CHAP. VIII. Of the Mountain of Infcriptions, and of an Egyptian Burying-place.

SINCE Mr. Clayton, bishop of Clogher, publifhed the narrative of the fuperior of a convent of Francifcans at Cairo, we have heard much talk in Europe of a difcovery made by that monk of a mountain covered wholly with infcriptions in unknown characters. It was imagined that thofe infcriptions might furnish fome teftimony concerning the ancient refidence of the Jews in that country: and, in this expectation, the bishop of Clogher offered five hundred pounds flerling, to defray the expences of his journey, to any man of letters who would undertake to copy them.

But the marvellous part of this difcovery by degrees difappeared; and the fanguine hopes which had been built upon it vanifhed. Several travellers had before obferved, upon the way to mount Sinai, fome rocks infcribed with ftrange characters; even in the third century, thefe infcriptions had been mentioned by a Greek author. Momonys had formerly copied fome of them, Pococke and Montague had copied others, and had communicated them to feveral men of letters. They were judged to be neither Jewish nor Arabic, from the appearance of fome coarfe pieces of fculpture that accompanied them. Some confidered them as a mixture of Coptic and Arabic characters. At laft, a perfon, who was very well verfed in Oriental literature, conjectured that they might be Phoenician; an opinion which is the more probable, as the Phoenicians had, at a very remote period, fettlements upon the eaftern coaft of the Arabic Gulph.

As little were the learned agreed concerning the purport of thofe infcriptions, and the information which they might afford. Thofe who examined them the moft accu-rately, concluded from their pofition, and the manner in which they were engraven, that they related nothing more than the names of travellers, and the dates of their journies. In the fame place are ftill to be feen a vast number of ill-engraven infcriptions in Greek and Arabic, of the names of perfons who have fought by this means to tranfinit the memory of their exiftence to future times.

That I might be enabled to guefs for myself, I copied a good number of thofe infcriptions in unknown characters, which we found engraven upon the rocks on the way to mount Sinai, and fome of them upon the mountain. I have in my poffeffion a copy of another infcription, the characters of which differ from thofe which I copied myself. It was copied by Mr. Donati, a learned traveller, whofe papers will be loft, as he himself has not returned to Europe. The place where these inscriptions are most numerous, is in the narrow pafs of Om-er-ridftein, which I have already mentioned. The pretended Jibbel-el-Mokatteb may poffibly be in its neighbourhood.

After examining the fituations and the engraving of these inscriptions, I incline to the opinion of those who think them of little importance. They feem to have been executed at idle hours by travellers who were fatisfied with cutting the unpolished rock with any pointed inftrument; adding to their names, and the date of their journies, fome rude figures, which befpeak the hand of a people but little fkilled in the arts. When fuch infcriptions are executed with the defign of tranfmitting to pofterity the memory of fuch events as might afford inftructive leffons, greater care is generally taken in the preparation of the ftones, and the infcriptions are engraven with more regularity, as I fhall have occafion to obferve, when I come to speak of the ruins of Perfepolis..

Although convinced that the wonderful part of the story of that mountain was perfectly imaginary, we took pains at Cairo to inform ourselves particularly concerning its fituation; and as I have before mentioned, we found a Schiech of the tribe of Leghat,, who pretended to know the famous Jibbel-el-Mokatteb, and promised to conduct us thither..

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thither. We had been directed to examine thofe curiofities; and we were eager to fee them, even for our own gratification.

Arriving on the evening of the 10th of September at our Schiech's dwelling, he conducted us next day, with our other Ghafirs, to that hill, which he had told us lay in his neighbourhood. We climbed up it by a steep and rugged path, and instead of infcriptions, were furprifed to find on the fummit an Egyptian cemetery. We gave this name to the place, although we had seen nothing of the fame kind in Egypt, where all fuch monuments are now funk in the fand. But a flight acquaintance with the Egyptian architecture and hieroglyphics, and with the antiquities difcovered by Norden in Upper Egypt, may enable any perfon to fee that the ruins on the top of Jibbel-el-Mokatteb can be no other than Egyptian.

It is covered with ftones of from five to feven feet in length, inferibed with hieroglyphics, and fome of them ftanding on end, while others are lying flat. The more carefully they are examined, fo much the more certainly do they appear to be fepulchral ftones, having epitaphs infcribed upon them. In the middle of thefe ftones is a building, of which only the walls now remain; and within it are likewife a great many of the fepulchral ftones. At one end of the building feems to have been a small chamber, of which the roof ftill remains. It is fupported upon fquare pillars; and thefe, as well as the walls of the chamber, are covered over with hieroglyphic infcriptions. Through the whole building are various bufts, executed in the manner of the ancient Egyptians. The fepulchral ftones and the bufts, are of hard and fine grained fand ftone. The Egyptians are known to have used granite, or fome fimilar fpecies of ftone, in all their works of fculpture or architecture.

The Arabs fuffered us to examine thofe curiofities at our leifure, and to note down upon the fpot, fome particulars relative to them. But when I began to copy fome of the hieroglyphics, they gathered all about me, and told me, that the Schiech of the mountain would not permit this to be done. That pretended Schiech was an Arab of their acquaintance, whom they had agreed to honour with the title, and inveft with the power, on purpose to draw money from us. The lord of Jibbel-el-Mokatteb who had waited our approach upon the top of the hill, came up upon this and told us, that he would not for an hundred crowns fuffer us to copy the leat thing, or permit Chriftians to carry away any treafures that were hidden in his territories. The Arabs believe, or pretend at least to believe, that the Europeans are in poffeffion of fecrets by which they can make any hidden treasure arife out of the earth, and can convey it away through the air, if they are only permitted to copy any infcription indicating its fituation. Upon this fancy, they raifed a claim of either fharing with us in the treafures which might be found, or receiving an hundred crowns for their permiffion to us to fearch for them.

Defpairing of being able to bring those selfish mortals to reafon, I fecretly promifed four crowns to one of our Ghafirs, who had always fhewn himfelf honeft and obliging, if he would accompany me by ourselves to that place, upon my return from mount Sinai, and give me time to copy what I pleafed. I have already obferved, that this Arab kept his word, and I effected my purpose. The hieroglyphics which I copied were as well exccuted as any I had feen in Egypt. One thing in which they differ, is in exhibiting the goat, an animal common through this country; whereas in Egypt the goat never appears as an hieroglyphic fymbol, but the cow frequently. Thefe monuments may therefore be fuppofed to be the work, not of perfons actually inhabiting Egypt, but of an Egyptian colony, or of fome people who had adopted the arts and manners of Egypt. The Arabs, who had in thofe early ages conquered

Egypt under their fhepherd kings, might bring with them when expelled from the fcene of their conquefts, the arts and manners which they had learned from the conquered people.

Whether this conjecture be rejected or admitted, it ftill remains a difficulty how to account for the fituation of this cemetery, which muft have belonged to an opulent city, where the arts were flourishing, at fuch a diftance from the fcenes of cultivation in the middle of a defart, and on the fummit of a precipitous mountain. This country is indeed more populous than it feems at firft to be, for the Arabs ftudiously conduct travellers by roads paffing at a distance from their dwellings. But, it is impoffible to conceive, how a populous and opulent city could spring up in the midst of such a defart. It is more probable, that the inhabitants of fome maritime city upon the coaft of the Arabic Gulph, have been induced by a veneration for the mountain, founded upon fome fuperftitious fentiments, to convey their dead to this diftance, that they might be interred in facred ground.

CHAP. IX.-Of fome Customs of the Arabs in the Defart.

THE Arabs, as is well known, are divided into tribes. Speaking of these, they say, Beni, which fignifies the fons of some perfon; thus Beni Leghat means the tribe of Leghat. Thefe fmall tribes have each its Schiech, who is commonly dependant on the Grand Schiech of fome more potent tribe.

In our way to mount Sinai, we passed through the territories of Beni Leghat, Beni Saualha, and Beni Said. These three tribes are particularly connected with the convent of St. Catharine, pretending to be its protectors, although in reality its oppreffors. The tribe of Beni Said, who are the more immediate neighbours of the convent, have a very bad character. They are originally from Upper Egypt.

Thefe Arabs, although fcattered in feparate families over the country, seem to be fond of fociety, and vifit one another frequently. A fort of politenefs too prevails among them, but it is too ceremonious. We witneffed the etiquette of their vifits, at the dwelling of our Schiech of the tribe of Leghat. His friends having had notice of his return, came to pay their compliments to him upon the occafion. We had likewise our fhare in their polite attentions, for they congratulated us upon our travelling through the defart, without meeting with any unfortunate accident. When they falute they join hands, embrace; and afk one another in a tone of tenderness; "How art thou? Is all well?" When a Schiech enters a company, all rife, and the Schiech goes round to embrace every one in his turn.

Some travellers have fancied, that a part of their politenefs upon fuch occafions, confifts in mutual enquiries after the health of their camels and other domeftic animals. But fuch enquiries are rather taken ill. Although, as it is natural for two men of the fame profeffion when they meet, to converfe concerning their affairs; fo two Bedouins, whofe fole employment is to manage their cattle, will naturally queftion one another upon that head, just as our peasants talk of their fields and meadows.

Their way of living is nearly the fame as that of the other wandering Arabs of the Kurdes, and of the Turcomanns. They lodge in tents made of coarse stuff, either black or striped black and white, which is manufactured by the women of goat's hair. The tent confifts of three apartments, of which one is for the men, another for the women, and the third for the cattle. Those who are too poor to have a tent, contrive however, to fhelter themfelves from the inclemencies of the weather, either with a piece of cloth ftretched upon poles, or by retiring to the cavities of the rocks. As the fhade

of

of trees is exceedingly agreeable in fuch torrid regions, the Bedouins are at great pains in feeking out fhaded fituations to encamp in.

The furniture correfponds to the fimplicity of the dwelling; the chief article is a large ftraw mat, which ferves equally for a feat, a table, and a bed; the kitchen utenfils are merely a few pots, a few plates, and a few cups of tinned copper. Their clothes, with all their valuable moveables, are put up in leathern bags, which are hung within the tent. Their butter is put into a leathern bag, and the water which they use, is preferved in goat fkins. The hearth for the kitchen fire is placed any where, and without much trouble; it consists of a hole made in the ground, and laid with ftones. Inftead of an oven, they use an iron plate, in preparing their bread, which is made into fmall cakes. They know no mills but fuch as are moved with the hands.

Their food is equally fimple. They are fond of newly baken bread, and in their excurfions through the defart, they are particularly careful to carry with them fufficient fupplies of meal. The only other victuals which they use, are dates, milk, cheese, and honey. On occafions of festivals, indeed, a goat is killed and roafted. Although poor, and much inclined to live at the expence of ftrangers, they are, however, hofpitable among themselves, and often invite one another to fhare their meals. Our Schiechs never accepted a treat from any of their friends, without ftriving to repay

it.

The Arabs of the defart are dreffed much like their brethren in Egypt. The only difference is, that the former wear fhoes of undreffed leather, and of a peculiar fhape. Many of them, however, walk with bare feet upon the fcorching fand, which renders their fkin at length infenfible. They arm themselves too like the Egyptian Arab, riding upon camels, as thofe upon horfes, and bearing a lance, a fabre, and fometimes a gun.

The drefs of the females in the defart, although fimpler than that worn by the ordinary women in Egypt, is in reality, however, the very fame. The wife of one of our Schiechs wore an uncommon piece of drefs; brass rings of an enormous size in her ears. These women living remote from the world, and being wholly occupied in the management of their domeftic affairs, appear to be, from thefe circumftances, lefs fhy and fcrupulous than the other women of the Eaft. They make lefs difficulty of converfing with a ftranger, or expofing their face unveiled before him.

It is commonly known, that the Mahometans are permitted to have four wives. The Bedouins who are poor, and cannot eafily find the means of fubfiftence, content themfelves with one for the most part. Thofe who are in the easiest circumstances, and who have two wives, feem to have married fo many, chiefly that they might fuperintend their concerns in two different places. The conduct of our Schiech of Beni Said, as as well as his converfation, led us to make this reflection. The disagreement that subfifted between his two wives afforded an inftance of fome of the inconveniences that attend polygamy.

VOYAGE FROM SUEZ TO JIDDA AND LOHEIA.

CHAP. X.-Departure from Suez.

DURING our abfence feveral fmall caravans had fucceffively arrived at Suez, and the arrival of the great caravan from Cairo, followed foon after our return from mount Sinai. Although from pirates, properly fo called, there is little to be feared in the Arabic Gulph, yet fo unskilful are the mariners in these latitudes, that they dare not venture to any distance from the coafts. This timorous mode of failing might expofe

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fingle veffel to the robbery of the Arabs, to avoid which, thefe fhips fail in little fleets; four always fetting out together, that they may join to defend themselves.

After the arrival of the caravans, Suez feemed more populous than Cairo; and as fuch a multitude could not long find fubfiftence there, all were eager to fet out without delay. We were recommended to the master of two fhips that were to make the voyage. Although now accustomed to live with the Mahometans, yet in our paffage to fidda, we fuffered a degree of uneafinefs which we had not felt upon occafions of greater danger. Some Greeks had hinted to us, that the Muffulmans thought Chriftians unworthy of making this voyage in the company of the pilgrims who were journeying to the holy city; and that upon this account we should not go abroad with fhoes upon our feet. Some of the pilgrims, indeed, seemed to look upon us little lefs unfavourably than a Capuchin going to Jerufalem would regard a Proteftant. But to be obliged to walk without fhoes upon the deck was not an humiliating diftinction, confined to Christians; it was a reftraint to which all on board were fubjected. Nobody in those veffels but must walk upon deck without shoes.

To avoid the company of the Mahometans, we had hired an apartment which we thought the beft. In a chamber oppofite to ours lodged a rich black eunuch, who was going to Mecca; and useless as it could not but be to him, was accompanied with his feraglio like a Turkish lord. In a large apartment under ours were forty women and flaves, with their children, whofe crying and noise gave us no little disturbance. Every one of the other passengers had hired a place upon the deck, where he remained with his bales and parcels around him, having only a small space vacant in the middle where he might dress his victuals, fit, and fleep. Our Greek failors, who were very unskilful, were perplexed by these incumbrances, and could not go about to manage the veffel, without trampling upon the goods of the merchants, which produced endless disputes. Our veffel, although large enough to have carried at least forty guns, was very deeply laden. Befides her own freight, the towed after her three large fhallops and one fmall; the three larger filled with paffengers, horses, sheep, and even women of pleasure.

The master, an honeft merchant from Cairo, whofe name was Schoreibe, would not have been distinguished among the feamen of Europe. He took upon himself the task of pilot to the vessel; but was indeed a very unfkilful pilot. Between the two compaffes, where European navigators fet a light, he had placed a large magnet to restore imperceptibly, as he faid, their magnetic virtue to the needles. It was with difficulty that I perfuaded him to remove it.

With fuch seamen, however, we were obliged to fail, although they durft not venture out into the open fea, but coafted round the fhores at the risk of being dafhed in pieces upon jutting rocks, or ftranded upon banks of coral. We had paid the master for our paffage immediately after agreeing for it. But according to the cuftom of the country, we were obliged to give an acknowledgement to the failors before going on board, which, in other places, is not expected till paffengers are leaving the veffel.

To avoid any difagreeable rencounters with the other paffengers, we had taken care to go first on board. We had yet feveral days to wait till the governor fhould inspect the fhips, to fee whether they were not, overladen. This duty he never fails to perform, for a fum of money is payable to him from each veffel upon the occafion, which conftitutes a part of his revenue.

At length, after all these delays, the four fhips weighed anchor about midnight on the 10th of October. The fide upon which we paffed would have been dangerous, if the wind had not been favourable; for it is covered all over with coral rocks. The fhips

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