before us, to make those passages and places fit to receive us) a Way was cut out, AND MADE EVEN, broad enough for our convenient passage; and in the place where we pitched our tents, a great compass of ground was rid, and made plain for them, by grubbing a number of trees and bushes; yet there we went as readily to our tents, as we did, when they were set up in the plains." No. CLXXII. RAIN OF DUST. IN Deuteronomy xxviii. 24. God threatens to punish Israel severely;-" the heaven over thy head shall be brass; and the earth under thee iron: the Lord shall make the Rain of thy land powder and Dust; from heaven shall it come down upon thee, until thou be destroyed." It may be of use to enquire a little into the nature and properties of such a kind of Rain; in which the following extracts may assist us. "Sometimes there [in India] the wind blows very high in those hot and dry seasons -raising up into the air a very great height, thick clouds of Dust and Sand.......... These dry showers most grievously annoy all those among whom they fall; enough to smite them all with a present blindness; filling their eyes, ears, nostrils; and their mouths are not free, if they be not also well guarded: searching every place, as well within, as without, our tents or houses; so that, there is not a little keyhole of any trunk, or cabinet, if it be not covered, but receives some of that Dust into it: the Dust forced to find a lodging any where, every where, being so driven and forced as it is by the extreme violence of the wind." Sir T. Roe's Embassy, p. 373. To the same purpose speaks Herbert (page 167.): "And now the danger is past, let me tell you, most part of the last night we crossed over an inhospitable sandy desert, where here and there, we beheld the ground covered with a loose and flying Sand, which by the fury of the winter weather is accumulated into such heaps, as upon any great wind the track is lost; and passengers (too oft) overwhelmed and stifled: yea, camels, horses, mules, and other beasts, though strong, swift, and steady in their going, are not able to shift for themselves, but perish without recovery: those rowling Sands, when agitated by the winds, move and remove more like sea than land, and render the way very dreadful to passengers. Indeed in this place I thought that curse fulfilled (Deut. xxviii. 24.), where the Lord, by Moses, threatens instead of rain to give them Showers of Dust." These instances are in Persia: but such storms might be known to the Israelites ; as, no doubt, they occur also on the Sandy Desarts of Arabia, east of Judea and to this agrees Tournefort, who mentions the same thing-" at Ghetsci there arose a tempest of Sand; in the same manner as it happens sometimes in Arabia, and in Egypt: especially in the spring. It was raised by a very hot south wind, which drove so much Sand, that one of the gates of the Kervanseray was half stopped up with it; and the way could not be found, being covered over, above a foot deep; the Sand lying on all hands. This Sand was extremely fine, and salt; and was very troublesome to our eyes, even in the Kervanseray, where all our baggage was covered over with it. The storm lasted from noon to sunset; and it was so very hot the night following, without any wind, that one could hardly fetch breath: which in my opinion was partly occasioned by the reflection of the hot Sand. Next day I felt a great pain in one eye, which made it smart, as if salt had been melted into it," &c. Pt. ii. p. 139 This may give us a lively idea of the penetrating powers of the Dust of the land of Egypt; which (Exod. viii. 16.) was converted into lice :-also, chap. ix. 8. of the effect of the ashes of the furnace, which Moses took, and sprinkled "up toward heaven, and [ being driven by the wind to all parts, and entering "any where, and every where,”] it became a boil breaking forth in blains upon man, and upon beast... the boil was even on the magicians, and on all the Egyptians." 2. The phraseology "from heaven shall it come down upon thee," deserves notice: since we see that heaven, in this instance, signifies the air only: why may it not be so taken where other things are said to come down from thence? as rain, fire, lightning, hail, &c. so Gen. vii. 11; xix. 24; xlix. 25; Josh. x. 11. &c. Lord Valentia gives a still more particular account of this phenomenon, in India. "At Shiraz," says Mr. Morier (Second Journey, p. 97), "when there was a calm, partial and strong currents of air would rise and form whirlwinds, which produced high columns of Sand all over the plain-formed and dissipated in a few minutes. No. CLXXIII. PILLARS OF SAND. THERE is a remarkable figurative representation in Job (chap. xxx. 22.), thus rendered in our translation. "Thou liftest me up to the wind; thou causest me to ride upon it, and dissolvest my substance." Possibly after we have examined the phraseology of this passage, its force may be farther evident; and it may receive additional illustration. "Thou dost raise me up on high, into the air, by the agency-of-upon-the wind; thou dost make me to ride on it, as on a chariot, or other vehicle; and dost dissolvedisperse-dissipate-my whole-intire-MY ALL: all that I ever was: all that I ever possessed." Such is the power of the original. This might perhaps be referred to a vapour, raised by the wind, which, after being borne about among the clouds, is dissolved, and falls in dew: but (1) the wind which raises it, seems rather to describe a storm, and during storms dew does not perceptibly rise. (2) The current of wind, which like a chariot, bears away the subject of its power, is, a vehement, powerful, rapid, blast; as we say, a high wind; and does not agree with the formation, &c. of dew, which is a tranquil deliberate process. (3) The word (22 megeg) is applied to express the melting of a solid body; as of the earth with rain (Psalm Ixv. 10); of the hills, through intense heat, Nahum i. 5. so Amos ix. 13. Mr. Scorr has rendered the passage, Rous'd by Almighty force a furious storm- Then dash'd me down, and shattered me to dust. Under these considerations, we presume to think, the reader will agree with us, in referring it to a Sand-Storm: possibly, such as we have noticed in the former number; or, much rather, such as is described by the following information; which the reader will not be displeased to peruse, as it stands high among the most picturesque, and most terrific, descriptions of the kind, to be met with. It is from Mr. BRUCE, Travels, vol. iv. p. 553, 554. On the 14th, at seven in the morning, we left Assa Nagga, our course being due north. At one o'clock we alighted among some acacia-trees at Waadi el Halboub, having gone twenty-one miles. We were here at once surprized and terrified by a sight surely one of the most magnificent in the world. In that vast expanse of desert, from W. and to N. W. of us, we saw a number of prodigious Pillars of Sand at different distances, at times moving with great celerity, at others stalking on with a majestic slowness; at intervals we thought they were coming in a very few minutes to overwhelm us; and small quantities of Sand did actually more than once reach us. Again they would retreat so as to be almost out of sight, their tops reaching to the very clouds. There the tops often separated from the bodies; and these, once disjoined, dispersed in the air, and did not appear more. Sometimes they were broken near the middle, as if struck with a large cannon shot. About noon they began to advance with considerable swiftness upon us, the wind being very strong at north. Eleven of them ranged alongside of us about the distance of three miles. The greatest diameter of the largest appeared to me at that distance as if it would measure ten feet. They retired from us with a wind at S. E. leaving an impression upon my mind to which I can give no name; though surely one ingredient in it was fear, with a considerable deal of wonder and astonishment. It was in vain to think of flying; the swiftest horse, or fastest sailing ship, could be of no use to carry us out of this danger, and the full persuasion of this rivetted me as if to the spot, where I stood, and let the camels gain on me so much in my state of lameness, that it was with some difficulty I could overtake them. The whole of our company were much disheartened (except Idris), and imagined that they were advancing into Whirlwinds of moving Sand, from which they should never be able to extricate themselves; but before four o'clock in the afternoon these phantoms of the plain had all of them fallen to the ground and disappeared. In the evening we came to Waadi Dimokea, where we passed the night, much disheartened, and our fear more increased, when we found, upon wakening in the morning, that one side was perfectly buried in the sand that the wind had blown above us in the night. "The sun shining through the Pillars, which were thicker, and contained more Sand apparently than any of the preceding days, seemed to give those nearest us an appearance as if spotted with stars of gold. I do not think at any time they seemed to be nearer than two miles. The most remarkable circumstance was, that the Sand seemed to keep in that vast circular space surrounded by the Nile on our left, in going round by Chaigie towards Dongola, and seldom was observed much to the eastward of a meridian passing along the Nile through the Magiran, before it takes that turn; whereas the Simoom was always on the opposite side of our course coming upon us from the south-east. "The same appearance of moving Pillars of sand presented themselves to us this day in form and disposition like those we had seen at Waadi Halboub, only they seemed to be more in number, and less in size. They came several times in a direction close upon us; that is, I believe, within less than two miles. They began, immediately after sun-rise, like a thick wood, and almost darkened the sun: his rays shining through them for near an hour, gave them an appearance of pillars of fire," Page 555. If my conjecture be admissible, we now see a magnificence in this imagery, not apparent before we see how Job's dignity might be exalted in the air; might rise to great grandeur, importance, and even terror, in the sight of beholders; might ride upon the wind, which bears it about, causing it to advance, or to recede; and, after all, the wind diminishing, might disperse-dissipate-melt-scatter,-this Pillar of Sand, into the undistinguished level of the desert. This comparison seems to be precisely adapted to the mind of an Arab; who must have seen, or have been informed of similar phenomena in the countries around him. No. CLXXIV. UNTIER OF KNOTS; A TITLE OF DANIEL. UNDER the article BINDING, in the Dictionary, the reader may see a particular description of the prophet Daniel, as eminent for "dissolving of doubts;" literally, from the Hebrew, "untying of Knots." This seems to be a very apt figure to express the powers of that prophet's mind; but a figure, which had it been literally rendered in our English translation, would have made many a rustic smile, perhaps stare:-and peradventure exclaim, "So, then, this eminent statesman-courtier-prophet-was excellent at untying of Knots!" We had taken this uncommon phrase as a figurative commendation of that prophet, personally, and exclusively; it was therefore with some surprize, and more satisfaction, we found in Sir John Chardin, that this is a title appropriated to many besides the Hebrew president of the Chaldeans and wise men of Babylon. The patent given to Sir JOHN by the king of Persia, is addressed--“ To the Lords of Lords, who have the presence of a lion, the aspect of Deston; the princes who have the stature of Tahem-ten-ten, who seem to be in the time of Ardevon, the regents who carry the majesty of Ferribours: The conquerors of kingdoms, superintendants that unloose all manner of Knots, and who are under the ascendant of Mercury," &c. In his explanation, Sir JOHN says, it is, in the original, who unloose all sorts of Knots.— The Persians rank all penmen, books, and writings, under Mercury, whom they call Attared; and hold all people born under that planet, to be endued with a refined, penetrating, clear-sighted, and subtile wit. On turning to Daniel v. 12. observe with what accurate coincidence to these principles the queen describes the prophet: "In all respects an abundant spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, which manifests itself in his interpreting dreams, and explaining intricate enigmas, and untying of Knots, is found in Daniel." We gather from this comparison, first, that as superintendants (i. e. of provinces) are described as untiers of Knots, and Daniel is thus described, he was, or had been, a superintendant. Daniel had been made governor of the province of Babylon by Neb: chadnezzar; as he is not so described on this occasion, it is every way probable he was not now in that office, yet the queen continues his titles to him. Secondly, Is it not likely that the queen finished her description of him, by alluding to his being born under Mercury; Attared? Is not this the import of her words," the spirit of the holy gods is in him" She might say explicitly," the divine spirit of Mercury [q. like another Thoth] is in Daniel;" but the sacred writer, unwilling to record such idolatrous and superstitious notions, expresses the sentiment by saying, "The spirit of the holy gods is in him." This is perfectly in character with the Jewish reluctance even to pronounce the very names of idols; and of a holy prophet's zeal in referring to the true God as the source of all his endowments. Query, 1. Is not this idea preserved, yet with variation, in the ambiguous plural form of these words? Query, 2. Will this title illustrate Matth. xvi. 19. Whatever ye shall bind on earth, &c. as regents, deputy-governors, delegates, superintendants, &c. in your respective provinces, shall be confirmed at court-in heaven? No. CLXXV. ROASTING MEAT IN OVENS. WE have explained and justified the fact, that food is dressed by means of dung, and in Ovens heated with dung,-vide FRAGMENTS, Nos. CVI. CIX. How this could be performed, has appeared difficult to some readers; since it would, say they, be next to impossible, to preserve the food from contact with the fuel, and from pollution by "It it. The account given by Thevenot (Part ii. p. 95), may remove this difficulty. is not their custom (in Persia) to roast Meat on the spit-they usually boil;-but they bake in the Oven, whole sheep and lambs in this manner: after they have well heated the Oven, which hath the mouth in the top; they put into it the Meat, and hang it there, with an earthen dripping pan under it, to receive the fat; it roasts alike on all sides; and when it is enough they cut it into pieces." So that, we see, the Meat hangs free from the sides, and the bottom, of the Oven: while the fuel. by which it was heated being mostly consumed, and sunk at the bottom of the vessel, is there covered by an earthen dripping-pan. This strengthens the argument against Voltaire, that Ezekiel was not directed to eat human ordure, mingled with his victuals; since there is evidently no need that the fuel, or any particles of it, should come near the Meat, thus suspended, and enclosed in the Oven; but without touching that implement, in any part. No. CLXXVI. GRASS THROWN INTO THE OVEN. THE foregoing remark leads also to another: If the Ovens are "heated by dung of horses, asses, oxen, camels," &c. through necessity, no doubt can be made that vegetable substances, when they can be procured, would be preferred for that purpose: understanding therefore the form of the Oven, instructs us in the propriety of considering what it may be heated with. Coal they have none; and if they had, as formerly hinted, they would certainly regard the necessity of employing such a smoky sootmaking substance, in heating their Ovens, as the lowest point of human distress. Wood is very rare; they are reduced therefore to the adoption of vegetable matters, twigs, leaves, and refuse. Sir John Chardin observes, (ms. in Harmer, whom we have consulted for most of these instances, vol. i. p. 263, &c.) that they burn most commonly in Persia, heath, &c. Dr. Russell says, they burn at Aleppo parings of fruit, and such like things; meaning no doubt stalks of vegetables: Rauwolf says small twigs, and straws when they can have them: D'Arvieux mentions a fire of vine twigs (Voy. Pal. p. 198.) This gives the true import of our Lord's remark, that Grass (xóproc) vegetable produce growing in splendour to-day, is to-morrow cast into the Oven, for the purpose of heating it; and of dressing whatever food may be suspended therein. The mention of a fire of vine twigs by D'Arvieux, brings to recollection the passage of Ezekiel, wherein he condemns the vine to the fire. "Son of man, what is the vinetree more than any tree? shall wood be taken thereof to do any work? will men take a pin of it to hang any vessel thereon? behold it is cast into the fire for fuel: the fire devoureth both ends of it: and the midst of it is burnt, &c. As the vine tree among the trees of the forest which I have given to the fire for fuel, so will I give Jerusalem," &c. Ezekiel xv. 2. The comparison nee is no explanation. No. CLXXVII. OF GRASS, IN THE EAST. THE management of Grass as food for cattle in the East, the ideas connected with it, and the similes drawn from it, or allusions to the nature of it, which there is extremely perishable; are so different from the attention paid to that article of agriculture among ourselves, and from the permanent verdure of it in our own island, that we are in constant danger of mistaking the representations which refer to it in Scripture. "The internal area of the Theatre of Bacchus at Athens is now annually sown with barley, which, as the custom here is, the Disdar Aga's (commander of the garrison) horses eat green; little or no Grass being produced in the neighbourhood of Athens.” Stuart's Athens, vol. ii. p. 24. In general" they mow not their Grass (as we do) to make hay, but cut it off the ground either green, or withered, as they have occasion to use it. "And here a strong argument that may further and most infallibly shew the goodness of their soil, shall not escape my pen; most apparent in this, that when the ground |