Bokhaura Turkish and Persian 5,000
Mished Turkish and Persian 10,000
Heerat Turkish and Persian 8,000
Caubul {Pashtoo, but Persian} 300
Bulkh-(Caubul) { generally understood} 300
There are also in the villages about some Jews, from 20 to 100
families. Their knowledge of the Hebrew is very confined; very few
understand it at all; they have also very little knowledge of the
Talmud. We hope from time to time to collect more particulars to
correct, confirm, or cancel these, and all other accounts of a similar
nature, for in these countries it is not one account that can stand,
and when confronted by 50 more, it can still be only considered as an
approximation to truth.
_September 16._--Our long expected packet by Shushee and Tabreez has
just arrived. The messenger, on reaching Kourdistan, found it in such
a state of danger and confusion, that he was afraid to proceed, but
went back again, and came by a longer but more quiet way. Another
cause of delay seems to have been their going to India, and back
again to Tabreez. The information contained in this packet is most
interesting. From Petersburgh we heard from several friends, all
encouraging, comforting, and rejoicing us. The Lord seems to give
them courage still to persevere; and dear sister ---- intends,
after recruiting a little in England, to return again to her work
there. I feel satisfied it is a most interesting field, and that ere
long in Russia some tremendous changes will take place. The poor are
anxious for the word of God, and the nobility despising the hierarchy,
and, therefore, that blind priestly domination under which it has
groaned, will finally fall to pieces; infidelity will take openly its
side, and the Lord's saints theirs.
Dear Mr. K---- tells us, that some dear American brother, by name
Lewis, has sent him money to procure for his family a house in the
country during the few months of a Russian summer. How loving and
bountiful a Lord ours is, supplying his most affectionate and waiting
servant with all he needs; it makes every little bounty so sweet when
it comes from a Father through one of his vessels of mercy. Oh, who
would not live a life of faith in preference to one of daily, hourly
satiety--I mean as to earthly things; how very many instances of
happiness should we have been deprived of, had we not trusted to, and
left it to his love to fill us with good things as he pleased, and to
spread our table as he has done, year after year, and will do, even
here in this wilderness.
From Shushee we have also heard, that our dear brother Z---- and an
Armenian had been travelling and selling Bibles and Testaments. They
went first to Teflis; from thence to Erzeroum, Erivan, Ech-Miazin, and
back again to Shushee. What success he had in selling Bibles and
Testaments we do not know, but at Erzeroum, he was accused by the
Mohammedans before the Russian authorities, but let go. He returned
home in safety under the hand of the Lord. There is also in the
letters of our brethren most pleasing accounts of a young Armenian,
the son-in-law of the richest Armenian merchant in Baku, supposed to
be worth half a million. This young man, at a visit of Z---- and
P----, was much interested by their conversation about the New
Testament, and they went away, leaving him an interesting inquirer.
He, however, still pursued his way alone, and attained a perfect
understanding of the Armenian Testament, which at first he was able to
read but indifferently. He then felt himself unable to proceed in
mercantile transactions as before; so that his father-in-law told him,
that much as he regretted separating from him, if he became so pious,
they must part. Well, he said, he could not give up his convictions,
and he was sure his Lord would not allow him to want; so he left his
father-in-law, and learnt the trade of a taylor. From the very first
he began to teach his wife, and she takes part with him; and he is now
selling Bibles and Testaments, and circulating tracts among the
Russian soldiers. This is a sight indeed! for centuries perhaps they
have not seen one of their own body rising up, and choosing to suffer
affliction with the people of God, rather than enjoy the pleasures of
sin for a season; and the sight is as strange to Mohammedans as to
Christians. May the Lord sustain, comfort, and bless him out of his
heavenly treasures.
From Tabreez our tidings are heavy, or rather would be, but that the
Lord of love directs and orders all, and sees the end from the
beginning, yet they have also good tidings too. I have already
mentioned, that the cholera had been raging at Tabreez; but we learn,
that not only this, but the plague is there also, to a most frightful
extent. I will just copy here the account our dear sister
Mrs. ---- has given us; and for whose safety we desire to bless
the Lord; she says,
"Before this reaches you, you may have heard of the sorrow and
desolation that have befallen this city within these last two
months. Thousands around us have been cut off by the cholera
and the plague. The former raged so furiously for the first
month, that 2 or 300 died daily. Symptoms of the plague first
were discovered in the ark among the Russian soldiers, which
manifested itself by breaking out over the body in large boils;
the person attacked, feeling himself overcome by stupor; many
died before it was thought what it was; precautions were taken,
and they were sent out to camp at some distance from the town.
The disorder has not raged among them so much as it has in the
town. I cannot tell you how great the fear was that was struck
into the minds of the people. Many were taken ill through fear,
of which they died. Previous to the city being quite deserted,
men, women, children, of all denominations, collected
themselves together in large bodies, crying and beseeching God
to turn away his judgments from them: this they did bareheaded
and without shoes, humbling themselves, they said, because they
knew they were great sinners. The air resounded with their
cries day and night, particularly the latter, and often during
the whole of it. Oh, did they but know the truth as it is in
Jesus. At length all classes fled to the mountains, leaving the
town quite deserted. Alexander told me, on his return one day
from the city, that he had not met a person. All the shops in
the bazaar were forsaken, so that from this you may derive some
idea of the terror that has possessed this people."
Mrs. ---- also tells us, that the establishment at Tabreez is
going to be much reduced, and that therefore Mr. N---- is ordered back
to India. This has tried them much, for they were just expecting two
American missionaries, a Mr. Dwight and a Mr. Smith, with whom they
were hoping to have acted happily for their common Lord. But the
Lord's ways are not our ways, nor his thoughts our thoughts, so these
things happen otherwise than we expected. However, wherever they go,
may they be blessed, and a blessing. They purpose coming here on their
way, which affords us much pleasure at the prospect of seeing them
again. However, we are greatly rejoiced to think, that brethren from
America have designed Tabreez for their station. Now between Shushee,
Tabreez, and this place we have a little frontier line. Oh, may there
be daily new ambassadors of mercy publishing the testimony of Jesus in
all the world. Oh, that the end may quickly come.
Our Moolah is dreadfully depressed to-day, at the prospect of the
cholera and plague coming here, and he said to me, he thought the end
of the world must be near, because of these wars, pestilences, and
plagues.
We have also heard that we shall most likely be obliged to leave this
house after the year has expired; for the Sheahs have been complaining
to the Seyd,[16] the owner of it, for letting it to the infidels for
such a purpose. But we are not careful about these things; it will be
as the Lord wills.
[16] Descendant of the Prophet.
Nothing can show the stupid carelessness of these people more, than
that, although they are frightened out of their reason almost at the
prospect of the plague and cholera, yet they have actually allowed a
whole caravan from Tabreez to come into the city without quarantine,
or any kind of precaution.
Oh, how joyful the promises in the Revelations are for "those written
in the Lamb's book of life," for "those who have not the mark of the
beast on them," for those who are to be sealed before the angels are
allowed to hurt the earth. Yea, he will for his great name's sake hide
us in the secret of his pavilion, so that he will put a song into our
mouths; yea, he will encompass us with songs of deliverance. We feel
that it now indeed especially becomes us neither to fear their fear
nor be afraid.
_Sept._--The weather is now become decidedly cooler. A fortnight
since the average height of the thermometer in the shade, during the
warmest part of the day, was 117; it is now lowered to 110. During the
hottest time of the year, which is now just over, the quicksilver was
rarely lower than 110, or higher than 118 in the shade, except in the
morning, when the general range was from 87 to 93.
The Seyd who has let us his house, and who we had heard intended to
turn us out after the year was expired, has got into trouble with the
Pasha, about some ground he rented, and for which he was to pay the
Pasha a certain quantity of corn; but he says, what from the locusts,
and the rain not coming at the usual time, and when it did come,
coming in such unusual quantities, he lost his crop. He has now come
begging us to take his case to Major T., to beg him to endeavour to
settle it with the Musruff. Thus the Lord has brought him into
difficulties, that if he were disposed to turn us out he would not be
able this year. But he denies altogether having said any thing about
turning us out, and it is not improbable that it is as he says; his
family which is a large one, and once were opulent, feel it a great
disgrace to let out the house of one of the descendants of the prophet
to a Christian, and more especially as one of the rooms is over the
street under which the Mohammedans have to walk, and this most
especially offends them; but that we might not give them any
unnecessary offence we have never occupied the room, though the
most airy one we have.
A Jew of Yezd has been with us, and told us that there are 300
families of Jews in that city, and the same number at Ispahan.
_Sept. 24._--A caravan has just arrived from Constantinople, by way of
Aleppo. We have also heard that one caravan from Damascus has been
plundered, and another from Kerkook: and a messenger likewise who came
from Captain Campbell, from Tabreez, was also stopped, but having
nothing besides letters, was suffered to pass. I note these events
down merely that they may afford a little criterion of the unsettled
state of the whole of the interior of this immense continent. In fact,
the Lord is, amidst these commotions, preparing a way for his
testimony to spread.
The cholera, by the Lord's blessing, is decreasing, but it is reported
that at Kerkook the mortality went as high as 100 a day; it has now,
however, ceased.
_Sept. 27._--The intelligence has been confirmed of the death of Mr.
Taylor, Mr. Aspinal, and Mr. Bywater, as well as of a Maltese servant,
and that the principal perpetrators were the Sheikh of Telaafer, in
conjunction with a Sheikh of the Yezidees, who were with the caravan
at the time.
The Nawaub mentioned before, has been delivered by the Prince of
Teheran sending an army into Khorassan, and with him all the caravan.
_Sept. 29._--Meenas has just been here, and the only particulars he
has given of the unfortunate travellers, in addition to that which we
knew before is, that Mr. Aspinal made his escape with the others, but
hearing a cry from Mr. Taylor and Mr. Bywater, he returned, and
finding them surrounded by about fifty men, he drew his pistol and
shot one man through the arm. This made them retire for a moment, but
they advanced again: he then drew another pistol, and shot the Sheikh
of the Yezidees, by name Bella. His son then rushed on them with the
rest, and killed them all, and with them six other Christians--two on
a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, and the others on mercantile business. The
booty they then divided, half to the people of Telaafer, who were the
guards of the murdered party, and the other half the Yezidees kept.
The Yezidees do not appear at all to have wished to kill them, knowing
their relation to the Resident here, from whom they hoped to get a
handsome ransom. Perhaps no two events could more powerfully manifest
the weakness of the Ottoman empire internally than this event which
has happened to Mr. Taylor, and the pillage of a caravan going to
Mousul, which was stripped of every thing but two boxes of books,
which Mr. Pfander had sent; these they left as being too heavy, and
they are now safe at Mousul. This caravan was stripped by persons
nominally the subjects of the Pasha within two days journey of Bagdad,
and the property divided with the most perfect impunity without any
attempt at recovery. These gentlemen were robbed and killed by persons
of a village subject to the Pasha of Mousul; and he has not the least
prospect of bringing them to punishment.
When Meenas gave the Syrians in Mousul an account of our school here,
they were so much interested, that all their principal persons have
written a letter to invite us to come there and establish schools
among them, and also to desire that we should send to them some Arabic
Testaments and Psalms. All this is most encouraging, and I plainly
see, that were there twenty servants of Christ, faithful men, who
would be content to work for the Lord in every way, there might soon
be found abundant work for them. Mousul seems especially open to
Christian influence. Many of those immediately connected with the
Pasha are Christians, and many even among the Mohammedans have still
Christian recollections. The letter from Mousul, Meenas tells us, will
come in about three days; if so, Mr. Pfander proposes sending back a
present of Arabic Testaments and Psalms, with the expression of our
hope that the Lord may strengthen our hands, as he has made willing
our hearts, to extend our labours unto them. Major T. often asks me if
I think any missionary mechanics may still come out. The Lord does so
much and so wonderfully, that I can almost hope this, notwithstanding
the host of prejudices to be first surmounted.
Marteroos, the schoolmaster, who we hear is on his way from Sheeraz,
will, I trust, be a great comfort to us, and a help to the school. He
taught two years in the school at Calcutta, and though solicited,
would receive no salary; and also at Bushire. This is a trait of
character so utterly unlike these countries, that we cannot but hope
he will enter into our plans with a heartiness that we can expect few
others would. From his understanding English, we hope he may be able
to take not only the higher Armenian classes, but also to have time to
translate such books as we need for the use of the school, and also
little tracts for circulation.
The Musruff, (or treasurer) of the Pasha told Major T. that they had
begun the canal between the Tigris and Euphrates. This shews the Pasha
is still anxious about the steam communication.
Our Mohammedan Moolah still continues to read the New Testament, with
the Armenian schoolmaster, who seems very sanguine that he will become
a Christian. At all events, I bless God that he sees the record of God
with his own eyes, so that if he now rejects the testimony, it will be
God's that he rejects, and not the solemn mockery of Christ's most
simple and most holy truth, which they have before seen.
We were much delighted to find that those of the little boys who had
been exercised in translating their own language into the vulgar, had
retained such a clear knowledge of it, that though they were called
upon quite unexpectedly, they understood it; whereas the bigger boys,
who come to me for English, and the Moolah for Arabic, and who are
considered to have finished the Armenian education, were not able to
translate one word, at which they were not a little ashamed, though
the fault was not theirs, but the plan of education. We are greatly
encouraged by this, and led to hope, with the Lord's blessing we shall
see, instead of a system of education, which after immense labour,
terminates in nothing but _sound_ without _sense_ or instruction, a
system that will at least bring God's word before them in a form
intelligible and clear; yea, the very truth that God's Spirit has
promised to bless, and which He has declared shall not return unto him
void. Our schoolmaster fully enters into these plans for improvement,
and really desires to do whatever we wish. Our Arabic Moolah also
enters much into our wishes, and the boys are making double the
progress they did under the old system. This is all of the Lord; and
in fact, when I think of the doubts expressed before we commenced of
our being allowed to work at all, and consider the quietness and peace
the Lord has allowed us to enjoy in the prosecution of our work, I
desire more entirely to cast my whole soul, with all its purposes and
plans on the Lord, not to move but as he guides.
The two great objects of the church in the latter days seem to me to
be, independent of growing herself up into the stature of fulness in
Christ, the publication of the testimony of Jesus in all lands, and
the calling out of the sheep of Christ that may be imprisoned in all
the Babylonish systems that are in the world. In both these may the
Lord of his infinite mercy grant success. Oh, how consoling it is,
under an overwhelming sense of powerless inefficiency, to one's work,
to know that God has chosen to put the most precious gift in earthen
vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of
man, so that we may glory in our very weakness and ignorance, and
natural insufficiency, knowing that the Lord's strength is made
perfect in this very weakness. Dear and blessed Lord, make us every
one willing to be nothing, that thou mayest in all things be
glorified.
_Oct. 2._--I have just seen a sight that interests me much; the
Mohammedan Moolah sitting at one window of the school reading the
Arabic New Testament, and the Armenian vartabiet (or schoolmaster)
sitting at a table explaining to the son of the priest of this place
the New Testament. This young man is just going to Ispahan to be
ordained. This certainly is something gained, that the word of eternal
truth is brought before them.
In speaking yesterday to my Moolah about the fortress which the Sultan
has ordered to be built between Damascus and Aleppo, to keep the road
safe for caravans, and which is nearly finished, he told me that the
Sultan had promised the European Sultans that he would govern and
regulate his country like theirs; thus the minds of these people seem
preparing step by step for changes.
I have heard, that after we left Petersburgh, some of those, from
whom we had experienced peculiar kindness, had become very active
in visiting the poor in the neighbourhood of that city, and in
circulating tracts and the Scriptures, till at last they attracted the
notice of the governors of one of these villages, who arrested and
examined them. Dr. W. was ordered to leave St. Petersburgh in
twenty-four hours, and the Russian dominions in three weeks. Dear
young Mr. ----, being an officer, was put into confinement,
and ----, whose mother has often visited Africa, has since left
her charge, and is returned to England for her health, but hopes with
increased prospects of usefulness, to return to her former sphere of
labour. They felt the cause of God had gained ground during their
trials, and that their own souls had greatly rejoiced in the Lord.
_Oct. 7._--We have just heard that a German watchmaker in this place
has turned Mohammedan. This unprincipled man had a wife and children
in Germany, yet wished to marry a Roman Catholic Armenian here; but
knowing that the Bishop here would not marry them, he then went to the
Musruff, (the chief officer of the Pasha,) and promised him that if he
would get him this woman he would become a Mohammedan, and this he
has now done, and he is using all his endeavours to compel the young
woman he has married to follow his steps. This, at present, she
resists, but she has little principle, as she knew before of his being
married. The more I see of this people, the more I am struck with the
necessity of our being made acquainted with the deep wickedness and
corruption of the human heart, that we may never be hopeless as to
these people, and think them some peculiarly iniquitous race; and on
the other hand, we need a deep sense of the omnipotence of God's Holy
Spirit, that we may never be discouraged; for the bones are indeed
very, very dry. We hear this wretched man has been beating the woman,
finding his entreaties failed.
_Oct. 10._--The Lord has blessed us with a little girl, and every
thing has been ordered by him most happily, so that we have wanted
nothing that the luxury or wealth of England could supply. Bless the
Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me bless his holy name; for
indeed he daily loadeth us with benefits.
_Oct. 14._--The news of the state of things in France, and of the
Revolution there, has led us to look up to our Lord to see what the
end will be of these movements. That they will help on the coming
kingdom of our Lord we know, but how we cannot yet see. We have
also heard not only that France has taken possession of Algiers,
but is marching towards Tunis. Thus, step by step, Turkey is being
dismembered; and although by infidel principles and by infidel hands,
yet perhaps preparing the way for the publication of the Lord's love
to man. We have also understood that an English force of 4,000 men, in
200 ships, are assembled at Malta with the view of attacking Egypt;
but this we do not believe, but regard it as French news, calculated
to bring us, in the eyes of the Turks, as guilty alike with them in
attacking the Turkish dominions. However, all these things render our
situation here very profitable, for we know not what a day may bring
forth, and are therefore obliged to look solely to our Lord. Not that
this Pasha cares much, perhaps, about the taking of Egypt by the
English, or the general reduction of the empire, for such is the state
of this country, that the security of every little despot depends on
the weakness of the supreme power. Yet notwithstanding this there may
break out paroxysms of popular fury, that however short are terrible.
But the Lord is our secure and sufficient refuge, and when he has a
people to save--his chosen ones--he will put a fear into the hearts
of their enemies. The Revolution in France seems to be the Infidel
against the Jesuit, or ultra-Papistical party, which may lead to the
removal of the Archbishop of Babylon from his consular authority,
though his ecclesiastical influence would not, perhaps, be lessened by
this.
_Oct. 17._--The value of the English protection is beginning here to
be so fully understood and felt, that the first merchant in Bagdad
came to Major T. begging to be taken under it, and when Major T.
declined, he requested that his son might; and the Seyd, our landlord,
in explaining the reason of his wish for the Resident to take up his
cause, stated, that it was not so much in order to obtain any present
benefit, as that the government might see that he interested himself
about him; as this, he said, would prevent him being subject to those
oppressions he had been exposed to before. In fact, I do not believe,
that during the late heavy exactions that have been made from all
degrees and kinds of people, one individual under English protection
has suffered, or that an attempt has been made to oppress one. I do
not now, or on any other occasion, mention these events as pieces of
political intelligence, but as necessary to give a view of the signs
of the times. This consideration for the English does not arise from
love, as the most intense hatred is manifested when it may with
safety, as well as the most unconquerable and haughty contempt of
Christianity and Christians; it seems with this people of God's curse,
as with the mystical whore, they are consuming away in preparation for
final destruction by the brightness of his coming.