Kesrouan and other Christian parts of the
mountain there are small factories of thirty,
twenty, and even ten wheels, set up with
European machinery. These small establishments,
although they cannot produce silk of
the same quality as the large factories, are
able to reel what is sixty or seventy per
cent more profitable, than that which the old
fashioned native wheels brought forth. What
the money paid to the peasants for
their cocoons, the wages paid, the reelers in the
the amount paid for firewood in the
Lebanon, and what, is expended on building and
repairs of the factories, there has been of late,
during an average year, half a million sterling
"turned over" in producing of silk in Lebanon
and the adjacent, parts. This money is nearly
all drawn from France, as almost the whole of
the silk produced in Syria goes to that country.
This great increasing industry, too, formed by
degrees the wealth of the native Christians (the
Druses cultivate and produce cocoons, but do
not reel or export silk) of Syria, and was, no
doubt, one great cause of the late war being
instigated by the Turks. It is calculated that
with moderate prudence and a fair knowledge
of the country and the business, the owners of
the silk-reeling factories in Lebanon average
about twenty-fire per cent, per annum profit on
their capital, But the drawback has ever been
the dishonesty of the Turkish government, as
well as the enormous export duty which the
same government imposes on all produce shipped
from the country, thus most effectually killing
the goose for the sake of the golden egg.

Next morning, after the twelve o'clock breakfast,
we started off with our host to visit
some of the burnt-down villages in the
neighbourhood of the factory. There was
something most mournful to behold in the nearer
views of these heaps of blackened walls, and
still more so in the few heart-broken despairing
creatures which we fell in with hover-
ing about the ruins of their once happy homes.
And yet this district did not see half the horrors
of the war, for although Druses fought
Christians and Christians Druses, there were no
wholesale massacres. As an old Maronite
priest said to us, "By the mercy of God there
were no Turkish troops in this district, and
therefore we escaped treachery and butchery."
Druses and Christians of the Lebanon both
testify that, until the Turks regained
possession of that province in 1840, these two
sects lived in harmony with each other. Local
disputes there were, as there must always be
between half-civilised tribes; but these quarrels
were invariably between rival families of Druses,
or different parties of Christians. And in such
feuds certain Christians would be found fighting
on one side with one faction of the Druses, whilst
others took part with the enemies of that party.

Amongst other villages we visited that afternoon,
was one called Soolima, higher up the
valley, and on a much higher elevation of the
mountain than the factory. Curious enough,
this place had neither been plundered nor burnt.

The inhabitants consisted of two-thirds
Christians and one-third Druses. These had come to
an understanding amongst themselves that they
would not fight each other, and that all property
should be mutually respected. The compact had
been faithfully observed, the only exception
being a Capuchin convent, or mission-house. The
only monk, an Italian Capuchin, who inhabited
the convent, had fled to Beyrout at the first
outbreak of the war. His church and convent were
situated close to the high road, and some Druses
from a distant village happening to pass on
their way to one of the numerous fights, found
the occasion too tempting, broke into the house,
and plundered all the little property of the poor
padre. The latter had left the French flag flying on
his house when he fled, hoping that the Druses
would respect it and pass his church by, the
more so as all European Roman Catholic
missionaries in the East are known to be under the
special protection of France. But, in this
instance, it so happened that the only European
house in the village was the only one broken
into or plundered.

Late in the evening we returned to the
factory, and on the following day started again for
Beyrout.

THE MINISTER OF THE INTERIOR.

IF we understand the gentleman whose ambition
it is to lay claim to the above title of
Minister of the Interior, he is desirous of proving
by his communications— first, that there is a
great public want of some officer who shall
enjoy a general commission on a large scale to
set right everything that is going wrong; and,
secondly, that he is the person to take upon
himself that onerous and responsible function.

He therefore proposes, until some more
efficient person can be found to his satisfaction
when he will instantly resign his despatch-box
and his office in Upping-street to set up in
business in that capacity at once. All communications
for the Minister of the Interior must be
addressed: To His Excellency, the Minister of
the Interior, Office of the Interior, Upping-
street, Dustminster.

The Minister's first report touches on certain
objectionable features in connexion with the
Liberty of the Subject, and runs thus:

It is the humble opinion of the Minister of the
Interior that " the subject has in this country
a little too much liberty, and he would submit
to his colleagues in office one or two cases in
which it appears to him that that liberty might
be curtailed with infinite advantage to the
community at large.

There are many persons in private life who
have liberty to do and say things, to do or say
which should be decidedly illegal. Why, for
instance, should the unscrupulous advertiser
invite us to purchase a good sound sherry at
twenty-four shillings? Why is he free so to
describe that peppery and unwholesome liquid?
Somebody or other must be taken in by this,