apists are busy as bees, both with arguments and
terrors. What the end will be, is known only to God."

Two days later, several sheiks camp down from the mountains, with an
apparent determination to take houses, and receive religious
instruction; declaring their wish not to return to the mountains
until they had been both instructed and baptized. The same day, two
Druzes came as agents from a large clan of their people residing in
Anti-Lebanon, three days from Beirut, professing to treat in behalf
of their whole community. In the evening, several leading Druzes
came from Andara, the highest habitable part of Lebanon, professing
to act in the name of their whole village, and earnestly requesting
the mission to open schools, build a church, and baptize them all
forthwith. The missionary preached to them till a late hour, and
they promised to come again after a few days. They kept their
promise, and stated that they had made arrangements with the people
of several villages to unite together, and all declare themselves
Christians at the same time; hoping that the Emir, when he saw so
many of them of one mind, would not venture to execute the plans of
cruel persecution, with which they were threatened. Mr. Thomson now
found it necessary to call in the aid of Mr. Hebard and Mr. Lanneau.

The Emir Beshir, urged on by the Papal priests, now sent for the
young Druze sheiks, and threatened them with the full measure of his
wrath. This occasioned a division among them, some through fear
siding with the Emir. The father of several young sheiks,--a
venerable old man, with rank and talents to give him extensive
influence,--being at Beirut, declared in oriental style his
attachment to the Gospel, and his intended adherence to it.

The excitement among the Druzes continued, and visitors from all
parts of Lebanon thronged the house of the missionary, till winter
rendered communication with the mountains difficult.

Near the close of November, a number of Druzes, who had become Greek
Papists, were seized by order of the Pasha, and cast into prison,
whence five of them were drafted into the army. The rest were
allowed to return to their homes. It was understood that the Pasha
would not disturb the Protestant converts; but he had shown that he
was not disposed to tolerate the conversion of the Druzes to
Christianity. Kasim and his associates appeared resolved to go not
only to prison, but to death, rather than deny Christ.

At the cl