The village lay about fifty miles southeast of Beirut, bordering on the country of the Bedawin, with whom was its principal trade.

As the result of this, the people had much personal independence, with a tendency to segregation; features which Mr.
Smith noticed as specially predominant among other native Christians similarly situated, especially in the Hauran.
1 The _New York Observer_, from July 18th to August 29th, 1846, has an instructive series of articles on Hasbeiya, from the pen of Dr.
Eli Smith.
Early in the year 1844, a considerable body of the Hasbeiyans seceded from the Greek Church, declared themselves Protestants, and made a formal application to the mission for religious instruction.
About fifty men came at one time to Beirut for that purpose, and asked for ministers to teach them.

Their dissatisfaction with their Church was not of recent date, but had been increasing for years.

It had arisen from the selfishness and worldliness of their clergy, and their consequent neglect of the flock.

These men had some acquaintance with the mission, Hasbeiya having been visited by more than one of the native book agents.