The native American., 1839-07-06

to sublinity. Our cames stumbled among the
rocky fragments 10 such degree lhat we as
mounted, and passed through the wild dehe on
foot AT the other end we came suddenly upon
a plain table of ground and before us lowered IN
awful granduer so huge and dark, that II seemed
close to us and barring all farther progress, the
end OF my pilgrimage, the holy mountain OF sinai
The next day was one of the most interesting
OF my life. AT eight o'clock, was breaklasting;
the superior was again at my SIDE again offering
me all the convent could give and urging me to
stay month, fortnight week at least 10 spend
that day with him. and reposc myself after the
tahgues of my journey but from the door Of the
little room in which | sat, saw the holy noun
tain, and / lcnged to stand on its lofty summit.
Though feeble and far from we'll felt The blood
OF health again coursing my veins, and congrat-
nlated myself that was not SO hackneyed in feel
ing as had once supposed. found, and was
happy TO find, for the prospective enjoyment OF
my farther journey, that the first tangible monu-
ment IN the history of the Bible the first spot that
could be called holy ground raised in me feelings
that had not been awakened by the most classic
ground of Italy and Greece. or the proudest mon
nments OF the arts in Egypt.
Immediately behind the wall of the convent we
began to ascend. We came to table of rock
standing boldly out and running down almost per-
lpendicularly an immense. distance to the valley.
was expecting another monkish legend, and my
heart thrilled when the monk told me that this
was the top Of the hill on which Moses had sat
during the battle Of the Isractes and the Amale-
kites while Aaron and Hur supported his uplifled
hands, until the sun went down upon the vicor-
Gus arms OF his people From the height could
sec, clearly and distinctly every part of the battle
ground, and the whole vale of Rephdm and the
mountains beyond: and Moses, while on this spot,
must have been visible to the contending armies
from every part Of the field on which they were
engaged.
The scenes Of many Of the incidents recorded
in the Bible are extremely uncertain Historians
and gcographers place the Garden of Eden, the
paradise of our first parents In different parts of
Asia; and they do not agree upon the site Of the
tower of Babel, the mountain of Ararat and many
of the most interesting places in the Holy Land;
but of Sinai there is no doubt. This is the holy
'mountain and, among all the stupendous works
OF nature not place can be selected more fitting
Inr the exhibition Of Almighty power. have
stood upon the summit of the giant Ena, and
looked over the clouds floating beneath it, upon
the bold scenecy Of Sicily. and the distant noun
tains OF Calabria, upon the top of Eesuvius, and
looked down upon the waves of lava, and the
ruined and halfrecovered cities at its foot but
they arc nothing compared with the terrific sol-
itndes and bleak majesty of Sinai. An observing
traveller has well called it "a perfect of desc
lation. Not tree or shrub, or blade Of grass
lis 10 be seen upon the bare and rugged sides of
ilnnumcraale mountains, heavlng their naked sum-
nts to the skies, while the crumbled masses of
granite around and the distant view of the Syrian
desert with its boundless waste of sands form the
widest and most dGeary, the most terrific and
desolate picture that imagination can conceive.
The level surface of the very top, or pinnacle,
is about sixty feet square. At one end is single
rock about twenty feet high on which, as said the
monk, the spirit Of God descended, while in The
crevice beneath his favorite servant received the
/ tables Of the law There, on the same spot where
they were given, | opened the sacred book where
those laws are recorded, and read them with
deeper feeling Of devotion, as if were standing
nearer and receiving them more directly from the
Deity himsclf-Siepcas.