they are ambitious to maintain the honorable position of complete self-reliance.

Meeting of the Union. "The regular sessions of the Union commenced Monday morning, and continued four days. Several of the pastors had been hindered, by various causes, from being present, yet the meeting was an interesting one. The ses sions were well attended by the members of the Diarbekir congregations. No new measures, of any special importance, were adopted. The time was devoted chiefly to a consideration of plans already formed, and to the strengthening of the means employed. A teacher was chosen for the male seminary. Their students and ours will study together; some of the classes being taught by their teacher and some by ourselves. The Union proposes to employ another teacher as soon as a suitable one can be found, and thus we hope that, gradually, the entire management of the seminary will pass into their hands, and that the pupils will all be theirs.

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Schools Tithes. "Considerable time was given to the question as to the best means for improving the common schools. The discussion was opened by the reading of an essay. The subject of tithes was also discussed. The pastors and preachers are pretty nearly unanimous in the conviction that it is a Christian duty to give at least one tenth of all one's earnings to the cause of Christ, and the congregations are gradually adopting this as a rule of giving. The missionary work of the Union-the evangelization of Koordistan -received a good deal of attention. The five young men who have been studying under the patronage of the Union, preparatory to entering this field, had locations assigned to them, their salaries were fixed, etc., thus giving to these pastors an experience of real missionary superintendence.

ligious experience of the young men, and to their motives for entering the ministry. I think that an excellent impression was made upon the congregation by this examination.

“The most interesting session was the last. One of the pastors read an essay upon the "Means of promoting an awakening among sinners"; and this was followed by remarks from nearly all the pastors present. It was a very solemn meeting, especially when some gave expression to their deep feeling of responsibility, and to the conviction that their own want of earnestness, of fidelity and spirituality, was the reason of so much indifference among the unconverted. I trust that this meeting will not be without its fruits.

Ordinations-The Arabic Field. "From Diarbekir we went to Mardin; and after three days' stay, and an ordination, we passed across the northern part of the Arabic field to Sert, where there was another ordination, with the formation of a church. Of these most hopeful events Mr. Williams will tell you. This was my first visit to the Arabic-speaking portion of our mission. As the majority of the people know neither Turkish nor Armenian, I could not come into as close contact with them as I desired; but during the nine days of sojourn and travel, I think I got a pretty good idea of the work in those regions. The effect of this part of our tour was largely to increase the favorable impressions which I already had. Of Mosul and vicinity I am not prepared to speak; but considering the fact that for seven years Mr. Williams has been entirely alone, with no other person in the mission who could speak Arabic, and give an impulse by an occasional visit, the aspect in the northern part of the field seems to me remarkably hopeful. There are no large congregations, but the leaven is working; and as far as things have taken shape, they have a thoroughly sound and healthy basis. With a proper missionary force, this field would not suffer by comparison with any other in Turkey.

Sert.

"We were especially interested The congregation is small and

poor, but they show what a blessing a long series of persecutions may be to Christians, in helping to purge them of selfishness. They had paid very largely, during the summer, for a house in which to worship; they provided the pastor elect with a new suit of clothes for the ordination, declining to receive aid in this from Mr. Williams; their subscriptions to raise the required half of the pastor's salary, looking at their means, and the ordinary Christian standard of giving, were excessive; and yet, when Mr. Williams proposed to them the plan of giving tithes, after a little reflection they were persuaded that it was a good thing, and cheerfully accepted it, even supposing it was to be in addition to their subscriptions! I have never seen any thing like this in the Harpoot field. The simple faith and earnestness of these few brethren are delightful to witness, and give good hope of the success of the gospel in Sert.

Billis-Installation. "From Sert, Mr. Williams went to Mosul, and the rest of us to Bitlis. I have seen a good many bad mountain roads, but never the equal of this road to Bitlis - especially with a heavy rain a part of the way. The congregation in Bitlis had for a long time wished to have their preacher, who had, years ago, been ordained as an evangelist in Constantinople, installed over them as pastor. He came to Harpoot in October, for his daughter, who graduated at that time from the female seminary, and while here decided to accept the call, and invited the Union to go back with him to place him over the church. This was the immediate occasion of our visit to Bitlis. We arrived there on the 6th of November. The season was so much advanced, and we were so far from home, that we decided to remain but two days. The salary of B. Simon is larger than the average of pastors, as he and his wife were educated in Constantinople; but he consented to reduce it a little, and the people readily assumed one half, although they had been paying less than one third. "The exercises of the examination and installation were very interesting. The attendance was not large, as it rained

hard all day, but the attention could scarcely have been better. The pastor is a man of sterling worth and long experience. I anticipate for him, in connection with this small but energetic church, a career of great usefulness.

"The people deplore the absence of their missionaries, and long for their return. We exhorted them, most earnestly, not to rely upon any foreign means, but to regard the evangelization of Bitlis and its villages as their own duty, and to go straight about it; looking to us for aid, so far as necessary. I recommended to the congregation the plan of giving tithes, as a simple way of settling the question of benevolence; and several persons told me, as we were leaving, that they had decided to adopt it. I had several faithful talks with the helpers, and during our short stay did all that I could to infuse life into that which had grown sluggish during the absence of the missionaries."

Moosh was next visited, and there the company were "weather-bound for two and a half days," by "the heaviest rain" Mr. Barnum had ever witnessed in Tur-· key. When they left, on coming to the east branch of the Euphrates, they found it too much swollen to be forded, and were detained until noon of the next day

in "a wretched village, infested with vermin" when they crossed on a raft. The storm wound up with "a fall of snow, and sharp, wintry weather," the road being so blocked that they failed, after a very fatiguing day, in their attempt to reach the Armenian monastery of St. John the Baptist, and turned back and spent a third night on the Moosh plain, less than twenty miles from the town.

Moosh Plain Poverty. Respecting this plain and its population Mr. Barnum writes: "This Moosh plain is about 60 miles long and 10 or 12 wide, and contains about 70 nominally Christian villages. More than a week had now passed since we entered the plain. I have seriously questioned whether Providence did not purposely detain us, that we might see and feel more deeply the wants of that region. It was now genuine winter weather, yet I think I never saw, anywhere else,

of missions; while many of them would almost certainly be unworthy of aid-cases in which to give is to do harm rather than good. The Prudential Committee feel that the mission should at least be consulted in regard to the expediency of special objects for which individuals, even of their own number, may wish to obtain assistance; that in all ordinary cases, what it is really best to do in the different fields it is best to do regularly, through the Board, and in response to applications from the missions; so that no room shall be left for special calls, even from individual missionaries, and much less from individual and irresponsible native pastors or brethren. It will readily be seen, in connection with the statements made in this letter, that aid rendered in response to such unauthorized, special appeals, may seriously interfere with cherished plans of the mission, and may greatly discourage brethren who need to be protected, and cheered, in the prosecution of their arduous and often perplexing efforts to establish new Christian communities upon the best foundations. To plant a church, and provide for it a good house of worship, is one thing; to establish true Christianity, as a living, growing, efficient power, which will renovate the nation, is quite another. Mr. Williams writes::

"Though hitherto I have written nothing about the visit of Pastor Thomas to the United States, it has not been because I favored such a step, or believed that there was the slightest occasion for it. But while touring through the Mosul field, it suddenly occurred to me that I gave him a letter (when he left Diar bekir for Constantinople), and I write this, fearing that letter may be put to a use I never anticipated, and that I may clear myself of any share in his wrongdoing....

"Pastor Thomas knows, as well as I do, that if a special fund is to be raised to aid the churches in this region, Diarbekir is the last place which would have a claim upon that fund. The American churches have already done more for the Diarbekir church in this line, than for any other in our whole field. Their chief place of worship cost 100,000 piasters, of which

American Christians gave 75,000. Their second house cost 17,000, of which American churches gave 4,000. These two houses give about 700 sittings at present, which can be readily increased to 1,100 or 1,200 by an alteration of the first; to do which the community there is abundantly able (they themselves being the judges), with the little aid our mission stands ready to give them. I say 'abundantly' able, not in comparison with churches in the United States, Madison Square or other, — but as compared with churches here. They are not at all responsible for this movement.

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They did not request it, nor did they know anything of it until after their pastor had left on his self-imposed errand. If the American churches choose to build them a new, handsome place of worship, unasked and unconditioned, it is not likely they will object, any more than the Park Street church would object to Mr. Peabody's building a new house for them, worth $1,000,000, with no effort on their part. But if special aid is to come from. the United States to these churches, Mar din, Sert, Bitlis, Darik, Moosh, Hazro, Chermook, Argana, and a dozen other places, have a better claim upon this help than Diarbekir has, having been less helped and being more needy.

"The inevitable result of success in this move of Pastor Thomas will be discontent and dissatisfaction among all our churches, some of which already ask, 'Why have you given so much to Diarbekir, and why do you not give as much to us?' If he should come back with his pockets full, it is reasonable to expect that other pastors will also go begging. If the United States churches propose to do all the church building, and to exempt the people from all self-effort, let them send on for us $5,000, fifty times told, and we will build for them fifty fine churches, and then fifty more; but if a self-sustaining Christianity is to be planted, another course must be taken. And to select out the Diarbekir church, and make it a special object of special favor, is to sow discontent broadcast.

"At present, all the churches of this field, and their pastors, (Thomas ex

cepted,) are in sympathy with the mission in its effort to develop native talent and energy, and to make the churches independent; but it would be very easy for anybody to alienate them, by proposing to do everything for them. They are poor, and it requires vigorous self-denial to sustain their own institutions; and if outsiders will volunteer to carry all their burdens, it of course will seem pleasant; but it will never plant Christianity.

"This letter ought to have been sooner written if at all, but forgetfulness, touring, and sickness in my family, are the reasons for its delay. Had I not given Pastor Thomas a letter of introduction I would not now write."

ERZROOM.

(150 miles S. E. of Trebizond.)

LETTER FROM MR. POLLARD, December 14, 1867.

MR. POLLARD, of the Erzroom station, is now in the United States on account of ill-health; but soon after reaching this country he wrote respecting the condition of the Erzroom field, stating facts of encouraging interest. Portions of his letter will be given here.

Progress among the Protestants. "During the past year we have been encouraged by seeing among the Protestants at Erzroom and our out-stations, more than ever before, a disposition to assist in promoting the Lord's work, and to labor for the support of their own religious institutions. And we have reason to hope that they will be able and willing, year by year, to do more and more for themselves; and finally not only take care of themselves, but assist in giving the bread of life to others. At Erzroom, they have largely increased the amounts they give for the support of their preacher and teachers, quite a number having doubled their subscriptions.

subscriptions for such purposes, but, in addition, they have this year subscribed a sum equal to one half the expense of fitting up a new chapel at Erzroom.

"To obviate certain difficulties, we proposed to prepare a chapel on the premises of one of the houses belonging to the American Board. The Protestants were much pleased, and subscribed a sum much ̧ larger than we expected · about 1,000 piasters; equal to 200 days' labor of a common laborer, or an average of thirteen days for each adult male.

"The necessary repairs were made, and now they not only have a permanent place, but there are several other advantages. The former place was retired, on a lane where only a few families lived, and there was no passing; but this is on the principal street of the city, where hundreds are daily passing. Before, many of the thousands of strangers who are continually coming and going, as well as of the citizens, perhaps, were unaware that there was a Protestant chapel; they might pass within a few rods of it and still be ignorant of its location. But now, we trust that some at least may be attracted by the sound of the singing and preaching, and induced to enter and listen.

"It is in the Armenian quarter of the city, but not near the churches of other Christian sects, so that difficulties which have arisen in some other places we may hope to avoid. Perhaps no better location could be found for it in the city. The expense for rent also, which was annually paid, will be avoided. On the same premises a book depository has been prepared, where books are exposed for sale in a more public manner than they have been for several years; and there is no expense for rent, or salary of bookseller."

Efforts of Protestant women and others at Erzroom, to provide for incidental expenses of the Protestant community, are noticed, and the formation there of a "Young Men's Christian Union"; and then like facts are reported respecting certain