Or the missionary labors, described in the Mr. Fisk's account of the same period was sent from Syria; but, as it has never been received, we suppose it fell into the hands of the Greek pirates. At Tyre. Dec. 21, 1824. Left Zidon for Tyre, where I took lodgings in the house of my Arab friend Nicola Manassa. Here I spent about a month, and made some efforts to establish a school for the education of Tyrian females, and was very near succeeding, when one of the principal priests rose up and said, "It is by no means expedient to teach women to read the word of God. It is better for them to remain in ignorance, than to know how to read and write. They are quite bad enough with what little they now know. Teach them to read and write, and there would be no living with them." These words from a priest, were sufficient to frighten the whole Greek Catholic population. With indignation, I said to him, "Do these words proceed from the mouth of a priest, whose lips ought to keep knowledge? Art thou set here as a light to the people, and dost thou say, that darkness is better than light? St. Peter said, 'Add to your faith virtue, and to virtue knowiedge;' how canst thou say, ignorance is better than knowledge?" But though I did not succeed in my plan of establishing a school, yet I had frequent opportunities for reading the VOL. XXIII. At Jaffa. Jan. 22, 1825. Mr. Fisk arrived from Beyroot, and Tuesday, the 25th, we set out together for Jaffa, where we arrived Saturday the 29th. Here I preached nine successive Sabbaths, in Arabic, to a little audience of from six or eight, to twenty persons. During our stay here, many very curious reports were circulated with regard to us, both among Christians and Mussulmans. Some said, that we bought people to our faith with money; and that the price we gave for common people, was ten piastres, and that those ten piastres always remained with the man who received them, however much he might spend from them. Some said, that when a man engaged to be of our faith, we took his picture in a book, and, that if, at any future day, he should go back to his former religion, we should shoot the picture, and the man would die, although we should be in England, and he in Asia. دو Signor G. D. informed us, that a Moslem came to him one morning, and told him he had heard, that there were men in his house, who hired peo ple to worship the devil, and asked if it were true, saying, that if it were, he would come and join us, and bring a hundred others with him. "What,' said Signor D. "would you worship the devil?" "Yes," replied the Moslem, "for the sake of money;" and I have very little doubt of his sincerity. The greater part of the people serve him. now, and that, too, for very miserable wages. 5 Some said, that we had caused a great shaking in the city, meaning by it a moral commotion; and, among the Mussulmans it was reported, that we had actually caused an earthquake. Feb. 23. Mr. Lewis arrived from Beyroot, on his way to Jerusalem. 25. Our teacher (Mr. Fisk's and mine,) was quite frightened to day, when at prayers in the Mosque. Some Mussulmans came to him, and told him they had heard, that there were certain men here, whom he instructed in witchcraft, that they had made an earthquake in the city, and that it was they, moreover, who had caused the the great earthquake at Aleppo. Leaving the Mosque, he came to us, apparently in great fear, and expressed a desire not to give us any more lessons. 26. He came and informed us, that two learned sheiks had called on him early in the morning, to inquire whether it was true, that those men in the house of Domani (Mr. Fisk and myself) had caused an earthquake? He, in reply, asked them if they were fools? and if they thought any one but the Lord of all worlds, could make an earthquake? and whether they thought we were gods? Read to day about twenty pages of what are called, by the Mussulmans, the Psalms of David, a copy of which I have just procured. They are very much in the style of the Koran, though there is an evident attempt to imitate, in some respects, the genuine Psalms of the inspired monarch of Israel. At Ramla. 28. Left Jaffa for Ramla, where we took lodgings in the Greek convent. From the Superior we learned, that none of the books, which we had sold there last year, had been taken away, and that those who had bought, had suffered nothing in consequence of the Grand Signor's firman. At Jerusalem. 29. Set out for Jerusalem, where we arrived in the evening, after the gates were shut. The governor, however, very politely, ordered them to be opened, and we entered. Several of the Greeks came out with lanterns to meet us, and, at the Convent of the Archangel, we were received with open arms, and were informed, that when our coming was announced, prayers were offered for us by the Greek priests. Our reception was truly gratifying and cheering, especially, as we had anticipated, or, at least, feared, some trouble, on account of the firman, and the strong enmity of the Roman Catholic priests. Thus far have we been led along in safety by the Great Shepherd of Israel, and may all glory be to his name. 30. Several of the Greeks sent us presents of bread and wine. 31. In the afternoon Signor Durogello, the Spanish Consul, arrived from Aleppo, to pay his devotions at the Holy Sepulchre. April 1. About noon, the Pasha of Damascus arrived with two or three thousand soldiers, and pitched his tent without the city, near the gate of Jaffa. It is the custom of the Pasha of Damascus to come up hither once a year, to collect tribute, both from Christians and Mussulmans; and his coming is generally a precursor of distress and sorrow. It may emphatically be said, during his stay here, that "these be days of vengeance." Towards night we went to the church of the Holy Sepulchre to hear the sermons of the Latin priests, and to witness their idolatrous worship. There were delivered, as is usual on the anniversary of the crucifixion, seven sermons. Four were in Spanish, two in Italian, and one in Arabic. "The first scene of the theatre," as one of their own priests, who assisted in the performance, remarked to us, "was in the chapel of the Roman Catholics." Into this we entered a little after sunset, where we saw, arranged in order, and clothed in splendid robes, the priests of the Terra Šanta. In a few minutes the doors were shut, the lights all extinguished, and one of these sons of darkness arose, and began a sermon in Italian. He had not uttered more than three or four sentences, before he began to tell how big the emotions were, that filled his breast, and changed the tones of his voice much sooner than a common tragedian would have done in a French theatre; so soon, that no one, I presume, could have been affected. Indeed his art was so manifest, and illtimed, that I could feel nothing in my own bosom but disgust. After having spoken fifteen or twenty minutes, he named the cross, and at that instant, a little door, which led into an adjoining apartment, opened, and a man entered with a light, bearing a large wooden cross. "Ecco vienne," cried the preacher, "nel momento proposito;" ("Behold it comes in the moment prophesied;") and kneeling before it, said, "Thee, O cross, we revere, and thee we adore;" ("Tu, O croce, ti reveriamo, et ti adoriamo.") The second sermon was delivered at the place, where, it is said, the gar ments of our Lord were divided; the third, where he was beaten; and the fourth, where he was nailed to the cross. These were in Spanish. At the last mentioned place, the cross was laid on the floor, and a wooden image about the size of a little babe, attached to it. As I saw the priests kneeling around it, with lighted wax candles in their hands, I said within myself, 'surely ye have crucified to yourselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.' After this farce, they brought the image on the cross to the place, where, they say, stood the cross of our Lord. There they planted it, and a sermon was delivered in Italian, which, though rather coarse, contained some just sentiments, with regard to the sorrows of the suffering Jesus. Towards the close, the speaker addressed the image, and concluded by saying, "We now wait for Joseph of Arimathea, to come and take down the body." The pretended Joseph soon came, and with hammers and pincers, drew out the nails from the hands and feet of the image, took it down with great apparent care, and wrapped it in a fine linen cloth. From the place of crucifixion, the image was carried down to the stone of unction, and anointed with some kind of ointment, and sprinkled with perfumed waters; after which a sermon was delivered in Arabic. The sermon was long, the Arabic bally pronounced, and the speaker often broke out in apostrophes, and prosopopeias, addressing stars, rocks, angels, Jews, &c.; but I was pleased with it, as containing the birth, life, sufferings, and death of our Saviour, who, he said, laid down his life for our sins. From the stone of unction, the image was carried to the sepulchre, and laid in the tomb, at the door of which a sermon was delivered in Spanish, and the scene was closed. Seldom have I had such feelings with regard to the Christian religion, as I had while witnessing this tragic scene, acted in one of the most interesting, one of the most sacred places on earth, -on Mount Calvary,-in the house of God, at the place where the Son of God suffered.--Never did I feel so ashamed of the name of Christian: I know of no scene on earth so calculated to make a man an infidel. Pagan Christians! Idolatrous worship-| pers of Christ!-Who can go to a Jew, or a Mussulman, in Jerusalem, and ask him to embrace the Christian religion? Ye have defiled the sanctuary of the Lord, and put the Son of God to open shame! 2. Our hearts were gladdened by the unexpected arrival of Dr. Dalton from Beyroot. 3. Preached in Arabic to a little audience of six or eight persons, from Luke 23; 33. "And when they were come to the place which is called Calvary, there they crucified him." 4. Held the Monthly Concert_of prayer on the Mount of Olives. We commenced with the commission of our Lord to his disciples, to go into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature. After this, we read other portions of Scripture, sung hymns, and successively offered up our petitions to the throne of grace, for the Jews, the Mussulmans, and the Christians of Jerusalem; for ourselves, our friends, the societies by which we are employed, and for the churches in our respective beloved countries; for kings, and all that are in authority, for pagan nations, and for the whole world. Towards the close of our services, we were interrupted by some armed Turks, who treated us with rudeness, and bid us hold our tongues. One of them talked of striking Mr. Fisk with his gun, and I was not without fear that they might use violence. From the Mount of Olives, we went down to Bethany, and from thence returned to Jerusalem. In the evening we learned, that the Greeks were in great affliction, and that terror and distress were spread through the city. Last night, the Pasha took the Superior of the convent of Mar Elias, (a Greek,) and gave him five hundred blows on his feet, in order to make him confess, that he had con- · cealed in his convent the treasures of the people of Bethlehem, who have all fled to Hebron. He also threatened to raze the convent to the ground, and to send his servants to search the great Greek convent at Jerusalem, and to take away whatever is pleasant to his eyes, in case the priests do not deliver to him, before the expiration of this day, a large sum of money. The soldiers have been about the city, breaking open houses, taking men prisoners, binding them, beating them, and putting them in prison. This they do to Greeks, Armenians, Roman Catholics, and Mussulmans, so that the whole city is filled with consternation. The Greek Metropolitans are under guard, and soldiers are stationed in the different principal convents. Of all the inhabitants, none have so much reason to fear as the Greeks. They are poor; no pilgrims now come to bring them relief, and their country is at war with the Porte. Their countenances are pale with terror, and I may say, that, with very few exceptions, they are literally in tears. Our hearts sicken with the cry of grief all around us. Jerusalem now "weepeth sore in the night, and her tears are on her cheeks; among all her lovers she hath none to comfort her; the ways of Zion do mourn, because none come to her solemn feasts; all her gates are desolate; her priests sigh, her virgins are afflicted, and she is in bitterness. Her adversaries are the chief; her enemies prosper; for the Lord hath afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions. The elders have ceased from the gate, the young men from their music. The joy of our heart is ceased; our dance is turned into mourning. The crown is fallen from our head; woe unto us, that we have sinned! For this our heart is faint; for these things our eyes are dim. Because of the mountain of Zion, which is desolate." The soldiers are around the wall, and we hear at times, or fancy we hear the cries of those, who suffer under the hand of Turkish cruelty. 6. The affair is likely to be adjusted between the Pasha and the Greeks, by the sum of one hundred thousand piastres. He has withdrawn the guard from their convent, liberated the prisoners, and permitted the poor Superior of Mar Elias to be brought into the city. He is now in the great convent of the Greeks. As soon as he was brought in, they sent for Dr. Dalton, who immediately went to his relief. Towards night, Dr. D. made him a second visit, and I went with him. One of his feet was swollen to a very great size, and the bottom of it bruised to a perfect pulp. firmness confess what he had once denied. Called on Signor D. at the Latin convent. He informed me, that the Pasha yesterday demanded from that convent, five hundred thousand piastres. To-day he has come down to two hundred thousand. 7. Rabbi Solomon Sapira called on me, together with the young Rabbi Isaac. Read a little with them in Hebrew, and conversed about the pronunciation of the language. Rabbi S. says, that Vander Hooght contains many errors; and that Yablonski is the most correct. In the afternoon, the two Greek Metropolitans invited us to take coffee with them. The object of this invitation we anticipated. It was to solicit aid. The stipulated sum, which the Greek convent has to pay to the Pasha yearly, is one hundred and twenty thousand piastres. In addition to that sum, he this year demands eighty thousand piastres, as a part of what the Bethlehemites were to have paid of the miri, or land tax, which makes two hundred thousand piastres. Then he demands ten thousand for the governor, ten thousand for another, so much for the Kadi, so much for the Tefenkgee Pasha, so much for soldiers, so much for guards, so much for oppression, till the whole sum demanded amounts to three hundred thousand piastres. In addition to this, the Mahmoodeah, which passes current at Jerusalem, at thirty-five piastres, he will receive only at twentyseven; and the dollar, which is twelve, he will receive only at eight and a half. He also demands a present of some camel-hair shawls, which he has learned was the custom, in former times, to give, but which, by stipulation, has, for several years, been discontinued. So that he seems determined to oppress them to the utmost. to the camp of the Pasha. All the Jews, as might be expected, were thrown into consternation. Rabbi R. has a firman, and is entitled to protection as a Frank. Mr. Lewis, through the Consul, Mr. Durogello, procured his release. The manner of his flagellation was as follows. A cord was attached to a pole in the form of a cross-bow, and his feet placed between the cord and the pole, which was elevated by two men, 8. The Turks took Rabbi Mendel one at each end, who turned it around and his son, with some other Jews, till his feet were closely pressed be-bound them in chains, and took them tween that and the cord. In this position, with his head resting on the ground, ten men fell to beating him on the soles of his feet with staves, which they clenched with both hands, so as to strike the harder. After theşe ten had beat him awhile, ten new ones were called. Thus were they changed four times, so that forty men were employed in beating him. He was then left on the ground, bare-headed, in the open air, without any sustenance but water, three days, and three nights, having a rope several times put around his neck, with the threat that he should be hanged; and all this could not make his Grecian 9. Rabbi Mendel, with his son, Rabbi Solomon Sapira, Rabbi Isaac, with several other Jews, called to see us, to express their thanks and their joy. Some kissed my hand, some said, "Praise be to God," and all seemed very grateful for the deliverance which Rabbi M. and his son had experienced. Sabbath, 10. Mr. Fisk preached in English from Ex. 3. 5. 15. The Pasha, with his troops, moved off from Jerusalem towards Damascus, taking with him Omar Effendi, and the brother of Aboo Ghoosh. Sabbath, 17. I preached from Heb. 9. 22. "And without the shedding of blood there is no remission." The following is the rough translation of a letter, which was received from Aboo Ghoosh, by the Procurator of the Latin convent. "To his presence, the glory of the Christian sect, our friend the Procurator of the convent of the Franks.—May he remain in safety. 19, The Superior of the convent "After abundant longing after your where we lodge, spent the evening with intimate friendship, with regard to your us, as usual As he understands Greek welfare and health, we commence [by and Arabic, we have prayers, some- saying] to your friendship, that what times in one language, and sometimes has happened with regard to us, and the in the other. This evening, we had injustice done to our brother Abd Er prayers in Arabic. After prayers, I || Rahman is not concealed from you. And made some remarks to the servants, on now the sum of thirty-five purses is the nature of prayer, its design, and its demanded of our brother, and your proper object. The Superior listened friendship understands, that, although with attention, and when I had finished the whole country should be sunk, we my remarks, he turned to me and said, would not give five paras. And now we "How beautiful upon the mountains, will not permit the roads to be travelled are the feet of him that bringeth good until we shall receive them [the 35 tidings, that publisheth peace, that purses.] What is hoped from your bringeth good tidings of good, that pub-friendship, is, that you will make some lisheth salvation."--"So," added he, "we To-day, 50 or 60 pilgrims were taken by Aboo Ghoosh. 22. The country about Jerusalem is in a very tumultuous state. 23. We were told that all the Armenian priests at Jerusalem, had fled, and that their convent was sealed up by order of the Governor. 26. Abd Er Rahman, the brother of Aboo Ghoosh, arrived from Naploos, where he has been confined by the Pasha of Damascus. The Pasha finding him, when at Jerusalem, seized upon him, put him in chains, carried him to Naploos, and demanded for his ransom thirty-five purses, or 17,500 piastres. 27. Heard of several men being killed at Bethlehem. Robberies and murders in the vicinity of Jerusalem, are now frequent. 28. I was informed, by some of Aboo Ghoosh's men, that he had had two hundred horsemen out, watching night and day, in order to take the Spanish consul, Durogello, who, it was known, was very anxious to leave Jerusalem. He had proposed to us to go with him. Sabbath, May 1. Mr. Fisk preached in Italian to 18 or 20 persons, among whom were six Greek priests, one Jew, and one Catholic. arrangement with our friends, the Armenians and the Greeks, with regard to them, and in some way or other, avert them from us. [That is, pay them.] And you are now most fully informed on this subject. "What is hoped from your friendship, as we have mentioned, is, that you may not render it necessary [to proceed] to things which men will hear of. And your friendship understands, that, although we should go from this part of the country, we would not give two paras. "At all events, however, you may arrange this affair, arrange it. And may you remain [in peace.] Your devoted friend, IBRAHEEM ABоо GнOOSH." 13th Remandan, 1240. 2. The Spanish consul desired a consultation with us and the English travellers here, with regard to leaving Jerusalem. The governor offers to give us all the soldiers he has at command, to accompany us, but says, that he cannot ensure our safety. "Without are fightings, and within are. fears." 7. The Spanish consul sent to us, in the morning, to be ready to set out on our journey in one or two hours. Some of us, however, doubted with regard to the expediency of going, til affairs should be arranged between Aboo Ghoosh and the convents, as to the the Pasha. money which was demanded of him by After some consultation and demur, the consul decided to go, at all events; and Messrs. Madox, H. Lewis, and |