BETEDDEIN. 
203 
food in the palace of the latter, nor even smokes a pipe there, al 
ways asserting that whatever the Emir possesses has been unlaw 
fully obtained. There are different degrees of Akal, and women 
are also admitted into the order, a privilege which many avail 
themselves of, from parsimony, as they are thus exempted from 
wearing the expensive head-dress and rich silks fashionable among 
them. 
A father cannot entirely disinherit his son, in that case his will 
would be set aside ; but he may leave him a single mulberry tree 
for his portion. There is a Druse Kadhi at Deir el Kammar, 
who judges according to the Turkish laws, and the customs of the 
Druses ; his office is hereditary in a Druse family ; but he is held 
in little repute, as all causes of importance are carried before the 
Emir or the Sheikh Beshir. 
The Druses do not circumcise their children ; circumcision 
is practised only in the mountain by those members of the Shehab 
family who continue to be Mohammedans. 
The best feature in the Druse character is that peculiar law of 
hospitality, which forbids them ever to betray a guest. I made 
particular enquiries on this subject, and I am satisfied that no 
consideration of interest or dread of power will induce a Druse to 
give up a person who has once placed himself under his protec 
tion. Persons from all parts of Syria are in the constant practice 
of taking refuge in the mountain, where they are in perfect secu 
rity from the moment they enter upon the Emir's territory ; should 
the prince ever be tempted by large offers to consent to give 
up a refugee, the whole country would rise, to prevent such a 
stain upon their national reputation. The mighty Djezzar, who 
had invested his own creatures with the government of the moun 
tain, never could force them to give up a single individual of all 
those who fled thither from his tyranny. Whenever he became