New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1843-02-08

We nave IOuDu Iris q iHOSl interesting Ana SAi-
,able book Protesting to give, in the simple
language OF plain narration, msrelythe experience
If Missionary Of the Cross dwelling for two or
three years among remote and unknown people,
acquiring their language, cutivating their &C.
,uainlance, encounterng their prejudice, submit
ting 10 all the privatons and hardships of this self
DENYING life the author has extended his range Of
observation; and though, as he says, his object
and labors have been strictly Missionary, he has
.oteh, TO combine miscellany and incident with
accurate religious and general information. He
has presented thus work Of decided worth, not
only to those whe are mainly concerned in the
Progress and Prosperity of the Missionary efforts
there recently organized, but to all who feel any
interest in the history and condition Of small bat
venerable people, hitherto obscure, but likely here
aer TO receive attention from men OF learning and
piety throughout the world.
II is only within few years that the HISTORIANS
have attracted any considerable notice from Chris
,ian nations. AS nearly as can be ascertained
they are in number about 100000, dwelling pin
cipally among the mountains of Koordistan and III
Oroomiah, in the Western part Of Persia. Those
ihhabiting the mountains rude, wild, bold and
qunrrelsome, miserably poor, subssting chiefly BY
pasturage and maintaining themselves with diff
Guilty aganst the constant and violent assaults OF
the surrounding koords. The district of Oroom
ali is the Northwestern province of Persia, a mag
ni6cen plain, some forty miles in length and twen
~ wide, amply watered with fertile soil all well
cultivated and producing wheat, cotton, rice and
he various fruits of the temperate in luxurious
abundance enclosed on all sides by the imposing
branches of the koordisn mountain, which, at it,
eAtremities, sweep downwards to the lake which
skirts its Eastern side Upon this great plain are
built about three handred and thirty villages many
of them exclusively occupied by Nesterians, and
others inhabited by.them in common with Muham
medans, who mainly own the soil, and keep the
HISTORIAN Christians in gnoble though not Otter
cruel, bondage. The view from the elevation bacl
Of the city of Oroomiah, over the plain studded
with its villages, verdnnt with thousands Of or
chards and frut-trees, and cleaning with illimita
bic fields waving golden harvest, and farther still
the azure bosom of the placid lake, beaming and
sparkling under the brillancy Of the pure Persian
sky, is represented by Mr.. PERKINS as one Of the
most lovely and beautiful upon which the eye OF man
has ever gazed Naturally, the climate is one OF
the finest in the world though artificial causes
such as stagnant pools Of water and the constant
irrigation of its fields, made necessary by the lack
Of frequent showers, have rendered it unhealthy,
especially TO those from other lands.
Dwelling upon this plain, the Serfs of the Mu.
hammedans by whom they surrounded, having
in the midst of their principal cities some two thou
sand Jews, this singular people preserve dis1inc'
existence separate tribe, resisting firmly, even
TO slavery and death, all attempts to impose upon
them the religion of those who hold them in per
petual thral and preserving, nominaly at leastand
with the fervor of enthusiasm religion founded
upon the Bible and conforming in all its great
essential features TO the faith of Protestant Christ
endom in The West. Their literary language Is
the ancient Syriac their vernacular modern DIAL
ec of it corrupted by diversions, contractions and
the introduction of Persian words. Besides lhe
Holy Scriptures which with some slight exceptions
were found among them nearly III the fotm in
which wa have them, the HISTORIAN Christians have
also books containing the Church Service of the
people Legends of the Saints, Laws and Canons OF
the Church, books of wise sayings, manuscripts oil
the New Testament dating back some six hundred
years, and few other books, mostly of religious
stamp They have regular Church organic alton,
consisting of Patriarch as its head and nine &c
clesiastical orders, ordained by the imposition OF
hands and divided into dioceses varying from one
up TO ten, fifteen or even thirty villages. TherIe-
lsious belief and practice are simple and scrip
tural; their doctrine clear and definite, and their
general manner of life perhaps quite as universal!
" pure and upright as among other nomlnally
Christian Nations.
The existence of such small band OF Christian
people in the midst of those wko for many years
have been violen, and powerful followers OF Mo-
BANNED and bitterly hostile thus to the faltii oil
their subsci race, exposed 10 their hatred and OPP
preston yet maintaining firmly thsir indePend-
ence as religious body, in itself possesses deep
and mysterious interest. Whence were they =
how came they there and how happened they to
become and conlinue Christians are questions a.
once suggested. They are believed by many, and
BY our au,her among them, TO be descendants Oh
the Jews, perhaps that portion OF the israeiites
Carried into captivity By the Kings OF assyria INTO
lands may be not far distant from that they now
nhabit. Dr. AsAHEL GRANT, likewise an Anne
scan Missionary, goes even farther than this and
ventures to believe them descendants OF the lost
len tribes, though this theory is rejected by DIR.
ROBINSON, more profoundly learned and decl-
slvs authority, Their conversion to Christianity
both The ancient writings and the eral traditions
of the HISTORIANS refer to Thomas, one of the