^82 Phvjical Ohjer 'cations &c. 



together : which from the Likenefs they bear to a Compofition 

 ofMortar and Gravel, might occafion feveral ingenious Perfons 

 to imagine, that Tompefs Pillar, the Ohelisks at Rome and 

 Alexandria, with other the like extraordinary Lumps of this 

 Sort of Marble, were fa6titious, and produced by Fulion. That 

 Kind of it which I fa w in the Neighbourhood of Mount S'mai, and 

 in the Midland Road from thence to Corondel, is generally of a 

 light gray Colour, with little black Spots interfperfed ; though, 

 in fome Places, 1 have feen it much blacker, and, in others, of 

 a reddifli Complexion. Sometimes alio the conftituent Particles 

 were fo fmall and well compacted , that the Contexture was 

 not inferiour either to Serpentme Marble or Torphpy. 

 '^MaJflf That Part of Mount Sinai, which lyeth to the Weft ward of 

 M'. Sinai. |-j,e ^\2i'm of Repbidim, and is called the Mountain of St. Catha- 

 rine, conlifts of a hard reddifh Marble, like Torphyry, but is 

 diftinguiflied from it, by the Reprefentations, which every 

 Part of it gives us, of little Trees and Bullies. The Natura- 

 lifts call this Sort of Marble Emhufcatum or Bujhy Marhle ' ; 

 and, for the fame Reafon, Buxtorf^ deriveth the Word Sinai , 

 from the Bulli (or Ruhus) that was figured in the Stones of 

 it. It feems to have been hitherto left undecided to what 

 Species of Plants this Bufh is to be referred ; yet if thefe im- 

 prelTed Figures are to inftruft us, we may very juftly rank it 

 among the Tamarisks, the molt common and flourifliing Trees 

 of thefe Deferts. I have feen fome Branches of this Foflil 

 Tamarisk, as I fhall call it, that were near half an Inch in 

 Diameter. Yet the conftituent Matter, which was of a dark 

 mineral Appearance like the Powder of Lead Ore, was of no 

 Solidity, crumbling away, as the Armenian or any other 

 Bole would do, by touching it. 

 The Strata Tlie fcvctal Strata in thefe and moft of the other Mountains 

 oey^opie • ^y^^^ J j^^^^ i^^^^^ -^^ Arabia, are generally fo many Kinds of 



I Emhufcatum ex moote Shia't (Hierofoljmitano male additiir) depromptum j quod albicans 

 eft (nojirum rubi'fcit) ad flavedinem tendcns ; & quocunque modo fccctur aut dividatur, 

 in eo arbufta & fiutices, colore nigricante, lubtilitcr a Nacura depi(^i apparent. Si fupra 

 igncm ponatur, brcvi evanefcit pidura &c. Ego Anglicc 1Bolxagcfivc51BufljP*apatblC of \^ietu« 

 falemnoininarem. Charlt. Exercit. de Foflil. p.ip. 2 TO Sinai mentis nomen, a njD Rubus, 

 quod lapidcs inventi in eofigmatum in fe babuerint rubum, ut fcribunt commentatores in librum 

 More nebhiu him, p. i. cap. 65. adeo ut etiam in fragmentis lapidum iftorum, figurae rubi 

 apparuerint, quod fc Ephodeus, alter iftorum commcntatorum, vidiffe fcribit. Buxtorf. in 

 voce njD. Horeb 3111^ the other Name, by which this Mountain is likcvvife known in 

 Scripture, feems very juftly to exprefs the barren defolate Condition of it, from 3"in, Siccatus, 

 vaftatus, defolatus j in folitudinem redaHus fuit &c. 



'' ' Marble, 



cl, 



