Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1854-01-06

Turkish forces acting against the Koords,
there are three hundred villages full of
Armenians, some of them containing from
two to three hundred houses. Allowing
five inhabitants to each house, this would
give a very large population to each vii
lage. 1t is, therefore, of importance to To-
cate an American missionary in such
cities, that he may superintcnd the work
and oversee the natives, who are sent out
to chffstianize the population. With re-
gard to the people, their physical appear
ance is very much resembling our own,
both the Armenians, as well as very MANY
of the Turks; they are as pale faced as
we are, and light cOmplexioned, particu-
larly those living in cities, and always
with very dark hair and eyes, withscarce
ly single exception, so that as a people,
they are very interesting and good look
ing. l never saw but one Armenian who
had not black eyes and black hair. The
country people are generally darker
through exposure to the sun and air; they
live in villages, and are mostly farmers,
residing in very poorly built houses made
of stone and mud, one story high. Many
of them are sunk below the surface of the
ground, which renders them very damp,
but in the cities the. floors are so built
that they keep out the dampness. @
MIR. Bliss then gave minute descrip-
ton of the native houses which, he OBJ
served, were very badly rooted. He
resumed in the following manner: "The
house in which lived was better built
than the generality of the houses in the
village, but not so good as those in
Erzeroum. Wewere, however, often com.
pelled to throw oil-clOthS over our heads
when rain storm came on, to protect
ourselves from the weather. When was
sick, the only place that | could find for
protection from the weather, was besidea
wall, down which the rain water would
trickle from the ceiling, thus rendering it
very damp, indeed. They have no win
dows to their houses; and as you 90
through the market places you see the
places intended for the windows, cover
ed with paper, with small pieces of glass
scattered here and there about the paper.
which is oiled, to allow the light to pass
through. The Franks have windows and
doors to their houses, as well as better
floors, but these latter are very damp, in
deed, and the inmates are exposed to severe
colds. To prevent this, they spread over
the floor coarse heavy covering, some
thing like felt, over which is generally
placed mat or carpet. Madame
Pfeiifer, in her book of travels, has said a
good deal about the Missionaries living in
luxury, which is not exactly the case.
AS matter of course, when a strange
lady came amongst them, the good Mis-
Sionaries brought out their best articles of
use, to do her honor, which caused the
report to be circulated that the Mission
aries had great many luxurieS like in
civilized countries. These Missionaries,
on the contrary, lived for years without
any covering on the ground that formed
the floor of their houses, and in conse-
quence of the damp, they and their fam
lilies fell sick and were in danger of dying.
They, therefore, built the floors higher,
and placed carpet over the middle of the
floor. 10 be sure they had beautiful
carpet-a Persian carpet, but they had it
because it was the cheapest, they could
not, for instance, have sent to America
for common carpet, for it would cost
more than the Persian carpet that they
used instead. At theiplace which Madame
Pfeiffer mentioned, the missionaries were
in the habit Of entertaining the high func-
tlonaries of the government, and had been
visited for some time by the Shah of Persia,
1t was, therefore, necessary to display a
little more magnifcence than was usual
otherwise. This has been the foundation
of the reports that have been spread by
Madame Pfeffer in her book of travels.
DIR. Smith asked the speaker what was
the amount of the salary paid to the mis-
sionaries! My salary was $500. Twas
sent $3.50, but | reduced it of my own
accord to $500; out of this paid $3.50
for medical attendance and medicines in
one year, during which time | and NV
wife were both sick. The missionaries
in Armenia when they first went there
drank the water from therunning stream,
but finding it prejudicial to their health,
they sunk well. In imitation of them
| sunk one at Erzeroum, when resided
there, but, as the English consul re-
marked, the bottom fell out, SO that the
water was not so good as that of the mis-
sionaries located elsewhere. The people
follow every description of trade and call
ing, as with us; workers in metal, car
penters, masons, &C., but each trade forms
a clique, and no individual of the trade
can work at it without the permission
of the chief. The shops of each trade
form a particular street, in which all of
the same trade follow their peculiar call
ing. These latter are very small, about
eight feet by three or four feet, so that a
dealer has all his merchandise about him.
and is not obliged to get up from his seat
to hand customer an article, as he can
reach every thing with his hand. This
popularity enables the natives to perse-
cute very much any one who has turned
from his religion to Professionalism. For
example, suppose it is tailor, if any one
goes to his store to buy an article eff clo-
thing. his neighbors will call out, '.Do
not go to that man, he is a Protestant,
an infidcl who has left the mother church
to 60 and learn strange things from men
who have come from a foreign land"
The Turkish emperor had issued firman
that there should be no religious perse-
cution, but it is of no use.