and the Protestant men fled to escape their
murderous violence. Returning to Hasbeiya, Mr. Thomson found only
the wives, mothers, sisters, and daughters of those who had fled;
some of them so poor as not to know how or where they could find
their daily bread, yet apparently without fear. He overtook the
fugitive people the next day, who were half perishing with hunger.
Abeih was their place of refuge; and there they remained till
October, zealously attending upon religious instruction.

In that month, one of the two Druze skeiks [sic] arrived, who had
interposed on their behalf on the fifteenth of July, bringing with
him a document from the Pasha of Damascus, procured, it was said, by
Mr. Wood, English Consul there, directing their return and
guaranteeing their entire security. The guaranty proved to be
illusive, though probably not intended to be so. Strong, unfriendly
influences were subsequently brought to bear on the Pasha.1 They
were accompanied by Butrus, and it was intended that one of the
missionaries should soon follow. The party reached Hasbeiya on the
fourteenth of October, and found those who had remained there in
great fear. The Patriarch having arrived the same day, to inflame
the passions of their enemies, intimidate the governor, and weaken
the hands of the Druze sheiks. Butrus wrote, advising that no
missionary come there until the Patriarch was gone, and things had
become more quiet. He was succeeded by Tannus, in October, and he,
in the following month, by Elias el-Fuaz. The friendly governor was
at length set aside for one more in sympathy with their persecutors.
On the two following Sabbaths, the Bible-men were stoned in the
streets, and Elias el-Fuaz was seriously wounded; while the governor
made only a sham resistance, that emboldened the evil-doers, as he
intended it should, till the native preacher was driven from the
place, and some of the Protestants fled to Lebanon. Others, wearied
with persecutions to which they could see no end, complied so far
with the demands of the Patriarch, as to visit the Greek church,
though they took no part in the services, and openly spoke against
its idolatries. This very partial compliance relieved them from
persecution, but inwardly set them more firmly against an
organization that resorted to such measures to retain them.

1 Not only the influence of the Patriarch of Damascus, but also of
the Russian Consul-general of Syria, who wrote to the Pasha as
follow