Egypt.

It has been found, by experience, that occasional visits to surrounding parts have been of very great utility to Missionaries destined for Abyssinia. The opportunities of departure from Egypt to Abyssinia are somewhat infrequent and uncertain; and Missionaries have consequently been detained for a more considerable time in Egypt than would otherwise have been desirable. The Rev. Messrs. Gobat and Kugler found the advantage, under such circumstances, of occasionally extending their visits to the principal places of note in Egypt and Syria. Though the opportunity of direct Missionary Labours be small, yet the preparatory training to the Missionary himself is of signal value; giving him increased knowledge of the spoken language, and inuring him to the habits, tempers, and hard accidents of his future migratory course. The visit of Mr. Isenberg to Mount Sinai, which is here given, will be found by our Readers to contain many particulars illustrative both of Scripture, and of Missionary Life.

Departure from Caïro for Mount Sinai.

In the course of May 1834, I had an opportunity of making an excursion to Mount Sinai. Having supplied myself with a Firmân, and a letter of recommendation from the Greek Bishop for the Convent of St. Catherine, we left Caïro, on the 9th of May, with camels. We went the road of the pilgrims to Suez, where we arrived on the fourth day after leaving Cairo. The Consular Agent at Suez received us very kindly. Mr. Gobat, I think, has mentioned this man in the account of his journey to Abyssinia: he is a Greek Christian, and not without a desire to know the truth of the Gospel. Our conversation was mostly in English, he having learned a little of it.

When I mentioned to him that I was a Priest and a Missionary, he kissed

my hands, sat down, and put a number of questions to me about several passages of Whether he meant by this to try how far Scripture which he did not understand. I was acquainted with the Scriptures, I do not know he was, however, generally satisfied with my answers. Some of the questions were trifling-of the same nature as are always brought forth by Oriental Christians. But when I directed his attention to the fundamental truths of the Gospel, he appeared to be very much interested. Remarks on the Passage of the Israelites through the Red Sea.

Mr. Isenberg, having arrived at the Red Sea, offers some conjectures as to the probable site of that part over which the Israelites passed dry-shod. We do not pretend to judge of the correctness of the line of argument here pursued; but simply present it to our readers, as one adopted upon a careful view of particulars by a person on the spot. The same remark we would make upon the other conjectures of our Missionary. Possibly, should the recent plans for communication, by means of steam, between England and India, by way of Egypt, prove successful, future Travellers may throw yet more light on this interesting point of Sacred History; and help to illustrate the Scriptural account of this wonderful event. Mr. Isenberg proceeds :

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On my arrival at Suez, my attention was of course drawn to that great fact in Sacred History-the deliverance of the Israelites from the hands of Pharaoh, and their wonderful passage through the Red Sea. I could not refrain from entering into the question, whether they crossed the Red Sea here, or more to the south. The latter supposition is the generally accepted one throughout the Eastern Churches; and some European Travellers have decided in favour of it, in order, it appears, to leave no room to unbelievers for explaining away the miracle, as though it were merely a tide. But the answer to this question pends on another

question-Where did the Israelites come from? The Eastern Divines take it for granted, that they came from Caïro, where, they think, the ancient Goshen and Rameses must have been. There are several roads from Caïro which lead to the Red Sea, three of which go to Suez; namely, that of the Mahomedan Pilgrims (the Hadj, as it is called); which we took, being the one most to the north; the other two are more to the south. There are several ridges of hills and mountains, which, I believe, proceed from the Mokattam near Caïro, or are, at least, in some connexion with it, and run, eastward, to the Red Sea. Two ridges of these hills terminate, with a valley between them, in the plain in which Suez lies. In this valley is the middle road from Caïro, joining the northern road which we took, after having previously united with the southern one; so that here the three roads come together, about four hours before you arrive at Suez. To the south of these roads are other ridges of hills, between which, it is supposed by the Eastern Christians, the Israelites descended to the shores of the Red Sea. But this is many miles below Suez; where the Israelites, according to this supposition, must have been shut up, between two chains of hills at their side, Pharaoh at their back, and the Red Sea before them. If the first supposition were true, that the Israelites came from Caïro, then this would hold good; except, as it appears to me, that there the Red Sea is too broad to allow the whole army to pass through in one night. But the supposition above mentioned appears to be false. We are told that the Egyptians held every shepherd in abomination; (Gen. xlvi.); and that Joseph, on that account, assigned a separate province for them, which we cannot suppose to have been at Caïro, so near the Capital. But if we place Goshen and Rameses farther below, somewhere between Caïro and Damietta, then the Israelites had a large plain from Rameses up to the abovementioned mountainous chains, and the road they took must have joined the northern road going from Caïro, which leaves the hills to the south; and at the eastern termination of the northernmost ridge, they received the command to turn round the mountains, and to descend into the plain of Pihahiroth, which then would be the lower plain of Suez. This plain terminates in a large triangle, large

enough to receive more than two such armies as was that of the Israelites; one side of which area is bordered by hills, running directly north to south; the other side, leaving the Red Sea running N.E. to S.W.; these two lines joining at the foot of those hills, to the north, where the hills run almost perpendicularly into the sea. If the Israelites encamped here, they had the Red Sea in front; the mountains at their backs; and Pharaoh, with the Egyptians, at their left side, pressing them; as the plain had no outlet, that way, into the sea. From this termination of the plain of Suez, up to the termination of the gulf, it is, when there is an ebb, between five and six English miles; when there is a flood, about seven: and in the middle of this (the western) shore is the town of Suez, which I think may have been the place where the greater part of the army passed, because here the sea is not broader than about half an English mile, and still deep enough to require, at any time, a miracle for an army to pass through.

The account of the journey on the eastern side of the Red Sea then continues :

From Suez we crossed the Red Sea, in a boat, about half-past nine o'clock the next morning; and in about ten minutes we reached the opposite shore, where we had to wait half an hour for our camels, which left the town at four o'clock in the morning, in order to go around the gulf, and join us there. We then went in a S.E. direction for three hours, through a barren plain covered with flints and limestone: after which we came to a more delightful spot, about a mile distant from the Red Sea, where several palm-trees stand, with five or six wells, filled with warm water of a sulphureous taste, having a heavy mineral sand at the bottom. This spot is called Ayoon Moosa (the Wells of Moses). Here we took our dinner, under the shade of a palm-tree; and after having rested three hours, we continued our journey till eleven o'clock at night, when we rested in a barren rugged plain. Next day we went on in the same direction. In our way, we scarcely saw any thing of vegetation. In the afternoon, on passing through a plain, we saw Gebel Pharoon on our right; and in the evening, passed a hill to our left, called Howarah. the top of this hill there is a well, with a

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small quantity of bitter water (the supposed Marah) and two palm trees near it. At eleven o'clock at night we encamped in a fine valley, called Wadi Korandel, which has a number of palmtrees and bushes of tamarisk, from which I collected, the following morning, in a condensed state like gum, a small quantity of manna, which had exuded from the leaves and branches: it had the same taste which Scripture ascribes to the manna of the Israelites. Having supplied ourselves and our camels with water, which had a tolerable taste till evening, when it assumed an unpleasant smell, we left Wadi Korandel, and passed through a mountainous country. The mountains were, generally, of a very interesting aspect, and of the granite formation. In the evening, we rested on a sandy spot, in the neighbourhood of Bedoweens, of the tribe of Benisouef. On the morning of the 17th, we left the sandy valley called Wadi Raml; and in three hours arrived at a delightful spot, where the Bedoweens have several encampments. They have also gardens at a valley called Wadi Nasb, where there is pretty good water, to which they lead their camels and cattle to drink, even from great distances. After having taken our dinner here, we went on through several valleys; and in the evening rested in a beautiful valley, with high grass, bushes of tamarisk, and several medicinal plants.

Visit to a Family of Bedoweens, in the Desert.

Next morning we passed in the same direction, and the country became more and more interesting; the hills assuming more the granitous character, the valleys being covered with verdure, and the air impregnated with the smell of medicinal plants, which is sometimes very pleasant. We sometimes passed numbers of Bedoween tents; into one of which I entered, and was hospitably received. The friendly father of the house placed me at his side, on a sheep-skin, and ordered his wife to bring me some milk from the goats' herd. The little children then collected around me, surprised to see a man in European dress. After we left Suez, I found that it was not at all necessary to go in the Arabic dress, which, on camels' backs, is very inconvenient. I observed here, as I did generally among the Bedoweens, that they pay but little regard to the observation of the Mahomedan Ceremonies. In fact, RECORD, Nov. 1834.]

I saw none of the Bedoweens, during our whole journey, making any prostrations, nor did I hear them swear so much as other Arabs do. Our Janissary, a Turk, made his prayers regularly three times a day. Our hospitable Bedoween asked me to pray, when on Mount Sinai, for a supply of rain; for they had been a long time in want of rain. This gave me opportunity to speak on the goodness of God, on Prayer, on Christ the only Mediator; but then their attention went off to other things: and, as I observed that our company had gone some distance forward, I was obliged to hasten after them. I parted from this Bedoween family, and they gave me many salaams for my happy journey.

Remarks on the Approach to Horeb.

We took our dinner on a high plain, where was much verdure; and we had very interesting views on every side, the whole country being filled with bold granite mountains, from which, in a certain revolution in our earth, the water appears to have washed all the cultivatable earth down into the valleys: for you see on the mountains nothing but bare granite; except, here and there, in a recess, some fertile ground, covered with shrubs. In the evening we arrived at a plain near Wadi Feran. Wadi Feran stretches, through many windings, up to Mount Sinai. Here we stayed the night, and, on the following morning, separated from our baggage, which went, under the protection of the Janissary, an easier road, while we ourselves passed a shorter and more difficult one. We first ascended a little; then descended very much into a deep valley, shut up on every side by high mountains. Here the temperature was raised to such a height at once, that I do not recollect ever to have felt so great a heat; but we passed this valley in less than a quarter of an hour. On ascending, when we had come as high as the lower mountains behind and at our side, fine breezes refreshed us very much; but we still had to ascend a long way. In the middle of this passage, through which our camels passed, but with great danger, we took some repose in a small ravine, where we found a well with very good water, and a few small palm-trees. We took our dinner here, under the shade of a rock; and then again ascended, until we had reached, I think, the height of 1000 feet above the level of the sea. Here we found ourselves in a fine large plain, 2 M

situated between two high ridges of mountains on both sides, between which it runs, southward, to the foot of the mountains of Horeb. In my humble opinion, this must have been the place where the Israelites made their encampment during their stay at Mount Sinai; because none of the surrounding valleys, which we observed there, were so fit to receive so large an army for a whole year. In front of this plain, to the south, was a cluster of mountains, which I think are the mountains of Horeb. From the circumstance that the Scriptures speak of Mount Sinai only on one occasion-that of the giving of the Law, while, on the contrary, the name of Horeb is mentioned on different occasions, I infer, that Horeb is applied, by Scripture, to the whole collection of mountains which stand here together, as the common name; and the name of Sinai to one mountain only, namely, that on the top of which the Law was given. As we are, in so many instances, led into mistakes by tradition, so I think here, also, a mistake has taken place. The name of Horeb has been applied, by tradition, to one mount only, namely, that which I should consider to be Mount Sinai, because it faces the valley where the Israelites lay. If we suppose that this was the case, then the whole army could witness the important transaction, and receive the most powerful impression from it; whereas the supposed Mount Sinai, or Gebel Moosa, although a little higher than the former, is yet so far situated behind, that whatever passed on the top of it could only be seen by that part of the army which lay at the utmost distance, where, through a space left between what is called Mount Horeb and Mount Catherine, they could have seen the top of Gebel Moosa.

Reflections on arriving at Mount Sinai—

Visit to the Convent.

The first view I enjoyed of Mount Sinai made the deepest impression upon my mind. I felt myself, as it were, transported among the Israelites, whom the Lord here had separated from the rest of the world, and led into this solitude, in order to declare them His chosen people. I saw, as it were, Jehovah in the pillar of clouds, on the summit of that bold mountain; and when he lifted His voice, saying, I am the Lord thy God, and when the thunder of His voice re-echoed from all the surrounding mountains, my heart exclaimed: "Yes, O Lord! Thou art mine in Jesus; and I am Thine to

eternity, purchased by His blood." This impression was strengthened by the circumstance, that it was the day after WhitSunday when we arrived here—the day when the Israelites solemnized the giving of the Law, and when the Holy Spirit was poured out to write the New Law of the Gospel upon the hearts of believers.

The Convent of St. Catherine lies in a small valley to the east of Horeb, where the basis of Gebel Moosa joins that of the so-called Mount Horeb. Before we arrived at it, we passed the garden belonging to it, surrounded with a high wall, in which an abundance of European and Asiatic plants grow, particularly a quantity of fine cypresses. The Convent, from without, looks like a castle, and, from within, like a small town. It has no entrance below, except one that is shut up with stones, and is opened only at the arrival of a new Bishop for the Convent. On our arrival, some Friars, standing at a large window above, and observing us, let down a rope, to which we first fixed our letters of recommendation: these were taken up and looked at. Another rope was then let down, for our baggage; and, at last, one for ourselves, which we had to put round our bodies; whereupon we made an aërial passage, forty feet high; and entered the Convent through the window, at which the Superior waited to give us a friendly welcome. This man appeared to be very kind; but I found, afterward, that he did not like religious conversation. Ascent to the Top of Sinai-Ignorance and Superstition of the Friars-Curiosities in and about the Convent.

The Superior gave us, next morning, a Friar, who spoke Italian, to be our guide up to Gebel Moosa. The Friar had a great appearance of simplicity; but still he told us a number of stories, all of which tended to show that the Convent of St. Catherine was a most sacred place; for if any thing remarkable happened in the world, they had a previous notice of it at St. Catherine's, by earthquakes, apparitions, &c. We went up to the mountain by steps, which have been made on purpose for the pilgrims, by putting stone upon stone from the bottom to the top of the mountain, except at a few even places, where no stairs are necessary. These steps have been numbered by different travellers, and different numbers have been given; some rating them at 3000, others at 14,000: our Superior chose to mention the larger number as

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the true one; but, I think, you may be as well able to enumerate 14,000 as 3000; for having been laid very loosely upon each other, they are thrown into disorder by stepping, so that the enumeration is rendered difficult. On our way upward, we found several fine spots, where fountains of sweet water refreshed After having arrived at some height, we came through a small gate, where our Friar informed us there had formerly been a Chapel, and even now it was a place for prayer and confession of sin; and he represented himself to my companions as a Confessor on that occasion. They replied, that I was their Confessor. Upon this, I told him that we had confessed our sins to God in the morning, and had a most perfect absolution and pardon in His Word. I then showed him a copy of the Greek Testament, which I had with me, and pointed out to him some passages, in which pardon of all sins is promised to all true believers, and in which Christ is shown as the all-sufficient Mediator for all, without the distinction of Priests and Laymen. We soon after arrived at the Chapel dedicated to Elias the Prophet, where is shown the place of his taking refuge from Jezebel. Near this Chapel we saw Elias's Well, where there is a valley, from which the tops of several mountains diverge. We went up to the most western point; and having ascended a little, we were shown the print of a camel's foot in stone, which Mahomedans and Christians here ascribe to an impression made by the foot of Mahomed's camel. Near this is the place where Moses is said to have sat with Aaron and Hur during the battle with the Amalekites, the steep and small valley which is observed below this being the supposed valley of Rephidim. On the top, the Friar showed us a hole, below a large granite stone, into which he requested me to creep: in this hole there is just room enough for a man to lie down. When lying on the back, you may see, in the stone above you, some slight cavities, such as are frequently observed in granite and in limestone, the whole of which bear a little resemblance to an impression made by the back of a giant. Behind your head is another small hole, in which the Friar told me Moses was hidden when he saw God, as related in Exodus xxxiii. 21, 22. But when I asked him what connexion the impression of a back in the stone bad with that event, as he must have seen God passing before the hole,

and not under the stone, he was confounded, and could not give any explanation. From the same stone, he said, the Tables were taken upon which the Law was written. Near this stood a Christian Chapel, and opposite to it a Mahomedan Mosque. In the Chapel we took some refreshment, which the Friar had brought with him. We then went down through some ravines, passing a few other Chapels, to the foot of the mountain of St. Catherine, where the body of that Saint is supposed to be buried, the head being deposited in the Convent which bears her name. We were shown the Convent of the Forty Martyrs, with a delightful garden; the rock from which Moses brought forth water to the Israelites; and the place where the Israelites are supposed to have worshipped the golden calf: this is at the foot of what I think to be the true Mount Sinai. We then returned, round the mountains, to the Convent. Next morning, the 20th, we were shown some remarkable places of the Convent; such as, the Church of the Transfiguration, which is very fine, adorned with very sumptuous pictures. Here we were shown the head of St. Catherine, and the place where they supposed the Lord to have appeared to Moses in the burning bush. The Superior then took us to the library, which was in great disorder, and showed us an old manuscript of the Psalms, written in golden letters, which was given to the Convent, by the Emperor Theodosius, in the fourth century. He said that many applications had been made for the purchase of books from this library, but none durst be sold; a certain Bishop having pronounced a curse upon him that would sell any of the books or manuscripts belonging to the library. They showed us no other book worthy of remark; and, in fact, they appeared scarcely ever to use the library themselves. In the evening we left this Convent, wherein superstition dwells instead of the Gospel Light, and performed several hours of our journey back, when we took our night's rest.

Return to Cairo-Improving State of Egypt.

We then proceeded on our return, by the same way we had come; and before we entered Caïro, we again, on the 29th, paid a visit to the Medical Institution of the Pacha, at Abusabel, which was established seven years ago. In this Institution young Arabs are instructed in Medicine, for the benefit of the Pacha's army.