Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-02-28
On THE HEIGHTS OF SINAI.
Prof. Bolton Describes His Journey in
the Wilderness.

the Wilderness.
CANNOT BE STOPPED WHEN HE GETS UNDER WAY
THE VIEW FROM THE MoUNTAIN-A MoNAs-
Terry ALMOST INACCESSIBLE TO THE TOURISTS.
The cold, disagreeable drizzle that made out
door travelling most undesirable pastime last
evening did not prevent several hundred
people from making the pilgrimage to the
national museum in order to hear Prof H. Car
rington Bottoms delightful lecture on the sub
ject of -Four weeks in the wilderness of Sinai"
This lecture was the last in the first half Of the
course given under the auspices of the scien-
unc societies of this city. The second half
will begin week from tomorrow. The lee
tire last night was one of the most interesting
that have been delivered this winter, being
illustrated by large number Of excellent Ian
tern-s!ide views from photographs taken by
Prof. Bolton during his tour. The lecturer
was handicapped i'll the delivery of what he had
to say by a severe cold, which affected his voice
10 an embarrassing degree, but he more than
made up for this fault by the brilliant and
witty way in which he told the story of his hard
journey through one of the bleakest countries
that can be imagined. The peninsula Of Sinai,
he said, is one of the most interesting little
countries on earth it is of no political or COM
mercial Importance; agrlculturally IL Is des-
ert; but to the thoughtful traveller the country
has peculiar attractions from historical and
theological standpoints and it is of supreme
interest to Christians. Israelites and Moham-
medans The theological side of the lecture
was not of any startling proportions, rather to
the relief of a majority of the audience, the
discourse being mostly confined to descrip-
ton Of tn nature of the country and the mode
OF travelling.
TIE MONASTERY.
At the monastery of ST. Catherine on Mount
Sinai, said Prof. Bolton, the register shows the
names of about fifteen travellers a year who
visit the spot, outside of the regular pilgrims,
80 hard il 1t OF access. There are no
railroads in this country, no carriage
roads, no horses. no donkeys, no inns.
no houses of refuge, little to eat and less to
drink. The trip from SueZ to Sinai is a ride of
fifteen days on camel back and the traveller
must spend at least eighteen days in tents, ex-
posed to the cold sand storms and the many
other dangers of the desert; he must have
good health a large amount of physical endur-
ance, congenial and faithful companion and
well-tilled purse. The arrangements for the
journey are made at Cairo, consisting of the
hiring OF a dragoman and the payment to him
OF a cash advance of three-fourths of the travel
ing expenses, and the mutual signing of con-
tract between the traveller and the dragoman,
which stipulates in exact terms the route to be
pursued, the mode of travel, the menu for the
meals for the journey, the terms to be de-
manded by each party to the document and
various little matters connected with the trav-
cling OF foreigners in a country among rather
wild and untamed people.
CONTRACT WITH A DRAaoMAN.
Prof. Bolton produced and read copy of
such contract, which was the one signed by
him and dragoman, whose name began with
the word "Hana," which in Arabic means the
aS IN ant
stipulated that the itinerary should not be
changed; that the traveller should pay the
dragoman the sum Of is. sterling day dur
ing the trip and the sum of 80 for the expense
OF the OUTFIT; the dragOman was to provide two
Clean towels every five days and to set table
that ought to enable any ordinary mortal to
live, even in desert including jam and mar
malade with a three-course dinner One OF
the most peculiar and safe provisions OF the
contract was that the dragoman should stand
all loss from demands from Arabs for toll
money; all peculation on the part OF these same
individuals or blackmail; but the drivers were
not to be held responsible for any delays that
might occur through the death of camels.
Among the first pictures shown was that of
Sir Hama, the dragoman, whom the lecturer
praised In nigh manner, saying that he car
ried out his part OF the contract in most salts
factory manner. He was not handsome in
dlvldual IN the least, being typical Arab, with
very black skin and dressed in the fantastic
costume of the desert. He had but one weak
ness and that was the idea that he could subdue
the most fractions Bedouins with his whip,
which he carried with him constantly, being
engaged quite frequently in rows of one sort
and another with his men. He spoke good
Arabian, fair French and little English
Soon after the portrait Of the dragoman came
a picture of the lecturer himself, which he
modestly designated as zone of our party"
he was standing by his camel, ready to mount
process which he described as being very
difficult to accomplish at first.
THE JOYS OF CAMEL RIDING.
The camel, he said, is a very ugly beast.
having frightful temper. 1t is in a chronic
state of roaring with rage" 1t roars in the
morning when 1t Is given its pack and it is SO
accustomed to losing its temper that it actually
roars with rage when the pack is taken OF at
night. When one mounts the camel invariably
rises too soon and throws the luckless traveller
who has never done the thing before.
Bedouln puts his foot on the cameIs fore leg
and the traveller hops into the saddle. Then
the great animal begins to rise by stretching
out his front legs, which are enormously long
this serving to throw the rider violently back
ward toward the animals tail But before he
has time to 90 too far the beast stretches out
his hind feet, which are much longer than the
front ones, and the rider is tossed forward
upon the animals neck. Then there is an
other plunge aud all il still until the camel
eighty to ninety-tive distinct angular jolts a
minute. The camel usually walks and some
times trots, but that. much to the delight of
the traveller, Is very Seldom. OF all gaits DOS
sessed by the camel the most agreeable is
standing still. When one Of these animals gets
to going 1t Is almost impossible to stop him
and the only way in which it is possible to put
anything like check upon his speed is to cali
out to the dragoman, Hama, stop my camel"
II native wishes to stop his beast he simply
slips from his back and running around the
animal, stands STILL whereat the camel does the
same.
Exhibiting the picture of a Bedouin camel
driver, the lecturer said that these people seem
to be veritable examples of the law of the sur
vival of the fittest, for when their children be-
come i'll their parents do nothing for them.
saying that II it is "Allah's will' they will get
well, but 1t Is not 'Allah's will" they will die
THE CARAVAN.
The caravan consisted of twelve camels, one
to carry water. Each camel is capable of car
rying from 500 to 700 pounds and sucb a COR