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cumstances there, for although it is situated in a hollow 
among the mountains, yet there is an abundance of 
excellent water at a small depth. Every house has a 
large well, which serves to water the gardens adjoining, 
which abound with superb palm trees, flowers, vegeta- 
bles, and fruits. 
Sunday, Yith May. 
We passed the whole day in this village, which is 
composed of thirty families of Greek Christians, and a 
smaller number of Mussulmen's. 
Although the village appears trifling, yet it occupies 
a considerable space on account of the large gardens 
attached to each house, and which are encompassed by 
walls of six feet high. 
I was lodged with a Mussulman, in whose garden I 
found some pretty plants. I received a visit from the 
Vicar of the Christians. He was a venerable old man, 
and was under the control of the Archbishop of Mount 
Sinai, as are also all the Greeks of this part of Arabia. 
When I returned his visit, he showed me a bible in 
Arabic and in Latin, which I think was printed at Ve- 
nice, but the first leaves, where the date might have 
been found, were wanting. All the priests of the coun- 
try say mass, and recite their prayers in Arabic. The 
vicar gave me the paternoster written by himself fn this 
language. 
The Archbishop of Mount Sinai is independent. 
The Greeks have four Patriarchs, those of Constanti- 
nople, Alexandria, Jerusalem, and Antioch. They have 
also four Archbishops, namely, those of Russia, Ango- 
ra, Cyprus, and Mount Sinai. These eight dignitaries 
who are independent of each other; have under their 
