A Breakfast With The Druses

The recent butcheries in the East have drawn atteution to the charactcr and habita of tke Druaes, wbose ferocity iu war has txeited the horror of all Chris teudorn. Thü followiug sketch of a breakfast party aniong them, several years ago, will be read with interest: - "Ou one occasion, whcn I visited Bisoor with a p. rty, among wliom were two or three Euglish ladies, tlie latter were iuviiod into the harc-ni, or women's apartment, to visit the sheik's wifa and soiuü of his feiualu rclatives there assembled. - Being by this time on ternis of iutimaey with the fihiei and his fauiily, I was RSked to joiü the ladies' party in the harem -- a mark of iïiundship rarely showii to oue of our sex who is nota relativo 1though the Druse ladies were all veiled, we could, trom time to time. sce enoug' of trteir faces to distingiifsb their fo.i tures aud even ttipoug the yuutiger portiou of the party there was not oue tolcrably good-looking. They appeared, in tact, of quite anotiier race thau tlieir busbauds brothers fathers, and sous. Kome of them worc numerous valuable jewcis; but the sheik's wit'e, although clean aud ue .t, was clothed in g.-nnieuti of the most ordinury texture, und wure no ornament ot' any kind. Coifee, sweet-iueats and fruits were handed round, and we remained about halfan hour iu the ápartment, uiitil sumiuoned to the bre.ilifast or miJ-day meal, which had been preparad in one ui' the outer rooms, and 10 wnicii both ladies and guntlcmeu of our party sat down, but at which the Diush ladios did uot' mako their appearanee. ' The meat was cooked, served, a:d eateu altogethèr after the fasuio.i of the country. Fus:, a sort of t. ipod. something like an invertud uiusic-stouj, was brought and put down in the uiiddle óf tlie room. IJpou this was placed a very large, eopper, circular tray, uearly four feet iu circHmferefiqe. On this tiay the vanous disheá -vore set, wliile the wuoie party stjuatttd round it on the lluor. t as cunous to observe ihe contrast formed between fresh-Jooking Eughsh ladies, laugliing, merry Eiiglish cbiidren, shooting-j:icket ciad i nglish gentlemen, aud grave, loug-btarded, white-turbaued Druae sbeiks. A loiiy napkin, wbicb went over the kuees of us all - and which the ciiildren coiupnred to getting uuder the sbeels - was spread; a score or so of unleavened breudcaües were placed at üc bands of the gueatf; and tbeu, taking up his spoin with a 'Biawillah,' (in the name of Uod,) our host gave the sigu to begin. Iu tüu centre was a laige piilalï, mail e of rice boilcd in butter, seasoned with piue-nuts, and mixed with unuee-uieat. Tiiis was tBe piece de resistaice, of which cverybody eat, aud cal it with all tlungs. liound tbis dish - or mountain, of rice- were placed platea of vanous meat ai.d veget.iOlc stcvvs, all very good, very tasty and inviting. Uur mauner of proceednig was iu tb.s wisu: each individual would dip his spuoii into the rice - keeping careful y to lus own corner of tbc vast heap - aud on lts vvay back to hit) moutli, ïiioi.-tcii it with the gravy of tbe disl) before hnu, oí wbich tlieic was one or more for each ïhuB tbc most urgent hungcr was satisüed, and we suon bogan merely to trine with the national disU of kibbe, a... dothei matters ocually solid. Some of the party had liever before been present at a regular Arab entertainment; tor in the towns of Syna tbe faskion aniong all the more respectablö ualives, is to ape the European mode of sttting tne table and serving tbe diiifier. To tbe childreu of our party the wholo afl'air was a high hoüday ol ainuemeiit, fheir laughter and mistakes amusmg tbe sbeiks not a little Diirïuj the entire repabt uothiug stronger thau water was druuk, for in Druse houses a single glass of wiue or spirits would be thought defiliug to the owner. 'Wlien the dinuer was over, each per sou washed his or her hands, one atteu daut pouriug water froin ajug, wbile the other held a large eopper basin with i talse bottom, so tliat tlie uirty wuter lell tlirougli and irasnot seeu, muoh uftcr tho old-tasbioned chiitttnchée, in wliicli we used to wash of yore - it may be so yut - un the 'Bengal side' of India. Xhose ainong us wlio wore beards wero carut'ul to vvaah them very clean, both witl) soap and water, lluse-water was then brought in, ind spnnkled over every one; alter whieli the usual black unstr.uned cuüe was set ved, and eaeh man - exooptiug, of course, the AkkaJs, who uevcr ismoke - was lelt to his pipe, hia thoughts, and the conversation ot nis neighbors - tlie bulies of the pyrty riiturning tor the preaont to the women's apartment "