priest with uplifted hands, and with his face turned towards the east, standing before his flocks and supplicating God to pardon and to bless them. Scarcely one present, perhaps, knew what he was praying for; but they seemed to realize that it was for their good, and occasionally supported his earnest intercession in their behalf with an audible "Amen," or with the invocation taken from the liturgy: "Give Thy blessing, Lord." Throughout the service the rain dripped from the roof of the miserable room in which these poor people were assembled, and the floor beneath them was literally covered with mud. What a contrast does this spectacle present to the comfortable appurtenances of our modern churches, pews, cushions, fires, &c.
Within the last two or three years, that is to say, since the annual pecuniary grants made to the Eastern Bishops from the Society of Lyons and the Propaganda have been suspended, the Latins and Chaldeans have relaxed their missionary efforts, and have drawn over but few proselytes from among the Nestorians of the Supna; on the other hand many of the later seceders have returned to their community, and now recognize Mar Shimoon as their Patriarch. But the Nestorians have much to struggle against in this district: they are generally very poor, many of their churches are in ruins, and the local authorities will not allow them to rebuild them without a firman from the Sultan, and they have no means of procuring this sanction. Added to this the Coords continue to oppress them in various ways, and seem determined that they shall not prosper.
April 9th.—Started from Amedia at 10 a.m. accompanied by Kasha Mendu's brother as our guide. We had some trouble in getting through the Geli Mezurka on account of the Soolava stream, which was now so swollen, and rushed with such impetuosity down the narrow and rugged gorge, that our mules were more than once in danger of being carried away. The summit of the Tcah Meteenah was still covered with snow, and we were obliged to walk to the small Nestorian village of Hayyis, where we were joined by a priest who had come thither from Doori to conduct the church services of the preceding Sunday. Our course was now more to the east, over a rough and stony road, towards Beit Tannoori, a large Jewish village situated on the banks of the Bedu rivulet, which we forded with great difficulty,
