Bartlett, William Henry: Forty days in the desert, on the track of the Israelites: or a journey from Cairo by Wady Feiran, to Mount Sinai and Petra (London, [1840])

ROCK OF MOSES.

35

imposing, or convenient for the head-quarters of the great leader
than this rock. After lingering awhile to indulge this fancy in its

welcome shade, I emerged on the small plain which bends round
from the mouth of the wady to the base of Djebel Hummam. Here
it struck me, at the moment, that a portion of the great host of the
Israelites might possibly have taken the route by the sea, and thus
have entered the wady at its mouth ; but as there is but one small
watering-place, Abu Suweirah, on the way, it is more probable that
the main body would keep the track by Marah.

The small plain at the end of Wady Ghurundel* we had now
to traverse, was, to all appearance, perfectly sterile and stony, and
■ as we had no inducement to make a circuit by the border of the sea,
we took a direct course towards the mouth of Wady Useit, keeping
near the desolate limestone mountains, and suffering severely, not-
withstanding the sea-breeze, from the unsheltered j^ain and fiery
heat. Djebel Hummam, bold and striking, dropped its huge
mountain-mass sheer into the sea beyond the plain, and effectually
blocked up further progress along the shore: the Israelites must,
therefore, have regained the main track by proceeding up the
difficult Wady Useit.

I had by this time discovered that Umbarak was a very bad
* Milman, speaking of Elim, says, « In this delightful resting-place they re-
mained a month," and it is not till after this that we first read of any miraculous
supply.