your love; and thus will arise disorder among the people, and a state to trouble our mind, quiet.] We desire for your love only ease and and muddy your clearness [disturb your comfort on all sides, as your own conscience also testifies: for this reason, if he is not with you, it will be better. Your understanding is sufficient. Do not deprive us of the tokens of your friendship in what you need. Adieu. Your friend, BECHIR.

rose tumultuously, assaulted the house, beat and threatened the family, and obliged Mr. Bird to flee to the neighbourhood of Tripoli. Mr. Bird was preparing an account of these proceedings; which afford decisive proof, if more proof were needed, of the apprehensions entertained on Mount Lebanon with respect to the influence of the Mission in Syria, small as is the number of Labourers,

and restricted as have been their means of intercourse hitherto for want of an Arabic Press.

These apprehensions have also been manifested, in a curious Letter of the Emir Bechir, with regard to the movements of Mr. Goodell: the Board state

Mr. Goodell was on the point of going, with the family of the English Consul, to spend a few weeks on the Mountain,

at the time of this violence done to Mr. Bird. The Emir Bechir requested, however, that he might not go. The Letter of the Emir to the Consul is characteristic of the style of Eastern Princes; and on that account, as well as its reference to Messrs. Goodell and Bird, a literal translation of it will be interesting to the reader.

To the presence of the affectionate and the most distinguished, the honourable and most ingenuous, Signior Peter Abbott, the honoured. May he remain preserved! After presenting the precious pearls of affection, the aromatic blossoms of love, and the increase of excessive longing after the intimate presence of the light of your rising in prosperity-[we say :]-In a most propitious hour your Letter reached us, and the knowledge of your health pleased us. You mention, that, on account of the increase of heat at this season, you wish to reside abroad; and, for this purpose, have taken the house near Der el Kalaat; and you ask of us an order to the head [of the Convent] respecting this matter. All this is known to us, and

you will receive enclosed an order to the said head [of the Convent,] that he treat you with attention, and conduct well toward you. We declare, most distinguished friend, that you from your own mind know the excellence of the love there is between us, and how that on this account all our country is yours, and to whatever place you go you will be well received; and especially, that we know your perfect excellence and honour, and that consequently no trouble will be occasioned us on your part.

Yet as to Signior Goodell, of whom you speak as going in your company, if it is possible for him not to go, there will be no harm; for we fear the same thing will be occasioned by him that has been occasioned by Signior Bird, of which we have already informed

tions of hostility, the work is graNotwithstanding these indicadually advancing: the Missionaries notice

We have commenced a Weekly PrayerMeeting in Arabic, to be held always immediately before the similar English Meeting.

In the Arabic Prayer-Meeting, five or six persons, besides the Arabs and Armenians of our families, were present.

Many Greeks came to converse. The prohibitions give interest to their inquiries.

- More calls to day than ever. We can do little else than talk with visitors from morning till night.

Unpopularity of the Maronite Patriarch.

The following Letter from Mrs. Bird to Mrs. Jowett, written in November, while Mr. Bird and his family were residing at the Convent of Belmont, near Tripoli, will further shew how little at ease the opposers of the Truth feel themselves.

Having obtained from the Emir Bechir permission to reside wherever we pleased, and an order to the inhabitants to treat us with due respect and attention, we went to Ehdeen, to a comfortable house, open for our reception. We had scarcely been 24 hours in this pleasant village, before the Maronite Patriarch's excommunication fell upon the family of our kind host. This did not been formerly Sheikh of the place, and at all alarm Naami Latoof, he having above the fear of spiritual evils in consequence of the curse. But the present Skeikh of the village, the inveterate enemy of Latoof, took advantage of the anathema, as a cover under which he could oppress the family; and the Patriarch having succeeded in getting the Emir on his side, we found it best to step aside, into the district of Dumea. There, in a small village of Maronites, and under the protection of a Moslem Sheikh, we passed nearly three months in all quiet

ness.

The Patriarch raved in vain he could neither drive us away by force,

nor starve us out by threatening to excommunicate all who supplied us with provisions: the Maronites love a ready market as well as other people; and did not choose the trouble of going to Tripoli, when purchasers were ready at hand. Bawhyta is only three hours from Ehdeen; and we found the air and water very good. We felt the need of a good house, but were generally quite contented with our goat-pen: such the hut which we occupied literally was, having been built and used for that purpose. However, it was the hut of our choice; for the Sheikh gave us permission to reside in any one of his villages, and to occupy any of the houses which we chose. That part of Mount Lebanon may be our summer residence in future, should the present state of things here continue: it was unknown to us, until we were obliged to leave Ehdeen. The children enjoyed their situation much, and soon became healthy: the dreadful ophthalmia, from which they have regularly suffered every summer at Beyrout, it is said, never prevails so high upon the mountains; and we saw no instance of it. This is a fine large Convent, and its situation high and airy. The part which we occupy is a separate wing, having little connection with the body of the building: the rooms were built for strangers, and are larger and better than those usually found in Convents.

We are waiting here till the weather shall be a little cooler in Beyrout; hoping to hear, in the mean time, something more decisive as to the prospects of war. We are hoping for peace: still, I trust, we are willing to suffer many inconveniences, to which a war would subject us, if a change of this sort would open more effectually a door for preaching the Gospel.

An affectionate remembrance to Phares. We have heard that his brother Asaad is well, in body and in mind. The Patriarch's people say that he must be possessed of a MIGHTY devil!

The Patriarch has a great many vexations at the present time. The Sheikh and people of Besherry, a fine village near the Cedars, have, for several weeks, been excommunicated, because they would not let him have water from their springs to water the gardens in one of his villages: their Churches have been shut by his order, and they have lately taken down the bells: they sometimes talk of going to Cannobeen, and bringing Asaad to live among them. Several of the neigh

bouring villages, it is said, have lately joined the Besherry people, and shut up their Churches with their own hands. The Patriarch has made himself very unpopular in this region of late. May it please the God of Missions to make even the violence of this man preach to his people, and prepare the way for a different kind of preaching! There is a prospect that the plague will prevail in Syria this season: it has already made its appearance at Der el Kamer, and a few other villages on the Mountains. Things look rather dark here, but this darkness may be preparing the way for a brighter day. For this we must pray.

Remarks by the Board on the State and

Prospects of the Syrian Mission. In July 1826, it was remarked in the Official Publication of the Board

We invite the friends and patrons of the Palestine Mission to consider the NATURE OF THE ENTERPRISE; and to gird up their minds for a long and arduous, but glorious struggle. Palestine is a country where almost every species of error and vice is found-where the force of circumstances has impressed everywhere the strong lineaments of party- and where Satan has erected his strong-holds, and triumphantly surveys

his dread munitions. The Mission to that country is not for the faint-hearted, the irresolute-for him who shrinks

from the shock of arms, or the fierce and long-contested battle.

It is for minds of firmer nerve, of more comprehensive views, of more unbending fortitude; which, borne upward by the promises of God, can overlook a thousand obstacles, and dangers, and disheartening occurrences, lying in the way to ultimate and triumphant success.

Such are the Patrons, and such the Missionaries, who are adapted to this enterprise.

In a recent Number it is also observed, after quoting the preceding remarks

When these remarks were made, it was not known in this country that a spirit of Religious Inquiry had been awakened to any considerable extent, by the labours of our Missionaries in Syria; and it was perceived that many patrons of the cause, not considering the nature of the case, were impatient for visible tokens of success, and exhibited signs of discouragement with regard to that Mission. The reader will have perceived,

that the success, with which it has since pleased God to crown the labours of the Missionaries, has been the occasion of more fully developing the obstacles in the way of a complete triumph.

Since these obstacles exist, it is expedient that they be generally known; that all may have the means of counting the cost, before joining in the work of evangelizing that country as Missionaries, or by their pecuniary aid. Our general impressions respecting the difficulties to be encountered are not changed, although the first-fruits have come earlier and more abundantly than we expected. There is, and doubtless there will be, a great demand for faith in the promises and power of God: the eye, in glancing over the fearful array of ignorance, prejudice, enmity, and opposition, will no where else find ground for unshaken confidence. But nothing has been brought to light in any of the communications, which could withstand such an exertion of Divine Power, as was witnessed on the Day of Pentecost. It would go far toward destroying the influence of the Pope, and blunting the sword of Mahommed, in Mount Lebanon: and it would make such an impression on society, that the converts to the true faith would be sustained against the rage of their families; and would not find themselves left solitary, friendless, and without employment and the means of livelihood. And, should violent persecution be raised against them, the consequences would be as in ancient times: the converts, by mutual prayer and exhortation, would encourage and strengthen one another to die nobly; and they that were scattered abroad would every where preach the Word. Awaken freedom of inquiry to a considerable extent in Syria, and let the Scriptures be accessible to the people, and nothing can prevent the spread of right principles in religion, nor the practical influence of those principles.

The future should be contemplated in connection with the past. If so much has been effected in so short a time, by two or three Missionaries, but imperfectly acquainted with the languages of the country, travelling but little, seldom appearing in public, scarcely making use of the press, and opposed by all the cunning and violence, which, in the present political relations of the Turks, can be exerted against such as are protected by British Influence-what may reasonably

CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY. VISIT OF THE REV. J. R. T. LIEDER TO THE FAIOUM.

(With a Map.)

A BRIEF notice of this very interesting Visit, in which Mr. Lieder was accompanied by a friend, Dr. Kluge, appears at p. 62 of the Survey.

From Cairo to Benisouef.

May 19, 1827-We went on board our cangia at Bulack, the suburb of Caïro: we hired it for 60 piastres, to sail from Caïro to Benisouef. At ten o'clock we left Bulack, favoured with a good breeze; and came, the following morning, in sight of the pyramid of Medoun. We saw several Christian Churches of the Copts; and my servant, a Copt, seeing another, could not forbear to cry out, "Look! there is another Christian Church," to the great vexation of the boat's crew, which consisted of Mahomedans. It was painful to me not to be able to visit every village where Christians are dwelling, in order to convey to them the Word of Life; but I hope to do it next autumn, if it please God.

able, and we passed our time near the pyMay 20, Sunday-The wind was unfavourramid of Medoun. I strengthened myself by reading from the Eighth to the Eleventh Chapters of the Epistle to the Romans. What a treasure these chapters contain !how consolatory and strengthening to the heart of a Christian! We landed in the evening, near Ouasta, a village which is inhabited only by Mahomedans, and is famous for robbery. One of our servants went, therefore, to the Sheikh of the village, and asked for some men to watch, during the night, near our boat; which he willingly granted, hearing that we had power to demand them by virtue of our Firmâns.

May 21-The wind still continued unfavourable, and we did not arrive at Benisouef till five in the afternoon. We applied immediately to the Cacheff for camels and asses for our journey, who received us very kindly, and immediately granted our request. During the night we again slept in our cangia; and were not less than three times attacked by robbers, which at present very much infest the country.

Western

Pyramids of Gizeh :

Pyramids of Abousir

Pyramid of Saccara

Pyramid of Dashour