Part L 
belon^^s to the Monks-, I told them that it flunk a little,3nd they made anfwer 
that they had not Scowered it that year as they ufed every year to do, 
but withal], that it was the heft water thereabouts. Heretofore they had 
a Church near to that Well, which the Turks Demolifiied, and with the 
ftones of it built the aforefaid Caftle called Tor. We travelled in the Plain 
till fix a clock at night and then relied. This Plain is in Holy Scripture 
called the Defart of 5/>, where the Jfraelites longing after the Onions of Defart of Sin, 
^Ijft^ God fent them Manna. In this Plain we faw many Acacia-Trees, 
from which they have the Gum that the Arabs cûta\Ço Aiakia : It is to be obfecr 
ved that the Acacia-Trees which are now fo common in France^ came at, 
firfl from America^ and do not yield that Gum ; and that which in the Shops 
is called Acacia, is the infpiifated. Juice of wild Plumb-Trees, and" comes 
from Germany -, thefe Trees are neither bigger nor higher than our ordi- 
nary Willows, but the leaves of them are very thin and prickley. The 
Arabs gather the Gum in Autumn, without pricking the Trees, for it runs 
of it felf, and then they fell it in the Town. 
Next day, Friday the firft of Febrnary', we fet out about five a Clock in 
the Morning, and entred among high Mountains, where we relied near a 
Brook, and putting on again about eleven a clock, we travelled till about 
half an hour after four, that we came into a little Plain, where finding 
fome Cottages of Arabs , our Guides would go no farther that day, but Cottages of 
feafted merrily on the Milk that we bought for them in thefe Cottages. There Ar^bs. 
we faw a great many Women, and little Children, molt of them Sucking. 
We parted from thence SatnrJ.ty the fécond of February, about two a 
clock in the Morning, and travelled a Foot over other Hills, where the way 
was very bad -, about eight a Clock in the morning we found little Houfes 
pretty well built; where Arabs live at prefent. This place is called Ra^hi- R^phidwu 
dim in holy Scripture. A little further we faw feveral Gardens belonging 
to the Monks, very well walled round and full of all forts of fruit-Trees, 
and Vines too, kept in good order. Then we found the Rock out of which The Rock 
Mofes brought Water, when he had fmitten it twice with his Rod ; it is "f^'f ^"{^ 
only a Stone of a prodigious height and thicknefs, riîmg out of the Ground j hTs^Rod. 
on the two fides of that ftone we faw feveral holes by which the water 
hath run, a% may be eafily known by the prints of the Water, that hath 
much hollowed it j bnt at prefent no water iflues out of them. This Stone 
in Holy Scripture is called the Stone of Strife. About ten in the Morning 
we came to a Monaftery of Greeks, dedicated to the honour of the 
forty Martyrs: from this* to the great Monaftery where the Body of St. 
Catherine lyesf it is two hours travelling. This Monaflery of the forty 
Martyrs is pretty neat, it hath a fair Church and a lovely large Garden , 
wherein are Apple-Trees, Pear-Trees, Walnut-Tree, Orange-Trees, Limon- 
Trees, Olive-Trees, and all other Fruit-Trees thàc grow in this Country ; and 
indeed, that little of good Fruit which is eat at Calre^ comes from Mount 
' Simi -, befides that, there are fine Vineyards, and very good water there. 
A Greek Monk lives always in this Monallery, and he whom we found there, 
told us that he had been twenty years in it ^ he takes care to fee the Gar- 
dens drefs'd and kept in order, by fome ^r^^'j who willingly ferve him. 
We refted in this Monaitery at the foot of the Mountain of Sc. Catherine. 
