CONVENT OF MOUNT SINAI. 245 



even fire their muskets from the surrounding heights 

 into the convent. The priests in their turnare 

 sometimes obhged to retaliate, for they have a 

 well-furnished armoury and two small cannon ; but 

 they take great care never to kill any of their 

 assailants. 



Notwithstanding the daily claims on their char- 

 ity, the expenses of the monastery are supposed to 

 be very moderate. The yearly consumption of corn 

 Burckhardt estimates at 2500 bushels, and theii 

 annual expenditure at lOOOZ. sterling. A consi- 

 derable revenue must arise from their possessions 

 abroad ; for besides the convent at Cairo, which 

 contains a prior and about fifty monks, they have 

 establishments and landed property in many other 

 parts of the East, especially in the Archipelago and 

 at Candia. They have also a small church at Cal- 

 cutta, and another at Surat. 



The mountains and deserts in the neighbourhood, 

 being the scenery of many events in Scripture his- 

 tory, are pointed out by the hermits to the attention 

 of their visiters. On Gebel Mousa is shown a small 

 church dedicated to the Virgin ; a convent which 

 bears the name of St. Elias, erected on the spot 

 where Elijah was fed by the ravens ; and a poor 

 mosque without any ornaments, where the Bedouins 

 slaughter sheep in honour of Moses, making vows 

 to him, and entreating his intercession with Heaven 

 in their favour. At a small distance, a place is 

 shown in the rock, somewhat resembling the print 

 of the forepart of the foot, which is said to be that 

 of the Prophet, and is devoutly kissed by all the 

 Moslem. The head of the golden calf which the 

 Israelites worshipped, now changed into stone ; the 

 place where the brazen serpent was erected ; the 

 burial-place of Moses and Aaron ; the grotto where 

 St. Athanasius lived ; the spot touched by the foot 

 of Mohammed's camel on its way to heaven ; the 

 pulpit and petrified pot or kettle of Moses ; and the 



X2 



