DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4592#0126
126 MOUNT SINAI.
at about 10 o'clock, we had a distant view of Sinai-
From this eminence we made a long descent over a
Sroad sandy space, wholly bare of vegetation. At
the termination of this, we entered upon a broken,
rocky path, and commenced an ascent among huge
rocks "which had been hurled about in the most pro-
miscuous confusion. The mountains on each side of
us gathered a wild, dark, and most desolate appear-
ance. Their broad, craggy sides rose in every fan-
tastic form, while often their towering peaks seemed
reared to battle the clouds of heaven. We dismounted
and walked through this solitary and dreary pass.
The sun shone clear and the heat was very oppress-
ive. Our camels wound along their difficult way, in
the midst of rocks piled on rocks, for about one hour
and a half. In several places we saw on the moun-
tain sides copper ore, and gathered a few specimens.
In many places it appeared to be very abundant, but
how valuable I was not enabled to judge. At length,
making a turn in this mountain pass, we saw the val-
ley before us extended into a plain of about half a
mile wide, while directly in front was Sinai, with its
dark craggy sides and awful towering peaks. The
view we had of it from this point seemed to present
its base as but a few rods before us, while, in reality,
it was more than two miles distant. The plain on
which we now entered, ascended gradually for about
one mile, and then descended about the same dis-
tance to near the foot of the mount. When we
commenced the descent, the convent became visible—
lonely but grand in the midst of the solitude. It is
situated at the foot of Mount Sinai, and on the cast
at about 10 o'clock, we had a distant view of Sinai-
From this eminence we made a long descent over a
Sroad sandy space, wholly bare of vegetation. At
the termination of this, we entered upon a broken,
rocky path, and commenced an ascent among huge
rocks "which had been hurled about in the most pro-
miscuous confusion. The mountains on each side of
us gathered a wild, dark, and most desolate appear-
ance. Their broad, craggy sides rose in every fan-
tastic form, while often their towering peaks seemed
reared to battle the clouds of heaven. We dismounted
and walked through this solitary and dreary pass.
The sun shone clear and the heat was very oppress-
ive. Our camels wound along their difficult way, in
the midst of rocks piled on rocks, for about one hour
and a half. In several places we saw on the moun-
tain sides copper ore, and gathered a few specimens.
In many places it appeared to be very abundant, but
how valuable I was not enabled to judge. At length,
making a turn in this mountain pass, we saw the val-
ley before us extended into a plain of about half a
mile wide, while directly in front was Sinai, with its
dark craggy sides and awful towering peaks. The
view we had of it from this point seemed to present
its base as but a few rods before us, while, in reality,
it was more than two miles distant. The plain on
which we now entered, ascended gradually for about
one mile, and then descended about the same dis-
tance to near the foot of the mount. When we
commenced the descent, the convent became visible—
lonely but grand in the midst of the solitude. It is
situated at the foot of Mount Sinai, and on the cast