JOURNIES, &c.

The Journey of MONS. MONCONYS, 1647, by the lowest and most Southern Road, to Suez and the Red Sea. Vol. I. p. 405.

April 14. DEPART from their caravansary

through the desert at five o'clock---and travel a quarter of a league; then mount their camels, and travel for three hours.

15. Set out at six, and travel for three hours on foot; then mount their camels, and in two hours arrive at a plain.

16. At sun-rise travel three hours on foot. Arrive at a valley, and a well called Gian Dabi. After dinner go through another valley, which looked like the bed of a river, and abounded with shells; pass through pieces of plain ground, which seemed covered with fine sand.

17. Pass over some more plain ground, and arrive at eleven at the beginning of some mountains. After dinner travel between the

mountains, in a road thirty or forty paces wide, till they arrive at a large spot of plain ground, which reached to the sea; and in about three hundred paces from the entrance afforded a fine prospect. Travelled in this opening till eight at night.

18. Travel in this valley for an hour on foot, which began to be more and more con tracted between the mountains, and appeared very much like an artificial canal; only much too wide for a work of art, being nearly two leagues wide. At eleven they came to the end of it, which terminated at the Red-sea. (N. B. This valley is the same as the ancient Clysma, now called Bedea, and runs from west to east.) Here, upon the border of the sea, they dined; and then turned to the left and towards the north, and coasted the Redsea till the evening.-Nous marchames vers le nord, laissant les montagnes au couchant, et la mer du coté du levant.

This part of the coast between the mountains and the sea, which they went over after their turn to the left and to the north, is, as I have supposed, the place of the encampment, where the Israelites halted before their transit through the sea.

19. Set out at day-break, and in nine hours arrive at Suez, the ancient Arsinoe, which is situated at the northern point of the Red-sea.

The Journey of MONS. MONCONYS to St Catharine's, at Mount Sinai. P. 412.

April 20. Set out at day-break, and in seven hours arrive at the fountains stiled the Fountains of Moses. The water hot and salt.

21. Pass through a plain between the mountains to the east, and the sea to the west, upon the right hand.

22. Pass through a plain country between mountains for two hours, and then come to a fine spring and small rivulet of water; but he thinks it could not have been that called Mara, on account of its distance.

23. Set out before day, and pass through fine valleys between higher grounds. Some of these abounded with casia. Found some good water.

24. Set out half an hour after sun-rise, and come to difficult ways.

25. Proceed in their journey, but refresh themselves under the shade of a mountain, where they repose the greatest part of the day.

C c

26. Set out on foot at six o'clock, and journey for three hours through a bad road. At last see the monastery; and passing through a plain of a league and an half in length, at last arrive at St Catharine's upon Mount Sinai.

Journey of MONCONYS from St Catharine's back again to Suez, by Tor and the Red-sea. P. 446.

May 2. After dinner set out from St Catharine's for Tor; pass through some valleys for two hours.

3. At six o'clock set out, pass through a valley with some palm-trees and springs of water. At the end of the valley, rocks, with engravings, or rather with characters stained deeply into the stone. Soon have a view of Tor, supposed to be Elim.

(4)

5. A monastery subordinate to that of St. Catharine to the north of Tor; also some fountains and a large grove of palms, about a league from the town. Moyse trouva les douze fontaines, et les (septante) palmiers. The waters not good. Ces eaux vont arrosant une quantité de beaux pal

C'est en ce lieu, ou

miers, fermés de murailles, et qui sont bien augmentés en nombre au dela des septante que Moyse y trouva.

6. Stay in the place and in its neighbourhood.

7. Still remain in these parts; but set out in the evening, and go directly north. Come to waters, which, he says, many people have taken for those of Mara; (and, I think, with great appearance of probability.) The author is of a different opinion.

8. Set out at seven, and continue to march north. Obliged to halt an hour and a half. Set out again and travel till eleven at night.

9. Set out at half past five, and travel till eleven. After dinner proceed till seven o'clock.

10. Begin their route ät day-break, and march by the coast of the Red-sea. Come to a nitrous fountain.

11. At half past five set out, and arrive at the point where the road divided, when they before turned towards the east in going to Mount Sinai; march three hours.

12. Arrive at night at the fountains near Suez, (called Aijoun Mousa) and there rest. 13. At nine arrive at Suez.