DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.5295#0284
248 TRAVELS IN EGYPT, NUBIA,
daubs that adorned it. He left his pipe, to repeat evening
prayers; and having finished them, took to it again. This
seemed his only occupation. Though I had an interpreter
with me, I could gain no information as to the state of the
peasantry in his neighbourhood : what I saw was wretched.
Our party slept on boards; we rose early, continued our
excursion towards the summit of the chain we had proposed
to reach. In a short time, we were amongst myrtles in full
bloom, and fir trees: there was nothing else to interest me
for two hours, till we arrived at a space of ground cleared of
Avood, where was a square range of buildings belonging to
one of the bishops, who literally kept a tabic d'hote for some
of the rich inhabitants, who had left the unwholesome plains
to breathe the pure air of the hills. I was introduced to
him, was invited to remain, and I dined with his party at
twelve o'clock, without any thing worthy of remark passing.
After which our party was increased by some of his, and we
ascended to the summit of the mountain of the holy cross,
Avhere stood a small convent shut out, as it were, from the
rest of the world ; inhabited by two or three monks, who
seemed to have no other occupation beyond saying their
mass and watching the precious deposit of a small piece of
the cross on which our Saviour was crucified. From the ter-
race of a small garden, in the rear of this convent, is an ex-
tensive view of part of the south side of the island, seen as
daubs that adorned it. He left his pipe, to repeat evening
prayers; and having finished them, took to it again. This
seemed his only occupation. Though I had an interpreter
with me, I could gain no information as to the state of the
peasantry in his neighbourhood : what I saw was wretched.
Our party slept on boards; we rose early, continued our
excursion towards the summit of the chain we had proposed
to reach. In a short time, we were amongst myrtles in full
bloom, and fir trees: there was nothing else to interest me
for two hours, till we arrived at a space of ground cleared of
Avood, where was a square range of buildings belonging to
one of the bishops, who literally kept a tabic d'hote for some
of the rich inhabitants, who had left the unwholesome plains
to breathe the pure air of the hills. I was introduced to
him, was invited to remain, and I dined with his party at
twelve o'clock, without any thing worthy of remark passing.
After which our party was increased by some of his, and we
ascended to the summit of the mountain of the holy cross,
Avhere stood a small convent shut out, as it were, from the
rest of the world ; inhabited by two or three monks, who
seemed to have no other occupation beyond saying their
mass and watching the precious deposit of a small piece of
the cross on which our Saviour was crucified. From the ter-
race of a small garden, in the rear of this convent, is an ex-
tensive view of part of the south side of the island, seen as