John Keane, a British traveller who lived from 1854 to 1937, embarked on an extraordinary journey during his twenties. His travels took him to the Hijaz region, where he ventured extensively and chronicled his experiences in two remarkable books. One of these works, titled “My Journey to Medina,” recounts a captivating episode in his explorations—a voyage as part of a camel caravan of pilgrims from Mecca to Medina and back.
Keane’s narrative includes a detailed narration of his entire party, composed mainly of Indian pilgrims, embarking onto a steamer on the western coast of Saudi Arabia. This journey required the use of three large lighters, a type of flat-bottomed boat or barge used for transporting goods, people, or cargo between a larger vessel and the shore ,to transport both the travellers and their valuable cargo. However, it was not just the pilgrims themselves who embarked on this voyage; three horses accompanied them. These horses were bound in an unusual and seemingly excessive manner, with cloths wound tightly around them, securing their heads, and their legs firmly tied together. The preparations for this sea journey, as Keane observes, were quite bewildering.
As the horses were placed in the midship compartment of the lighter, an unexpected challenge arose. The initial phase of the journey seemed uneventful until one of the horses was hoisted with a derrick. This horse, however, reacted with a sudden kick, setting off a chain of events that would mark the beginning of a perilous and dramatic sequence of events.
Chaos and Horse Overboard
The tranquil atmosphere on board the lighter was abruptly shattered when the hoisted horse responded to its elevation with a sudden and unexpected kick. This forceful lunge caught everyone off guard and sent shockwaves through the already tense situation. Despite the jumpiness of the horse, it miraculously did not appear to be overly frightened at this stage.
However, the respite from chaos was short-lived. While the first horse was lifted off its feet, its companion reacted to the commotion with a startled rear, an instinctive response to the boat’s rolling motion. With no one at the horse’s head to calm it down, the situation escalated rapidly. Without warning, the second horse, in a state of panic, went overboard, plunging into the sea waters below.
This unexpected development threw the entire scene into disarray. On the lighter, workers, who had been aimlessly bustling about, suddenly found themselves confronted with a dire situation. Swearing and shouting ensued, but their actions amounted to little more than confusion, with no organised attempts at rescuing the horse that now fought for its life in the unforgiving waters. The ship’s deck, meanwhile, remained overrun with pilgrims, complicating rescue efforts even further.
As the sea swelled around them, confusion reigned supreme, and the passengers and crew grappled with the unforeseen challenge that had presented itself—a horse in distress, stranded in the deep blue, its hooves just grazing the surface of the water.
Drowning Horse and Rescue Attempt
The situation grew increasingly dire as the horse that had fallen overboard struggled in the water. Despite its initial bold leap, the animal was now caught in a perilous predicament, with its legs bound by ropes and cloths. These restraints, initially intended to secure it during transport, now threatened its very life as it flailed in the water.
John Keane, who had been an observer on the ship’s deck throughout this ordeal, could not help but feel the urgency of the situation. He watched as the drowning horse made desperate attempts to break free from its bindings and rise to the surface. Each moment was critical, yet the ropes that entangled the horse’s legs were hindering its every move.
Keane, consumed by a desire to help, considered the possibility of diving into the water to aid the struggling animal. Three times, he prepared to leap into the sea, determined to free the horse from its bonds. However, the horse’s violent thrashes at the surface, a testament to its incredible strength and sheer panic, dissuaded Keane from his rescue attempts each time.
The author’s vivid account captures the tension and helplessness that permeated the scene. The passengers and crew, grappling with the urgency of the situation, were unable to coordinate an effective rescue effort. The once-beautiful horse was now in the throes of an agonising struggle, and with each passing moment, the hope of a successful rescue seemed to wane.
Keane’s Identity Revealed
While the dramatic rescue attempt for the drowning horse was unfolding, another horse remained aboard the lighter in the forward compartment. This third horse, unlike its ill-fated companion, managed to stay calm amid the chaos. It stood securely in the boat, spared from the turmoil that had befallen its fellow traveller.
As the ship’s personnel and passengers grappled with the crisis, John Keane made a decision that would alter the course of his role in this unfolding drama. Keane, who had been an unassuming observer until this point, revealed his true identity. In a stark departure from his earlier persona as a devout pilgrim and fellow traveller, he let slip his British nationality and spoke openly in English.
I had thrown ill all semblance of a Mohammedan, and talked in the most undisguised English, making copious use of very emphatic nautical expressions ; so much so that the ship’s people knew I was an Englishman, notwithstanding my costume and close-clipped hair.
John Keane: My Journey To Medinah
This revelation marked a pivotal moment in the narrative, as Keane transitioned from being an unnoticed observer to a more active participant in the unfolding events. It was a change that would have far-reaching consequences as the story continued to unfold. The author’s shift in demeanour and the acknowledgment of his true nationality set the stage for further developments during this tumultuous journey to Bombay.
Life on the Ship and Arrival in Bombay
As the journey progressed, the pilgrims and travellers found themselves on board a ship that held a stark contrast between the privileged first-class passengers and the crowded, challenging conditions endured by the third-class passengers. The ship served as a microcosm of the disparities that existed in this sea voyage.
John Keane’s account paints a vivid picture of the stark realities faced by those on board. The ship accommodated not only the wealthy first-class pilgrims, including the prominent Amir, but also a staggering number of third-class passengers. Over one thousand three hundred individuals, comprising men, women, and children, were crammed together in third-class accommodations. Space was so limited that it became impossible for all passengers to lie down simultaneously, reflecting the overcrowded and uncomfortable conditions that would persist throughout the voyage.
Tragically, the arduous journey by sea brought with it a grim toll of human lives. Each day seemed to bear witness to the inevitability of death on board the ship. The cramped quarters, the challenges of the sea, and the lack of adequate resources contributed to this unfortunate reality. However, it was not only the passengers who suffered. Even in these trying circumstances, the ship’s crew had to grapple with the heartbreaking task of retrieving lifeless bodies from the lower decks, where the overcrowded conditions had led to dire consequences.
During our passage of twenty- one days to Bombay not a day passed without its death; and on one fine morning three corpses were dragged up from the foul lower-deck, out of the midst of a reeking throng of penned-up human beings.
John Keane: My Journey To Medinah
Amid this backdrop of hardship and loss, John Keane’s transformation continued. Once an ardent pilgrim, he had now adopted the guise of an English sailor. His clothing and demeanour had shifted dramatically from his earlier identity, marking a profound change in his role on the voyage. Keane had become an unobtrusive observer, watching as the voyage unfolded and revealing his true identity only when circumstances demanded it.
The scene was set for the culmination of this remarkable journey—a return to Bombay. As the ship approached its destination, Keane, now donning European attire, prepared to disembark and embrace the next phase of his travels. The Sailors’ Home in Bombay would become his new abode, offering a respite from the trials and tribulations he had witnessed during the voyage.
Meeting with the Amir
With the ship’s arrival in Bombay, John Keane had successfully navigated the challenges of his journey as both an observer and an English sailor. The final chapter of this remarkable voyage would see him face a crucial encounter—the meeting with the Amir, the esteemed leader of the pilgrim caravan and Keane’s employer.
Keane, now attired in European clothing, ventured into the streets of Bombay, ready to confront the Amir. Either the Amir did not recognize him in his altered appearance, or he chose to acknowledge Keane in a manner that spoke volumes. Their paths crossed, but the Amir, the figurehead of the pilgrimage, with whom Keane had experienced all the hardships of an arduous desert & sea journey, seemed to withhold recognition or acknowledgment.
This interaction marked a fitting conclusion to a journey filled with transformation and adaptation. Keane, once an active participant in the pilgrimage, had morphed into an English sailor to survive the trials of the sea voyage. The Amdr, on the other hand, remained unchanged in his devotion, resolute in his pilgrimage.
As the two figures, the transformed traveller and the steadfast leader, crossed paths on the bustling streets of Bombay, their exchange—or lack thereof—underscored the divergent paths they had taken. Keane’s journey, as recounted in “My Journey to Medina,” had been a tale of evolution, adaptation, and the inevitable clash of identities. It was a narrative that captured the essence of a remarkable pilgrimage that had taken him from Mecca to Medina and back, forever altering his perspective on faith, identity, and the human experience.