Missions in Eden; glimpses of life in the valley of the Euphrates

Contents

I

PASS

All the Way to Trebizond n

II How Christ Came to Ararat 19

IV The Prote Konak 42

V

Armenian Etiquette and Housekeeping "A la Frank" 50

VI

VII "Woman, the Teacher of the Race" . . 71

VIM

3036122

Contents IX

PAGE

How the Windows of Heaven were Opened, 99

X

XI "Over the Taurus Mountains" .... 125

XII Gregory the Martyr 149

XIII Boghos the Hermit and Martyr . . . .173

List of Illustrations

Mount Ararat Frontispiece

Moffas, a Method of Travelling To face 27

Harpoot

Armenians in Village Dress

Armenian Types

Translators of Kurdish Bible

Euphrates College, Mission Premises, Harpoot

Village Scenes

An Inmate of our Orphanage .;....

4'

•59 190

Introduction

These glimpses of missionary life, which friends of missions have urged me to write, are sent forth with the prayer that some may be helped and strengthened by them to do more earnest work for the Master, who calls every Christian at home and abroad to enter His vineyard. Almost fifty years of labor in the home and foreign field have convinced me that the earnest worker will receive, even now, a blessed reward. What will it be to hear the Master say, "Well done, good and faithful servant; . . . enter thou into the joy of thy Lord " ?

The hope for the future of missions is brighter to-day than ever before, and with joy I dedicate this little volume to the Student Volunteers from whom I expect so much.

Mrs. C. H. Wheeler.

" Rouse to some work of high and holy love, And thou an angel's happiness shalt know ; Shalt bless the earth, when in the world above

The good begun by thee shalt onward flow In many a branching stream, and wider grown, The seed that in these few and fleeting hours Thy hands unsparing and unwearied sow, Sh-'l deck thy grave with amaranthine flowers, And yield the fruits divine in heaven's immortal bow«rs."

Cajuos Wilcox. 9

ALL THE WAY TO TREBIZOND

In 1857, the American Board did not send out their missionaries in steamers, but in sailing vessels. On the second of January, in that year, eleven missionaries went on board the Henry Hill in Boston harbor, bound for Smyrna.

It was just after an eastern storm, and the good ship was not so quiet as she would be before our journey's end. Ten of the eleven missionaries were found at the table that day. It was midwinter, and the tendency to seasickness made us all hug our warm wraps about us. The wind was fair and the ship under full sail sped over the waves like a thing of life.

The next day we were all out on deck enjoying the wide expanse of ocean; for this was our first experience at sea. Shut up as we were in the ship, and with so much of common interest in the work to which we had given ourselves, we

were not long in getting acquainted. Some of the scenes on deck and at the long table in the cabin are so painted upon the mind that they will never become indistinct.

Soon we were in the Gulf Stream and were interested in the changed color of the water, the cloudy sky and continuous lightning, and not the least, in the grateful warmth that resulted from the current coming from a warmer region.

Every day we found something to interest us, for everything was new and we were ready to drink it in.

The good captain was also ready to give us all the information we sought, and the days were passing very pleasantly, when, one evening, we began to see clouds gathering in the east. The sailors seemed more active than usual, the sails were being furled as the wind was rising. The captain occasionally used his glass as he paced the quarter-deck with a quicker and more nervous step. Soon darkness shut us in and an Atlantic storm burst upon us in all its fury. The noble ship pitched and rolled fearfully. It seemed as if in the darkness some mighty demon with his terrible sledge hammer was trying to send us all to the bottom.

Were we sorry that we had left the quiet

homes behind and were bearing the dangers of

All the Way to Trebizond

the deep to carry the gospel to those who were in darkness ?

It was gloomy in the cabin as we sat and listened to the smashing of glass and the noises made by everything that was not securely lashed; and we ourselves were in danger of being pitched over the table against the sides of the cabin. Now a great wave breaks over the ship, she trembles like a human creature and for a moment ceases to move. Is she going down ? Oh no, she has eleven missionaries on board, and like Paul and Silas, they are singing! He who bade them go and disciple the nations is just as much in the ship as He was in the boat on Galilee. How could they be afraid ?

For forty hours the strong ship battled with the storm, while we were shut up in the cabin which was almost as dark as night. Once the gangway door flew open and the water came rushing in swashing back and forth across the floor. But on the morning of the second day we were allowed to go upon the lower deck. As I expressed a desire to look at the waves, a powerful man said, "Come," and helped me to the quarter-deck, from which I saw the most glorious sight. The ocean was lashed into foam, the waves, tinged with all the colors of the rainbow, were literally piled up to the clouds. Sometimes our little ship mounted to the heavens, then went down into the great yawning depths, where it seemed we should surely be swallowed up. It was like an arena where ferocious monsters, lashed into madness, were striving to destroy one another. While I stood gazing upon the awful and grand panorama, our captain came along and said, "You wished to witness a storm at sea; you may be satisfied with this, unless you are ready to go to the bottom." I was satisfied, for in awful sublimity it far surpassed anything I had ever imagined.

After the storm the fair wind again took us swiftly on our way, and the captain told us we should soon see the African coast and far-famed Gibraltar on the opposite side.

We all watched eagerly, and the glass passed swiftly from hand to hand when the captain pointed out what seemed like only a little cloud on the horizon, and told us it was the northern coast of Africa. Like a bird we sailed through the great rocky bulwarks of the straits of Gibraltar, and found ourselves in a quieter sea.

We were soon on classic ground, and our

school days came flocking back to introduce to

us the places about which, with so much interest,

All the Way to Trebizond

we had studied, and we found many a familiar name all clustered over with the sweetest memories.

One bright morning Malta was on our right and Italy on our left, where the great missionary to the Gentiles had labored and died. Soon we reached the shores of Greece, whose more modern history had aroused all our indignation against oppression, and made us feel grateful to the nations that had helped her in her time of dire distress. There the favoring wind bade us good-bye and we drifted almost helplessly up and down the shores of Hydra, till one- of our number declared, "If we stay here much longer we shall all have Hydrophobia."

After fifty-nine days we found ourselves entering the harbor of old Smyrna, where one of the seven churches was planted and where the candlestick has never been removed; for the Christian Church has never been extinct in Smyrna. There our happy circle was broken. Mr. and Mrs. White went south to Aleppo, Mr. and Mrs. Coffin to Aintab, Miss Dodd stopped in Smyrna, and Mr. and Mrs. Morse, Mr. and Mrs. Winchester, Mr. and Mrs. Wheeler and their daughter Emily, came north to Constantinople.

Smyrna was then a real old Oriental city with rickety wharves and more rickety buildings; now it has a beautiful breakwater, fine harbor, and quays which would be an honor to any seaport, while the whole city has put on a European appearance.

There we took steamer for Constantinople, and enjoyed the trip through the Grecian Archipelago where every island seemed like an old friend bidding us welcome. Early on the morning of the second day, we hurried to the deck that we might not lose one of the beautiful views that meet the eye of the traveller as he enters the Golden Horn.

The panorama that unfolded to our gaze far surpassed what we expected, and we do not wonder that this view ranks among the most beautiful in the world.

We were surrounded by yelling men, and picturesque boats seen in no other part of the world. When we reached the quay, the beauty seemed to dissolve into dirty streets, brawling men and mangy dogs. Here we spent several weeks with the delightful missionaries, Drs. Goodell, Schauff- \er, Dwight, Riggs, E. E. Bliss and our own Dr. Hamlin, who lovingly received us to his home and initiated us into some of the secrets of missionary life. In Miss Mary Goodell we found

All the Way to Trebizond

our associate for many years and in Mr. Mardiros Shimavonian, of Dr. Hamlin's Training School, the first pastor for the first Protestant church in our field.

Early in April we took the steamer up the Black Sea ("The Great Bowl of Ipecac" as a noted scholar called it) to Trebizond, where the women wore the long white veil like a shroud and the men put on every color of the rainbow. Here we stayed till it was decided at the annual meeting at Constantinople that we should go to Armenia.

This old Greek city of Trebizond is the place where Xenophon reached the sea after his long and hazardous journey with the ten thousand who were saved from the great Greek army that invaded the Persian Empire. It is beautifully located upon high land sloping to the sea, and its horseshoe-like appearance makes it look like a safe harbor; but it proves to be the most treacherous on the whole coast. Sometimes in a storm, the steamers dare not stay to land their passengers, lest they be driven ashore by the heavy waves. The evangelistic work here among the Armenians has not made the progress that it has in many an interior city. The people are surrounded by many influences that make them more worldly, and they seem more satisfied or preoccupied. Like their neighbor, the Greek, they love better to hear or tell some new thing.

This place was, a few years ago, the centre for Persian travel, but the more enterprising Russian has opened, further to the north, a railroad connection with Persia and largely diverted the trade from Trebizond. Like many a Turkish city it may decline more and more till it loses all of its former position among the great cities of the Greeks.

is

II

HOW CHRIST CAME TO ARARAT

In these days it seems hardly necessary to add this chapter; but I have been urged to do so for the sake of younger readers.

Armenia is a high table-land among the Taurus mountains, from four to seven thousand feet above the level of the sea. Its boundaries have varied from time to time, one author giving its extent as five hundred and fifty miles from east to west, and two hundred and fifty miles from north to south.

Mr. F. D. Greene says, "Armenia is a large plateau, quadrangular in shape and sixty thousand square miles in area; about the size of the state of Iowa. It is bounded on the north by the Russian frontier, by Persia on the east, Mesopotamia on the south, and Asia Minor on the west." In the marginal readings in the Bible (2 Kings xix. 37) it is called Ararat, and this name seems to have been used at one time for the whole land. In Jer. li. 27, the prophet summons the people of Ararat to combine with the Medes to overthrow Babylon. Others tell us that the name came from Aram, one of their famous kings, and was at first called Aramia.

Several ancient inscriptions show that Ararat was the earliest name of Armenia, so that Gen. viii. 4, "The ark rested upon the mountains of the Ararat," read with this understanding refutes the cavil of some modern travellers who say it was impossible for the ark to rest on Mount Ararat which is seventeen thousand feet above the plain and is perpetually covered with snow and ice. Mount Ararat is situated in the centre of Ancient Armenia, and has always been a place of great interest to European travellers. One traveller says, "Nothing can be more beautiful or more awful than its height. All the surrounding mountains sink into insignificance when compared with it. It is perfect in all points — no rugged feature, no unnatural prominence, everything is in harmony, and all combine to render it one of the sublimest objects in nature."

The rivers of Armenia are among the most interesting in the world. The great Euphrates has its rise in Armenia not far from Mount Ararat, so also has the Tigris, (the Hiddekel of Scripture). These flow onward toward the Persian Gulf, not far apart, till in the lowlands of Mesopotamia

they unite their waters before reaching the sea.

How Christ Came to Ararat

The Acampsis of the ancients (probably the Pison of the Bible) rises in Armenia and flows into the Black Sea. The Araxes (the Gihon of Genesis) flows past Ararat and empties into the Cyrus which flows into the Caspian Sea. These facts seem to be in accord with the idea of the people of Armenia, who believe that not only the second but the first cradle of the human race was in Armenia.

Armenia has also many lakes; one of these, Van, eighty miles long and forty wide, is a beautiful inland sea whose changing blue waters are a joy to the weary traveller journeying over the green hills and valleys toward the famous old walled city of Van, situated upon its shores.

There many things will tell you of a civilization older than the time of Babylon's proud king Nebuchadnezzar, who has left the history of his warlike greatness on the citadel-like rock that must have been the key to this city. Perhaps no region of Armenia has more natural beauty or is more fruitful than that around this great lake. No region would give such a thrilling history of the past as this, if it could only be written.

Though the winter in Armenia is cold and often high winds prevail, yet the fruit is abundant. The warm sunny valleys produce all the fruits found in the temperate zones, and with care, some that grow in the tropics could be easily raised. The country has mines of silver, copper and iron, and abundance of coal is ready for use in the mountains, which will be a great source of wealth when this land shall be governed by a nation which cares to develop its vast resources.

The Armenians are not Turanian in origin, like many of the races in Northwestern Asia; but their language shows them to be of Aryan stock.

According to their own tradition they are descended from Togarmah, the grandson of Japheth. Some ethnologists tell us that the word Togarmah is compounded of two Sanscrit words, Toka which means tribe or race, and Armah, Armenia. Armenia was the name by which the province was known to Western or European nations. They call themselves Haik or Haig, from Haig, the son of Togarmah, and their land Haiasdan.

The Armenians were closely allied to the Persians and were fire worshippers in their religion. Sometimes they were strong enough to have an independent kingdom, and then we find them the allies of the Persians, as they no doubt were

when Persia invaded Greece. This made the

How Christ Came to Ararat

Greeks hostile to them. Then we find them so intimately allied to the Parthians, as at one time when they had a Parthian dynasty on the throne. This brought them into the great wars between the Parthians and the Romans, and many of the battles between these nations were fought on Armenian territory. Traces of the great campaigns of the Romans are still found in the land.

The Armenians believe that Thaddeus, one of the disciples of Christ, first brought the gospel to them, and that many then received it. If this be true they went back to their idolatry; for it was not until the last part of the third century that they received Christianity through Gregory the Illuminator, the royal secretary of Tiridates. At this time Christianity became the state religion. King Tiridates was baptized and commanded that his people should accept the Christian religion. Many of the nobles opposed the king; but he prevailed, and the Armenians have the honor of being the first people who made Christianity their national religion. Henceforth they were cut off from their friendship with the Persians. Thousands laid down their lives under the cruel treatment of Sapor II., who determined to destroy the Christian religion and bring them back to sun worship. He slaughtered them in cold blood, and even built a tower out of the skulls of the Christians. Afterward an Armenian bishop built a city, called in history Martyropolis, over the place where so many gave up their lives rather than return to idolatry. The old church of the Martyrs is still standing, a beautiful relic of ancient Armenian architecture.

During this time of persecution many of the Armenians wandered into other countries, and finally the Turk conquered the whole land.

The sufferings of the people were great, and so was their poverty; yet Christianity did not die out among them. Great ignorance prevailed, but still we find them reaching forward for something higher and better. They could not be kept confined to the field, the loom or the shop; but some rose even to dignity in official service and became the bankers, brokers and merchants of the land.

Ill

The annual meeting at Constantinople decided to strengthen the Mission Station at Harpoot, by sending to the aid of Mr. Dunmore, the lone missionary there, who had written, "The Christians are so hostile, that any day I may die like a dog in the streets," the Rev. O. P. Allen and wife, of Trebizond, and the new missionaries, Rev. C. H. Wheeler and wife.

When we received our marching orders, we did not draw back because of the danger at Harpoot, or the difficulties of the way; we had not expected a bed of roses or a path without thorns. I think the dangers and hardships served rather to stimulate us for what was in the future. We had heeded the Master's command, "Go ye!" and we fully believed in the promise, " Lo, I am with you al way." We could sing —

" I will go where you want me to go, Lord, Over mountain or valley or sea, I will do what you want me to do, Lord, I will be what you want me to be."

What days of planning those were in Trebizond as we made ready for the long journey— thirty days over mountains, valleys, rivers, and hot, dusty plains in midsummer, for it was now the middle of June. We must have a tent for our house and all the paraphernalia for eating, drinking and sleeping. We must be our own doctors in case of accident, or what was worse, poisonous malaria. So the medicine chest and the big doctor's book must have a place. Much good advice as to how to conduct ourselves on this journey, was given by the dear missionaries at Constantinople and Dr. William Goodell, son of "Father Goodell," sent us some special information as to how to meet some of the sicknesses that might be in our path.

The last days of June we left Trebizond on a palatial Russian steamer, and reached Samsun, the hot bed of malaria, on Saturday evening. Here we must stay till muleteers and mules could be found for the journey to the interior of Asia Minor. We were all in good spirits and glad to be on our way. Ready if need be, "to burn our ships behind us," we bade good-bye to the steamer and soon found lodgings in the mission chapel at Samsun, hoping by Monday to move to higher regions where we should be safe from malaria.

Alas, it was well that we could only see a few steps ahead, for on Monday morning one of our number seemed to be at death's door. The poisonous malaria had her in its grasp and dysentery set in with one of the symptoms most to be dreaded. An Italian physician, who had just buried his brother, dying of the same disease, came to the rescue, and after a few days, counselled us to get away, if only for a few hours, to the higher land back of the coast. The invalid was able to be dressed and lifted into the Persian moffa, which is a basket with a framework like a chaise top covered with cloth to keep off the sun. Two of these were bound to the back of a stout mule, little Emily was placed in one and her mother in the other, the weight was adjusted with extra baggage or stones, and the caravan started away from the pestilential city.

It was afternoon before we were started on our journey eastward. The more bracing air was refreshing; but the way seemed long and the shaking in the moffa enough to drive away even malaria. Every step of the mule was becoming unbearable when, at length, we reached a camping-place, and the kind husband spread his rug on the ground and gently lifting the impatient wife from the moffa placed her upon it, where she rested till a large, comfortable tent was pitched and her cot bed made ready. The bracing air and a good night's rest wonderfully changed the invalid, and next morning she rode with more comfort to the noon halting place. The breeze from the Black Sea was refreshing, and the very shaking of the moffa acted as a tonic. The hills and mountains were covered with trees of dark, rich foliage, and the flowers in the pretty dells were fragrant and beautiful ; the water, too, flowing out from the springs in the rocky hillsides, seemed to have life-giving power. Would that this bit of Eden could have followed us all the way till we reached the Euphrates, one of the rivers of Eden where our home was to be!

We were now entering an inhabited land, and began to see foot-travellers and here and there a house. " Yes," said the good-natured but independent Turkish muleteer, "this is the great city of Amasia and these the old aqueducts that once carried water but are now dry."

We pitched our tent that Friday evening near the old water course; for we were to spend the Sabbath in Amasia. Then pulled out our guide book to study up that wonderful old capital of Mithridates the Great.

The city was built on both sides of the Iris, whose dark green waters gave it this name; but now, for some reason, the muddy look prevails.

For the Sabbath we entered the city and were directed to the German quarter on the heights beyond the stream. What shouting and yelling we heard as we passed along. The men, women and children stopped and stared at us while we heard them say, "Look, they are Hat-wearers, Franks, travellers going to the German quarter."

A German gentleman received us kindly; he was well acquainted with the Rev. Dr. Van Lennep and other missionaries at Tocat, now four days' journey ahead.

A large clean room was given us whence we could study the old city and the wonderful fortress on the rocky heights. Far up the rocky cliff we could see the famous tombs of the kings of Pontus, and on the plain, just beyond the heights, was fought the great battle when the Romans conquered the mighty army of Mithridates. Here in Amasia, the German had introduced silk-worm culture, and we were invited to witness the feeding of the industrious caterpillars or watch them as they prepared their silken shrouds. Most of these cocoons never develop into butterflies; but find their way to the looms of Europe, to be woven into fairy-like silks.

Soon after our visit here, the enterprising German introduced flour mills, that now send flour even to the homes on the Euphrates.

Monday morning we bade good-bye to our kind host and hostess, clambered down to the bank of the river, crossed the bridge and went on our way. The sun glared down upon us from the heights, the road was dusty, and it seemed as if we could hardly breathe the dust-filled air. How we longed for the clear water from the mountain-side. On and on we travelled, till reaching a muddy stream, the muleteer called a halt, and there we stayed till late in the afternoon: it being too hot to travel at midday. As our tent was bound to the loads on the backs of the mules and the chief muleteer would not give it to us without much ugly debate, we made ourselves as comfortable as we could under a dusty tree near the bank, and with the muddy water made our tea and washed our dishes. The muleteers threw themselves upon the dusty grass and were soon sleeping soundly while their tired, hungry mules nibbled away at the grass near by or drank from the stream.

That night we came to another muddy stream on the hot plain, with a village not far away. The half naked children came out in groups, and grinning at us, cried "Inglese! Inglese!" They came too near to our tent for comfort or safety (for we had discovered that things disappeared, unless our eyes were upon them) so as we had learned the " Yawash, Yawash," (Slowly or don't hurry) and "Haide, Haide," (Begone, hurry up), we cried lustily "Haide! Haide!" We were told to see that nothing remained too near the sides of the tent, and the muleteers watched the loads that were outside, lest not a rope remain in the morning with which to bind them upon the pack saddles.

Day after day we rode on over this low plain, with here and there a Turkish village, and nothing to break the monotony save the cry of the storks — we often saw on the scrubby trees by the streams or on the roofs of the houses. It was easy to believe that these people were made of mud; for everything betokened it, — men, women, children, buffaloes and dogs; yes, even the air, the earth, and the water.

With what joy we beheld the walls of Tocat in the distance and soon came into the region of trees, houses, and cleaner -water.

In this old city we found missionaries and

Christian schools, and seemed to drop down, as

by magic, into its gardens and clean houses.

What a joy it was to have a clean face and hands, clean garments and clean air to breathe. We did not wonder that the next day, our invalid, who was again prostrated by the malaria of the low plain, under the influence of morphine sniffed in the air and, looking on the beautiful well-kept garden, declared she was in the land of Beulah and could even hear the songs of its birds.

As we found no physician here, the advice of Dr. Goodell of Constantinople, "Opium must be your sheet anchor," was most opportune.

Here we had to rest for a few days. We were more than half way to Harpoot, and the muleteers were glad of a rest, as the remainder of the journey, while cooler, would be mountainous and more difficult for the animals as well as themselves.

Tocat, at this time was one of the most interesting stations of the A. B. C. F. M. Dr. Van Lennep had purchased a large, well-built house, with ample grounds and a beautiful fountain, and here in this old city, where the sainted Henry Martyn had made his grave, was the Theological Seminary of the Armenian Mission.

Perhaps some one will ask why there should be a Theological Seminary here for the Armenians, when it is outside of Armenia. The Armenians, after the conquest of their country by the Turks, scattered into all parts of the Turkish Empire, as also into Persia and Russia. They became a much more progressive people than they had been. Many of them were employed by the Turkish Government in places of trust, and proved to be good and faithful servants of their rulers.

Missions for the Armenians began work first at Constantinople where many of these people were found. Dr. Hamlin opened a school there which grew later into Robert College. A Girls' Seminary was also opened which is now the American College for Girls. The Theological School was first opened there, but was later removed to Tocat as being more central, now that the Armenian work was opening in the interior of Turkey.

Rested and refreshed by our stay with the missionaries, we started once more for our still distant field. We left behind the picturesque city with its fine old castle on the heights, and also bade good-bye to the hot, dusty plains of Tourkal, and to the muddy streams, for our path now lay among the mountains. Up the Chamli Bel (Pine Mountain) we found the way steep and rough; but the sweet scented pine, bracing air and sparkling waters from the hillside, made the journey much more pleasant, and we felt much like the birds among the pines, that were warbling songs of joy. As we ascended the weather became so cool that we were glad to pull out some of our bedding to use as wraps.