DRUSE, a race occupying the range of hills which extend parallel to the coast from the neighbourhood of Beyrout to the heights above Sidon. They are brave, honest, and hospitable. They number 70,000. 3fin kadini (ab origine) the general answer given to all inquiries as to their settliog there ; they are likewise spread over the Baumn to tho S.L. of Damascus. Zahle, seven hours from Balbec, belongs to their territory. Half an hour from Zable, on the south side of the village of Kerak, is shown the tomb of Noah. They trace their cult to Al Hakim, a khalif of Egypt. They believe in the transmigration of souls, and that the prophets recorded in the Old Testament were only a succession of identical spirits. The names of David, Abraham, Ishmael, and Pythagoras occur in their sacred code, but without any adherence to ascertained chronology. Hamsa, their God and sovereign, they consider to have been the true Christ ; and Jesus, son of Joseph, a travelling impostor, and therefore de servedly crucified. They seem equally opposed to Mahomedans and Christians, but use the Koran to deceive their Turkish masters. They consider the four evangdists to have been so many powers or parts of religion, and Hamsa to have appeared about 400 years after Mahomed, when he flourished eight years upon earth, and afterwards appeared seven times in all from the time of Adam, finally and formidably to reappear when the Chris tians shall be rnore powerful than the Turks ; he will then spread the religion of the Druses by divine authority. Their creed requires implicit obedience, and rejects fasting, prayers, tithes, and killing of animals. In mode of life, form
of government, language, and customs, they re semble the Maronites. Druse women wear the tan tour, a conical tube, about 18 inches long, of silver or plated copper, and ornamented with a variety of patterns. It is fixed upon a cushion fastened to the top of the forehead, and inclines slightly forward, like a horn. Over this a piece of white muslin is thrown, which falls down to the hips, and serves to envelope their faces at pleasure when they go abroad. In some parts of the mountain it is worn on the side of the head. Their religion seems a remnant of some Mahe reedan heresy. They arrange themselves as the Akal or intelligent, and that of the Jahil or ignorant. The Akal, in number about ten thou sand, form the sacred order, and are distinguish able by their white turbans. The Akal are not permitted to smoke tobacco; they never swear, and are very reserved in their manners and conver sation, but are allowed to marry. The chief of the order resides in a village called E1-111utna. The Jahil, or uninitiated, perform no religious rite whatever, unless, to assume the appearance of Mahomedans, they enter the mosques and recite their prayers with Turks. Schools are pretty frequent among the Druses. The Akal are gene rally the masters, and are paid by their pupils. They teach reading and writing. — Robinson's Travels, ii. pp. 9 to 322 ; Catafago.