hitherto for the year, 117 in the shade, and 155 in the sun.[12] This
is the time when the dates ripen, and the most oppressive in the year;
but by the Lord's great mercy, we are all in health and strength,
though sometimes we feel a little disposed to think it is so hot, that
we may be excused from doing any thing; but my English scholars keep
me employed six hours a day, which prevents me from thinking much
about the heat, though not from feeling it. I can truly say, it is far
more tolerable than I expected, and yet there are few places on the
face of the earth hotter. The temperature of India is not near so
high; and I question, if there is any place, that for the year through
would average so high.
[12] It has _since_ been so high as 118 in the shade, and 158
in the sun.
_August 17._--The Jew has been here, and bought another Arabic Bible.
I showed him one of the Hebrew Psalters of the Jews' Society. He
greatly desired to have it; but I could not spare that; but promised
him that when mine came up from Bussorah, I would let him know.
We have this day a new Moolah, the best we could get, but not
altogether such as we could have desired.
The Jews here cannot believe that Christians know any thing of Hebrew,
and are therefore surprised to see Hebrew books with us. Oh, should
the Lord allow us to be of any use to this holy people, terrible from
their beginning hitherto alike in the favour and indignation of
Jehovah, we should esteem it a very great blessing; yet surely they
ought to have here one missionary, whose whole soul might be drawn out
towards this especial work.
From some communications with a native of Merdin, we find that the
custom of avenging murder and requiring blood for blood, exists among
the independent Chaldeans and Syrians, and keeps them in continual
warfare, where one happens to be killed by the inhabitants of another
village. The inhabitants of the village of the person killed, feel it
a necessary point of honour to revenge it.
He also mentioned, that the Yezidees were no longer so numerous as
formerly, but were greatly diminished by the plague, which happened a
few years ago, by which Diarbekr lost 10,000 of its inhabitants.
We had a visit from an Armenian, who was formerly treasurer to Sir
Gore Ouseley; while speaking about Christianity, he said, it was no
use to speak to the Armenians about it, for they all say, "How can we
know any thing about such matters, and that, except as a sect, they
are too ignorant to know or care about Christianity." They are indeed
full of the pride of heart that appertains to sectarians, and
obstinately resist the Scriptures being translated into the modern
languages, because, say they, the ancient language was spoken in
Paradise, and will be the language of heaven, and that, therefore,
translating the sacred book into that which is modern, is a
desecration. How wonderfully does Satan blind men, and how by one
contrivance or another does he endeavour to keep God's word from them,
as a real intelligible book, which the Spirit of God makes plain, even
to the most unlettered; but the more we discover him endeavouring to
pervert God's word from becoming intelligible, the more we should
strive to let every soul have the testimony of God concerning his
life in Christ, in a language he understands. In this point of view I
look to the schools with comfort.
_August 19._--Things here seem most unsettled, and require us to live
in very simple faith as to what a day may bring forth. It is stated,
that between 20 and 30,000 Arabs are close to the gates of the city.
The Pasha has an army about 24 miles from hence; but unable to move,
except all together, and there is another regiment under an English
officer about 12 miles distant. The deposition of this Pasha seems to
be the principal object of these Arabs, in which it is not impossible
that they may be fully supported by the Porte. What will be the result
of all this we are not careful to know, for we are not to fear their
face, nor to be afraid, but the Lord will be to us a hiding place from
the storm, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against a
wall.
A caravan has just come across the desert from Aleppo, with a guard of
500 men, consisting of 300 camels. Letters brought by a Tartar from
Constantinople have all been detained by the Pasha, except a few on
mercantile concerns which have been delivered. So many packets sent by
Constantinople have been in one way or another detained, that I have
no other hope of letters than what my most gracious Lord's approved
love gives me; all which he really desires me to have I shall receive,
and more I would desire not to wish for.
We have just heard, that Major T----'s brother, and the gentlemen who
left Mousul were pursued by 500 Arabs; but all escaped except a horse
of the Capidji,[13] an officer of the Sultan's, which was laden with
money, collected by his master for the government at Constantinople;
he could not go fast enough, so he fell into the hands of the Arabs.
[13] A Capidji Bashi is a messenger of the Porte, to collect
money, or bear especial messages of any sort.
The Roman Catholic bishop has received accounts that Algiers is taken
by the French, and also some forts in its neighbourhood. Aleppo is
quiet, though the Arabs are in the neighbourhood.
Our new Moolah has expressed his surprise at the contents of the New
Testament, and wonders how Mohammedans can speak against it as they
do. He intends coming to our Armenian schoolmaster on Sundays to read
it with him; may the Lord most graciously send down his Spirit upon
them, that the one who undertakes to teach what he does not know, may,
by discovering his ignorance, be led to the fountain of all wisdom;
and may the other learn to love him whose holy, heavenly, and divine
name he has blasphemed.
The cholera is much about, but the Lord preserves us all safe.
The Pasha has made up his differences with the Arab tribe, and all the
troops have returned, except those under Mr. Littlejohn, which still
remain out for fear of an attack before all the harvest is thrashed
and brought in.
There are symptoms of great fear on the part of the Pasha, that a
struggle is actually going on among those around him for superseding
him in his Pashalic, in which they have apparently much probability of
success, as the Porte has been greatly injured by his unwillingness to
meet her necessities and afford her pecuniary help. Our security,
however, is in this, that amidst all, the Lord knoweth them that are
his, and will defend them amidst all turmoils and in the most
troublous times--in this we find peace and quietness.
The poor men who came to endeavour to obtain from the Pasha here the
re-institution of the Syrian patriarch in those churches in Merdin,
from which he had been ejected by the Roman Catholic bishop, are now
returning without success, but carrying back with them two boxes of
Arabic and Syrian New Testaments to the Patriarch. May the Lord water
them by his most Holy Spirit, so that they may become the ground of
living churches, instead of those of stone which they have lost.
I have been much surprised to learn that all the Arab tribes on these
rivers, except the Montefeiks, are Sheahs or followers of Ali, whom I
had formerly thought followers of Omar.
I have already mentioned, that on leaving Mousul, Mr. Taylor's party
were attacked and obliged to return to Telaafer,[14] a village between
Mousul and Merdin, whence, after having waited for a stronger escort,
they proceeded towards Merdin, when the event related in the following
letter took place; but the supposed death of the three gentlemen was
unfounded. They were only made prisoners and carried to the mountains
of Sinjar, among the Yezidees. These people are declared enemies of
the Mohammedans, whom they hate; but, on the whole, except when their
cupidity is excited, they are not unfriendly towards Christians. They
seem, with the Sabeans and some others, such as the Druzes, to be
descendants of the believers in the two principles who have blown
their pestiferous breath at different times into every system of
religion that has prevailed in these countries, corrupting all.
However, these Yezidees, be they originally what they may, have now
these three gentlemen in custody, and require 7,500 piastres of this
place--about L75, for their liberation, and Major T. has sent a person
from hence to treat about it.
[14] All this was wrong; they were treacherously robbed and
murdered, Mr. Jas. Taylor, Mr. Aspinal, a merchant of Bombay, and Mr.
Bawater, formerly, I think, in the marines.
"My dear Sir,
"It is, I can assure you, with a sincere and melancholy regret
at the dreadful, I may say horrible and awful event that I have
so lately witnessed, that I sit down now to address a few lines
to you. I feel quite unable to give you an entire relation of
our misfortunes, and shall content myself with saying, that out
of seven as happy people as could well exist on our departure
from Mousul, three only have returned. To one so well able to
look for consolation, where, I may say, in such an event
consolation is alone to be found, fortitude and patience in
suffering might well be found. I myself have not attained this,
and I may say this event has plunged me in the deepest
melancholy. For a relation of facts, I must refer you to
Captain Cockrell's letter to Major Taylor: we were attacked and
compelled to fly, and in the confusion, Mr. Taylor, his
servant, Mr. Bywater, and our companion, Mr. Aspinal, were
murdered. We, that is Captain Cockrell, Mr. Elliot, and myself
escaped, though I was, I believe, especially fired at, as on
descending the hill four or five whistled close past me. That
we were betrayed, and moreover, our companions assassinated by
our own party, no doubt exists in my mind. All that were killed
out of 500 people that were with us were these four. They
again, out of all, happened to be the only ones among us who
carried money. We have done every thing in our power to recover
their bodies but without effect: on our return to Telaafer,
after having been twenty-six hours on horseback in the desert,
we wrote a note, in the hope that they might be prisoners at
Sinjar, and offered 4,000 piastres for them if they were
brought in safe. The Kapidgi Bashi left for Merdin before we
could hear of our messenger; he returned after three days, and
said he had seen their clothes and pistols, and that they were
all murdered. Mr. Taylor he mentioned as having been run
through the body with a spear. This was one out of many reports
of a similar nature, and we were fain to give them up for dead.
(They could not possibly have been alive had they escaped, as
there was no water within twenty-four hours.) All our things
were pillaged. I lost all my papers, including your letters,
and all that was left were a few pairs of white trowsers. This
was most assuredly done by our own party; even our own baggage
man, before my eyes, almost laid hold of my turban and pistol,
which I had laid upon the ground, and on my laying hold on him,
actually drew his dagger. I never witnessed such villany in my
life. All our guards were laughing, as if nothing had occurred;
and, although I may be wrong, yet I do venture it as my
opinion, that there were no thieves at all, but that it was
treachery altogether. You will be surprised to hear that
Captain Cockrell and myself start to-morrow on the same road
as before. I trust in God alone for protection, as we have no
guards at all. If I ever reach Exeter I shall not fail to call
on Miss Groves; but after what has happened who can say, "He
shall do this."
"We take no baggage of any description, being fully aware of
the danger and impracticability of so doing; so that if we are
again attacked, we shall be able to gallop for our lives. Now,
adieu, my dear Sir. I will write from Constantinople if I
reach it; in the mean time excuse this hurried scrawl, and
believe me, ever
"Yours very sincerely,
"W. HULL."
"_Mr. A. N. Groves._"
In consequence of the receipt of this intelligence, Major T. sent off
Aga Menas to Mousul, to treat about the liberation of the captives,
and we are anxiously waiting the result.
My dear brother Pfander and myself having come to the conclusion, that
with so large a school, and so many objects of one kind and the other
as there are here requiring attention, it would be impossible for me
to leave this and go with him into the mountains; this led to the
further determination on his part to return to Shushee next year,
having first spent a few months at Ispahan, to complete his knowledge
of Persian; and I of course was prepared to be left quite alone, but
still my heart was fully sustained with the confident hope that the
Lord would not only do what was right, but exceedingly abundant above
all I could ask. On all sides nothing but silence prevailed:--three
packets of letters had been lost between Constantinople and this, and
one between Tabreez and this, and all the letters from India had been
detained, by the Arabs on the river being at war with the Pasha for
four or five months. Therefore I knew nothing of the movements of any
of my dear friends, and all was left to conjecture; sometimes, when
faith was in full exercise, I felt assured that the Lord was doing all
well; at others, I hardly knew what to think. I had written to my very
dear friends in Petersburgh, Dr. W. and Miss K. to come if possible
and as soon as possible; but their having left Petersburgh doubtless
prevented their receiving my letter. From my dear friends in England I
heard little; from Ireland not a word. Things were in this state, when
suddenly there came in three Tartars bringing us three packets, so
full of Christian love, sympathy, and such good tidings, that it
almost overcame our hearts, weak from long abstinence from similar
entertainment, and even on this day, the third from their arrival,
they fill my heart till it runs over. To hear and see that those one
most loves, are indeed joying and rejoicing in their holy, most holy
relation to God in Christ,--the relationship of sons and daughters, to
see them anxious to walk blameless in all the ordinances their Lord
has left them, while they glory in being free from the law of
condemnation, and desire to know no freedom from the law of loving
obedience: moreover, to see them becoming more and more sensible to
the great truth that inestimable as knowledge is, it is what devils
may share, but that the love of Jesus, and a tenderness of conscience
as to his will, is infinitely higher than that, and that therefore his
high command to the members of his church to love one another as he
loves them, can never be slighted by them:--oh, to see this it does
indeed rejoice my heart, and I pray among us all that it may abound
more and more, particularly among us who have been so graciously and
so kindly led into all the holy freedom of the Gospel. Let us see we
use it not as a cloak of maliciousness, but as the servants of Christ,
loving and serving one another, not returning evil for evil, or
reviling for reviling, but contrariwise blessing. The path God's
children have to take when they are determined in the name of the Lord
not to give the name of God's truth to any thing merely human, knowing
that it is a vain thing to teach for doctrines the commandments of
men, is so naturally offensive, that our zeal for the truth should
lead us to pray for such especial graces of the Spirit as may prevent
any unloveliness in our walk, preventing the Lord's dear children from
coming, and seeing, and drinking of that well-spring in Christ by
which we have been so refreshed and invigorated. Whilst we profess,
my very dear friends, absolute freedom from man's control in the
things relating to God, we only acknowledge in a tenfold degree the
absoluteness of our subjection to the whole mind and will of Christ in
all things. As he is our _life_ hid with him in God, so let him be our
_way_ and our _truth_, both in doctrine and conversation. How many,
from neglect of this lovely union, have almost forgotten to care about
adorning the doctrine of God their Saviour in all things. Let us, my
dear brethren and sisters, pray that we may be united in all the will
of Christ. This is a basis not for time only but for eternity, and for
that glorious day especially, when the Lord shall come to be glorified
in all his saints, and admired in all them that believe. But not only
did my packets bring me joyful tidings of the Lord's doings among
those whom I especially know and love, but they also brought me
intelligence that he had prepared for me help from among those who had
been known and approved, and whom I especially loved. How I felt
reproved for every doubt; and indeed the Lord so fully has let his
goodness pass before me, that I am overwhelmed, and feel I can only
lay my hand upon my mouth, and whilst overwhelmed with my own vileness
and unworthiness of the least of all my most gracious Lord's loving
kindnesses to me, yet glory in that dispensation of grace which
ministers to us, not according to our deserts, but the unbought,
unbounded love of God. My letters tell me that my very dear brethren
and friends, Mr. P., Mr. C., his sister, and mother, and little babe,
and Mr. N., are coming to join us, with possibly a fourth. Now this
does seem altogether wonderful, and whilst not at all more than I
ought to have expected, yet more than I had faith to expect. Yet while
I have nothing to say for myself, I desire to say all for God: it is
like him, all whose ways are wonderful, and, towards his church, full
of mercy, goodness, and truth. Oh, how happy shall we be to await the
Lord's coming on the banks of these rivers, which have been the scene
of all the sacred history of the old church of God, and destined
still, I believe, to be the scene of doings of yet future and deeper
interest at the coming of the Lord; and whilst I should not hesitate
to go to the furthest corner of the habitable earth, were my dear Lord
to send me, yet I feel much pleasure in having my post appointed here,
though the most unsettled and insecure country beneath the sun
perhaps. In every direction, without are lawless robbers, and within
unprincipled extortioners; but it is in the midst of these, that the
Almighty arm of our Father delights to display his preserving mercy,
and while the flesh would shrink, the spirit desires to wing its way
to the very foremost ranks of danger in the battles of the Lord. Oh
that we may more and more press on this sluggish, timid, earthly
constitution, that is always wanting its native ease among the
delights of an earthly happiness. Oh, may my very loving, zealous
brethren, stir up my timid, languid spirit to the mild yet
life-renouncing love of my dear Lord, which, whilst it was silent,
was as strong, yea, stronger than death.
My dear friend and brother P---- and his wife have been baptized too;
to see this conformity to Christ's mind, is very delightful; and how
wonderful, too;--so strong a current of prejudice is there against
this simple, intelligible, and blessed ordinance. I learn also, that
he and my dear friend the A----[15] are preaching the everlasting
Gospel themselves, and with some others of those we love, employing
others to preach it. This also is good news.
[15] They have 3,362 congregations, whereas the most numerous
body besides has but 1,946. See _Miss. Register._
_September 10._--No accounts have been received from Sinjar regarding
our travellers. I fear this is ominous, for if ransom is what the
Yezidees want, would they not have contrived to forward some notice to
Bagdad? however, a few days will most likely disclose the truth, as on
the 8th Meenas reached Mousul.
We have just heard that the Nabob of Lucknow's brother, on his return
from a pilgrimage to Mished, was taken prisoner with the whole caravan
by the Turcomans. This amiable Mohammedan came from India on a round
of pilgrimages. He has visited Mecca and Kerbala, and was now
returning again to this place on his way home to Lucknow, after which
he purposed returning again, and going through Persia, Russia,
Germany, &c. to England. He was robbed once before between this and
Aleppo.
The Pasha has just sent to the Factory to say, that the cholera has
extended its ravages to Kerkook, and to ask for advice, and what is to
be done should it reach this place with its epidemic violence. Mr.
M---- is going therefore to write directions, and Major T---- will get
them translated into Arabic, for the use of the people here. Blessed
be the Lord's holy name, our charter runs, that in the pestilence,
"though ten thousand fall at thy right hand, it shall not come nigh
thee;" on this, therefore, we repose our hearts. The Pasha seems
perplexed to know, in the event of its reaching Bagdad, where he shall
go with his family for safety. It is certainly an awful thing to look
at Tabreez, where they say, that 8,000 or 9,000 have died out of
60,000; and two years ago at Bussorah, 1,500 out of 6,000, so that the
houses were left desolate, and the boats were floating up and down the
creek without owners, and when persons died in a house, the rest went
away, and left the bodies there locked up. But we have in our
dwellings a light in these days that they know nothing of, who know
not our God either in his power or his love, so that the heart is
enabled to cast all, even the dearest to it, on the exceeding
abundance of his mercy.
_September 10._--I fear the intelligence we have just received of
poor Mr. J. Taylor, Mr. Bywater, and Mr. Aspinal, and the Maltese
servant, leaves us little room to hope but that they have all been
treacherously murdered. Our Moolah tells us, he received a letter from
a friend of his at Merdin, stating, that they were murdered--not by
the Yezidees at all, but by the party of Arabs sent by the Pasha of
Mousul to protect them, in conjunction with a party from Telaafer, an
Arab village, where they spent a night. It appears, that when the
attack was made, Mr. Elliot, Captain Cockrell, and Mr. Hull galloped
off after being stripped; but Mr. Taylor, Mr. Aspinal, and Mr. Bywater
got entangled among these robbers, and Mr. A. shot one of the Arabs
with his pistol; and afterwards Mr. B. shot another. It then became
with these lawless plunderers, no longer a matter of simple robbery,
but of revenge and death. They killed these two young men, and then
pulling Mr. Taylor from his horse, killed him. I confess, when I saw
them mounting their horses, strongly covered with offensive weapons of
warfare, I felt very little comfort about them, for, if they were
attacked, it would only be with an overwhelming force, or they would
be given up in treachery, in both which cases almost all the danger
arises from resistance. Those wretched plunderers seek not life, but
booty; this quietly yielded, you may go; but if you use the sword, you
perish by the sword. If you carry money, or any thing valuable, you
are exposed to be stripped, and if you go armed, to be killed. About
three years ago, the French interpreter was going the very same route,
and near Telaafer he was attacked, and stripped; but they let him go
free. The fate of these gentlemen has greatly affected us all. A delay
must now take place in the steamboat communication, for it is not
probable that this route can ever be so disregarded, but that some
effort, sooner or later, will be made. Let our impatient hearts hush
their murmurings; it is the work of a loving Father, who declares to
his children, that all things shall work together for their good; yea,
the disappointment of present hopes shall, by heavenly patience, yield
the peaceable fruits of righteousness to those who are exercised
thereby.
_September 14._--We have just heard, that an order has been given out
in one of the mosques, that the Mohammedans shall receive no printed
books. Whether this watchfulness is the result of Mr. Pfander having
employed a man, a Jew, to sell Bibles, Testaments, and Psalters, or
whether, at the suggestion from the R---- C---- B----, I know not. How
near the principles are of the beast and the false prophet--how easily
they harmonize and help each other!
We have lately heard some interesting details of the numbers of the
Jews in the places north-east of Persia. A Jew who has travelled in
these countries states, that there are,
_In._ _Language spoken._ _Families._