174 THE TURK AND ARMENIAN. Irom Greek Christians, and lastly from the Mahomedans; until at fength, toward the latter end of the sixteenth century, they were broken up as a nation by the Persian conqueror, Shah Abbas, who, that he might defend himself the more easily against the Turks, laid waste a great part of Armenia, and carried away to Persia great numbers of the people. In Constantinople, as well as in other parts of Turkey, there are many Armenians. They may be seen moving along the streets in a half-stride, half-shuffle, of a pace, gliding as if afraid to put their feet to the earth. Their dress consists of red cotton trowsers, a tunic of dark striped cotton or silk, over which is worn, in cold weather, a spencer lined with fur, an immense red shawl wound round the middle, and a large black or dark-coloured cloth cloak. The feet are covered with a pair of pointed red slippers, and on the head is placed a hat of very peculiar shape, like a pear with the small end put on the head. Our Engraving will explain it better than EAST-AFRICAN INQUIRERS. 175 any description. The Armenians are generally a wealthy class. Many of them are serafs or bankers, who buy old coin, and, melting it down, sell it to the Government for bullion. They are also lenders of money. It is very difficult to say what the Armenian is not in the way of trade and labour in Turkey. Corn-merchants, physicians, bakers, builders, braziers, masons, joiners, smiths, are to be found among them. In Turkey, therefore, they are a very useful class, particularly as the Turk is lazy, and indisposed to exert himself. His religion makes him so. Rising with the sun, he goes through his form of prayer, drinks his coffee, and stagnates through the day. He is the conqueror, the master, and is contented that the other classes of the population should labour, while he remains inert. Hence the whole empire is fast decaying. Here then you have, side by side, the Turk and the Armenian ; the conqueror and the conquered: the one haughty, the other cringing, in his manner: the one presuming on his position, and becoming poor; the other feeling the necessity of effort, and crafty in forwarding his own interest: the one a professing Christian, the other an Infidel: the Turk hating idols, the Armenian a picture-worshipper. He does not, indeed, carve an image, but paints an image, before which tapers are burned, votive offerings suspended, and prayers offered. Thus, instead of recommending Christianity to the Infidels by whom he is surrounded, he has made it to be abhorred in their eyes. But a blessed work of reformation has commenced among the Armenians, of which we intend to say something in a future Number, and in this there is hope for the Turk. EAST-AFRICAN INQUIRERS. OUR Missionaries in East Africa have been encouraged in their labours by the conversion of some sinners to God, over whom they have been enabled to rejoice as the first-fruits of the Mission. They are few in number-three-but it is not by numbers that the value of the work is to be tested. Although so few as three, yet they are the first converts, and therefore are necessarily invested with a peculiar interest. A poor cripple named Mringe was the first whose heart opened to the Truth. He seemed much interested in what the Missionaries said, remembered the Bible histories he was taught, and soon began to pray to Christ in a very simple manner. He told Dr. Krapf one day of a dream which he had the night before, that he ought to throw away his beads and other superstitious ornaments which he wore. Dr. Krapf told him that the plain Word of God, without any dream, ought to be quite sufficient reason for putting aside things which were sinful, and could not quiet his soul. Dr. Krapf continues Upon this, he cut off the string of blue beads which he wore around his neck. I kept silence, but rejoiced in heart at this small beginning of a change for the better in this country. We sat under the shadow of a 176 EAST-AFRICAN INQUIRERS. tree when this happened. How unsightly are often the beginnings of the kingdom of God in a country! like a little tree rising out of its hidden roots. There is an Mnika cripple with mutilated legs-no wise, no mighty, nor noble man of this world--and he performs an act worthy of the look of angels; for by this act the poor man declared to serve the living God, and no more the superstitious idols of his countrymen. This first instance was soon followed by a second. The Rev. J. Rebmann, in a Letter dated Sept. 21, 1850, says By means of the poor cripple Mringe, another more respectable Mnika was induced to listen to the Gospel, and to open his heart for its reception. As they live very near to each other-about three miles from hence-my visits to the Wanika on their plantations have latterly been almost wholly limited to them. They may now be considered as Candidates for Baptism, though we do not think that we shall baptize them very soon, as they, being the foundation of an East-African Church, need a longer trial than those who will come after them. The latter, whose name is Abbe Gunja, though we have not been acquainted with him so long as with Mringe, has given us more decided proofs of his sincerity, he being a healthy, independent man, while Mringe is a helpless cripple, of whom, up to this day, we are not fully convinced which of the two is prevalent in his mind-whether desire after the Gospel or the wish for bodily help, which, from his poor circumstances, we cannot wholly deny him; the more so as his mother is often scolding him on account of his parting with the few heathenish practices he was able to perform, and receiving the new and strange doctrines of the Musungu (European). Abbe Gunja is for the same reasons also found fault with, but he wants no help of any body, nor has he up to this day begged the smallest thing of us. On Sundays, if he knows that I shall not come to him, he will come to us to hear the Word of God. The observance of the Lord's-day will never be grievous to these people, as their own customs of old require them to rest, at least from agricultural business, on every fourth day. But Abbe Gunja has left his communion with heathenism in other matters, which require more resolution and firmness, as, for instance, their terrible customs practised over the dead, which for a considerable time forbid them to do their usual business, and often render them destitute of provisions. As a proof of having his conscience awakened, I would mention that the violent mode of having debts paid by climbing up the debtor's cocoa-nut trees and taking down the palm wine, appeared to him as unbecoming in a man who had laid hold on "the Book;" wherefore he asked me one day what he was to do with a debtor of his who would not pay him. I told him that, as a Christian, he ought to seek to have his lent property restored in a just and gentle way, and if he did not succeed it was better to lose it than to commit violence in having it paid, to which he perfectly agreed. Another man promising for conversion is a Cadi of the neighbouring Mahomedan village, Jomfu, who formerly was in the employment of Dr. Krapf as interpreter, and whom, at the time of my being confined to our cottage, I instructed in reading the books which have been printed in the Kinika language, and set forth Christ to him as also his Saviour and Lord. He evidently was deeply impressed with all I told him, and THE BURDWAN MISSION STATION. 177 much wished to be able to live near us. On his return to his village he took several copies of both translations with him, for the purpose of instructing other people in his village, especially children. He has since written to me several times in his own language-Kisuáhéli- but with the English printed characters; and about twenty days ago he was deprived of his Cadiship in consequence of his open confession that he would henceforth follow Christ. His chief argument against Mahomedanism is, that its professors, in order to obtain the favour of God, are enjoined to make pilgrimages to Mecca, which the Suáhělis, on account of their general poverty, cannot afford. And this is, indeed, the principal reason why the term "bigotry," so well deserved by the generality of the followers of the false prophet, can scarcely be applied to the Mahomedans on the East-African coast. If there be a real work of the Holy Spirit in the heart of this man, he may well be expected to prove an able instrument, in the hand of the Lord, of bringing a blessing upon many of his countrymen, Mahomedans as well as heathen. We trust that Dr. Krapf, with the Rev. C. Pfefferle, and the German mechanics, has by this time reached Mombas. May there. be, with the increase of labourers, a great increase of blessing from God, and our Missionaries be privileged to count their converts not by units but by tens! THE BURDWAN MISSION STATION. BURDWAN is about seventy-three miles north-north-west of Calcutta. Missionary operations were commenced there many years ago by an officer, Lieutenant Stewart. He opened some Schools for the native children; and the Church Missionary Society having, on his representations, taken them under their charge, they increased to twelve in number, Lieutenant Stewart continuing to superintend them. In the year 1819 two Missionaries of the Society, the Rev. Messrs. Jetter and Deerr, reached Burdwan, and in that year a piece of ground was purchased, which is the site of the present Missionary Station. The ground it occupies consists of about twenty-one acres, and is situated about two miles from Burdwan on the high road to Benares. You first meet an entrance leading to the residence of one of our Missionaries; then, as you pass along, you come to the Orphan Boys'-school, then to the church, and then to another entrance leading to an avenue of fine trees, which conducts you to the house of another Missionary. This occupies the second side of the compound. Passing along the third side, you come first to the Infant-school, then the Orphan Girls'-school and play-ground, then the native village, built along two sides of a noble tank, which supplies all who reside on the premises with water. Each cottage has its garden before it, and all is marked by a neatness and cleanliness which form a marked contrast to the uncomfortableness and filth of the generality of the native dwellings. The middle space of the compound is a green lawn, in the midst of which stands a magnificent peepul tree. Under the shadow of this great tree the children of the Schools, not only of those on the Mission compound, but of 178 THE BURDWAN MISSION STATION. many others in the surrounding districts, have often assembled, and been examined class by class. From the Burdwan Schools the Good Shepherd has gathered many lambs into His heavenly fold. During the year ending September 1850 several promising children were removed by death. Of one of these, ten years of age, the following interesting account is given by Mrs. Weitbrecht, the wife of our Missionary, the Rev. J. J. Weitbrecht He had been ill a long time, and was not led to feel his sinful condition till within a few weeks of his death. His pious father had called him Samuel, because he had asked him of the Lord, and he was a child of many prayers. When his sickness assumed a serious aspect, this parent's great concern was for the safety of his soul, though he also employed every means in his power for the restoration of his bodily health. At one time it seemed as if it had pleased God to bless some of these means, and his father's first impulse was to present a thank-offering to the Lord, which he did by asking four rupees to be given from him to the Bible Society. Soon after, however, the child again relapsed, and his good father's anxiety redoubled, while his prayers increased in fervency, for his son's true conversion. The good and faithful Lord beheld his tears, and listened to his petition, and once more repeated the cheering words which He had uttered to a beseeching father in the days of His sojourn here" Thy son liveth." But it was not as to the present life He gave him this gracious assurance-it was of the infinitely more important and eternal life upon which he so earnestly desired his child to enter. Little Samuel was exercised for many days with great distress of mind, because, as he repeatedly said, "I have been such a wicked, sinful child, that I shall never be forgiven;" but by degrees his fear was removed, and it was given him to "look on Him whom he had pierced," with the eye of faith, and, while he mourned for sin, to rejoice in the assurance that this same precious Saviour had forgiven all his guilt, and received him as His own. The last few days of his short pilgrimage were very cheering, so that even his weeping mother smiled through her tears, and said, "I feel I ought to be much more glad than sorry, and I hope I am; but it goes very near my heart to part with my first-born son." Samuel continually comforted her, and told her there was no doubt whatever of their certain and eternal re-union in heaven, when she would never be called to part from him again. His father had gone out preaching; and during his absence the dear child felt himself sinking fast, and expressed an earnest wish to see his beloved parent once more. A messenger was despatched for him, and he came. On leaving his pastor, he said, "Sir, remember me, and pray for me that I may be enabled to glorify God in the sacrifice He now calls on me to make, as Abraham did." On his arrival, the whole family quickly gathered around the dying bed, and parents and children united in that solemn hour in thanking and praising God for His great mercy to him who was now about to be delivered from the pains and sorrows of this sinful world, and then he bade them all farewell: his father commended his spirit to the tender Redeemer's keeping, and it departed to rest in His bosom, where it is safe, and happy for ever. |