cities of Macca and Medina; and if payment is neglected, the Arabs are sure to pay themselves, by falling upon the caravans, or pilgrims; or by ravaging Mesopotamia or Syria, of which there have happened several instances not long ago; for they have always been famed for their lust, robbery, ravage, revenge, and murders Such are the inhabitants that now possesses the most of the ancient, and once most famous and renowned Kingdom of Israel.
Father Tomoso who seems to be a very judicious man, told us that he had been at mount Sinai, which stands on the south corner of the bosom of the Red Sea, about 250 miles eastward of Grand Cairo in Egypt. The desart on the south and west of it, is a pretty high ground for about twelve miles, and is distinguished with a variety of lesser hills. The mountain is of no great extent, but very high, and hath two tops, the western of which is called Horeb; and the eastern which he supposes to be about a third higher, is properly called Sinai. He says that there are some springs and fruit trees on Horeb, but nothing but rain water on the top of Sinai. The ascent of both is very steep, and can only be ascended by steps which the Empress Helena, the mother of Constantine the Great, caused to be cut out in the marble rock. At the top of Sinai, he says, there is an uneven and rugged place, which would hold about sixty persons. Here stands a chapel, dedicated to St. Catharine, and near to it, on the brow of the barren rock, is a fountain of fresh water. The monks that dwell here, have with ashes, &c made a sort of a soil for a garden. From the top of this mount, God proclaimed his law to the Hebrews, from amidst terrible flames of fire. He told us likewise, that he viewed the rock (illegible text), which seems to have been a cliff fallen off from the side of Sinai, and lies like a large loose stone in the midst of the valley. It is of a red garnet colour, the hardness of flint, and is nigh about six yards square; and there is twelve openings in it, whence the water gushed out for the 39 years supply of the Hebrews, and the stone is worn where the water had run down.
Hermon, is a mountain on the north east of the Holy Land, beyond Jordan a little southward of Lebanon. The dew that falls on it is beautiful and fine: In a summer evening it will wet one to the skin and yet is in no danger of sleeping at night, is we are told, in the open field. The ⟨snow lies⟩ on it ⟨most part⟩ of the ⟨summer⟩, and was anciently carried from thence to Tyre, that the people there might drink their wine in F(illegible text),—Gilboa the mountain noted for the defeat of the Hebrews, and the slaughter of Saul and his three sons lies ⟨about⟩ sixty miles north of Jerusalem: and (illegible text) David in his elegy, wished its (illegible text) fertility turned into ⟨bareness⟩ and {reconstruct|draught}}, yet we are assured, that dew falls, on it, as well as on other places.
