The archives of Dutch vice-consulate and legation doctor covering the years 1937-1950. The pilgrimage was not only a religious event, but also formed an essential source of income for the cities of Mecca and Medina, the Hejaz region along the Red Sea coast and the country as a whole until supplanted by royalties from the production of oil. A primary task of the consulate and vice-consulate was therefore to protect the Indonesian pilgrims from possible exploitation by unscrupulous locals. A second major concern was the health of the individual pilgrims and the maintenance of public health by preventing contagious diseases such as smallpox and cholera.