'The Expedition for the survey of the rivers Euphrates and Tigris, carried on by order of the British government, in the years 1835, 1836, and 1837; preceded by geographical and historical notices of the regions situated between the rivers Nile and Indus. In four volumes. With fourteen maps and charts, and embellished with ninety-seven plates, besides numerous wood-cuts. Volume the first.' [‎548] (639/905)

548
COUNTRY OF THE DRUSES.
[CHAP. XXI.
Convents of ments of a monastery, with the addition of implements of
the Maronites. i lus | )an( lry, the establishment being partly supported by the
manual labour of the monks; but in general the magnitudes
of these buildings are greater than is necessary for their
inmates, and their number is disproportionate to the extent of
the country. In addition to the labour of the priests, contri
butions are obtained from Europe, and the rest of the funds is
supplied by the peasantry, who willingly give more than a fair
proportion of what they possess.
Their govern- Belonging to the convents are terraces, with patches of
ment " tobacco, hemp, corn, vines, and olives, usually under the pro
tection of the country people. In general, the Maronites are
poor ; but as frugality prevails almost universally, no individual
is destitute of the necessaries of life ; and, at the same time,
no one is unreasonably desirous of more than he has. The
Maronite districts form two small and almost independent
republics; each being under an Emir belonging to one of the
principal families of the adjoining territory, over which, as a
body, the Maronites exercise considerable influence.
Districts and The country of the Druses lies southward of that of the
government of Maronites, and it contains several mountain districts, such as
the ruses. ^ g^ouf, El Tefahk, El Shomar, and 13 others, 1 forming
as many cantons, each under an emir of ancient family, who
usually occupies a large serai, and is comparatively wealthy.
Throughout this tract a kind of republican independence is
maintained under the Sheikh Beshir, a hereditary chieftain,
who resides at Shouf. But, by way of control, a Muhammedan,
now the Emir Beshir, is appointed by the Porte, whose
system of government consists in maintaining a sort of balance
between the Christians, to whom he is supposed secretly to
belong, and the Druses. His authority extends from Belad
Akkar to the district of Akka, but his revenue, including the
miri collected for himself, does not exceed £10,000, whilst
the Sheikh Beshir, with his feudal state and retinue, who
1 The others are El Djessain, the Kesruan, El M&tin, El Soleima, El
Gharb, El Eokany, El Tahtany, El Djord, El Shehhar, El Menaszef, El
Aaarkouh, and El Kharroub .—Burckhardt's Travels in Syria, pp. 204, 205.