The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-11-08
PENINSULA OF SINAI.

The yice-C Chancellor OF the University Of Cambridge
England, has Just presented to the Senate report
which he has received from e. II. Palmer, b. A.,
Fellow OF st. Johns College, TO whom grants were
made by the Senate from the Worts Travelling
Bachelors Fund.- for the purpose OF enabling him
to prosecute certain researches in the peninsula OF
Sinai Mr.. Palmer accompanied the Sinai survey
Expedition, and In his report says
While at Cairo endeavored to make myself
acquainted With the rules which determine tue value
OF Arabic manuscript sculpture and painting or at
least the dellneaton OF living treasures, beng
prohibited TO Mohanredans by their religion,
they have no other field Tor the exercise OF their
talents for no art tEan thai afortcd by mural deco
ration, and writing illumination. Caligraphy has
therefore, been cultivated by them extent which
can scarcely conceived In this country. The rules
which govern this science are though more precise,
founded upon as exact aesthetic principles as those
OF fine art criticism here This TACT has been CON-
pletey overlooked by European 0rientasts and the
comparative value OF many OF the manuscript trea-
surcs in our libraries consequently little, If at all,
understood. Ii was impossible during so short
stay in Cairo to make any extensive purchases OF
manuscripts, and therefore determined to restrict
myself to making selection OF printed works
| which should supply the chief deficiencies which
| knew TO exist In the University library Thanks TO
gentleman and scholar residing at Cairo and Bey
OF the TUT lsh Empire ana with the kind co.opera-
ton Of Hussen Bey ana Other Egyptian authorities,
have procured number OF standard works
selected especially for the purpose OF illustrating
the literature history and theology OF the East.
TaeSe shau hand over, with descriptive catalogue,
| to the Syndicate OF the University Library.
the SUBJECTS OF my Investigations wnlle with the
| surveying party were:-1. The Nomenclature OF the
country; 2, the traditions; 3 the inscriptions.
The method pursued by me was as iollows;-
Iaccompanied the officers durng the actual pro-
most intelligent Bedouin that could nnd belonging
TO the particular locality, | inquired the name Of
each PLACE as It's position was NOTED down upon the
hood from other Arabs, and never accepted name
without Independent and separate testimony to c)r
roborate the information had at first received.
accuracy of my Information proceeded to Inquire
into the meaning and origin OF the names. ana set
down against each one not only what knew to be
the Specification o. the word, blt the meaning which
my Informant himself attached to it, fouad this
method invaluable Tor testing the accuracy OF my
photography, aud although tue reasons gwen were
not unirequently trivial or even ridiculous, they
served Tue purpose or cOrroborativo evidence We
made special survey OF the immediate neghbor-
hood OF Jebel Musa and Jebel serbal, and rolte
survey OF more than 800 miles, Tue name OF every
place set down in these SURVEYS have a5certalned
and corrooJrated by the process just described.
The nomenclature OF tie East may be divided into
three classes-1. Names derived from some physical
popularity or natural production Of the spot. 2.
Those derived from former owners or Inhabitants.
8. Those derived from legendary or historical asso-
cations. Arbitrary appeauons, believe, never
occur. II more attention were paid 10 these dis
tlnctons and to the Character OF the people many
errors OF travellers and explorers would be avoided.
need not eXpaLlatc upon the value OF sucn accur-
acy both to the Biblical critic aud the geo2lapher,
for, as the Archbishop OF Duoln mas truly aud plCh
lily remarked, Arab tradition is iossilizeIn IN thelr
nomenclature and often furnishes undylng testi-
| j now come to the second part OF my work-the
collection Of traditions and legends current among
the inhabitants OF the sinai desert. Arab tradition
has undoubtedly been influenced, and IN some places
suppanted by monkish legend; Du5 there still exist
abundant traces OF an independents ora TRADITION OF
the events OF the exodus. have enceavored 70 form
complete collection OF all these stories and to gain
collateral information which should induce me to
decide upon the authenticity OF the various &c
counts. My usual practice Was TO devote portion
OF every evening to conversation with the Arabs
over their camp nres ana TO take down IN their
count. These tested py subsequent Inquiries When
ever reached spot to which either knew or sup
posed legend to attach ana in this way succeedea
in bringing to lgnt many interesting traditions
| which are not only undoubtedly native IN their orr.
gin, but even distinct from antagon.stlc to the
| monklsh accounts, and which have an important
| bearing upon the history OF the exodus.
dillon Of the rock struck by Moses in
| Horeb, which, taken IN connection with other cir
cusianceS, would tcld To fly the size OF the miracle
and even OF Kephedim IN the neighoorhood OF Wady
Fertn. The so-called Rock OF Moses in the vicinity
OF the convent Is papable invention OF the monks
and is virtually disiegarded by the Arabs The rock
In Feifan Is much venerated Dy them, however ana
5aey stl perform relglons ceremonies before It,
eers. have, wherever II was possible, taken down
| the very words OF my Arab informans, and have in
| tlls manner collected materials Tor On Interesting
notice OF the pecniiarltles OF Bedouln dialect and
| pronunciation. There are many other legends OF
| great L Dnca and chronological interest to which I
cannot do than ailude, my intention in the
present report s rather to explain the nature than
Inc delails of the results at which nave arrived
WIN regard to the socalled Slnaitc inscriptions
wish to make my own lslton clearly understood
Ia a matter which hal occaslonei SO much contro.
persy wished to form AN opinion Tor myself before
criiicsing tile theories OF Others. 1t was not there
ioGe because deprecated the abors OF my prcde
/ cessors that determined TO postpone consulting
their works until should have left the peninsula
! but IN order that might bring practical Know
should prevent me IRON peing captiyaled by mere
attractive theories Wtth this view proceeded
| fully TO copy alfd examine them, and although
could not help remarking that they were uadoubt.
edly nobhng more imam phase OF the ordinary Ara
maic character and Us SUCH snoad present no diff
Guilty TO the Sinaitic scholar, 1 adhered 10
my resolution OF accepting nothing on mere
| conjecture analogy, aad alter some time
succeeded In declphering them by perfectly
| Independent ana sellIn,erpreting process. on
subsequently, comparing the results whicn had
| thus obtained WIN the works OF Beer, ruch aad
others ! mad the satisfaction oil nndng taat While
] the conclusions or those ennent scholars were con-
hrlned az to the man facts OF the Interpretation,
rect errors ~ their WORKS eua TO produce proof post
tive for mueA tGat was with them, even when cor
rect mere conjecture. AT the same time my collat.
erai Investigations compelled me TO take some
what dneteut view OF the authorship OF the luscrp
tons rom that advanced by the Swans TO whom |
| nave referred: have brought back collection OF
nearly 5,00o OF these inscIlDtions-n fact copy Of
almost every eglbie one extant IN the peninsula OK
/ Smai--and venture 90 say that when nave puh-
hshed them with tneir ranalations the question of
| the Slnaitlc inscriptions VIII have been delaiteiy
| settled. Many OF the lncrpuons brought home
| py previous travellers are very fraRnentary
| and nave been hitherto believed to be so much
obllterated ana weatnerwoYn as to be quite ulegnle
as u whole. BY examining these day after day ana
IN every possible light have been enabled to recover
| the greater part aud TO bring back complete tram
| scripts OF them. Since my return / have consulted
the magnificent work OF the Count de Vogue on the
Inscriptions IN Central syria, and am glad TO say
| That many vi my own conclusions are corroborated
! by the results obtained by that gentleman | lay
clam to nothing more than TO nave made perfectly
| Independent investigation or the subject, and to
| have made use OF the opportunities Afforded by a
| heightened stay In the peninsula for gaming more
ample ana accurate Information upon TINS much as
| puted topic II was my intention thoroughly eX-
anime, II possible the library at the Convent OF
| Sina which Is said to contain some important AMI
| valuable manuscripts. This object was frustrated
! BY the retlcence ana apprehension3 OF the monks.
propose to adopt the following method OF pub.
| fishing the results Of my researcAes:-
| !. Contributions to tue ordnance Survey report
upon the various departments OF the WORK entrusted
| TO me.
2. volume containing more detailed account
| Of my researCncI namely