weeks and three days; because, during our two former visits to America,
having been able to give but little time, to this, the largest city in
the United States, Mr. Mueller considered it right to remain as long as
possible, that he might do what he could for the spiritual welfare of
the people. The population of New York is about one million four hundred
thousand. It contains upwards of three hundred thousand Germans, and as
at Brooklyn there are two hundred thousand more, he had abundant
opportunity of labouring amongst them. The English-speaking population
of this city, Brooklyn and the neighbourhood, is about one million and a
half. We remained therefore at New York from Dec. 8th, 1880, to March
19th, 1881.
During the whole of this period, my husband preached 69 times in the
city, 15 times at Brooklyn, once at Harlem, twice at Hoboken, New
Jersey, twice at Tremont, once at Washington Heights, and twice at Union
Hill, New Jersey--92 meetings altogether, 38 of which were in German.
That winter was the coldest that had been known in New York for thirty
years, and the many long drives my beloved husband took at night to
Brooklyn and other places, seven, eight, or nine miles from our hotel,
when the weather was most severe, were very trying, especially as it was
necessary to cross a ferry, where the ice was occasionally so thick,
that it was with difficulty a passage could be forced through it by the
steamer. Constrained by the love of Christ, however, he persevered in a
service, that would have been considered, by most persons of his age, an
arduous undertaking; but though he _felt_ the cold, was not allowed to
suffer from it in the least.
On March 19th we went to Newark, New Jersey, a city of about 120,000
inhabitants, amongst whom there are more than 30,000 Germans. Before our
arrival, a series of services for them had been arranged, so that for
three weeks Mr. Mueller preached exclusively amongst the Germans, and not
until a later period, at the large American churches of the city. During
our visit to Newark, he preached three times at Elizabeth, twice at
Orange, twice at Bloomfield, gave long addresses at two meetings for
pastors, held three meetings for Christian workers, conducted one
service for Theological students, and preached 26 times at Newark.
On April 18th we went to Port Chester, where he preached four times; on
the afternoon of April 22nd we left for Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, 464
miles distant; and on the morning of April 23rd, arrived at the
Monongahela Hotel, Pittsburg, after travelling all night. There, my
husband held nine meetings in English, and nine in German (as Pittsburg
and Alleghany, an adjoining city, contain about 60,000 Germans) and
attended two meetings of German and American pastors whom he addressed.
Pittsburg (which is a very large manufacturing city) was enveloped in
one vast cloud of smoke, and fine particles of dust, so that, although
the weather was at times sultry and oppressive, it was necessary always
to keep the windows shut. "This city is at the head of the river Ohio,
at the confluence of the Alleghany and the Monongahela, and is situated
in a district extremely rich in mineral wealth, whilst its vicinity to
inexhaustible coal and iron mines, has raised it to great distinction as
a manufacturing place. The immense extent of its manufactures, and of
the coal and oil trade of the city can be realized, from the fact, that
within the limits of what is known throughout the country as Pittsburg,
there are 35 _miles_ of manufactories of iron, glass, steel, copper,
oil, woods, cotton, and brass, without including manufactories of
various other materials."
On May 12th we left Pittsburg, and, after passing one night at
Philadelphia, returned to New York on the 13th, where Mr. Mueller
fulfilled a few preaching engagements, before our embarkation for
England on the 21st. During this our third tour in the United States, he
preached 244 times altogether. At eighteen of these meetings, he
addressed German or American pastors; fifteen were held for the students
of Universities, Theological Seminaries, and Colleges; and seven for
Christian workers.
On Saturday, May 21st, we embarked for England in the "Britannic," and,
after a most favourable passage, landed at Liverpool on May 30th. The
next day we returned to Bristol; and, on reaching Ashley Down in the
afternoon at half-past 4, were cordially welcomed home by many hundreds
of the Orphan boys and girls, who, with several Christian friends and a
large staff of helpers at the Orphan Houses, were waiting our arrival.
Thus ended this seventh missionary tour, a long journey by land and
water, which (like our previous travels) was marked from beginning to
end by innumerable mercies.
EIGHTH TOUR.
EGYPT, PALESTINE, ASIA MINOR, TURKEY, AND GREECE.
_From August 23rd, 1881, to May 30th, 1882._
After remaining in Bristol for eleven weeks, on August 23rd, 1881, we
set off for Dover on our eighth missionary tour; crossed over to Calais
on the 24th, went on to Paris, and, having started for Switzerland on
the 25th, arrived at Berne on the 27th.
After Mr. Mueller had preached many times there, had held meetings at
Maennedorf, Waedenschwyl, Zuerich, Basel, and Stuttgart, having been led
through the advice of a brother in Christ, to decide on visiting the
Holy Land, on Thursday, Oct. 20th, at 2 p.m., we embarked at Marseilles
in the steamer "Said," for Alexandria. My husband had had it
particularly laid upon his heart to comfort and encourage the
missionaries from Great Britain, America, Germany, Switzerland, and
other countries, who labour in the East, because their trials and
difficulties are great; and he desired to visit some of the German
colonies, that he might preach amongst them, and encourage the German
pastors in their work. After leaving Marseilles, for eighteen hours the
weather was very rough, but as the wind gradually abated, the sea became
calm; we anchored in the Bay of Naples for a few hours, and at half-past
2 on the afternoon of Oct. 26th, landed at Alexandria.
Here the Scotch minister, the German pastor, and the German deaconesses
showed us much kindness; and, during the ten days that we remained, Mr.
Mueller had a considerable amount of work. He preached repeatedly in
German at the Prussian Hospital, held meetings in English at the Scotch
Free Church, addressed the children of the Scotch Jewish Mission
Schools, and the children of the American United Presbyterian Mission
Schools, and preached at the German Church.
On the afternoon of Nov. 3rd, we went by rail to Ramleh, six miles
distant, which has a cooler climate than Alexandria, and contains a few
handsome residences, where some of the wealthy inhabitants of the city
live. On the way, we passed four cemeteries, one Jewish, another
Catholic, a third Greek, and the fourth Mahometan. The tombs in the
Mahometan burying ground were of an Oriental character, and very unlike
monuments erected over graves in European cemeteries. We passed a palace
belonging to the Khedive or Viceroy of Egypt also. A large grove of palm
trees laden with dates had a most luxuriant appearance. At Ramleh, at a
small chapel, Mr. Mueller addressed a congregation of Catholics, Jews,
and Protestants who understood English; and on the 4th, at the Scotch
Mission School, conversed with several Jewish girls, by means of Arabic
translation.
In going to and from the meetings, we noticed the great variety of
costumes worn by persons who passed us in the streets. Loose, white
garments, and red turbans with gold ornaments, were worn by the Turks;
most of the women were closely veiled, so that their eyes only could be
seen; and a few had veils arranged in such a manner, that one eye alone
was visible. Brass ornaments too, fixed between the eyes, were generally
worn by _un_-veiled women, which disfigured their countenances much.
Most of the poor walked about barefoot, and some Arabs, in thin
clothings, slept soundly, as they lay stretched at full length by the
side of the pavement in the streets. During our short stay at Alexandria
the heat was great; as late in the year as the beginning of November,
the thermometer sometimes registered 90 degrees, and the flies and
mosquitos were most troublesome.
On Nov. 4th Mr. Mueller preached a farewell sermon at the Prussian
Hospital, in German, and on the 5th we went by rail to Cairo, where he
preached for the German pastor, and held meetings in connection with the
American Mission; openings for service being numerous in this city as
well as at Alexandria.
On Nov. 9th, we set off early in an open carriage, with a dragoman as
interpreter, to see the Pyramids, ten miles from Cairo, which are
reached by a good road under a shady avenue of trees; and a little
before noon alighted near "the great Pyramid of Cheops, 460 feet high,
which was erected as a tomb, about 30 centuries ago, when its
construction employed 100,000 men for twenty years. The exterior of this
Pyramid was once smooth, but it is now rough and uneven, presenting 206
steps from one to four feet high, by which an ascent to the summit is
made. From this point the view includes the Nile, the minarets of Cairo,
the plain where the French defeated the Mamelukes, the site of Memphis,
the great African Desert, a multitude of tombs, and two other Pyramids.
From Gizeh to Memphis on the west side of the Nile, about 70 Pyramids
can be counted, all burial places of kings, with tombs and chapels
adjoining them. A quarter of a mile from the nearest Pyramid, lies the
Sphinx, a stone lion 102 feet long, now heavily buried in sand, having a
human face 18 feet in length; but the head and part of the neck only are
now visible." Our walk to the Sphinx was oppressively warm, for the sun
shone with a brightness that was dazzling. The heat and glare too from
the sandy ground on which we trod, made the atmosphere around like the
hot air issuing from an oven. Troups of Bedouin Arabs congregate in the
neighbourhood of the Pyramids, who flock around strangers and volunteer
their services as guides.
Besides visiting the Pyramids, before our departure from Cairo, we
walked through the Museum, which contains a valuable collection of
Egyptian curiosities, consisting of statues, pottery, manuscripts of the
Pharaohs, and other relics, some of which are supposed to be nearly
4,000 years old; but the most remarkable objects in the Museum are the
mummies. These are embalmed bodies (principally of Egyptian Kings),
recently discovered, and amongst them (it is said) is the mummy of that
great oppressor of the Israelites, the Pharaoh, during whose reign they
had so much to suffer, until delivered by Jehovah through His servant
Moses.
On Nov. 11th, we left Cairo for Ismailia, and from there proceeded in a
small mail steamer (via the Suez Canal) to Port Said, where we arrived
two hours after midnight. At this town Mr. Mueller preached twice in
English, and on Sunday, Nov. 13th, at the former of these two services,
were fourteen English sailors who had recently been shipwrecked. Their
lives therefore having been so mercifully preserved, he took advantage
of the circumstance to press upon them the acceptance of the gospel. At
Port Said he held only one German meeting, upon which occasion, fifteen
young men and women from Bohemia (who gained a livelihood by exercising
their talent for music) were present, all of whom were Roman Catholics.
To each a copy of the Bible or New Testament in German was given, and
the fourteen sailors were presented with Bibles or Testaments in
English. After this German service was over, a meeting was held also
for the breaking of bread, where Mr. Mueller gave an address in English.
On the following day, at 2 p.m. we went on board a large Russian mail
steamer bound for Jaffa, and found that, besides the saloon passengers,
there were about 100 Russian pilgrims in the steerage of the ship,
accompanied by their priests of the Greek Church, who were all
travelling on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. These pilgrims performed their
religious services on deck, where they bowed, crossed themselves
repeatedly, and turned their faces eastward towards the Holy Land. They
looked very poor, and were dirty in their habits and appearance. Each
individual belonging to this company was supplied with a copy of the
Holy Scriptures in Russ, at a nominal price, by a Scotch Evangelist, and
a colporteur, who labour for the Lord habitually at Port Said.
After a favourable passage, on Nov. 15th, at 8 a.m., we arrived off
Jaffa, on the coast of Palestine and (as there is no harbour to the
town) anchored about a mile distant from the shore; but on account of
cholera at Mecca, had to remain there for quarantine four and twenty
hours. On the 16th, however, at 8 a.m., the Turkish doctors permitted us
to land; but the passage from the steamer to the shore, in a boat rowed
by eight Arabs, was exceedingly unpleasant, the waves at Jaffa being
tremendous when the wind is high.
From the ship's deck, the town had a striking and even beautiful
appearance; but, on walking through the streets, we found them only
filthy lanes, and were glad to take up our abode at the Jerusalem Hotel,
situated in a pleasant locality, at some distance from the shore. As
there is a large German colony at Jaffa, and American and English
missionaries reside in the town, Mr. Mueller was able to preach both to
German and to English congregations, and with Arabic interpretation,
when neither of these languages was understood. He preached also at
Sarona, another German colony, three miles distant, and held meetings in
German at the house of a Russian Baron residing at Jaffa. On Nov. 21st,
at the residence of the English clergyman, he addressed about 60 persons
at half-past 4; and on the following day preached at a Hall belonging to
Miss Arnot (a Christian lady from Scotland) who has a large school for
Arabic children. On the morning of the 24th he spoke at the Dispensary
to a congregation consisting of Mahometans, Jews, and members of the
Greek Church, when the Syrian doctor (a Christian) translated for him
into Arabic; and on the 25th addressed 100 individuals, including
natives, and English-speaking persons, with Arabic translation, at the
same place. On the morning of Sunday, Nov. 27th, he gave an address at
the Baron's house in German, and in the afternoon preached (for the
English clergyman,) on the second coming of Christ.
During our walks at Jaffa, we greatly admired the plantations of orange
and lemon trees which flourish there luxuriantly; and the high, thick
hedges of prickly pears, cactus, etc., which abound, show that the
warmth of the climate is semi-tropical; but the town itself consists of
poor bazaars, dismal houses, and dirty, crooked lanes, which repel
visitors instead of inviting them to sojourn there.
After a sojourn of twelve days at Jaffa, at 7 o'clock on the morning of
Nov. 28th, we started for Jerusalem in an open Russian waggon, drawn by
three horses (the only kind of conveyance to be obtained), and noticed
that between Jaffa and Ramleh--where we stopped for an hour--the land
was tolerably well cultivated, and looked fertile. At half-past 12, as
the horses required further rest, we alighted at a little roadside inn,
and in two hours our journey was resumed. Now we travelled through a
district called in Scripture, the "Mountains of Judaea," where the aspect
of the country became wild and desolate. Palestine (spoken of in the Old
Testament as--"A land flowing with milk and honey," and as--"The glory
of all lands") is now barren, rocky, and uncultivated; and it is evident
that the curse of God rests not only upon the Jews, but upon their
_country_ also, which is now under Turkish rule.
Nevertheless, the day is coming when Jehovah will remember the _land_
also; for at the return of the Lord Jesus, when Israel as a nation will
be converted and restored, "The desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the
rose."
At length, after a trying journey of twelve hours, over a rough, rugged
road, nearly covered with large, loose stones, at a quarter-past 7, we
reached Jerusalem and alighted _outside_ the Jaffa gate, because
carriages cannot enter the city, as the streets are far too narrow and
too badly paved, for conveyances of any kind to be driven along them. At
the Mediterranean Hotel, we engaged a pleasant corner room upon the
first floor, from which there was a fine view of the Mount of Olives;
and the terrace on its flat roof (where we took our daily walks)
commanded an extensive prospect. It included the Mosque of Omar on Mount
Moriah, where the Temple formerly stood, the Church of the Holy
Sepulchre, the Mosque on Mount Zion, which contains the tomb of David,
the site formerly occupied by Herod's Palace, the Hospital of St. John
of Jerusalem, The Citadel, or Tower of David, most of the public
buildings in the city, and the Mount of Olives. During our stay at
Jerusalem, Mr. Mueller held numerous meetings in English and in German,
and preached habitually in these two languages, both with and without
interpretation into Arabic. At a church where Arab Christians assemble
for worship he preached with translation into that language; at Zion
School (founded by Bishop Gobat) he addressed the teachers belonging to
it; spoke in English and in German at the Jewish School of Industry;
preached six times in part of a building called St. John's Palace, now
fitted up as a German chapel; gave an address at the lecture room of the
English Church; spoke to the children of a Syrian Orphanage outside the
city, two miles distant, with Arabic interpretation; addressed 108 Arab
girls in German twice at the Talitha Cumi boarding school; spoke in
English, without translation, to 135 boys and several gentlemen and
ladies at Bishop Gobat's school; attended a Dorcas meeting two
afternoons, where he addressed a considerable number of ladies, in
German; spoke a second time at the Syrian Orphanage with Arabic
interpretation, and upon two different occasions addressed the patients
at a small hospital for lepers outside the city. He spoke twice also to
the patients of another hospital.
Jerusalem, when compared with European cities, is now only a small town
(round which the traveller may walk in less than 50 minutes) containing
a population of about 28,000, which includes the Jews, of whom there are
8,000. These Israelites are generally very poor, and settle in
Jerusalem, because money is frequently sent there from Europe by
wealthier Jews for the relief of their poorer brethren in Palestine; but
at the present time, there is no indication whatever of any gathering of
Jews on an extensive scale from other countries to their own land. The
missionaries who labour amongst them, meet with comparatively little
encouragement in their work, for the number of true converts from
Judaism to Christianity is _extremely_ small, a fact mentioned, not as a
discouragement for service, but to stir up Christians to prayer. Since
our return from Palestine, however, these brethren have (it appears)
been more successful in their labours, and have had great cause for
thankfulness.
On the afternoon of Dec. 3rd, we joined a party of English friends, and
rode on donkeys to Bethany, a mile and a half distant, the English
clergyman kindly acting as our guide. On our way we crossed the Brook
Kidron, saw the Garden of Gethsemane, now enclosed by a wall; and
visited the cave, hewn out of a rock, where it is supposed Lazarus was
buried. An old ruined house, said to have been the dwelling place of
Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, was also pointed out. From the summit of the
Mount of Olives the view embraced a portion of the Dead Sea, 25 miles
distant, the plain of Jordan, the well-watered plain which Lot chose for
himself, the Mountains of Moab in the distance, the neighbourhood of the
Cave of Adullam, and a small part of the river Jordan which flows into
the Dead Sea. The weather was magnificent; after sunset the whole scene
was lighted up by the full moon which shone brilliantly, and coming down
the Mount of Olives, we had the finest view of Jerusalem, that is to be
obtained from any point. The Garden of Gethsemane, containing eight
very old olive trees (considered by some, from their ancient
characteristics, to be coeval with the period of our Lord's history on
earth) we passed both on our way to and from the Mount.
On the morning of Dec. 9th, we rode on donkeys to Bethlehem, six miles
from Jerusalem; and, after lunching in a cloister of the Latin Convent,
visited a church erected on the spot, where (according to tradition) the
manger stood, in which after His birth our Lord was laid. During our
stay at Jerusalem, we had opportunities also of visiting the various
places of interest for which the city is celebrated. The Via Dolorosa,
the Mosque of Omar, (built on the site formerly occupied by Solomon's
Temple,) the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (erected, according to
tradition, on the spot where our Lord was crucified), Absalom's Pillar,
the Pool of Bethesda, the site of Herod's palace, the ruins of the
Castle to which Paul was taken, and the Pool of Siloam, were all visited
in turn. One of the most memorable places in the city is--"The Wailing
Place of the Jews"--where, every Friday afternoon, shortly before
sunset, they assemble to bewail the calamities that have befallen their
land and city. On Dec. 2nd we saw about 200 Israelites gathered close to
some immense old stones--the remains of the Temple it is supposed--which
(after praying and bowing repeatedly) with tears in their eyes, they
kissed.
About one third of the present small population of Jerusalem (28,000)
consists of Mussulmans; the rest are Jews, Christians of the Greek,
Armenian, and Roman Catholic Churches, and a very few Protestants. There
are 25 Convents, 10 Monasteries, and three large Synagogues within its
walls. The Jaffa Gate, situated near the Citadel or Tower of David, is
one of the principal entrances to the city, and the southern portion of
the town (between the ancient Temple and part of Mount Zion) is the
quarter occupied by the Jews.
In the streets of Jerusalem, day after day, we saw numbers of men,
women, and children standing about half-naked, or clothed in miserable
rags; and strangers cannot walk a short distance even, without being
besieged for alms by the beggars that abound, not a few of whom are
lepers. They hold up their disfigured hands and arms, and, pointing to
their dreadful sores, follow visitors persistently, entreating them, in
piteous, lamentable tones of voice, to have compassion on, and help
them.
Whilst at Jerusalem, from the windows of our room, we saw many funeral
processions pass, when the remains of the deceased were borne along,
either in open coffins, or in coffins with glass covers to them; and on
Dec. 23rd, the funeral of a child, belonging to the Greek Church, took
place outside the city walls, whose body, was lowered into the grave
_without_ a coffin.
As there are no carriage roads in Palestine, with the exception of the
one from Jaffa to Jerusalem; being unwilling to undertake long journeys
of many miles on horseback, in order to visit the numerous places of
interest usually resorted to by strangers, we did not travel any further
into the interior of the country; but, after remaining at Jerusalem for
nine weeks and two days, on Feb. 1st, 1882, returned to Jaffa. There,
heavy gales of wind, and violent storms of rain, which lasted several
days, detained us until Feb. 8th; the weather became also unusually
cold, and as there were neither stoves nor fireplaces in the rooms of
our hotel--because fires are seldom wanted in Palestine, we suffered
greatly from the wintry climate.