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and visit the school in the afternoon. | long as his name is glorified in the salThe school has an average attendance vation of souls.

of about twenty-five boys, under the instruction of a diligent and faithful teacher, whose mind seems to be in some degree impressed with the importance of the Christian religion. It is a matter of regret that I cannot bestow that amount of time and strength on this branch of our work which is really required to make it what it should be, a school of thoroughly Christian education.

Earnest Call for Helpers.

It is known that Mr. Doty is now the only missionary of the Board at Amoy, Mr. Talmage having been called, by the painful illness of Miss Pohlman, to accompany her to the United States. The brethren referred to by Mr. Doty in this letter, as kindly rendering him assistance, are missionaries of other societies. The work which before Mr. Pohlman's death three men were doing at Amoy, has thus been thrown, for the time, on one. It is not strange that he is exhausted, and calls so earnestly for help.

LETTER FROM MR. TALMAGE.

Healthfulness of Amoy.

IN connection with the foregoing letter of Mr. Doty, and his call for helpers, it is thought best to publish the following communication from Mr. Talmage, now in this country, in relation to the climate and healthiness of Amoy.

The missionaries at Amoy are of one opinion. We think the climate pleasant, and by no means unhealthy. The summer is long and therefore may have a tendency to debilitate the constitution somewhat; but the climate is certainly quite different from that of India. The city is delightfully situated as respects the sea, and we have a most refreshing sea breeze during the whole of the warm

season.

The wind rises as the day becomes warm, and dies away towards evening. In the evening, we usually have a pleasant land breeze, which is not so strong as the wind from the sea during the day. I never knew the mercury in the thermometer, in the hottest weather, to rise higher than 93° in our houses. We have about four months of pleasant, cool weather in the winter. The winter is exceedingly pleasant, and free from storms. The mercury falls to about 40°. This is the lowest that it fell while I was at Amoy. The air during that season is dry, and we think very healthy. In the spring of the year the atmosphere is damp, and the dampness continues during the greater part of the summer. One of the

Need of help is immediate and seems imperative. I now have been so shaken that very little calculation can be made as to the future. My brethren here are ready to aid me as far as their own work will allow, but they have but little of either time or strength to spare, which had not previously been given to our aid. And now, I am anxiously waiting to learn what may be expected from those to whom we look for reinforcement. make no appeal. If the events of the past year; if the field of labor before us, white unto the harvest; if the anxious countenances and affectionate inquiries of numbers of Chinese after their most common diseases is the fever and only remaining Christian teacher, con-ague, which we attribute to the dampness nected with the suppressed feeling that of the climate and to the manner of life they may soon be left destitute; if our among the people. They usually live present circumstances, in which almost on the ground floor of their houses. The every wheel and spring of missionary first foreigners who resided at our station operations is motionless, or powerless also lived on the ground floor, and were -if these things do not touch and cause all subject to this disease. Foreigners to vibrate, some chord of Christian sym- now always dwell in the second story, and pathy, and compel men to put on their are entirely free from the disease. The harness, and come over to our help, and second story is comparatively free from to the help of the Lord against the dampness, and I suppose entirely free mighty, vain would be any plea I could from malaria. With the exception of make-weak any appeal of mine. The the fever and ague, there has been very Lord reigns. He loves and he will take little, if any, sickness among the miscare of his own cause. His purposes of sionaries, which can, according to our grace and mercy, which are, as I believe, opinion, be attributed to the climate. designed for Amoy, will be accomplished. Whoever may be the honored, privileged instruments of furthering this work, it is of comparatively little importance, so

Those who have died at Amoy, or who have been compelled to leave in consequence of ill health, with very few exceptions, came to Amoy entirely broken

down. From the fact that the difference | opposition of his landlord, who will not between the extremes of temperature is allow his warehouse to be turned into a only about 50°, and that great changes resort for every body, lest some of the are not sudden, a strong argument, I congregation may plan how best to rob think, can be drawn in favor of the salu- it. Thus we are restricted on all sides, brity of our climate. Perhaps I should entirely through the opposition of the also add that we have, at Amoy, good people; for there is no evidence that the medical advice. officers of government have any hand in the matter. Our brother French, of the Assembly's Board, has now an altercation with his landlord, and has referred the matter to the authorities, so that we

Canton.

LETTER FROM MR. WILLIAMS, SEPTEM- are somewhat interested in watching the

BER 27, 1849.

OWING to some sickness, and the separation of the members of the mission, Mr. Williams says they were unable to hold the usual meeting at the time of the annual meeting of the Board.

result. Some of the foreigners here take the ground that the renting of houses out of the factories was not contemplated, and that if we do so, and venture a residence among the people beyond the old limits, it is entirely at our own risk. This, if so, shuts all our plans up to the

Difficulty of procuring Houses-Opposi-old limits of a few hundred square feet,

tion of Landlords.

and disables us completely from exerting any separate influence over the people.

Political Events-The Opium Trade.

In our missionary operations, we make slow progress, having been hampered in many ways. Dr. Ball was obliged to quit his house in April last, in consequence of the owners raising the price Political events in this part of China upon him, an exaction we did not feel at present a great contrast to the quiet of all willing to acquiesce in, inasmuch as the northern ports. The assassination of he already paid them almost double the governor of Macao in open day, the what they would receive, and had been attack of the Portuguese on a Chinese receiving, from their countrymen. I fort, the capture of piratical junks by the hardly know to what it can be ascribed, English steamers near Hainau, the wellbut since then he has been unable to known feelings of Gov. Seu against forlease a house in the same neighborhood, eigners, and the ill-will and rancor these and has since April been altogether un- things engender in the minds of both successful in getting a house of his own. parties, are all calculated to produce a Consequently, the services on the Sab- rupture before long. The opium trade bath have been in a measure suspended, is thriving, and from fifteen to sixteen and the Chinese printing department has millions of dollars leave China annually been moved away from his present resi- for this drug alone-much of it in spedence, so that some time has been lost cie, and all of it for produce as goodin going to and fro. The series of Sab- leaving, instead, every thing evil and bath and week-day services, at his former disastrous. The editor of the Friend of house, had begun to assume a degree of India says, if it was not for this importregularity, and the neighbors had attend- ation of specie, and the revenue of two ed so many times that their existence and a half millions sterling derived from and intention had been generally under- the opium trade, he does not see how the stood. By his removal, this was all lost, government of India could be carried on, and we must to a degree begin again, and the army there paid. That governeven if we get a house in that neighbor- ment is consequently taking measures to hood. Actually, however, there have increase the supply, and there will probbeen some services during the summer, ably be nearly sixty thousand chests but far less than were held during the brought to China in 1850, or nearly winter. Mr. Bridgman was in like man-eight millions of pounds of opium. Still ner prevented from holding any religious services during the summer by the opposition of his landlord, and has left the house he occupied in order, if possible, to arrange for holding services elsewhere. Mr. Bonney has also been prevented gathering congregations by the

the Chinese government shows no signs of any disposition to legalize the trade, and with the exception of an occasional seizure, or a vaporing edict, by some patriotic officer on the coast, is doing nothing to hinder the entrance of the drug. The growth of the poppy in China is thought

to be on the increase, but the inferior to the state of feeling and the prospects there; manufacture renders the native producer to strengthen and encourage those who seemed a competitor not at all to be feared. His to be lovers of the truth; and also to visit, on commodity bears the same relation to their return, the Mountain Nestorians, and preach the Indian, that the tea produced there to them the gospel. A brief notice of the jourdoes to the genuine Chinese leaf: what ney was forwarded by Mr. Stocking in advance a difference between the nature of the of Mr. Perkins's fuller journal, and published in two products. It is encouraging, amidst the Herald for November last. Mr. Perkins's so much that is disheartening, to know journal has been recently received. It is very that the gospel is also finding its way full, and contains much interesting and valuable in, and that the God of that gospel is information in regard to the whole region through also the Ruler of commerce, and that all which they traveled. A large part of that porthe ramifications of men in the pursuit tion of it which relates more immediately to Moof gain, are a part of his wonder-working sul, and the opening there for missionary labor, scheme to redeem the world. After what will be published in this number of the Herald. we have seen of the wrath of man prais- Extracts from other portions may appear in fuing God, we need not despair for the future.

Nestorians.

ture numbers.

The party left Oroomiah on the 25th of April. For the first four days their course was east of south, to the town of Saonj Boolak, about twelve or fifteen miles, judging from a manuscript map,

MR. PERKINS'S JOURNAL OF A TOUR TO from the south-west corner of Lake Oroomiah.

MOSUL.

In the last number of the Herald, mention was made of the sailing of Mr. Marsh for Smyrna, on his way to Mosul, to recommence missionary operations there. It will be remembered that labors were commenced there by missionaries of the

From that point the general course was south of west, by Ravandooz, following for some distance the river Zab, and crossing the northern part of the plain of Arbeela, on which Alexander conquered Darius. In the afternoon of the 12th of May, they rose to the top of a gentle swell of grassy hills, near thirty miles east of Mosul.

From the top of this swell, we obtained our first distinct view of the Plain of Mosul, or ancient Nineveh, in all its vastness. It stretched away to the north, west and south, farther than the eye could reach, being bounded only by the sky, and gave me a stronger impression of immensity, than I ever received before, even on the ocean.

Board in 1842, with the design of reaching the Mountain Nestorians from that point. Within less than two years, most of the laborers, both male and female, who had gone to that field, were removed by death. The Nestorians of the mountains, within the same time, were attacked and subdued by their enemies. Their independence was lost; many of the people had perished by the sword, and others were scattered abroad; villages were laid waste; the prospect As we descended the swell and enwith reference to missionary operations among them was rendered, for the time, much less entered the plain, the fields of grain grew couraging; and in 1844, the efforts at Mosul were suspended. But the labors of the brethren who had been sent there were not in vain. Their prayers were had in remembrance before God, and the seed sown has in some instances, it is believed, brought forth fruit already which will be unto everlasting life. The readers of the Herald are aware that of late, interesting and encouraging intelligence has been, from time to time, received from Mosul; affording ground for the belief that there is now a field open at that place and the vicinity, irrespective of the Nestorians in the mountains, which ought not to be left unoccupied.

In May last, Messrs. Perkins and Stocking, of the Nestorian mission, accompanied by some of the native brethren from Oroomiah, (Mar Yohannan, Deacon Isaac and Deacon Tamo,) made a visit to Mosul. They had several objects in view;—to satisfy themselves more fully in regard

We

larger and more thrifty, till they sur-
passed any that we had seen in the East.
Our course was now south-west.
were strongly impressed, in crossing this
plain, with the favorable situation of an-
cient Nineveh for a great city, in the
midst of a plain capable of sustaining
millions of people. We were told that
the crops of wheat and barley on this
plain, had been more abundant, for a few
years past, than they were ever known
to be before, in consequence of more
than the usual amount of rain; that land
which in a dry season, or even in an or-
dinary season, had yielded only four or
five fold, now yields twenty, or even
thirty fold; and that the crop on the
ground at the present time, is quite un-
paralleled even in these past few years,
there having been sixteen rainy days
this season, in succession. Such was

the account of the matter given us by the joyful peasants, as they gazed with us over their ripening wheat fields, which they found it difficult to obtain reapers in sufficient numbers to harvest.

Night overtook us while we were still ten miles distant from Mosul, and not yet in sight of the city, which lies low, on the western bank of the river Tigris; while the mounds near the opposite bank, supposed to be the ruins of ancient Nineveh, rear a barrier of considerable height, which obstructs the view of the modern town from the east.

Soon quarantine officers began to gather about us, making preparations for guarding us where we were, in case we preferred to remain there rather than return to the more confined quarters at the village of Yoonus Pegamber. The prospect of being confined two weeks in quarantine was most unwelcome, and we were soon happily relieved. The English consul being informed of our arrival and detention, made immediate provision for our free passage of the Tigris. A servant of the Pasha, sent for the purpose, by a wave of the hand disAt length we rose upon a gentle swell missed the quarantine guard that had and finally came to broken ground, which been stationed at our tents, and Mr. Raswe readily recognized as the celebrated sam's own servant conducted us to his "Ruins." How peculiar were our emo- house, where we were very cordially tions, as we were winding our way over welcomed, and enjoyed a quiet and most such a site, in the sombreness of even- hospitable home during our ten days' ing! As we entered this broken sec- visit at Mosul -a home now doubly tion, we observed regular ridges which grateful for the quiet rest it afforded us we could not mistake, the remains of on the Sabbath. the old walls, succeeded by a parallel hollow which it was equally obvious marked the site of the ancient fosse.

Still proceeding, we at length came to a village among the ruins, called in Turkish, Yoonus Pegamber, and in Arabic, Nebbee Onus, meaning in both, the prophet Jonah. This village contains a large mosque situated on a mound in an ancient cemetery, and supposed by the inhabitants to enshrine the ashes of the revered prophet.

We proceeded a mile, and came to the eastern bank of the Tigris, whose waters we could dimly discern and distinctly hear, and there, with thankful hearts, we encamped on the ground for the night.

May 13. We slept refreshingly on the margin of the Tigris till after day-break, and the morning light then revealed to us the noble river, Mosul on its opposite shore, with the common appearance of a sombre Turkish town, with its great mosques and towering minarets, and the ruins of ancient Nineveh, which we had crossed in the dark, near us on the east. How venerable, how sublime, was our position! And it was the morning of the holy Sabbath, which spread a peculiar sacredness over the impressive scenes

around us!

Reception at Mosul by the English Consul, Mr. Rassam.

Micah, Mr. Laurie's Teacher.

In the afternoon, Mr. Rassam sent for Micah, the former teacher of Mr. Laurie,

and one of the few names in Mosul that

are, as we trust, written in the Lamb's book of life. He is a stone-cutter by trade, but is a very intelligent man, possessing a clear understanding and a very vigorous mind, and is apparently a very humble, devoted Christian. He received the seeds of truth from Mr. Laurie, by whom he was employed as a teacher; and those seeds have sprung up in his heart since the missionaries left Mosul, and made him a plant of righteousness, of fair proportions, and much maturity, in the garden of God, now spreading a nity. His joy was great in welcoming blessed fragrance over a large commu

us to Mosul.

In the course of the day we sung several hymns in Syriac, Mr. Rassam joining us, and Mrs. R. singing the same in concert with us, in English.

Mr. Rassam's Opinions in regard to the
People.

14. Mr. Rassam, the English consul, being a native of Mosul, who has also resided and traveled much in Europe, tion while employed several years by and received quite a missionary educathe Church Missionary Society, at Malta, They had been told that the quarantine of Mo- is very intelligent on every subject persul was kept at the village of Yoonus Pegamber, taining to these countries, and his stateand had therefore passed that village without en-ments and opinions may be regarded as tering it, determined, if possible, to "keep aloof reliable and quite valuable. He estifrom the useless and vexatious quarantine." mates that there are now nearly forty

thousand Nestorian proselytes to papacy, | school is Deacon Isaiah, also formerly a scattered along in the region of the Ti-monk in the monastery of Rabban Hergris, who speak the modern Syriac. The mas, but now an evangelical and very Jacobites in the villages also speak that interesting man. There is still a fourth language. ecclesiastic who has abandoned that There are in Mosul, Mr. R. supposes, monastery, having embraced evangelical about sixty men, Jacobites and papal views, priest Stephen, who now resides Nestorians, mostly the former, who are in his native village, Tilkeepa, twelve evangelically disposed-many of them miles from Mosul, where he fearlessly fully so, and some few really pious. proclaims the truth, though under the ban They often meet together for reading of papal anathema and suffering severely the Scriptures and mutual edification. from persecution. And several of the The families of these men are of course monks now in their cloisters, are said to under an evangelical influence, and some be very desirous of escaping from them, members of them already much enlight of living like men and embracing the gospel.

ened.

Mr. Rassam considers the climate of Mosul as good, though so warm; and he ascribes the early death of the American missionaries there to particular causes in each individual case.

Mr. Mitchell, he thinks, was struck by the sun

Mr. Rassam considers the Jews and Nestorians, both in the mountains and on the Assyrian plains, now speaking the modern Syriac, as originally Jews of the captivity and Chaldeans-those in the mountains having been driven thither by persecution; and that their language is Chaldean, which the learned are now on his journey in the hot season of the year. Mr. agreed is, in its origin, identical with Hinsdale was a feeble man when he went into the Syriac. He suggested also that the the country, and could bear but little. Dr. Grant people of Tiaree may have been origi- died of typhus fever taken by mingling much nally sent into that wild district as with the Tiaree captives, who, in their crowded miners. quarters, were dying of that disease by hundreds. Mrs. Mitchell and Mrs. Laurie did not die of diseases incident to the climate. Mr. Perkins, however, is inclined to attribute more to the influence of the climate, in the melancholy removal of some of these missionaries, than Mr. Rassam does.

Evangelical Brethren.

Mosul and its Inhabitants.

The inhabitants of Mosul are the Christians of various sects, the Jews and the Mussulmans, who are Mosulites, as they call themselves, being probably Arabs and Koords originally, though now reluctant to acknowledge that origin. There is an excellent neighborhood feeling among all classes at Mosul, Christians, Jews and Mohammedans, all mingling freely together. spirit of animosity that now exists there is among the Papists, who are wrangling among themselves, many being inclined to throw off the yoke of the pope, and others laboring to hold it upon their restless necks.

The greatest

Early this morning, one of the evangelical "brethren" called to see us. He was formerly a monk, in the papal monastery of Rabban Hermas, near Elkoosh, where he spent nine years. He is a deacon. His name is Ereemiah-i. e. Jeremiah, the same who accompanied us to Oroomiah. He escaped from the monastery, after many previous attempts, more than a year ago. He had long been deeply disgusted with the abominations of that den of evil agents and evil deeds. He is a very interesting, intelligent man, twenty-six years old, and was now engaged in teaching a school for the Jacobite bishop; Mr. Rassam having obtained that place for him after he left the monastery and discarded papacy, as he was cast off by his friends and sorely persecuted by his enemies. Another individual, priest Mehiel, who was formerly in that monastery, has become The city of Mosul is situated on a entirely evangelical, according to Mi-slight elevation of broken ground on the cah's statement, and associates fraternal-western bank of the Tigris. It is suply with Micah, in efforts to make known plied by water from the river, by means the gospel. He is about sixty years old. of skins, carried on the backs of horses. He was now absent from Mosul, having It is supposed to contain nearly sixty been sent by Mr. Rassam to Jezereh, to thousand inhabitants, of whom six or look after a school there, which Mr. seven thousand are Christians, distributed Rassam has now undertaken to sustain in the following manner, viz., two hunat his own expense. The teacher of that dred and fifty families of papal Nestori

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