376 TRAVELS IN AFRICA, 
of the moft powerful families among the Drufes, and at this 
time holds an office under the Emir Bejhtr. He is a great 
drinker, but appears not unintelligent. He was very inquifitive 
as to the motives and hiftory of the French Revolution, and 
the prefent religious creed of that nation ; on hearing the detail 
of which, he however made no interefting remarks. 
From Kefrawan we returned to Seide. On the pth of April 
fet out for Beirut, the antient Berytus. The route was through 
a deep fandj and after paffing two rivers, the Nahr el aweli 
(before mentioned,) and the Darner or antient Tamyras, we 
arrived at Beirut, the approach to which is, even now, grander 
than that of any other town on the Syrian coaft, though the 
fine groves have been negleded fmce the death of Fakr-el-Din, 
Emir of the Drufes, its munificent improver. A grove of pines, 
planted by his orders, is now reduced to half its former bounds. 
No trace is found of the ftatues, which his refidence in Italy 
had enabled him to colled; \ nor of the gardens and apartments 
which he had formed on the European tafte. 
Beirut is a fmall place, and was not even walled till the 
Ruffians bombarded it ; and Jezzar, on getting pofleffion, built 
the walls to give it a more formidable appearance. There are 
feveral towers, but the walls are thin and of no ftrengthj the 
flatnefs of the fituation is alfo a difadvantage. There is, how- 
ever, a commodious wharf. 
The fuburbs are almoft as large as the city itfelf, confifting 
of gardens, with a houfe for the owner in each; and thefe 
inter- 
