DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.12664#0256
THE BITTER FOUNTAIN.
245
was a feature of their character also. At all
events, I was disposed to consider this the foun-
tain, and would fain have performed the duty of a
pious pilgrim by making my noonday meal at its
brink ; but, as in the days of Moses, we could not
drink of the waters of Marah, " for they were bit-
ter." I do not wonder that the people murmured,
for even our camels would not drink of them. The
ground around the fountain was white with salt.
In about two hours more we came to the valley of
Gheronclel, a large valley with palm-trees ; away
at the right, in the mountains, is another spring of
water, which Shaw makes the bitter fountain of
Moses, the water being also undrinkable.
That night Paul was unwell; and, as it always
happened with him when he had a headache, he
thought he was going to die. As soon as we
pitched our tent I made him lie down; and not
knowing exactly how to deal with his real and
fancied ailments, gave him some hot tea, and then
piled upon him quilts, blankets, empty sacks, sad-
dle-cloths, and every other covering I could findy
until he cried for quarter. I had no difficul-
ty in cooking my own supper, and, I remem-
ber, tried the savage taste of my Bedouins with
the China weed, which they liked exceedingly^
when so abundantly sweetened as utterly to. de-
stroy the flavour of it
x2
245
was a feature of their character also. At all
events, I was disposed to consider this the foun-
tain, and would fain have performed the duty of a
pious pilgrim by making my noonday meal at its
brink ; but, as in the days of Moses, we could not
drink of the waters of Marah, " for they were bit-
ter." I do not wonder that the people murmured,
for even our camels would not drink of them. The
ground around the fountain was white with salt.
In about two hours more we came to the valley of
Gheronclel, a large valley with palm-trees ; away
at the right, in the mountains, is another spring of
water, which Shaw makes the bitter fountain of
Moses, the water being also undrinkable.
That night Paul was unwell; and, as it always
happened with him when he had a headache, he
thought he was going to die. As soon as we
pitched our tent I made him lie down; and not
knowing exactly how to deal with his real and
fancied ailments, gave him some hot tea, and then
piled upon him quilts, blankets, empty sacks, sad-
dle-cloths, and every other covering I could findy
until he cried for quarter. I had no difficul-
ty in cooking my own supper, and, I remem-
ber, tried the savage taste of my Bedouins with
the China weed, which they liked exceedingly^
when so abundantly sweetened as utterly to. de-
stroy the flavour of it
x2