_Beyroot, September 20, 1836._
Yesterday, Ibrahim Pasha reached this place in an Egyptian frigate
from Tripoli, on his way to the south. He landed about the middle of
the day, under a salute from the forts, and was escorted by a body
of troops to a large house outside the walls, and near the sands.
In the afternoon, the American consul, who was about to call on the
Pasha, as is usual with the consuls on such occasions, was so kind
as to call and take me with him. We found a company of soldiers
before the door, and a number of officers and dignitaries of various
kinds, in waiting. We were asked into a carpeted room, with a divan,
that is, a low seat covered with cushions, on all sides. The Pasha
was seated in one corner; several consuls with their suites were
in the act of leaving when we entered. He returned our salutations
with an inclination of the head, and a slight motion of his hand to
his breast, and pointed us to seats on the divan a few feet from
him--the consul on his right and myself on his left.
The Pasha is a short man, but heavily built, and I should judge from
his appearance that he has considerable muscular force. He has a
coarse, homely, round face, but none of its features can be called
striking. His skin is rather rough and coarse, and looks as if it
would bear washing more frequently than it receives it, and would
not be the worse if some soap were at times added to the water.
This was the case also with his hands, which looked as if they had
never known a glove. They were fleshy--the fingers short but thick,
and indicated a powerful grasp. He wore the Turkish dress, which,
as you know, consists of a long robe open in front, and also at the
sides from the knees down, showing the large loose trousers worn
under them. His outside garment was of a flesh-coloured silk; the
second, which showed itself at the breast, was striped silk. His
girdle was a variegated Cashmere shawl, forming a bandage round him
of a foot in width. This shawl was not of the finest kind. He had
a plain red fez on his head, with no other ornament upon it than
the usual blue tassel. He wore plain stockings and a pair of red
slippers. In truth, his whole dress was far inferior to that of a
number of persons who came in and paid their respects to him while
we were there. Most of them, however, wore the large Turkish cloak;
he was without any. Take him all in all, the man and the dress, and
I think that at least one half of those who came in while we were
there, were his equals, if not his superiors. He conversed freely,
laughed a good deal, and several times very heartily. I could not
understand enough of the conversation to know what things had the
power of pleasing and amusing him. At times, I thought a sour
and severe expression gathered on his countenance. He spoke with
interest of the American squadron, and the politeness of Commodore
Elliott in showing him everything about his vessel. He was evidently
struck with the style and equipment of our vessels. He mentioned
with much satisfaction some small present the commodore made him.
The visiters were announced by an officer in waiting, and approached
him usually one at a time. When they were Turks, and possibly the
case was the same with all but Franks, they kneeled on one or both
knees, making the Turkish salutation, and kissed his hand, which he
held out to them; then rose, repeating the application of the hand
to the forehead and breast, and retired to the part of the room or
divan to which he pointed them. The more respectable persons were
invited to be seated.
One of his objects in coming to Beyroot is, to visit the coal-mines
in this vicinity. He referred to this object, saying with a laugh
that he was going to Corneil to turn coal-merchant. He has for
some time been trying to make the coal-mines of advantage to his
close-run treasury; but he is a poor manager, and until he adopts a
better plan he is not likely to make a fortune at the coal-trade.
He has the mines worked mainly by mountaineers pressed into the
service, who are, at the end of a few weeks or months, changed
for others; and thus, as soon as they learn how to work, they are
changed for those again who must be taught. Ibrahim Pasha is,
however, a man of some force of character, and has a mind more
fit, it is said, for the department of a soldier than that of a
statesman. He has for many years led the armies of his father
Mohammed Ali, and, in many contested fields, he has won laurels
which do not fall on the head of every general. The regions of
Upper Egypt, the plains of Arabia, the land of Palestine, the
interior of Asia Minor, not to mention Greece and the Isles, have
felt the desolation caused by his troops. It is said, however, that
the father is the man who plans--that without him as the head, the
son will make but a poor business of it; and those who thus consider
the matter, infer, that when the father dies, the wide domain which
now submits to his sway will fall in pieces, and become the prey of
those who may have the power and skill to come in for the spoil.
I know not how much ground for these opinions may exist--but one
thing we know, that power acquired and perpetuated by crime, usually
terminates in the ruin of those who have wielded it.
With respect to his private character, I have not learned much;
but part of what I have learned is not much to his credit. It is
generally admitted that he is a very intemperate man, and often
under the influence of strong drink. The Turks, indeed, are, many
of them, fond of ardent spirits, and the law of Mohammed to the
contrary, will, notwithstanding, take strong drink when they can
get it. When among the ruins of Baalbec, a soldier came, and for
some time hung about us. We could not tell what the man wanted, at
length he asked for spirits. We had none, and told him so, asking
him if he was not ashamed to violate his religion in drinking what
it forbids? Oh, he said, he could not read,--he did not know what
might be in the Koran. I have at other times seen them drink, and do
it with a great apparent relish. From all I see, I am inclined to
the opinion that Mohammedanism is fast losing its hold on thousands
of its followers, all through these regions, and the same holds
good with that corrupt system of Christianity which prevails here.
There are an increasing number who are having their eyes opened to
see the grossness of its superstition--who see and understand more
and more the tricks of the priesthood; and most of them, having no
idea of pure, Bible, Protestant Christianity, are likely to plunge
into scepticism and downright infidelity. There is need of a tenfold
increase of active effort, to spread abroad among these communities
the pure word of truth--the knowledge of Christ--the healing,
purifying doctrines of the Gospel.
I have heard of several tricks of Ibrahim Pasha's, which show
something of the man. It is an object constantly kept in view with
him, to increase his army. This is done in great part by seizing
persons, mostly young men and boys, and making soldiers of them.
This is confined to the Mohammedans. A report got out, however,
that he intended to take a number of the Ansairi for soldiers. They
occupy a district of the mountains north of Tripoli, and onward to
Aleppo. The Ansairi took the alarm, and fled to their fastnesses and
strong places in the mountains. His troops, that were in fact sent
out as a press-gang to take them, returned with very few--it was a
failure. Then did the wily Ibrahim set his trap, and use these few
for the bait. He inquired who they were, and being answered that
they were Ansairi, he ordered them to be freed, saying that he did
not want such--he wanted none for his armies but good Mohammedans.
The Ansairi are a mongrel sort of Turks, who have a strange medley
of religious notions and practices, which are but partially known,
and not, as yet, satisfactorily classed--neither Christians,
Mohammedans, nor Pagans, but a little of all. The liberated Ansairi
were greatly pleased at their escape, reported it to their brethren,
who came down from their mountains, and were taken in great
numbers. The person who related the fact saw nearly a thousand of
them marched into Aleppo in chains, to be drilled and trained for
soldiers.
The most important religious sects in this region are the Greeks,
Maronites, Druses, and Mohammedans. The Greeks are divided into the
Greek and the Catholic Greek. The Greeks differ from the Catholic
or Roman church in several things. One of the chief points of
difference is about the procession of the Holy Spirit, which they
hold to be from the Son only, and not from the Father and Son, as
held by the Roman church, and in which the Protestant churches are
mostly agreed with the latter. The Greek church allows the free use
of the Scriptures; rejects images in worship; but are madly set on
the use of pictures. They reject the authority of the Pope.
The Pope and his missionaries have long made most strenuous efforts
to bring the Greek church to an agreement with him and a subjection
to his authority. They have for centuries employed missionaries and
agents of all sorts to accomplish this. Nor have these efforts been
wholly without effect. Throughout the East, where the Greek church
exists, there are a portion who have been prevailed on to admit the
authority of the Pope, and more or less modify their Greek notions
to a nearer conformity to the popish standard. These are called
Greek Catholics. They are pretty numerous in many places, and have a
good deal of influence all through these regions.
The Maronites take their name from an individual who somehow
contrived to be the head of a party, and to leave it his name as an
inheritance. They differ, I am told, but very little from the Roman
Catholics; hardly as much as the distinctive character of their name
would seem to indicate.
It is not yet fully decided what the Druses are. Some assert that
they are worshippers of the calf. They have a secret which is
imparted only to a part of their people. This part is what may be
called the enlightened--the initiated--the knowing--and they, like
the freemasons among us, are most careful not to divulge the secret.
They form a large part of the population of Mount Lebanon. They
appear to be a quiet and well-disposed people, but it is not easy to
find out what are their real religious principles and belief. They
are charged by some with modifying, or pretending to modify, their
opinions to suit those with whom they may be. With a Mohammedan
they are Mohammedans, and with a Christian they are almost, if not
altogether Christian. But in this they may plead the example of many
who have gone before them, and modelled their creed to suit the
circumstances of the times.
The Mohammedans are the followers of Mohammed, who lived in the
early part of the seventh century, and introduced a new religion.
His system borrows some things from Judaism, and some from
Christianity, but in many important matters differs from both. Nor
is it Paganism, having a most decided aversion to idolatry. It
would take more time than I can at present spare, to give a full
account of it. It may suffice to say, that Mohammed acknowledged the
truth of the Jewish religion--all the Jewish prophets he received
as prophets of the Lord.--He admitted that Jesus Christ was a
great prophet, yea, the greatest prophet that up to his time had
come into the world, and that the religion he taught was the true
religion. But he pretended that he himself was sent as the last and
greatest of all prophets, and authorized to make such changes in the
religion of the Jews and Christians as to justify its being called
a new religion--and that his system as set forth in the Koran is
now, since he came, the only true religion. He made circumcision a
rite in his system. They give much honour to the saints of the Old
Testament, the church and the apostles. Their worship is plain. They
are wholly opposed to the use of images or pictures. Their chief
day of worship is Friday. They pray much, have long fasts, allow a
plurality of wives; but in practice this is not as common as many
have supposed, and is confined to a comparatively small number.
One of those things that immediately strikes the notice of a
traveller in these regions, is the number of monasteries and
religious houses, and the peculiarity of their situation. There may
be eight or ten counted from Beyroot; and how many may be within
the range of twenty or thirty miles, I cannot well conjecture. From
the number I passed in going to the top of Lebanon, and returning
from the Cedars by Tripoli, I must suppose them to be from one
to two hundred. A friend of mine counted sixteen from a place
near Nahr-El-Kelb; and a native assured me that from the top of a
mountain near Nahr-El-Kelb, nearly one hundred could be seen. The
number of houses for men is much greater than those for women.
There must of course be a considerable number of monks, but it has
occurred to me that the actual number is not as great as the number
of houses would seem to indicate; many houses have but a scanty
number of inmates. To the inquiry, which I have often made, whether
the monastery system is not losing its hold on the public mind? it
has generally been answered, that no very perceptible change could
be noticed. I am still, however, of the opinion, that the system
is not as favourably received as it was in times past; and I shall
be greatly disappointed if it does not, and that before long,
appear that the system is wearing out. General developments have
been made, which show that these houses are seats of corruption
and abomination, and that the best interests of the church and of
society would be promoted by the system's coming to an end.
Beyroot has been the main seat of the Palestine mission. This has
been the usual residence of the missionaries, and here and in
the vicinity most of their labours have been expended. Good, no
doubt, has been accomplished. It has been, however, a hard soil to
cultivate. There are peculiar difficulties to be met with in the
character, habits, and especially the ignorance and deep-rooted
religious prejudices of the people. The Arabic language, which is
the one almost universally spoken here, is a language difficult
to acquire so as to use it freely in preaching. Of course, some
time must be lost before a missionary can so master the language
as to do much in clerical addresses to the people. A part of their
efforts have been directed to schools, and in this place have made
some progress. They had a number of schools, and were through them
operating well on the minds of the people. About three months ago,
at the same time that the movement was made against the missionaries
in Greece, Smyrna, and the adjacent parts, a similar movement was
made here, and the effect has been, the suspension of most of the
common schools. I have no doubt that is a part of a wide-spread
plan to counteract and break up, or render unavailing, if possible,
all missionary operations in and around the Mediterranean. I hope
it will fail, and I doubt not but that it will. It may, however,
make the missionary work more difficult, and, for a time, less
productive of its desired fruit. I have no doubt the hand of the
Roman Catholics is in the matter--for in all places and at all times
they have greatly withstood missionary efforts.
There is a mission press at this place. It has laboured under great
difficulties for the want of many things to make complete their
Arabic fonte, and from the impossibility of procuring them here, and
the delay in getting them from America or Europe. The distribution
of books is one of the ways of operating. Something has been done
and is still doing; but the watchful adversary is now opposing this
mode of working. Much suspicion is excited against their books, and
from time to time we hear of some being burned. In a late tour we
had some books with us, but found that in most of the villages the
people had been warned against receiving them. All these things are
to be expected. It is not to be supposed that the enemy will quietly
see the light of the gospel poured upon his dark empire of ignorance
and superstition. I should not wonder at an effort being made to add
more severe measures than burning books and withdrawing children
from school. Indeed, there was an effort made about three months
since, to drive the mission families from the mountains, where they
had gone to spend the sickly season, and were about opening schools
for the summer. The prince of the village, at the instigation, as
he admitted, of the Catholic priest, forbade his people to have any
intercourse with them, to buy or to sell to them, and threatened
to burn down the houses in which the missionaries might reside.
The American consul laid the case before the Emeer Busheer, the
head prince of the mountains, and claimed for them, as respectable,
well-conducted American citizens, who had for health gone to the
mountains for a few months, the right of protection usually enjoyed.
The Emeer sent an officer and inquired into the case--reversed the
orders of the local prince, and assured them of his protection.
It was a lesson which I hope the local authorities will not soon
forget. The prince who made the attempt to oppress and oppose
them had not long before become a Catholic. The Emeer Busheer who
protected them is not a Catholic; he was until recently considered
a Moslem, but now professes to be a Maronite Christian. Thus the
Lord can raise protectors and helpers from whom he pleases--make of
stones children to Abraham.
A few nights since we had our attention called to a very pretty
spectacle. As it began to grow dark, we observed bonfires lighted
in the neighbourhood, and other tokens of festivity. We went to the
terrace on the top of the house, which commanded a most extensive
view of Mount Lebanon, a view of nearly thirty miles. Along the
whole range we could see the bonfires glaring. They looked, on the
dark side of the mountain, like stars on the face of the deep blue
vault of heaven. I made several attempts to count them; but it was
much like counting the stars, which, when a boy, I often attempted
to do, but almost always abandoned, before I reached a hundred, from
a strange feeling of the difficulty of continuing the enumeration,
when the objects lay thus without order. These bonfires were of all
sizes, and were often marked by fitful blazes of light, as new fuel
was thrown on them. Others would glimmer and expire, while new ones
would burst forth, and soon attain to the first magnitude, and then
die away, or be subjects of those fitful flashes that indicated the
addition of fresh fuel.
On inquiry I learned that this was the feast of the Cross, and
that these illuminations and bonfires were in commemoration of the
finding of the true cross by the Empress Helena. It is said that
on her way to Jerusalem she gave orders that preparation should be
made that, in case she was successful in finding the cross, the
event might be made known by bonfires, and thus the intelligence
be communicated to Constantinople. Much of the religion of these
people consists in such things. Their fasts--their attending
mass--their worshipping and kissing the pictures--keeping the holy
days--and counting their beads, constitute the principal part of
their religion. As to the pure service of the heart--faith that
worketh by love--regeneration by the Spirit--a new moral nature,
effected through the word of truth under the agencies of the Holy
Spirit, with most if not all the other elements of real genuine
piety, they are almost wholly ignorant. It is, indeed, astonishing
that a people, who have the book of God in their hands, should so
long remain in utter darkness and ignorance of that spirituality
which beams forth from all parts of it. This whole region is yet
in the dark ages. Let any one who wishes to form a correct idea of
the state of things here, read a well-written account of the middle
ages--the preliminary dissertation to Robertson's History of Charles
the Fifth, and Hallam on the Middle Ages--and he will have before
him the leading features of the state of the church and society
now found here. The agreement will not, it is true, hold good in
all points, but in the main there is a strong family likeness.
May the Lord soon raise up reformers!--and may the truth soon go
forth as the light, and his revelation as a lamp that burneth! The
reformation in Europe was preceded by many things which betokened
the coming of day; and there are many things now which bespeak the
approach of a time of light, life, and salvation, for these regions
that have long lain waste. The last ten years have witnessed great
changes, and we hope the next ten will record still greater.
You have often heard of the Sherock, or Siroc, as it is often
spelled. The weather had become much cooler, but this strong south
wind has brought it back to its greatest summer heat. It does not
usually blow more than two or three days at a time; but we have had
it now for four or five days, and it still continues. Many persons
complain much of it--"feel it in every nerve." It does not affect
me, except as it makes the air warm and oppressive.
Last night, for some unknown cause, connected probably with the
Sherock, (which is made to bear the blame of all sorts of evils,
and ought in fairness get credit for some good,) we had the most
heavy dew at Beyroot that I have seen in Syria. This is the more
remarkable, as the dews have usually been very light. It fell
copiously soon after sunset, and this morning the earth looked as
if a little shower of rain had fallen. There was also this morning,
for the first time since I came to Beyroot, a dense fog--one of the
most dense I ever saw--this also is to be ascribed to the Sherock, I
suppose.
Yesterday I visited the ruins of Dair-El-Kollah, which lie near a
village called Bate-Meiry, about three hours' ride from Beyroot.
They are of the same style of building as those of Baalbec, but on
a much smaller scale. It has most likely been an old temple. The
stones are enormous, but not equal to the largest at Baalbec. Most
of the wall has been thrown down, but one or two of the lower rows
lie in their places. The stone is put together without cement, and
the face, like those of Baalbec, made so smooth, that you could
not put a knife in the crack. The pillars before the building were
large, but not equal to those of Baalbec. They were composed of
three pieces; the lower one, about twelve feet long, alone remains
standing. The rock is a coarse marble, and I saw a few fragments of
granite. These ruins are on the top of the secondary ridge, about
half way to the top of Mount Lebanon; a church now stands on part of
them.