| |
| |
The Book of the Fair :Chapter the First: Fairs of the Past (Text) |
 | | At Mecca is held, during the annual pilgrimage, the greatest of Arabian fairs, and one of the greatest in the world, the concourse, though largely diminished within recent years, often exceeding 100,000 of the faithful,[7] among whom is a large admixture of merchants and traders. |
 | | In many districts, however, the jurisdiction of fairs, together with a toll on all moneys received for admission and for the sale of certain commodities, was assigned to the [13]regular or secular clergy, the latter in trust for their churches, in front of which the fairs were opened, with due solemnity and ceremonial. |
 | | Fairs at Kiakhta, on the Chinese border, have lost much of their importance within recent years, as the result of the increased facilities of communication and the abolition of monopolies formerly held by Kiakhta merchants. |
| columbus.iit.edu /bookfair/ch1.html (10126 words) |
|