ROBERTUS.

The

1841.

WE had not thought so soon to have addressed ourselves to another book on the geography and antiquities of the Holy Land, and the neighbouring countries of biblical interest; but the elaborate volumes in our hands are of too much importance to be pretermitted. Of tours and compilations an ample store is extant, and in every variety of taste; from the dry dissertations of innumerable statists, geographers, and antiquaries, to the imaginative sentimentalism of Chateaubriand; from the flippant antiChristian infidelity of Volney, to the glowing omnivorous credulity of Geramb; from the debasing materialism of philosophists, who see in man only a terrestrial machine, to the pious philanthropy

of Christian missionaries, who regard him as a compound being, endued with an immortal soul, which must be happy or miserable for ever, and for whose everlasting welfare the Almighty and merciful Creator has bestowed a revelation of the divine will, giving Jesus Christ the Son of God to be a ransom for his transgressions, and proffering to him the grace of the Holy Spirit to enlighten, soften, regenerate, and purify him, and to make him meet for the inheritance of heaven. Many travellers in the east have happily combined the qualifications of accurate intelligent observers, with the exalted feelings and sympathies of Christians; among whom several of our own countrymen, both in

former days, and in modern times, have been honourably distinguished.

It might seem that another work upon the Holy Land and its vicinity could be well spared, when it is remembered that the books already printed on the subject would form a little library. Dr. Robinson, confining his attention to the writings of the earlier visitors, and to "the most important or popular works" of the last three centuries and a half, enumerates more than a hundred and fifty; all of which, he says, have been consulted in the preparation of the present volumes. But this multiplicity defies reference, so that it might not be superfluous even yet for several compilers, eminent in the chief departments of literature and science, profane and human, to analyze the mass of facts, and to condense them into a complete encyclopedia of the Holy Land and its contiguities.

If an editor duly qualified, and aided by learned and scientific confederates, were to undertake this laborious task, a work might be produced which would supersede many of the tours and compends to which the careful student is obliged to have recourse. The work however in our hands is not precisely of this character; for though Dr. Robinson, with his eminent diligence and ability, has sifted the vast heaps of materials collected by his predecessors, the specific feature of his volumes is their fidelity in original investigation, by means of which many important particulars have been confirmed, doubts have been resolved, and much new information has been collected.

Professor Robinson's qualifications for the service which he undertook, are well known to biblical scholars from his former

publications; and of the present work he says, "It is the fruit of studies and plans of life running back for nearly twenty years; and for the last four years it has occupied, more or less exclusively, well nigh all my waking hours.' He was accompanied by the Rev. Eli Smith, one of the American missionaries at Beyrout, whose valuable researches in Armenia and Persia, in twain with Mr. Dwight, his fellow-traveller, were published in England; and whose intimate acquaintance with the Arabic language, and his familiarity with the manners and customs of the people of Syria, afforded great facilities for the successful prosecution of the interesting labours recorded in the present volumes.

It is due to Dr. Robinson and his colleague, and also to our own readers, that we should give some account of this publication; because from its character it is not likely to flit glibly through bookclubs, or to be in large demand at circulating libraries; for though Dr. Robinson has been persuaded to interweave personal incidents, instead of confining himself, as he at first intended, to the results of their researches, yet the work is rather for information than amusement; it embodies comparatively few of those facetious or extraordinary circumstances which some travellers are pleased to invent or exaggerate in order to embellish a dry narrative; its dates and measurements, itsArabic lists of names and amendments of latitude and longitude, are not popularly attractive; nor perhaps will even the important portions connected with historical geography and topographical tradition, though enriched by much learned statement and some novel discoveries, greatly interest those who have not acquired so much previous knowledge of these mat

ters as to wish for more, or at

not determine the point where the orb of day would appear. The sunlight

days of hasty reading, to peruse about two thousand pages upon these subjects. Our statements and extracts will therefore have the

advantage of novelty, while they will aid those who wish to pursue such researches to ascertain how far these volumes will answer their purpose.

Dr. Robertson arrived in England with his family from New York in July 1837, and made a short stay in this country, visiting, among other places besides the metropolis, the University of Oxford, where he spent a few days Wamidst the calm dignity of its scholastic halls." Proceeding on his tour, he left his family with some friends in Germany, and repaired to Trieste, where he embarked in a steam-vessel for the Levant. As the learned Pro

fessor is too much occupied with serious business to allow himself very often to be romantic, we must, by way of episode, quote his matin musing on the altitudes of the Acropolis. Like Dr. Johnson at Iona, he evinces that lexicography does not dry up the sluices of taste and poetry, of imagination and feeling; though to be sure a steam craft landing its passengers at the Piræus, and

an

" omnibus" conveying them thence to the city of Pallas, detract something from classical associations.

"On one of the last mornings of our stay in Athens, I went very early to the Acropolis, to see the sun rise over Mount Hymettus. The morning was clear and cold; a frost, for the first time, had left slight traces of ice in the streets. I was alone upon the Acropolis, in the midst of the solemn grandeur of its desolations. Seating myself within the ruins of the Par. thenon, where the eye could command the whole horizon through the columns of the eastern portico, I waited for the rising sun. The whole sky was so resplendent, that for a long time I could

on the northern mountains, falling between Hymettus and Pentelicus. Small fleecy clouds came floating on the north wind; and, as they hovered over Hymettus and met the rays of the sun, were changed to liquid gold. At length the first beams fell upon the Parthenon, and lighted up its marbles and its columns with a silvery splendour. It was one of those moments in the life of man which can never be forgotten."

The Professor set his foot on the shores of Egypt on the last reiterate the ordinary routine of We will not day of the year. sight-seeing at Alexandria or Cairo, at Thebes or Memphis; nor are we bound to say one word of the Sphynx, the pyramids, or Mohammed Ali, regarding the good and evil of whose rule, Dr. Robinson concurs with most reflecting persons, that though he is harsh and oppressive to his subjects, and the most grinding monopolist in the wide world, yet that his encouragement of commerce and European science and literature; his toleration to Christians; his power and justice in curbing the wild Arabs, South, East, and West; and his opening his territories to European travel, so that a Frank may wander alone through his dominions without molestation; are preparing the way for the rapid civilization and prosperity of Egypt, and, we trust, for the fulfilment of those prophecies which tell of the downfall of the Mohammedan Antichrist, and the enlargement of the kingdom of the Messiah. Our author repels as follows the scoffing remark that Ali Pacha, in seizing the produce of the land, only follows the example of Pharaoh of old acting under the counsel of Joseph.

"The people of Egypt, formerly the owners as well as the tillers of the soil, would seem to be an object of peculiar and wanton oppression to the government, or at least to its subordinate

ministers. Whenever requisitions are made upon the people by the former, the latter are sure to extort nearly the double. By a single decree, the Pacha declared himself to be the sole owner of all the lands in Egypt; and the people of course became at once only his

tenants at will, or rather his slaves. It is interesting to compare this proceeding with a similar event in the ancient history of Egypt under the Pharaohs. (Gen xlvii. 18-26.) At the entreaty of the people themselves, Joseph bought them and their land for Pharaoh, so that the land became Pharaoh's;' but he gave them bread in return, to sustain them and their fami

lies in the time of famine. Only the land of the priests he bought not;' but the modern Phoraoh made no exception, and stripped the mosks, and other religious and charitable institutions of their landed endowments, as mercilessly as the rest. Joseph also gave the people seed to sow, and required for the king only a fifth of the produce, leaving four fifths to them as their own property; but now, though seed is in like manner given out, yet every village is compelled to cultivate two thirds of its lands with cotton and other articles solely for the Pasha; and also to render back to him, in the form of taxes and exactions in kind, a large proportion of the produce of the remaining third. And further, not only is every individual held reponsible for the burdens laid upon himself, but also, as the inhabitant of a village, he is bound to make good in part or in whole, as the case may be, the delinquency or arrears of every other inhabitant. Sometimes, too, a village which has paid up all its own dues, is compelled to make good the arrears of another village. As might be expected, in such a state of things, there is among the peasantry an utter depravation of morals and degradation of character."

We next track our author, accompanied by Eli Smith, to Suez, on their way to Mount Sinai. The Professor had long meditated a work on biblical geography, and was desirous of satisfying himself by personal observation as to many points on which he could not find information in the books of former travellers; but neither he nor his companion had thought of making new discoveries; so that they carried out no scientific instruments except

some compasses, a thermometer, a telescope, and measuring tapes. But when they came to Sinai, and observed much that had been left undescribed, and afterwards discovered in the deserts, as they felt assured, the names and sites of long-forgotten cities, they determined to enlarge their plan, and to treasure up all that was in their power, each keeping a journal of whatever was memorable. It was not till Dr. Robinson compiled these volumes that

he perused his friends' observations, which he found strikingly coincided with his own; the latter however being more full in regard to what they saw, and the former to what they heard; Mr. Smith's acquaintance with Arabic enabling him to collect knowledge from the natives by the ear, while his old college-tutor was making observations with his eyes.

Our travellers being now fairly embarked upon the deserts, in their march from Cairo to the Red Sea, we will give a sketch of their party.

"Our Arabs, as they walked by our side, were full of song and glee, at the idea of being once more free from the city, and abroad upon their native wastes. To me also it was a new and exciting feeling, to find ourselves thus alone in the midst of the desert, in the true style of oriental travel; carrying with us our house, our provisions, and our supply of water for many days; and surrounded by camels and the wildsons of the desert,' in a region where the eye could find nought to rest upon but desolation. It was a scene which had often taken possession of had not dared to hope would ever be my youthful imagination; but which I realised. Yet all was now present in reality; and the journey which had so long been the object of my desires and aims, was actually begun.

The evening had already closed in, and the moon was shining brightly, when we halted for the night. The tent was soon pitched; a fire kindled; and as it was now too late to let the camels browse, they were made to lie down around the tent, and were fed with a small quantity of beans in a bag

drawn over the nose. To secure them for the night they are usually fastened one to another; or a halter is tied round one of the fore legs, as it lies folded together, in order to prevent the animal from rising. It was too late, and the situation too new, to think of much comfort in this our first night in a tent; and therefore arranging our beds, each as he best could, we soon laid ourselves down to rest."

Dr. Robinson proceeds to inquire by which route the children of Israel passed from Egypt to the Red Sea; and comes to the conclusion, now generally received by biblical scholars, that the land of Goshen lay on the Pelusiac arm of the Nile, and was the part of Egypt nearest to Palestine, whence the route is obvious. He says:

"We were quite satisfied from our own observation, that they could not have passed to the Red Sea from any point near Heliopolis or Cairo in three days, the longest interval which the language of the narrative allows. Both the distance and the want of water on all the routes, are fatal to such an hypothesis. We read, that there were six hundred thousand men

of the Israelites above twenty years of age, who left Egypt on foot.

There

must of course have been as many women above twenty years old; and at least an equal number both of males and females under the same age; besides the mixed multitude' spoken of, and very much cattle. The whole number therefore probably amounted to two and a half millions, and certainly to not less than two millions. Now

the usual day's march of the best appointed armies, both in ancient and modern times, is not estimated higher than fourteen English, or twelve geographical miles; and it cannot be supposed that the Israelites, encumbered with women and children and flocks, would be able to accomplish more. But the distance on all these routes being not less than sixty geographical miles, they could not well have travelled it in any case in less than five days.

The difficulty as to water might indeed have been obviated, so far as the Israelites were concerned, by taking with them a supply from the Nile, like the caravans of modern days. Pharaoh appears to have followed them upon the same track with all his horses and chariots and horsemen; and this

But

could not have taken place upon any of the routes between Cairo and the Red Sea. Horses are indeed often taken across at the present day; but then a supply of water must be provided for them, usually about two water skins for each horse."

"That the land of Goshen lay upon the waters of the Nile, is apparent from the circumstance, that the Israelites practised irrigation; that it was a land of seed, figs, vines, and pomegranates; that the people ate of fish freely; while the enumeration of the articles for which they longed in the desert, corresponds remarkably with the list given by Mr. Lane as the food of the modern Fellahs. All this goes to shew, that the Israelites, when in Egypt, lived much as the Egyptians do now; and that Goshen probably extended further west and more into the Delta than has usually been supposed."

"From the land of Goshen, as thus defined, to the Red Sea, the direct and only route was along the valley of the ancient canal. The Israelites broke up from their rendezvous at Rameses

on the fifteenth day of the first month, on the morrow after the passover;' and proceeded by Succoth and Etham to the sea.

"From Rameses to the head of the Gulf, according to the preceding data, would be a distance of some thirty or thirty-five miles; which might easily have been passed over by the Israelites in three days. A large portion of the people were apparently already collected at Rameses, waiting for permis. sion to depart, when the last great plague took place."

Having followed the Israelites to the Red Sea, Dr. Robinson offers the results of his reflections

respecting their passage through it. He thinks that the spot where they crossed could not be far from Suez, and he reasons upon the facts as follows:

"In this narration (Ex. xiv. 11, 12. 21-28.) there are two main points on which the whole question may be said to turn. The first is, the means or instrument with which the miracle was wrought. The Lord, it is said, caused the sea to go (or flow out) by a strong east wind. The miracle therefore is represented as mediate; not a direct suspension of or interference with the laws of nature, but a miraculous adaptation of those laws to produce a required result. It was wrought by natural supernaturally applied. For

means