Page:Biographia Hibernica volume 1.djvu/486

 CLAYTON. appeared in 1754, in which he attempts to give an ac- 475 count of the formation of the earth, and of tbe deluge. In 1753, he published “A Journal from Grand Cairo. to Mount Sinai, and back again. Translated from a Ma- nuscript, written by the Prefetto of Egypt; in company with the Missionaries de Propaganda Fide, at Grand Cairo. To which are added, some Remarks on the Origin of Hieroglyphics, and the Mythology of the ancient Heathens," London, 4to, and 8vo. This work was dedi- cated to the Society of Antiquaries. The bishop having become possessed of the original journal from Grand Cairo to Mount Sinai, and which had been mentioned by Dr. Pococke in his Travels through the East, offered this translation of it to the antiquaries, with a view of exciting their attention to characters cut out in the rocks in the wilderness of Sinai, at a place well known by the name of Gebel el Mokatah, or the Written Mountains. The bishop was in great hopes, that, if they could haye been copied and transmitted to England, the meaning of them might perhaps have been by some meansi or other got at; and, as it was supposed they were cut out by the Israelites during the long leisure of their encampment in the Wil- derness, it was supposed that much curious and interest- ing information might have been obtained, and confirming the truth of the Mosaic history. The prefetto of Egypt had with him persons acquainted with Arabie, Greek Hebrew, Syriac, Coptic, Latin, Armenian, Turkish, Eng- lish, Illyrian, German, and Bohemian languages; yet hone of them had any knowledge of the characters, which were cut in the rock twelve or fourteen feet high with great industry. The bishop was anxious a person might be sent out qualified to copy them, and offered himself to contri- bute 100l. per annum for five years, to assist in defraying the expense. It does not appear that any steps were taken by the Society of Antiquaries in consequence; and probably the result would have been less satisfactory than supposed. The celebrated Mr. Edward Wortley Montagu, who went from Cairo to the desert of Sinai, for the express.