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


their opportunities, that there is no get
were, therefore, accustomed to supply
them with some simple medicine. gener-
ally pills, which could do neither good
nor HARM. a7rE1 .-..sF
| will relate the following instance of
the superstition prevalent: Two of the
muleteers who travel to the city, had
been amusing themselves with wrestling
in the sun, until one Of them, overcome
by the heat, tainted away, and appeared
to give mo signs Of life. The people
gathered, in consequence, around him
and, as usual, sent messenger desiring
me to come and relieve the sick man. L
told them that l was not y physician
but it was to no purpose; they still in
sisted on my coming, and were SO urgent
in their entreaties, that was at last in
duced to 60, and found him as if dead,
showing no Indications of life. As the
only resource, ordered him TO be taken
out Of the sun and placed in the shade,
whilst went back for some spirits Of
camphor and hartshorn. On my return,
L rubbed his face and hands with the
camphor, and applied the hartshorn to
his nostrils, which soon had very extra
ordinary effect; the man, after some time,
opening his eyes and throwing up his
hands. The people round about threw
up their hands likewise, and cried out,
referring to my supposed miracle, /" he is
a god. returned home, having left q
little camphor with the people to continue
rubbing him, and thought no more of the
matter. About year or SO after, | was
accosted earnestly by stranger who
said % Efendi," which means "Sir,"
"did you ever raise a man from the
dead" L was rather surprised at the
question and replied Certainly not"
On making inquiries, found that there
was report in circulation that the little
Effend (meaning myself, to distinguish
me my from companion missionary, who
was very large man. had raised man
from the dead. After taxing nv brain
for some time, | recollected the circum-
stance just mentioned, and found that the
report was based upon it. If they cannot
procure medicine from the Franks, the
more superstitious will procure lump
of dirt from the tomb of some saint and
place it under his pillow, ascribing the
patients recovery, if it should SO turn
out, to the virtue of the charm.
The lecturer then entered into an ac-
count of his interview with Reschid
Pacha, commandments of the Turk
ish forces, and gave an amusing instance
of the slavish submission of the people.
On his journey to the Pacha 8 tent, he
rode on horseback, with the attendants
walking beside on foot, and as he passcd
along the streets, the inhabitants, pre-
suming him to be an English Consul, or
some other official of high standing, paid
every honor, the merchant in his store
bowed down his head, and the workman
at his bench left off his occupation. After
spending an hour in company with the
Pacha, he returned, but he beheld a vast
change in the demeanor Of these same
people, who, having found out their mis-
take, and finding that he was Pro-
teStant missionary, treated him with
every sort OF indignity. In the northeast
of the country, there is large province
of Armenia, with many large towns and
villages full of Armenians, who speak a
language very much nearer that in use
fifteen centuries ago than that of any other
province. No missionary had ever been
among them, but we sent colporteur,
who left books in their villages. The re-
suit was that the people began to discuss
questions, not only of religion, but like
wise of science. They sent deputation
to Erzeroum, requesting that mission
airy might be located among them; but
this could not be done, and, during last
summer, seventy families, who had turn
ed ProteStantS, were most cruelty perse
cuted, their fields of grain (thev were
mostly farmers) being trampled down,
and they themselves almost deprived of
bread to eat. This state of things is not,
however, peculiar to one province in
Turkey, but is similar in hundred other
provinces, so that nearly the whole re-
glon is full Of men seeking after the truth.
What they seek is not exactly the truth
itself, but the investigation of the truth;
and this is not strange. They have be-
come disguised with their priests, and
are turning to us for information. If this
is not granted, they will pass over to a
scepticism which it will be more difficult
to eradicate than their former SUPER
stitions.
The lecturer then entered into some
statistics respecting the circulation of the
Bible and other books among the natives.
and said that by means of the Armenian
language the Turks were better enabled
to read the Scriptures than even if they
had been printed in their own, from the
superior simplicity of the character
used in the former. The two langua-
ges, Armenian and Turkish, are used
indifferently in every family, the latter is
the language business, and the former of
the domestic hearth. The man will
speak perhaps in Turkish, but will be
always replied to by his family in Arme-
nian. After the Bible, the book that had
the greatest circulation in the country
was a translation of the s.Dairyman's
Daughter" which had been circulated
all over the Levant and through the Turk
ish possessions. Several interesting an
ecdotes were given. illustrating the re-
ligious feeling of the people, and the
lecturer concluded by an earnest appeal
to those present to aid in the work, OBJ
serving that even if the Turkish flag. in