father, Ibrîḳ al-Aṣfar. They have many more such upright men of noble deeds. Such an one is Mohammed Rašân, whose resting place is behind the mount of Šeiḫ Mattie.[53] He (Rašân) is exceedingly strong, so that the most sacred oaths are sworn by him. If any one becomes sick, he takes refuge in making vows to _ḫasin_, i. e., pillars of idols. Now there is a place of religious pilgrimage which is called Sitt Nafîsah. This place is a mulberry tree in the village of Ba‘ašîḳa. Another such place is called ‘Abdi Rašân, and is in the village of ḳarabek. A third place of pilgrimage is in the village Baḥzanie, which is called Šeiḫ Bakû. Nearby is a spring, and beside this is a mulberry tree. Whoever is afflicted with fever, goes to that tree, hangs on its branches a piece of cloth from his clothes, and casts bread in the spring for the fish. All this he does that he may be cured. They entertain the belief that whoever unties or shakes off one of the shreds of cloth will catch the disease with which the man was afflicted when he hung it up. There are many such trees in the village of Ba‘ašîḳa, and in some other places. There is also a spring of water, called in the common language ‘Ain aṣ-Ṣafra (Yellow Spring). The Yezidis call it Kanî-Zarr.[54] In this swim those who are afflicted with the disease of _abû-ṣafar_ (jaundice). But those who are troubled with dropsy go for cure to the house of the Pir that lives in the village of Man Reš. When they assemble at Šeiḫ ‘Adî’s, no one is allowed to cook anything. Everyone is to eat from Šeiḫ ‘Adî’s table. As to the _ḳôchaks_, every one of them sits on a stone, as one sits in prayer. To them the laity go, seeking succor. They give them money while making their petition, and vow to the stone on which the _ḳôchak_ sits, sheep and oxen, everyone according to his means. Now, at the New Year the places are given in contract. When they assemble at the New Year, they dance and play with instruments of joy. Before eating the _kabdûš_, i. e., the vowed ox, they swim in the water of Zamzam, a spring coming from beneath the temple of Šeiḫ ‘Adî. Then they eat in haste, snatching meat from the pot like fanatics, so that their hands are frequently burned. This practice is in accordance with their rules. After eating, they go up the mountain, shooting with their guns, and then return to Šeiḫ ‘Adî. Everyone of them takes a little dust and preserves it for the times of wedding and death. They wear entwined girdles which they call the ties of the back (belt). They baptize these and the _sanjaḳs_ with the water of Zamzam. He who is called Jawiš[55] wears a stole which is woven from the hair of a goat. It is nine spans in length and around it are _sansûls_ (tinsels). When the gathering comes to an end, they collect the money from the _ḳôchaks_ and the contractors, and bring it to the emir. After everyone has taken according to his rank, the remainder goes to the emir.