The Sun.
London, England, 1830-08-13 00:00:00

DESCRIPTION OP THE CONVENT 01?

MOUNT HOREB.

We came in sight of Mount Horeb. In
front is a. green plain, like a lawn. The moun-
tain appears isolated from the others. The
co nvent is on the left. of it, in a hollow between
it, anti another precipitous mountain. We
reached the convent before mid-day. The
monks appeared above at the opening like that
of a warehouse, and sent down a rope, to which
we affixed the letter we had from the convent at
Cairo. It having been pulled up, read, and ap-
proved, our luggage followed it, and a 'great
cable was at length let down for ourselves. The
legs of the ascending personage are put into some
small ropes at the end of the great one, and,
taking hold above, be gives the signal to 1w
drawn up, whereupon he is speedily landed in
safety, anti welcomed with many a salaam. The
method of raising is by a windlass, which is
turned by four of the priests. We were shown
up into a corridor with four small rooms along
it, and a place at the end for cooking. This
part of the convent is reserved for strangers,
and is very convenient. The first room is
neatly fitted up with divans and carpets. After
the usual welcomes and inquiries, the Conversa-
tion turned on the state of the political affairs ;
and neither the superior, nor be who acted as
interpreter, would believe that the Greeks had
obtained their liberty, and that the Sultan had
yielded. They said that blood, much blood,
must be spilt before such a consummation could
be effected; a conviction which they`would not
resign, even after we bad assured them that the
ambassadors were recalled, and the 'treaty of
London accepted. The await:Jr of the con-
vent is a tnan not much beyond the Piddle age;
seeming from thirty to thirty-five. has a
dark quick eye, a jet black beard, and fount:.
chios, and hair banging down his back inn long
thick lock. He was dressed in a black cap amid
a black gown, but wore no stockings. He
would he a handsome man, were .not his cheeks
hollowed by his mode of life. The interpreter
is still more ghastly ; and, with his brown and
white striped gown and belt, he might be taken,
with his conical cap, for a Turkish dervichc.
His account of the convent is, that St. Helena
built a chapel on the spot where Moses 'saw
God in the burning bush, and that the body of
the church was added by Justinian. The first
thing with which we were presented was a re-
freshment of aqua-vitas and fruit. The water
from the convent well is delicious. When
drawn, it is rather warm, but, after exposure to
the wind, in earthen jars, it becomes cold.
After this repast, we went with the monks to
the church, where we found them celebrating
mass. Monks were standing at each pillar, anti
one in the middle, reading. We passed them
in order to go to the chapel of St. Helena,
which is behind the altar. Before entering we
were requested to take off our shoes. It was
the spot from which the voice of God came to
Moses, saying, "Put off thy shoes from off thy
feet, for the Place whereon thou standest i,a holy
ground." All that could be. done to testify ve-
neration for this sacred spot has been performed.
It is ornamented with many paintings and other
gifts, presented by the pious ; and a silver lamp is
constantly burning. The service being over, we
were joined by the superior, who took great
pains to point out every object worthy of our at-
tention. We returned with him to the high
altar, on which are ornaments of silver. On
time roof of a semi-circular recess behind is an
ancient mosaic. The tomb of St. Catherine, in
marble, stands to the right of the altar. This
saint suffered martyrdom at Alexandria, but her
body (as the legend relates) was carried by
angels to the summit of a mountain near Mount
Sinai ; and, having been found there in a per-
fect state three hundred years ago, was removed
to its present place of interment. The body of
the church is composed of a principal and two
side aisles, separated by ranges of columns, with
ancient, unseemly capitals. The floor is of beau-
tiful mosaic marble ; and from the roof is sus-
pended a vast number of lamps and chandeliers,
some of great magnificence. The screen is or-
namented with gilded columns and pictures ;
and its richly worked door presents figures of
Christ and Moses. It is a church of much its.'
terest, containing a great variety, of objects
crowded together by the piety of ages. We
next went to the garden, the communication to
which is through a long, descending, and dark
passage. This garden is rich in fruits of all
kinds ; peaches, apples, pomegranates, tnelons,
arc. The grapes are uncommonly fine, some of
the bunches weighing, we are told, five ocks
when e. Thera are various compartments to
the garden, communicating with each other by
means of rudely-formed stairs. It is watered
throughout, and, indeed, owes its existence to
the convent well. Time superior, seeing that we
admired the richness of the produce, said,
" What is all this without liberty ? When a
man has liberty, every thing goes well ; he can
suit his desires to his means, or seek a better
fortune, by change of scene ; but we are here,
shut up without hope ; at times we cannot even
walk in this garden. The Arabs come to see
us as beggars, askingcoffee or grain, end, if we
refuse them, they besiege the place, break into
the garden, and carry off the fruit." He, at the
same time, pointed out a hole in .the garden
wall, large enough to admit a man: The con-
vent itself is impregnable to the Arabs, but they
are ever on the watch with their guns. The
monks are thus in a perpetual siege. Not long
ago, one of them received a gun-shot in his leg.
Letters have been written on the subject to the
convent at Cairo, but without redress. At the
time of our visit, the monks had just ooneladed
A truce of thirty days with the Arabs. In the
morning I asked one of the monks whether they
had any manna. " 0 yes," was the answer;
4' how many ocks do you want ?" tie gave ma
a piece, which he said bad been paltered five
years ago. Whether genuine or not, it was ex-
cellent eating. It is very sweet, not unlike
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NAPOLEON AND IIDI WRITINO-AIASTEft.
—Soon after the First Consul's return to Alalmailon, an
individoll in most unpretending attire solicited a private au•
thence. lle was instantly ushered into the cabinet of NA.
roomy, who demanded his name. " General," replied
the *Whiter, somewhat intimidated uy his present*, "
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inter-
rupting him sharply ; " your pupil's progress does yen in.
finite credit!" Thin laughing at his own hastiness, he
addressed the good man in a kinder ten*, to *i*ke amends
fur his first sully, the abruptness of which heti eonitlerot,ly
aognirnted the timidity of the calligraphic pi:lessor, In
a few days the writing-toaster received frnni umitiestionr
ably the worst of All his former pupils at Wenn* (N A.1.(t."
LICON'd icaroely legible handwriting was ptwverbial), a
pension sufficient for his humble weutt.w.,. 0.40"14 At"
. .
moire.