abic
teacher in the Protestant school at Jerusalem, he having been instructed
by the Americans at 'Abeih, and whose sister I had seen there the day
preceding. The silk stuffs of the town maintain a respectable rivalry
with those of Damascus.

Turkish soldiers were dawdling about the streets.

We called at some Christian houses, in one of which (very handsome, with
a garden) the recesses in the wall of one side of the divan room,
containing bedding as usual in the East, were screened by a wide curtain
of white muslin spangled with gold. Upon the other sides of the room
were rude fresco paintings. Opposite the door on entering was the Virgin
and Child; over the door was a dove with an olive branch; and the
remaining side was embellished by the picture of a fine water-melon, with
a slice cut off and lying at its side, the knife still upright in the
melon, and an angel flying above it, blowing a trumpet!

The town is romantically situated upon successive levels of terraces in
the hill, and environed by orchards of fruit. As evening approached, the
opposite hill was suffused in a glow of pink, followed by purple light,
and the Ramadan gun was fired from Beteddeen when the sun's orb dropped
upon the horizon. Suddenly the hills exchanged their warm colours for a
cold gray, in harmony with the gloaming or evening twilight.

The population of Dair el Kamar at that time numbered 700 full-grown men
of Maronites, 220 of Greek Catholics, 150 of Druses, with a few Moslems
and Jews--each of the sects living apart from the rest. The silk
manufacture was more extensive than that of Saida, and a constant
communication was kept up with Damascus, which is at twenty hours'
distance. The Christians are far more hardy than their fellow-Christians
the Maronites are in their special district to the north. The whole
population is industrious, and the Druses maintain their characteristic
steadfastness of purpose, secrecy, and union among themselves.

The house in which I was so hospitably received had been almost entirely
destroyed in the war of 1841; and its proprietor (brother of the two
brothers now its owners) shot dead in his own court, by persons who owed
him money, namely, the Druse party of Abu Neked, two hundred of whom had
for a fortnight lived at free quarters there.

The two brothers who were my hosts are Christians of the Greek Catholic
sect, named Gabriel and Raphael. A third surviving brother is the
talented Protesta