After proceeding through the Wádí Sh'ueib, we turned into Wádí Sheikh, which, owing to the insular mass of hill which I have already mentioned, is of no great breadth at its entrance. It afterwards extends to the breadth of half a mile. Passing down Wádí Sheikh for an hour, going almost directly north-east, we pitched at the northern radix of Jebel ed-Deir, at the mouth of the Wádí es-Sebáíyah, which runs round Jebel ed-Deir on the east to the base of Jebel Músá. This was our last encampment in Sinai, or Horeb.

25th February.-Last night, it was extremely cold and cutting at this height above the sea, and with the change which we had made from the snug and comfortable convent to our thin tents; and the ground this morning was covered with hoar-frost. Before starting, we examined the opening of Wádí es-Sabáíyah, which we found to be much wider than we had supposed. Mr. Sherlock remained at it for some time, endeavouring to measure it by pacing, and directing our artist in making a sketch of Jebel Músá in the distance, which he took in the valley about a quarter of an hour from its entrance, Jebel Músá pointing S.S.W. This sketch I submit to my readers in a reduced form, as it gives a much better idea of the mountains and pinnacles which it includes

than any description in words. Part of the encampment of the Israelites at the giving of the law, might be in this valley, and in the contiguous parts of Wádi esh-Sheikh, as well as in Wádí er-Ráḥah, if the last mentioned valley, where the body of them doubtless was, was found too small for their accommodation.

Starting on our journey, we proceeded through Wádí Sheikh, inclining a little more to the north than we had done last night. The view of the mountain barriers on each side of us, rising from 500 to 1000 feet, and terminating in culminating peaks, was remarkably interesting. Here and there we had a tolerable pasturage for the desert, of herbaceous and ligneous plants, grass being altogether wanting.

After we had made an hour's progress, we arrived at the tomb of Sheikh Saleh, which has been brought to particular notice by Burckhardt, whose account, as well as that of Dr. Robinson, I beg here to introduce :

BURCKHARDT, p. 489.

"In the afternoon, we crossed the mountain by a bypath, fell again into the Wady el Sheikh, and at the end of eight hours from our setting out in the morning, reached the tomb of

(مقام سیدنا صالح) Sheikh Saaleh

from which the whole valley takes its name. The coffin of the Sheikh is deposited in a small rude stone building; and is surrounded by a thin partition of wood, hung with green cloth, upon which several prayers are embroidered. On the walls are suspended silk tassels, handkerchiefs, ostrich-eggs, camel halters, bridles, &c., the offerings of the Bedouins, who visit this tomb. I could not learn exactly the history of this Sheikh Szaleh: some said that he was the forefather of the tribe of Szowaleha; others the great Moslem prophet Szalch, sent to the

ROBINSON, Vol. i. p. 215.

"After another hour we passed the mouth of the small Wady el-Mukhlefeh, which enters from the right, and came immediately (at 3 o'clock) to the tomb of the Sheikh Sâlih, one of the most sacred spots for the Arabs in all the peninsula. It is merely a small rude hut of stones, in which the coffin of the saint is surrounded by a partition of wood, hung with cloth, around which are suspended handkerchiefs, camels' halters, and other offerings of the Bedawîn. The history of this saint is uncertain; but our Arabs held him to be the proge nitor of their tribe, the Sawâlihah; which is not improbable. Once a year, in the latter part of June, all the tribes of the Táwarah make a pilgrimage to this tomb, and encamp around it for three days. This is their great festival. We dismounted

WADI ESH-SHEIKH-TOMB OF SALEH.

tribe of Thamoud, and who is mentioned in the Koran; and others, again, that he was a local saint, which I believe to be the truth. Among the Bedouins, this tomb is the most revered spot in the peninsula, next to the mountain of Moses; they make frequent vows to kill a sheep in honour of the Sheikh, should a wishedfor event take place; and if this happens, the votary repairs to the tomb with his family and friends, and there passes a day of conviviality. Once in every year all the tribes of the Towara repair hither in pilgrimage, and remain encamped in the valley round the tomb for three days. Many sheep are then killed, camel races are run, and the whole night is passed in dancing and singing. The men and women are dressed in their best attire. The festival, which is the greatest among these people, usually takes place in the latter part of June, when the Nile begins to rise in Egypt, and the plague subsides; and a caravan leaves Sinai immediately after for Cairo. It is just at this period, too, that the dates ripen in the valleys of the lower chain of Sinai; and the pilgrimage to Sheikh Szaleh thus becomes the most remarkable period in the Bedouin year."

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and entered the building; at which our guides seemed rather gratified, and prided themselves on the interest we took in their traditions."

Burckhardt, who is generally extremely accurate in his observations, makes here a few little slips, probably because, in the journey on which he visited this tomb, he abstained from taking notes in the presence of the Arabs. These slips Dr. Robinson, perhaps making out his account of the erection more from Burckhardt's work than his own memoranda, very simply repeats. The "small rude stone building" of the German, alias the "small rude hut of stones" of the American, is a circular building six yards in diameter, and four yards high, and surmounted by a regular dome.

The "thin partition of wood, hung with green cloth,” alias the "partition of wood hung with cloth," is a frame-work supporting the pall, covering the coffin, on the sides and ends of which are embroidered inscriptions. The "offerings of the Badawín" are suspended neither "on the walls," nor "around the partitions of wood;" but from beams running across the enclosure above. The denominative

مقام سيدنا صالح ,inscription is not that of Burckhardt

literally, "the resting place of our Lord Sáleh," but, as we

this is the هذا مقام النبي صالح ,copied it on the spot

resting place of the prophet Sáleḥ." This inscription occupies the east side of the pall. On the west and south we have the Muhammadan creed :-"There is no god but God, and Muḥammad is his messenger." On the east there is a line, which, if I remember correctly, was, "There is no god but the one God, who has no equal." I think with Dr. Robinson's Arabs, that Sáleh here interred was probably the progenitor of the Sawáliḥah Arabs. The tailors of Cairo, in making the pall for the Badawín patriarch, with the help of some clerk who furnished them with the model inscription, may have canonized him, and dignified him with the title of "prophet."1

1 Of the tribe of Thamúd, and the "prophet Saleh" of the Muhammadans, Sale takes the following notice:"The tribe of Thamúd were the posterity of Thamúd, the son of Gather, the son of Aram, who falling into idolatry, the prophet Sáleh was sent to bring them back to the knowledge of the true God. This prophet lived between the time of Hud and of Abraham, and therefore cannot be the same with the patriarch Selah, as Mr. d'Herbelot imagines. The learned Bochart, with more probability, takes him to be Phaleg. A small number

of the people of Thamúd hearkened to the remonstrances of Sáleh, but the rest requiring, as a proof of his mission, that he should cause a shecamel big with young to come out of a rock in their presence, he accordingly obtained it of God, and the camel was immediately delivered of a young one ready weaned; but they, instead of believing, cut the hamstrings of the camel, and killed her; at which act of impiety God being highly displeased, three days after struck them dead in their houses by an earthquake and a terrible noise