dry; yet, by digging in the bed to the depth of two feet, we found better water than that which is ufed at Suez. This valley not being deficient in water, has in it feveral trees, and even groves that appear fingularly striking to travellers from Cairo, who have feen no fimilar appearance in the previous part of their journey.

Hammam Faraun is the name of a hot fpring which rifes by two apertures out of a rock, at the foot of a high mountain. It is ufed in baths by the neighbouring sick, who commonly stay forty days for a cure, during which their only food is but a fruit called Laffaf, which grows here. An extenfive burying place near the baths, fuggefted doubts in my mind of the beneficial effects of this regimen. The tradition that the Jews paffed this way, and that Pharaoh's army was drowned here, has occafioned this place to receive the name of Birket-el-Faraun. The Arabs imagine that Pharaoh is doing penance at the bottom of this well, and vomits up the fulphureous vapour with which the water is impregnated.

This eastern fide of the Arabic gulph is tolerably level and uniform. But the oppofite fide is one range of lofty mountains; broken, however, and divided by two vales, by one of which we must pafs in travelling from Egypt to the shore of the Red Sea.

We turned by degrees towards the north east, in purfuing the direct road to mount Sinai, and at length entered a narrow vale, which appeared to have been cut by the torrents in the rock. The mountains which rofe upon every fide of us, in uninterrupted chains, were maffes of a fort of limestone intermingled with veins of granite. In feveral places through them, I discovered a quantity of petrified fhells, of a species which is to be found with the living fhell-fifh in it, in the Arabic gulf. One of those hills is entirely covered with flints. The granite becomes more and more plentiful as we approach mount Sinai.

Our road lay often along the brink of precipices, commonly through ftony glynns, and fometimes through wide vallies, watered and fertile. Such were Ufaitu, El Hamer, and Warfan. We paffed alfo in our way, by Nafbe, the feat of fome Bedouins of this country. As water was fometimes at a distance from the places where we encamped, our fervants were obliged to go to bring it. We could have wished to accompany them, in order to fee a little of the country; but our guides would not always permit us.

After paffing through the valley of Warfan, we turned a little out of the highway, and in the fame evening reached the abode of our chief of the tribe of Leghat. As it could not be far from Jibbel el Mokatteb, I began to hope that I might take this opportunity of going thither. But the converfation of the Schiech made me foon give up that hope. In my defcription of this mountain, which I did not fee till my return, the reader will find an account of what happened to me upon this occafion.

The Schiech had given notice of his arrival to several of his friends, who, to the number of ten or twelve, came to fee him. I left him to entertain his guests, and in the mean time ranged over several hills in the neighbourhood. I faw by accident, in a fequestered Ipot, a wretched tent, the dwelling of our Schiech, in which were his wife and fifter, bufy grinding corn. One of the women came out of the tent, to prefent me with a bit of gum, and did not refuse a small piece of money in return. At a little farther diftance, I met the Schiech's fon, who was tending goats, and converfed with him for a confiderable time. I was furprised at the fenfe, gravity, and affurance of the child, who feemed to be in no degree embarraffed by the prefence of a stranger. He invited me very kindly to the houfe to drink fome excellent water which had been drawn on that fame day from the well. I had here an opportunity of remarking the relation between language and

manners.

manners. A tent, of which the original Arabic name is Cheime, is however, called by thefe Bedouins, Beit, which fignifies houfe; because they have no other houses than

tents.

Most of our Schiech's friends were distinguished by the fame title of Schiech, although nowife fuperior in their air or drefs, to the vulgar Arabs. I hence fuppofed the title to mean no more among the Arabs, than Mafter, or Sir, with us.

Being determined to proceed on to mount Sinai, we fet out from the dwelling of our Schiech of Beni Leghat, on the 12th of September. The country became more mountainous, as we advanced. Yet we paffed through fome pleafant vallies; fuch were thofe of Chamela, Dahur, Barak, and Genna. Before reaching the vale of Ifraitu, which, although furrounded with rocky and precipitous mountains, difplays fome rich and cheerful profpects, we were obliged to go over another lofty and almoft inacceffible hill.

In this vale we met an Arabian lady attended by a fervant. In refpect to our Schiech, fhe quitted the road, alighted from her camel, and paffed us on foot. Another woman veiled, and walking on foot, who happened to meet us in fo narrow a part of the valley of Genna, that she could not avoid us, fat down as we paffed, and turned her back upon us. I gave her the falutation of peace; but my conductors told me, that she had turned her back in respect to us as strangers, and that I had done wrong in faluting her.

At the distance of nearly feven German miles from the dwelling of our Shiech of the tribe of Leghat, we found the abode of our other Schiech of the tribe of Said. The latter was as little willing as the former had been, to pass fo near his family without feeing them. We were again therefore obliged to leave the highway, and to follow our conductor half a league out of the road. The Arabs fet up our tents near a tree, in the valley of Farán, and left us to amuse ourselves there, in the beft manner we could, till they went to fee their friends in gardens of date trees, fcattered over the valley. We were at no great distance from our Schiech's camp, which consisted of nine or ten tents. We were informed that the ruins of an ancient city were to be feen in the neighbourhood. But, when the Arabs found us curious to vifit it, they left us and would give us no farther account of it.

The famous valley of Faran, in which we now were, has retained its name unchanged fince the days of Mofes, being still called Wadi Faran, The Valley of Faran. Its length is equal to a journey of a day and a half, extending from the foot of mount Sinai to the Arabic Gulph. In the rainy feafon it is filled with water; and the inhabitants are then obliged to retire up the hills: it was dry, however, when we paffed through it. That part of it which we faw was far from being fertile, but ferved as a pasture to goats, camels, and affes. The other part is faid to be very fertile; and the Arabs told us, that in the districts to which our Ghafirs had gone, were many orchards of date trees, which produced fruit enough to fuftain fome thoufands of people. Fruit muft, indeed, be very plenteous there; for the Arabs of the valley bring every year to Cairo an astonishing quantity of dates, raisins, pears, apples, and other fruits, all of excellent quality.

Some Arabs, who came to fee us, offered us fresh dates which were yellow, but fcarcely ripe. The chief of our Schiech's wives (for he had two), came likewife to fee. us, and prefented us with fome eggs and a chicken. The two wives of our Schiech prefided over two different departments of his affairs. One was placed at fome distance from where our tents happened to be pitched, in order to manage a garden of date trees. The other was our neighbour, and fuperintended the cattle and the fervants. The latter would not enter our tents, but fat down near enough by to converfe with us. complained of her husband, who neglected her, fhe faid, for her rival, and spent all his time in drawing water in Egypt, or in carrying articles of merchandize from one place

She

to

to another. Our law, by which every man is confined to one wife, appeared to her admirable. This was the first opportunity I had of converfing, without restraint, with a Mahometan female.

We left this place on the 14th of September, and, after travelling two miles farther, in the valley of Faran, arrived at the foot of Jibbel Mufa. Up this mountain we afcended a mile and a half, and encamped near a large mafs of ftone, which Mofes is faid by the Arabs to have divided into two, as it at prefent appears, with one blow of his fword. Among thofe mountains we found feveral fprings of excellent water, at which, for the first time fince my arrival in Egypt, I quaffed this precious liquid with real fatisfaction.

CHAP. VI. Of Mount Sinai, and the Convent of St. Catharine.

THE Arabs call Jibbel Mufa, The Mount of Mofes, all that range of mountains which rifes at the interior extremity of the valley of Faran; and to that part of the range on which the convent of St. Catharine stands, they give the name of Tur Sina. This fimilarity of name, owing, most probably, to tradition, affords ground for prefumption, that the hill which we had now reached was the Sinai of the Jews, on which Mofes received the law. It is, indeed, not eafy to comprehend how fuch a multitude of people as the Jews, who accompanied Mofes out of Egypt, could encamp in thofe narrow gullies, amidst frightful and precipitous rocks. But, perhaps, there are plains, that we know not of, on the other fide of the mountain.

Two German miles and a half up the mountain, ftands the convent of St. Catharine. The body of this monaftery is a building one hundred and twenty feet in length, and almost as many in breadth. Before it ftands another small building, in which is the only gate of the convent, which remains always fhut, except when the bishop is here. At other times, whatever is introduced within the convent, whether men or provifions, is drawn up by the roof in a basket, and with a cord and a pulley. The whole building is of hewn ftone; which, in such a defart, must have coft prodigious expence and pains. Before the convent is a large garden, planted with excellent fruit trees. told us, that the monks enter it by a fubterraneous paffage.

The Arabs

Thefe Greek ecclefiaftics are not allowed to receive an European without an order from the bishop of Mount Sinai, who refides ordinarily at Cairo. He had promised us a letter, but had fet out, without our knowledge, to Conftantinople. By the favour of the English ambassador at Conftantinople, we had obtained another letter from a depofed patriarch, who had refided three years in the convent of St. Catharine. Believing that this letter might be fufficient to gain us admittance, we prefented it to thofe clergymen, through a small chink in the wall. They took fome time to confider, and, after making us wait long, let us know that they could not receive us, as we had not a letter from their bishop.

During this parley, many Arabs, who had obferved us from the neighbouring hills, gathered round us. They are paid a certain fum for every ftranger that is received into the convent. When the bifhop happens to be prefent, the gate is opened, and the convent muft entertain all the Arabs who come in then. This cuftom is very burthenfome to thofe poor monks, who have nothing but alms to live upon; and have their provifions, which they are obliged to bring from Cairo, often ftolen by the way. The Arabs are in general very dangerous neighbours. They often fire upon the convent from the adjacent rocks. They feize the monks whenever they happen to find them without the walls of the monastery, and refuse to release them, without a confiderable ranfom. We witnessed

the

the infolence of one of thofe Bedouins, who uttered a thoufand abufes against the inhabitants of the convent, because they would not give him bread at the very inftant when he asked it in a roguifh counterfeit tone of diftrefs.

That we might not occafion uneafinefs to thofe monks, we retired, and encamped at a quarter of a league diftance from the monaftery. As a recompence for our difcretion, they immediately fent us a prefent of fruits. Grapes could not but be delicious to perfons like us, who had travelled fo long in parched and uncultivated regions.

I wished to chufe from among the Arabs who had gathered about us, a guide to conduct me to Sinai. This, however, our Ghafirs would not permit; which occafioned a quarrel among them and the other Arabs. Next day, however, our Schiechs brought me an Arab, whom they qualified with the title of Schicch of Mount Sinai, to procure him fome profit from us, by the right which he then arrogated to himfelf of attending fangers who came to vifit the mountain.

Under the conduct of this newly created Lord of Sinai, with our Schiechs, I attempted, on this fame day, to clamber to the fummit of that mountain. It is fo fteep, that Mofes cannot have afcended on the fide which I viewed. The Greeks have cut a flight of steps up the rock. Pococke reckons three thousand of thefe fteps to the top of the mountain, or rather bare, pointed rock.

Five hundred ftops above the convent we found a charming spring, which, by a little pains, might be improved into a very agreeable spot. A thoufand fteps higher ftands a chapel dedicated to the Blessed Virgin; and five hundred above this, two other chapels, fituated in a plain, which the traveller enters by two fmall gates of mafon work. Upon this plain are two trees, under which, at high festivals, the Arabs are regaled at the expence of the Greeks. My Mahometan guides, imitating the practices which they had seen the pilgrims obferve, kiffed the images, and repeated their prayers in the chapels. They would accompany me no farther; but maintained this to be the highest acceffible peak of the mountain; whereas, according to Pococke, I had yet a thousand steps to afcend. I was therefore obliged to return, and content myself with viewing the hill of St. Catharine at a distance.

IN the afternoon of the 16th of September, we defcended Jibbel Mufa, and paffed the night at the bottom of that cliffy mountain, at the opening into the valley of Faran. Next day, after advancing three miles through the vale, we halted near the dwelling of our Schiech of the tribe of Said.

Our Ghafirs left us again, and went to fee their friends in the gardens of date trees. During their abfence we met with a young Arab, riding on a dromedary, who had made himself drunk in one of those gardens. Understanding that we were Europeans and Chriftians, he began to pour out abufive language against us, much in the fame ftrain in which an infolent and ill bred young man in Europe might perhaps wantonly abuse à Jew. From this incident, we judged that the Bedouins ufe wine. We could not help remarking at the fame time, that the law of Mahomet, with great wifdom, forbids the ufe of ftrong liquors, as they have fuch tendency to warm the paffions, which, with the inhab tants of hot climates, have naturally but too much violence. In the cities, indeed, many of the Mahometans are in the habit of getting drunk. But, either for fhame or for fear of punishment, they never appear drunk in public; and take this vicious indulgence only in private, in their own houfes. Except that young man, I never faw another Mahometan brutally drunk in all my travels.

C 2

Our

Our Ghafirs returned, and we continued our journey on the 20th of the month. Next day I advanced before my fellow travellers, on purpose again to view the mountain, of which I fhall fpeak, when I come to defcribe the Egyptian place of burial.

On the day following, we had an opportunity of feeing a part of the road which we had paffed by night, when travelling to Jibbel Mufa. In this place, near a defile, named Om-er-ridg-lein, I found fome infcriptions in unknown characters, which had been mentioned to me at Cairo. They are coarfely engraven, apparently with fome pointed inftrument of iron in the rock, without order or regularity. Our Arabs thought the time loft which I fpent in copying thofe infcriptions. They were not very wrong; but I fhall fpeak my fentiments on this head, when I give an account of Jibbel-elMokkateb.

On the 25th of September, we arrived again at Suez. Mr. Baurenfeind was much recovered. Before we could reach the city we had to cross the fame arm of the fea over which we had been ferried when we fet out on our journey; but we could find no boat on the eaftern fide. Perceiving, however, that the tide was ebbing, we ventured to ford this part of the gulf. We fucceeded happily a little north from the ruins of Kolfum. Our camels walked steadily; and the Arabs who waded were only in water to the knees. This was perhaps the first time that any Europeans attempted to pass here in this manner. This attempt fhewed us that the waters in the gulf are much influenced by the tides, and convinced us that in the ebb, the Red Sea may be fafely paffed on foot.

After my return to Suez, I was defirous to examine alfo the western fide of the gulf, and the adjoining hills. I could prevail with no perfon to accompany me in fo dangerous an expedition, for, at the smallest distance from the city, the paffenger is in no lefs danger of being robbed, than in the defart. At length, however, an Arab undertook to be my guide. But he trembled at the fight of every human being that we met; and indeed thofe whom we met feemed to be no lefs afraid of us. Thus teazed and vexed as I was, I could make but few interesting observations in these petty excurfions.

I now, for the first time, obferved an appearance with which I was fingularly ftruck, but which became afterwards familiar to me. An Arab, whom I faw approaching at a distance, upon a camel, appeared to move through the air, with the gigantic bulk of a tower; although he was travelling along the fand like ourfelves. Several travellers mention this error of vifion, which is owing to a peculiar refraction produced in thefe torrid climates, by vapours differing greatly in their nature, from thofe which fill the air in temperate regions.

I could learn nothing certain concerning the canal which is faid to have joined the Nile with the Arabic Gulf. No Arab would conduct me into that part of the country through which it is probable that the canal might pafs; because the tribe who inhabit it were at variance with the inhabitants of Suez. In the neighbourhood of Suez, I could find no trace of any canal; unlefs the valley of Mofbeiba, between Bir Suez and the city, may be regarded as fuch. After the rains, a confiderable quantity of water remains ftagnate in this vale, which the inhabitants draw for ufe; and when the waters are gone off, it is foon covered with grass.

CHAP.