Husayn collected men and sent to pass his information to Bashāmūn and from there the report spread to Aramun. And about one hundred and fifty men gathered together on foot and on horseback, and they put themselves in ambush in a wood on the side of the road, called the wood of the eagles. And when they [the Christians] drew near, the [Druze] men fell upon them unawares, and riddled them with bullets to despatch them quickly. And those of them that were in the rear, turned back, but those that remained of them [had to remain because too far advanced to retire] became all entangled in the battle waged on (P. 44) this desert plain. And when the Druzes of the Shuf heard the noise of the gunpowder increasing, they descended like ravening wolves, and the inhabitants of the villages in the neighborhood followed them, and it took no longer than about half an hour before more than six hundred men drew together in that place, who encompassed them [the Christians] on all sides and closed them in [shutting them off] from the roads and passes. And between them the flame of war blazed up, and thrust succeeded blow, and misfortune increased grief. And the men struggled and pursued one another, and defended themselves and battled together, and the women shrieked and wailed, and the children cried and ran about. And the dead bodies dropped upon this desert plain like leaves [falling] from the trees. And the noise of the gunpowder [was] like thunderbolts and the clamor of the men (P. 45) like the rumbling of heaven. And at one time they [the Christians] did not cease to defend themselves and their families by discharging bullets [from the fire-arms they carried], and then again they advanced in the direction of Bayrut, seeking safety, until the morning dawned. And its light rose and shone, driving off from them their foes, and they seized the opportunity for a supreme effort, and so they reached the city, though in an exceedingly bad plight because that night they had taken the measure of [endured] terrible things. Forty-three of their men were killed and some of their women and babies. And of the Druzes thirteen were killed in this encounter. And eight or nine of them were wounded. And at a certain moment a Druze on the battlefield laid hold of one of the Christians and they clinched and threw each other and got up again and did not cease their mutual assaults, (P. 46) keeping close together until they reached the seashore where they tumbled into the water and yet they continued their fight. And while this was going

on, a huge wave came and carried them out of their depth and drowned them both. And in the morning they were found dead on the beach still clutching each other. And at the moment [of their being found] some men of the Christians of as-Şahil were present and they buried the lifeless bodies in the sand. And as they went away, they took refuge with God concerning this matter. And as regards the rest of the inhabitants of ad-Dubīyah who were saved from the fangs of death, having managed that night for the space of six hours to repel with their little band such a [large, hostile] crowd, when they arrived at Bayrut they were like dead people having only the appearance of life, without means of subsistence or clothes or carpets [bedding] or [any kind of] covering. (P. 47) So they laid them down on the ground with the heavens to cover them, looking for pity at the hands of the people of Bayrūt, who brought to them such food as they had ready. And meanwhile the Druzes enjoyed the use of their possessions [of which] they had been robbed. And they [the Christians] [had to] let them [the Druzes] enjoy their plunder, they themselves measuring [experiencing] the pains of distress. And many of them longed to satisfy [their hunger and thirst] with bread and water. And then the French nation provided them and those of the population of as-Saḥil who were in the like straits, with what they needed to subsist in the shape of eatables and clothes and bedding. And they continued to receive these gifts as long as it pleased the God of [all] time.

(P. 48) FOURTH CHAPTER

Narrative of the heart-rending trials that befell the people of the district of Jazzin and of at-Tuffāḥ and al-Kharnub.

When [the news of] what had happened in the neighborhood of Bayrut in the matter of spoliation and ruin, reached the inhabitants of Jazzīn and [the rest of] the population of those districts [to the South], they grew afraid of a sudden attack of the Druzes upon themselves and prepared to repulse whoever might come [to raid] them. And when the Sheikh Janblaṭ learnt of their preparations and fierce disposition, he communicated with them, the contents of the letter which his

messenger bore [advising them] to remain quietly in their houses and not to make any movement that might affect the [public] safety and order, in which case he guaranteed to them protection and freedom from molestation and made himself responsible for the prevention of any hostile act committed by any (P. 49) enemy. And when they had finished reading his letter and understood the meaning of his despatch, they felt secure to the utmost limit of security as if their safety were now beyond question, and every one of them went about his business, full of confidence, relying upon his written word, trusting in what he had told them. And while in their good faith they neglected all caution, the Druzes of ash-Shuf surprised them with fifteen hundred men, arriving in that locality in the afternoon of a Friday in the beginning of the month of June. Part of them, [numbering] about seven hundred men, rushed on to Bakāsīn, but the rest of the main body advanced toward Jazzīn. And most of the villagers were [at work] in their fields and gardens. And Abū Samra' of Bakāsīn with two hundred men of the possessors of indignation [at their being betrayed] met the first [mentioned] band. And they became commingled in fight at a place called al-Ghabāṭīyah. And (P. 50) Abū Samra' was of the stallions among men [a man of might], a gallant commander, as he proved to them by [his] courage and bravery in the pressure of the mêlée. So he threw them [the Druzes] back with the throwing back of an overbearing tyrant [audacious violence]. And the engagement between them lasted about an hour and a half of the rest of the day. And the Druzes retreated and, in their desire to escape, turned toward the land of Khafishah and its vicinity after four of their men had been killed. And the people of Batir took one of their banners. 95 And of the Christians only a minor was killed. Thereupon the routed Druzes again drew together and, taking heart, advanced in a body. And a crowd from the villages in the neighborhood joined them. And with this increased multitude they fell upon the Christians and reversed [the condition of affairs], routing them [who now] had to seek salvation [in flight]. And slaughtering them, the Druzes followed them to (P. 51) Bakāsīn and in a very short time

95 "On going to war, the banner of the clan is brought forth with much pomp and intrusted to the keeping of a select band, renowned for their bravery, and commanded by a veteran called the Baracdar. The colours of these standards are various, red and green being the most in use." CHURCHILL, op. cit., II, 300/1.

carried off their flocks of sheep and goats, and herds of kine, whereupon they burned the village down and left it as a warning to the beholder. And concerning the other Druzes who had marched upon Jazzin, about three hundred men of the Christians of that borough and places in its neighborhood had gone out to meet them and repulsed them with hearts stronger than iron and harder than stone because they [the Druzes] had oppressed them with great oppression in the previous disturbances of the year 'forty-four. And they burnt down many villages in ash-Shuf with four hundred men of the companions of Abū Samrā' and a band under Yusuf al-Mubayyad of Darb as-Sin, having neither consideration for them nor fear. And they hoped that this time they [the Druzes] would leave them alone as they had done on that earlier occasion, thanks to the failure of their plans. But when (P. 52) they [the Druzes] advanced upon them like the waters of the sea, their self-possession and firmness forsook them and they fled, seeking to escape, and ten of them were killed in that [hostile] descent, and four of the Druzes. And the Druzes entered their city plundering it. And they killed whomever of its infirm people they got hold of and burned it down. And the whole number of those killed was one hundred and sixty-five. And the rest [of the Christians], fearing utter perdition, fled in the direction of Şayda.96 And Qasim Yusuf Ḥamādah, Sheikh Sa'yd Janblāt's agent on his estates in that region, encountered them with about eight hundred men of the Druzes, and threw them back with a mighty throwing back [overpowering strength]. So they took to their heels and returned to their larger villages. And this man [Qāsim Yūsuf] was a violent man, more murderous than Birrāḍ (P. 53) at-Tamimy97 and more perfidious than al-Ḥarith Ibn Zālim as he had plainly shown in previous proceedings which occurred in the year 'forty. He had namely a friend among the Christians of al-Arqub, whose name

96

96 Sidon.

98

97 Whose story, told in the words of Sir WILLIAM MUIR, was as follows: "Birrad, a friend of the Coreish, jealous of being supplanted in the convoy of the merchandise [despatched by Noman V, Prince of Hira, to the fair of Ocatz under the convoy of Orwa, a warrior of the Banu Hawazin] watched his opportunity and, falling upon Orwa as he encamped by a fountain near Fadac, slew him and fled with the booty to conceal himself in Kheibar.......” Life of Mahomet and History of Islam to the Era of the Hegira, II,. 4. 98 The commander of one of the King of Hira's armies, who slew Samaw'al Ibn 'Adiya's son when Imru'u'l-Qays's five coats of mail were refused to him.

was Fāris Zukhūr, a wealthy man. And he came to him with asses and mules, and said to him with deceitful tongue: I fear for thee on account of the chiefs of the Banu al-'Ayd, who may kill thee by reason of their coveting thy property. Come therefore with me to my place in Ba'aqlin and I guarantee to thee evasion of [that we will foil them in their intended] wrongful acts. And he swore to it with every oath and asseveration [he could think of] until he had gained his full confidence and persuaded him. And he [Fāris Zukhūr] got up and hurried and packed up his things and loaded them and strapped them [on the beasts of burden], taking along his flocks and leaving nothing of his furniture in his house. And he went forth with him [Qasim Yusuf] completely relying [on his words] and wholly unsuspicious. And they were only a little distance from the village (P. 54) when he [Qasim Yusuf] began to shoot at him [Fāris Zukhūr] with bullets and, having slain him, flung him [to one side of the road]. And he drove these loads [his slain "friend's" property] to the house he lived in, and left his friend as food for the wolves and vultures. And so it came to pass that the population of the aforementioned district, who this once had escaped from before the face of this reliable man, watched their opportunity where they were, and sent a message to the consuls at Ṣayda, seeking from them delivery in this misfortune. And they [the consuls] sent [some of] their followers to accompany them to the city, with whom [those followers] they were to arrive in safety and security. But when they were on their way thither in a state of fear and confusion, Qāsim Yusuf surprised them with the men under his command and surrounded them [rushing up] from right and left. And the bullets hit them from every side, and the mouths of the swords bit them with the biting of vipers. And they cried out for help but no one listened, (P. 55) and they begged for intercession but no one interceded, and at times they exerted all their strength to repulse [the enemy] but they failed, and they tried to flee but could not find the means. They were like people submerged in a boisterous sea, tossed by the beating of the waves, and the angel of 'death circled round them on every mountain-side and in every ravine. And they remained in this plight for the space of three hours. And about four hundred of their men were killed, among whom seventy monks [besides] six nuns, the blood running like rain-water. And the color of the soil changed as if it was dyed with henna. And the