Father and Mr. Hamilton have English horses, but Hartley and I preferred Arab ponies. Mine is a little beauty, and very gentle. He knows me already. He is said to be very sure-footed; I don't know about that, but he travels very fast-on a good road he will go a mile in four minutes. I call him Saladin. He is one of my heroes, and as I shall visit the scenes of his exploits, I thought it a suitable name for my pony.

Our courier is named Ibrahim, which is an odd name, but common enough here. He is a very grave and dignified-looking Arab, and has travelled with Franks so many times that he knows all their ways, and what they like to eat, and what they like to see. His business is to attend to everything generally, so that we may not be bothered thinking of small matters. The attendants are all under his command, and he is the guide. He transacts all the business, pays all the bills, and is very careful that no one shall cheat his employers but himself. But Ibrahim is considered very honest-for an Arab. He speaks English after a fashion of his own, but we can understand him.

Our preparations are nearly complete, and I hope we will soon commence our journey, for I am getting impatient.

Your affectionate friend,

PHILIP.

MY DEAR HARRY:—

II.

BEIRUT, Dec. 1, 18—.

We were all ready taken sick. He is

You see we are here yet. to start when Hartley was better now, and will be able to travel in a couple of days. Father advised me to while away the time by writing to you again, and telling you about the different races and sects who inhabit this country. He says you will have a better understanding of my letters if you know of the different people and religions. He has taken a great deal of pains to teach me all these things since we have been in this city, and, as I see the people all around me, I have a better understanding of them, and of their religious beliefs, than I ever had before.

I told you of the division of this country into. Syria, Cole-Syria, and Palestine. The whole of it has, for a great many years, been under the rule of the Moslems, and a very bad rule it seems to be. The entire population is to be found in the towns and villages, it being dangerous to live in the open country, on account of the lawlessness and violence of the wander

ing Arabs; the Government, though powerful. enough to oppress the people, does not seem to have the power or inclination to protect them.

There are five different Mohammedan sects and nine Christian sects, and as these are always quarrelling among each other, and the bitterest hate exists among them, you need not wonder that every few years everything is put in confusion, and the whole country visited by anarchy and civil war. I believe the Protestants have never taken any part in these numerous quarrels. They are so few in number, that they are not regarded as of much importance by the other sects.

I have the numbers of each sect, but they are not exact, as the census is not taken regularly here, as in our country. As the Mohammedans have the rule, I will begin with them.

I have often been very much confused by the names, Mohammedans, Moslems, Musselmen, Islams, and Turks, but I have found out that they are all different names for the same things. They all believe in one God, and that Mohammed was the Prophet of God, and for this reason they have always been called Mohammedans. Turkey is the chief seat of this religion, although it is spread through all Eastern countries, and therefore Mohammedans everywhere are often called Turks, although

the name is properly applied only to a native of Turkey. The name Moslem was given to Mohammedans by the Crusaders, and we have retained it ever since. They call themselves Mussulmen; to the faith they believe they give the name Islam,” which means "the faith,” (in the same way that we call the Word of God 'Bible," or "the Book," to show that it is above all other books;) hence they are sometimes called Islams.

I said there were five Mohammedan sects, but, properly speaking, there is but one; the other four are considered heresies. The Mohammedans proper, or the Moslems, as they are more frequently called in this country, number 800,000. They hate Christians, and call them dogs, or infidels. They allow Christians to stay in the country, and have their own churches and form of worship; partly because they are afraid of European nations, but chiefly, I suspect, because of the immense amount of money they get from the pilgrims. The Moslems are found all over the country everywhere, and constitute the mass of the people, except in Lebanon. Notwithstanding their hatred of Christians, they believe the Saviour to have been a great prophet-the greatest, next to Mohammed! They hold the tombs of the patriarchs and of David in great

reverence, and will not let Christians look at them. They believe in the resurrection, and a final judgment.

The Druses are mostly found on Lebanon. They number about 100,000. They were formerly very powerful in the mountains, but now they are inferior to the Maronites (a Christian sect), and many of the great Druse lords have become Maronites. They are a very curious people, and this was their origin: About eight hundred years ago there was a tyrannical ruler of Egypt, who was persuaded by an artful Persian to call himself a god. Soon after the new god disappeared mysteriously, murdered by the Persian, probably, who took care that the people should believe he had been translated to heaven. This Persian, Hakim, then said the god had left a book suspended at the door of a great mosque; and there the book was found! This book the Druses reverence as their Bible. If you ask them what they believe, they won't tell you, but pretend to believe as you do. They hold their meetings. in secret, and it is said they have some horrible ceremonies, but that is only suspicion. One of their doctrines we know: that the soul, when it leaves the body, goes into some animal, say a horse; when the horse dies, it goes into a donkey, maybe; then into an owl, &c. Pretty