nowledge of the Patriarch, he made proclamation through the
mountains, that the American missionaries were denounced by their
own government as troublesome, mischief-making proselyters, and
would not be protected.1

1 This mistaken opinion of the Minister was made the subject of
correspondence with the United States Government, and the favorable
response by Mr. Webster, Secretary of State, is quoted in chapter
xviii.

Meanwhile, the English officers had obtained a more correct
understanding of the relations of parties in Lebanon; and they saw
at once that it was for the interest of England that the Druzes
should be encouraged to become Protestants. They therefore held
consultations with the Druze sheiks, and the results were
communicated to the British government. As a natural consequence,
the Druze sheiks expected support from England, and some at least of
the British officers were in favor of such support, should the
Druzes put themselves under the instruction of the American
missionaries. It is certain, at any rate, that the Druze sheiks
confidently expected this. With such expectations, they made a
definite agreement with the mission, that a school for the sons of
the ruling class should be established at Deir el-Kamr, and other
schools as fast as practicable in their villages, and that the
missionaries should be welcomed as religious teachers among all
their people.

A school was at once opened at Deir el-Kamr by Messrs. Wolcott and
Van Dyck, and Mr. Thomson removed to 'Ain Anab to superintend the
schools for the common people, of which there were three opened in
the vicinity. Mr. Smith, on arriving at Beirut, was so much
interested that he did not stop to open his house, but went up at
once to Deir el-Kamr.

In this same month, the Rev. Mr. Gobat, a German in the service of
the Church Missionary Society, arrived from Malta. He had long been
known as a missionary in Egypt and Abyssinia, and was a personal
friend of the older members of the mission. His object was to see if
he could make arrangements by which evangelical missionaries of the
English Church could advantageously share in the labors for
converting the Druzes.

In September, despatches arrived from Lord Palmerston, which were
reported to contain an order for taking the Druzes under British
protection; and with them came from England the Rev. Mr.
Nicholayson,--originally a Baptist, and at this time an Episcopalian
and zealous high-churchman--with