Nestorian Mission — Persia.

OROOMIAH.

(Near Lake Oroomiah.)

LETTER FROM MR. COAN, October 19, 1867.

Koordish Fanaticism. Some passages in this letter should find a place in the Herald, in part because of their connection with movements heretofore mentioned, and whose progress it may be important to follow. Referring to the case of Koordish fanaticism, noticed last month by Mr. Labaree, and the destruction of the church in Nochea, Mr. Coan says: "The matter has been reported to Her Britannic Majesty's officials in Persia and Turkey, but nothing has as yet transpired in the way of redress. The sheik and his friends are trembling as to the consequences of their act, but we fear nothing will be done."

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Mountain Helpers. My visit to Gawar, noticed in our last mission letter, was a very pleasant one, and the general meeting of the mountain helpers was delightful. The clouds which had gathered so thick and threatening were dispersing, and the brethren returned to their fields full of hope. Those who had for a season retired before the storm, raised by the presence and threats of Mar Shimon, have gone again to their work. The brethren of the mountains decided at that meeting to employ Deacon Ereemiah, formerly in Mosul, then in Gawar, to act as their agent in civil matters. They beg us to supplement the deficit of his salary.

Perversions. "Her Britannic Majesty's Vice-Consul at Mosul, Mr. Rassam, has done a great deal for the mountaineers, and for the evangelical party, in staying persecution, and in preventing perversions to the Papal church. But he has left for a visit to England, and one of our mountain helpers this moment comes in and informs me that Mar Yosup, the Chaldean bishop of Mosul, is now in Amadiah, making proselytes in great numbers. This deacon reports that Asheeta and four villages of that valley, and all the Berwer district, and the Supna district, have gone over en masse,

and that Tkhoma is ready to go when Mar Yosup shall visit them, as he proposes to

do.

"The committee may remember that we long ago appealed for two men to reside on the west side of the mountains. The wisdom of that appeal becomes more and more apparent. But we have entire confidence in the promise of God, and in the power of his Word and Spirit; and we trust that all these things will be for the furtherance of his cause in these lands of darkness. Our confidence is in God, and our expectation is from him.

Movements in Shirwan, Russia. "Deacon Yacob, a Nestorian youth who has acted as colporter in Russia, has just returned for a visit of a few days to his friends, and reports the sale of nearly two thousand copies of the Scriptures within the last three and a half years, besides many other good books and tracts. His labors among the Malakans in the Crimea have been blessed, and many desire baptism.

"We have recently received an application from Varped Sarkis's brother, of Shirwan, to be received into our theological department. The society of Basle have broken off their connection with the brethren of Shirwan, because of their uniting with the Lutheran church. The brethren there were worried into this connection as the less in the choice of evils. Many errors in doctrine and practice in the Lutheran church, as found in Russia, are rejected by the brethren of Shirwan. May the Lord keep his own."

Central Turkey Mission.

ANTIOCH.

(30 miles south of Scanderoon.)

LETTER FROM MR. POWERS, September 14, 1867.

THIS letter was written not to the Secretary of the Board, but to a friend in Massachusetts; but it was sent open to the Secretary for him to read, and use as might be thought best. It was dated at

Kessab, and has special reference to matters at and around that place; and the writer well says: "Events are transpiring in this and neighboring villages which ought to be known to the friends of missions at home, that a deeper sympathy may be felt for the suffering and the oppressed in these parts, accompanied by earnest prayer for their relief, and the removal of all obstacles to the spread of the truth."

Cruel Exactions. "In previous communications I have made mention of the increasingly heavy taxes and exactions levied on this people by the government, or by men in the employ of the government. Much of this is doubtless arbitrary and unjust, and goes for the benefit of government employées and not the government itself. I have now been in this village three months, and during most of this time two, four, or six armed horsemen, gendarme, as they are here called, have been in the village collecting taxes and quartering themselves on the inhabitants. No sooner is one demand paid off than another set of gendarme make their appearance, and thus the village is kept almost constantly in a state of agitation and distress.

Oppression and Crime. "We are now in the midst of scenes of barefaced oppression and crime. A little more than two weeks ago a demand was made on this village for taxes of several kinds, amounting in all to more than $400 in gold. This sum included an item which I may call loss of exchange, on an old account of six or eight years' standing. It was said that the taxes for some years in the past had been paid in what we in the United States should call currency, when the difference between gold and currency was some seventeen per cent., and the government now demanded this difference.

"The whole village cried out against this, as every man knew that taxes had always been paid in gold and nothing else. Two weeks ago this evening, the leading men among the Protestants, Armenians, and Catholics composing the village, came together, discussed the subject,

and resolved to send two of their number, one Protestant and one Catholic, with a memorial to the Governor of the province, residing in Aleppo. The Monday following these men started, but at Antioch, the local authorities, for no assignable reason, refused to give them a passport, and they turned back. On leaving the city they were met by the Catholic bishop, who assured them that he could procure a passport for them, and persuaded them to return with him; but he was equally unsuccessful. It was now evident that the local authorities of Antioch were playing into the hands of the rulers in the Kessab district, and that both were combined to defeat the ends of justice.

"On the last Sabbath- the 8th-sev eral gendarme came dashing into this village, and in the most haughty and peremptory manner demanded the payment of the $400. They addressed the people in the most insulting terms, and claimed most exorbitant provision for themselves and horses. When told by the Protestants that it was their Sabbath, when they neither buy nor sell, give nor take,' these government officials cursed their Sabbath, their religion, their wives and daughters, in language not to be repeated. They even threatened to burn the village if their demand was not at once complied with, and actually went so far as to make a fire at the roots of a noble shade tree, the ornament and pride of the village, near where they were sitting, which Mr. Adams, seeing it as he came out of church, ordered to be extinguished forthwith, and it was done. The next day, the principal men in this and three neighboring villages, inhabited by Mussulmans, entered into a written compact to support each other in resisting these unjust exactions.

Appeal to the Governor. “On Tuesday, the 10th, eight or nine delegates from these four villages waited on the Governor of the district, who resides six miles from here, and presented their remonstrance. The Governor was in the country, a short distance from town. He heard the deputation of each village separately, but before he was through with them his soldiers fell upon the deputation

from one of the Mussulman villages and beat them severely. The Christians also, from this village, received some blows, but the Governor seeing this ordered them not to beat the Christians. This beating of the Mussulmans continued till they were driven into town and thrown into prison. However, the deputation at this interview gained this advantage, that the item for loss of exchange was stricken off.

The next morning the Governor, with his attendants and twenty gendarme, went to the village whose deputation had been beaten and imprisoned, and pitched their tents before it, resolved not to leave the place till the taxes of the people were paid. Collisions took place; numbers of the poor villagers were beaten and wounded; one wounded man had disappeared; another was said to be killed, but this is contradicted; females were severely beaten for refusing these distinguished visitors bedding for the night. Such is Turkish administration !

Interposition by the Missionary. "Under these circumstances I addressed a note, two or three days ago, to the ex-Governor of the district, who is really, though not in name, Governor at present, and with whom I was formerly on friendly terms, complaining of the disorderly and abusive conduct of the tax-gatherers here on the last Sabbath, and begging his interference. He replied kindly, and promised to exert his influence to prevent like occurrences in future, suggesting also that I write to the Governor himself, which I did. Yesterday I received a favorable answer from the Governor, assuring me that these grievances shall be stopped at once. He also wrote a note to the gendarme, reproving them for the past, and charging them in future to conduct themselves with propriety and not collect taxes from the Christians on the Sabbath. To-day the gendarme have left the village.

"This interposition of mine has given great satisfaction to all the inhabitants of the village. But the taxes must be paid; and in the failure of some of their crops, and the almost total suspension of business, the payment of these repeated and

heavy demands of the government has become an exceedingly difficult matter.

The People reduced to Poverty. "September 20. Since writing the above, I have learned that the taxes paid by this village last year, to the general government, aside from the support of their schools, churches, and the poor, amounted to $3,200 in gold. The village consists of 300 families, all living in miserable stone and mud hovels, and with few exceptions extremely poor. When I first came to this place, nine years ago, the people were in comfortable circumstances for this country. But from various causes they are now reduced very low. I understand they are in debt, as individuals, to the amount of $20,000.

What is to become

of them I know not. Many are already thinking of fleeing from the place, -a thing which means something more here than moving to the West in America.

"I learn, also, that the village whose deputation were beaten have had remitted to them one half the recent demand of the government for taxes, - on their threatening to appeal to the Governor of the Province. Here is oppression that grinds! ”

MARASH.

(About 90 miles N. E. from Scanderoon.) LETTER FROM MR. MONTGOMERY, October 22,

1867.

Visit to Albustan. Readers will find matter to think of in the statements of this letter. Some may remember a letter from Mr. Powers, published in April 1867, respecting his journey and visit to Albustan, (75 miles north of Marash,) in storms, rain, mud, &c. Mr. Montgomery refers to that letter, and says: "He made that visit in the most disagreeable season of the year, just after the winter rains had set in. The people there had been without a preacher for several months, and were more or less demoralized. Doubtless what he saw and endured, contrasted with life in America, so fresh in his mind, -- made a very vivid impression. My own experience was very different.

The Journey. "I left here September 25, in company with Pastor Kricor of Aintab, Pastors Avedis and Murad, and lay delegates from the churches of Marash. We went by invitation of the church in Albustan to ordain Baron Sarkis as its pastor. Our journey across the grand old Taurus Mountains was truly delightful, -a real tonic to both soul and body. The way has lost something of its romance since I passed over three years ago, in company with Mr. Goss,—his last missionary labor, by reason of a new road now nearly completed, so good that, if one has strong nerves and a sure-footed horse, he can ride nearly all the way. The brethren met us about two miles out from the city, and escorted us into town Just as the sun was setting, Friday evening.

An Ordination. "The examination of the candidate, the next day, was very satisfactory, and for the sake of a large audience of Moslems and Armenians, besides Protestants, it was made very thorough, and protracted through two hours and a half. The knowledge of his faith, exhibited by the candidate, as also his humble piety and earnest devotion, were as pleasing to the council as they were wonderful to the listeners. Both Moslems and Armenians went away saying, 'These things are true and right.'

"At the Sabbath morning service, the new chapel, now just completed, was dedicated; and in the afternoon the pastor elect was duly ordained and installed over the church. An audience of more than three hundred persons, more than half of whom were Moslems and Armenians, listened to the exercises, which were more than usually solemn and affecting. It was a curious spectacle to witness, as we did while Pastor Avedis was giving the charge, white-headed old Armenians weeping like little children.

The Church-Tithes-Gratitude. "This little church now seems to be in quite a hopeful condition. The love of the brethren toward each other, and toward their new pastor, was quite marked. Most of them have adopted the system of conse

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crating a tithe of their earnings to the service of the Lord. They could hardly find words to express to me their thanks to American Christians for the blessings of the gospel brought to them.

New Chapel-Sacrifices. "Their new chapel is a neat, substantial building; and the best of it is, that they have built it almost entirely themselves. Some of them even sold clothes from their backs, and necessary, every-day copper dishes out of their houses, to help provide funds for it. You will form some idea of their pecuniary ability, when I tell you that I took some pains while there to get an inventory of the property owned within the church, and found that of the thirteen tax-payers, seven owned the houses in which they lived, houses built of sundried brick, and costing from one to three hundred dollars each. One of these men owned, besides, about eighty dollars worth of property, and a second a less amount. All were dependent upon their daily labor for the support of large families, and they usually earn from twelve to twenty cents a day. Two men - both unreliable and worldly men outside the church, are worth eight or nine hundred dollars apiece, and have aided somewhat in building the new chapel.

Parsonage wanted Liberal effort. "While I was there they came to me to consult about a house for their pastor. A suitable one could not be rented at any price, and it soon became apparent that a house must be built, costing about $400. After consultation among themselves, they astonished me by offering to furnish $200 of this amount, if I would provide the remainder, saying that whatever I furnished should remain in the house as the property of the Board, to be paid back whenever the house should be sold, or turned to other uses than that of a parsonage. I

could not promise them any thing, but after consultation with Dr. Pratt, we have concluded to lay the matter before you."

Syria Mission.

SIDON.

(20 miles south of Beirut.)

notice being given, about thirty patients came to be treated.

Girls' Seminary College. Mr. Jessup writes briefly, but mentions some facts of interest. Referring to the Female Seminary and the Protestant College at Beirut not strictly mission institutions, but of great importance in the view of the missionaries, he says: "This flourishing school [the Seminary] is more than full, so that they have rented a house adjoining the school building, a part of which is used for sleeping-rooms. The Syrian Protestant college has commenced its second year with a sophomore class of eleven and a freshman class of twelve. The freshman class will probably become much larger, though a majority of the applicants are rejected on account of insufficient preparation. The medical department of the college are taking steps for instructing their first class this winter. They have opened a dispensatory at the college building, and the first day, without any general

Interest at Bano. "At Bano, where four years ago my life was seriously threatened, and where afterwards we established a successful school, which in the course of a year the wicked bishop broke up, at that seat of the Greek bishop of Akkar, we have new items of interest, showing that the seed has not been sown there Four years ago the leading and most influential man in the village told me that nothing would delight him so much as to see all the Protestants in that region butchered before his eyes, and that he would like to drink their blood. Now, his son and son-in-law have openly declared themselves Protestants, and several others, more timid, are only waiting until they dare face the persecuting power. At Sheik Mohammed, a Greek town near Bano, the number of Protestants is increasing. One interesting case is that of a woman, who having heard the gospel from time to time, has suddenly taken a very bold stand, rejecting her old religion entirely, and going around the town daily proclaiming that Christ is the only Saviour, and exhorting every one to flee from the wrath to come. She takes persecution as a matter of course, and only tries to proclaim salvation through Christ. Many call her crazy; would that there were more like her,"

MISSIONARY WORK OF BRITISH CHRISTIANS.

MORE than a year ago, "The Church of Scotland Home and Foreign Missionary Record" published an article spoken of as 'a vidimus of the progress of missions during the past year," presenting facts gathered from reports read at the then recent meetings of different societies. The article was at once marked for use by the editor of the Missionary Herald, but he has felt obliged to put it aside from month to month, till the present time, for want

of room. The extracts now presented, re lating to Jewish and Foreign Missions, will be found of value. The statistics are from reports of 1866, but there has been no great change, in most cases, since that time.

"The Jewish Missions of Great Britain

are not very numerous. I know only of five societies which are devoted to this work. One of these, the London Society for Promoting Christianity among the Jews, raises more than all the others put