Central Turkey Mission.

AINTAB.

(About 90 miles E. N. E. from Scanderoon.)

LETTER FROM MR. PERRY, January 9, 1868.

MR. PERRY reports that land for the second church building at Aintab has been bought; that "they hope to get permission to build upon it next summer"; and that "the division of the 1st and 2d churches is again effected, much to the joy of the missionaries," the congregations having worshiped together during the past year. Some statements in this letter, and in one of earlier date to family friends, respecting the week of prayer, and personal Christian effort at Aintab, are of interest.

Week of Prayer

Christian Labors. "The special meetings, during this week of prayer, are fully attended. I hear the tread of feet upon the pavements — the first sound that greets my ears in the morning an hour before sunrise, and, rising, follow the throng to the place of prayer. Strange as it may seem, the people prefer that hour to any other. I do not know how many attend, but am safe in saying that both audiences may be numbered by hundreds. There is great readiness to hear the truth on the part of the Armenians, and we are doing what we can to reach them with the gospel. Visit ors are appointed for the different sections of the city, who are often called upon for their reports; Mrs. Schneider and Mrs. Perry go out almost every day, to make calls among the women; and I expound Scripture among the Armenians somewhere, every evening, and then leave the people, and the brethren who go with me,

to talk about the truth and sing and pray together. If you know Mrs. Schneider, you can imagine how she, with her Turkish Bible, and Mrs. Perry with her Turkish Hymn-book, together find the home of every inquirer, and never find it shut against them."

In a letter to his parents, dated December 8, from which extracts are permitted, Mr. Perry wrote: "One of the native brethren, according to appointment, called for me after tea, and we went together to hold a little meeting in the borders of the city, in the house of a poor man and a Protestant. Most of those who attended the meeting were Armenians in religion. Such gatherings are very common now, all about among the people, although there is no special religious interest.

"Do you feel lonely at home when the evenings come, and send a thought and a prayer towards Aintab? If so, think of me as calling from house to house, lantern in hand, in company with some Christian brother, and doing what I can to assist him in the work of presenting the gospel from family to family, among the streets of a crowded city. The churches have appointed about thirty of their best men, to take each a division of streets, and call on and converse with those who will hear the word. In company with these men I am spending nearly all my evenings this winter. Have been out in this way every evening but one this week.

"Can I give you a description of our meeting this evening? Go with us along the dark, winding, narrow streets of Aintab. After a half-hour's walk we come to a door within which a meeting had been appointed. We knock; it is opened. We pass into a yard surrounded by walls, and from the yard into the room

of a family. The room we entered tonight was the home of a poor man; so look in with us upon such a home. Even among the poor of Boston you can have but a meagre idea of what poverty is; but you would find it in any city of Turkey. The father of a large family can earn but a few piasters (each about 4 cents) per day, and most of that must go to pay taxes and rents. Where then is the money coming from, needful to give bread and clothing to his children? We entered a low dark room. A small tin cup, with oil and wick in it, was giving a faint relief from total darkness. In the centre of the room was a box, say a foot and a half high and two feet square, covered with a thick blanket of goat's hair. Imagine eight halfclothed children sitting on the floor, all putting their bare limbs under that blanket, to get warmth from the pan of coals which it covers. This is all the fire they have for the coldest of the weather. Every thing about the room indicated poverty. Even the father pulled his outer blanketcoat about him to cover his rags.

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They prepared a nice place for me to sit at the end of the room- -the place of honor by making a carpet of the best blankets in the house. As usual, I left my boots at the door and took my seat- - the brother who conducted the meeting beside me. The mother was still young in years, I should judge; but she told me that her family of children numbered eight. Soon others came in and filled the room. A chapter was read and expounded the 11th of Hebrews; and all were almost too free in talking about the examples of faith. They sang twice, had several prayers; and we two came away, leaving the company praying and singing and reading the Scriptures."

Eastern Turkey Mission.

ERZROOM.

(150 miles S. E. of Trebizond.)

ated at, or near, the south-eastern extremity of a high plateau, or plain, more than 6,000 feet above the level of the sea. It is therefore a pretty cold region, about like Vermont, though much more healthy, as the changes of temperature are less violent and sudden, and the air is pure, dry, and bracing. The brilliancy of the heavenly bodies, in such a pure atmosphere, is very striking; and on a clear, sunny day in winter, the spangles of frost which fill the air flash like so many diamonds.

"The health of the natives is quite remarkable. They rarely die except from old age, or from neglect in childhood. Fever and ague prevail to some extent, typhoid is very rare, and consumption, or other chronic pulmonary difficulty, quite unknown. At least, for the time I was there, I did not meet, or hear of, a case among the natives.

Population-Towns and Villages. "Erzroom contains not less than 60,000 inhabitants, from 15,000 to 20,000 of whom are Armenians. In the Erzroom plain, which is from 15 to 20 miles wide by 30 to 40 long, there are probably not less than a hundred villages, ranging in size from 30 to 100 houses each,-a few exceeding 100 houses, which gives a population ranging from 200 to 1,000 in each, sometimes 1,200, and possibly a few would reach 1,500. These villages are smaller and more scattered than those in the Harpoot field, and of course, there would be some difference in the results attained. And yet they may be as brilliant as those that have been attained in the Harpoot villages.

1868.

The Erzroom Field. Mr. Parmelee, of the Erzroom station, now in the United

sparsely populated, or so poor, as Shepik; none in a more hopeless condition than was that village two or three years ago.

Why then may we not look for equally glorious things in any of our villages as those which have occurred at Shepik, the fame of which is world-wide?

"But the Erzroom field is much more extensive than the Harpoot field. Besides the villages of the Erzroom plain, there are those of the Pasin plain, lying east of Erzroom, in the valley of the Araxes River, not less than fifty or sixty in number. Armenian villages are also scattered all the way to the Persian border. A goodly number of Bibles and Testaments have already been scattered among these villages, and I confidently expect they will prove, many of them, the germs of living churches of Christ. To the south, we have the Khanoos district, where there is already one thriving church, and room for many more. To the west, we have the out-station Melikan, and still further west the city and plain of Erzingan, - a region of so much importance that Mr. Dunmore spent one winter there; and even now it would be desirable, were it possible, for one or more missionaries to reside there. To the north, we have Baiboort and the villages surrounding it; and on the coast of the Black Sea, there are Trebizond, and numerous interesting towns lying east and west of that city. There is also the region of Kars, and many important cities and towns in Russia.

fourths of all my touring. Besides, much of the touring in the Erzroom field is done on public thoroughfares, where the khans, or inns, are altogether superior to the accommodation one finds in the villages. But to do our work thoroughly, we must do a great deal more touring than was ever done at Harpoot. This, however, can be done in large part through native assistants, if we can have schools similar to the Harpoot schools, and can get a foothold in some of the nearer villages.

Capabilities. “This Erzroom region is capable of sustaining a much larger population. Before the great emigration to Russia, which followed the Russian war of 1828-30, it was much more populous; and it will be so again. It will also greatly increase in wealth. Its two greatest curses have been, that it had no market for its grain, and no wood or coal for fuel. As a consequence, the people burn dried ma, nure, and the land suffers for want of fertilizers. A wagon road is now in process of construction from Trebizond across the mountains. This road, though carried forward very sluggishly, will, I think, sometime be completed. And if so, Erzroom will be brought much nearer market, agricultural interests will be vastly improved, and the fuel question will be solved by the opening of coal mines, which exist, I doubt not inexhaustible, very near Erzroom. This will give new value to every thing, and wealth and population will greatly increase. This is an important consideration, and urges us to plant the gospel as firmly as possible before European influences begin to flow in, as they will when these changes take place.

Prospects. "But it seems to me it would be a mistake for any one to go to Erzroom, or anywhere else, expecting just such results as those at Harpoot. He may meet with results even more glorious. That will depend something on his zeal and energy and faith. He ought, however, to be prepared to enter the field, and work on, even if much less brilliant results follow. The results at Harpoot strengthen faith, and the direct influence of the work there will be more and more felt in Erzroom.

"I should like to write much more, but am not able. I wish I could see any one who might be thinking of going to that field; I could then explain every thing so much more fully than with the pen."

STATION REPORTS.

MR. WILLIAMS has forwarded brief reports of several stations of the Eastern Turkey mission — Mardin, Diarbekir, Bitlis, Erzroom, and Mosul. Some paragraphs, respecting Mardin and its out-stations, should find a place in the Herald. It will be remembered that at that place, in the Arabic portion of the field, and which has been Mr. Williams's station, a very gratifying change was reported a year ago (in letters published in the Herald for June, 1867). Mr. Williams now writes: :

SO

Mardin. "Of the twelve months now under review I have spent just twentyfive days in Mardin. The opening year witnessed the organization of a church of nineteen members, its close finds it in the sole charge of its young pastor, who, from the day of his ordination, receives his whole support from the community to which he ministers. He is of them much educated that his people can look up to him, but not so as to be out of sympathy with and unhappy among them. From two full, manly, quiet letters, telling of the work there, just received, it is evident that he feels his responsibility, and is taking hold with vigor. The average attendance has, during the year, risen from 70 to 106, notwithstanding some were 'offended' because they were not received to church membership, and withdrew. The church now numbers thirty members. The contributions have increased from $107 to $200 (gold), without counting the entire suit with which they clothed their new pastor and the watch they gave him; all which they did self-moved, without the slightest hint from us.

Out-stations - Sert. "The out-stations of Mardin are occupied this winter with

more encouraging prospects than at any former time. The proof of sincerity which the assumption of their own expenses by those already Protestants gives, is drawing others to their ranks, and outsiders are showing that they think a religion worth paying for is worth inquiring into. At Gole, at Kulaat, at Kulleth, a new interest is manifested.... But the chief interest this year centres in Sert. After the ordination in Mardin, the Evangelical Union, taking Elias with them, made the five days' journey to Sert, where they ordained him pastor over the poor people with whom and for whom he has so long and so faithfully labored. He had just refused the most earnest and pressing entreaties of the Mardin people to accept a charge every way preferable, in a worldly point of view; but he believed he could be more useful in Sert, and he chose to cast in his lot with the poor and oppressed who looked to him as their spiritual father. Seven presented themselves for church membership; of these the Union accepted six, and organized them into a church. All were deeply touched by the earnestness of their love, and their humble, self-sacrificing consecration. If such gold comes always of the fires of persecution, there are churches which would gain immensely though its flames should consume nine tenths of their earthly goods.

"Poor, even according to the standard of village Protestants in Turkey, they willingly assumed the half of the salary of their beloved teacher - now pastor, and unhesitatingly covenanted to appropriate not less than one tenth of all their income to Christ; though when they so voted they understood it to be additional to all they are now doing! Though the whole community numbers but 23 male adults, their contributions the past year have amounted to 3,650 piasters, or the equivalent, on an average, to forty-five days' labor from each. They have, however, this year, made a special effort for their chapel. Their hospitality to the Union was as liberal as it was hearty, and it was worth a journey across the weary intervening waste to find so fragrant a flower in the desert. At present they have rest from their persecuting enemies, and with

out molestation worship in the house they have (with help from us) purchased for chapel and parsonage."

The ordination of a pastor at Bitlis, and the gratifying condition of Diarbekir, were referred to in a letter from Mr. Barnum, published last month. The church at Diarbekir now numbers 127, of whom 21 were received in February, 1867. Nine were also added to the Cutterbul church during the year, making the present number of members 30. Encouraging appearances are noticed at several other out-stations, and at places occupied for the winter by theological students from Harpoot. Respecting Mosul it is said: "For the present winter, one of the pupils of the training-class is stationed there, to see if the infusion of young blood will quicken life. He writes that he was pleasantly received and had begun his labors. His wife, a lovely Christian, accompanies him. May the Lord make it a blessing. An appeal from this community for a missionary to reside among them has been already for warded."

Micronesia.

LETTER FROM MR. BINGHAM.

Voyage of the "Morning Star." This communication from Mr. Bingham, as Captain of the Morning Star, gives a full account of his voyage from Honolulu, to and from the different stations of the Micronesia mission, and some other islands. The vessel left Honolulu July 1st, 1867, and the next day took on board Rev. Edward Johnson, of Waioli, who had been designated by the Hawaiian Board to act with Mr. Bingham as a deputation, visiting the Micronesia stations. Before going to those stations, however, a visit was paid to several islands of the Ellice group, south-easterly from the Gilbert Islands. Interesting statements, respecting the commencement of missionary operations in some of those islands, were published in the Herald for July 1866, pages 193-196; and a few extracts from Mr. Bingham's narrative, respecting the suc

cess of such operations, will be given here. The Morning Star called also at several islands of this and the Gilbert groups, where there were no Christian laborers, the missionaries endeavoring, at interviews with chiefs and people, to prepare the way for such laborers.

Visit to Waitibu. The first island visited (July 21st) was Waitibu, or Tracy's Island, (lat. 7° 28' S., long. 178° 44' E.) Mr. Bingham writes: " Much to our joy, we were soon boarded by Pen, a native missionary from Samoa. From him we learned that he had been on the island one year and eight months; that its inhabitants were three hundred and eightyfour; that half of them had already destroyed their idols and embraced Christianity; that all the children and younger people had learned to read; that their language was the same with the Samoan; that quite a number were hopefully converted, whom he expected to baptize, in case he was so advised, when visited by their missionary vessel. Our short visit on shore deepened our impression of the blessed work so well commenced. A large and well-built church, about fifty-seven feet by thirty-six, with its neat pulpit, built by the gratuitous labors of the natives, was an object of special interest; and the large and scrupulously neat dwelling of the teacher was a model for the docile and quiet people about him. Pen spoke English; and though his wife could not converse directly with us, her intelligent face, warm welcome, and very tidy appearance, gave us a pleasing idea of what the Samoan female missionaries might generally be. The fluency of the readers, and their independence in singing, were truly gratifying.

"We found several people from Nui, speaking the Gilbert Islands' language, who were able to read readily in the new books which we brought out from Boston and Honolulu. You can imagine my pleasant surprise at seeing a copy of a reprint of our little Hymn-Book,—done at Samoa for the benefit of the Nui people, and also one of the sixty-four original copies of the Gospel of John, printed on newspaper on our little press at Apai