"The field of the Central Turkey mission, comprising North Syria, Cilicia, and Northern Mesopotamia, is divided into five permanent stations, or districts. Of these, Aintab, as the oldest, naturally claims our first attention. The gospel was first preached here in 1847. The next year, Dr. Schneider arrived and commenced his labors, which he has carried on with remarkable success until the present time. This year will be a distinguished era in its history, as marking the close of direct missionary labor. The results will show two churches, of 360 members, with able, faithful pastors; Sabbath-schools numbering 1,139, day-schools with 393 pupils, and a Protestant community of 1,881 souls. These churches are entirely independent of us; they pay all their own expenses; manage their own business; and efficiently labor for the surrounding community.

"For the support of their worship and schools they contributed [last year] more than $1,000, which, in a country where labor is ninepence per day, when it can be had at all, shows the genuine interest of the people in evangelical religion.

"The spirit of consecration is, generally, very strong. In the Second church, nearly all the members, as a matter of conscience, give one tenth of all their income for the cause of Christ, besides giving $750 extra this year (gold) for a churchbuilding.

Preaching was first commenced in Marash station about 1853. Now, two self-supporting churches, of 445 members, with excellent pastors, Sabbath - schools numbering 870, and a Protestant community of 1,741, prove how firmly the gospel is establishing itself in the Turkish empire. The poverty of the Marash brethren is distressing, yet they contributed $1,250 last year, thus paying all their own expenses. As an example of their devotion, forty men worked more than twenty days to cut down a large tree in the mountains, float it down the river, and then roll it ten miles upon the ground to Marash, for a church-building. These churches have formed themselves into a Home Mission

"The work in the Antioch field has not made much progress, owing to the failure of crops, enormous taxation, and want of the active labor of a resident missionary, though the latter will not be true in the future. Still the work has not retrograded, but even gives promise of large fruit hereafter. The Greek school at Antioch, flourishes.

"The Oorfa station (Ur of the Chaldees) has made superior progress. Its self-supporting church numbers 55 members, with a community of 600 souls. This field surpasses all others in its devotion to the maintenance of the gospel. Most of its churches not only give one tenth of their income, but in respect to the remainder they act according to 1st Cor. xvi. 2. The most striking instances of the grace of liberality could be furnished from this field, if my limits would permit.

"The Adana field has been signally favored by the Holy Spirit during the last year. Its churches and congregations have been so greatly strengthened and invigorated, that we confidently hope ancient Cilicia will again receive the gospel of the Son of God as fully as of old.

"Three fourths of the twenty out-stations, under the care of the above-mentioned stations, are singularly vigorous. The growth of the churches and congre- . gations in these places surprises even us, who are familiar with every step of their progress. In Tarsus, Paul's birthplace, both church and congregation have increased more than a hundred per cent. in twelve months, while Hassan Beyli, in the Gaiour Dagh mountains, comes little short of a miracle of divine power. Less than four years since, these mountains were the dread of this section of the empire, and quite as much so of the Turkish government. They stood in the very front rank of theft, robbery, and murder, so that the stranger hazarded his life even to approach them. With their subjugation by the Turkish government, after great exertions, two years since, there arose at Hassan Beyli a strong desire for books, and then for the gospel. Both were sent by the hands of faithful men from Aintab,

in the village of Dsak, which is also near Arabkir. The student who went there is a native of the village; but the opposition has been very strong, especially on the part of the village priest. There was only one real Protestant in the place. When the student opened the school, the priest denounced him repeatedly, in the church, and also his school and his books, and even the Bible—that is, the modern translation. But when it was seen that children were beginning to go to the school, and that they could not break it up, the people had a meeting, and decided to invite our helper to go into their school-room, which is really a part of the church, and teach school for the whole village. He replied that he was perfectly willing to do so provided he might teach the Bible and Catechism, and have a Sunday-school and preaching in the schoolroom. They assented, and he removed to the Armenian school-house, and taught there the whole winter.

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Preaching has seldom been heard in the Armenian churches. In these latter days, it is introduced quite generally in imitation of, or as a protection against Protestantism. It was finally arranged in Dsak that they should have preaching on the Sabbath in the church, and that the priest should hold forth one Sabbath and the helper the next, and so on through the winter. The congregations numbered from 250 to 300. The priest became very friendly, and ordered that the examination of the school should be held on Sunday, in the body of the church, as the attendance, he said, would be better on that day; and he exhorted the people all to come out. As the examination consisted in the reading of the Scriptures, and recitations from the Bible and Catechism, with the singing of Sunday-school hymns, there was no special impropriety in choosing the Sabbath.

"In the village of Hatsaloo, near this city, where there is no open Protestant, the helper preaches in the Armenian church every Sabbath, and two or three times during the week. The priest does not go to the church at all, and the people tell him that they don't want him to come they prefer this man. In at least a dozen villages in this field, during the past

winter, our helpers have preached more or less frequently in the Armenian churches, by express invitation; and in every case, so far as we have heard, their words have been well received. It has become a pretty well settled principle now, among our helpers, to confine themselves to the fundamental truths of the gospel, without attacking openly the rites and ceremonies of the old church; and this is the reason that opposition is so far disarmed, and so ready access is gained to multitudes of people.

The Mission to Koordistan. "You are already familiar with the fact that the churches of the Evangelical Union have undertaken a missionary enterprise, viz., the giving of the gospel to the Christian races in Koordistan - the region east of Diarbekir. They supported six students in the seminary here last year. One of these men thought that he could do more good by continuing at his trade, but the remaining five were sent into the field. One was sent to Deh, near Sert, two to Farkin, and two to Redwan. We had felt that, in such a region, it would be a good winter's work if they were merely to occupy the ground, and not be driven out. But in the place of that they were well received, had small schools, sold a few books, and made known the truth to a large number of people. We all feel much encouraged at the result of this experiment.

"The efforts of the young men were devoted chiefly to the Christians — Armenians and Jacobites, - but they also had more or less intercourse with Moslem Koords and Yezidees. All these sects use only the Koordish language in conversation. In prayer, the Armenians use their ancient language, the Jacobites the Syriac, and the Koords the Arabic; all of which are to them wholly unintelligible. It was to all a new thought that it would answer to address God in the Koordish language. This was a subject of considerable discussion, but the reasonableness of talking to God with words which they themselves could understand was so apparent, that this of itself predisposed many to look favorably upon the teachings of the students.

"The work in Redwan was most en

couraging of all. Meetings were held regularly, and several persons became open Protestants. There was opposition, but the Lord restrained it from assuming a violent form.

"All these men went about to the villages, to some extent, and met with some encouragement. They have all come back very much interested in the work, and the brethren who support them are much encouraged. Pastor Mardiros, who is their teacher in Koordish, says that there has been an evident increase in spirituality among these Koordish helpers. Two new men have joined them, making the present number seven. Three of them are married, and one of them brought his sister. These four females are connected with the female seminary. One other Koordish student is expected. This enterprise is carried on by these few feeble churches- a missionary work much greater, in proportion to their strength, than the American Board, or any other American Society, has ever undertaken. May the Lord bless them in it.

The Native Pastorate. "Our pastors are gradually assuming more and more responsibility. The pastors of the six churches, within five or six hours of the city, meet once in three months, for their own improvement and to consult concerning the interests of their churches. We have asked them, in addition to the care of the churches, to have the special oversight of the congregations that are soon likely to be organized into churches, and to exercise a special care for all the preachers who have been licensed by the Union (as to their walk and efficiency), and to aid us in their location, etc. The greater the responsibility put upon them the more do they realize the difficulty of conducting such a work, and consequently the more cautious do they become. One of the pastors remarked: The management of these things used to seem to me very easy, as I looked on from without, but now that I am called to think and plan myself, I see how difficult it is to adjust every thing in the best way.' Since the Union was organized there has never been the slightest friction between them

and us, and I see no prospect of any occasion for friction in the future. The more we work and share responsibility together, the greater is our union of sentiment and feeling."

HARPOOT STATION REPORT.

THE report of the Harpoot station for 1867 is now received. The number of native helpers has increased, during the year, from 78 to 94. Seven graduates from the seminary have been licensed to preach, and two former licentiates ordained, by the Evangelical Union. The number of churches in the field is 18, two of which are still without pastors. To these churches 47 members were added by profession, the whole number being now 417. The number of out-stations has increased from 54 to 59, and the whole average attendance at the Sabbath congregations, from 2,365 to 2,834. This is only 76 less than the whole number of registered Protestants, which indicates "the church-going habits of the people." Contributions for various purposes increased from 90,000 to 113,000 piasters. The paying of tithes is becoming more general, and it is said: "We have reason to believe that it will soon be true in the whole field, as it is already in the city church, that the Christian man who

does not subscribe his tenth will be the exception."

LETTER FROM MR. WILLIAMS, May 9, 1868.

Encouragement in the Arabic Field. Mr. Williams writes from Harpoot, but with reference, mainly, to the Arabic portion of the field, more immediately connected with the Mardin station. He commences his letter by saying: "I am urged to send you some account of the many encouragements which are reaching us from the Arabic field. I have shrunk from it, because it is so difficult to state them to one who has had no personal contact with the people and not make more impression than was intended; but I will try. Certainly, to my eyes, the stony ground presents a prospect promising to an extent it has never before done since, in 1851, I first floated, with Dr. Bacon, from Diarbe

kir to Mosul." The amount of matter pressing for a place in the Herald constrains to the omission of much of his letter, but portions of it should find a place, that readers may learn something of the new encouragements presented in regions which have, until quite recently, seemed emphatically sterile.

Mosul. "The pupil whom I sent to Mosul for the winter was greatly hindered in starting, but on his arrival he was received with a hearty welcome, and under the inspiriting influence of his earnest activity the congregation at once almost doubled, and meetings numbering over fifty were held every evening of the week. So many new comers attended that the papists took the alarm, and anathemas and excommunications were freely threatened. Of course this increased attendance is not yet prepared to write itself altogether Protestant; but it shows how ready that field now is to respond with waving harvest to earnest culture. Such response to native effort is a much more reliable index than the same amount at the presence of a missionary, because less likely to have been actuated by mercenary motives."

Azzokh-One Faithful Witness. Mention is made of former efforts at Azzokh, and the subsequent dying away of all the apparent interest, which "grew out of a feud and came to nothing;" but it is added: "One man held fast to the truth he had received, and amid opprobrium and oppression confessed his faith, standing up for Jesus till he died. Through him, his wife became partaker in a like precious hope, and after he was gone, taught herself to read (she had already learned her letters), and taking his Testament told the old story, ever so new, of Christ and his love. Nor poverty, nor persecution, nor priest, nor bishop, could silence her voice and influence. She was punished and pestered, and made to work on the road, a poor, lone, ignorant widow; but everywhere she proclaimed Christ the only salvation, and read the gospel in the even ings at her own house, to groups of from five to twenty. Such is the story which, coming to us through divers native chan

nels, has stirred our hearts and may touch yours. And now we have responded to a delegation who visited Mardin through the snows and mud of winter, and have sent one to look after their welfare. They say, if we will send a teacher a score or two are ready to join him, and be taught this way more perfectly. But oppression is fearfully rife in Jebel Tour, and we take hope cautiously.

"Kullaat is only half an hour from Mardin, and we had much difficulty to seat our helper there; but we succeeded, and he had gathered some five or ten about him, when the Patriarch's excommunication arrived, and the number was reduced up to 15 and 20. Kullaat is the Patriarch's native village, and only one mile from Deir Zaferian, the great convent of the Jacobites. When a place reaches the point where the great anathema adds to the number of gospel hearers it is time for us to take courage.

Mardin. "I think I have told you that the pastor and mejlis [at Mardin] admitted twelve more to fellowship in January. The church is now thirty, of whom twelve were originally papists. The average Sabbath congregation is a little more than a hundred. The pastor is of my trainingclass, and is here, studying; the helper whom I promised them for the summer had not arrived; yet the average attendance at the two weekly meetings, for the month reported, was fifty, and the accord and brotherly love among church and community were complete. The pastor has, so far, developed beyond all my hopes, and my 'fears' have pretty much died out, of inanition. is now having a hard and worrying struggle before the Government, to prevent being crushed by the united, persistent, and oppressive efforts of the other sects to heap upon them annihilating taxes."

The community

Sert. Of the Protestants at Sert it is said: "They still 'grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour,' and in attachment to his truth. The congregation has gone up to sixty, and is constantly increasing. This sapling has been