He found the people, as he expected, exceedingly bigoted, yet hardy and intelligent.

There was an important advantage in the pure mountain air of the place.

The language was Arabic, as at Mosul.

More than half of the twenty thousand inhabitants were nominal Christians; there were three Arabic-speaking villages within six miles, and the whole of Jebel Tour was accessible.

He found the Romish Church stronger than he had expected, having a Papal-Syrian patriarchate just established within the city.