d by the heavy debts incurred with the forestallers of their
produce (generally Europeans) in the seaport towns.

Our friend returned with another horseman, and three men on foot, all
armed with guns, as our future way lay through a Druse neighbourhood.

These men for our escort were Maronite Christians, and they showered upon
me abundant salutations, expressing their satisfaction at the
circumstance of a Christian (myself) being treated with such
distinguished consideration in Tibneen Castle, and concluding with the
hope that I would visit them yearly, in order to give countenance to
poor, depressed Christianity. The two priests of the village had desired
to come out and greet me, but their people had persuaded them that the
distance was too great for their walking in the sun--near mid-day in
July.

Resting for a while before resuming the journey, the newcomers sat round
in a circle to smoke their fragrant local tobacco, and find some relief
to the mind in relating tales of suffering under persecution. They said
they had more reason to be satisfied with the rule of my host, Hhamed el
Bek, than with that of Tamar Bek at Bint Jebail, which they described as
most cruel and capricious. That I could easily believe after the
incident that came to my knowledge in that vicinity five years
before,--that of the wanton murder of a poor Christian, at the lime-kiln
works, by a servant of that governor. I have already mentioned that it
was narrated to me by the village priest of 'Ain Nebel. An inquiry was
instituted into the case by the authorities at Bayroot; but there must be
many such instances occurring that are never known by those who would or
could bring them to light and justice.

At length the signal was given for mounting. The mules were collected
together, after straying about for such pasture as could be got, their
bells gently ringing all the time, and the pipes were stowed away: those
of the muleteers being placed down the backs of their jackets, with the
bowls uppermost, reaching to the men's necks.

We then plunged into the forest of _Tarsheehhah_, where the Shaikh of the
principal village, that which gives name to the district, is a fanatic
Moslem, who was then preaching religious revivals, and was said to
engraft upon his doctrine the pantheism of the Persian Soofis. This was
not considered improbable, seeing that the Moslems of the Belad Besharah
are all of the Sheah sect, (here called _Metawala_,) out