CH. XXIV.] The Sabcsan Religion. 197 



newed, the priests baptising tliemselves once a 

 week. They fust thirty-six days in the year, ab- 

 staining from meat, and have four festivals, New 

 Year's day ; the feast of St. John ; the fifth day after 

 the anniversary of their baptism ; and one called 

 D^hmeh Dimas, of which they do not profess to 

 know the meaning". 



I got these details from Dr. Colvill, at Bagdad, 

 who knows their Sheykh. He considers their 

 religion a bastard form of Christianity, and interest- 

 ing mainly as an instance of the survival of the 

 Christian tradition in Arabia.* 



* Compare Niebulu-'s list made in 1768, and Burckhardt's at 

 the beginning of the present century. 



