him, and treated him unjustly; so, rather than let a Christian be punished by the Mussulmans, he was to escape altogether. I asked what would be done to the daughter. "Nothing," was the reply, that the family may not be disgraced. On returning lately a second time to my house, I found the man still there, and I saw a lame petition which he had drawn up to the governor, saying that the Christians accused him unjustly. He seemed to be frightened at my presence in the village, and I was told that he had made off for Tarsoos. That he was suspected of so fearful a crime seemed to make no difference in the conduct of the Ansaireeh towards him. They have the good quality that they will protect a guest, though they may at the same time metaphorically eat him up; but this becomes a vice when exercised, as it usually is, in unworthy cases. They have another good quality, which however they share with brutes, love for their progeny, in which they are, after their blind fashion, behind no other people. An Ansaireeh has few friends away from his own race, therefore it is almost death to him to leave his mountains for long; and even a short visit to town is distasteful to him. I shall now make a few remarks on the appearance of the people, their food, arms, and dwellings. As to their appearance, I cannot do better than quote some words of Mr. Walpole, on account of their accuracy. "They are a fine large race, with more bone and muscle than is generally found among Orientals; browner than the Osmanlee, but lighter, fairer than the Arab; brown hair is not by any means uncommon. The women, when young, are handsome, often fair, with light hair and jetblack eyes; or the rarer beauty of fair eyes and coalblack hair or eyebrows." * Their arms consist of a long gun, with flint lock and * Ansayrii, or Assassins, vol. iii. p. 345. The reader will there find other remarks on their dress, &c. coarse powder, generally made in the mountains. It is as common almost for their muskets to miss fire as to go off, and this of course is very disadvantageous to them in a fight. They have besides a short bent sword, which is often blunt, and in every way little serviceable; and they use their swords in the most unscientific manner. When in want of lead they will borrow for the time the roofing of Djaafar Tayyâr, to be restored afterwards. They carry but a small supply of balls, of irregular sizes, so that their aim is an uncertain one. I have seen no good shots among them; and they look on a shot flying as a great performance. Though individually brave, their last encounter with the government shows that they are unable to meet regular troops; for these were in small numbers, and by their own accounts some 2000 to 3000 Ansaireeh were assembled. The war in Morocco has proved how little half-trained men can do against European troops armed as they now are. Their houses are in some cases not ill-constructed, though only with a door, and without window or chimney. The invariable type is, four walls formed of unhewn loose stones piled up in two rows with rubble between. The roof is supported on pillars of wood, which carry transverse beams. These in their turn support smaller branches, and these still slighter, till over all myrtle or gorse is placed, and then earth some inches thick, which is mudded over at the approach of every winter. A fire inside, for fuel is plentiful, gives an air of comfort to the dwelling. One or two mats and quilts, and mud receptacles for wheat, &c., complete the furniture of the house. I once spoke to one of the chief sheikhs on the superiority of Europe, and the miserable condition of the Ansaireeh. He said he did not see that, for every one had a felt mat and quilt, and enough to eat. As to food, though it is of the commonest quality, they are perhaps not so badly off; and, when their climate is considered, there is less misery on the whole among them than in large town populations, even in England. Security for life and property is all they want. Had they but this they might for a century to come have all that heart could wish in matters of food. Their chief diet is burghool, which is nothing more than wheat, boiled, dried, stored, ground, and boiled again with a little melted butter. They seldom eat meat, but have in summer water-melons and fresh figs; and in winter the same dried, with a little butter and some milk. Rice is a rare luxury. Such is the picture of the present state of the Ansaireeh and of the province where they dwell, so far as I have dared to sketch that of the last. If the reader thinks it a melancholy one, I can assure him that, though it may be in a measure distorted from not being filled up in all its details, it is not exaggerated; and was, with many attractions, a sad scene to live in. Often had I to console myself with such lines as these in the "Christian Year: "— "Bethink thee what thou art and where,- God seems still to have a controversy with the inhabitants of Syria, "because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land. By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood. Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away. They sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains, and burn incense upon the hills, under oaks, and poplars, and elms, because the shadow thereof is good."* *Hosea, iv. 1-3, 13. As it was beside the purpose of this book to give a history of my mission, I have omitted to allude to the troubles which led to its premature close. But as some of the kind friends who supported the school may read it, I will add, that, though a sudden illness caused the entire suspension of my labours, yet I have lately had good reason to hope that blessed results may arise from the mission; and I intend, if my life be spared, once again to live amongst the Ansairech, and by intercourse with them to do what I can for their welfare.* * As stated in a note appended to the preface, the Author did not live to see this work through the press. There is great prospect, however, of the good results he hoped for being realised. 233 CHAP. IX. 66 EXTRACTS FROM THE MANUAL FOR SHEIKHS." I PURPOSE devoting this chapter to a description of my Ansairee MS., and to a translation of its most interesting parts. I had thought of translating the whole, but as I have already given the most important passages from several of the sections, and as many of these are so similar that from one an idea may be formed of the rest, I shall content myself with presenting a summary of the contents of the book, and a translation of those portions alluded to in preceding chapters. I have made use of other parts in my notes on the catechism. The Manuscript contains 188 pages 12mo, and is called Il Mashyakhah, or "Manual for Sheikhs." It is in the handwriting of a certain Sheikh Mohammed of the village of Bishrago, and is said by him to have been copied at the consecration of his nephew Ali, son of Sheikh Eed, in A.H. 1239 (A.D. 1824). The closing part is written in a very bad hand, and the sheikh excuses himself on account of the badness of the ink. The handwriting of the greater part of the book is good, but it is full of the most ridiculous and inexcusable grammatical and other errors. Thus, where the intention is to call Ali the refuge of those who seek him, by a wrong diacritical mark the meaning becomes the terrifier of the same. The book contains all the chief parts of the religion of the Ansaireeh. Being a manual, it contains the different prayers to be recited at the administration of the sacrament, and in other offices, and ends with the form of initia |