CHAPTER III.

THE DRUZES

ON Tuesday morning we were waited upon by our hotelkeeper, who announced his willingness to accompany us to Beirut, as our confinement was now at an end. We entered quarantine late on Friday evening; the physician declares us "whole" this morning; and, though we did not see him nor he us, yet we understand that we are legally free. In the West this would not be five days; but, orientally, five consecutive parts of days are accounted so many days: so that though we entered on Friday evening, remaining Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, on Tuesday we were liberated, being actually but three days in quarantine. This -which we found to be the universal custom throughout the East-brought to our mind the Scripture reckoning of three days to the entombment of the Saviour, though he was crucified on Friday and rose early on Sunday.

A general packing-up commenced, and we were soon on the way to the gate. Here we found that a sentinel with his musket had always kept guard, and we were as much in safe keeping as though in prison. Three horses were in readiness for us at the gate. Mine was a shabby specimen of his race; and the only singularity about him was a collection of Syrian ornaments hung round his neck in the shape of dirty coloured cotton strings, put upon him, as I afterwards supposed, because he, being the meanest and the "slowest coach" of the three, needed some set-off to make amends. D. and the hotel-keeper soon outstripped my animal; and, as the little stupid native boy did not know

Making the best of my

the way to the hotel, I was lost. predicament, I wandered around the country, and finally, completing a circuit of the town, I arrived where a solitary palm-tree grew. From this position the country around was seen to some extent, though little of the town; and, looking seaward, there are, not far off, cliffs, affording holes and crevices for sea-fowl and a kind of "blue pigeon," as they have been called-though what I saw seemed in the distance to be only varieties of the sea-gull. My little guide finally discovered the hotel Belle Vue, which is at the west of the general mass of houses constituting Beirut and included under the name, though Beirut proper is walled. The most pleasant portion of the settled ridge is outside the walls, which were greatly injured by the bombardment in 1840 by the allied fleets, in aid of the Sultan against the Pasha of Egypt, Mehemet Ali, who gathered much from the mountaineers and others by way of tribute and entirely appropriated it to himself. Yet the majority of the inhabitants were Christians, and not subject to the conscription under the Egyptian pasha. The inhabitants of Beirut generally were favourable to his government, and fearful of the renewal of the tyranny they used to endure under the Turkish rule. Ibrahim Pasha, who was an excellent general, then under the Egyptian pasha, gained some signal triumphs over the forces of the Porte, especially on the 24th day of June 1839, completely routing the Turkish army, taking their whole " camp, baggage, ammunition, stores, and one hundred and twenty pieces of artillery ;" and the report was that upwards of twenty-five thousand either deserted or were taken prisoners when the battle had just commenced. The Turks actually shot many of the Europeans who were fighting in their own ranks at the commencement of the attack. This victory was openly celebrated at Beirut with illuminations, even the minarets festooned with small glass lamps, and the bazaars were bright with light for three successive nights. Strange tales are told of the disguises among the women, who, to

evade the governor's edict forbidding them to be seen in the streets after sunset, dressed in male attire and enjoyed the fun, and of merry eyes peeping out from various places, and of others who enjoyed the sport incog., delighted with the dances, the sherbet, and the rose-water so plentifully sprinkled about on such occasions.

Almost the first company we met after our exit from the quarantine contained one female wearing the horn, which among the ladies is the signal of married life,—as much as to say, "Now keep off,"-being put upon them at the wedding, and seldom if ever put off, even on retiring to sleep. This horn is about eighteen inches in length, of silver or tin (according to the wealth of the wearer), perforated, and worn on a little padding girt tightly around the head, and supporting a white veil, which appeared to me heavy; and in the case of the party we met it was thrown back, fully exposing the face of the lady. It takes with them the place the turban takes with the man, which is also seldom removed, even in salutation. To remove the turban as we do the hat would be as ridiculous to a Syrian or a Turk as removing the boot or shoe in a salutation would be to us; and no more insulting remark can be used in the estimation of a Syrian than to say, "May God put a hat on your head!" The English hat is so ridiculous to the natives that a gentleman travelling near Baalbek was once asked, "Do the Christians all wear saucepans on their heads for turbans ?" A bonnet called the "Merveilleuse" was worn at Paris in 1793 which projected just as far and at the same angle and looked as ridiculous as the horn, without the strength to sustain a veil. The Maronites and the Druzes are the only wearers of this strange ornament, which is not always placed directly in front, but according to the whim of the lady, who sometimes pushes it a little to one side. The Druzes were the original wearers of the horn; and, as lately the patriarch of the Maronites has issued a "bull against horns," it is probable that the Druzes will soon be alone, as the Maronites are promptly

obedient to the orders of their Superiors. I shall have frequent occasion to refer to the mountain-tribe called the Druzes, about which such scattered and sometimes unsatisfactory notices have appeared. Perhaps I shall meet with no better opportunity than at this place to speak of this interesting people, whose origin and history has been associated with so much bloodshed and mystery. It includes much of wildness and darkness, but has lately been better understood than heretofore; and though the history of a tribe, yet it embraces much of collateral interest, very important in the history of the country. Eight hundred years ago, a mere child, but a descendant of Mohammed, became the third caliph, or successor, of the race of the Fatimites in Egypt. His name, Hâkim b'amr-allah, signifies "governing by God ;" and at only eleven years of age (A.D. 996) he succeeded to the throne of Egypt. A wild and inconsistent boy, his orders were nevertheless scrupulously obeyed; and he was destined to cause anguish and terror to a large portion of the world. His probable insanity first exhibited itself in contempt of articles of his own faith; and he astonished the faithful by causing the names of the first caliphs and the companions of Mohammed to be cursed in the mosques at prayers! At the same time the Christians dwelt in the utmost security, enjoying the highest offices, even those of viziers and governors,—which at first he permitted; but, with unaccountable fury, he suddenly refused them even the privilege of worship, exposed them to robbery and death, and compelled their daughters and sons to profess the faith of Islam or be bastinadoed, crucified, or impaled. Many were cruelly torn from home and crucified without any alternative. At the same time, turning his strange fury upon his own people, he amused himself by burning one-half of the city of Cairo, while he sent his soldiers to rob the other, having previously prohibited the making of slippers for the women, that they might be forced to stay at home. Then, proceeding still further, he prohibited even pilgrimage to Mecca, and the five prayers

38

FIRST BATTLES OF THE DRUZES.

and the fastings, and crowned his folly by proclaiming himself God. Such was the terror of all, that, on taking a census of those acknowledging his claims, he found the number to amount to sixteen thousand. And yet the superstitions which preserved the caliph were not sufficient to protect a false prophet who, coming from Persia, attempted to sustain the folly of Hakim by respecting his pretensions and adding that "circumcision and festivals, and even abstinence from wine and pork, were unnecessary." He changed Hakim's name from B'amr-allah (governing by the order of God) to B'amr-eh (governing by his own order). But the prophet's god could not save him from slaughter by the people, for they murdered him almost in the arms of Hakim, who himself was slain soon after on a mountain called Mokattam, where he had professed to hold conversation with angels. This prophet called himself Mohammed ben Ismael (the son of Ismael); and his disciples, increasing in number and courage after the death of the prophet, carried his opinions and those of Hakim into Syria, as far as Beirut; and the new sect, being persecuted, fled to the mountain-fortresses, whither their enemies found it so difficult to follow them that they retired and left them to grow bold by increase and independence. Thence, issuing from their retreats, they rushed in among the Turks of the plaincountry, robbing and retreating, despite all the efforts of the pashas, until 1585, when Amurath III. sent one Ibrahim, a young Slavonian, with troops against them. The Sultan, intending Ibrahim as his son-in-law, though poor, sent him from Constantinople against the Druzes, but by way of Egypt,-to improve his fortunes and make himself worthy of the hand of the princess,—and then, returning by Syria, to take in hand these rebels, who had so long resisted all attempts to conquer them. He soon succeeded in gathering great wealth in Egypt, travelled through Palestine, and arrived at the foot of the Lebanon ranges, forcing into his train the governors of various cities through which he passed, and inviting others, till upon his arrival his army