The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-07-21
:: OK 9 ms.

hating place. Pihahiroth, is probably Al
rood, a name which runs back 10 the
twelfth century. From Ajrood to the sea,
four hours journey, there is n large plain.
nearly 10 miles square, whore the children
encamped. Baal-Zephon Is thought to be
the mountain southwest Of Suez, which is
now called Jebel Atakah.
We turn to the more generally accepted
theory and that concerned in the report
of Maj. Gen. Tulloch which was that the
crossing was near Suez. This satisfies all
the conditions and yet leaves room for the
miracle, with added advantage OF having
revealed proof that the waters there are
sometimes rolled back by the wind. Before
the dregding Of the canal two places In the
gulf could be forded at low water-one at
the north OF Suez two-thirds Of mile
wide. the other south, and made up of
shoals and a sand bar that at low tide
are bare, except for d narrow channel,
easily forded. Until the canal was opened
the Arabs constantly crossed on their
donkeYs.
The former passage was where Bona
parte and his suits were near drowning in
the advancing tide in 1893 The latter
passage begins opposite SueZ and runs al
most due southeast. On the western side
of the channel It is covered for mile
and a half at high tide and cannot be
forded. At low tide the surface of the wa
ter rs no more than that OF a channel 200
yards in width. which is easily forded OPP
posite Suez, as along the upper route 1t
Is only from az TO four feet In depth, al
though in other places six or seven.
The first of these two passages, while
allowing the lsraelites to cross, would
not have furnished the necessary water
for the drowning Of the Egyptians. Con-
sequently the weight Of opinion prefers
the second, as In every way satisfying the
conditions, and we may with reasonable
positiveness fix on IL as the exact route
followed by the escaping Jews in their
flight from the tyrant. There the distance
through the water is three miles, but at
low tide 1t may be forded as most of the
way there are but few feet OF water. and
on the other hand the advancing tide would
overwhelm whomsoever II should find In
Its path.
THE Lord caused the sea to 90 back
by a strong east wind all that night,
and made the sea dry land, and the waters
were divided" This may be safely inter
preted as a northeast wind, since the
Hebrews had words for the four points
of the compass only. The rise and fall
of the tide here is from 5ik to feet, and
is singularly affected in its ebb and flow
by the wind. Tischendorf says that a
northeast wind hastens the ebb most re-
markedly. Wellsted states that the rise
and fall are more influenced by the wind
at Suez than anywhere else in the Arabian
gulf. In illustrating this he declares that
when long-continued northeast wind is
followed by one from the southeast the
water suddenly rises more than six feet.
Schubert, who, with the others, is quoted
by DIR. Bartlett in his final determine
ton of the subject, asserts that the gulf
can be ridden over when severe north
east wind has blown for a long time.
NJ. de Lesseps stated that he, himself,
had seen the north end of the sea some
times really dry in certain places, and,
on the other hand. sometimes blown a
long way beyond its ordinary line toward
the Bitter lakes. Such wind storms how
ever, are rare, and occur at intervals of
from IS to 20 years. 1t is such a storm,
doubtless. that came upon Major General
Tulloch when he was engaged at Menza-
len. When the children of Israel fed
that night from the cruelties and the
insults which had made their lives a
curse for four centuries. the habit of
fear was so strong in them that they
hardly dared hope that they should finally
escape. When, after two days OF hasty
travelling, they encamped by the borders
of the sea, they were just beginning TO
dare believe that after all they might
again become men, not beasts of burden
But of sudden the guards clamor that
the enemy is upon them. on the horizon
are seen the hosts Of the Egyptians. The
rays Of the sun glimmer In halos from
the whirling wheels Of the chariots. The