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salary would be expected, in considera- || him from the Mussulmans. And, as we tion of the character of his servant.

Return to Tabreez.

left the village, the villagers all embraced their priest and wept aloud, and followed us a considerable distance on the road. It was quite affecting to notice 24. We set off about eight o'clock in these simple overflowings of attachment, the morning, amid the reiterated bles- among this rude people, but few of whom sings, alike of bishops, priests, and peo- ever leave sight of their native villages. ple. If real piety were to be estimated My heart rose in thankfulness to God, by the amount of pious talk, we might as we rode on, that I was permitted to infer the existence of much more general conduct home with me the two most and exalted piety, in all these countries, promising Nestorian ecclesiastics that than can be found in the most devoted are to be found in the province. WhatChristian community.-The governor fur-ever is done for them will bear directly nished us a man to accompany us as and effectually on the interests of the guard and guide to the next province. whole people. We rode that day about six and a half fursaks (26 miles), and put up for the night at the village of Dash Aghul. Our direction was southeast, the first half of the way, and our road led through numerous charming villages. We then came upon the lake, where the mountain shuts down quite near it. Our direction changed to the south, leading around the southwest corner of the lake; and we passed over undulating, uncultivated ground, save here and there a small Kurdish hamlet under the cliffs of the mountains. We noticed a few black tents at a little distance from the road, and numberless Kurds returning home from their summer rambles with their flocks.

On the way we stopped at Geog Tapa, the village where I visited the patriarch, for the priest who was to accompany the bishop as his servant. The whole village gathered around me, and reiterated their welcome. The father of the finest boy in Mar Elias school led his little son (about ten years old) to me, and said, "This boy I present to you; you may take him with you now to Tabreez." Nothing but a fear of the responsibility of taking care of the boy, while unable to speak his language, enabled me to resist the temptation. I satisfied the father by proposing to take his son, when I shall remove to Oormiah. He is a remarkable fine looking boy, and I think missionary bounty will be well applied in his thorough education.

The priest at length came with his effects, consisting of his bed and prayerbook. He is a young man, about twenty years of age, amiable, modest, and intelligent. His parents, and indeed, the inhabitants of the whole village were deeply affected in view of his departure, though they professed to rejoice in the prospect of his living with me. His mother came and kissed my hands and feet, and entreated me, with many tears, to take good care of her son and shield

Two hours from Geog Tapa brought us to Ardishai, the village of Mar Gabriel. We entered his house, and unexpectedly found with him the patriarch Elias, surrounded by a large collection of his people. He received me with all the cordiality of a brother. Our baggage had gone on, and our visit was necessarily short; but to me it was a highly gratifying one. The patriarch repeated his assurances that I had his most hearty welcome, and that I always should have his utmost co-operation in my efforts to benefit his people. For a little amuse||ment he called for a Syriac New Testament, with a Latin translation, and we read alternately, he the Syriac and I the Latin. He invited me to correspond with him.

We reached our stopping placeDash-Agul-not until quite dark. The villagers were frightened, fled into their houses, and shut their doors. After much effort we induced a man to procure us a shelter, and were conducted into a stable, at one end of which was a platform spread over with an old carpet, on which we found very comfortable lodgings.

25. We rode six fursaks (24 miles,) our course still continuing south and southeast. Two miles from where we stopped last night, brought us to the village of Sheitan Abad (devil town). It is a kind of metropolis of a district embracing the few villages under the mountains, southeast of the plain of Oormiah. It is partly surrounded by a wall which is now falling to ruins. Whether the Kurds here, as the Yozedez in the province of Bayazeed, pay formal homage to the devil, as the name of this village would imply, I could not satisfactorily ascertain. There is no doubt respecting the origin of the name, though the people are now nominally Mohammedans.

We put up for the night at Naghadeh. The ketkhodeh conducted us to the pal

ace, where a room was immediately va- || gree of interest. Though nominally Mocated for our reception. The governor hammedans, they are much less influwas absent. A prince, Melek Kasim enced and injured by the religion of the Meerza, happened now to be in this vil- prophet, than the Persians. And it is lage, on a tour of observation in Kurdis- gratifying to know, that they are not entan. He and the governor's son were tirely forgotten in the sympathies of out hunting when we arrived. Imme- Christendom. The Rev. Mr. Henley, of diately after his return, the prince sent the Basle Missionary Society, is now to us an invitation to visit him. We commencing the study of their language, dined upon the game he had taken, and in this city, with reference to making passed the evening with him. He is Kurdish translations of the New Testaabout thirty years of age, extremely so- ment. cial and friendly in his disposition, and has so long been acquainted with gentlemen of the European embassies, that he has become himself quite European in his character. He speaks French fluently and a little English. His object in making this tour, he informed us, was to prepare an accurate map of Kurdistan, of which country now, he said, very little is well known. This map, he remarked, he intended to present to the Asiatic Society in Paris, of which he had the happiness and honor to be a member.

By the road side, on the mountain, we observed to-day a solitary thorn-bush of considerable size completely covered with small strips of rags, which from time to time had been tied upon its twigs and branches, as votive offerings, by the Kurdish travellers. It is a very common practice among Mohammedans to deposit such standing mementos of their religious pledges. The Kurds make religious pledges on almost every occasion, particularly when some diabolical plot is to be perpetrated, as robbery or murder, etc. In their own religious system they find but ineffectual prohibitions of such deeds, especially with their explanation. When, for instance, they recollect, that it is forbidden in the Koran to rob a living man, they have just to kill the man, and rob him after he is dead!

The Kurds, however, are nomadic tribes; and efforts directed to their religious benefit, must, as in all such cases, be much more precarious, than if they possessed more fixed character and habits. Their language, which is not written, partakes of the character of the Turkish, or Persian, as a given province is situated in the vicinity of these countries respectively. They have men, learned, they told us, alike in the Arabic, Turkish, and Persian languages.

It may be in place here to add, as a circumstance unfavorable to efforts for the religious benefit of the Kurds, that it is the wish, alike of the Persian and the Turkish governments, either to extirpate these Kurdish tribes altogether, or bring them from their mountain fastnesses and amalgamate them with the rest of the people. Any efforts, therefore, contributing to give the Kurds permanency of character, as putting books into their language, would probably incur opposition from these governments.

27. We were early on our way, and continued our course northeast over the great plain we entered yesterday, which soon become again uncultivated. The sameness of the scene was much enlivened by the zeal for learning English manifested by our Nestorian companions. We became mutual teachers and learners-the bishop and priest teaching me the names of things and to count in Syriac, and I them in English.

We had now advanced fairly into the country of the Kurds. In this province, however, we felt very little apprehension 28. We started an hour before day, of danger. About eight years ago Abbas and scarcely dismounted from our horses Meerza caused one thousand Persian until we reached the large fine village of families to emigrate from the province of Deh Khorgham, ten fursaks, (forty Erivan, then under his government, into miles) from Maragha. Our road was this district, with the design of taming over mountainous and uncultivated secthe frightful Kurds; and to an important tions; and our course northwest, about extent this object has been accomplish- thirty miles, which brought us quite near ed. The wild simplicity of the Kurds the lake; then doubling a promontory, it reminds me much of the aborigines of changed to northeast, the direction of America. They uniformly showed us Tabreez. We passed several acid springs, great respect as European travellers. boiling up from small apertures in the When approaching us on horseback, middle of the road, with an effervescence they often dismounted at a distance, and as vivid and perfect as was ever producmade their obeisance. In a missionary ed in a chemical laboratory. It is by inpoint of view, I regard them with a de-crustations from the overflowing water

of these fountains, that the beautiful Ta-ings, wants, and circumstances. "Prebreez marble is formed. We passed pare us, then, at least one," said the several quaries from which immense bishop. So I gave them a short form, quantities of the marble are taken. which they wrote down in the same manner as the verse of the hymn, and they now repeat it, in a whisper, at the commencement of every meal. At the close of each meal the bishop repeats a short prayer in their own language.

Deh Khorgham, the village where we put up for the night, is a kind of metropolis of a district of the same name, in the province of Maragha. It is a large populous village, containing about three thousand inhabitants, and well deserves the name of town. We lodged in a new, spacious Caravansarai; and no where on this side of the lake, did we see thrift and enterprise to equal Deh Khorgham.

28. We again started early; and, after riding three fursaks, to the north, between the mountains and the lake we entered the plain of Tabreez. Five fursaks more, to the northeast, brought us to the city.

About a week after his arrival at Tabreez, Mr. Perkins makes the following remarks

Nov. 4. Our Nestorian friends, the bishop and priest, on their first arrival, took a room in my house and seats at my table. They are remarkably studious to keep their persons entirely clean, and to conform to all our habits and regulations. Though they had never before sat in chairs, or used knives and forks at their meals, they now use both to very good advantage.

Of their own accord they remain at our devotions after breakfast. They had never before heard European singing, and were singularly delighted with this part of our worship. They soon requested me to teach them to sing in our man-ner; so I repeated to them a verse from an English hymn, which they wrote down in their own character, preserving the sounds and the metre quite accurately, and were in half an hour able to sing it very well. The verse was the following;

"Look up, my soul, with glad surprise,
Towards the joyful coming day;
When Jesus shall descend the skies,

And form a bright-a glorious day."

I afterward gave them the interpretation in Turkish as well as I could; and they have since repeated it with ten-fold pleasure.

Their zeal and success in beginning to learn English is most gratifying. The priest has a sterling mind. The bishop has less, though highly respectable talents; and his very amiable, conciliatory disposition naturally qualifies him for extensive influence.

My acquaintance with the Nestorians, though short, has already given me an interest in them, as you will readily suppose, not inconsiderable. When I think of the universal artlessness and friendliness, which I found among the peopleand of the character and history of their patriarch—a man of the finest talents and most amiable disposition-born and educated a Catholic, (the patriarchate of El Koosh and all its adherents, had been Catholic from 50 to 100 years,) yet now, in the meridian of life, breaking entirely away from the cold deadly embraces of the "holy mother church" and toiling, with the zeal of a martyr, to rescue his people from the same thraldom-and especially, when I see before me a bishop and priest from that people-young, enterprising, eager for learning, and the most docile pupils I ever instructed, I cannot but regard the prospect of missionary usefulness, among the Nestorians, as altogether more encouraging than I had supposed could be found in any field in Asia.

I deeply feel, however, that the work is all of God. Though we may plant and water, and though there may be promise of abundant harvest, unless He "give the increase," we shall in the end reap nothing but blasting and mildew. And, standing as I do, "single-handed and alone," I am often ready to sink under the responsibility which my work imposes, until I find relief in casting my care upon an almighty arm.

5. Yesterday intelligence of the death of the king of Persia, Feth Aly Shah, reached Tabreez. The same arrival reThey next requested me to teach them ports, also, that a usurper, a prince who our devotions at the table. I told them had been governor of Tabreez, has got we were not limited to a single form. possession of the royal treasury and the "Teach me then," said the bishop, "all throne. It was most fortunate-I should you repeat in one week." I told him we say it was a very merciful arrangement were not limited to one week; but that of Providence, that I should make my our prayers at the table, as in other journey to Oormiah, and safely reach cases, are varied according to our feel-home, just in time to escape the fury of

the impending storm. The intelligence || only indications of the Lancasterian

is like unchaining tigers all over the country. In many parts, as we already hear, there is general anarchy; and, in numberless others the most cold-blooded atrocities, as robbery, murder, and assassination are perpetrated. There is much greater security in Tabreez than in any other place in Persia; though here we are every hour apprehending commo

tion.

Constantinople.

system. I soon found that this was not the school of which we were in search, but a private establishment, in which the teacher is paid by the parents, a small pittance, and left to adopt his own system of instruction. I asked him why, since he had partially adopted the Lancasterian plan, he did not carry it through? He replied by asking me who would pay the expenses of fitting up a room with seats, purchasing cards, etc., saying at the same time, that he was not able to do it himself, and that the people were too poor to undertake it. I then

EXTRACTS FROM THE JOURNAL OF MR. inquired if the people generally were in

DWIGHT, IN ROOMELIA.

ROOMELIA is a portion of European Turkey, embracing the ancient Macedonia and Thrace. The tour was performed by Messrs. Dwight

and Schauffler in the summer of 1834. The extracts to be made here from the journal relate almost wholly to the

favor of this system of instruction, to which he said it was a new thing to them, and that few of them knew any thing about it; but he thought they would approve, provided schools were supported for them by somebody. He said there were a few other private schools like his in other parts of the city, besides the two supported by public expense, viz. the Hellenic school and the Lancaste

Number and State of the Native Chris- rian. To these we now repaired. The

tians.

Salonica.-At Salonica the number of Greeks is probably about ten thousand souls. I state this estimate, however, with diffidence, since scarcely any two persons whom we consulted agreed in their opinions on the subject. Some years ago the Greeks were estimated at twenty thousand. The circumstances of the Greek revolution are quite sufficient to account for this large reduction. And it is easy to believe that such a population once existed there, when it is known that there are eighteen large Greek churches, besides several smaller ones. The Greek bishop of Salonica is a Metropolitan, having seven bishoprics depending on his see. The present incumbent is a good-natured, indifferent sort of a man. He seemed to take no particular interest in schools, or in the illumination of the people. He had with him, however, a young bishop from Cassandria, who is altogether a different man. He had no appearance of seriousness, but his sprightliness and intelligence rendered him agreeable in conversation, and we could not but regret that we had not further opportunities of intercourse with him.

I had heard that the Greeks in Salonica had established, of their own accord, a school on the mutual-instruction plan, and I one day took a guide to conduct me to it. Here were benches with sand, and a few cards hanging upon the wall, the

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former is held in a large building, erected, I suppose, for the purpose, having, besides lecture or class-rooms, some smaller ones for the accommodation of pupils whose parents reside in other towns. The present number of scholars, if I remember right, is about one hundred.

We entered one of the lecture-rooms where the head teacher was lecturing to a class of twenty or more young men, in metaphysics. He is an elderly man, rather coarse in his manners, but of a solid and intelligent appearance. As we entered he gave us the accustomed salutations and then requested us to be seated, begging that we would excuse him for continuing his lecture in our presence, which he did, with all the earnestness and abstractedness of the ancient philosophers. His text-book was Plato, from which he read a passage and then expounded and illustrated in language familiar to his pupils. I was carried back in my imagination some two thousand years, and fancied myself sitting in a school of one of the old Greek philosophers, listening to his metaphysical discussions. The class was, as I said, composed of young men, from fifteen to twenty-five years of age and some older. Most of them were in the Frank dress, and the costume of some of the others indicated that they were in the holy orders. I could not interrupt the old gentleman in his absorbing occupation, for his whole soul was in it; and perceiving

that his lecture was likely to be protract- || population has been much diminished ed I silently took my leave. since the Greek revolution, although the We now found our way to the Lancas- same number of churches remains open. terian school, which had been the object The bishop of Seres, whom we visited, of our search. The room was large and seemed a truly liberal and enlightened appropriate, arranged with seats, etc., all || man. We mentioned the Lancasterian in due order. The present number of system of instruction as one well adapted scholars is about eighty, though the room to the state of society there, where eleis capable of holding twice that number. mentary schools are so much needed. The deficiency will no doubt be sup- He replied, by informing us that they plied, when the people have become bet-have long desired such schools but have ter acquainted with the system. The teacher was a bright and active young man, lately come from Syra. Here is an indication that there are some, at least, who take a lively interest in this new system of instruction, of which indeed the existence of a school here is sufficient evidence, for as far as I could learn, it was put in operation by the people themselves without any aid or impulse from abroad. Behind the teacher's scat were rows of shelves which I was pleased to see filled with books from the Malta press, including also a large number of the Alphabetarion printed at Andover, and the Modern Greek Testament of the British and Foreign Bible Society's edition.

It is very surprising, that in such a commercial place as Salonica, no Armenians are to be found. But so it is. Not a single Armenian family resides there among a population of an hundred thousand.

Before taking leave of the city. I would recommend it as a promising field for missionary labor-first, on account of its large population; second, because of its central position; third, because the expense would be comparatively small. Another thing I will mention in passing, and that is that no permanent missionary of any society has ever settled at Salonica. The missionary should be left to direct his effort to Greeks, Jews, or Mussulmans, as the providence of God shall describe.

Seres. I have included within the range of a missionary's influence at Salonica, the town of Seres. The Greek bishop, at that place estimated the number of Greek houses at three or four hundred. Others told us that the whole population amounts to thirty thousand, half of whom are Greeks and half Turks. It is certainly a large and flourishing town, having a large proportion of Greek residents. There are, moreover, twenty large Greek churches in which the usual services are held daily, besides about as many more smaller ones. It is however probable that, like Salonica, its Greek

not known how to set themselves about establishing them. But that, recently, a room has been prepared, and a young man of their own has been sent to Greece to learn the system and qualify himself to become a teacher. This is very promising; and I am always encouraged when I find these people moving of their own accord, and endeavoring to introduce improvements. We offered to furnish him with cards, slates, etc., from Constantinople if he wished, but he replied that the young man who had been sent, and whose return was daily expected, would undoubtedly bring all the necessary apparatus with him.

We took our leave of this bishop with very favorable impressions, and with sincere regret that we could not have further intercourse with him. May the Lord shine into his heart with the light of his truth, and make him a faithful watchman and bishop of souls.

Pravista.-Pravista, or Pravoosta, as it is sometimes spelled, would also come fairly within the range of a missionary's influence at Salonica. Its population is not large, amounting to only about 1,500 souls, but it is the residence of a Greek bishop, and the present incumbent seemed interested in the subject of education, and even entered into serious religions conversation with us with apparent feeling. He remarked that the Turks are becoming far more liberal in their feelings towards Christians of late. The younger class always treat their Greek subjects with respect. They do not call them gaoor (infidel) and donmooz (hog,) as formerly, but rayah (subjects).

There is another Greek bishop at Xanthe, a town not far from Yenyjy, in the mountains, where there is a Greek population of about 3,000 souls. I am not able to give you any further particulars as we did not leave our road to visit it.

Yoomoorjina.--At Yoomoorjina we found the first Armenians in our tour. Owing to the prevalence of the plague there, we stopped only a few hours, and had no intercourse with the people. We

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