Transcribe Ward, Henry Augustus. Letter to Selden, Susan Ward (1855-08-26)

On our way we stopped at the bitter spring of "Marah" (I have sent home a sealed jar of it), and camped the next night at </u Elim >, the place of "70 palm trees & 12 wells of water." Our sojourn of three weeks on the Red Sea was delightful and productive of two full camel loads of valuable shells & coral. From the Ras Mohamed we came north to Mt. Sinai, and camped four days at the foot of Horeb. I ascended all the different summits which claim to be the real one, and fully satisfied myself in the matter. We also made frequent visits to a convent near by which was built in A.D. 530. We had intended making a slight detour to the east, and visiting Akofa in the head of the Gilf of Akaba and the ruined city of Petra in the land of Edom. This design however we we were obliged to relinquish as our provisions, time, or funds, would not admit of it. We accordingly struck directly across the desert to the north, and often a various experience of a fierce sun & fiercer Bedouins, we reached Jerusalem on the 12th of June. Here we staid about three weeks, seeing everything of interest both in the city & environs, and in the region "round about Jordan". I should like, dear Aunt, to write you at length about this, but I really have not the time now.

I wrote to Sister E. a sheet in relation to this part of Syria