[ 4 + ] 
the Arabs told me, it was relative to a battle 
fought here between Arabs, and indeed I do not 
fee what point of hiftory it can illuftrate; befides, 
there are not above five or fix word?. We arrived 
at the convent of Mount Sinai, after the ufual 
difficulties mentioned by other travellers, were received 
as ufual, and faw the ufual places, of which, however, 
I (hall give the plans as well as elevations, which 1 
took. I mu ft fav, that the Monks were far from 
owning to me, that they had ever meddled with 
the print of the foot of Mahomet’s camel. I 
examined it narrowly, and no chiffiel has abfolutely 
ever touched it, for the coat of the granite is entire 
and unbroke in every part ; and every body knows, 
that if the coat of lefs hard ft ones than granite is 
once deftroyed, it never returns. It is a mod curious 
Lufus Naturae, and the Mahometans turn it to their 
ufe. 
Meribah is indeed furprizingly ftriking. I examined 
the lips of its mouths, and found that no chiffiel had 
ever worked there j the channel is plainly worn by 
only the courfe of water, and the bare inlpedtion of 
It is fufficient to convince any one it is not the 
work of man. Amongft the innumerable cracks in 
rocks, which I have feen in this, as well as other parts 
of the world, I never met with any like this, except 
that at Jerufalem, and the two, which are in the rock. 
Mofes ffruck twice, of which hereafter. 
I had enquired of the captain and the two pilots of 
our fhip, about Sharme and Dzahab, on the weflera 
fhore of the eaftern branch of the Red-fea ; they told 
me that they were often forced up theElanitic golf, the 
eaftern branch of the Rcd-fca, and generally went to 
Sharme, 
