sists (besides ourselves) of a converted Jew, Reuben Coster, whom Mr. Way brought with him from Nice; and a young Jew of Jerusalem, Abraham by name, who, though not a convert, joins in our Services: there are also two Servants, Maronites.

I was much interested, walking in the evening on the terrace to meditate on the 104th Psalm, with many of the expressions in verses 16-18 & 24-26, as verified to my sight; especially in turning to the noble view of the Western Sea-the very same great deep which David contemplated when celebrating the praises of Jehovah.

"This Commandant was Abunaufel, a Maronite, the most respectable of his Nation. The fame of his probity was so great, that Louis XIV, of happy memory, chose him, although a subject of the Grand Seignior, to be Consul of the French Nation, and sent him his Brevet to that effect.

"It was before this person that Father Lambert and his two companions appeared. Abunaufel interrogated them. In their answers they declared what they were, shewing him the Patents of the Reverend Father General.

"Abunaufel readily perceived that these supposed Corsairs were Missionaries sent him by Providence. He gave them the best reception possible, and lodged them in his house. Their arrival, and the intercourse which he had with them, suggested to him the idea of establishing a Mission in his country, in order to give the Maronites of Mount Lebanon that spiritual assistance of which they are so often deprived. He made the proposition to Father Lambert, and offered him a settlement in his own domain; situated in a part of Mount Lebanon called * Kesroan.

"Father Lambert, after having consulted the Superiors of our Syrian Missions and received favourable answers, accepted, on their part, the offers of Abunaufel. This person kept his word with the Missionaries; appointing them a lot of ground sufficient to build a small house with a Chapel: he even bore a share of the necessary expenses. Father Lambert was the man chosen by God to be the founder of the Mission of Antoura. He opened it with an extraordinary concourse of people, who assisted at the first exercises of the Mission. Aided by his two companions, he continued his exertions till death, with indefatigable zeal."

(Lettres Edifiantes et Curieuses: Vol. I. pp. 220-229.)

* The name of this district is sometimes spelt, Kastravan. It lies between Beirout and Tripoli.

A Priest and a Sheik from Ain el Warka called in the morning. Sunday is a visiting day, here also! May our example benefit them!

Monday, Sept. 22, 1823-Mr. Fisk and myself called on Mar Hanna Maroni. He relates that there is trouble in the Mountains; and states the following facts as the cause of it. As several of the Sheiks have fled from their homes, for asylum in Frank houses, the Emir has sent a party of fifty soldiers, who passed by this place only yesterday, to set fire to the houses of those absconded Sheiks, and cut down their fruit trees; so as to force them out of their hiding-places. He thinks there will be a re-action-a slight rebellion.

It is but a very few months since this Prince fled from Mount Lebanon to Egypt, in order to escape from the vengeance of three assembled Pachas, who besieged the Pacha of Acre. He has now returned in safety; and, besides replacing various pecuniary losses at the expense of the Chieftains among the Mountains, he is also singling out those who did not stand true to his cause during his temporary flight.

The Bishop received us in the "Parlatorio" of the Nunnery. Several Nuns came to the grated window. There are twenty-three of them who have taken the vow. One, of eighty years of age-two or three, of twenty or twenty-five. They were all very talkative, and very inquisitive; evidently curious to know something of that world, from which they are now for ever secluded. The Bishop, who speaks Italian fluently, inveighed bitterly against all Monachism; and said, if he were the Pope, he would immediately abolish every Brotherhood and Sisterhood of them. The freedom of the Sis

ters was not inferior to his. On my mentioning that I was married, they inquired very particularly about my wife and children, and wished me to bring my wife to visit them. On this the Abbess, a lively woman of about thirty-five years of age, asked my companion, whether he were married: on his answering in the negative, she vehemently demanded, "Why not?"-and did not spare reproofs. The Bishop, though himself unmarried, added in Arabic-" Sijra bla tamr"-" A tree without fruit!"

I cannot say that I was led to form a favourable opinion of Monasticism, or of Nunneries. Mr. Fisk and myself, conversing fully on this subject afterward, agreed that those Nunneries, which are under the closest seclusion and confinement, are, in some instances, liable to become the most corrupt. In Jerusalem, the Nuns have the liberty of visiting their friends. These, being in some measure under the public eye, are probably more correct.

I inquired from the Bishop, in reference to the acknowledging of the Council of Trent, which was solemnly done by a National Council of the Maronite Clergy in the year 1736, whether the acts of that Council were printed in Arabic. No-he replied but they have a manuscript copy in Arabic. It is difficult to me to conceive how these Clergy of the Mountains should have thoroughly weighed all the matter contained in the Acts of that Council; but not difficult to understand how they should have been disciplined into adopting it. Implicit faith believes, and implicit obedience submits to,

ANY THING.

Tuesday, Sept. 23 Mr. King refreshed us by

his arrival. We are now five Missionaries-all, in some degree, with different objects or under different characters; but all uniting in Christian love, counsel, and labour, on Mount Lebanon-Mr. Fisk, a Missionary from America to Palestine-Mr. King, whose original plan was to study Arabic, in order to return, after three years, as Arabic Professor to one of the Colleges of America, is here adding Missionary exertions to his studies-Mr. Wolff, a converted Jew, labouring for the Jews, under the patronage of wealthy and noble-minded individuals -Mr. Lewis, a Clergyman of our United Church, for the same cause under the Jews' Society-and myself, serving the Church Missionary Society.

The Village, if such it may be called, of Antoura, consists of about twenty small and scattered houses; of which, three are ecclesiastical-namely, the Residence of Monseignior Gandolfi, Vicar Apostolic of the Pope, now absent from home; the Nunnery; and the College, in which we are living, and which was endowed about ninety years ago. Several Monasteries are within sight, or within a moderate distance. This, in fact, may be considered, generally, to be the character of the Mountains. Their population consists almost entirely of monks and peasants. Of the peasants, a great number carry arms. In fact, every young man may, in some sense, be called a soldier; and would, in case of need, muster as such: the gun, which serves him for field-sport and sustenance, is ready for the call of war; and his discipline consists in the bracing, hardy habits of a mountaineer. It would be difficult for European Troops to find their way through

Mount Lebanon, if the natives chose to embarrass them.

A

The country is here as remarkable for the innumerable multitude of its mulberry trees, as Egypt is for its palm trees. During the chief part of the year, these mulberry trees clothe the prospect, in every direction, with a most delightful verdure. As they are not cultivated for fruit, but for their leaves, from which a great quantity of silk-worms are reared, they are polled generally when the stem is about six feet high; and the small branches, or rather twigs, then burst out in most luxuriant foliage. An immense quantity of silk is thus raised in Syria. The trees are planted in regular lines. In the winter months, they pass a light plough over the soil between them, so that it may drink in the rain more plentifully. I do not remember to have seen mulberry trees reared in Egypt; though I know of no reason why they should not flourish, in some parts of that country. In Psalm lxxviii. 48, in the PrayerBook Translation, it is said, that God destroyed their mulberry trees with the frost. This would be a dreadful calamity to a country in the circumstances in which Lebanon now is, as it would ruin the valuable trade of silk. The true sense, however, of that verse is given in the Version of the Bible, where the word is rendered sycamore trees. This tree has a leaf somewhat like the leaf of the mulberry tree; and its fruit is a wild fig. The wood of it is peculiarly durable.

CONVENT OF AIN EL WARKA.

Friday, Sept. 26--I called on the Bishop Hanna Maroni, who very readily gave me Letters for