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2 October 1879 — Beiteddine | |
Thursday. 2nd October [1879]. For the first time for some days we did not need to hurry up in the morng but breakfasted at 7. The Pasha took us over the Palace & grounds & showed us a beautiful old Turkish bath wh is falling into decay. We went over the military offices—& then took our places in the balcony overlooking the médan to witness the Jereed or throwing of the spear on horseback. It was very pretty to see and it is wonderful how clever they some of them are. One man in his excitement kept throwing his jereed up at us & twice it came nearly into our faces & he had to be stopped. There was also a military exercise of the Lebanon troops for our edification & an excellent military band played the while. At abt 12 o’clock we started on horse back to ride over the mountains & went first to a village called Backli to the house of a Druse chief called Meer Mustafa Rostan where we were received with great honor—the house decorated & the village turned out. The Druse women are shut up like Musulmans & go out with a veil with only one eye uncovered wh has a curious effect. After stopping a little while at Meer Mustafa’s & Henry having made to him speeches &c we remounted & set off for Mouktara another village where we were going to visit another Druse family called Jumblat. Rustem P. did not like the family but as they were under English protection Henry resolved to go there & in spite of all obstacles wh Rustem freely put in the way of it we got there at last. The Castle is most beautifully situated & the family of Jumblat a most influential one. We were recd by the old mother, the 2 sons with their retainers had met us on horseback on the road– We went up a curious outer staircase & found ourselves in a lovely court yard—with rooms opening into it. It was all decorated with flowers & smartened up & the good people were most hospitable. We were to have lunched with them at 1– Unfortunately it was past 3 when we got there. Rustem P. insisted on taking me to lunch & ignored the family & in fact said the rudest things possible to them. The banquetting hall was dilapidated but there was an air of the feudal caste about the whole thing. After lunch Henry proposed the health of our hosts—they answered shortly their English not being very strong– Then Rustem P. made a very unnecessary unkind speech & we were glad to finish the meal. While the gentlemen took their nargilehs we were taken by young Mr Dickson into the ladies’ appartment & saw the young men’s wives & children & then they took Henry in which infuriated Rustem who was not taken in. The old lady gave Alice & me a bangle apiece & she begged me not to let Henry encourage her younger son to offer himself as a candidate for the Governorship of some small town– This she & the elder soon did mysteriously—the son interpreted as the old lady could not speak English. Abt 4.30 we set out to ride home & were accompanied some distance by the Jumblats. We got to Beit ed din abt 7 when it was just dark. As we turned off the mountain path onto the road we all uttered words of surprise at the fairy scene before us. The whole palace drawn in lines of fire and fireworks going up in all directions. It was a most striking scene. We were rather tired & glad to get in & get dinner & rest. We sat on the terrace out side the drawing room to see the fireworks. | |
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