nations they came from. They pay only three or four commassées for their refreshments. This small coin, and cowries, are the only currency used in the bazars for small transactions; but Spanish dollars and German crowns are almost wholly used in larger ones; and Persian rupees, and those of Bombay and Surat, and foreign gold, are no strangers. During the time I was examining this motley group of strange beings, the hour of evening prayer drew nigh. As the sun disappeared behind the mountains of Abyssinia, a loud cry was heard—“Hark!” cried many voices:—
“Hark, from the mosque, the nightly solemn sound,
The Muezzin’s call doth shake the minaret;
‘There is no God but God: to prayer—lo! God is great.’”
Each one then spread his garment, or a mat, upon the ground, and instantly the assembled multitude of Mussulmans were on their knees, facing to the north towards Mecca, and praying to Allah with low prostrations, and every outward demonstration of intense devotion. It was a pleasing sight even to a “Giaour,” to one who never doubted the founder of their religion was not the “true prophet;” but still, it must be acknowledged, he was of infinite service in turning millions from gross idolatry, to the worship of “one true and ever-living God.”
EXPORTS FROM MOCHA.
The export of coffee from this place, annually, is about eight thousand bales, of three hundred and five pounds each; and the price, at present, is said to be from twenty-nine to thirty-two dollars per bale; but we paid at the rate of thirty-six dollars for some bales of the very first quality. A small part of this goes to the Persian gulf, to Surat, and Bombay, probably making, altogether, one half; the remainder is taken by the Americans. From the other ports in the Red sea, as high up as Djedda, (Judda,) it is carried to El Coseir, or Kooseir, Suez, &c.; and so on to Egypt, Turkey, &c. Gum Arabic, myrrh, frankincense, dates, and a few smaller articles, may be added to the list of exports. The difficulty of egress, during the northeast monsoon, the wind and current adverse and very strong, which commences about the latter part of September, is a great obstacle in trading to this port. If it was possible to direct the trade to Aden, situated a hundred miles to the eastward of cape Babel Mandeb, which is furnished with two good harbours, this very serious obstacle would be obviated. In no part of the world have I seen fish in greater abundance; they go in immense shoals, and appear, to an inexperienced eye, like low breakers over spits of sand, or a barred harbour. Birds are, in great numbers, hovering over them, waiting with impatience for their portion of food. Rock-weed is seen floating down the Red sea in great quantities. The only boat used for fishing, is the catamaran, similar to those already described. The stationary number of inhabitants in the city, is said not to exceed five thousand; but, at present, there are probably about ten thousand, in addition, including the soldiers, women and children, and other followers of the army. In the environs of the city, are seen thousands of miserable beings, lying on mats or on the sand, having a slight tent made of the date-leaf, a mat or two, or some rags tacked together, possessing little or no covering for the body, and apparently scarcely any thing on which to feed it, to prevent the immortal part from deserting the mortal.
I observed, in several houses, the “transparent stone,” which is placed over the tops of the latticed windows; there was as much light shed through it as through ground glass.
The colour of the Red sea has long given occasion to a variety of conjectures and speculations. Doctor Ehrenberg discovered that it was owing to small animalcules, which he names, “oscillatoria,” which hold a rank midway between plants and animals. This colour may hold good, as it regards the more northern part of the sea, but at Mocha it is of a light sea-green.