remarks which I made on my return hither at the close of the year.

the deserts of Arabia, which are to the south-east: but it is most probable, that Beirout and the whole of this line of coast is screened from such a quality of south-east wind by the high range of Lebanon, now (January 1824) covered with snow. And thus the direction of the Sciroc influence veers a few points, coming from south, and even southwest. It has here precisely the same effect as in Malta, moistening and softening every thing, rendering the spirits languid, and detecting every weak point in the body. I am now speaking of its operation in the winter months. I do not remember to have noticed it in autumn.

STATE OF THE CHRISTIANS OF BEIROUT.

The population of Beirout I endeavored to estimate as nearly as possible, by the enumeration of houses. Within the walls of the city, there may be about three thousand souls. Without the walls, to a distance of half a mile in various directions, are many country houses, some of which consist of but one or two rooms: yet such a dwelling often suffices for the residence of a whole rustic family. In summer, they scarcely seem to need the covering of a house; and, in winter, their only plan to keep themselves warm, is to crowd many into a small space. These countryhouses I as nearly as possible counted; they may be in number about three hundred, and probably contain a population of two thousand souls. Thus During the former part of my residence of fifty the whole of Beirout would give a population of days, from December 22d, to the following Febfive thousand. The houses in the city are exceed-ruary 9th, in Beirout, which was spent in the house ingly close, dirty, and ruinous; and the streets of the friendly American missionaries we had a very offensive. visit of many days from Hanna Doomani, from Deir el Kamr. It was our daily practice to read the Arabic. Scriptures in the family circle. In the evening, frequently, some neighbors would They have a curious method of tanning leather drop in; and, on what we read, much interesting here, making every passenger contribute to the conversation ensued. Yet it was affecting to see operation. The skins of animals are first stretch- among professing Christians, who were otherwise ed, and then laid flat upon the bare ground or rude intelligent enough, a great deal of ignorance on pavement. Thus the rain, the mire, and the feet most essential points of Christian theology. Someof the passenger, of the camel, of the horse, and times, the prevailing superstitions of the country of the ass, all contribute to cure them. It becomes fell under the censure of the passage which we necessary to step with caution; and, indeed, not-read; or these native Christians, of their own acwithstanding the utmost care, a few slips, and even falls, are the consequence of this public nuisance. After this seasoning, the skin becomes a rude kind of leather, fit for ordinary uses.

Besides the English consul, there are vice consuls, or agents, representing the French, Austrian, Russian, Neapolitan, and Prussian governments.

cord, brought them into discussion. It was not always easy to keep them calm, for they disputed against one another. The only method which ever succeeded, and indeed it would be difficult to find any other which would succeed, was to bring them round again to Scripture.

The houses in the suburbs are, in general, more slightly built, than those in the city. In summer, the inconvenience of this is not felt; and their One of our visiters was father Simeon, an aged airyness is extremely grateful. I occupied a room, Maronite priest, who lived in a neighboring house. the dimensions of which were about ten feet by His account of the state of the Christians in this seven, and which had six windows, and was enter-place was, that there are about a hundred faed by a trap-door. In winter, however, I found, by bitter experience how much these flimsy structures must contribute to fever, ague, and rheumatism. Being constructed of only one thickness of stone, and that of a very porous quality, and very thinly if at all stuccoed within, they absorb the moisture greatly. When the heavy rains from the south set in, the whole of the south side of the house in which we were living became, in the course of three tempestuous days, soaked through like a sheet of blotting paper.

STATE OF THE WINDS AT BEIROut.

In this country, the same general rule holds, as was declared more than three thousand years ago-The north wind driveth away rain. (Prov. XXV. 23.) Tempestuous weather, on the contrary, is from the south and west. The south-west wind seems here to have the same effect, as, in Malta, the south-east; so well known to every resident in the Mediterranean by the name of the Sciroc wind. Whether it may be that the African continent mainly contributes to this hazy and dispiriting wind, and therefore in Syria it comes from a direction westward of south, is doubtful; for there seems good reason to expect a similar effect from

milies of Maronites in Beirout; of whom thirty or forty reside in the city, and the remainder in the country-houses without the walls: for these, there are four priests, three of whom (himself being one of them) are married; one lives in the city; the rest in the suburbs. He has three sons and one daughter; this last is entered at the nunnery at Antoura. This priest was, for many days, very friendly-read in the sacred Scriptures with us and received copies for the purpose of selling them; but a painful circumstance, at length, interrupted the distribution of these books, although not his friendliness.

This was an order which was read, under the authority of the Maronite patriarch, on the 6th of January, prohibiting his flock from purchasing or using the Arabic Bibles or Testaments, printed in London. This has embarrassed the priest, and many others; who are favorable, in the main, to the distribution of the sacred Scriptures: and, for a season, it may retard their circulation; only, however, for a season. It seemed to me not a little remarkable, that the festival, on which this patriarchal order was appointed to be read in the churches, should be that which celebrates in their church, as in ours, the manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles.

prus. At Aleppo, I was informed, are four Frank convents, belonging to as many different orders, viz. Franciscans, Capuchins, Carmelites, and Jesuits: these last-the order of Jesuits having, at its dissolution, changed its title to that of Lazzarists are under the immediate cognisance of Monseignior Gandolfi.

What connection there may have been between this public order and a visit which we had the next day, I know not; but, in the afternoon of January the 7th, three Maronites, one of them a youth, came and sat in the court of the house two hours; the chief part of which time they spent in reading aloud to themselves, all together one in the Arabic Old Testament, the other in the New Testament, and the boy in the Psalter. They came several times afterward, being neighbors; and, in this way, neighbors often are willing to come. They said that they possessed the Testa-marks subsequently made in various parts of the ment at home the entire Bible they occasionally begged leave to borrow for an evening.

MANNER OF READING IN SYRIA.

DECAYED STATE OF THESE MISSIONS.

Although it is somewhat an anticipation of re

Holy Land, I cannot forbear noticing, in this place, the surprising decay of missionary spirit and learn ing in these establishments.

I met with one of the Latin friars, who has resided between twenty and thirty years in these

But that which is to be noticed with the greatest concern, is the spirit of worldliness, and even of infidelity, manifested by some of them. They sometimes also speak so freely against their own church, that I have instantly checked myself with the thought-"What encouragement can we have given to them to speak thus? Indifference to the religion which they profess is surely at least as blameable as bigotry." They appear to be far less supported than formerly by the countries which they have left, and yet not much attached to the foreign country in which they reside-occupying convents, built in other times and by men of a different stamp.

Their way of reading aloud brings to my mind countries, and yet knows only sufficient of Arabic some remarks which I have often made on the to converse on common topics, but can neither customs of the Levant. Generally speaking, peo-read nor write the language: and this, more or ple in these countries seem not to understand a less, is the actual state of nearly all. book, till they have made it vocal. They usually go on reading aloud, with a kind of singing voice; moving their heads and bodies in time, and making a monotonous cadence at regular intervals-thus giving emphasis; although not such an emphasis, pliant to the sense, as would please an English ear. Very often they seem to read without perceiving the sense; and to be pleased with themselves, merely because they can go through the mechanical act of reading in any way. They run over a full period, as if they had no perception of it; and stop in the middle of a sentence, wherever they may happen to want to take breath. On one occasion, when I was showing some persons from an English book how we read, inartificially and naturally, they laughed, and said, "You are not reading: you are talking." I might retort upon an oriental reader-"You are not reading; you are chanting." I can very well understand how it was that Philip should hear at what passage in Isaiah the Ethiopian Eunuch was reading, before he was invited to come up and sit with him in the chariot. (Acts viii. 30, 31.) The Eunuch though probably reading to himself, and not particularly designing to be heard by his attendants, would read loud enough to be understood by a person at some distance.

FRANK ROMAN CATHOLIC MISSIONS.

It may be well here to notice, in detail, the state of the Roman Catholic missions from Europe.

Beirout, Jerusalem, and Aleppo appear to be the central stations, with which the Latin convents correspond. The Superior in Beirout is of the Franciscan order; and has under him Beirout, Saide, Hareesa, Ábiene, Selimi, and one of the two convents at Damascus; with one or two more in Mount Lebanon, the names of which I have not correctly taken down; on subjects of religion, they refer directly to Rome; but, for civil protection, look to the French consuls. The convent in Jerusalem has under its jurisdiction Bethlehem, Nazareth, Ramla, Acre, and the other of the two Frank convents at Damascus: these, also, on religious subjects correspond directly with Rome; but, for civil matters, are under Spanish protection. There is also a Latin establishment in Cy

How many temptations to sloth, trifling, and sin, does this monastic system furnish! In the performance of their multiplied rites, it is to be feared, the mind can enjoy very little pure and heavenly delight: from the genial influence of friendly and social prayer they are in a manner debarred; for every thing must be done by rule and form, and according to book: the office of preaching not being practised by them, or at the most very rarely, they are deprived of that powerful impulse to cultivate habits of furnishing and improving their minds, and of cherishing and pouring forth their best affections toward all around them. On those festivals which lead them more peculiarly into contact with the Frank residents of the principal towns, an easy convivial temper is found to be a greater recommendation, than spirituality of mind and conversation. The holy rest of the Sabbath is, moreover, universally profaned to purposes of visiting, and amusements of every description. If to all this it be added, that the spirit of infidelity, in its gradual course from the west and south of Europe into the Levant, finds not much purity of manners to discountenance, or power of learning to refute it, we shall have a tolerably complete picture of the melancholy condition of this region.

The decay of the Romish missions is certainly opening the way for the labors of Protestant Christians: but how loudly does it teach the members of all our rising institutions to fear, lest they, in their turn, should become secular, corrupt, and inefficient! It is, indeed, a solemn call upon us, to look well to our motives and our measures-to

Thursday, Oct. 30, 1823.-We departed for Sour. The scenery, through the chief part of this day's ride, is remarkably simple. On the right hand is the sea; on the left, a low modest line of mountains: the intervening country is quite flat, varying in width generally from a hundred and fifty to three hundred yards; though, nearer On reaching Sour, we took a room in the Sour, it is occasionally a thousand yards, or even Greek Catholic convent, the state of which we a mile in width. About three hours from Saide were surprised to see; for only the upper rooms is shown, a little way up the contiguous mountains, were occupied by a few monks, while all the lower a small village now called Zarfa, and supposed to rooms round the court-yard were occupied by be the Zarephath or Sarepta, where the widow families. In a schoolroom here, we counted dwelt to whom Elisha the prophet was sent: (1 Kings xvii. 9. Luke iv. 26.) The path on which we are riding is a pleasant turf; a very agreeable contrast to the sand and rock, to which we have hitherto been accustomed.

Friday, Oct. 31, 1823.-Early in the morning we walked out, to survey a little the aspect of this once far-famed city. Turning to our right, we came to the western part of it, and found a very large tract totally unoccupied by houses, where animals were grazing. It was skirted to the west by a wall: on looking over this to the sea beneath, we saw the breakers freely dashing over many a column prostrate among the rocks. This was the first memento of Tyrian story which we beheld.

island, ships might not, through the channel afterwards filled up by Alexander, shift from one side to the other of the city, so as to have a secure birth in every state of the wind, and sea; which, at present, they cannot have. It is diffi cult to perceive in what way, otherwise, the great maritime concerns of this place could, in ancient times, have been maintained.

On leaving this Greek church, we went to the water-side, accompanied by a Christian, an intelligent man, a native of Tyre; who had not dared Going round to the left, we arrived at the ruins to ascend with us the highest part of the ruined of the Greek church noticed by Maundrell; and, stair-case, lest he should incur some penalty from climbing up the broken steps of the winding stair- the Turks. We took a boat for the purpose of case in the turret to the top, we took a full view observing the northern line of rocks; and of exof the city and its neighborhood. We first en- amining what traces of antiquity were to be dis deavored to count the houses; which we estimat- covered, in that which now constitutes the harbor. ed at about two hundred, but most of these con- There is, first, a very small inner cove, fit only for sist of only one or two rooms: they are like huts, the admission of boats or small craft. Out of it rather than houses; and very few had a second we passed into the general harbor, by a narrow story. Interspersed among them are a few small channel. On the eastern or land side of the har. gardens. The houses appear to be rather new bor, is a small ruined tower; surrounded, at its a circumstance which accounts for the apparent foot, by a great number of columns, scattered and discrepancy between this statement and that of thrown in every position: I counted them, and Maundrell. He describes Tyre in his time, as found their number to be about a hundred. The containing "nothing but a mere Babel of broken frequent expression of the prophet-in the midst walls, pillars, vaults, &c.; there being not so much of the seas-or, as the original has it, in the heart as one entire house left. Its present inhabitants of the seas, (Ezekiel xxvii. 4, 26, 32, and xxviii. are only a few poor wretches, harboring them- 2,)-led me to suspect that buildings might once selves in the vaults"-all which might very well have existed even on these rocks; but, on going be the case then, and yet it may have a different further out, and examining the first of these appearance now. It may be remarked, also, that ledges of rocks, we were quite satisfied that no the state of the season exceedingly influences our traces of antiquities are to be seen here. It was apprehensions of the condition of the poor towns not possible, on account of the breakers, to go out of the Levant: if seen in bright dry weather like to sea and explore the scattered columns, which the present, their meanness is disguised; if view- we had before seen, over the city wall, at the ed when wet, dirty, and cold, the rain often drip- western side. We consequently returned; and ping through the roofs of the houses-the want the boatman, now understanding that we were in of sensible comfort aggravates all the other dis- search of columns, pointed out, at the bottom of gusts of a European traveller. It was in the the first-mentioned small cove, a great number of month of March, A. D. 1696, that Maundrell visit- very large size. It is said that the natives of the ed Tyre. The narrow neck of land, eastward, country have in modern times, collected thesc coby which the labors of Alexander connected in-lumns and sunk them-not at Tyre only, but in sular Tyre with the main land, appears to be about a mile in width, from north to south: it is covered with sand. No trace appears of the line of the ancient channel. I have heard the wish expressed by a lover of antiquarian research, that he might have the privilege of digging in the sand here, to find helmets, spears, and other warlike memorials of Alexander: whether such an attempt has ever yet been made, I am unacquainted. Looking toward the sea, on the other side of the peninsular city, westward, we see a line of broken ledges of rocks running nearly north and south, as a kind of tangent to the projecting western extremity of Tyre: this line extends on the northern side about a mile, on the southern about a quarter of a mile. The harbor of modern Tyre is formed by the ledges on the north, through the intervals of which there are two or three passages for vessels of small size, as also an open passage to the north; from which quarter the harbor is, however, much exposed. The small space, partially sheltered by the ledges to the south of the city, does not appear to be used by vessels, but it occurred to me, as a point to be ascertained by those who shall hereafter have more leisure to explore the state of the place, whether, when Tyre was an

other parts of Syria; with the desire of destroying the harbors, and thus impeding the approach of maritime nations to the mountainous and independent country of Lebanon.

From the guide above mentioned, who seemed to know well the state of his native city, we received the following census of the population; one thousand Metawalies, principally soldiersone hundred Turks-one hundred Maronites-of the orthodox Greeks, only four or five: there were more formerly, but during the present troubles, they have removed. The principal body of Christians, he says, are Greek Catholics, but he did not assign their number. His account would lead me to suppose the population to be fourteen or fifteen hundred souls. From the estimate which we made of the number of houses, namely two hundred, each of which, though meanly built, may be computed to hold five persons at least, there should result a population of full one thousand souls. I should rather have given seven to each house, both for the reasons specified in estimating the population of Beirout, and because, as there are next to no villages near to Tyre, this city is the more likely to be densely peopled. The real number may therefore be fourteen hundred.