holy families, presented or stuck up by the Italian monks who occasionally visit the place. In the chapel are the tombs of several Patriarchs of the Chaldæan Church, buried here long before its divisions, and whose titles, carved upon the monuments, are always "Patriarch of the Chaldæans of the East."* Six or eight half famished monks reside in the convent. They depend for supplies, which are scanty enough, upon the faithful of the surrounding country.

It was night before we reached the large Catholic village of Tel Kef. I had sent a horseman in the morning, to apprise the people of my intended visit; and Gouriel, the Kiayah, with several of the principal inhabitants, had assembled to receive me. As we approached they emerged from a dark recess, where they had probably been waiting for some time. They carried a few wax lights, which served as an illumination. The motion of these lights, as the bearers advanced, was so unsteady, that there could be no doubt of the condition of the deputation.

Gouriel and his friends reeled forward towards my Cawass, who chanced to be the first of the party, and

The seal used by Mar Shamoun bears the same title, and the Patriarch so styles himself in all public documents. It is only lately that he has been induced, on some occasions, when addressing Europeans, to call himself" Patriarch of the Nestorians;" the name never having been used by the Chaldæans themselves. The distinction becomes important, inasmuch as the see of Rome and the Catholics have endeavoured, with considerable success, to fix the title of Chaldæans upon the converted alone, using that of Nestorian as one of contempt and reproach, in speaking of those who have retained their ancient faith. So much odium attaches to the name, that many have joined the Catholic party to avoid it. I have termed the Nestorians "Chaldæans," or "Nestorian Chaldæans," and the new sect "Catholic Chaldæans."

believing him to be me they fell upon him, kissing his hands and feet, and clinging to his dress. Ibrahim Agha struggled hard to extricate himself, but in vain. "The Bey's behind," roared he. "Allah! Allah! will no one deliver me from these drunken infidels ?" Rejoicing in the mistake, I concealed myself among the horsemen. Gouriel, seizing the bridle of Ibrahim Agha's horse, and unmindful of the blows which the Cawass dealt about him, led him in triumph to his residence. It was not before the wife of the Kiayah and some women, who had assembled to cook our dinner, brought torches, that the deputation discovered their error. I had alighted in the meanwhile unseen, and had found my way to the roof of the house, where all the cushions that could be found in the village were piled up in front of a small table covered with bottles of raki and an assortment of raisins and parched peas, all prepared in my honour. I hid myself among the pillows, and it was some time before the Kiayah discovered my retreat. He hiccupped out excuses till he was breathless, and endeavouring to kiss my feet, asked forgiveness for the unfortunate blunder. "Wallah! O Bey," exclaimed Ibrahim Agha, who had been searching for a stable, "the whole village is drunk. It is always thus with these unbelievers. They have now a good Pasha, who neither takes jerums nor extra salian*, nor quarters Hytas upon them. What dirt do they then eat? Instead of repairing their houses, and sowing their fields, they spend every para in raki, and sit

* At Mosul, jerums mean fines; salian, the property tax, or taxes levied on corporations under the old system.

eating and drinking, like hogs, night and day." I was forced to agree with Ibrahim Agha in his conclusions, and would have remonstrated with my hosts; but there was no one in a fit state to hear advice; and I was not sorry to see them at midnight scattered over the roof, buried in profound sleep. I ordered the horses to be loaded, and reached Mosul as the gates opened at daybreak.

The reader may desire to learn the fate of Tkhoma. A few days after my return to Mosul, notwithstanding the attempts of Tahyar Pasha to avert the calamity, Beder Khan Bey marched through the Tiyari mountains, levying contributions on the tribes and plundering the villages, on his way to the unfortunate district. The inhabitants of Tkhoma, headed by their Meleks, made some resistance, but were soon overpowered by numbers. An indiscriminate massacre took place. The women were brought before the chief, and murdered in cold blood. Those who attempted to escape were cut off. Three hundred women and children, who were flying into Baz, were killed in the pass I have described. The principal villages with their gardens were destroyed, and the churches pulled down. Nearly half the population fell victims to the fanatical fury of the Kurdish chief; amongst these were one of the Meleks, and Kasha Bodaca. With this good priest, and Kasha Auraham, perished the most learned of the Nestorian clergy; and Casha Kana is the last who has inherited any part of the knowledge, and zeal, which once so eminently distinguished the Chaldæan priesthood.

The Porte was prevailed upon to punish this atrocious massacre, and to crush a rebellious subject who had long resisted its authority. An expedition was fitted out under Osman Pasha; and after two engagements, in which the Kurds were signally defeated by the Turkish troops headed by Omar Pasha, Beder Khan Bey took refuge in a mountain-castle. The position had been nearly carried, when the chief, finding defence hopeless, succeeded in obtaining from the Turkish commander, Osman Pasha, the same terms which had been offered to him before the commencement of hostilities. He was to be banished from Kurdistan; but his family and attendants were to accompany him, and he was guaranteed the enjoyment of his property. Although the Turkish ministers more than suspected that Osman Pasha had reasons of his own for granting these terms, they honourably fulfilled the conditions upon which the chief, although a rebel, had surrendered. He was brought to Constantinople, and subsequently sent to the Island of Candia a punishment totally inadequate to his numerous crimes.

After Beder Khan Bey had retired from Tkhoma, a few of the surviving inhabitants returned to their ruined villages; but Nur-Ullah Bey, suspecting that they knew of concealed property, fell suddenly upon them. Many died under the tortures to which they were exposed; and the rest, as soon as they were released, fled into Persia. This flourishing district was thus destroyed; and it will be long ere its cottages again rise from their ruins, and the fruits of patient toil again clothe the sides of its valleys.

CHAP. VIII.

INTRODUCTION OF CHRISTIANITY INTO ASSYRIA.

ORIGIN OF THE

CHALDEAN OR NESTORIAN CHURCH. EARLY MISSIONS OF THE CHALDEANS. THE MONUMENT OF SE-GAN-FOO.

UNDER THE ARABS.
THEIR

THE CHALDEANS

TRANSLATIONS

OF GREEK WORKS. AFTER THE TATAR INVASION.

PRESTER JOHN. HIS LETTER

TO THE GREEK EMPEROR.-EXTENT OF THE CHALDEAN CHURCH. -DECLINE OF ITS POWER. ORIGIN OF THE NAME OF "NESTORIANS." DOCTRINES OF THE CHALDÆANS OR NESTORIANS.

THEIR TENETS.

THEIR PROFESSION OF FAITH.
PATRIARCH. -THEIR LANGUAGE. AMERICAN MISSIONS.

THEIR

THE account given in the preceding chapter, of the Chaldæan or Nestorian tribes, will probably have made the reader desirous of knowing something of their condition, and of the events which led to the isolation of a small Christian community in the midst of the mountains of Kurdistan. Indeed the origin of the race, as well as the important position which the Chaldæan Church once held in Asia, renders the subject one of considerable historical interest. To Protestants, the doctrines and rites of a primitive sect of Christians, who have ever remained untainted by the superstitions of Rome, must be of high importance; and it is a matter of astonishment, that more curiosity has not been excited by them, and more sympathy felt for their sufferings.

In the first centuries of the Christian æra, the plains of Assyria Proper were still the battle-ground of the