62 TRAVELS TO THE EAST. 
a Mediator. He ordered fome perfons to diew me 
his Patriarchal church : the entrance to it was in a 
narrow dark dreet, through a miferable little gate, 
which indeed was only a hole cut through a brick 
wall. The church confided of two dories; the 
under dory being pretty large divided into five 
rooms, with clofets that went acrofs, one joining 
the other. In the foremod dood the altar in a 
niche under an arch, on which lay a manufeript 
Ritual in the Cophtite language. The clofet with- 
out this room was elegant enough, and well con- 
dructed after the tade of the couutry, with codly 
woods from India in all parts inlaid with large 
erodes and other ornaments of ivory. On the altar 
dood a few candledicks, which partook of the fim- 
plicity of the fird church. The feet of them were 
of Sycamore; and a finall bough of the fame tree 
ferved for an arm or pipe, to the fide of which the 
candle w r as fadened : from the deling hung feveral 
lamps, the cords of which were adorned with 
Odriches eggs : on the walls were a parcel of 
painted pannels ; the Virgin Mary with the infant 
Jefus; St. George on horfeback, fighting with the 
dragon ; St. Antony, with a great many more of 
their Saints, were reprefented in the ancient manner 
of painting. Among the red of the pannels fome 
naked women were painted ; which they faid were 
in remembrance of fome Indians, by their church 
regarded as Saints. There were no carved images. 
It -was remarkable to fee amongd other things in 
their church, a number of crutches, made of un- 
barked boughs of Sycamore and other trees, about 
three feet long, and of moderate thicknefs, with a 
crofs at the upper end about a foot long. A parcel 
of them dood in the choir or foremod room, and in 
every other place in the church ; but in the room 
2 neared; 
/ 
