186 TRANSACTIONS OF THE © [| APR. 30, 
rites of the Druzes have been published by numerous European 
translators. ; 
Polygamy is not permitted. Divorce is permitted to the hus- 
band, but cannot be cancelled. Hither party is free to marry 
again. They are neither willing nor desired to serve in the 
Turkish army, and so are not liable to the conscription. Among 
the sects born of Mohammedan influences they are thus far the 
most open to Christian influences, and a number of them are 
converts to Christianity. 
5. The Nusairiyeh. This sect is found in the range of moun- 
tains lying between Lebanon and Amanus and the adjacent 
plains, and about Antioch, and in the plain of Adana. A frag- 
ment of the race is found at the base of Mt. Hermon. They 
may number 300,000 souls. By race they are probably Canaan- 
ite, mixed of course with the various races which have overrun 
the regions in which they live. They are half-heathen Moslems, 
sufficiently orthodox to be drafted into the army, but with a 
secret religion infected with many indigenous heathen snpersti- 
tions and ceremonies. They believe in God, in the Koran, but 
certainly not in all its doctrines. They are extremely ignorant, 
and at a very low ebb of civilization. Their most common des- 
ignation is Fellahin, 7.e., Farmers, which term in their district 
serves to point ont their religious belief rather than their occu- 
pation. They are less fanatical than the Mutawalis. Like the 
Druzes they are martial in spirit, and are often in rebellion 
against the Turkish government. A few have been converted 
to Christianity by the American missionaries from Lattakiah, 
who are maintaining mission schools and preaching-stations 
among them. But for the persecution of the converts by the 
Turkish government and the restriction of missionary operations 
among them, doubtless large numbers of them would have be- 
come Christians. The particulars of their religious faith, if 
faith it can be called, were set forth a few years since by a 
nominal convert to Christianity, Sulieman, who afterwards. 
became a Mohammedan. 
They do not, like orthodox Mohammedans and Mutawalis, 
observe the canonical hours of prayer, and seem to have little 
faith in prayer at all. They practise polygamy, and marry near 
relations. Some say that they marry parents. In common with 
the half-Moslem sects, they believe in transmigration of souls. 
They are adherents of Ali, in this respect resembling the Muta-. 
walis. They murder without pity any one known to divulge 
their secrets. Some have supposed that the name assassin, a 
corruption of Hashshashin (7.e., one who takes Hashish, or the 
Cannabis Indica) originated among this sect, who certainly put. 
it in practice against those whom they regard as traitors. The 
