a despotic Mohammedan land, where the death penalty for conversion to Christianity is still in force,* need little comment. We know not whence those Persians obtained copies of the Scriptures; possibly from our colporters on a former journey. At any rate, such facts will indicate colportage as a branch of our work. They also illustrate the power and the fruits of a steady Christian light, such as has been shining here for more than thirty years, far beyond its immediate neighborhood, or the enrolled list of its converts. We have all, probably, yet to learn more fully, the import and the power of patient continuance in well doing.

The Koordish Mountains. "Our last monthly report from the Koordish mountains contained much that is encouraging in several places; in a few instances, souls awakened and hopefully converted. Mar Yoseph, our helper in Bootan, on the Tigris, writes that he has held his first reformed communion in that distant region, on which occasion seven souls came around the table of the Lord. He had apprehended serious opposition in this observance of the ordinance there, but none occurred, the Lord being better to him than his fears."

The press is spoken of as largely engaged in printing Mr. Perkins's Notes on Genesis, (he has nearly completed the preparation of similar notes on Exodus,) and the death of "a very promising helper in Salmas, Deacon Hashaba," is noticed.

Central Turkey Mission.

STATION REPORTS.

THE Central Turkey mission held its annual meeting at Aintab early in April. Reports of the different stations have been sent to the Missionary House, and a few items gathered from some of them will be presented here.

At Aintab, two serious obstacles have

"The Government had already laid its bloody hand upon one of these men, who was rescued by English engineers, who happened to be at Ispahan."

interfered with the prosperity of the work the want of a house of worship for the Second Church, and the want of a pastor for the First, - but there has been progress. Seventeen members have been added to the two churches, and the number of Protestants has increased, in all, 189. There has been considerable religious interest in the female boarding-school, ten of the pupils having indulged a hope in Christ; and there is a remarkable degree of readiness among Armenians to attend the Protestant services and listen to the truth. Neighborhood meetings, held by Mrs. Schneider among the women, have proved very useful, and many Armenian women have requested meetings at their houses. Many of the church members, and some others in the congregations, now adopt the principle of giving tithes for religious and benevolent purposes; contributions to various objects for the year amounted to $939 in gold; the First Church has been self-supporting for some years, the Second will now be so, and self-support is progressing at the out-stations.

At Marash, the Protestant community increased more than 100 during the year. The average increase for five years has been 100 per year, the whole present number being 1,706. The two churches at the station have worked together harmoniously, managing their own affairs. Thirty-five members were added, by profession, to the First Church, and thirteen to the Second. The two now number 424. Contributions amounted to $1,196.91. When the girls' high-school, under Mrs. Coffing, was commenced, three years ago, it was only by much effort, and entreaty from house to house, that 10 scholars could be secured. During the past year, Mrs. Coffing has charged a small tuition, yet the whole number of pupils has been 38. The school "has quite exceeded expectations." In the mission training-school there were thirty-one pupils, and the "student-helpers," spending the vacation in the villages of the field, are heard gladly by the common people, and have done an important work, espe cially in the mountain regions of Zeitoon and vicinity, where "the presence and power of the Holy Spirit are being felt."

Visit to Zara. In a letter published in the Herald for June, Mr. Livingston reported a visit at Gurun. He now states, that since his return, he learns that favorable indications continue at that place; and he reports a visit to another out-station, Zara, 36 miles northeast from Sivas, the residence of the Governor of the district, containing some 600 houses, about 200 of which are Armenian." The road there, from Sivas, is a very pleasant one in the summer, but now, he writes: :

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66

Owing to the great quantity of snow which has fallen the past winter, and a violent storm both while going and returning, I not only found the journey uncomfortable, but even dangerous. We at one time lost our road, and wandered about an hour or more in the snow, in the midst of so fierce a storm that we were unable to distinguish objects two yards in advance of us. It is difficult for those unacquainted with the roads in this country to form any adequate idea of the danger to which we are exposed in traveling, in places where the snow falls so deep and storms are so sudden and violent as on the high table-lands about Sivas.

there has not been a preacher there more than a fourth of the time. And in the autumn, when I took a helper there, I found the people so much discouraged, and seemingly indifferent to every thing good, that I left them with a heavier heart than I have words to describe. But mark the change in four months and a half! Last week, there were 78 pupils, 11 of them women from 25 to 50 years of age. All these women are making good progress, and several are already able to read fluently in the Bible. With one or two exceptions, of old and infirm persons, all the Protestants are now able to read. The Armenians, too, are taking steps to make their schools more efficient, and already have a large number of girls under instruction. They see that their girls will learn to read, whether they wish it or not; and so it has become a matter of policy to encourage them to go to their own schools. There were 50 at the Saturday evening prayer-meeting, though the evening was a very unpleasant one. On Sunday there were 150 in the chapel-a room 13 by 26 feet. On Monday there was an examination of the school, at which all the scholars, together with many of their parents and other friends, were present. The pupils all acquitted themselves with great credit. One class was examined in Genesis and the Acts of the Apostles, and exhibited a familiarity with the contents of these books that would do honor to the members of any theological school. Indeed I have heard theological students pass a much poorer examination on the same subjects.

"The helper said stood up to read,

A Promising Pupil. of one young man, who 'It seems a miracle, the way this man has learned. A month ago he did not know a letter of the alphabet.' And so it seemed to me, as I heard him read in a full, clear voice, from the most difficult parts of the Epistles of Paul. This man, too, had not been a regular attendant at school, but had learned to read while working at his trade as a baker. He is a Greek by birth, and expresses great desire to acquire an education, that he may become a preacher to his own people. I have hope that he

"This

Influence of the Examination. examination cannot fail to have a most salutary influence upon the entire community. Its great benefit will be in showing the people, that at our schools the children not only learn to read, but understand what they read. Several Armenian gentlemen, who stopped to speak with me after the examination, said: "The difficulty with us is, not that we do not send our children to school, but that they do not understand any thing of what they pretend to learn.'

Self-support-Morals. "I urged the matter of self-support upon the people as strongly as possible, and succeeded in getting them to assume a little less than a fourth of the preacher's salary, from the time of his going there. As yet, there is no especial manifestation of the Holy Spirit's work, and there is only one man of whom I have hope that he is a Christian. The Greek I have mentioned does not belong at Zara; he is only temporarily there. I cannot but believe, however, that there is a rich blessing in store for that place, and that soon many will be found who will esteem it a privilege to give of their means for the support of the institutions of the gospel.

"I ought not to omit saying a word about the morals of Zara, for without knowing something of the depth of degradation into which the people have fallen, you cannot well understand the difficulties we have to encounter. Morality is at a lower ebb there than I have ever seen elsewhere. Common decency forbids me to mention sights that meet one's eyes at every step in passing through the streets. The language of Paul, in the first chapter of Romans, when describing the sins of

MARSOVAN.

(About 350 miles E. of Constantinople.) LETTER FROM MR. TRACY, April 3, 1868.

A LETTER from Mr. Tracy, giving some of his first impressions, was published in March. He now writes that more observation has confirmed his favorable views as to results of past missionary labor; notices the fact that, in the matter of self-support, the mission "is far behind some others," but mentions circumstances and difficulties which he begs may be taken into account in considering the case; says "We are all boring for oil, some in hard rock and some in soft," but believes that, in the end, there will be "a flowing well" at Marsovan, though "the oil is deeper and the work harder" than in some other places; and mentions some things which serve to cheer,- among them, that "there is encouragement at the out-stations," where "some are pledging tithes," and "setting a noble example." A few paragraphs from the close of his letter will be given.

Vacation-labor of Students. "The students have returned from their vacation labors. We are gratified to find them filled with love for the work. The narratives they give make me feel, as never before, that this great work is really going forward. My hopes for these young men are large. Their abilities and their spirit are better than I expected to find. Making all due allowance for those who may prove false, and those who may fail, there remains a great, bright hope for the rest. Knowing, as I do, that it is earnest work amid difficulties that developes the man and the Christian, I expect more of these young men than of a like number in any American seminary.

Two or three facts I will name. Our congregation, at this season, averages 300 (Mr. Smith has reported 230 for the winter), with a Sabbath-school almost as large. They have heard earnest, sturdy gospel all winter, from Avedis, and my teacher, Bassian. Can it be without effect? Every Sabbath, some of the principal Armenians are in the chapel.

Women's Prayer Meeting.

fact.

"Another

At the women's weekly prayermeeting, held from house to house, there is an average attendance of 70 or 80. Those in other stations tell us that this work is most difficult and disheartening-that it is scarcely possible, in many places, to get half a dozen women together for this purpose. Some of them have written us that they would like to attend a women's prayer-meeting with seventy in it! Here they not only come, but are attentive. This work among women, so marked here, is owing to Mrs. L- -'s devoted labors.

feeling had for some time existed, “occasioned, as we believe, by the progress of the truth among the people," which resulted in an attack upon the mission premises, by an excited mob, on the 1st of November last. There had previously been "a struggle of three months at Samokove, to procure a Protestant burying-ground;" reports were circulated that the missionaries had been driven away from Sophia, and would be driven from Eski Zagra; and when, in the summer, the missionary, Mr. Byington, "was obliged to leave on account of Mrs. B.'s ill-health, together with Miss Reynolds, the people evidently thought it their opportunity." "All the day-scholars were taken from the school, and all manner of false reports sent to the parents of the boarding pupils," to induce them to remove their daughters. When Misses Reynolds and Norcross arrived, in September, on the day appointed for the reassembling of the school, “there were no scholars, and none to bid them welcome." On the first of October Mr. Morse arrived, "with six girls who had been spending the vacation at Philippopolis, and four others, from Samokove." Soon after five others came, but there was "the same cold reception," and "sullen silence." Late in October, Marika (Mary), the oldest assistant-teacher, was forcibly abducted from the school. The Governor was applied to, and with considerable difficulty, was induced to attend to the case; but the promises exacted from Merika's friends were not kept; she was not allowed to see the mission family; and when at last she made her escape, and "through by-paths and streets which she had never before trav

tinople.)

LETTER FROM MR. MORSE, March 30, 1868.

Persecution-Violence. In this communication Mr. Morse gives account, at considerable length, of "the persecution which took place during the past year," but mostly several months before the date of his letter. It is noticeable that no earlier distinct account of the matter was sent, or at least none has been received at the Missionary House, and it is perhaps not necessary, now, to publish details in full. A state of

door," her mother was at the street door

[of the yard] trying to get in. Having succeeded in getting inside, she "rushed for the house, placed herself upon the door-step, and commenced howling, as the people of the East howl for the dead."

The Mission Premises Assaulted by a

Mob. "A crowd now soon gathered, and grew more and more violent; procured an axe and broke open one outer door; tried the windows and cut away some of the bars"; and then "bombarded the building

with stones." Sixty-four stones entered the windows, breaking sixty panes of glass, and "there were threats of burning, and once a call for a pistol." At length, "having exhausted their fury without accomplishing what they desired," the mob began to leave; the younger proprietor of the house came and cleared the yard of all except a few of the more resolute women, and then let out a mission helper and sent him to the Governor for aid. In about half an hour he returned, with two policemen, who were now very brave!" Mr. Morse remarks: "It cannot be supposed for a moment, that such a disturb ance could take place in broad day, in one of the most populous portions of the city, and continue four and a half hours, without the authorities having some knowledge of what was going on. They evidently wished to show the Bulgarians a favor. Neither can it be supposed that the mob deliberately carried matters to such a pass, during so long a time, without the knowledge, and real or implied sanction, of some of the leading members of the Bulgarian community. The threats previously made, and the coming into the yard of three influential citizens, one of whom was the official representative of the ward, and the whole subsequent course of events, show the same. No apologies were offered, and during the subsequent trial, every effort was made to clear the guilty.

Seeking Redress. "We felt that such an outrage as this could not be allowed to pass without endangering the lives of the missionaries, and the very existence of the mission to the Bulgarians. We ac cordingly made an appeal to our Ambas. sador, and to the missionary brethren at Constantinople, for protection and the punishment of the guilty.

"Mr. Blunt, English Consul at Adrianople, was also applied to, and very cheerfully rendered his aid; and "soon after he arrived, by his personal influence, experience, and ability, was enabled to carry the prosecution to a highly satisfactory termination."...

Respecting the conclusion of the case, and its apparent results, Mr. Morse states: "Seven persons were sentenced to three

months imprisonment and to pay the damages; and twelve or fifteen boys and women were sentenced, some to a month's imprisonment and some to small fines. As most of those sentenced to a month's imprisonment had already suffered that length of time, we requested that they might be released. The principal offenders and their friends prayed for mercy, and I telegraphed to the Governor of Philippopolis imploring his excellency to pardon them. The pardon was granted the night before their new year, which had a most happy effect upon the people. The general exclamation was, 'Had he been a Bulgarian he would not have pardoned them.' Apparently, none in the city are more friendly to us now than some who were imprisoned. The general result of the prosecution we believe will be beneficial.

"Mr. Morris, our Ambassador, is deserving of great credit for his prompt and energetic measures; and Mr. Blunt deserves the warmest thanks of all the friends of missions for the invaluable service he rendered.

"The effects of the persecution upon the pupils in the school, apparently, has been good. They have been built up and strengthened in the faith. Two or three of the new pupils, it is hoped, have been converted; and though the enemy has made great efforts to diminish our number, the Lord in mercy has been pleased to build us up. Four scholars have entered since the persecution commenced, making the present number 23. summer vacation will be the great time of trial, and it is not improbable that our numbers may then be diminished. Let the friends of Christ specially pray, not only for these pupils, but for the general progress of the Lord's work among this interesting people."

Greece.

The

LETTER FROM DR. KING, April 17, 1868.

A Call upon the Metropolitan. In a letter dated April 16, Dr. King mentions the marriage of, he thinks, "the first evangel