CARAVAN (Fr. cararanc. Sp. eararana, from Pers. karran, from O. Pers. kfira, people, army). The name given to the great assemblages of travelers which, at stated times, traverse the deserts of Asia and Africa. Most caravans are formed for the purposes of trade. the merchants associating themselves for mutual aelp and pro tection. A caravan sometimes has as many as 1000 camels, which follow each other in single file, so that it may be a mile or more in length. The most celebrated caravans are those formed by pilgrims going to Mecca, particularly those which annually assemble at Cairo and at Damas cus. The latter consists of thousands of pilgrims and stands under the special protection of the Turkish Sultan. The caravan by which the Per sians travel to Mecca, starts from Bagdad, and is the vehicle of a very important trade. The great Indian caravan to Mecca, which started from Muscat, has been long given up. The trade between Tripoli and the interior of Africa i= exclusively carried on by caravans, likewise that hetween Darfur and Egypt. The great trade between Russia and China is also a earn ‘an trade. In the East caravans in which the
camels have a load of 500 to fi00 pounds are called heavy caravans: light caravans arc those in which the camels have only half that weight, so that the daily journeys may be longer. lleavy caravans travel from eighteen to twenty miles a day; light from twenty-two to twenty five. The caravans are generally conducted with great regularity, and assemble at and start from stated places on stated days. 'I he leader of the Mecca caravans is called emirpel -hadj, i.e. prince of the pilgrims. In trade caravans a leader, who is called kancan-bashi, is elected by the merchants from their own number. In addition to the leader, each caravan has its ser vants, guides, military escorts, and priest. Obedi ence is enforced by the leader in the matter of internal discipline, hut in trafficking each mem ber is independent.
For a picturesque description of the caravan to Mecca, see Burton, Wanderings in Three Con tinents.