'44 
Travels into the h 
E V A N T. 
rt 
The Mona- 
ftcry of the 
Syrians in the 
Defart of 
Machnrius. 
The Staff of 
St. Ephrem. 
Bahr el Mil- 
lame. 
Tlie Moun- 
tain of Eagles 
Stones. 
Djebel d 
Mif^ue. 
Bir el S jy.it' I. 
Sirquet el 
NiUTOWU 
NAtron. 
Pyramidal 
Salt. 
Melhel M<t- 
tlaom. 
another Monaftery, called the Monaltery of the Syrians^ a quarter of a League 
diftant from Jmbabkhoye ; it is but fmall, but very pleafant, has good Water, 
and is the beft in order of all. There you fee two fair Churches, one for the 
Syrians, and another for the Cophtes^ in which are many Relicks. In this Jaft 
is theStalF of St. Efhrcm, who being come to vilit another Hermite, and ha- 
ving left his Staff' at the Door, whilft he was in difcourfe with the other whom 
he came to fee, his Staff took root and bloflbmed, and is now a lovely great 
Tree, and the only in ^lyp of its kind. From the Monaftery of the Syrians^ 
you go to the Mountain of the Eagles Stones, and by the way you fee the dry 
Sea, which was dried up (as the Monks fay ) at the Prayers of the Hermites 
who at that time lived by it, and chiefly of St. Macharim-, becaufe the Pirats 
of that Sea much infefted them, it is called Bahr el Malame, that is to fay. 
Mare Convicii. There you may find a great many petrifications of Wood, and 
fome Bones converted into Stone, which are pretty curious. On the fide of 
that Sea to the Weft, is the Mountain of Eagles Stones, called Diebel el 
Mafqiie • where digging in the Earth, and efpecially in time of heat and drought, 
they find feveral Eagles Stones of different bignefs^fo called, becaufe the Eagles 
carry them to their Nefts, to preferve their young ones from Serpents ; they 
have many Vertues, qnd the Monks fay, that there are commonly many Eagles 
to be feen there. You muft make as fhort a flay there as you can, for fear of 
the Arabs. From the Mountain of Eagles Stones, you go ( making a Triangle) 
to the fourth Monaftery, and all the journey from Ambabkhoye to this Mona- 
ftery, is performed in one day : This Monaftery is called Bir el Saydet, that 
is to fay, the Monaftery of our Lady ; it is very fpacious, buta little ruinous. 
It hrith a fair Church and Garden, but the Water is brackifli, and neverthelefs, 
there are more Monks in this Monaftery than in the other three, becaufe the 
Revenue of it is greater, and they have fome Relicks alfo. From this Mona- 
ftery you go to the Lake of Natron , called Birquet el Natroun^ only two 
Leagues dilrant from it -, this Lake is worth ones Curiofity to fee, and it looks 
like a large Pond frozen over, upon the Ice whereof, a little Snow had fallen : 
It is divided into two, the more Northern is made by a Spring that rifes out 
of the Ground, though the place of it cannot be obferved ; and the Southern 
proceeds from a great bubbling Spring, the Water being at leaft a Knee deep, 
which immediately as it fprings out of the Earth congeals, and makes as it 
were great pieces of Ice j and generally the Natron is made and perfeded in a 
Year by that Water, which is reddifli. There is a red Salt upon it fix or feven 
Fingers thick, then a black Natron.^ which is made ufe of in i^gyft for Lye, 
and laft is the Natron much like the firft Salt, but more folid. Higher up there 
is a little Well of Frelh- water, which is called Aain el Goz^ ; and a great many 
Camels come dayly to the Lake, to be loaded with that Natron. From this 
Lake you go to another, where there is Salt at Whitfomide^ made in form 
of a Pyramide, and therefore is called Pyramidal Salt, and in Arabick 
Melh el MaBmm, From the faid Lake you return and Lodge in one of 
the Monafteries, and next day come back to the Nile^ where you muft ftay 
for a paffage to C^/r^, or Rojfetto, if you have not retained the Boat that 
brought you. 
CHAP. 
