Farther eastward in front of Horeb, a hole in a granite rock level with the sand, is shown as the mould in which Aaron cast the golden calf. Burckhardt has exaggerated this story a little at the expense of the monks, making them show the head of the golden calf itself transmuted into stone. The small elevation or point between the channels of the Wadys Sheikh and Shu'eib, they also show as the place where Aaron was standing, when the people danced around the golden calf in the plain, and Moses descended behind him from the mountain. Just at the foot of the adjacent corner of Horeb is a rock, marking the spot where Moses threw down and broke the tables of the law. These the monks and Arabs both believe are still buried there unto this day; and the Arabs often dig around the spot in the hope of finding them.'

As we advanced up the valley towards the convent, we were followed by quite a throng of Arab women and children of the Jebelîyeh, begging various articles of the Superior, and kissing his hand and the hem of his garment, as if rejoiced to meet him without the walls. The old man dealt kindly with them, and distributed his little gifts with patriarchal dignity and grace. We reached the convent at 4 o'clock, exceedingly fatigued, and glad to find a quiet home. The Ikonomos undertook to pay our Arab attendants in barley, charging us at the rate of seven Piastres a day for each guide. As the poor fellows would probably get much less than this in their barley, we sent them a trifling Bakhshîsh or present in money, with which they went away delighted.

Wednesday, March 28th. We had fixed on Thursday as the day of our departure; and were to-day of course very busy with our journals and letters. Be

1) Burckhardt has transferred this legend to the summit of Sinai; p. 567.

shârah arrived in the afternoon, saying that the camels would be here at night or in the morning; and that Tuweileb would go with us to 'Akabah, according to the contract.

The good Superior, Father Neophytus, continued his attentions, although it was a day on which he was peculiarly occupied in the duties of the convent. All the morning until 12 o'clock the monks were at prayers; and the same was to be the case at night from ten o'clock until two; this being a particular regulation of the convent during certain days in Lent. After dinner we were invited to visit the Superior at his room. We found him in the midst of a little establishment by himself,-a small court, a work-bench with a few joiner's tools, a sitting-room, kitchen, and two or three small chambers. His sitting-room, like the one we occupied, was furnished with low divans and carpets, rather old and worn; in a recess stood a low desk and trunk; and on the opposite side were a closet and cupboard. Several Greek books, mostly devotional, were scattered on a shelf and in the window. The room was very small. Oranges from Egypt sliced with sugar were presented to us; and also coffee, prepared by the young deacon.

As this was to be our last day at the convent, the Superior made us several presents as memorials of our visit to Sinai, remarkable rather for the value which he set upon them, than for any intrinsic worth. An engraving of the convent and mountain was curious as a specimen of perspective drawing (or rather non-perspective) a century ago; and this and some beautiful white corals from Tûr, and a skin of sweetmeats for our journey, were the chief articles. The latter contained a mixture of dates and almonds, highly prized, and usually prepared (he said) only as presents to Pashas and persons of rank.

In accordance with a former promise, the old man likewise put into our hands a small quantity of the manna of the peninsula, famous at least as being the successor of the Israelitish manna, though not to be regarded as the same substance. According to his account, it is not produced every year; sometimes only after five or six years; and the quantity in general has greatly diminished. It is found in the form of shining drops on the twigs and branches (not upon the leaves) of the Turfa, Tamarix Gallica mannifera of Ehrenberg, from which it exudes in consequence of the puncture of an insect of the coccus kind, Coccus manniparus of the same naturalist. What falls upon the sand is said not to be gathered. It has the appearance of gum, is of a sweetish taste, and melts when exposed to the sun or to a fire. The Arabs consider it as a great delicacy, and the pilgrims prize it highly; especially those from Russia, who pay a high price for it. The Superior had now but a small quantity, which he was keeping against an expected visit from the Russian consul-general in Egypt. Indeed, so scarce had it become of late years, as to bear a price of twenty or twenty-five Piastres the pound.

1

Of the manna of the Old Testament, it is said: "When the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the desert a small round thing, small as the hoar-frost on the ground;—and it was like coriander-seed, white; and the taste of it was like wafers with honey.?-And the people gathered it, and ground it in mills, and beat it in a mortar, or baked it in pans, and made cakes of it; and the taste of it was as the taste of fresh oil. And when the dew fell upon the camp in the night, the manna fell upon it." Of all these characteristics not one is applicable to the

1) See Note XIV, at the end of the volume.

2) Ex. xvi. 14, 31.

3) Num. xi. 8, 9.

pre

sent manna. And even could it be shown to be the same, still a supply of it in sufficient abundance for the daily consumption of two millions of people, would have been no less a miracle.

The Superior also procured for me a pair of the sandals usually worn by the Bedawîn of the peninsula, made of the thick skin of a fish which is caught in the Red Sea. The Arabs around the convent called it Tûn; but could give no further account of it, than that it is a large fish, and is eaten. It is a species of Halicore, named by Ehrenberg Halicora Hemprichii.1 The skin is clumsy and coarse, and might answer very well for the external covering of the tabernacle, which was constructed at Sinai;2 but would seem hardly a fitting material for the ornamental sandals belonging to the costly attire of high-born dames in Palestine, described by the prophet Ezekiel.3

It will not be supposed that all these things were presented to us without the hope of a recompense. Indeed, some of them, as the manna and sandals, were a matter of purchase on our part; and as to the rest, we knew very well that a present of money was expected to an amount greater than the value of the articles.

Thursday, March 29th, Forenoon. This being the day appointed for our setting off, we held ourselves ready at an early hour; but it was nearly eleven o'clock before Tuweileb arrived with the camels. After a long talk in the garden in presence of the Superior, it was agreed, that as Beshârah had now no camel, Tuweileb should take his place in the contract,

1) See Ehrenberg's Symbola Phys. Mammalia, Decas II. Text fol. K. Also ibid. Zootomica, Dec. I. Tab. 3, 4, 5. According to this writer, the Arabs on the coast call this fish Naka and Lottûm.

2) Ex. xxv. 5. xxvi. 14. al. The Hebrew word is inn, usually translated badger; though, as it would seem, without sufficient reason in this case.

3) Ezek. xvi. 10.

and conduct us to 'Akabah. Three of the men also, who had come with us from Cairo, concluded to go no further; and we found that we were to have an entirely new set of camels, which proved to be better than the former ones. The 190 Piastres to be paid for each camel from Cairo to 'Akabah, the Arabs divided among themselves as follows: 40 from Cairo to Suez; 80 from Suez to the convent; and 70 from the convent to 'Akabah. Yet there would seem to be no regular price for any of these routes; for an English traveller the year before had paid at the rate of 40 Piastres to Suez; 100 thence to the convent; and 60 from the convent to 'Akabah.

We parted from Beshârah with regret. He had served us faithfully and well; was ever active and vigilant; and had always manifested some independence and self-respect. We made him a small additional present on account of the camel he had lost in our service; and promised to put him into our book, if we made one. As he said he should return immediately to Cairo, we entrusted letters to his care, with a promise of reward on their being delivered; but it was many months ere they reached the places of their destination.

Tuweileb was an older man than Beshârah; he had travelled more, was better acquainted with the routes and with the country in general, and knew more of the habits and usual wants of Frank travellers. He was, however, less active; was apparently growing old; and had seen his best days. Yet we found him throughout faithful, trust-worthy, and kind; although for a great part of the time he was with us, he was labouring under ill-health. We cheerfully add our testimony in his favour, to that of former travellers.

Our residence of five and a half days in the convent turned out to be rather an expensive one. The com