told me, that not more than one-fourth of the whole number can read. They have a press in the convent, and print their church books in Syriac and Carshun. The books are printed and bound by the monks. I could not learn from them that they had printed the Bible, or any part of it, except in the form of church lessons. We asked the superior of the convent something about his belief in the Scriptures, and he said, "I believe what the Church believes." He then inquired about our faith, and we replied, "We believe what the Bible teaches." I learn from the Superior that the Maronites baptize in the same manner as the Syrians. In administering the Lord's Supper, they give wine only to the priests; to the other monks and the common people bread alone. He says, the Armenian Catholics administer it in the same manner, while the Greek Catholics administer it in both kinds to all the communicants. He thought the English baptized in the blood of a dove; and one of the priests said, that Paul before his conversion was a Pagan! In the evening we had a long dispute with several of the priests and monks. Our subject was, the marriage of Bishops. We showed them 1 Tim. 3:2, "The husband of one wife." They asserted that the language was not the same in the Romish edition. We urged them to produce a copy and examine it, but could not induce them to do so. We then showed them 1 Tim. 4:1-3. One of them, without reading the whole passage said, "You see it says, forbidding to marry.” We showed him from the first verse, that the prohibition proceeds from those, who "give heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils." While we were discussing this and other topics, one of the monks took Mr. Wolff out and said to him privately, "I perceive that you are right, and I wish to go with you." Probably, however, he was influenced by mere worldly motives, being discontented with his present situation and hoping to be more comfortable with us. The printing establishment is small, and has been in existence 17 or 18 years. A monk went to Europe, learned the art, returned, made a press, cast the types, and taught others to print. He is now dead, but the business is carried on by others.-Towards night, on the 6th, Mr. Fisk and his compan. ions left Khoshiah for Canobin, the residence of the Maronite Patriarch. We first ascended a very steep mountain, and then descended one of the steepest I ever attempted to pass. The road turns || 7. Taking a guide, we set out for the Cedars, going a little S. of E. In about two hours we came in sight of them, and in another hour reached them. Instead of being on the highest summit of Lebanon, as has sometimes been said, they are situated at the foot of a high mountain, in what may be considered as the arena of a vast amphitheatre, opening to the W. with high mountains on the N. S. & E. The cedars stand on five or six gentle elevations, and occupy a spot of ground about three-fourths of a mile in circumference. I walked around it in 15 minutes. We measured a number of the trees. The largest is upwards of 40 feet in circumference. Six or eight others are also very large, several of them nearly the size of the largest. But each of these was manifestly two trees or more, which have grown together, and now form one. They generally separate a few feet from the ground into the original trees. The handsomest and tallest are those of two or three feet in diameter, the body straight, the branches almost horizontal, forming a beautiful cone, and casting a goodly shade. We measured the length of two by the shade, and found each about 90 feet. The largest are not so high, but some of the others, I think, are a little higher. They produce a conical fruit in shape and size like that of the pine. I counted them and made the whole number 389. Mr. King counted them, omitting the small saplings, and made the number 321. I know not why travellers and authors have so long and so generally given 28, 20, 15, 5, or 7 as the number of the cedars. It is true, that "of those of superior size and antiquity,” there are not a great number; but then there is a regular gradation in size, from the largest down to the merest sapling. One man of whom I inquired, told me that there are cedars in other places on Mount Lebanon, but he could not tell where. Several others to whom I have put the question, have unanimously assured me that these are the only cedars which exist on the mountain. They are called in Arabic Ary. The Maronites tell me that they have an annual feast which they call the Feast of the Cedars Before seeing the cedars, I had met with a European traveller who had just visited them. He gave a short account of them, and concluded with saying, "It is as with miracles; the wonder all vanishes when you reach the spot." What is there at which an infidel cannot sneer? Yet let even an infidel put himself in the place of an Asiatic passing from barren desert to barren desert, traversing oceans of sand and mountains of naked rock, accustomed to countries like Egypt, Arabia, Judea, and Asia Minor, abounding in the best places only with shrubbery and fruit trees; let him, with the feelings of such a man, climb the ragged rocks, and pass the open ravines of Lebanon, and suddenly descry among the hills, a grove of 300 trees such as the cedars actually are, even at the present day, and he will confess that a fine comparison is Amos 2:9, "Whose height was as the height of the cedars, and he was strong as the oaks." Let him after a long ride in the heat of the sun, sit down under the shade of a cedar, and contemplate the exact conical form of its top, and the beautiful symmetry of its branches, and he will no longer wonder that David compared the people of Israel, in the days of their prosperity, to the "goodly cedars." Psalm 80:10. A traveller, who had just left the forests of America, might think this little grove of cedars not worthy of so much notice, but the man who knows how rare large trees are in Asia, and how difficult it is find to timber for building, will feel at once that what is said in Scripture of these trees is perfectly natural. It is probable that in the days of Solomon and Hiram there were extensive forests of cedars on Lebanon. A variety of causes may have contributed to their diminution and almost total extinction. Yet, in comparison with all the other trees that I have seen on the mountain, the few that remain may still be called "the glory of Lebanon." From the cedars Mr. F. and his company returned west to Besharry, distant about one hour. This is a village E. of Khoshiah and S. of Ehden. Ehden and Besharry are represented as healthy and delightful places for a summer residence. Snow of Lebanon. 8. Left Besharry early in the morning for Balbec. Passed near the cedars, and then ascended the mountain east of them. We saw on our left hand, what I take to be the highest summit of Lebanon. It has often been asserted that there is snow on Mount Lebanon during the whole year. We wished to ascertain the fact. As the heat of summer was now past, we concluded that if we could find snow in October, it was not likely to be wanting at any season of the year. On reaching the summit of the mountain, therefore, we left the road, and turned north, in a direction which our guide said would carry us to snow. After riding without a path, and over very bad ground for about an hour, we came to a little valley opening to the south east, in which the snow was about two feet deep. In another valley near it, there was a still greater quantity. In the course of the day we saw snow at a distance in several other places. I strongly suspect, however, that mariners often mistake the white rock of the mountain for snow. At only a short distance it has precisely the same appearance. Returning from the snow to the road, we pursued our way down the mountain to Ain el Ata (the fountain of Ata) where is a fountain of good water, and the ruins of an old village. Two or three hours from Ain el Ata brought our travellers to Diar el Ahmar, or Red Village, a little, miserable place, where the good natured people allowed them to select, for their lodging-place, the house that suited them best. The earth was the floor, and the bushes the roof of it. There is a church here, a small, dark, damp apartment; and a priest, who is old, infirm, stupid and ignorant, and, like his parishioners, lives in a shed, which an American farmer would hardly consider suitable for his flocks. Ruins of Balbec. 9. We started early and pursued our way across the plain of Celo-Syria in a S. and S. E. direction. The plain extends between Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon, and runs nearly N. E. and S. W. It is a fine rich plain, but badly cultivated. We passed only one small village, and saw no other houses. Two large flocks of sheep and goats, attended by their Bedouin shepherds were feeding near our road. Balbec is at the extremity of the plain at the foot of Anti-Libanus, which is called in Arabic Dood Libnan, or Jibel Ersharki, to distinguish it from Lebanon, which is called Jubel Libnan, or Jibel El Gharby. The principal thing to be seen at Balbec, is the Temple of the Sun, which stands in the N. W. part of the present town. A great part of the walls and many of the columns are still standing. The whole length of the building from E. to W. is near 300 paces, and the width from N. to S. about 170 paces at the west end: the east end is much narrower. There are various indications that many parts of the walls are more modern than the original building, and that what was first a place of idolatrous worship, has been more recently a Turkish fortress. Where there was at first only a row of columns, there is now a strong wall, and one of the columns now stands in the wall. Others are fallen and the several pieces are wrought in as parts of the modern structure. Many of the doors and windows have been walled up, apertures being left for firing on a besieging enemy. The portico at the east end, which was open, is now closed up, and even without a gate. Next to this portico is a bexagonal apartment 55 paces in diameter. West of this, the building is much wider: and outside of this room are the entrances of two arches, one on the W. side and one on the S. These arches run W. about 130 paces, and a similar arch runs from one to the other 100 paces. These arches and several dark rooms connected with them, but now principally closed up, constitute the lower story of the building. There are several passages leading to the upper story, which was the principal part of the temple. From the hexagonal room you enter the largest, though probably not the most splendid apartment of the temple. It is 125 paces from N. to S. and not much less from E. to W. On the N. and S. sides are several niches where statues were probably erected. The ruins of a wall show that an inner apartment occupied the centre of this apartment, a room within a room. The two arches above-mentioned terminate with this apartment. W. of it is another of about the same extent from E. to W., but much narrower from N. to S. On the two sides of this were rows of Corinthian columns at least seventeen in a row. On the S. side six are still standing and entire. ⠀ This apartment extends to the W. end of the building. S. of it there is another temple, which retains more of elegance, than any part of the whole. It was no doubt originally a separate temple, for though now united, the wall which joins the two, is comparatively modern. This temple is 53 paces long from E. to W., and 26 from N. to S. It was surrounded by a row of Corinthian columns about 40 in number, each 6 feet in diameter, and including the capital and architrave, near 70 feet high. The pedestals at the same time stand on the second story about 30 or 40 feet from the ground, so that the immense stones which compose the architrave are 100 feet from the ground. The shaft of each column consists of three stones. We measured one that was fall-n and found the first stone 23 feet long; the second 15 feet; the third 12, and the capital 6. The thickness of the architrave, I judged to be 10 or 12 feet, and each stone is about 15 feet long, and 8 or 10 wide. How was it ever possible to elevate those stones to the height of 100 feet? Here also the portico at the east has been walled up. From this a large door leads into the body of the temple. As you enter, you observe over your head an immense stone, that has sunk several feet from its proper place, and hangs in a most threatening position over the passage. On this an eagle is engraved, and an angel on the one adjoining it. Within, there are 14 fluted columns, and a great number of false doors, with finely wrought entablatures. A few steps E. of this, is another building, or another part of the great in whole, connected with the other parts, but by walls of modern construction. In the upper part of this building there is one large room, with four small ones at the four corners; and underneath, a subterranean apartment called the prison of blood, because it is said that men who were condemned to death used to be cast into it and left to perish. One of the greatest wonders of the whole building is the large stones which are found in the walls near the N. W. corner. On the west side there are nine stones in a row, each 30 feet long, about 10 thick, and 12 high. These constitute the foundation of a wall which seems never to have been finished. On the west side there are two tiers of large stones, three in each. The lower tier is raised 15 feet from the ground; the height and thickness of the stones appear to be the same with those on the N. side, so that the upper tier is about 27 feet from the ground, and each of these 6 stones is upwards of 60 feet in length. Here again one asks with amazement, "how was it ever possible to raise a stone 60 feet by 10 and 12!” The Arabs who were around us while we were looking at the temple, said it was done by Satan. Magnificent as this temple must have been, I strongly suspect the original plan was never completed. The unfinished wall near the N. W. corner indicates this. And I am inclined to think the original plan contemplated a small temple west of the large one, like that on the south. This would have given remarkable unity and propor1tion to the whole. There is indeed now more of unity and elegance than in the temples of Egypt, and larger stones are used; but the temple of Carnac is much larger and more magnificent. Most of the magnificent works of Egypt are composed of materials brought from a distance, but Balbec was built of a kind of stone, that abounds in the vicinity. Balbec is now a ruinous village, containing about 200 human dwellings. There are a few families of Greek Catholics, the only Christians in the place. With them we lodged, and before parting, gave them several copies of the Scriptures. The great body of the inhabitants are Metonalis, who are numerous in the adjacent parts. They are Mussulmans of the sect of Ali, like the Persians. They are numerous at Tyre, and are found in some places on Mount Lebanon. Balbec is now governed by an Emir, who is only 19 or 20 years old. He had long been at war with an uncle, who had command of some village or district in the vicinity. The day that we arrived at Balbec, they had an interview, by desire of the Emir, and pretended to make peace. The Emir conducted his uncle into Balbec in the afternoon with great pomp. His horsemen to the number of more than 100 pranced their Arabian steeds about the plain, and fired their muskets and pistols in the air; and the women came out of the village to meet them with songs and instruments of music. In the evening we heard that on reaching his dwelling, the Emir had quietly put his uncle in chains. What was to follow, we did not learn. The Metonalis have the reputation, among the other inhabitants of the country, of being treacherous, thievish, robbers, and in a word, a lawless banditti. Fearing some exactions from the Emir and his subjects, the travellers left Balbec before day on the 10th, guided by the stars. We had not proceeded far, before the clouds gathered and it soon began to rain. Our guide lost his way, and we were obliged to stop and wait in the open field, while the rain fell in torrents. We could find no shelter and had no idea of the direction in which we ought to move. Making the best use we could of our umbrellas and cloaks, we waited for the morning. Our situation gave me a lively impression of the force of David's words-"My soul waiteth for thee, more than they that wait for the morning." At last the morning came, and the rain ceased. Zahle, at which they arrived about one o'clock, is a finely situated village, at the foot of Mount Lebanon, containing not far from a VOL. XX. thousand families, chiefly "Christians. They next visited Mar Ephraim, a Syrian convent, on the other side of the mountain, in a south direction. Languages, Dialects, &c. used by Syriac Christians and Others. The Syriac is the sacred and ecclesiastical language of the Syriac church, but their vernacular tongue is Arabic. Most of the ecclesiastics are able to read Syriac; that is to say, they know the letters, and can pronounce the words, and probably most of them understand the meaning of now and then a word. A few understand the language grammatically, but very few, I apprehend, can speak it. Their public prayers are in Syriac, but the Scripture lessons are read in Arabic, though with the Syriac alphabet. This is what they call Carshun. They have the Gospels printed in Syriac and Carshun, in parallel columns. The Maronites, who are in their origin Syrians, use also the Carshun. This confusion of languages and alphabets is very common in the East. The Armenians use the Turkish language, with the Armenian alphabet. Many of them, particularly in Asia Minor, are acquainted with no other language, not even the Armenian. The Greeks in Asia Minor are generally ignorant of Greek, and use Turkish in Greek letters. Their church service is still exclusively in ancient Greek, and that of the Armenians in ancient Armenian. The Catholics have prepared prayers in Greek, with the Latin alphabet, so that they may be read by the Latin missionaries to the Greek Catholics. The Polish and German Jews write German; the Spanish Jews, Spanish; and the Barbary Jews, Arabic; but all with the Hebrew alphabet. This chaos of dialects, serves to multiply labor and expense for missionaries and Bible Societies. All these classes of people must be furnished with the Bible, and must have the Gospel preached to them. The harvest is plenteous, but the laborers are few. May the Lord of the harvest send forth more laborers. 13. We left Mar Ephraim a little after day break, and followed a westerly course till we came to the plain of Beyrout, about two hours from the city, and then turning north, we proceeded to Antoora, where we arrived 14 hours after setting out, having rested one hour and a half by the way. 15. Mr. King and myself went to Arissa, and thence to Kraim about half an hour north of it. Kràim is at the same time a convent and a college. The whole number of the priests, monks and students, is about 25. They pursue their studies in Armenian, but learn also Turkish, and 35 some of them Arabic, Italian and Latin. They showed us a collection of Italian and Latin books, amounting to 5 or 600 volumes. Among them were four folio volumes of the Pope's Bulls. The convent is badly situated at the bottom of a ravine, where I should think it could not be very healthy. From Kraim we went half an hour further north to the Maronite college of Ain Warka. The Emir Bashir, when we saw him in Egypt, recommended Ain Warka Ito us as the best college for Arabic on Mount Lebanon. The principal teacher is Hannah Stambuli, who is reputed a man of learning. There are two or three other priests, who teach Syriac and Arabic. The number of pupils is about 20. The situation of the place is low and disagreeable, and there is great want of neatness. From Ain Warka we went S. E. in about an hour and a half to Bzomar. In the evening we had a long religious discussion with two bishops. They disputed zealously, but very civilly. Messrs. Fisk and King returned to Antoora on the 16th. Four days after, Mr. Fisk, in company with Mr. Jowett, again visited Bzomar, and sold to the Armenians 50 Testaments and five Bibles. Oct. 22d Mr Fisk terminated his residence at Antoora, and returned to Beyrout; where, on the 25th, he sold 400 Psalters to a Catholic, who purchased to sell again. The Druses, Metonalis, and Ansareeah. 25. I have now been more than three months on Mount Lebanon and in its vicinity. My information concerning the country and the people who inhabit it, is still very imperfect. It is an interesting country, and I trust will be the field, both of thorough missionary investigation and of extensive and successful missionary labor. There are several classes of people, of whom I have had opportunity to collect but very little information. Of two or three I will relate a few things. 1. The Druses. They inhabit generally the parts of Lebanon south of Beyrout and Der el Kamer, while the Maronites inhabit the more northern parts, though they have not an exact division of territory, and are often found living together in the same villages. The Bishop Hannah Maroni tells me, that he has a manuscript, which was taken from the Druses in time of civil war, and which contains an account of their religion. It speaks much of Hakem Bamr, he who has appeared in the world six times; viz. in the persons of Adam, Pythagoras, Jesus Christ, the Caliph Hakem, and two others. He created the world, and is soon to appear a seventh time to destroy his enemies, and put the whole world in subjection to the Druses. The bishop tells me, that images of the calf have been found in their houses. They say, however, that they do not worship them, nor do their books make any mention of this. It remains to be ascertained whether they do actually worship the calf, or whether they have images of it for some other purpose, or whether the whole story is a slander of their enemies. It is said, that they are so far from having the spirit of proselytism, that they will not receive proselytes, and if a foreigner wishes to embrace their religion they will not admit him. They are allowed, when occasion requires, to feign themselves Mussulmans, or Christians, or of any other religion. They are said to he notorious for incest. Vol ney supposed the number of Druses to be 120,000. Mr. Connor has stated it at 70,000. The estimates given me by Franks and Maronites, who are acquainted with their country, are 40, 50, and 60,000. Volney has an article in the first volume of his travels, on the history and religion of this singular people. He traces their origin to Hakem-b'amar-Allah, or Hakemb'amar-he, who was Caliph in Egypt at the close of the tenth century. De Sacy has given, in his Chrestomathie, the life of Hakem by Taky Eddin Makrizi, and also some extracts from the books of the Druses. I have no doubt, however, that by a residence of a few months among them, one might collect much new and interesting information, and we may hope, also, prepare the way for doing them good. 2. The Metonalis. Volney gives a short account, also, of this people. 3 The Ansareeah. At first, I found it difficult to make myself understood, when making inquiries about this people, because I called them Ansari. Christians are called in Arabic Nassari, (Nazarenes,) and every body thought I was inquiring about Christians. A Maronite told me, that that Ansareeah is a diminutive from Nassari, meaning little Christians, because their religion is a corruption of Christianity, and they still have a little of Christianity in their religion. They generally inhabit the mountains north of Trepoli, towards Latiched and Antioch. Their religion seems to be a mixture of Mohammedanism, Paganism, and Christianity. Assemanni describes the origin of this sect in his Bibliotheca Orientalis, Vol. 2, p. 329. He gives a brief account of an old man, who founded this sect, Anno Grecorum, 1202. He states, p. 315, that what he calls the Greek æra was 309 or 311 B. C. He makes the origin of the Ansareeah, therefore, to be Anno Domini 893 |