where were twelve wells of water, and threescore and ten palm-trees," -that, coupled with the coincidence of Wady Ithem with Etham towards the north, and of Ayoun with the encampment "by the Red Sea" to the south, there is scarcely room for a doubt as to their complete identity. When the Israelites had again reached the sea (at Ayoun), the immediate intentions of the Almighty would appear to have been accomplished; since we are told that "God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they return to Mitzraim; but God led the people about, through the way of the wilderness of the Rea Sea." Their journey, therefore, from the encampment by the Red Sea through the Wilderness of Sin, "which is between Elim and Sinai," until they reached Horeb and Mount Sinai, will have been in a direct line, in a north or rather a north-easterly direction. Having there performed sacrifice, which was their immediate and professed object in leaving Mitzraim, and having remained there a sufficient time for their organization as a nation, and the promulgation of the law by which they were to be governed upon their acquiring possession of the Promised Land, they departed for the purpose of taking such possession; and it is evident from many portions of Scripture,§ that the people, but for their own unwillingness to enter Canaan, might have “ gone up at once to possess it." Nor was it, indeed, until after the repeated refusal to do so, that the Almighty uttered the denunciation, "Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Mitzrain and in the Wilderness, have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice; surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers ;" and they were commanded to "turn, and get them into the Wilderness by the way of the Red Sea :"¶¶ when, and not before, their wanderings properly commenced. The situation of Mount Sinai is already approximately determined: it lay to the north-east of the extremity of the Gulf of Akaba. But it may be defined yet more accurately. We are told that, when Moses originally "fled from the face of Pharaoh," he "dwelt in the land of Midian,"** where he married the daughter of Jethro. This country of Midian has usually been placed on the shores of the Gulf of Akaba; it being considered to be totally distinct from that country which derived its name from Midian, the son of Abraham by Keturah, whom, together with his brethren, that patriarch sent "eastward, unto the east country:"++ that is, into the country east of Jordan. But, according to my hypothesis, the Midian of Jethro is a portion only of the parent country of Midian; so that there is no necessity for that most improbable supposition, that the same historian, Moses, should have recorded the existence of two countries of precisely the same name,‡‡ and both in connexion with his own personal history, without adverting to the fact of their being different countries, or making the slightest distinction between them. § See especially Exod. xxiii. 20–23; xxxiii. 1, 2. Numb. x. 29; xiii. 1, 2, 30. Numb. xiv. 22, 23. Numb. xiv. 25. See Exod. ii. 15, and Numb. xxxi. 1-12, &c. • Exod. ii. 15. Exod. xvi. 1. tt Gen. xxv. 6. The country of Jethro having then been situate (probably at a considerable distance) to the north-east of the head of the Gulf of Akaba, it results, that when Moses kept the flock of his father-in-law, and "led the flock to the back side or rather, to the west, of the desert, and came to the mountain of God in Horeb,"* he would have gone in the direction (westward) towards Mitzraim. Hence, when the inspired legislator of the Israelites subsequently left Midian, and "returned to the land of Mitzraim," whilst, at the same time, Aaron received the divine command "to go into the Wilderness to meet Moses," it is perfectly natural and intelligible that the brothers should have met "in the mount of God," at the very same spot, in the direct road between the two countries, to which Moses had previously wandered. Had, however, the place of meeting been the mountain which has usually borne the name of Sinai, and to which the name of Tor or Al Tour is properly applicable, it is manifest that the two brothers could not have met without a special direction from the Almighty to each of them to proceed to that out-of-the-way spot. But nothing of the kind is recorded: on the contrary, Moses is expressly commanded to "return into Mitzraim;"§ whilst, at the same time, he is told respecting Aaron, "behold, he cometh forth to meet thee."|| It results, therefore, that to the north-east of the head of the Gulf of Akaba, on the western side of the desert of Arabia, and in the direct road between Midian and Mitzraim, is Sinai, the mount of God in Horeb, to be looked for by future travellers. Rephidim, the last station before reaching Sinai, will, further, have been situate to the south or south-west of that mountain, and apparently at no great distance from it, as both were situate within the mountainous district of Horeb ;** and if, as would seem to be the inference from Deut. ix. 21 and 1 Cor. x. 4, the stream which flowed from the rock at Rephidim supplied the Israelites with water during their stay at Sinai, the course of that stream must have been in the same north or north-eastern direction as that mountain itself. The general localities of Kadesh and the wilderness of Paran cannot be mistaken they lay at the south-eastern extremity of the Promised Land.†† Between Sinai, therefore, and Kadesh, the general direction of the march of the Israelites will have been from east to west, passing below the southern extremity of the Dead Sea. Without attempting here to enter upon the consideration of the stations in this portion of their journey, I will merely observe, that, as in their progress westward they crossed the meridian of the head of the Gulf of Akaba, it is about this point of their passage that we must place Kibroth-Hattaavah, where the quails were brought " from the sea."++ The more particular positions of the several spots thus approximately determined can be fixed by local investigation alone. It is sufficient for me to have given here the general direction in which they are to be sought by Exod. iii. 1. Exod. iv. 14. tt See Numb. xiii. passim. + Exod. iv. 20. Exod. iv. 27. § Exod. iv. 19. ** See Exod. xvii. 6; Deut. v. 2. # Numb. xi. 31. those who may enjoy the opportunity of visiting these most interesting localities. That the hypothesis thus advocated, opposed as it is to opinions which have remained unquestioned during so many ages, should find opponents, might well be anticipated: it has, indeed, already met with several.* That it will, however, stand the test, not merely of party opposition, but also of the strictest impartial inquiry, is my firm conviction; and the evidence which has, on the present occasion, been adduced from the observations of the travellers Burckhardt and Rüppell, affords the most gratifying proof that that conviction is not founded in error. The importance of the facts here brought together, as connected with the elucidation of Biblical geography and history, is such as to induce me to avail myself of every opportunity of giving publicity to them, and of courting for them the closest and most serious examination.+ The foregoing remarks were sent to England for publication as long ago as the month of November 1836; but, through the omission of the friend to whom they were intrusted, they never reached their destination, and they have only lately been returned to me. I do not now find it necessary to make any alteration in them. I have, however, to add the following extract from a letter which I have since received from my brother, Mr. Wm. G. Beke, dated Bairoot, the 8th March 1837, shortly after his having been at Akaba : "About five hours to the south of Akaba, on the east side of the Gulf, and close to the sea, are a great many date-trees, and some springs. The road continues along the shore to this spot, and then turns inland, and after three days comes again to the sea. I believe near this the Damascus route joins it. There is a strange similarity between the position of the Ayoun Moussa and these wells five hours south of Akaba, with regard to Suez and Akaba respectively. The Wady Ithem is entered about seven miles above Akaba: it is a narrow passage, and there is a great rise to it from the Wady Araba." This brief account-I regret that it is not longer-does not altogether correspond with Rüppell's map, in which the road is made to leave the sea almost immediately below Akaba: neither does it tally with Burckhardt's statement, that “at about two hours to the south of the castle, the eastern range of mountains approaches the sea." I can only attempt to account for the discrepancy, by supposing my brother to have over-estimated the distance. But even allowing him to be correct, this spot does not, from Burckhardt's account of the caravan-route, appear to be a halting-place: neither is there any necessity for supposing it to have been one of the * See, in particular, a review of my Origines Biblica, in the Heidelberger Jahrbücher der Literatur for January 1835, New Series, vol. ii. pp. 43-61; which is answered in my Vertheidigung gegen Herrn Dr. Paulus, Leipzig, 1836. † See a paper in the British Magazine for June 1835, in which the subject of this paper is partially gone into. [On the general subject of the distinction between Mitzaim and Egypt, see also a paper "On the Complexion of the Ancient Egyptians," published in the Transactions of the Royal Society of Literature, vol. iii. parti.; and reprinted in the London and Edinb. Phil. Mag. for Oct. 1837, vol. ii. pp. 344-353.] stations of the Israelites; unless, indeed, it is to be regarded as the place at which they arrived immediately after passing through the sea. Riippell's assertion, that the route of the caravans does not afterwards approach the sea till it reaches Ayoun, is substantiated by my brother. Hence, the positions on the coast, given, in most maps of Arabia, to Shorafa and Moghayr Shayb (being two of the caravan-stations), are clearly erroneous. Lastly, it will be seen, from my brother's description, that the position conjecturally given by me to Wady Ithem is tolerably correct. Leipzig, 21st Dec. 1837. C. T. B. BOMBAY. IN point of striking scenery, and its immediate contiguity to antiquities of the most interesting nature, Bombay possesses great advantages over the sister presidencies; but these are counterbalanced by inconveniences of a very serious nature, to which, in consequence of the limited extent of the island, many of the inhabitants must submit. Bombay harbour presents one of the most splendid landscapes imaginable. The voyager visiting India for the first time, on nearing the superb amphitheatre, whose wood-crowned heights and rocky terraces, bright promontories and gem-like islands, are reflected in the broad blue sea, experiences none of the disappointment which is felt by all the lovers of the picturesque on approaching the low, flat coast of Bengal, with its stunted jungle. A heavy line of hills forms a beautiful outline upon the bright and sunny sky; foliage of the richest hues clothing the sides and summits of these towering eminences, while below, the fortress, intermingled with fine trees, and the wharfs running out into the sea, present, altogether, an imposing spectacle, on which the eye delights to dwell. The island of Bombay does not exceed twenty miles in circumference, and communicates with that of Salsette by a causeway built across a channel of the sea which surrounds it. It is composed of two unequal ranges of whinstone rock, with an intervening valley about three miles in breadth, and in remoter times was entirely covered with a wood of cocos. The fort is built on the south-eastern extremity of the island, and occupies a very considerable portion of ground, the outworks comprehending a circuit of two miles, being, indeed, so widely extended, as to require a very numerous garrison. The town or city of Bombay is built within the fortifications, and is nearly a mile long, extending from the Apollo gate to that of the bazaar, its breadth in some places being a quarter of a mile; the houses are picturesque, in consequence of the quantity of handsomely-carved woodwork employed in the pillars and the verandahs; but they are inconveniently crowded together, and the high, conical roofs of red tiles are very offensive to the eye, especially if accustomed to the flat-turreted and balustraded palaces of Calcutta. The Governmenthouse, which is only employed for the transaction of business, holding durbars large, convenient, but heavy-looking building, somewhat in the Dutch tasteoccupies one side of an open space in the centre of the town, called the Green. The best houses, and a very respectable church, are situated in this part of the town, and to the right extends a long and crowded bazaar, amply stocked with every kind of merchandize. Many of the rich natives have their habita tions in this bazaar, residing in large mansions built after the Asiatic manner, but so huddled together as to be exceedingly hot and disagreeable to strangers unaccustomed to breathe so confined an atmosphere. One of the principal boasts of Bombay is its docks and dock-yards: they are capacious, built of fine hard stone, and are the work of Parsee artisans, many of whom, from their talents and industry, have risen from common labourers to be wealthy ship-builders. Many splendid vessels, constructed of teak wood-the best material for building-have been launched from these docks, which contain commodious warehouses for naval stores, and are furnished with a rope-walk, which is the admiration of those who have visited the finest yards in England, being second to none, excepting that at Portsmouth. The island of Bombay, from an unwholesome swamp, has been converted into a very salubrious residence; though enough of shade still remains, the superabundant trees have been cut down, the marshes filled up, and the sea breeze, which sets in every day, blows with refreshing coolness, tempering the solar heat. The native population, which is very large, has cumbered the ground in the neighbourhood of the fortifications with closely-built suburbs, which must be passed before the visitor can reach the open country beyond, at the farther extremity of the island. The Black Town, as it is called, spreads its innumerable habitations amidst a wood of coco-nut trees-a curious, busy, bustling, but dirty quarter, swarming with men and the inferior animals, and presenting every variety of character that the whole of Asia can produce. The coco-nut gardens, beyond this populous scene, are studded with villas of various descriptions-the buildings within the fortifications being too much crowded together to be desirable; those belonging to European residents are, for the most part, merely retained as offices, the families seeking a more agreeable situation in the outskirts. Comfort, rather than elegance, has been consulted in the construction of the major portion of these villas; but any defalcation in external splendour is amply compensated by the convenience of the interiors. They are chiefly of one story, and substantially built; there are several which, on account of their delightful situation, or the happy taste of the architect, are very ornamental, and all contribute to give an air of cheerfulness to the scene. Those persons who are compelled, by business or duty, to live in the immediate vicinity of the Government-house, only occupy the houses inside the fortifications during the rainy season; at other periods of the year they live in a sort of al fresco manner, peculiar to this part of the world. A wide esplanade, stretching between the walls of the fort and the sea, and of considerable length, affords the place of retreat. At the extreme verge, a fine, hard sand forms a delightful ride or drive, meeting a strip of grass or meadow-land, which, with the exception of a portion marked off as the parade-ground of the troops in garrison, is covered with temporary buildings: some of these are exceedingly fantastic. Bungalows, constructed of poles and planks, and roofed with palm-leaves, rise in every direction, many being surrounded by beautiful parterres of flowers, blooming from innumerable pots: the interiors are lined with chintz, and rendered very tasteful by many appropriate decorations. Other persons pitch tents, which are often extensive and commodious, on this piece of ground, covering them over with a chopper, or thatched roof, supported on slender pillars, and forming a verandah all round. These canvas dwellings are supplied with glass doors and windows, the interiors are lined with gay-patterned chintz, and the single and double poles fitted up with lights, enclosed in glass shades, which have all the appearance of chandeliers. Strangers and military men, who make only a brief visit, are less particular in their Asial Journ.N.S.VOL.26. No.101. D |