In 1850 Rev. and Mrs. Dunmore were appointed missionaries to the city
of Diarbekr, which had been previously visited by Dr. Grant and others.
This city, known in classic history as Amida, is an ancient walled town
upon the Tigris river located at the northern extremity of Mesopotamia.
It was nearly a year before they reached their destination, having
stopped for a time in Aintab and Urfa to study the Turkish language.
The city was hot with persecution when they arrived, so that repeatedly
the life of Mr. Dunmore was in peril. He was openly refused protection
by Turkish officials and so became the common prey of all who were
opposed to the hated Protestants. Mr. Dunmore was bold but tactful,
and succeeded finally in gaining a foothold in the city, although
dire persecution was meted out to those who identified themselves
with him. After the work had become fairly well established there, he
began explorations into the populous, prosperous, and little known
regions lying to the north. He went as far as Erzerum, visiting Mardin,
Arghuni, Haine, Harpoot, Arabkir and many other towns of importance—in
fact including in his tours nearly every city of influence in all those
extensive regions.
Near the close of 1852 he was at Harpoot, and wrote most
enthusiastically of the character of the Armenians he met there,
and also of the strategic location of the city. He says: “The city
overlooks a vast, rich plain studded with three hundred and sixty-six
villages, of from one hundred to five thousand inhabitants each,
nearly all Armenians, and all within a few hours’ ride of the city.
It presents, therefore, the richest country and the most inviting
and promising missionary field I have seen in Turkey.” He went on at
length to describe the people, the climate, the accessibility of the
vast populations on all sides. He urgently pleaded for missionaries to
occupy the city. He not only reported upon that city, but upon many
other places from twenty-five to one hundred and fifty miles away, all
in the same general Euphrates river basin, presenting such a glowing
account of it all that within two years two new missionary families
were on their way to occupy the field. It is an interesting fact
that every large place visited by Mr. Dunmore became, not many years
later, either the residence of missionaries or a center of Christian
operations under trained native workers.
Mr. Dunmore’s gentle firmness and absolute fearlessness made a profound
impression upon all whom he met. He did much to prepare the minds and
hearts of the people for the coming of those who followed him; as,
for instance, after enduring stonings and revilings and open threats
of assassination at Diarbekr, he went boldly to the Turkish governor
with a complaint against a wealthy Moslem who had greatly wronged him.
The governor gave little heed, and at once exonerated the Moslem. Mr.
Dunmore announced his purpose to appeal to the British Embassy at
Constantinople, even to make the journey in person, in order to secure
justice. The governor, after some deliberation, reversed his decision
and put the Moslem in prison for two days. When he was released he
called upon the missionary, begged his pardon, and announced his
personal friendship. A little later, another Turk threatened Mr.
Dunmore’s life and was put in jail for it. This seemed to be what was
required in order to give the cause standing before the community, for
the attitude of the Turks changed at once, and many began to inquire
about the truth which the missionaries were teaching.
Wherever Mr. Dunmore went, as was also the case with Dr. Grant, the way
was remarkably prepared for the missionaries who were to follow them.
These men opened all Eastern Turkey to its first knowledge of Americans
and for the residence of missionaries.
In the early missionary explorations no attention was given to
Arabia. At that time there seems to have been little thought about
the conversion of the Mohammedans, and even had there been, the other
parts of the Turkish empire afforded a sufficient number upon which to
begin. Arabia seems to have been considered a remote and unknown land
to which no missionary turned his tours of investigation and to which
no committee at home commissioned one to preach. Arabia was indeed a
remote country before the Suez Canal was opened and when Bombay was
reached by sailing-vessels going around the south of Africa. Of the
country itself little was known, and for the most part it has never
come under the full control of the sultan of Turkey or of any other
country. Of the six million inhabitants of Arabia not more than one
million two hundred thousand are confessedly subjects of the sultan.
While he lays claim to the whole country he has not been able, up to
the present time, wholly to make his claims good.
In Hejaz and Yemen, regions under the sultan, no Christian is permitted
to reside or travel, and in the rest of the country the ruling emirs
or imams readily inflict the death penalty upon Moslems for departure
from the faith. Long after the English took control of Aden, at the
extreme southwestern part of the peninsula, a mission was opened there
which is called the Keith-Falconer mission, and which is now carried
on by the United Free Church of Scotland. In 1889 an independent
inter-denominational mission was opened upon the western shore of the
Persian Gulf. Members of this mission have penetrated into the interior
of the country and have given to the world much valuable information
regarding this land of mystery and its inhabitants of ancient name and
fame. This mission was adopted by the Board of the Reformed (Dutch)
Church of America in 1894.
It is remarkable that this cradle of Islam, lying so close to the
great highway between the West and the far East, should still remain
practically untouched by modern education and the fundamental truths of
Christianity. It cannot long maintain its barriers against the onrush
of modern thought and life.