RETURN TO HITZOUT- -CHRISTIAN EDUCATION IN SYRIA. 391 town of Zaakhli. We continued our way along the valley r a couple of hours-passing the eastern brink of the lake Yamouni, which we had previously beheld at a distance. We then struck into a bold forest path, and after about five hours' travelling found ourselves at a poor village called Furriehs, having by some mistake turned off from the route to Zaakhli. The moon was just up; and while the tents were being made ready, I seated myself on a fragment of rock, and was soon joined by a fine, venerable, grey-bearded Arab-the Sheikh of the village, who after a glance of enquiry, presented to me his lighted pipe-a matter of customary oriental civility, of which I took two or three whiffs; and, however silently we sat gazing upon each other, we seemed at least to be very good friends. We were soon surrounded by the greater part of the villagers, whose behaviour was as orderly as one could desire; and soon sleep put an end to our weariness. The next morning we resumed our route at an early hour; and, continuing along the valley of Bekaa, retraced our steps nearly by the way we had come. During our short sojourn at Beyrout, I had the satisfaction of making the acquaintance of Assaad Yacoob Kayat, a Christian Syrian, and a member of the primitive church of Antioch, who is devoting his energies to the promoting of sound Christian education in his own land. He received us cordially in his charming residence, overlooking the town and bay of Beyrout, and overlooked by the noble heights of Lebanon. He presented us to his wife, whom he has emancipated from the oriental habit of seclusion. In Syria, as in other parts of the East, the females are kept in a state of sad ignorance, and destitute of all mental cultivation. To the cause of female education, Assaad has given much attention; and the work is progressing-prejudices are steadily declining, and difficulties are fast giving way. This intelligent and energetic man has thoroughly mastered the English language, and abundantly profited by a residence for two years in the University of Cambridge. In connection with "The Church of England Society for Promoting Christian 392 CHRISTIAN EDUCATION-ANCIENT CHURCH OF SYRIA. Education in Syria," he has established schools for both sexes; but his main object is eventually to raise up a native agency; for which purpose he has promising pupils now in England, one of whom is about to graduate at Cambridge. I had fully hoped to pay repeated visits to his schools, but in this I was disappointed, partly by our visit to Baalbec, and partly by the necessity for preparing immediately after our return, to sail for Constantinople. But the tone of Assaad's mind, in regard to the whole matter of Christian education in Syria, was such as to assure me that his movements would be zealously and judiciously made. On one occasion, he sent for one of his pupils, an intelligent boy of about fourteen years of age, named Giaboor Bashoor, who first translated a portion of the Arabic New Testament into correct, forcible, expressive English; and afterwards a passage from the English into the Arabic. The whole exercise indicated an amount of quick intelligence, which gratified me exceedingly. I was delighted with the singleness of heart which Assaad manifested towards this great business of his life-which may, in the providence of God, be an effectual commencement of a spiritual regeneration of Syria-once blest with gospel-light, but now so overshadowed and desolate. What Christian heart would not deem it a high privilege to lend a helping hand to this noble enterprize? Besides the Maronites, Armenians, and members of the Greek church, there is a considerable body of Christians in Syria-descendants of the primitive church which has been perpetuated, amidst Turkish and other persecution, from the days of our Lord himself. Though in many respects superstitious, yet they hold "the head," and indeed embrace the great leading truths of the gospel, and desire the free and extensive circulation of the Holy Scriptures. Their form of church government is Episcopalian, under Methodius, the Patriarch of Antioch. Many of them, I am informed, give proof of sincere, if not enlightened piety; and feel the need of spiritual reform and renovation. Some of them, I am told, know what their church should be-and desire she should CHRISTIAN EDUCATION IN SYRIA. 393 become such. May the work prosper, and may the glory of it be seen in the day of the Lord Jesus.* The despotic hand which has so long held Syria in its grasp, is becoming relaxed. The Euphrates is drying up-that is-the Ottoman Empire is withering-perishing "without hand ;" and there is a humbling consciousness of the fact in the very seat of government. As this power declines, surely the spiritual prospects of Syria will brighten. On this subject, scripture is our best, our only safe guide-the infallible interpreter of events which gather and thicken about us. The energies of the longest life, and the richest spiritual gifts and graces that God bestows, would be nobly employed in promoting the regenerative movement in Syria through her apostolic church. *While writing this note, ASSAAD is my guest, with his interesting wife and child, and PATRAGIE ZACHARIAS-a young pupil. ASSAAD is now in England for the purpose of interesting the members of our church in his important work, and providing means for maintaining and securing the education of his pupils already here, and others who may succeed them. Three of them, namely, ABDALLAH ARAMAN, MOOSSA TANOOS, and NASSIF GIAMAL are at the National School, Chelsea; one, ANTONIO AMIUNI, is studying medicine at King's College, London; and a fifth, PETRAGIE ZACHARIAS is preparing to enter the University of Cambridge, in October. These are all of the better class of Syrian Society. There are many other promising youths who might also have been sent to England for a like purpose; but the want of adequate funds has stood in the way. ASSAAD has succeeded in establishing two schools at Beyrout—one within the city, the other without; and also a third at Damascus. These schools are now chiefly supported by the natives of Syria; so that the great object to be aimed at is the securing means for educating pupils in England for missionary labor-for circulating the Scriptures, and superintending the schools. Let but the foundation of religious education be well laid, and all will be hopeful. The worth of a body of well educated and spiritually enlightened natives would be incalculable. Indeed I cannot see how any effectual progress can be made without such instrumentality. I cannot but think that the advance of this work may have an important bearing upon our Episcopal establishments in the Mediterranean and in Jerusalem. Enlightened Syrians are peculiarly adapted for useful employment in most parts of Asia and Africa, where Arabic is the common language. They are capable of bearing all climates, and of course familiar with all oriental customs, habits, and prejudices-matters in which the best qualified Europeans would find great, and in some respects, insurmountable difficulty. † He is now a member of Sidney Sussex College. CHAPTER X. THE ISLANDS OF THE ARCHIPELAGO AND Departure for Constantinople-Cyprus-Rhodes-Colossus-Islands of the Archipelago-Smyrna-The Seven Churches of Asia-The Hellespont, etc.-Constantinople-Lazaretto-Dancing Dervishes-Fatalism-Scutari-Bulgooroo-Howling Dervishes-Journey to Broussa-Olympus-Thoughts of Home. It was on the thirtieth of July that we embarked for Constantinople, having completed our brief visit to the Holy Land. Had I been quite master of my time, I should probably have lingered amidst scenes so touching to the Christian heart, and perhaps retraced my steps-again to gaze on objects towards which the mind instinctively turns. Though compelled to forego this, there is yet deposited in my memory a mental picture of Palestine which returns upon me with all the freshness of reality, whenever I dwell upon the pages of the Holy Word, and connect the facts of sacred history with the undoubted localities which I have visited. Lord Castlereagh arrived late on the previous evening, having safely accomplished his intended visit to Petra (by way of Hebron), Djerash, Ammon, &c., for which he set out while we were sojourning at Jerusalem. We had the pleasure, before we embarked, of congratulating his Lordship in his tent pitched outside the walls of Beyrout, and passed a short time in recalling the delights, fatigues, and adventures connected with our past movements. Leaving his Lordship quietly reclining on his dewan, we gave ourselves to the stir of preparation, and by four o'clock were on board. Our two servants, Hassenein and Abd'lawahyed accompanied us to the vessel, with the feeling on both sides, that as soon as the anchor should be weighed, our connexion would be at an end. I believe we DEPARTURE FOR CONSTANTINOPLE. 395 were all truly sorry when the hour of separation arrived; for they had attached themselves to us by unmingled fidelity and consideration amidst all the fatigues and difficulties of our journey. We gave them copies of the New Testament in Arabic, with which our friend Assaad Y. Kayat had furnished us; and it may be that the Spirit of God will lead them to the fountain of living waters. Our next meeting may be in the white garments of salvation, before the throne of the Lamb. By five o'clock we were bidding farewell to the venerable scenes of sacred story. The anchor was weighed-the last farewells were spoken; and as the boat returned to the shore, we gazed upon the receding bay and graceful city of Beyrout, and the noble ridge of Lebanon; and it was not long ere the shores of Syria, and the heights of Lebanon itself became confounded with the rising mists of the ocean horizonline. Our vessel was crowded with Asiatics, bound for Smyrna and Constantinople-amongst whom was the Deftar Dhar-the Bey and Treasurer of the Pashalic of Aleppo -a great man in his way, and a fair specimen of Turkish indolence and indulgence. He was attended by his suite-a poor miserable set, whose whole time seemed given to the supply of his incessant personal wants. The great man spent most of his time reclining on his temporary dewan on deck, now and then reading a page or two of sundry books, and sometimes turning over the leaves of a copy of the Arabic Scriptures; but the charms of literature seemed small in his estimation when compared with those of the chibouk and coffee, the pilau, the melons, grapes, and arakee, of which he received large and frequent supplies. Then there was the Governor of Aleppo--a ferocious and cruel-looking Turk, whose dark restless eye seemed familiarized with scenes and transactions of terror, the more especially when stimulated by arakee, of which he was perpetually taking large draughts. As I watched the movements of this man, I felt I should entertain but small hope if it rested with him to determine whether my neck should be laid bare to the sabre or the bow |