Hamilton’s account of the east indies.

275

•brown, but when he arrived in Cairo , his hair was turned to a very light grey, andcontinued fo till the time he wrote to his friend at Mocha of that tragical adventure.

There are no fea-ports from Zuakin on the fouth-weft: fide of the Red Sea , till wecome to Seues, which lies near the head of the bay of that fea, which fends his oppo-fite fhores down to the fouth-eaftward, as far as Babelmandel.

Sues, or Seues feems to be the Ezion-geber, or Eloth, from whence Solomon fenthis flips to Ophir, for I have convened with feveral pilots of that navigation, whoallured me, there is no clean bottom for anchoring, but Seues, on that part of thecoaft, for mod part of the Red Sea is incumbered with coral rocks under water, andpeftered with banks, which make the navigation very dangerous. At prfent, Seues isthe only fea-port for Grand Cairo , from whence it is three days journey by land, witha caffilla or caravan, but on horfe-back but two fhort days. In Cairo the Englifh andTrench keep their confuls, for the fupport of the trade of their refpective countries.

In Anno 1714, Mr. Farrington was conful for the Englifh, he had a very fair cha-racter from all people, as well merchants as the religious that came from Cairo toMocha, which made me prefume to trouble him with a letter, giving him the bell ac-.count I could of the date of merchandize in India , and to have his advice, whether itmight be practicable to cultivate a trade from India to Seues, which letter he very ci-villy anfvvered, and next year it came to my hand, but he diffuaded me from any at-tempt that way, becaufe of the intolerable avarice and infults of the Turkifh bafliaws,and other officers of note, with -, thc contempt they have for merchants, efpecially•chriftians, he affured me, that it is impoffible to be a gainer by fu.ch commerce.

Chap. IV .—Gives a little Defcription of the Coafh of Arabia the Jrlappy, from MountSinai to Mocha, with fame Obfervations on the Religion, Cufioms and Laws , as theyare now ejlablijhed.

OVER againft Seues, on the Arabian fhore, Hands Mount Sinai, about 5 or 6leagues from the fea; and on its fouth-weft fide, near the bottom, is the monafteryof St. Katharina. The mount is much revered by the Jews , and the monaftery by theChriftians; it is very ancient, and held in fome veneration by the Mahometans, whofepilgrims to Mecca, from Egypt , Turkey, and Paleftine, pafs clofe by, both in theirgoing and returning, as do likewife the Caffillas, and other paffengers that go on traf-fic to Judda, a city four days journey from Mecca , where Mahomet lies interred : andthe great concourfe of pilgrims (from all parts where his religion is fpread) brings agreat trade thither.

There is a tradition, that, as Mahomet was going on an expedition to Paleftine, hecalled at that monaftery for refrefhments, and the monjcs generoufly affifted him; andacknowledgement of their civility, he gave them a charter, which they ftill keep,therein he gave them many immunities, and laid his heavy curie on all, who fhoulda fter that time dare to moleft that monaftery.

The building is ftrong and high, and no gate or door to enter into it but one, whichHands about ten yards high (in the wall) from the ground. It has a large inclofureadjoining to it, with a high wall, to keep the wild Arabs for robbing them of theiraru rnal provifions; for they are fuch vile thieves , that they had rather venture to lietinder the anathema of their prophet, than to keep their hands from robbery.

Its prefent poffelfors are Neftorian and Jacobin monks, who are maintained by thecharity of paffengers, and a little revenue that belongs to the monaftery. The chrif-

n n 2 tians,