198
BETEDDEIN.
the Emir Beshir at their head, have really embraced Christianity:
that branch only of the family which governs at Rasheya and Hasbeya -
continue in the religion of their ancestors.
Although the Christians of the mountain have thus become more
attached to their prince, their condition, on the whole, is not bettered, -
as the Emir scarcely dares do justice to a Christian against
a Druse; still, however, the Christians rejoice in having a prince of
their own faith, and whose counsellors and household are with few
exceptions of the same religion. There are not more than forty or
fifty persons about him who are not Christians. One of the prince’s
daughters lately married a Druse of an Emir family, who was
not permitted to celebrate the nuptials till he had been instructed
in the doctrines of Christianity, had been baptized, and had received -
the sacrament. How far the Shehab may be sincere in their
professions, I am unable to decide ; it is probable that if their
interests should require it, they would again embrace the religion
of their ancestors.
In order to strengthen his authority the Emir Beshir has formed
a close alliance with Soleiman Pasha of Acre, thus abandoning the
policy of his predecessors, who were generally the determined enemies -
of the Turkish governors ; this alliance is very expensive to
the Prince, though it serves in some degree to counterbalance the
influence of the Sheikh Beshir. The Emir and the Sheikh are apparently -
on the best terms ; the latter visits the Emir almost every
week, attended by a small retinue of horsemen, and is always received -
with the greatest apparent cordiality. I saw him at Beteddein -
during my stay there. His usual residence is at the village -
of Mokhtar (), three hours distant from Beteddein,
where he has built a good house, and keeps an establishment of
about two hundred men. His confidential attendants, and even
the porters of his harem, are Christians; but his bosom friend
