Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-08-09
On Ton Of Sinai.

me duly Century opens with paper
called the Sinai and the Wilderness illus
trated with photographs taken by the
author Edward L. Wilson. From this
| article we quote the follow It does
not seem high because it was vet half
hidden from our view by the intervening
hill. As soon as this hill was mastered
the plain of Err Raha. or "PIain of As
semblage," came into full view, with the
| Sinai range at its southern extreme. The
combination was satisfying-couyincin
Here was the one great feature the want
of which prevented Mount Serbal from
contesring for the honors of Sinai. There
is no plain in the vicinity OF Serial ex-
tens1ve enough TO accommodate an as
semblage as large as Moses led. But here
Is vast plateau of sufficient extent, and,
as We shall presently see when we view it
from Mount Sinai summit, so located
that Moses could overlook it all when he
led the Law. This must be the "true
Sinai, "-the very mountain upon which
the glory of the Lord rested in the sight
of the people. When facing its awful,
stately grandeur, 1 felt as if I had come
TO the end of the world. How many pill
gr1ms had come from all parts of the
earth to this very spot to reverence, to
sacrifice, and to worship!
dismounted to contemplate the sub.
lime panorama, and Elihuel, my camel
driver, sat down beside nae. He hardly
seemed to understand my actions, and at
last interrupted my reverie by exclaim-
ing, as as lie pointed to the lofty group,
'Jebel Mousa-Taveepm (MountaIn of
Moses-good!') He also reverenced it,
for he was Mohammeden.
What i'm presses the American traveller
most sensibly here is the fact that al
ihough mountains abound, and stream
beds are more plenty than in our own
White Hills, cascade or waterfall is
never heard. When the rain falls, the
water rolls down these bare, rough dag
onals uninterrupted, and empties into
the wadies, which in turn impetuously
roll in torrents into the sea with great
speed, before the parched earth has time
TO absorb more than q mere surface sup
ply.
What surprise, then, when, arrived at
the highest ridge of the vast plateu of
Err Raha, to see bright oasis full of trees
laden with the rich blossoms of spring,
backed by the strange, contrasting,
gloomy walls of the Convent of Saint
Catherine. No location could be more
charming-in the narrowing valley, nest
led at the feet of the closely protecting
mountains. Upon the highest ramparts
are set both the cannon and the cross.
1t was both castle aud convent we were
approaching. More than once the in
mates have been obliged to defend them
selves against the marauder. At one
time every monk was massacred. Since
then more care has been exercised. We
were obliged to prove our friendship be-
fore we could gain admittance. We
could not even encamp in the neighbor-
hood until our credentials were examined
and approved.
Arriving at the convent wall we sent up
a shout to the top. In the course of time
the voice of a monk sent down a squeaky
response. To point near the top of
the wall tiny structure shaped like
dog kennel is attached. From this a
small rope was let down, to which we at
tached our irman, or letter of introduce
ton, obtained at the branch institution
Suez. This was hauled up slowly and
soon answered by great noise in the
aerial kynnel. Then thick cable was
lowered to us and we were asked to "Get
in and come up" But the low gate in
the wall was swung open at that moment,
rather than go up by cable.
When we arrived at the quarters of the
superior we saw that the cable was not
let down hand over hand, but that
clumsy windlass, worked and turned by
Bedouin serfs, was the power behind the
throne. The combination is believed TO
be the first passenger elevator in the
world.
1t seems as though no semblance of
humanity should remain in place made
sacred by so many holy associations, but
the convent is inhabited by about sixty
monks varying in grades of sanctity.
Nine of them yielded to our camera. A
beardless youth afforded US considerable
amusement. Repeatedly he came to me,
with tears in his eyes, and begged for
some receipt to make his beard grow.
He said that he would not be allowed to
read chapel service until he had beard;
that nearly all the monks but him had
boards.