springs flowing out of the adjacent hills. Its population and wealth
have greatly increased of late. The anchorage for ships is at the
eastern extremity of the bay, two miles from the city. Lebanon rises
at no great distance on the east, stretches far toward the north and
the south, and is a healthful and pleasant resort for Franks in
summer. There is a large and beautiful plain on the south, abounding
in olive, palm, orange, lemon, pine, and mulberry trees. Damascus
was then distant three days, but less time is required now, by
reason of the new macadamized road. Sidon might be reached in one
day, Tyre in two, and Tripoli in three. An additional motive, in
those troublous times, for making Beirut a central station, was the
protection afforded by Mr. Abbott, a friendly English Consul.

The two brethren landed, with their wives, October 16th. During the
nine mouths of their sojourn at Malta, they had made considerable
progress in the Italian language, which was spoken extensively in
the Levant; and now, without wholly neglecting the Italian, they
applied themselves to the languages of Syria.

Mr. Bird made the Arabic--spoken by the Maronites and Syrian Roman
Catholics--his chief study; and Mr. Goodell the Armeno-Turkish,
--Turkish written with the Armenian alphabet,--which was the
language of the Armenians.

Going to Sidon for aid in his linguistic studies, Mr. Goodell formed
the acquaintance of Yakob Agha, an Armenian ecclesiastic, who had
dared to marry, a privilege not allowed to him as a bishop. That he
might be able to defend his course, he began the study of the New
Testament, and thus became impressed with the wickedness around him.
He was at that time acting British agent at Sidon. Mr. Goodell also
became acquainted with Dionysius, another Armenian bishop, who had
committed a similar offense, and engaged him as a teacher; giving
him the name of Carabet, the "Forerunner." He was a native of
Constantinople, and had lived thirty-six years in the Armenian
convent at Jerusalem. During the last nine of these years, he was a
bishop. On account of his age, his services and acquirements, he was
regarded as having the standing of an archbishop. Though in darkness
on many points, and giving no satisfactory evidence of piety, he
made himself useful as a teacher and interpreter, and in his
intercourse with the people.

Several English missionaries were added to the Protestant force at
that time, and the Papal Church be