diversified. The road, soon after leaving this Wady el 'Amârah, passes by a small basin of some fertility, where wheat and barley are raised; and, at the distance of six miles, comes to Wady Ghŭrundel (No. 7), a broad valley coming from the mountains on the left and running down to the sea. It strikes most pleasantly on the eye, on account of its verdure, "its straggling trees of several kinds," amongst them a species of tamarisk and mimosa, also a few palm trees raising their stunted forms. Proceeding to the right, down the wady, we come in half an hour to a spring bursting out at the foot of a sandstone rock, and forming a pool of clear water, bordered by sedges. There also, says Bartlett, in describing his visit to this place, "was even, delightful sight! a little grass, and birds were hopping about enjoying the rare luxury. The water, trickling off, pursues its way some distance down the valley, forming a reedy marsh, interspersed with thickets of bushes and dwarf palm trees, and a considerable quantity of tamarisk, with other shrubs; . . . . and, as there are also considerable masses of similar vegetation above this point, there are probably several other springs which nourish it.”

This place is almost universally conceded to be the "Elim where the Israelites found twelve wells of water, and threescore and ten palm trees," and where they encamped "by the waters;" and here they probably remained several days. It was only about eight miles from Marah; but the next advance march was to be a long one, and the pleasantness of the spot and the abundance of water would make the delay agreeable. When a day's journey is spoken of, we are doubtless to understand it to be that of their leaders; for the whole company was so large, and would be so given to straggling, that we can scarcely consider them as a compact body in their advance, except so far as would be

1 Ex. xv. 27.

2 Inference from the time given in Ex. xvi. 1.

produced by their desire to follow closely the leadership of the pillar of cloud, and to keep under its friendly shelter from the sun.

But the cloud finally began to move, and the encampment at Elim was broken up. The refreshment of this rest was indeed necessary; for here a more mountainous tract commenced. Their course is yet kept quite distinctly before us in consequence of the formation of the ground, and by hints in the Sacred Record. Leaving these wells it ascended a low ridge between Wady Ghurundel and Wady Useit, and gaining this height commanded an extensive view, embracing the lofty, precipitous Jebel Hummâm (No. 9), now close adjoining on the south-west. On the east is a continuation of the heights of er Rahah, but in this part taking the name of Et-Tih. Southwardly, out of a sea of lower hills rise the grand heights of Serbal, the first one of the bare and rough granitic mountains of the peninsula, which are characterized not unaptly as "the Alps unclothed." Then the way descends into Wady Useit (No. 8), resembling Ghŭrundel, but not so large, and with small palm trees and some water; then it passes over another ridge to Wady Thâl, and then over another to Wady Shubeikeh (No. 10), which it follows for a short distance in a southerly direction. This last is then joined by another wady; and together they have the name of Wady Taiyibeh (No. 11), which takes its course in a westerly direction to the sea, four miles distant. This latter wady is described as "a fine valley, enclosed with abrupt rocks, with many trees and a little brackish water like the preceding wadys." Where it reaches the sea, there is a high promontory on the north; while on the south the mountains retire for a short distance, leaving a sandy plain with many shrubs extending for about three miles along the shore. This course which we have just been tracing, was the one followed by the Israelites after leaving Elim, eighteen miles distant, a long day's

journey for such a company, but one which they could well perform after their sufficient rest at that place: "They removed from Elim," we are told, and encamped by the Red Sea. They were now beginning to be hemmed in by the mountains, for even Wady Taiyibeh is described by a traveller as lined by "stern and bold" heights, which give it somewhat of a rude grandeur; and here by the sea they had on the south a lofty, projecting headland, admitting a passage only at low water, or across its rough escarpments. But they passed this; and then they had before them by the shore a sandy plain, from two to four miles wide, and extending, with slight interruptions, to the extremity of the peninsula, one hundred miles distant. Robinson considers this long plain as "the Desert of Sin."

Their first camping-place (No. 12 on the map) on this sandy plain, was to be to the Israelites a most memorable spot. They had now been a month away from Egypt, and their provisions were beginning entirely to fail. In their hurried departure they had laid in such a store of flour as came within their means; and their flocks had on the way supplied them with meat and a scant quantity of milk; and their previous habits in the land of servitude had accustomed them to do without luxuries. But flour was giving out, and flocks were perishing amid this meagre herbage, and a time of starvation seemed to be fast coming upon this immense host. We can see them, in these last days' journeyings, dragging themselves reluctantly along in this further and further penetration among the mountains which seemed to be opening their recesses only thus to provide them with ready graves. That mysterious cloud was still leading them on:-they often asked themselves, Whither? To what? It had lost its novelty; and some were even beginning to doubt its friendliness. Its mystery,-the vapory

1 Num. xxxiii. 10. 2 See Ex. xvi. 1; Num. xxxiii. 11. 3 Ex. xvi. 1.

pillar by day, the pillar of fire by night,—the mystery ever present and visible, was almost sitting like an oppression on their souls. Ever present, as if watching them,-what was it? A spirit? Good? or bad? It was leading them, some of them thought, as if it might be to their doom? It was an oppression on their untrained, ignorant souls. And this man, Moses, a mystery too! with whom, or with what, was he leagued? and for what? Ignorant and debased these people were, and they reasoned blindly and corruptly. The whole multitude were going on in a kind of maze. Just at this time even wiser and better men might well have been lost in a labyrinth of queryings.

For famine was staring them in the face. This fact every one's convictions showed him in their empty meal-bags and their diminished and still diminishing herds. So, as they followed down that rock-hemmed ravine of Wady Taiyibeh, and afterward straggled over the jutting sea-girt promontory, and then saw only this long, desolate-looking, sandy plain, with the bare sea on one side of it, and the equally bare granite crags on the other, everywhere only desolation, they broke out into words, and let their pent-up feelings have vent. The storm of invective of course fell upon Moses and Aaron. The other rulers, if they did not join in it, seem to have interposed no word.

"Would to God," the people cried, "we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh-pots and when we did eat bread to the full: for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness to kill the whole assembly with hunger."

God, however, was the sure helper of all. He told their leaders,

"I will rain bread from heaven for you;" and directed how it was to be gathered. A double supply was to be afforded on the sixth day of the week, so that a portion

might be saved for the seventh, and thus the sanctity of the Sabbath be preserved.

This promise of supply of food was announced to the people by Moses, who added, "What are we? Your murmurings are not against us, but against the Lord;" and he directed Aaron to call upon them,

"Come near before the Lord: for he hath heard your murmurings." As Aaron did so, the people gazed "toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud." To individuals such as they were, demonstrations of this kind, directed to their outward senses, were to be the books for them to read. The change to be wrought in this immense multitude of ignorant people, so debased by slavery, can scarcely be conceived by us in our times of enlightenment. What knowledge had they? what means for knowledge, except what came to them through their senses? And yet they were a people who were to be lifted, as soon as possible, into the highest of all sciences, the science of God.

That evening, while many queries as to what was coming were filling their minds, and while all felt that an immediate, pressing need was upon them, flocks of quails came darkening the air and filled the camps. They were a bird well known in the country,' but all saw that it was a miraculous, as it was indeed a most welcome and a needed supply.

But there was to be something more than this. Moses had declared to them, on the authority of Jehovah, At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled

1 Bartlett, in his explorations of this region says, "We saw here numerous desert partridges, or 'quails,' of which a miraculous supply was afforded to the Israelites on this very spot." The Oriental quail resembles the American partridge in size and appearance. These birds are stated by Hasselquist to be sometimes abundant near the Dead Sea and in Arabia; and Burckhardt saw them in large numbers south of the Dead Sea. In the present case, as in others already noticed, the miracle consisted in a special and extraordinary use of common means.