The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1895-01-16

-
tansiYe and mountainous territory south
of Armenia, partly in Asiatio Turkey
and partly in Persia They lead no
madic life and are very good horsemen.
The men are adventurous and warllke
and inclined to brigandage. Or them
Miss Mary Wright, returned mission
airy who spent several years in Asia
Minor, says:
1.-THE Kurds are the supposed descend
ants Of an ancient warlike race, and
accordingly they are cruel and barba-
rous- They are not afraid of anybody,
but everybody is afraid Of them. The
Mohammedan government winks at
their performances, and they are free to
do as they please without fear Of inter
ference. Often I have seen the little
Armenian girls cry at the sight OF
Kurd. and remark shrihkdngly,
'SHt3Ardes't The word means 'woik rand
-ffthtnE theirs Is a wen named race. to-
''They don't cultivate their fields
and won't do work of any sort. Almost
any other Turk will steal sometimes,
but these live entirely by plundering
It is not Uncommon for the Kurds to
wait until the grain is all harvested and
then 90 and reap the results OF the hard
fields Of everything" .''-S
Armenia possesses peculiar historical
interest ON account Of its great antiquity.
There is a legend which Is not without
much confrzastory evidence that Adam
was an Armenian, and that in the pic
turesdue region near the headwaters OF
the Euphrates was situated the garden
of Eden. Ararat is In Armenia, and SO
it seems probable that Noah was one Of
that country's old settlers The ancient
navigator must have landed on a snow
bank unless the climate Of that region
has greatly changed since his time, for
it is now said that the snow has never
been known to melt ON Afarats though
in tho valleys a mild and salubrious
climate prevails.
The religion Of Armenia is also Of
great antiquity, and it Is said to be tho
first entire nation to be Christiand1ed
The church Of Armenia's traditions
claims an older than apostolic founda-
ton, but its founder, according to ac-
copied history was st. Gregory. called
the uluminator. Q member Of the Ar
menian royal family. st. Gregory 3
peeAohing began IN the year A. d. as.
9tlS hnAhhsf Ia which this church be-
oB-MdSp&n1.eaE o. T6S -6h6fch of
Rome and also Of the Greek church
which it moro nearly resembles doctri-
nallx d . sort OF HISTORICAL przEles But
10 sO Atstinct eocleSids deal tnStitutt
which has persisted through manifold
tTibulations and prosecutions. perhaps
even has been puxined by them. It hAa
its own version Of the Bible; its own
sGrzxaents, baptism, confirmation, the
eucharist penance, ordination, mar
riage and extreme JUNCTION; its own lit
u1gy. sAid to date from the first century
md 20 have been modeled upon that Of
the church Of Jerusalem.
There Is threefold order Of Arme.
MAN clergy. bishops, priests, deacons.
And there are three degrees Of episcopal
rank, the archbishop, the bishop and the
Yartabed or doctor Of theology, who Of
ten has charge Of o diocese with episco
pal functions The priesthood is hered
itary.
The history of Armenia is a long sto-
Uof persecution and suffering. For cen
turtles its people were the prey Of Sara
cen cahphs, and now they moan the tyr
amy Of Turkish pashas. The bounda
ries of the country have varied greatly
at different periods and now embrace al
area of about $50, 900 miles. although
they are not officially fixed. They touch
the Caucasus mountains ON the north
run nearly to the Caspian sea on thu
east and extend west to the Euphrates
1t Is estimated that not more thar
5000, 600 Armenians now remain IL
their native country, while 8, 900, 600 ol
1000, 900 are scattered in other lands
First-class rubber stamps on'shor