280 THE MOHAMMEDAN PILGRIMAGE. 



control of Moses ; and they are persuaded that the 

 monks of St Catherine are in possession of the 

 taourat, or book which he sent down from heaven ; 

 upon the opening and shutting of which depends 

 the state of the weather. The reputation which the 

 holy men have thus obtained of having the dispen- 

 sation of rain in their hands sometimes becomes 

 rather troublesome to them, especially as they have 

 encouraged that superstitious belief with a view to 

 enhance their own credit. By a natural inference 

 the Bedouins have concluded, that if they can 

 bring rain they have it likewise in their power to 

 withhold it ; and, in consequence, whenever a 

 dearth happens, they accuse them of malevolence, 

 and often tumultuously assemble to compel their 

 prayers. The same imputation they lay to their 

 charge when violent floods happen to burst down 

 the hills and destroy their cattle or date-trees. A 

 peasant some years since, whose sheep and ca- 

 mels had been swept off by the torrent, went in a 

 fury to the convent and fired his musket at it, ex- 

 claiming, " You have opened the book so much 

 that we are all drowned I" The monks pacified him 

 with presents ; but, on departing, he begged that in 

 future they would only open half the taourat, in 

 order that the rains might be more moderate. 



In a valley between Mount Moses and Mount 

 Catherine stands the convent of the Forty Martyrs, 

 with a good garden and an orchard of olive-trees. 

 Near it is the Fountain of the Partridge (Bir Sho- 

 mar\ so named from having been revealed by one of 

 these birds to the priests when they were removing 

 the body of their patroness, and fainting with thirst. 

 In the same valley a block of granite is shown as 

 being the Rock of Meribah, out of which water is- 



