ome of these pictures were supposed to be so sacred,
that whoever touched them would have a withered hand. But they had
now seen them torn in pieces, trampled under foot, and burned by the
enemies of their religion.

Of the nineteen pupils in the seminary at Abeih in 1850, four were
Druzes, three were Greeks, four Maronites, four Greek Catholics, two
Protestants, one Syrian, and one Armenian; all on a level, eating at
the same table, mingling in the same sports, and meeting at the same
place of prayer.

The native brethren at Hasbeiya suffered considerably in their
spiritual interests, from the delay in organizing a native church
with a native pastor. A church of sixteen members was formed in
July, 1851, and the number of members, before the end of the year,
was increased to twenty-five. Mr. John Wortabet, son of the Armenian
convert of that name, had been their preacher four years, and
ultimately became their pastor. He inherited the abilities of his
father, and was an acceptable, courageous, and zealous preacher.1
There were occasional dissensions among his people, but the church
gradually increased in compactness, order, and efficiency. When
there was a call for discipline, it was carried through firmly and
wisely, without assistance from the mission.

1 He was educated in the first Seminary, in English and Arabic. When
that closed, he commenced the study of medicine and Latin under Dr.
Van Dyck, and completed his medical course under Dr. De Forest.
After practicing for a time in Tripoli, he commenced his theological
studies, Greek and Hebrew included, at Beirut, under the care of
Messrs. Smith, Whiting, and Thomson. These studies he prosecuted for
a time at Aleppo, and afterwards at Abeih. Upon the establishment of
the Hasbeiya station, in 1851, he took up his residence at Hasbeiya
as preacher, and was ordained at Beirut in the spring of 1853. The
honorary degree of Doctor of Medicine was conferred upon him by Yale
College, in view of an article from his pen on the fevers of Syria,
published in the _American Journal of Medical Science_.

The annual meeting of the mission, in 1851, was favored with the
valuable assistance of Dr. Leonard Bacon, and the meeting in 1852,
with that of Dr. Edward Robinson; both corporate members of the
Board.

A girls boarding-school had been commenced at Beirut, under the
general superintendence of Dr. and Mrs. De Forest, and the
instruction of Miss Whittlesey. The decease of the