Israel. We were here in the midst of one of the oldest monastic communities on earth; where however all we saw and heard tended only to confirm the melancholy truth, that through the burden of human infirmity, even the holiest and most spirit-stirring scenes soon lose by habit their power to elevate and calm

the soul.

The Prior returned to us in the evening, as we sat at tea, and accepted the cup we proffered him, on condition that it should be without milk; it being now the fast of Lent, during which the tasting of every animal substance is strictly avoided. A tea-spoon which had been dipped in milk, was sent out to be washed for his use; but in order to be on the safe side, he chose even then to stir his tea with the handle of the spoon.

Monday, March 26th. Our plan had been laid to devote this and the following day to the ascent of Jebel Mûsa and St. Catharine; and the Superior had taken us into such favour, as to announce his intention of accompanying us at least for the first day. This, he said, was an honour he had never shown to any traveller, except a French Archbishop; whose name and title however we found in the Album as a Roman Catholic Bishop in partibus from Syria. Nor was this civility on the part of the Superior perhaps quite so'disinterested, as he was willing to have it appear; for it came out, that he wished to take along two younger monks, new comers, in order to make them acquainted with the holy places, so that they might hereafter accompany travellers and pilgrims as guides; there being at present only one monk besides the Prior who knew them all, and he old and infirm. It was arranged that we should to-day visit Jebel Mûsa and

1) The Prior forgot, it seems, that he had accompanied Schubert and his party in like manner to the

summit of the mountain the year before; see Schubert's Reise, II. p. 312.

the more northern brow of Horeb; sleep at the convent el-Arba'în; and thence ascend St. Catharine tomorrow. Accordingly, the provisions and other things for the night were sent round through the valley to el-Arba'în, while we took with us over the mountain only such articles as were necessary for the day. We made in all a larger party than was desirable; ourselves and servants, the Superior with the two noviciates and pilgrim who had passed us on the way, (the two former, it seemed, being the persons to be initiated as future guides,) and two Arabs of the Jebelîyeh, serfs of the convent, who carried the articles we took with us. The convent has the monopoly of providing guides and attendants for all persons visiting the sacred places; and employs for this purpose its own serfs, paying them a trifle in grain or bread, and charging to travellers a much higher rate. There are two regular Ghafîrs for travellers, or guides general; one an old man, 'Aîd, who was with us only today, and the other Muhammed, quite a youth. Several Arab children also followed us up the mountain, with no other motive than to get a bit of bread for their pains.

We had risen early in order to set off in good season; but the variety of preparation and some dilatoriness on the part of the Superior, delayed us until a late hour. We at length issued from the N. W. entrance of the garden at 74 o'clock, and turning to the left, passed along above and back of the convent. The route ascends through a ravine on the South of the convent, running up obliquely through the perpendicular wall of the mountain; and the course from the convent almost to the head of this ravine is due South. The path leads for some time obliquely across the de-. bris; and where it begins to grow steep, has been in part loosely laid with large stones, like a Swiss moun

tain-road; which stones serve too as a sort of steps. In some places likewise there are more regular steps, but merely of rough stones in their natural state. It is usually reported that there were once regular steps all the way to the summit; but this, like so many other stories, would seem to be only an exaggeration of travellers. At least every appearance at present testifies to the contrary. In many parts steps would be unnecessary; and then there is no trace of them. In other places where they are most regular, some are six inches high and others nearly or quite two feet. Hence, any attempt to estimate the height of the mountain from the pretended number of the steps, as has been done by Shaw and others, can only be futile. After twenty-five minutes we rested at a fine cold spring under an impending rock; the water of which is said to be carried down to the convent by an aqueduct. It is called Ma'yan el-Jebel, the Mountainspring. At 8h 25' we reached a small rude chapel, still in the ravine, dedicated to the Virgin of the Ikonomos. Here the monks lighted tapers and burnt incense, as they did in all the chapels to which we came afterwards. The Superior, being sixty-five years of age and somewhat heavy, had to rest often; and this made our progress slow. Here and at all the subsequent holy places, while we rested, he related the legend attached to each spot.

The story belonging to this chapel was as follows: In former days, he said, the monks were so annoyed with fleas, and had so few pilgrims, that they determined to abandon the convent. They all went in procession to make their last visit to the holy places of the mountain; and when near the top, the Virgin suddenly appeared to them, bidding them not to depart, for pilgrims should never fail, fleas should disappear, and the plague should never visit them. At the

same time that they thus saw the Virgin higher up the mountain, she appeared also to the Ikonomos on this spot. When the monks returned home, they found a caravan of pilgrims actually arrived; the plague has never since been here; and (according to them) fleas do not exist in the convent; though in this latter particular, our own experience did not exactly justify so unconditional a praise of the Virgin.'

The path now turns nearly West and passes up out of the ravine by a steep ascent. At the top is a portal which we reached at 8 o'clock; and ten minutes afterwards another, through which is the entrance to the small plain or basin, which here occupies the top of the lofty ridge between the valley of the convent and that of el-Leja. At these portals, in the palmy days of pilgrimage, priests were stationed to confess pilgrims on their way up the mountain; and all the old travellers relate that no Jew could pass through them. At this point we saw for the first time the peak of Sinai or Jebel Mûsa on our left, and the higher summit of St. Catharine in the S. W. beyond the deep valley el-Leja. At 9 o'clock we reached the well and tall cypress-tree in the plain or basin, where we rested for a time; the Prior distributing to all a portion of bread. After this allowance, the Arab children who had thus far hung about us, went back. Burckhardt speaks of this well as a stone tank, which receives the winter rains. We un

1) The old travellers of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, Tucher, Breydenbach, F. Fabri, Wormbser, and others, relate the same story, almost as if they copied one from another; and make it refer to "serpents, toads, and other poisonous reptiles and vermin." But de Suchem in A. D. 1336-50, heard it of " gnats, wasps, and fleas;" though without

any procession or vision; and so powerful was the protection af forded in those days, that although these insects were very troublesome without the walls of the convent, yet if brought within, they died immediately; Reissb. des heil. Landes, p. 840. William of Baldensel (A. D. 1336) professes to have seen them die when thus brought in, with his own eyes.

derstood it at the time to be a well of living water, and such is its appearance, being of very considerable depth and regularly stoned up in the usual form of a deep well. Near by is a rock with many Arabic inscriptions, recording the visits of pilgrims. The lone cypress-tree with its dark foliage is quite an interesting addition to this wild spot.'

This little plain is about twelve or thirteen hundred feet above the vallies below, extending quite across the ridge; and from it towards the West a path descends to the convent el-Arba'în in Wady elLeja. On the right, clusters of rocks and peaks from two to four hundred feet higher than this basin, extend for nearly two miles towards the N. N. W. and terminate in the bold front which overhangs the plain er-Râhah N. of the convent. This is the present Horeb of Christians. On the left, due S. from the well, rises the higher peak of Sinai, or Jebel Mûsa, about seven hundred feet above the basin and nearly a mile distant. A few rods from the well, where the ascent of Sinai begins, is a low rude building containing the chapels of Elijah and Elisha. Here was evidently once a small monastery; and the older travellers speak also of a chapel of the Virgin. In that of Elijah the monks show near the altar a hole just large enough for a man's body, which they say is the cave where the prophet dwelt in Horeb.2 Tapers were lighted and incense burnt in both these chapels. The ascent

1) In Niebuhr's time there were here two large trees; and the Prefect of the Franciscans in Cairo in 1722, mentions also here, "two cypress-trees and two olivetrees." The latter also speaks of the well as a "collection of water made by the winter snows and rains." The journal of this Prefect is first mentioned by Pococke (I. p. 147. fol.) and was afterwards

translated into English and published by Clayton, Bishop of Clogher, in a Letter to the Society of Antiquaries, Lond. 1753. It is also appended to the recent editions of Maundrell's Journey to Jerusalem, etc.

2) 1 Kings xix. 8, 9. The elevation of this building above the convent in the valley below, is given by Schubert at 1400 Paris feet.