In the Shadow of Sinai; A Story of Travel and Research from 1895 to 1897 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos, missing text or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1898. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER VII A LEAF OF THE HEBREW ECCLESIASTICUS Of all the journeys which my sister and I have made in the East, that in the spring of 1896 is the only one which was unwillingly undertaken; and yet it has been not the least fruitful in results. We had, in truth, resolved to spend the winter quietly at home, and devote ourselves to the proofs of the Palestinian Syriac texts which we had secured, when the news we received from Cairo seemed to indicate that there might be a chance of our finding something there. If we were to go to Egypt, we thought it would be well for us to see the manuscripts at Jerusalem also, the Mesopotamian valley being then closed to all travellers, save those whose primary object, like that of our friends Dr. and Mrs. Rendel Harris, was to help the survivors of the late terrible massacres. It is easy enough to get to Jerusalem; but on reaching Cairo, we found a not wholly unexpected obstacle in our way, quarantine, an experience which we have never yet undergone, and which our genial friend, Sir George Humphry, the distinguished surgeon, had pronounced to be, even in European lands, more dangerous than the cholera. Whether it be so or not, we were determined not to expose ourselves to it, especially on shore; and as we found that no steam-boat company would arrange for one of their vessels to stop at Jaffa, or even at Beyrout, so as to let the passengers get through the ordeal on board, we cut the matter short by determining to proceed to Jerusalem on dry land, or in other words, over the short desert to Gaza. Leaving the train at Kantarah, we found our tents pitched on the Asiatic bank of the Suez Canal. Darkness brought on a vision of loveliness. Beneath the brilliant stars lay the broad strip of water which has made Africa an island, il...