file which includes the original illustrations4 ,see #acjaa-;h4htm or #acjaa-;h4zip3 7https3_/_/www4gutenberg4org_/#a_/c_/j_/ a_/acjaa_/acjaa-;h_/#acjaa-;h4htm7 or 7https3_/_/www4gutenberg4org_/#a_/c_/j_/ a_/acjaa_/acjaa-;h4zip7 ,,far ,,off or1 ,asia and ,australia ,described1 with ,anecdotes and ,illustrations ,,by ,,the ,,author ,,of ,,the ,,peep ,,of ,,day1 ,,etc4 ,,etc4 ,,etc4 ,,new ,,york #aheb ,illustration3 ,o ma'am that's sweet6 ,jesus ,christ is ,,our ,redeemer4 ,illustration3 ,,far ,,off ,in the ,frontispiece may be seen an ,english lady1 who went to live upon ,mount ,sion to teach little ,jewesses and little ,mahomedans to know the ,saviour4 ,that lady has led three of her young scholars to a plain just beyond the gates of ,jerusalem2 and while two of them are playing together1 she is listening to little ,esther1 a ,jewess of eight years old4 ,the child is fond of sitting by her friend1 and of hearing about the ,son of ,david4 ,she has just been singing1 ,glory1 honor1 praise1 and power1 ,be unto the ,lamb forever1 ,jesus ,christ is our ,redeemer1 ,hallelujah1 praise the ,lord2 and now she is saying1 ,o1 ma'am1 that's sweet6 ,jesus ,christ is our ,redeemer1 our ,redeemer3 no man can redeem his brother1 no money1--nothing--but only the precious blood of ,christ4 ,,preface4 ,this little work pleads for the notice of parents and teachers on the same grounds as its predecessor1 ,near ,home4 ,its plea is not completeness1 nor comprehensiveness1 nor depth of research1 nor splendor of description2 but the very reverse1--its simple1 superficial1 desultory character1 as better adapted to the volatile beings for whom it is designed4 ,too long have their immortal minds been captivated by the adventures and achievements of knights and princesses1 of fairies and magicians2 it is time to excite their interest in real persons1 and real events4 ,in childhood that taste is formed which leads the youth to delight in novels1 and romances2 a taste which has become so general1 that every town has its circulating library1 and every shelf in that library is filled with works of fiction4 ,while these fascinating inventions are in course of perusal1 many a ,bible is unopened1 or if opened1 hastily skimmed2 many a seat in church is unoccupied1 or if occupied1 the service1 and the sermon disregarded--so intense is the sympathy of the novel reader with his hero1 or his heroine4 ,and what is the effect of the perusal8 ,many a young mind1 inflated with a desire for admiration and adventure1 grows tired of home1 impatient of restraint1 indifferent to simple pleasures1 and averse to sacred instructions4 ,how important1 therefore1 early to endeavor to prevent a taste for ,,fiction1 by cherishing a taste for ,,facts4 ,but this is not the only aim of the present work2 it seeks also to excite an interest in those facts which ought most to interest immortal beings--facts relative to souls1 and their eternal happiness--to ,god1 and his infinite glory4 ,these are the facts which engage the attention of the inhabitants of heaven4 ,we know not whether the births of princes1 and the coronations of monarchs are noticed by the angelic hosts2 but we do know that the repentance of a sinner1 be he ,hindoo or ,hottentot1 is celebrated by their melodious voices in rapturous symphonies4 ,therefore ,far ,off desire to interest its little readers in the labors of missionaries1--men despised and maligned by the world1 but honored and beloved by the ,,saviour of the world4 ,an account of the scenery and natives of various countries1 is calculated to prepare the young mind for reading with intelligence those little ,missionary ,magazines1 which appear every month1 written in so attractive a style1 and adorned with such beautiful illustrations4 ,parents have no longer reason to complain of the difficulty of finding sacred entertainment for their children on ,sunday1 for these pleasing messengers1--if carefully dealt out1--one or two on each ,sabbath1 would afford a never failing supply4 ,to form great and good characters1 the mind must be trained to delight in ,,truth1--not in comic rhymes1 in sentimental tales1 and skeptical poetry4 ,the truth revealed in ,god's ,holy ,word1 should constitute the firm basis of education2 and the works of ,creation and ,providence the superstructure while the ,divine blessing can alone rear and cement the edifice4 ,parents1 train up your children to serve ,god1 and to enjoy his presence forever2 and if there be amongst them--an ,,extraordinary child1 train him up with extraordinary care1 lest instead of doing extraordinary good he should do extraordinary evil1 and be plunged into extraordinary misery4 ,train up--the child of imagination--not to dazzle1 like ,byron1 but to enlighten1 like ,cowper3 the child of wit--not to create profane mirth1 like ,voltaire1 but to promote holy joy1 like ,bunyan3 the child of reflection--not to weave dangerous sophistries1 like ,hume1 but to wield powerful arguments1 like ,chalmers3 the child of sagacity--not to gain advantages for himself1 like ,cromwell1 but for his country1 like ,washington3 the child of eloquence--not to astonish the multitude1 like ,sheridan1 but to plead for the miserable1 like ,wilberforce3 the child of ardor--not to be the herald of delusions1 like ,swedenbourg1 but to be the champion of truth1 like ,luther3 the child of enterprise--not to devastate a ,continent1 like the conquering ,napoleon1 but to scatter blessings over an ,ocean1 like the missionary ,williams3--and1 if the child be a prince1--train him up--not to reign in pomp and pride like the fourteenth ,louis1 but to rule in the fear of ,god1 like our own great ,,alfred4 ,,contents4 ,,asia ,,the ,,holy ,,land ,bethlehem ,jerusalem ,the ,dead ,sea ,samaria ,galilee ,,syria ,damascus ,,arabia ,,turkey ,,in ,,asia ,armenia ,kurdistan ,mesopotamia ,,persia ,teheran ,,china ,,cochin ,,china ,tonquin ,cambodia ,,hindostan ,the ,ganges ,the ,thugs ,the ,hindoo ,women ,the ,english in ,india ,,circassia ,,georgia ,tiflis ,,tartary ,astracan ,bokhara ,the ,toorkman ,tartars ,,chinese ,,tartary ,,affghanistan ,,beloochistan ,,burmah ,the ,karens ,ava ,maulmain ,the ,missionary's babe ,,siam ,bankok ,,malacca ,singapore ,the ,christian school-girls ,,siberia ,the ,samoyedes ,the ,banished ,russians ,the ,ural ,mountains ,,kamkatka ,,thibet ,lassa ,,ceylon ,kandy ,colombo ,,borneo ,bruni ,the ,dyaks ,,japan ,,australia ,the ,colonists or ,settlers ,botany ,bay ,sydney ,adelaide ,,van ,,dieman',s ,,land ,the ,young ,savages ,little ,mickey ,,far ,,off4 ,,asia4 ,of the four quarters of the world--,asia is the most glorious4 ,there the first man lived4 ,there the ,son of ,god lived4 ,there the apostles lived4 ,there the ,bible was written4 ,yet now there are very few ,christians in ,asia3 though there are more people there than in any other quarter of the globe4 ,,the ,,holy ,,land4 ,of all the countries in the world which would you rather see8 ,would it not be the land where ,jesus lived8 ,he was the ,son of ,god3 ,he loved us and died for us4 ,what is the land called where ,he lived8 ,canaan was once its name3 but now ,palestine1 or the ,holy ,land4 ,who lives there now8 ,alas6 alas6 ,the ,jews who once lived there are cast out of it4 ,there are some ,jews there2 but the ,turks are the lords over the land4 ,you know the ,turks believe in ,mahomet4 ,what place in the ,holy ,land do you wish most to visit8 ,some children will reply1 ,bethlehem1 because ,jesus was born there2 another will answer1 ,nazareth1 because ,jesus was brought up there2 and another will say1 ,jerusalem1 because ,he died there4 ,i will take you first to ,,bethlehem4 ,a good minister visited this place1 accompanied by a train of servants1 and camels1 and asses4 ,it is not easy to travel in ,palestine1 for wheels are never seen there1 because the paths are too steep1 and rough1 and narrow for carriages4 ,bethlehem is on a steep hill1 and a white road of chalk leads up to the gate4 ,the traveller found the streets narrow1 dark1 and dirty4 ,he lodged in a convent1 kept by ,spanish monks4 ,he was shown into a large room with carpets and cushions on the floor4 ,there he was to sleep4 ,he was led up to the roof of the house to see the prospect4 ,he looked1 and beheld the fields below where the shepherds once watched their flocks by night3 and far off he saw the rocky mountains where ,david once hid himself from ,saul4 ,but the monks soon showed him a more curious sight4 ,they took him into their church1 and then down some narrow stone steps into a round room beneath4 ,here1 said they1 ,jesus was born4 ,the floor was of white marble1 and silver lamps were burning in it4 ,in one corner1 close to the wall1 was a marble trough1 lined with blue satin4 ,there1 said the monks1 is the manger where ,jesus was laid4 ,ah6 thought the traveller1 it was not in such a manger that my ,saviour rested his infant head2 but in a far meaner place4 ,these monks have an image of a baby1 which they call ,jesus4 ,on ,christmas-day they dress it in swaddling-clothes and lay it in the manger3 and then fall down and worship it4 ,the next day1 as the traveller was ready to mount his camel1 the people of ,bethlehem came with little articles which they had made4 ,but he would not buy them1 because they were images of the ,virgin ,mary and her holy child1 and little white crosses of mother-of-pearl4 ,they were very pretty3 but they were idols1 and ,god hates idols4 ,,jerusalem4 ,here our ,lord was crucified4 ,is there any child who does not wish to hear about it8 ,the children of ,jerusalem once loved the ,lord1 and sang his praises in the temple4 ,their young voices pleased their ,saviour1 though not half so sweet as angels' songs4 ,which is the place where the temple stood8 ,it is ,mount ,moriah4 ,there is a splendid building there now4 ,is it the temple8 ,o no1 that was burned many hundreds of years ago4 ,it is the ,mosque of ,omar that you see2 it is the most magnificent mosque in all the world4 ,how sad to think that ,mahomedans should worship now in the very spot where once the ,son of ,god taught the people4 ,no ,jew1 no ,christian may go into that mosque4 ,the ,turks stand near the gate to keep off both ,jews and ,christians4 ,every ,friday evening a very touching scene takes place near this mosque4 ,there are some large old stones there1 and the ,jews say they are part of their old temple wall3 so they come at the beginning of their ,sabbath 7which is on ,friday evening7 and sit in a row opposite the stones4 ,there they read their ,hebrew ,old ,testaments1 then kneel low in the dust1 and repeat their prayers with their mouths close to the old stones3 because they think that all prayers whispered between the cracks and crevices of these stones will be heard by ,god4 ,some ,jewesses come1 wrapped from head to foot in long white veils1 and they gently moan and softly sigh over ,jerusalem in ruins4 ,what ,jesus said has come to pass1 ,behold1 your house is left unto you desolate4 ,the thought of this sad day made ,jesus weep1 and now the sight of it makes the ,jews weep4 ,but there is a place still dearer to our hearts than ,mount ,moriah4 ,it is ,calvary4 ,there is a church there3 but such a church6 a church full of images and crosses4 ,roman ,catholics worship there--and ,greeks too3 and they often fight in it1 for they hate one another1 and have fierce quarrels4 ,that church is called ,the ,church of the ,holy ,sepulchre4 ,it is pretended that ,christ's tomb or sepulchre is in it4 ,turks stand at the door and make ,christians pay money before they will let them in4 ,when they enter1 what do they see8 ,in one corner a stone seat4 ,there1 say the monks1 ,jesus sat when ,he was crowned with thorns4 ,in another part there is a stone pillar4 ,there1 say the monks1 ,he was scourged4 ,there is a high place in the middle of the church with stairs leading up to it4 ,when you stand there the monks say1 ,this is the top of ,calvary1 where the cross stood4 ,but we know that the monks do not speak the truth1 for the ,romans destroyed ,jerusalem soon after ,christ's crucifixion1 and no one knows the very place where ,he suffered4 ,on ,good ,friday the monks carry all round the church an image of the ,saviour as large as life1 and they fasten it upon a cross1 and take it down again1 and put it in the sepulchre1 and they take it out again on ,easter ,sunday4 ,how foolish and how wrong are these customs6 ,it was not in this way the apostles showed their love to ,christ1 but by preaching his word4 ,mount ,zion is the place where ,david brought the ark with songs and music4 ,there is a church where the ,gospel is preached and prayers are offered up in ,hebrew1 7the ,jew's language47 ,the minister is called the ,bishop of ,jerusalem4 ,he is a ,protestant4 ,a few ,jews come to the church at ,mount ,zion1 and some have believed in the ,lord ,jesus4 ,and there is a school there where little ,jews and ,jewesses and little ,mahomedans sit side by side while a ,christian lady teaches them about ,jesus4 ,in the evening1 after school1 she takes them out to play on the green grass near the city4 ,a little ,jewess once much pleased this kind teacher as she was sitting on a stone looking at the children playing4 ,little ,esther repeated the verse-- ,glory1 honor1 praise and power ,be unto the ,lamb forever2 ,jesus ,christ is our ,redeemer1 ,hallelujah1 praise the ,lord6 and then she said very earnestly1 ,o1 ma'am1 how sweet to think that ,jesus is our ,redeemer4 ,no man can redeem his brother3 no money--no money can do it--only the precious blood of ,jesus ,christ4 ,little ,esther seemed as if she loved ,jesus1 as those children did who sang his praises in the temple so many years ago4 ,but there is another place--very sad1 but very sweet--where you must come4 ,go down that valley--cross that small stream--7there is a narrow bridge7--see those low stone walls--enter3 it is the ,garden of ,gethsemane4 ,eight aged olive-trees are still standing there2 but ,jesus comes there no more with his beloved disciples4 ,what a night was that when ,he wept and prayed--when the angel comforted ,him--and ,judas betrayed ,him4 ,the mountain just above ,gethsemane is the ,mount of ,olives4 ,beautiful olive-trees are growing there still4 ,there is a winding path leading to the top4 ,the ,saviour trod upon that ,mount just before he was caught up into heaven4 ,his feet shall stand there again1 and every eye shall see the ,saviour in his glory4 ,but will every eye be glad to see ,him8 ,o no2 there will be bitter tears then flowing from many eyes4 ,and what kind of a city is ,jerusalem8 ,it is a sad and silent city4 ,the houses are dark and dirty1 the streets are narrow1 and the pavement rough4 ,there are a great many very old ,jews there4 ,jews come from all countries when they are old to ,jerusalem1 that they may die and be buried there4 ,their reason is that they think that all ,jews who are buried in their burial-ground at ,jerusalem will be raised first at the last day1 and will be happy forever4 ,most of the old ,jews are very poor3 though money is sent to them every year from the ,jews in ,europe4 ,there are also a great many sick ,jews in ,jerusalem1 because it is such an unhealthy place4 ,the water in the wells and pools gets very bad in summer1 and gives the ague and even the plague4 ,good ,english ,christians have sent a doctor to ,jerusalem to cure the poor sick people4 ,one little girl of eleven years old came among the rest--all in rags and with bare feet3 she was an orphan1 and she lived with a ,jewish washerwoman4 ,the doctor went to see the child in her home4 ,where was it8 ,it was near the mosque1 and the way to it was down a narrow1 dark passage1 leading to a small close yard4 ,the old woman lived in one room with her grandchildren and the orphan3 there was a divan at each end1 that is1 the floor was raised for people to sleep on4 ,the orphan was not allowed to sleep on the divans1 but she had a heap of rags for her bed in another part4 ,the child's eyes glistened with delight at the sight of her kind friend the doctor1 he asked her whether she went to school4 ,this question made the whole family laugh3 for no one in ,jerusalem teaches girls to read except the kind ,christian lady ,i told you of4 ,,the ,,dead ,,sea4 ,the most gloomy and horrible place in the ,holy ,land is the ,dead ,sea4 ,in that place there once stood four wicked cities1 and ,god destroyed them with fire and brimstone4 ,you have heard of ,sodom and ,gomorrah4 ,a clergyman who went to visit the ,dead ,sea rode on horseback1 and was accompanied by men to guard him on the way1 as there are robbers hid among the rocks4 ,he took some of the water of the ,dead ,sea in his mouth1 that he might taste it1 and he found it salt and bitter2 but he would not swallow it1 nor would he bathe in it4 ,he went next to look at the ,river ,jordan4 ,how different a place from the dreary1 desolate ,dead ,sea6 ,beautiful trees grow on the banks1 and the ends of the branches dip into the stream4 ,the minister chose a part quite covered with branches and bathed there1 and as the waters went over his head1 he thought1 ,my ,saviour was baptized in this river4 ,but he did not think1 as many pilgrims do who come here every year1 that his sins were washed away by the water3 no1 he well knew that ,christ's blood alone cleanses from sin4 ,there is a place where the ,roman ,catholics bathe1 and another where the ,greeks bathe every year2 they would not on any account bathe in the same part1 because they disagree so much4 ,after drinking some of the sweet soft water of ,jordan1 the minister travelled from ,jericho to ,jerusalem4 ,he went the very same way that the good ,samaritan travelled who once found a poor ,jew lying half-killed by thieves4 ,even to this day thieves often attack travellers in these parts3 because the way is so lonely1 and so rugged1 and so full of places where thieves can hide themselves4 ,a horse must be a very good climber to carry a traveller along the steep1 rough1 and narrow paths1 and a traveller must be a bold man to venture to go to the edge of the precipices1 and near the robbers' caves4 ,,samaria4 ,in the midst of ,palestine is the well where the ,lord spoke so kindly to the woman of ,samaria4 ,in the midst of a beautiful valley there is a heap of rough stones3 underneath is the well4 ,but it is not easy to drink water out of this well4 ,for the stone on the top is so heavy1 that it requires many people to remove it3 and then the well is deep1 and a very long rope is necessary to reach the water4 ,the clergyman 7of whom ,i have spoken so often7 had nothing to draw with2 therefore1 even if he could have removed the stone1 he could not have drunk of the water4 ,the water must be very cool and refreshing1 because it lies so far away from the heat4 ,that was the reason the ,samaritan woman came so far to draw it3 for there were other streams nearer the city1 but there was no water like the water of ,jacob's well4 ,the city where that woman lived was called ,sychar4 ,it is still to be seen1 and it is still full of people4 ,you remember that the men of that city listened to the words of ,jesus1 and perhaps that is the reason it has not been destroyed4 ,the country around is the most fruitful in all ,canaan2 there are such gardens of melons and cucumbers1 and such groves of mulberry-trees4 ,,galilee4 ,how different from ,sychar is ,capernaum6 ,that was the city where ,jesus lived for a long while1 where he preached and did miracles4 ,it was on the borders of the lake of ,genesareth4 ,the traveller inquired of the people near the lake1 where ,capernaum once stood2 but no one knew of such a place3 it is utterly destroyed4 ,jesus once said1 ,woe unto ,capernaum4 ,why8 ,because it repented not4 ,the lake of ,genesareth looked smooth as glass when the traveller saw it2 but he heard that dreadful storms sometimes ruffled those smooth waters4 ,it was a sweet and lovely spot2 not gloomy and horrible like the ,dead ,sea4 ,the shepherds were there leading their flocks among the green hills where once the multitude sat down while ,jesus fed them4 ,not very far off is the city where ,jesus lived when he was a boy4 ,,nazareth4--,all around are rugged rocky hills4 ,in old times it was considered a wicked city2 perhaps it got this bad name from wicked people coming here to hide themselves3 and it seems just fit for a hiding-place4 ,from the top of one of the high crags the ,nazarenes once attempted to hurl the blessed ,saviour4 ,there is a ,roman ,catholic convent there1 where the minister lodged4 ,he was much disturbed all day by the noise in the town2 not the noise of carts and wagons1 for there are none in ,canaan1 but of screaming children1 braying asses1 and grunting camels4 ,one of his servants came to him complaining that he had lost his purse with all his wages4 ,he had left it in his cell1 and when he came back it was gone4 ,who could have taken it8 ,it was clear one of the servants of the convent must have stolen it1 for one of them had the key of the room4 ,the travellers went to the judge of the town to complain2 but the judge1 who was a ,turk1 was asleep1 and no one was allowed to awake him4 ,in the evening1 when he did awake1 he would not see justice done1 because he said he had nothing to do with the servants at the convent1 as they were ,christians4 ,nazareth1 you see1 is still a wicked city1 where robbery is committed and not punished4 ,there is much to make the traveller sad as he wanders about the ,holy ,land4 ,that land was once fruitful1 but now it is barren4 ,it is not surprising that no one plants and sows in the fields1 because the ,turks would take away the harvests4 ,once it was a peaceful land1 but now there are so many enemies that every man carries a gun to defend himself4 ,once it was a holy land1 but now ,mahomet is honored1 and not the ,god of ,israel4 ,when shall it again be fruitful1 and peaceful1 and holy8 ,when the ,jews shall repent of their sins and turn to the ,lord4 ,then1 says the prophet ,ezekiel1 7xxxvi4 #ce17 ,they shall say1 ,this land that was desolate is become like the garden of ,eden4#a #a ,taken chiefly from ,a ,pastor's ,memorial1 by the ,rev4 ,george ,fisk4 ,,syria4 ,those who love the ,holy ,land will like to hear about ,syria also2 for ,abraham lived there before he came into ,canaan4 ,therefore the ,israelites were taught to say when they offered a basket of fruit to ,god1 ,a ,syrian was my father4 ,it was a heathen land in old times2 and it is now a ,mahomedan land2 though there are a few ,christians there1 but very ignorant ,christians1 who know nothing of the ,bible4 ,syria is a beautiful land1 and famous for its grand mountains1 called ,lebanon4 ,the same clergyman who travelled through the ,holy ,land went to ,lebanon also4 ,he had to climb up very steep places on horseback1 and slide down some1 as slanting as the roof of a house4 ,but the ,syrian horses are very sure-footed4 ,it is the custom for the colts from a month old to follow their mothers2 and so when a rider mounts the back of the colt's mother1 the young creature follows1 and it learns to scramble up steep places1 and to slide down2 even through the towns the colt trots after its mother1 and soon becomes accustomed to all kinds of sights and sounds3 so that ,syrian horses neither shy nor stumble4 ,the traveller was much surprised at the dress of the women of ,lebanon3 for on their heads they wear silver horns sticking out from under their veils1 the strangest head-dress that can be imagined4 ,there are sweet flowers growing on the sides of ,lebanon2 but at the top there are ice and snow4 ,the traveller ate some ice1 and gave some to the horses2 and the poor beasts devoured it eagerly1 and seemed quite refreshed by their cold meal4 ,the snow of ,lebanon is spoken of in the ,bible as very pure and refreshing4 ,will a man leave the snow of ,lebanon1 which cometh from the rock of the field8--,jer4 xviii4 #ad4 ,the traveller earnestly desired to behold the cedars of ,lebanon3 for a great deal is said about them in the ,bible2 indeed1 the temple of ,solomon was built of those cedars4 ,it was not easy to get close to them2 for there were craggy rocks all around3 but at last the traveller reached them1 and stood beneath their shade4 ,there were twelve very large old trees1 and their boughs met at the top1 and kept off the heat of the sun4 ,these trees might be compared to holy men1 grown old in the service of ,god3 for this is ,god's promise to his servants1--,the righteous shall flourish like the palm-tree3 he shall grow like a cedar in ,lebanon4--,psalm xc4 #aa1 #ab4 ,,damascus4 ,this is the capital of ,syria4 ,it is perhaps the most ancient city in the world4 ,even in the time of ,abraham1 ,damascus was a city2 for his servant ,eliezer came from it4 ,but ,damascus is most famous1 on account of a great event which once happened near it4 ,a man going towards that city suddenly saw in the heavens a light brighter than the sun1 and heard a voice from on high1 calling him by his name4 ,beautiful as the city was1 he saw not its beauty as he entered it1 for he had been struck blind by the great light4 ,that man was the great apostle ,paul4 ,who can help thinking of him among the gardens of fruit-trees surrounding ,damascus8 ,the damask rose is one of the beauties of ,damascus4 ,there is one spot quite covered with this lovely red rose4 ,i will now give an account of a visit a stranger paid to a rich man in ,damascus4 ,he went through dull and narrow streets1 with no windows looking into the streets4 ,he stopped before a low door1 and was shown into a large court behind the house4 ,there was a fountain in the midst of the court1 and flower-pots all round4 ,the visitor was then led into a room with a marble floor1 but with no furniture except scarlet cushions4 ,to refresh him after his journey1 he was taken to the bath4 ,there a man covered him with a lather of soap and water1 then dashed a quantity of hot water over him1 and then rubbed him till he was quite dry and warm4 ,when he came out of the bath1 two servants brought him some sherbet4 ,it is a cooling drink made of lemon-juice and grape-juice mixed with water4 ,the master of the house received the stranger very politely3 he not only shook hands with him1 but afterwards he kissed his own hand1 as a mark of respect to his guest4 ,the servants often kissed the visitor's hand4 ,the dinner lasted a long while1 for only one dish was brought up at a time4 ,of course there were no ladies at the dinner1 for in ,mahomedan countries they are always hidden4 ,there were two lads there1 who were nephews to the master of the house2 and the visitor was much surprised to observe that they did not sit down to dinner with the company2 but that they stood near their uncle1 directing the servants what to bring him2 and now and then presenting a cup of wine to him1 or his guests4 ,but it is the custom in ,syria for young people to wait upon their elders2 however1 they may speak to the company while they are waiting upon them4 ,damascus used to be famous for its swords3 but now the principal things made there1 are stuffs embroidered with silver1 and boxes of curious woods1 as well as red and yellow slippers4 ,the ,syrians always wear yellow slippers1 and when they walk out they put on red slippers over the yellow4 ,if you want to buy any of the curious works of ,damascus1 you must go to the bazaars in the middle of the town2 there the sellers sit as in a market-place1 and display their goods4 ,,schools4--,it is not the custom in ,syria for girls to learn to read4 ,but a few years ago1 a good ,syrian1 named ,assaad1 opened a school for little girls as well as for boys4 ,it was easy to get the little boys to come2 but the mothers did not like to send their little girls4 ,they laughed1 and said1 ,who ever heard of a girl going to school8 ,girls need not learn to read4 ,the first girl who attended ,assaad's school was named ,angoul1 which means ,angel4 ,where is the child that deserves such a name8 ,nowhere2 for there is none righteous1 no1 not one4 ,angoul belonged not to ,mahomedan parents1 but to those called ,christians2 yet the ,christians in ,syria are almost as ignorant as heathens4 ,angoul had been taught to spin silk2 for her father had a garden of mulberry-trees1 and a quantity of silk worms4 ,she was of so much use in spinning1 that her mother did not like to spare her3 but the little maid promised1 that if she might go to school1 she would spin faster than ever when she came home4 ,how happy she was when she obtained leave to go6 ,see her when the sun has just risen1 about six o'clock1 tripping to school4 ,she is twelve years old4 ,her eyes are dark1 but her hair is light4 ,angoul has not been scorched by the sun1 like many ,syrian girls1 because she has sat in-doors at her wheel during the heat of the day4 ,she is dressed in a loose red gown1 and a scarlet cap with a yellow handkerchief twisted round it like a turban4 ,at school ,angoul is very attentive1 both while she is reading in her ,testament1 and while she is writing on her tin slate with a reed dipped in ink4 ,she returns home at noon through the burning sun1 and comes to school again to stay till five4 ,then it is cool and pleasant1 and ,angoul spins by her mother's side in the lovely garden of fruit-trees before the house4 ,has she not learned to sing many a sweet verse about the garden above1 and the heavenly husbandman8 ,as she watches the budding vine1 she can think now of ,him who said1 ,i am the true vine4 ,as she sits beneath the olive-tree1 she can call to mind the words1 ,i am like a green olive-tree in the house of my ,god4 ,angoul is growing like an angel1 if she takes delight in meditating on the word of ,god4#b #b ,extracted chiefly from the ,rev4 ,george ,fisk's ,pastor's ,memorial1 and ,kinnear's ,travels4 ,,arabia4 ,this is the land in which the ,israelites wandered for forty years4 ,you have heard what a dry1 dreary1 desert place the wilderness was4 ,there is still a wilderness in ,arabia2 and there are still wanderers in it2 not ,israelites1 but ,arabs4 ,these men live in tents1 and go from place to place with their large flocks of sheep and goats4 ,but there are other ,arabs who live in towns1 as we do4 ,do you know who is the father of the ,arabs8 ,the same man who is the father of the ,jews4 ,what1 was ,abraham their father8 ,yes1 he was4 ,do you remember ,abraham's ungodly son1 ,ishmael8 ,he was cast out of his father's house for mocking his little brother ,isaac1 and he went into ,arabia4 ,and what sort of people are the ,arabs8 ,wild and fierce people4 ,travellers are afraid of passing through ,arabia1 lest the ,arabs should rob and murder them2 and no one has ever been able to conquer the ,arabs4 ,the ,arabs are very proud1 and will not bear the least affront4 ,sometimes one man says to another1 ,the wrong side of your turban is out4 ,this speech is considered an affront never to be forgotten4 ,the ,arabs are so unforgiving and revengeful that they will seek to kill a man year after year4 ,one man was observed to carry about a small dagger4 ,he said his reason was1 he was hoping some day to meet his enemy and kill him4 ,of what religion are this revengeful people8 ,the ,mahomedan4 ,mahomed was an ,arab4 ,it is thought a great honor to be descended from him4 ,those men who say ,mahomed is their father wear a green turban1 and very proud they are of their green turbans1 even though they may only be beggars4 ,,the ,,arabian ,,women4--,they are shut up like the women in ,syria when they live in towns1 but the women in tents are obliged to walk about2 therefore they wear a thick veil over their face1 with small holes for their eyes to peep out4 ,the poor women wear a long shirt of white or blue2 but the rich women wrap themselves in magnificent shawls4 ,to make themselves handsome1 they blacken their eyelids1 paint their nails red1 and wear gold rings in their ears and noses4 ,they delight in fine furniture4 ,a room lined with looking-glasses1 and with a ceiling of looking-glasses1 is thought charming4 ,,arab ,,tents4--,they are black1 being made of the hair of black goats4 ,some of them are so large that they are divided into three rooms1 one for the cattle1 one for the men1 and one for the women4 ,,arab ,,customs4--,the ,arabs sit on the ground1 resting on their heels1 and for tables they have low stools4 ,a large dish of rice and minced mutton is placed on the table1 and immediately every hand is thrust into it2 and in a moment it is empty4 ,then another dish is brought1 and another2 and sometimes fourteen dishes of rice1 one after the other1 till all the company are satisfied4 ,they eat very fast1 and each retires from dinner as soon as he likes1 without waiting for the rest4 ,after dinner they drink water1 and a small cup of coffee without milk or sugar4 ,then they smoke for many hours4 ,the ,arabs do not indulge in eating or drinking too much1 and this is one of the best parts of their character4 ,illustration3 ,,camels4 ,,the ,,three ,,evils ,,of ,,arabia4 ,the first evil is want of water4 ,there is no river in ,arabia3 and the small streams are often dried up by the heat4 ,the second evil is many locusts1 which come in countless swarms1 and devour every green thing4 ,the third evil is the burning winds4 ,when a traveller feels it coming1 he throws himself on the ground1 covering his face with his cloak1 lest the hot sand should be blown up his nostrils4 ,sometimes men and horses are choked by this sand4 ,these are the three great evils2 but there is a still greater1 the religion of ,mahomed3 for this injures the soul2 the other evils only hurt the body4 ,,the ,,three ,,animals ,,of ,,arabia4 ,the animals for which ,arabia is famous are animals to ride upon4 ,two of them are often seen in ,england2 though here they are not nearly as fine as in ,arabia2 but the third animal is never used in ,england4 ,most ,english boys have ridden upon an ass4 ,in ,arabia the ass is a handsome and spirited creature4 ,the horse is strong and swift1 and yet obedient and gentle4 ,the camel is just suited to ,arabia4 ,his feet are fit to tread upon the burning sands2 because the soles are more like ,india-rubber than like flesh3 his hard mouth1 lined with horn1 is not hurt by the prickly plants of the desert2 and his hump full of fat is as good to him as a bag of provisions3 for on a journey the fat helps to support him1 and enables him to do with very little food4 ,besides all this1 his inside is so made that he can live without water for three days4 ,a dromedary is a swifter kind of camel1 and is just as superior to a camel as a riding-horse is to a cart-horse4 ,,the ,,three ,,productions ,,of ,,arabia4 ,these are coffee1 dates1 and gums4 ,for these ,arabia is famous4 ,the coffee plants are shrubs4 ,the hills are covered with them2 the white blossoms look beautiful among the dark green leaves1 and so do the red berries4 ,the dates grow on the palm-trees2 and they are the chief food of the ,arabs4 ,the ,arabs despise those countries where there are no dates4 ,there are various sweet-smelling gums that flow from ,arabian trees4 ,,the ,,three ,,parts ,,of ,,arabia4 ,you see from what ,i have just said that there are plants and trees in ,arabia4 ,then it is clear that the whole land is not a desert4 ,no1 it is not2 there is only a part called ,desert ,arabia2 that is on the north4 ,there is a part in the middle almost as bad1 called ,stony ,arabia1 yet some sweet plants grow there2 but there is a part in the south called ,happy ,arabia1 where grow abundance of fragrant spices1 and of well-flavored coffee4 ,,the ,,three ,,cities ,,of ,,arabia4 ,arabia has long been famous for three cities1 called ,mecca1 ,medina1 and ,mocha4 ,mecca is considered the holiest city in the world4 ,and why8 ,because the false prophet ,mahomed was born there4 ,on that account ,mahomedans come from all parts of the world to worship in the great temple there4 ,sometimes ,mecca is as full of people as a hive is full of bees4 ,of all the cities in the ,east1 ,mecca is the gayest1 because the houses have windows looking into the streets4 ,in these houses are lodgings for the pilgrims4 ,and what is it the pilgrims worship8 ,a great black stone1 which they say the angel ,gabriel brought down from heaven as a foundation for ,mahomed's house4 ,they kiss it seven times1 and after each kiss they walk round it4 ,then they bathe in a well1 which they say is the well the angel showed to ,hagar in the desert1 and they think the waters of this well can wash away all their sins4 ,alas6 they know not of the blood which can wash away all sin4 ,medina contains the tomb of ,mahomed2 yet it is not thought so much of as ,mecca4 ,perhaps the ,mahomedans do not like to be reminded that ,mahomed died like any other man1 and never rose again4 ,mocha4--,this is a part whence very fine coffee is sent to ,europe4 ,,travels ,,in ,,the ,,desert4 ,of all places in ,arabia1 which would you desire most to see8 ,would it not be ,mount ,sinai8 ,our great and glorious ,god once spoke from the top of that mountain4 ,i will tell you of an ,english clergyman who travelled to see that mountain4 ,as he knew there were many robbers on the way1 he hired an ,arab sheikh to take care of him4 ,a sheikh is a chief1 or captain4 ,suleiman was a fine-looking man1 dressed in a red shirt1 with a shawl twisted round his waist1 a purple cloak1 and a red cap4 ,his feet and legs were bare4 ,his eyes were bright1 his skin was brown1 and his beard black4 ,to his girdle were fastened a huge knife and pistols1 and by his side hung a sword4 ,this man brought a band of ,arabs with him to defend the travellers from the robbers in the desert4 ,one day the whole party set out mounted on camels4 ,after going some distance1 a number of children were seen scampering among the rocks1 and looking like brown monkeys4 ,these were the children of the ,arabs who accompanied the ,englishman4 ,the wild little creatures ran to their fathers1 and saluted them in the respectful manner that ,arab children are taught to do4 ,at last a herd of goats was seen with a fine boy of twelve years old leading them4 ,he was the son of ,suleiman4 ,the father seemed to take great delight in this boy1 and introduced him to the traveller4 ,the kind gentleman riding on a camel1 put down his hand to the boy4 ,the little fellow1 after touching the traveller's hand1 kissed his own1 according to the ,arabian manner4 ,the way to ,mount ,sinai was very rough2 indeed1 the traveller was sometimes obliged to get off his camel1 and to climb among the crags on hands and knees4 ,how glad he was when the ,arabs pointed to a mountain1 and said1 ,that is ,mount ,sinai4 ,with what fear and reverence he gazed upon it6 ,here it was that the voice of the great ,god was once heard speaking out of the midst of the smoke1 and clouds1 and darkness6 ,how strange it must be to see in this lonely gloomy spot1 a great building6 ,yet there is one at the foot of the mountain4 ,what can it be8 ,a convent4 ,see those high walls around4 ,it is necessary to have high walls1 because all around are bands of fierce robbers4 ,it is even unsafe to have a door near the ground4 ,there is a door quite high up in the wall2 but what use can it be of1 when there are no steps by which to reach it8 ,can you guess how people get in by this door8 ,a rope is let down from the door to draw the people up4 ,one by one they are drawn up4 ,in the inside of the walls there are steps by which travellers go down into the convent below4 ,the monks who live there belong to the ,greek church4 ,the clergyman was lodged in a small cell spread with carpets and cushions1 and he was waited upon by the monks4 ,these monks think that they lead a very holy life in the desert4 ,they eat no meat1 and they rise in the night to pray in their chapel4 ,but ,god does not care for such service as this4 ,he never commanded men to shut themselves up in a desert1 but rather to do good in the world4 ,one day the monks told the traveller they would show him the place where the burning bush once stood4 ,how could they know the place8 ,however1 they pretended to know it4 ,they led the way to the chapel1 then taking off their shoes1 they went down some stone steps till they came to a round room under ground1 with three lamps burning in the midst4 ,there1 said the monks1 is the very spot where the burning bush once stood4 ,there were two things the traveller enjoyed while in the convent1 the beautiful garden full of thick trees and sweet flowers2 and the cool pure water from the well4 ,such water and such a garden in the midst of a desert were sweet indeed4 ,the ,arabs1 who accompanied the traveller1 enjoyed much the plentiful meals provided at the convent2 for the monks bought sheep from the shepherds around1 to feed their guests4 ,after leaving the convent1 ,suleiman was taken ill in consequence of having eaten too much while there4 ,the clergyman gave him medicine1 which cured him4 ,the ,arabs were very fond of their chief1 and were so grateful to the stranger for giving him in medicine1 that they called him the good physician4 ,suleiman himself showed his gratitude by bringing his own black coffee-pot into the tent of the stranger1 and asking him to drink coffee with him2 for such is the pride of an ,arab chief1 that he thinks it is a very great honor indeed for a stranger to share his meal4 ,but the traveller soon found that it is dangerous to pass through a desert4 ,why8 ,not on account of wild beasts1 but of wild men4 ,there was a tribe of ,arabs very angry with ,suleiman1 because he was conducting the travellers through their part of the desert4 ,they wanted to be the guides through that part1 in hopes of getting rewarded by a good sum of money4 ,you see how covetous they were4 ,the love of money is the root of all evil4 ,these angry ,arabs were hidden among the rocks and hills2 and every now and then they came suddenly out of their hiding-places1 and with a loud voice threatened to punish ,suleiman4 ,how much alarmed the travellers were6 but none more than ,suleiman himself4 ,he requested the clergyman to travel during the whole night1 in order the sooner to get out of the reach of the enemy4 ,the clergyman promised to go as far as he was able4 ,what a journey it was6 ,no one durst speak aloud to his companions1 lest the enemies should be hidden among the rocks close by1 and should overhear them4 ,at midnight the whole company pitched their tents by the coast of the ,red ,sea4 ,early in the morning the minister went alone to bathe in its smooth waters4 ,after he had bathed1 and when he was just going to return to the tents1 he was startled by hearing the sound of a gun4 ,the sound came from the midst of a small grove of palm-trees close by4 ,alarmed1 he ran back quickly to the tents3 again he heard the report of a gun3 and again a third time4 ,the travellers1 ,arabs and all1 were gathered together1 expecting an enemy to rush out of the grove4 ,but where was ,suleiman8 ,he had gone some time before into the grove of palm-trees to talk to the enemies4 ,presently the traveller saw about forty ,arabs leave the grove and go far away4 ,but ,suleiman came not4 ,so the minister went into the grove to search for him1 and there he found---not ,suleiman--but his dead body6 ,there it lay on the ground1 covered with blood4 ,the minister gazed upon the dark countenance once so joyful1 and he thought it looked as if the poor ,arab had died in great agony4 ,it was frightful to observe the number of his wounds4 ,three balls had been shot into his body by the gun which went off three times4 ,three great cuts had been made in his head2 his neck was almost cut off from his head1 and his hand from his arm6 ,how suddenly was the proud ,arab laid low in the dust6 ,all his delights were perished forever4 ,suleiman had been promised a new dress of gay colors at the end of the journey2 but he would never more gird a shawl round his active frame1 or fold a turban round his swarthy brow4 ,the ,arabs wrapped their beloved master in a loose garment1 and placing him on his beautiful camel1 they went in deep grief to a hill at a little distance4 ,there they buried him4 ,they dug no grave2 but they made a square tomb of large loose stones1 and laid the dead body in the midst1 and then covered it with more stones4 ,there ,suleiman sleeps in the desert4 ,but the day shall come when the earth shall disclose her blood1 and shall no more cover her slain3 and then shall the blood of ,suleiman and his slain body be uncovered1 and his murderer brought to judgment4#c #c ,extracted chiefly from ,the ,pastor's ,memorial1 by the ,rev4 ,g4 ,fisk4 ,published by ,r4 ,carter ,brothers4 ,,turkey ,,in ,,asia4 ,is there a ,turkey in ,asia as well as a ,turkey in ,europe8 ,yes1 there is2 and it is governed by the same sultan1 and filled by the same sort of persons4 ,all the ,turks are ,mahomedans4 ,you may know a ,mahomedan city at a distance4 ,when we look at a ,christian city we see the steeples and spires of churches2 but when we look at a ,mahomedan city we see rising above the houses and trees the domes and minarets of mosques4 ,what are domes and minarets8 ,a dome is the round top of a mosque3 and the minarets are the tall slender towers4 ,a minaret is of great use to the ,mahomedans4 ,do you see the little narrow gallery outside the minaret4 ,there is a man standing there4 ,he is calling people to say their prayers4 ,he calls so loud that all the people below can hear1 and the sounds he utters are like sweet music4 ,but would it not make you sad to hear them when you remembered what he was telling people to do8 ,to pray to the god of ,mahomet1 not to the ,god and ,father of the ,lord ,jesus ,christ2 but to a false god3 to no ,god4 ,this man goes up the dark narrow stairs winding inside the minaret five times a day3 first he goes as soon as the sun rises1 then at noon1 next in the afternoon1 then at sunset1 and last of all in the night4 ,ascending and descending those steep stairs is all his business1 and it is hard work1 and fatigues him very much4 ,in the court of the mosque there is a fountain4 ,there every one washes before he goes into the mosque to repeat his prayers1 thinking to please ,god by clean hands instead of a clean heart4 ,inside the mosque there are no pews or benches1 but only mats and carpets spread on the floor4 ,there the worshippers kneel and touch the ground with their foreheads4 ,the minister of the mosque is called the ,imam4 ,he stands in a niche in the wall1 with his back to the people1 and repeats prayers4 ,but he is not the preacher4 ,the sheikh1 or chief man of the town1 preaches2 not on ,sunday1 but on ,friday4 ,he sits on a high place and talks to the people--not about pardon and peace1 and heaven and holiness--but about the duty of washing their hands before prayers1 and of bowing down to the ground1 and such vain services4 ,in the mosque there are two rows of very large wax candles1 much higher than a man1 and as thick as his arm1 and they are lighted at night4 ,it is considered right to go to the mosque for prayers five times a day2 but very few ,mahomedans go so often4 ,wherever people may be1 they are expected to kneel down and repeat their prayers1 whether in the house or in the street4 ,but very few do so4 ,while they pray1 ,mahomedans look about all the time1 and in the midst speak to any one1 and then go on again2 for their hearts are not in their prayers2 they do not worship in spirit and in truth4 ,there are no images or pictures in the mosques1 because ,mahomet forbid his followers to worship idols4 ,there are ,korans on reading stands in various parts of the mosque for any one to read who pleases4 ,the people leave their red slippers at the door1 keeping on their yellow boots only2 but they do not uncover their heads as ,christians do4 ,was ,christ ever known in this ,mahomedan land8 ,yes1 long before he was known in ,england4 ,turkey in ,asia used to be called ,asia ,minor1 7or ,asia the less17 and there it was that ,paul the apostle was born1 and there he preached and turned many to ,christ4 ,but at last the ,christians began to worship images1 and the fierce ,turks came and turned the churches into mosques4 ,this was the punishment ,god sent the ,christians for breaking his law4 ,in some of the mosques you may see the marks of the pictures which the ,christians painted on the walls1 and which the ,turks nearly scraped off4 ,how dreadful it would be if our churches should ever be turned into mosques6 ,may ,god never send us this heavy punishment4 ,,armenia4 ,one corner of ,turkey in ,asia is called ,armenia4 ,there are many high mountains in ,armenia1 and one of them you would like to see very much4 ,it is the mountain on which ,noah's ark rested after the flood4 ,i mean ,ararat4#d ,it is a very high mountain with two peaks2 and its highest peak is always covered with snow4 ,people say that no one ever climbed to the top of that peak4 ,i should think ,noah's ark rested on a lower part of the mountain between the two peaks1 for it would have been very cold for ,noah's family on the snow-covered peak1 and it would have been very difficult for them to get down4 ,how pleasant it must be to stand on the side of ,ararat1 and to think1 ,here my great father ,noah stood1 and my great mother1 ,noah's wife2 here they saw the earth in all its greenness1 just washed with the waters of the flood1 and here they rejoiced and praised ,god4 ,i am glad to say that all the ,armenians are not ,mahomedans4 ,many are ,christians1 but1 alas6 they know very little about ,christ except his name4 ,i will tell you a short anecdote to show how ignorant they are4 ,once a traveller went to see an old church in ,armenia called the ,church of ,forty ,steps1 because there are forty steps to reach it3 for it is built on the steep banks of a river4 ,the traveller found the churchyard full of boys4 ,this churchyard was their school-room4 ,and what were their books8 ,the grave-stones that lay flat upon the ground4 ,four priests were teaching the boys4 ,these priests wore black turbans2 while ,turkish ,imams wear white turbans4 ,one of these ,armenian priests led the traveller to an upper room1 telling him he had something very wonderful to show him4 ,what could it be8 ,the priest went to a nacho in the wall and took out of it a bundle2 then untied a silk handkerchief1 and then another1 and then another2 till he had untied twenty-five silk handkerchiefs4 ,what was the precious thing so carefully wrapped up8 ,it was a ,new ,testament4 ,it is a precious book indeed3 but it ought to be read1 and not wrapped up4 ,the priest praised it1 saying1 ,this is a wonderful book2 it has often been laid upon sick persons1 and has cured them4 ,then a poor old man1 bent and tottering1 pressed forward to kiss the book1 and to rub his heavy head4 ,this was worshipping the book1 instead of ,him who wrote it4 ,an ,armenian village looks like a number of molehills3 for the dwellings are holes dug in the ground with low stone walls round the holes2 the roof is made of branches of trees and heaps of earth4 ,there are generally two rooms in the hole--one for the family1 and one for the cattle4 ,a traveller arrived one evening at such a village2 and he was pleased to see fruit-trees overshadowing the hovels1 and women1 without veils1 spinning cotton under their shadow4 ,but he was not pleased with the room where he was to sleep4 ,the way lay through a long dark passage under ground2 and the room was filled with cattle3 there was no window nor chimney4 ,how dark and hot it was6 ,yet it was too damp to sleep out of doors1 because a large lake was near2 therefore he wrapped his cloak around him1 and lay upon the ground2 but he could not sleep because of the stinging of insects1 and the trampling of cattle3 and glad he was in the morning to breathe again the fresh air4 ,rich ,armenians have fine houses4 ,once a traveller dined with a rich ,armenian4 ,the dinner was served up in a tray1 and placed on a low stool1 while the company sat on the ground4 ,one dish after another was served up till the traveller was tired of tasting them4 ,but there was not only too much to eat2 there was also too much to drink4 ,rakee1 a kind of brandy1 was handed about2 and afterwards a musician came in and played and sang to amuse the company4 ,in ,turkey there is neither playing1 nor singing1 nor drinking spirits4 ,the ,turks think themselves much better than ,christians4 ,for1 say they1 we drink less and pray more4 ,they do not know that real ,christians are not fond of drinking1 and are fond of praying2 only they pray more in secret1 and the ,turks more in public4 ,,kurdistan4 ,the fiercest of all the people in ,asia are the ,kurds4 ,they are the terror of all who live near them4 ,their dwellings are in the mountains2 there some live in villages1 and some in black tents1 and some in strong castles4 ,at night they rush down from the mountains upon the people in the valleys1 uttering a wild yell1 and brandishing their swords4 ,they enter the houses1 and begin to pack up the things they find1 and to place them on the backs of their mules and asses1 while they drive away the cattle of the poor people2 and if any one attempts to resist them1 they kill him4 ,you may suppose in what terror the poor villagers live in the valleys4 ,they keep a man to watch all night1 as well as large dogs2 and they build a strong tower in the midst of the village where they run to hide themselves when they are afraid4 ,the reason why the ,armenians live in holes in the ground is because they hope the ,kurds may not find out where they are4 ,those ,kurds who live in tents often move from place to place4 ,the black tents are folded up and placed on the backs of mules2 and a large kettle is slung upon the end of the tent-pole4 ,the men and women drive the herds and flocks1 while the children and the chickens ride upon the cows4 ,the ,kurds have thin1 dark faces1 hooked noses1 and black eyes1 with a fierce and malicious look4 ,they are of the ,mahomedan religion1 and the call to prayers may be heard in the villages of these robbers and murderers4 ,,mesopotamia4 ,this country is part of ,turkey in ,asia4 ,it lies between two very famous rivers1 the ,tigris and the ,euphrates1 often spoken of in the ,bible4 ,the word ,mesopotamia means between rivers4 ,it was between these rivers that faithful ,abraham lived when ,god first called him to be his friend4 ,should you not like to see that country8 ,it is now full of ruins4 ,the two most ancient cities in the world were built on the ,tigris and ,euphrates4 ,nineveh was on the ,tigris4 ,what a city that was at the time ,jonah preached there6 ,its walls were so thick that three chariots could go on the top all abreast4 ,but what is ,nineveh now8 ,look at those green mounds4 ,under those heaps of rubbish lies ,nineveh4 ,a traveller has been digging among those mounds1 and has found the very throne of the kings of ,nineveh1 and the images of winged bulls and lions which adorned the palace4 ,god overthrew ,nineveh because it was wicked4 ,there is another ancient city lying in ruins on the ,euphrates1 it is ,babylon the ,great4 ,there are nothing but heaps of bricks to be seen where once proud ,babylon stood4 ,where are now the streets fifteen miles long8 ,where are the hanging gardens8 ,gardens one above the other1 the wonder of the world8 ,where is now the temple of ,belus1 7or of ,babel1 as some think17 with its golden statue8 ,all1 all are now crumbled into rubbish4 ,god has destroyed ,babylon as he said4 ,there are dens of wild beasts among the ruins4 ,a traveller saw some bones of a sheep in one1 the remains1 he supposed1 of a lion's dinner2 but he did not like to go further into the den to see who dwelt there4 ,owls and bats fill all the dark places4 ,but no men live there1 though human bones are often found scattered about1 and they turn into dust as soon as they are touched4 ,there is now a great city in ,mesopotamia1 called ,bagdad4 ,in ,babylon no sound is heard but the howlings of wild beasts2 in ,bagdad men may be heard screaming and hallooing from morning to night4 ,the drivers of the camels and the mules shout as they press through the narrow crooked streets1 and even the ladies riding on white donkeys1 and attended by black slaves1 scream and halloo4 ,in summer it is so hot in ,bagdad that people during the day live in rooms under ground1 and sleep on their flat roofs at night4 ,it is curious to see the people who have been sleeping on the roof get up in the morning4 ,first they roll up their mattrasses1 their coverlids1 and pillows1 and put them in the house4 ,the children cannot fold up theirs1 but their mothers or black slaves do it for them4 ,the men repeat their prayers1 and then drink a cup of coffee1 which their wives present to them4 ,the wives kneel as they offer the cup to their lords1 and stand with their hands crossed while their lords are drinking1 then kneel down again to receive the cup1 and to kiss their lords' hand4 ,then the men take their pipes1 and lounge on their cushions1 while the women say their prayers4 ,and when do the children say their prayers8 ,never4 ,they know only of ,mahomet2 they know not the ,saviour who said1 ,suffer little children to come unto me4 #d ,it is remarkable that this mountain lies at the point where three great empires meet1 namely1 ,russia1 ,persia1 and ,turkey4 ,,persia4 ,is this country mentioned in the ,bible8 ,yes2 we read of ,cyrus1 the king of ,persia4 ,isaiah spoke of him before he was born1 and called him by his name4 ,see chapter xlv4 ,persia is now a ,mahomedan country4 ,the ,turks1 you remember1 are ,mahomedans too4 ,perhaps you think those two nations1 the ,turks and the ,persians1 must agree well together1 as they are of the same religion4 ,far from it4 ,no nations hate one another more than ,turks and ,persians do2 and the reason is1 that though they both believe in ,mahomet1 they disagree about his son-in law1 ,ali4 ,the ,persians are very fond of him1 and keep a day of mourning in memory of his death2 whereas the ,turks do not care for ,ali at all4 ,but is this a reason why they should hate one another so much8 ,even in their common customs the ,persians differ from the ,turks4 ,the ,turks sit cross-legged on the ground2 the ,persians sit upon their heels4 ,which way of sitting should you prefer8 ,i think you would find it more comfortable to sit like a ,turk4 ,the ,turks sit on sofas and lean against cushions2 the ,persians sit on carpets and lean against the wall4 ,i know you would prefer the ,turkish fashion4 ,the ,turks drink coffee without either milk or sugar2 the ,persians drink tea with sugar1 though without milk4 ,the ,turks wear turbans2 the ,persians wear high caps of black lamb's-wool4 ,not only are their customs different2 but their characters4 ,the ,turks are grave and the ,persians lively4 ,the ,turks are silent1 the ,persians talkative4 ,the ,turks are rude1 the ,persians polite4 ,now ,i am sure you like the ,persians better than the ,turks4 ,but wait a little--the ,turks are very proud2 the ,persians are very deceitful4 ,an old ,persian was heard to say1 ,we all tell lies whenever we can4 ,the ,persians are not even ashamed when their falsehoods are found out4 ,when they sell they ask too much2 when they make promises they break them4 ,in short1 it is impossible to trust a ,persian4 ,the ,turks obey ,mahomet's laws2 they pray five times a day1 and drink no wine4 ,but the ,persians seldom repeat their prayers1 and they do drink wine1 though ,mahomet has forbidden it4 ,in short1 the ,persian seems to have no idea of right and wrong4 ,the judges do not give right judgment1 but take bribes4 ,the soldiers live by robbing the poor people1 for the king pays them no wages1 but leaves them to get food as they can2 and so the poor people often build their cottages in little nooks in the valleys1 where they hope the soldiers will not see them4 ,,the ,,country4--,persia is a high country and a dry country4 ,there are high mountains and wide plains2 but there are very few rivers and running brooks1 because there is so little rain4 ,however1 in some places the ,persians have cut canals1 and planted willow-trees by their side4 ,rice will not grow well in such a dry country1 but sheep find it very pleasant and wholesome4 ,the hills are covered over with flocks1 and the shepherds may be seen leading their sheep and carrying the very young lambs in their arms4 ,this is a sight which reminds us of the good ,shepherd3 for it is written of ,jesus1 ,he gathered the lambs in his arms4 ,the sweetest of all flowers grows abundantly in ,persia--,i mean the rose4 ,the air is filled with its fragrance4 ,the people pluck the rose leaves and dry them in the sun1 as we dry hay4 ,how pleasant it must be for children in the spring to play among the heaps of rose-leaves4 ,once a traveller went to breakfast with a ,persian ,prince1 and he found the company seated upon a heap of rose-leaves1 with a carpet spread over it4 ,afterwards the rose-leaves were sent to the distillers1 to be made into rose-water4 ,persian cats are beautiful creatures1 with fur as soft as silk4 ,the best melons in the world grow in ,persia4 ,the three chief materials for making clothes are all to be found there in abundance4 ,i mean wool1 cotton1 and silk4 ,you have heard already of the ,persian sheep2 so you see there is wool4 ,cotton trees also abound4 ,women and children may be been picking the nuts which contain the little pieces of cotton4 ,there are mulberry-trees also to feed the numerous silk worms4 ,,poor ,,people4--,the villages where the poor live are miserable places4 ,the houses are of mud1 not placed in rows1 but straggling1 with dirty narrow paths winding between them4 ,in summer the poor people sleep on the roofs2 for the roofs are flat1 and covered with earth1 with low walls on every side to prevent the sleepers falling off4 ,here the ,persians spread their carpets to lie upon at night4 ,winter does not last long in ,persia1 yet while it lasts it is cold4 ,then the poor1 instead of sleeping on their roofs1 sleep in a very curious warm bed4 ,in the middle of each cottage there is a round hole in the floor1 where the fire burns4 ,in the evening the fire goes out1 but the hot cinders remain4 ,the ,persians place over it a low round table1 and then throw a large coverlid over the table1 and all round about4 ,under this coverlid the family lie at night1 their heads peeping out1 and their feet against the warm fire-place underneath4 ,this the ,persians call a comfortable bed4 ,the poor wear dirty and ragged clothes1 and the children may be seen crawling about in the dust1 and looking like little pigs4 ,yet in one respect the ,persians are very clean2 they bathe often4 ,in every village there is a large bath4 ,the poor people have animals of various kinds--a few sheep1 or goats1 or cows4 ,in the day one man takes them all out to feed4 ,in the evening he brings them back to the village1 and the animals of their own accord go home to their own stables4 ,each cow and each sheep knows where she will get food and a place to sleep in4 ,the prophet ,isaiah said truly1 ,the ass knoweth his owner1 and the ox his master's crib2 but ,israel doth not know1 my people doth not consider4 ,,the ,,persian ,,ladies4--,they wrap themselves up in a large dark blue wrapper1 and in this dress they walk out where they please4 ,no one who meets them can tell who they are4 ,and where do these women go8 ,chiefly to the bath1 where they spend much of their time drinking coffee and smoking4 ,there too they try to make themselves handsome by blackening their eyebrows and dyeing their hair4 ,sometimes the ladies walk to the burial-grounds1 and wander about for hours among the graves4 ,when they are at home they employ themselves in making pillau and sherbet4 ,pillau is made of rice and butter2 sherbet is made of juice mixed with water4 ,the ladies have a sitting-room to themselves4 ,one side of it is all lattice-work1 and this makes it cool4 ,at night they spread their carpets on the floor to sleep upon1 and in the day they keep them in a lumber-room4 ,,persian ,,inns4--,they are very uncomfortable places4 ,there are a great many small cells made of mud1 built all round a large court4 ,these cells are quite empty1 and paved with stone4 ,the only comfortable room is over the door-way of the court1 and the first travellers who arrive are sure to settle in the room over the door-way4 ,once an ,english traveller arrived at a ,persian inn with his two servants4 ,all three were very ill and in great pain1 from having travelled far over burning plains and steep mountains4 ,but as the room over the door-way was occupied1 they were forced to go into a little cold damp cell4 ,as there was no door to the cell1 they hung up a rag to keep out the chilling night air1 and they placed a pan of coals in the midst4 ,many ,persians came and peeped into the cell2 and seeing the sick men looking miserable as they lay on their carpets1 the unfeeling creatures laughed at them1 and no one would help them or give them anything to eat4 ,the travellers bought some bread and grapes at the bazaar1 but these were not fit food for sick men1 but it was all they could get4 ,at last a ,persian merchant heard of their distress2 and he came to see them every day1 bringing them warm milk and wholesome food3 when they were well enough to be moved1 he took them to his own house1 and nursed them with the greatest care4 ,who was this kind merchant8 ,not a ,mahomedan1 but of the religion of the fire worshippers1 or ,parsees4 ,was he not like the good ,samaritan of whom we read in the ,new ,testament8 ,o that ,bahram1 the merchant1 might know the true ,god6 ,,pilgrims ,,and ,,beggars4--,very often you may see a large company of ,pilgrims some on foot1 and some mounted on camels1 horses1 and asses4 ,they are returning from ,mecca1 the birth-place of ,mahomet4 ,what good have they got by their pilgrimage8 ,none at all4 ,they think they are grown very holy1 but they make such an uproar at the inns by quarrelling and fighting when they are travelling home1 that no one can bear to be near them4 ,there is a set of beggars called dervishes4 ,they call themselves very holy1 and think people are bound to give money to such holy men4 ,they are so bold that sometimes they refuse to leave a place till some money has been given4 ,once a dervish stopped a long while before the house of the ,english ambassador1 and refused to go away4 ,but a plan was thought of to make him go away4 ,the dervish was sitting in a little niche in the wall4 ,the ambassador ordered his servants to build up bricks to shut the dervish in4 ,the men began to build1 yet the dervish would not stir1 till the bricks came up as high as his chin3 then he began to be frightened1 and said he would rather go away4 ,,the ,,king ,,of ,,persia4--,he is called ,king of ,kings4 ,what a name for a man6 ,it is the title of ,god alone4 ,the king sits on a marble throne1 and his garments sparkle with jewels of dazzling brightness4 ,the walls of his state-chamber are covered with looking-glasses4 ,one side of the room opens into a court adorned with flowers and fountains4 ,great part of his time is spent in amusements1 such as hunting and shooting1 writing verses1 and hearing stories4 ,he keeps a man called a story-teller1 and he will never hear the same story repeated twice4 ,it gives the man a great deal of trouble to find new stories every day4 ,the king keeps jesters1 who make jokes2 and he has mimics1 who play antics to make him laugh4 ,he dines at eight in the evening from dishes of pure gold4 ,no one is allowed to dine with him2 but two of his little boys wait upon him1 and his physician stands by to advise him not to eat too much4 ,do you think he is happy in all his grandeur8 ,judge for yourself4 ,all his golden dishes come up covered and sealed4 ,why8 ,for fear of poison4 ,there is a chief officer in the kitchen who watches the cook1 to see that he puts no poison into the food3 and he seals up the dishes before they are taken to the king1 in order that the servants may not put in poison as they are carrying them along4 ,in what fear this great king lives6 ,he cannot trust his own servants4 ,,teheran4--,this is the royal city4 ,it is built in a barren plain1 and is exceedingly hot1 as the hills around keep off the air4 ,it is a mean city1 for it is chiefly built of mud huts4 ,the king's palace is called the ,ark1 and is a very strong as well as grand place4#e #e ,extracted chiefly from ,southgate's ,travels4 ,,china4 ,there is no country in the world like ,china4 ,how different it is from ,persia1 where there are so few people2 whereas ,china is crowded with inhabitants6 ,how different it is from ,england1 where the people are instructed in the ,bible1 whereas ,china is full of idols4 ,china is a heathen country2 yet it is not a savage country1 for the people are quiet1 and orderly1 and industrious4 ,it would be hard for a child to imagine what a great multitude of people there are in ,china4 ,if you were to sit by a clock1 and if all the ,chinese were to pass before you one at a time1 and if you were to count one at each tick of the clock1 and if you were never to leave off counting day or night--how long do you think it would be before you had counted all the ,chinese8 ,twelve years4 ,o what a vast number of people there must be in ,china6 ,in all1 there are about three hundred and sixty millions6 ,if all the people in the world were collected together1 out of every three one would be a ,chinese4 ,how sad it is to think that this immense nation knows not ,god1 nor his glorious ,son6 ,there are too many people in ,china1 for there is not food enough for them all2 and many are half-starved4 ,,food4--,the poor can get nothing but rice to eat and water to drink2 except now and then they mix a little pork or salt fish with their rice4 ,any sort of meat is thought good2 even a hash of rats and snakes1 or a mince of earth-worms4 ,cats and dogs' flesh are considered as nice as pork1 and cost as much4 ,an ,englishman was once dining with a ,chinaman1 and he wished to know what sort of meat was on his plate4 ,but he was not able to speak ,chinese4 ,how then could he ask8 ,he thought of a way4 ,looking first at his plate1 and then at the ,chinaman1 he said1 ,ba-a-a1 meaning to ask1 ,is this mutton8 ,the ,chinaman understood the question1 and immediately replied1 ,bow-wow1 meaning to say1 ,it is puppy-dog4 ,you will wish to know whether the ,englishman went on eating2 but ,i cannot tell you this4 ,while the poor are in want of food1 the rich eat a great deal too much4 ,a ,chinese feast in a rich man's house lasts for hours4 ,the servants bring in one course after another1 till a stranger wonders when the last course will come4 ,the food is served up in a curious way2 not on dishes1 but in small basins--for all the meats are swimming in broth4 ,instead of a knife and fork1 each person has a pair of chop-sticks1 which are something like knitting-needles2 and with these he cleverly fishes up the floating morsels1 and pops them into his mouth4 ,there are spoons of china for drinking the broth4 ,you will be surprised to hear that the ,chinese are very fond of eating birds' nests4 ,do not suppose that they eat magpies' nests1 which are made of clay and sticks1 or even little nests of moss and clay2 the nests they eat are made of a sort of gum4 ,this gum comes out of the bird's mouth1 and is shining and transparent1 and the nest sticks fast to the rock4 ,these nests are something like our jelly1 and must be very nourishing4 ,the ,chinese like nothing cold2 they warm all their food1 even their wine4 ,for they have wine1 not made of grapes1 but of rice1 and they drink it1 not in glasses1 but in cups4 ,tea1 however1 is the most common drink2 for ,china is the country where tea grows4 ,the hills are covered with shrubs bearing a white flower1 a little like a white rose4 ,they are tea-plants4 ,the leaves are picked2 each leaf is rolled up with the finger1 and dried on a hot iron plate4 ,the ,chinese do not keep all the tea-leaves2 they pack up a great many in boxes1 and send them to distant lands4 ,in ,england and in ,russia there is a tea-kettle in every cottage4 ,some of the ,chinese are so very poor that they cannot buy new tea-leaves1 but only tea-leaves which ire sold in shops4 ,i do not think in ,england poor people would buy old tea-leaves4 ,some very poor ,chinese use fern-leaves instead of tea-leaves4 ,the ,chinese do not make tea in the same way that we do4 ,they have no teapot1 or milk-jug1 or sugar-basin4 ,they put a few tea-leaves in a cup1 pour hot water on them1 and then put a cover on the cup till the tea is ready4 ,whenever you pay a visit in ,china a cup of tea is offered4 ,,appearance4--,the ,chinese are not at all like the other natives of ,asia4 ,the ,turks and ,arabs are fine-looking men1 but the ,chinese are poor-looking creatures4 ,you have seen their pictures on their boxes of tea1 for they are fond of drawing pictures of themselves4 ,their complexion is rather yellow1 but many of the ladies1 who keep in doors1 are rather fair4 ,they have black hair1 small dark eyes1 broad faces1 flat noses1 and high cheek-bones4 ,in general they are short4 ,the men like to be stout2 and the rich men are stout3 the fatter they are1 the more they are admired3 but the women like to be slender4 ,a ,chinaman does not take off his cap in company1 and he has a good reason for it3 his head is close shaven3 only a long piece behind is allowed to grow1 and this grows down to his heels1 and is plaited4 ,he wears a long dark blue gown1 with loose hanging sleeves4 ,his shoes are clumsy1 turned up at the toes in an ugly manner1 and the soles are white4 ,the ,chinese have more trouble in whitening their shoes than we have in blacking ours4 ,a ,chinese lady wears a loose gown like a ,chinaman's2 but she may be known by her head-dress1 her baby feet1 and her long nails4 ,her hair is tied up1 and decked with artificial flowers2 and sometimes a little golden bird1 sparkling with jewels1 adorns her forehead4 ,her feet are no bigger than those of a child of five years old2 because1 when she was five1 they were cruelly bound up to prevent them from growing4 ,she suffered much pain all her childhood1 and now she trips about as if she were walking on tiptoes4 ,a little push would throw her down4 ,as she walks she moves from side to side like a ship in the water1 for she cannot walk firmly with such small feet4 ,the ,chinese are so foolish as to admire these small feet1 and to call them the golden lilies4 ,as for her finger-nails1 they are seldom seen1 for a ,chinese lady hides her hands in her long sleeves2 but the nails on the left hand are very long1 and are like bird's claws4 ,the nails on the right hand are not so long1 in order that the lady may be able to tinkle on her music1 to embroider1 and to weave silk4 ,the gentlemen are proud of having one long nail on the little finger1 to show that they do not labor like the poor1 for if they did1 the nail would break4 ,men in ,china wear necklaces and use fans4 ,what foolish customs ,i have described4 ,surely you will not think the ,chinese a wise people1 though very clever1 as you will soon find4 ,men and women dress in black1 or in dark colors1 such as blue and purple2 the women sometimes dress in pink or green4 ,great people dress in red1 and the royal family in yellow4 ,when you see a person all in white1 you may know he is in mourning4 ,a son dresses in white for three years after he has lost one of his parents4 ,,houses4--,see that lantern hanging over the gate4 ,the light is rather dim1 because the sides are made of silk instead of glass4 ,what is written upon the lantern8 ,the master's name4 ,the gateway leads into a court into which many rooms open4 ,there are not doors to all the rooms2 to some there are only curtains4 ,curtains are used instead of doors in many hot countries1 because of their coolness2 but the furniture of the ,chinese rooms is quite different from the furniture of ,turkish and ,persian rooms4 ,the ,chinese sit on chairs as we do1 and have high tables like ours3 and they sleep on bedsteads1 yet their beds are not like ours1 for instead of a mattrass there is nothing but a mat4 ,instead of pictures1 the ,chinese adorn their rooms with painted lanterns1 and with pieces of white satin1 on which sentences are written3 they have also book-cases and china jars4 ,but they have no fire-places1 for they never need a fire to keep themselves warm3 the sun shining in at the south windows makes the rooms tolerably warm in winter2 and in summer the weather is very hot4 ,the ,chinese in winter put on one coat over the other till they feel warm enough4 ,in the north of ,china it is so cold in winter that the place where the bed stands 7which is a recess in the wall7 is heated by a furnace underneath1 and the whole family sit there all day crowded together4 ,the ,chinese houses have not so many stories as ours2 in the towns there is one floor above the ground floor1 but in the country there are no rooms up stairs4 ,it would amuse you to see a ,chinese country house4 ,there is not one large house1 but a number of small buildings like summer-houses1 and long galleries running from one to another4 ,one of these summer-houses is in the middle of a pond1 with a bridge leading to it4 ,in the pond there are gold and silver fish2 for these beautiful fishes often kept in glass bowls in ,england1 came first from ,china4 ,by the sides of the garden walls large cages are placed2 in one may be seen some gold and silver pheasants1 in another a splendid peacock2 in another a gentle stork1 and in another an elegant little deer4 ,there is often a grove of mulberry-trees in the garden1 and in the midst of the grove houses made of bamboo1 for rearing silk-worms4 ,it is the delight of the ladies to feed these curious worms4 ,none but very quiet people are fit to take care of them1 for a loud noise would kill them4 ,gold and silver fish also cannot bear much noise4 ,in every large house in ,china there is a room called the ,hall of ,ancestors4 ,there the family worship their dead parents and grand-parents1 and great-grand-parents1 and those who lived still further back4 ,there are no images to be seen in the ,hall of ,ancestors1 but there are tablets with names written upon them4 ,the family bow down before the tablets1 and burn incense and gold paper6 ,what a foolish service6 ,what good can incense and paper do to the dead8 ,and what good can the dead do to their children8 ,how is it that such clever people as the ,chinese are so foolish8 ,,religion4--,you have heard already that the ,chinese worship the dead4 ,who taught them this worship8 ,it was a man named ,confucius1 who lived a long while ago4 ,this ,confucius was a very wise man4 ,from his childhood he was very fond of sitting alone thinking1 instead of playing with other children4 ,when he was fourteen he began to read some old books that had been written not long after the time of ,noah4 ,in these books he found very many wise sentences1 such as ,noah may have taught his children4 ,the ,chinese had left off reading these wise books1 and were growing more and more foolish4#f ,confucius1 when he was grown up1 tried to persuade his countrymen to attend to the old books4 ,there were a few men who became his scholars1 and who followed him about from place to place4 ,they might be seen sitting under a tree1 listening to the words of ,confucius4 ,confucius was a very tall man with a long black beard and a very high forehead4 ,had he known the true ,god1 how much good he might have done to the ,chinese2 but as it was he only tried to make them happy in this world4 ,he himself confessed that he knew nothing about the other world4 ,he gave very good advice about respect due to parents2 but he gave very bad advice about worship due to them after they were dead4 ,was he a good man8 ,not truly good2 for he did not love ,god2 neither did he act right3 for he was very unkind to his wife1 and quite cast her off4 ,yet he used to talk of going to other countries to teach the people4 ,it would have been a happy thing for him1 if he had gone as far as ,babylon2 for a truly wise man lived there1 even ,daniel the prophet4 ,from him he might have learned about the promised ,saviour1 and life everlasting4 ,but ,confucius never left ,china4 ,he was ill-treated by many of the rich and great1 and he was so poor that rice was generally his only food4 ,when he was dying he felt very unhappy1 as well he might1 when he knew not where he was going4 ,he said to his followers just before his death1 ,the kings refuse to follow my advice2 and since ,i am of no use on earth1 it is best that ,i should leave it4 ,as soon as he was dead1 people began to respect him highly1 and even to worship him4 ,at this day1 though ,confucius died more than two thousand years ago1 there is a temple to his honor in every large city1 and numbers of beasts are offered up to him in sacrifice4 ,there are thousands of people descended from him1 and they are treated with great honor as the children of ,confucius1 and one of them is called kong or duke4 ,there is another religion in ,china besides the religion of ,confucius1 and a much worse religion4 ,about the same time that ,confucius lived1 there was a man called ,la-on-tzee4 ,he was a great deceiver1 as you will see4 ,he pretended that he could make people completely happy4 ,there were three things he said he would do for them3 first1 he would make them rich by turning stone into gold2 next1 he would prevent their being hurt by swords or by fire through charms he could give them2 and1 last of all1 he could save them from death by a drink he knew how to prepare4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,priests ,,of ,,la-,,on-,,tzee4 ,what an awful liar this man must have been6 ,yet many people believed in him1 and still believe in him4 ,there are now priests of ,la-on-tzee1 and once a year they rush through hot cinders and pretend they are not hurt4 ,you will wonder their tricks are not found out1 seeing they cannot give any one the drink to keep them from dying4 ,it is indeed wonderful that any one can believe these deceitful priests4 ,their religion is called the ,taou sect4 ,taou means reason4 ,the name of folly would be a better title for such a religion4 ,there is a third religion in ,china4 ,it is the sect of ,buddha4#g ,this ,buddha was a man who once pretended to be turned into a god called ,fo4 ,you see he was even worse than ,la-on-tzee4 ,buddha pretended that he could make people happy2 and his way of doing so was very strange4 ,he told them to think of nothing1 and then they would be happy4 ,it is said that one man fixed his eyes for nine years upon a wall without looking off1 hoping to grow happy at last4 ,you can guess whether he did4 ,there are many priests of ,buddha1 always busy in telling lies to the people4 ,they recommend them to repeat the name of ,buddha thousands and thousands of times1 and some people are so foolish as to do this2 but no one ever found any comfort from this plan4 ,the priests of ,buddha say that their souls1 when they leave their bodies1 go into other bodies4 ,this idea is enough to make a dying person very miserable4 ,one poor man1 when he was dying1 was in terror because he had been told his soul would go into one of the emperor's horses4 ,whenever he was dropping off to sleep1 he started up in a fright1 fancying that he felt the blows of a cruel driver hurrying him along3 for he knew how very fast the emperor's horses were made to go4 ,how different are the feelings of a dying man who knows he is going to ,jesus4 ,he can say with joy1-- ,for me my elder brethren stay1 ,and angels beckon me away1 ,and ,jesus bids me come4 ,the ,buddhists are full of tricks by which to get presents out of the people4 ,once a year they cause a great feast to be made1 and for whom8 ,for the poor8 ,no4 ,for beasts8 ,no4 ,for children8 ,no4 ,for themselves8 ,no4 ,you will never guess4 ,for ghosts6 ,the priests declare that the souls of the dead are very hungry1 and that it is right to give them a feast4 ,a number of tables are set out1 spread with all kinds of dishes4 ,no one is seen to eat1 nor is any of the food eaten2 but the priests say the ghosts eat the spirit of the food4 ,when it is supposed the ghosts have finished dinner1 the people scramble for the food1 and take it home1 and no doubt the priests get their share4 ,the dead are supplied with money as well as with food1 and that is done by burning gilt paper2 clothes are sent to them by cutting out paper in the shape of clothes1 7only much smaller17 and by burning the article2 and even houses are conveyed to the dead by making baby-houses and burning them4 ,as an instance of the deceits of the priests1 ,i will tell you of two priests who once stood crying over a pour woman's gate4 ,what is the matter8 inquired the woman4 ,do you see those ducks8 the priests replied2 our parents' souls are in them1 and we are afraid lest you should eat them for supper4 ,the foolish woman out of pity gave the ducks to the cunning priests1 who promised to take great care of the precious birds2 but1 in fact1 they ate them for their own supper4 ,the ,buddhist priests may be known by their heads close shaven1 and their black dress4 ,the priests of ,taou have their hair in a knot at the top of their heads and they wear scarlet robes4 ,there are no priests of ,confucius2 and this is a good thing4 ,all the religions of ,china are bad1 but of the three the religion of ,confucius is the least foolish4 ,there can be no doubt which of the three religions of ,china is the least absurd4 ,the religion of ,taou teaches men to act like mad-men4 ,the religion of ,buddha teaches them to act like idiots4 ,the religion of ,confucius teaches them to act like wise men1 but without souls4 ,,the ,,emperor4--,there is no emperor in the world who has as many subjects as the ,emperor of ,china3 he has six times as many as the ,emperor of ,russia4 ,neither is it possible for any man to be more honored than this emperor2 for he is worshipped by his people like a god4 ,he is called ,the ,son of ,heaven1 and ,ten ,thousand ,years2 yet he dies like every other child of earth4 ,his sign is the dragon1 and this is painted on his flags1 a fit sign for one who1 like ,satan1 makes himself a god4 ,yet the emperor is also styled ,father of his people1 and to show that he feels like a father1 when there is a famine or plague in the land1 he shuts himself up in his palace to grieve for his people2 and by this means he gets the love of his subjects4 ,once a year1 too1 this great emperor tries to encourage his people to be industrious by ploughing part of a field and sowing a little corn2 and the empress sets an example to the women1 by going once a year to feed silk worms and to wind the balls of silk4 ,the emperor wears a yellow dress1 and all his relations wear yellow girdles4 ,but the relations of the emperor are not the most honorable people in the land3 the most learned are the most honorable4 ,every one in ,china who wishes to be a great lord studies day and night4 ,one man1 that he might not fall asleep over his books1 tied his long plaited tail of hair to the ceiling1 and when his head nodded1 his hair was pulled tight1 and that woke him4 ,but what is it the ,chinese learn with so much pains8 ,chiefly the books of ,confucius1 and a few more2 but in none of them is ,god made known3 so that1 with all his wisdom1 the ,chinaman is foolish still4 ,the words of the ,bible are true4 ,the world by wisdom knew not ,god4 ,yet to know ,god is better than to know all beside4 ,there is a great hall in every town where all the men who wish to be counted learned meet together once a year4 ,they are desired to write1 and then to show what they have written2 and then those who have written well1 and without a mistake1 have an honorable title given to them2 and they are allowed to write another year in another greater hall2 and at last the most learned are made mandarins4 ,what is a mandarin8 ,he is a ruler over a town1 and is counted a great man4 ,the most learned of the mandarins are made the emperor's counsellors4 ,there are only three of them1 and they are the greatest men in all ,china1 next to the emperor4 ,there are many poor men who study hard in hopes to be one of these three4 ,this is the greatest honor a ,chinaman can obtain4 ,but a ,christian can obtain a far greater1 even the honor of a crown and a throne in the presence of the ,lord ,jesus ,christ at his coming4 ,the mandarins are all of the religion of ,confucius1 and despise the poor who worship ,buddha4 ,,animals ,,and ,,trees4--,once there were lions in ,china1 but they have all been killed2 there are still bears and tigers in the mountains and forests on the borders of the land4 ,there are small wild-cats1 which are caught and fastened in cages1 and then killed and cooked4 ,there are tame cats1 too1 with soft hair and hanging ears1 which are kept by ladies as pets4 ,there are dogs to guard the house1 and they too are eaten2 but as they are fed on rice only1 their flesh is better than the flesh of our dogs4 ,the dogs are so sensible that they know when the butcher is carrying away a dog that he is going to kill him1 and the poor creatures come round him howling1 as if begging for their brother's life4 ,the pig is the ,chinaman's chief dish2 for it can be fed on all the refuse food1 and there is very little food to spare in ,china4 ,there are not many birds in ,china1 because there is no room for trees4 ,only one bird sings1 and she builds her nest on the ground2 it is a bird often heard singing in ,england floating in the air1--,i mean the lark4 ,in most parts of ,china men carry all the burdens1 and not horses and asses4 ,a gentleman is carried in a chair by two men3 and a mandarin by four4 ,yet the emperor rides on horseback4 ,,the ,,three ,,great ,,cities ,pekin on the north4 ,nankin in the middle4 ,canton on the south4 ,pekin is the grandest4 ,nankin is the most learned4 ,canton is the richest4 ,at ,pekin is the emperor's palace4 ,the gardens are exceedingly large1 and contain hills1 and lakes1 and groves within the walls1 besides houses for the emperor's relations4 ,at ,nankin is the ,china tower4 ,it is made of ,china bricks1 and contains nine rooms one over the other4 ,it is two hundred feet high1 a wonderful height4 ,of what use is it8 ,of none--of worse than none4 ,it is a temple for ,buddha1 and is full of his images4 ,at ,canton there are so many people that there is not room for all in the land2 so thousands live on the water in bouts4 ,many have never slept a single night on the shore4 ,the children often fall overboard1 but as a hollow gourd is tied round each child's neck1 they float1 and are soon picked up4 ,for a long while the ,chinese would not allow foreigners to come into their cities4 ,a great many foreign ships came to ,canton to buy tea and silk2 but the traders were forbidden to enter the town1 and they lived in a little island near1 and built a town there called ,macao4 ,but lately the ,chinese emperor has agreed to permit strangers to come to five ports1 called ,shang-hae1 ,ning-po1 ,foo-choo1 ,amoy1 and ,hong-,kong4 ,this last port1 ,hong-,kong1 is an island near ,canton1 and the ,english have built a city there and called it ,victoria4 ,,the ,,two ,,rivers4--,there is one called ,yeang-te-sang1 or the ,son of the ,ocean4 ,it is the largest in ,asia4 ,the other is the ,yellow ,river1 for the soft clay mixed with the water gives it a yellow color4 ,,lakes4--,there are immense lakes1 covered with boats and fishermen4 ,but the best fishers are the tame cormorants1 who catch fish for their masters4 ,,the ,,two ,,great ,,wonders4--,the great ,,canal is wonder4 ,it joins the two rivers2 so that a ,chinese can go by water from ,canton to ,pekin4 ,the great ,,wall is a greater wonder1 but not nearly as useful as the canal4 ,this wall was built at the north of ,china to keep the ,tartars out4 ,it is one thousand five hundred miles long1 twenty feet high1 and twenty-five broad4 ,but there were not soldiers enough in ,china to keep the enemies out1 and the ,tartars came over the wall4 ,the ,emperor of ,china is a ,tartar4 ,the ,empress does not have small feet1 like the ,chinese4 ,it is the ,tartars who forced the ,chinese to shave their heads1 for they used to tie up their hair in a knot at the top of their heads4 ,many of the ,chinese preferred losing their heads to their hair4 ,was it not cruel to cut off their heads1 merely because they would not shave them8 ,but the ,tartars were very cruel to the ,chinese4 ,,knowledge ,,and ,,inventions4--,we must allow that the ,chinese are very clever4 ,they found out how to print1 and they found out how to make gunpowder1 and they found out the use of the loadstone4 ,what is that8 ,a piece of steel rubbed against the loadstone will always point to the north4 ,the ,chinese found out these three things1 printing1 gunpowder1 and the use of the loadstone1 before we in ,europe found them out4 ,but they did not teach them to us2 we found them out ourselves4 ,but there are two arts that the ,chinese did teach us3 how to make silk1 and how to make china or porcelain4 ,and yet ,i should not say they taught us2 for they tried to prevent our learning their arts2 but we saw their silk and their porcelain1 and by degrees we learned to make them ourselves4 ,a sly monk brought some silk-worm's eggs from ,china hidden in a hollow walking-stick4 ,,language4--,there is no other language at all like the ,chinese4 ,instead of having letters to spell words1 they have a picture for each word4 ,i call it a picture1 but it is more like a figure than a picture4 ,the ,chinese use brushes for writing instead of pens2 and they rub cakes of ink on a little marble dish1 first dipping them in a little water1 as we dip cakes of paint4 ,there is a hollow place in the marble dish1 to hold the water4 ,what do you think the ,chinese mean by the four precious things8 ,they mean the ink1 the brush1 the marble dish1 and the water4 ,they call them precious because they are so fond of writing4 ,schoolmasters are held in great honor in ,china1 as indeed they ought to be everywhere4 ,yet schools in ,china are much like those in ,turkey1 more fit for parrots than children2 only ,chinese boys sit in chairs with desks before them1 instead of sitting cross-legged on the ground1 as in ,turkey4 ,they learn first to paint the words1 and next to repeat lessons by heart4 ,this they do in a loud scream2 always turning their backs to their masters while they are saying their lessons to him4 ,the first book which children read is full of stories1 with a picture on each page4 ,would you like to hear one of these stories8 ,there was a boy of eight years old1 named ,um-wen4 ,his parents were so poor that they could not afford to buy a gauze curtain for their bed1 to keep off the flies in summer4 ,this boy could not bear that his parents should be bitten by the flies2 so he stood by their bedside1 and uncovered his little bosom and his back that the flies might bite him1 instead of his parents4 ',for1' said he1 'if they fill themselves with my blood1 they will let my parents rest4' ,would it be right for a little boy to behave in this way8 ,certainly not2 for it would grieve kind parents that their little boys should be bitten4 ,poor little ,chinese boys6 ,they do not know about ,him who was bitten by the old serpent that we might not be devoured and destroyed4 ,,punishment4--,the ,chinese are very quiet and orderly2 and no wonder1 because they are afraid of the great bamboo stick4 ,the mandarins 7or rulers of towns7 often sentence offenders to lie upon the ground1 and to have thirty strokes of the bamboo4 ,but the wooden collar is worse than the bamboo stick4 ,it is a great piece of wood with a hole for a man to put his head through4 ,the men in wooden collars are brought out of their prisons every morning1 and chained to a wall1 where everybody passing by can see them4 ,they cannot feed themselves in their wooden collars1 because they cannot bring their hands to their mouths2 but sometimes a son may be seen feeding his father1 as he stands chained to the wall4 ,there are men also whose business it is to feed the prisoners4 ,for great crimes men are strangled or beheaded4 ,,character4--,a ,chinaman's character cannot be known at first4 ,you might suppose from his way of speaking that a ,chinaman was very humble2 because he calls himself the worthless fellow1 or the stupid one1 and he calls his son the son of a dog2 but if you were to tell him he had an evil heart1 he would be very much offended2 for he only gives himself these names ,thai he may seem humble4 ,he calls his acquaintance venerable uncle1 honorable brother4 ,this he does to please them4 ,the ,chinese are very proud of their country1 and think there is none like it4 ,they have given it the name of the ,heavenly or ,celestial ,empire4 ,they look upon foreigners as monkeys and devils4 ,often a woman may he heard in the streets saying to her little child1 ,there is a foreign devil 7or a ,fan ,quei74 ,the ,chinese think the ,english very ugly1 and called them the red-haired nation4 ,it must be owned that the ,chinese are industrious3 indeed1 if they were not1 they would be starved4 ,a poor man often has to work all day up to the knees in water in the rice-field1 and yet gets nothing for supper but a little rice and a few potatoes4 ,the ladies who can live without working are very idle1 and in the winter rise very late in the morning4 ,men1 too1 play1 as children do here2 flying kites is a favorite game4 ,dancing1 however1 is quite unknown4 ,the ,chinese are very selfish and unfeeling4 ,beggars may be seen in the middle of the town dying1 and no one caring for them1 but people gambling close by4 ,the ,chinese have an idea that after a man is dead the house must be cleansed from ghosts2 so to save themselves this trouble1 poor people often cast their dying relations out of their hovels into the street to die6 ,but in general sons treat their parents with great respect4 ,they often keep their father's coffin in the house for three months1 and a son has been known to sleep by it for three years4 ,relations are usually kind to each other1 because they meet together in the ,hall of ,ancestors to worship the same persons4 ,to save money they often live together1 and a hundred eat at the same table4 ,the ,chinese used to be temperate1 preferring tea to wine4 ,there are tea-taverns in the towns4 ,how much better than our beer-shops6 ,but lately they have begun to smoke opium4 ,this is the juice of the white poppy1 made up into dark balls4 ,the ,chinese are not allowed to have it2 but the ,english1 sad to say1 sell it to them secretly4 ,there are many opium taverns in ,china1 where men may be seen lying on cushions snuffing up the hot opium1 and puffing it out of their mouths4 ,those who smoke opium have sunken cheeks and trembling hands1 and soon become old1 foolish1 and sick4 ,why1 then1 do they take opium8 ,many of them say they wish to leave it off1 but cannot4 ,,missionaries4--,are there any in ,china8 ,yes1 many2 and more are going there4 ,but how many are wanted for so many people6 ,missionaries travel about ,china to distribute ,bibles and tracts4 ,one of them hired a rough kind of chair with two bearers4 ,in this he went to villages among the mountains1 where a white man had never been seen4 ,the children screaming with terror ran to their mothers4 ,the men came round him to look at his clothes and his white skin4 ,they were much surprised at the whiteness of his hands1 and they put their yellow ones close to his to see the difference4 ,these mountaineers were kind1 and brought tea and cakes to refresh the stranger4 ,an ,english lady went to ,china to teach little girls2 for no one teaches them4 ,she has several little creatures in her school that she saved from perishing3 because the ,chinese are so cruel as to leave many girl-babies to die in the streets2 they say that girls are not worth the trouble of bringing up4 ,one cold rainy evening1 ,miss ,aldersey heard a low wailing outside the street-door1 and looking out she saw a poor babe1 wrapped in coarse matting1 lying on the stone pavement4 ,she could not bear to leave it there to be devoured by famished dogs2 so she kindly took it in1 and brought it up4 ,it is a common thing to stumble over the bodies of dead babies in the streets4 ,in ,england it is counted murder to kill a babe1 but it is thought no harm in ,china4 ,yet the ,chinese call themselves good4 ,but when you ask a poor man where he expects to go when he dies1 he replies1 ,to hell of course2 and he says this with a loud laugh4 ,his reason for thinking he shall go to hell is1 because he has not money enough to give to the gods2 for rich people all expect to go to heaven4 ,mandarins especially expect to go there4 ,if they were to read the ,bible1 they would see that ,god will punish kings1 and mighty men1 and great captains1 and all who are wicked4 #f ,these are some of the sentences written in the old books3 ,never say1 ,there is no one who sees me1 for there is a wise ,spirit who sees all4 ,man no longer has what he had before the fall1 and he has brought his children into his misery4 ,o6 ,heaven1 you only can help us4 ,wipe away the stains of the father1 and save his children4 ,never speak but with great care4 ,do not say1 ,it is only a single word4 ,remember that no one has the keeping of your heart and tongue but you4 ,these sentences are like some verses in the ,psalms and ,proverbs2 and1 it may be1 they were spoken first by some holy men of old4 ,here is one more remarkable than all3-- ,god hates the proud1 and is kind to the humble4 #g ,the means by which the ,buddhist religion entered ,china are remarkable4 ,a certain ,chinese emperor once read in the book of ,confucius this sentence1 ,the true saint will be found in the ,west4 ,he thought a great deal about it2 at last he dreamed about it4 ,he was so much struck by his dream that he sent two of his great lords to look for the true religion in the ,west4 ,when they reached ,india1 they found multitudes worshipping ,buddha4 ,this ,buddha was a wicked man who had been born in ,india a thousand years before4 ,the ,chinese messengers believed all the absurd histories they heard about ,buddha1 and they returned to ,china with a book which had been written about him4 ,ah6 had they gone as far as ,canaan they might have heard ,paul and ,peter preaching the ,gospel4 ,alas6 why did they go no further1 and why did they go so far1 only to return to ,china with idols6 ,,cochin ,,china4 ,any one on hearing this name would guess that the country was like ,china2 and so it is4 ,if you were to go there you would be reminded of ,china by many of the customs4 ,you would see at dinner small basins instead of plates1 chop-sticks instead of knives and forks2 you would have rice to eat instead of bread2 and rice wine to drink instead of grape wine4 ,but you would not find all the ,chinese customs in ,cochin-,china3 for you would see the women walking about at liberty1 and with large feet1 that is1 with feet of the natural size1 and not cramped up like the golden lilies of ,china4 ,neither would you see the people treated as strictly in ,cochin-,china as in ,china4 ,beatings are not nearly as common there1 and behavior is not nearly as good as in ,china4 ,the people are very different from the ,chinese2 for they are gay and talkative1 and open and sociable1 while the ,chinese are just the contrary4 ,however1 they resemble the ,chinese in fondness for eating4 ,they are very fond of giving grand dinners1 and sometimes provide a hundred dishes1 and invite a hundred guests4 ,a man is thought very generous who gives such grand dinners4 ,no one in ,cochin-,china would think of eating his morsel alone1 but every one asks those around to partake2 and if any one were not to do so1 he would be counted very mean4 ,yet the people of ,cochin-,china are always begging for gifts2 and if they cannot get the things they ask for1 they steal them4 ,are they generous8 ,no1 because they are covetous4 ,it is impossible to be at the same time generous and covetous2 for what goodness is there in giving away our own things1 if we are wishing for other people's things8 ,and now let us leave the people and look at the land4 ,it is fruitful and beautiful1 being watered abundantly by fine rivers3 but these rivers1 flowing among lofty mountains1 often overflow1 and drown men and cattle4 ,the grass of such a country must be very rich2 and there are cows feeding on it2 yet there is no milk or butter to be had4 ,why8 ,because the people have a foolish idea that it is wrong to milk cows4 ,in no country are there stronger and larger elephants2 so strong and so large that one can carry thirteen persons on his back at once4 ,the land is full of idols3 for ,buddha or ,fo is worshipped in ,cochin-,china1 as he is in ,china4 ,the idols are sometimes kept in high trees1 and priests may be seen mounting ladders to present offerings4 ,but the people are not satisfied with idols in trees2 they have pocket idols1 which they carry about with them everywhere4 ,,tonquin4--,,cambodia4 ,these two kingdoms belong to the king of ,cochin-,china2 yet all three1 ,tonquin1 ,cambodia1 and ,cochin-,china1 pay tribute to ,china1 and therefore they must be considered as conquered countries4 ,they are all very much like ,china in their customs4 ,there are large cities in them all1 and multitudes of people1 but very little is known about them in ,england4 ,,hindostan4 ,this word ,hindostan means black place1 for in the ,persian language hind is black1 and stan is place4 ,you may guess1 therefore1 that the people in ,hindostan are very dark2 yet they are not quite black1 and some of the ladies are only of a light brown complexion4 ,what a large country ,hindostan is6 ,has it an emperor of its own1 as ,china has8 ,no3 large as it is1 it belongs to the little country called ,england4 ,how did the ,english get it8 ,they conquered it by little and little4 ,when first they came there1 they found there a ,mahomedan people1 called the ,moguls4 ,these ,moguls had conquered ,hindostan3 but by degrees the ,english conquered them1 and became masters of all the land4 ,there is only one small country among the mountains which has not been conquered by the ,english1 and that place is ,nepaul4 ,it is near the ,himalaya mountains4 ,see that great chain of mountains in the north3 they are the ,himalaya--the highest mountains in the world4 ,the word him1 or hem1 means snow--and snowy indeed are those mountains4 ,there is a great river that flows from the ,himalaya called the ,ganges4 ,it flows by many mouths into the ocean2 yet of all these mouths only one is deep enough for large ships to sail in2 the other mouths are all choked up with sand4 ,the deep mouth of the ,ganges is called the ,hoogley4 ,it was on the banks of the ,hoogley that the first ,english city was built4 ,it was built by some ,english merchants1 and is called ,calcutta4 ,that name comes from the name of a horrible idol called ,kalee1 of which more will be said hereafter4 ,calcutta is now a very grand city2 there is the governor's palace1 and there are the mansions of many rich ,englishmen4 ,it has been called the city of palaces4 ,there is another great river on the other side of ,hindostan called the ,indus4 ,it was from that river that ,hindostan got the name of ,india1 or the ,east ,indies4 ,,villages4--,calcutta is built on a large plain called ,bengal4 ,dotted about this plain are many villages4 ,at a distance they look prettier than ,english villages1 for they are overshadowed with thick trees2 but they are wretched places to live in4 ,the huts are scarcely big enough to hold human creatures1 nor strong enough to bear the pelting of the storm4 ,when you enter them you will find neither floor nor window1 and very little furniture2 neither chair1 nor table1 nor bed--nothing but a large earthen bottle for fetching water1 a smaller one for drinking1 a basket for clothes1 a few earthen pans1 a few brass plates1 and a mat4 ,a ,hindoo is counted very rich who has procured a wooden bedstead to place his mat upon1 and a wooden trunk1 with a lock and key1 to contain his clothes2 such a man is considered to have a well-furnished house4 ,as you pass through the villages1 you may see groups of men sitting under the trees smoking their pipes1 while children1 without clothes1 are rolling in the dust1 and sporting with the kids4 ,prowling about the villages are hungry dogs and whining jackalls1 seeking for bones and offal2 but the children are too much used to these creatures to be afraid of them4 ,hovering in the air are crows and kites1 ready to secure any morsel they can see1 or even to snatch the food1 if they can1 out of the children's little hands4 ,what a confused noise do you hear as you pass along6 barking1 whining1 and squalling1 loud laughing1 and incessant chattering4 ,it is a heathen village1 and the sweet notes of praise to ,god are never sung there4 ,yet in every village there is a little temple with an idol1 and a priest to take the idol1 to lay it down to sleep1 and to offer it food1 which he eats himself4 ,the poor people bring the food for the idol with flowers1 and place it at the door of the temple4 ,,appearance4--,the ,hindoos are pleasing in their appearance1 for their features are well-formed1 their teeth are white1 and their eyes have a soft expression4 ,the women take much pains to dress their long black hair1 which is soft as silk3 they gather it up in a knot at their heads1 and crown it with flowers4 ,they have no occasion for a needle to make their dresses1 as they are all in one piece4 ,they wind a long strip of white muslin 7called a saree7 round their bodies1 and fold it over their heads like a veil1 and then they are full dressed1 except their ornaments1 and with these they load themselves2 glass rings of different colors on their arms1 silver rings on their fingers and toes1 and gold rings in their ears1 and a gold ring in their nose4 ,the men wear a long strip of calico twisted closely round their bodies1 and another thrown loosely over their shoulders2 but this last they cast off when they are at work3 it is their upper garment4 ,on their heads they wear turbans1 and on their feet sandals4 ,the clothes of both men and women are generally white or pink1 or white bordered with red4 ,,food4--,the most common food is rice2 and with this curry is often mixed to give it a relish4 ,what is curry8 ,it is a mixture of herbs1 spices1 and oil4 ,very poor people cannot afford to eat either rice or curry2 and they eat some coarse grain instead4 ,a lady who made a feast for the poor provided nothing but rice1 and she found that it was thought as good as roast beef and plum pudding are thought in ,england4 ,the day after the feast some of the poor creatures came to pick up the grains of rice that were fallen upon the ground4 ,the rich ,hindoos eat mutton and venison1 but not beef2 this they think it wicked to eat1 because they worship bulls and cows4 ,a favorite food is clarified butter1 called ghee1 white rancid stuff1 kept in skin bottles to mix with curry4 ,water is the general drink1 and there could not be a better4 ,yet there are intoxicating drinks1 and some of the ,hindoos have learned to love them1 from seeing the ,english drink too much4 ,what a sad thing that ,christians should set a bad example to heathens6 ,,productions4--,there are many beautiful trees in ,india never seen in ,england1 and many nice fruits never tasted here4 ,the palm-tree1 with its immense leaves1 is the glory of ,india4 ,these leaves are very useful2 they form the roof1 the umbrella1 the bed1 the plate1 and the writing-paper of the ,hindoo4 ,the most curious tree in ,india is the banyan1 because one tree grows into a hundred4 ,how is that8 ,the branches hang down1 touch the ground1 strike root there1 and spring up into new trees--joined to the old4 ,under an aged banyan there is shade for a large congregation4 ,seventy thousand men might sit beneath its boughs4 ,there is a sort of grass which grows a hundred feet high1 and becomes hard like wood4 ,it is called the bamboo4 ,the stem is hollow like a pipe1 and is often used as a water-pipe4 ,it serves also for posts for houses1 and for poles for carriages4 ,there are abundance of nice fruits in ,india2 and of these the mangoe is the best4 ,you might mistake it for a pear when you saw it1 but not when you tasted it4 ,pears cannot grow in ,india2 the sun is too hot for grapes and oranges1 excepting on the hills4 ,the chief productions of ,india are rice and cotton2 rice is the food1 and cotton is the clothing of the ,hindoo3 and quantities of these are sent to ,england1 for though we have wheat for food1 we want rice too2 and though we have wool for clothing1 we want cotton too4 ,,religion4--,there is no nation that has so many gods as the ,hindoos4 ,what do you think of three hundred and thirty millions6 ,there are not so many people in ,hindostan as that4 ,no one person can know the names of all these gods2 and who would wish to know them8 ,some of them are snakes1 and some are monkeys6 ,the chief god of all is called ,brahm4 ,but1 strange to say1 no one worships him4 ,there is not an image of him in all ,india4 ,and why not8 ,because he is too great1 the ,hindoos say1 to think of men on earth4 ,he is always in a kind of sleep4 ,what would be the use of worshipping him8 ,next to him are three gods1 and they are part of ,brahm4 ,their names are-- ,i4 ,brahma1 the ,creator4 ,,ii4 ,vishnoo1 the ,preserver4 ,,iii4 ,sheeva1 the ,destroyer4 ,which of these should you think men ought to worship the most8 ,not the destroyer4 ,yet it is him they do worship the most4 ,very few worship ,brahma the creator4 ,and why not8 ,because the ,hindoos think he can do no more for them than he has done2 and they do not care about thanking him4 ,vishnoo1 the preserver1 is a great favorite2 because it is supposed that he bestows all manner of gifts4 ,the ,hindoos say he has been nine times upon the earth2 first as a fish1 then as a tortoise1 a man1 a lion1 a boar1 a dwarf1 a giant2 twice as a warrior1 named ,ram1 and once as a thief1 named ,krishna4 ,they say he will come again as a conquering king1 riding on a white horse4 ,is it not wonderful they should say that8 ,it reminds one of the prophecy in ,rev4 xix4 about ,christ's second coming4 ,did the ,hindoos hear that prophecy in old time8 ,they may have heard it1 for the apostle ,thomas once preached in ,india1 at least we believe he did4 ,why do the people worship ,sheeva the destroyer8 ,because they hope that if they gain his favor1 they shall not be destroyed by him4 ,they do not know that none can save from the destroyer but ,god4 ,the ,hindoos make images of their gods4 ,brahma is represented as riding on a goose2 ,vishnoo on a creature half-bird and half-man2 and ,sheeva on a bull4 ,sheeva's image looks horribly ferocious with the tiger-skin and the necklace of skulls and snakes2 but ,sheeva's wife is far fiercer than himself4 ,her name is ,kalee4 ,her whole delight is said to be in blood4 ,those who wish to please her1 offer up the blood of beasts2 but those who wish to please her still more1 offer up their own blood4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,swing4 ,her great temple1 called ,kalee ,ghaut1 is near ,calcutta4 ,there is a great feast in her honor once a year at that temple4 ,early in the morning crowds assemble there with the noise of trumpets and kettle-drums4 ,see those wild fierce men adorned with flowers4 ,they go towards the temple4 ,a blacksmith is ready4 ,lo6 one puts out his tongue1 and the blacksmith cuts it3 that is to please ,kalee3 another chooses rather to have an iron bar run through his tongue4 ,some thrust iron bars and burning coals into their sides4 ,the boldest mount a wooden scaffold and throw themselves down upon iron spikes beneath1 stuck in bags of sand4 ,it is very painful to fall upon these spikes2 but there is another way of torture quite as painful--it is the swing4 ,those who determine to swing1 allow the blacksmith to drive hooks into the flesh upon their backs1 and hanging by these hooks they swing in the air for ten minutes1 or even for half an hour4 ,and ,,who all these cruel tortures8 ,to please ,kalee1 and to make the people wonder and admire1 for the multitude around shout with joy as they behold these horrible deeds4 ,,the ,,castes4--,the ,hindoos pretend that when ,brahma created men1 he made some out of his mouth1 some out of his arms1 some out of his breast1 and some out of his foot4 ,they say the priests came out of ,brahma's mouth1 the soldiers came out of his arm1 the merchants came out of his breast1 the laborers came out of his foot4 ,you may easily guess who invented this history4 ,it was the priests themselves3 it was they who wrote the sacred books where this history is found4 ,the priests are very proud of their high birth1 and they call themselves ,brahmins4 ,the laborers1 who are told they come out of ,brahma's foot1 are much ashamed of their low birth4 ,they are called sudras4 ,you would be astonished to hear the great respect the sudras pay to the high and haughty ,brahmins4 ,when a sudra meets a ,brahmin in the street1 he touches the ground three times with his forehead1 then1 taking the priest's foot in his hand1 he kisses his toe4 ,the water in which a ,brahmin has washed his feet is thought very holy4 ,it is even believed that such water can cure diseases4 ,a ,hindoo prince1 who was very ill of a fever1 was advised to try this remedy4 ,he invited the ,brahmins from all parts of the country to assemble at his palace4 ,many thousands came4 ,each1 as he arrived1 was requested to wash his feet in a basin4 ,this was the medicine given to the sick prince to drink4 ,it cost a great deal of money to procure it2 for several shillings were given to each ,brahmin to pay him for his trouble1 and a good dinner was provided for all4 ,it is said that the prince recovered immediately1 but we are quite certain that it was not the water which cured him4 ,in the holy books1 or shasters1 great blessings are promised to those who are kind to a ,brahmin4 ,any one who gives him an umbrella will never more be scorched by the sun2 any one who gives him a pair of shoes will never have blistered feet2 any one who gives him sweet spices will never more be annoyed by ill smells2 and any one who gives him a cow will go to heaven4 ,you may be sure that1 after such promises1 the ,brahmins get plenty of presents2 indeed1 they may generally be known by their well-fed appearance1 as well as by their proud manner of walking4 ,they always wear a white cord hung round their necks4 ,but we must not suppose that all ,brahmins are rich1 and all sudras poor2 for it is not so4 ,there are so many ,brahmins that some can find no employment as priests1 and they are obliged to learn trades4 ,many of them become cooks4 ,there are sudras as rich as princes2 but still a sudra can never be as honorable as a ,brahmin1 though the ,brahmin be the cook and the sudra the master4 ,but the sudras are not the most despised people4 ,far from it4 ,it is those who have no caste at all who are the most despised4 ,they are called pariahs4 ,these are people who have lost their caste4 ,it is a very easy thing to lose caste1 and once lost it can never be regained4 ,a ,brahmin would lose his caste by eating with a sudra2 a sudra would lose his by eating with a pariah1 and by eating with you--yes1 with you1 for the ,hindoos think that no one is holy but themselves4 ,it often makes a missionary smile when he enters a cottage to see the people putting away their food with haste1 lest he should defile it by his touch4 ,once an ,english officer1 walking along the road1 passed very near a ,hindoo just going to eat his dinner2 suddenly he saw the man take up the dish and dash it angrily to the ground4 ,why8 ,the officer's shadow had passed over the food and polluted it4 ,if you were to invite poor ,hindoos to come to a feast1 they would not eat if you sat down with them3 nor would they eat unless they knew a ,hindoo had cooked their food4 ,even children at school will not eat with children of a lower caste1--or with their teachers1 if the teachers are not ,hindoos4 ,there was once a little ,hindoo girl named ,rajee4 ,she went to a missionary's school1 but she would not eat with her schoolfellows1 because she belonged to a higher caste than they did4 ,as she lived at the school1 her mother brought her food every day1 and ,rajee sat under a tree to eat it4 ,at the end of two years she told her mother that she wished to turn from idols1 and serve the living ,god4 ,her mother was much troubled at hearing this1 and begged her child not to bring disgrace on the family by becoming a ,christian4 ,but ,rajee was anxious to save her precious soul4 ,she cared no longer for her caste1 for she knew that all she had been taught about it was deceit and folly2 therefore one day she sat down and ate with her schoolfellows4 ,when her mother heard of ,rajee's conduct1 she ran to the school in a rage1 and seizing her little daughter by the hair of the head1 began to beat her severely4 ,then she hastened to the priests to ask them whether the child had lost her caste forever4 ,the priests replied1 ,has the child got her new teeth8 ,no1 said the mother4 ,then we can cleanse her1 and when her new teeth come she will be as pure as ever4 ,but you must pay a good deal of money for the cleansing4 ,were they not cunning priests8 and covetous priests too8 ,the money was paid1 and ,rajee was brought home against her will4 ,dreadful sufferings awaited the poor child4 ,the cleansing was a cruel business4 ,the priests burned the child's tongue4 ,this was one of their cruelties4 ,when little ,rajee was suffered to go back to school1 she was so ill that she could not rise from her bed4 ,the poor deceived mother came to see her4 ,i am going to ,jesus1 said the young martyr4 ,the mother began to weep1 ,o ,rajee1 we will not let you die4 ,but ,i am glad1 the little sufferer replied1 because ,i shall go to ,jesus4 ,if you1 mother1 would love him1 and give up your idols1 we should meet again in heaven4 ,an hour afterwards ,rajee went to heaven2 but ,i have never heard whether her mother gave up her idols4 ,,the ,,ganges4--,this beautiful river waters the sultry plain of ,bengal4 ,god made this river to be a blessing1 but man has turned it into a curse4 ,the ,hindoos say the ,river ,ganges is the goddess ,gunga2 and they flock from all parts of ,india to worship her4 ,when they reach the river they bathe in it1 and fancy they have washed away all their sins4 ,they carry away large bottles of the sacred water for their friends at home4 ,but this is not all2 very cruel deeds are committed by the side of the river4 ,it is supposed that all who die there will go to the ,hindoo heaven4 ,it is therefore the custom to drag dying people out of their beds1 and to lay them in the mud1 exposed to the heat of the broiling sun1 and then to pour pails of water over their heads4 ,one sick man1 who was being carried to the water1 covered up as if he were dead1 suddenly threw off the covering1 and called out1 ,i am not dead1 ,i am only very ill4 ,he knew that the cruel people who were carrying him were going to cast him into the water while he was still alive3 but nothing he could say could save him3 the cruel creatures answered1 ,you may as well die now as at any other time2 and so they drowned him1 pretending all the while to be very kind4 ,it is thought a good thing to be thrown into the river after death4 ,the ,ganges is the great burying-place2 and dead bodies may be seen floating on its waters1 while crows and vultures are tearing the flesh from the bones4 ,there would be many more of these horrible sights were it not that many bodies are burned1 and their ashes only cast into the river4 ,some foolish deceived creatures drown themselves in the ,ganges1 hoping to be very happy hereafter as a reward4 ,the ,brahmins are ready to accompany such people into the water4 ,some men were once seen going into the river with a large empty jar fastened to the back of each4 ,the empty jar prevented them from sinking2 but there was a cup in the hands of each of the poor men1 and with these cups they filled the jars1 and then they began to sink4 ,one of them grew frightened1 and tried to get on shore2 but the wicked ,brahmins in their boats hunted him1 and tried to keep him in the water2 however1 they could not catch him1 and the miserable man escaped4 ,there are villages near the river whither such poor creatures flee1 and where they end their days together2 for their old friends would not speak to them if they were to return to their homes4 ,,beggars4--,as you walk about ,hindostan1 you will sometimes meet a horrible object1 with no other covering than a tiger's skin1 or else an orange scarf2 his body besmeared with ashes1 his hair matted like the shaggy coat of a wild beast1 and his nails like birds' claws4 ,the man is a beggar1 and a very bold one1 because he is considered as one of the holiest of men4 ,who is he8 ,a sunnyasee4 ,who is he8 ,a ,brahmin1 who wishing to be more holy than other ,brahmins 7holy as they are71 has left all and become a beggar4 ,as a reward1 he expects1 when he dies1 to go straight to heaven1 without being first born again in the world4 ,it is wonderful to see the tortures which a sunnyasee will endure4 ,he will stand for years on one leg1 till it is full of wounds1 or1 if he prefers it1 he will clench his fist till the nails grow through the hands4 ,these holy beggars are found in all parts of ,india1 but they are particularly fond of the most desolate spots4 ,near the mouth of the ,ganges there are some desert places1 the resort of tigers1 and there many of the sunnyasees live in huts4 ,they pretend not to be afraid of the tigers1 and the ,hindoos think that tigers will not touch such holy men2 but it is certain that tigers have been seen dragging some of these proud men into the woods4 ,there is another kind of beggars called fakirs2 they are just as wicked and foolish as the sunnyasees2 but they are ,mahomedans and not ,brahmins4 ,,animals4--,some of the fiercest and most disagreeable animals are highly honored in ,india4 ,the monkey is counted as a god2 the consequence is1 that the monkeys1 finding they are treated with respect1 grow very bold1 and are continually scrambling upon the roofs of the houses4 ,in one place there is a garden where monkeys riot about at their pleasure1 for all in that garden is for them alone1 the delicious fruits1 the cool fountains1 the shady bowers1 all are for the worthless1 mischievous monkeys4 ,but if it be strange for men to worship monkeys1 is it not stranger still to worship snakes and serpents8 ,yet there is a temple in ,india where serpents crawl about at their pleasure1 where they are waited upon by priests1 and fed with fruits and every dainty4 ,how much delighted must the old serpent be with this worship6 ,kites also1 those fierce birds1 are worshipped4 ,there is meat sold in shops on purpose for them2 and it is bought and thrown up in the air to the great greedy creatures4 ,there are splendid peacocks flying about in the woods1 but the ,hindoos do not worship them2 they shoot and eat them4 ,of all the animals in ,india there is none which terrifies man so much as the tiger4 ,the ,bengal tiger is a fine and fierce beast4 ,woe to the man or woman on whom he springs6 ,what then do you think must become of the man who falls into his den8 ,these dens are generally hid in jungles1 which are places covered with trees1 and overgrown with shrubs and tall grass4 ,a gentleman was once walking through a jungle1 when he felt himself sinking into the ground1 while a cloud of dust blinded his eyes4 ,soon he heard a low growling noise4 ,he fancied that he had sunk into a den1 and so he had4 ,beside him lay some little tigers1 too young indeed to hurt him2 but these tigers had a mother1 and she could not be far off1 though she was not in the den when the stranger fell in4 ,the astonished man felt there was no time to be lost1 for the tigress1 he knew1 would soon return to her cubs4 ,how could he prepare to meet her8 ,he had neither gun nor sword1 nor even stick in his hand4 ,but a thought came into his head4 ,snatching a silk handkerchief from his neck1 and taking another from his pocket1 he bound them tightly round his arm up to his elbow2 and thus prepared to meet his enemy4 ,she soon appeared1 crouching on the ground1 and then with a spring leaped upon the stranger4 ,at the same moment the brave man thrust his arm between her open jaws1 and seizing hold of her rough tongue1 twisted it backwards and forwards with all his might4 ,the beast was now unable to close her mouth1 and to bite with her sharp fangs2 but she could scratch with her sharp claws2 and scratch she did1 till the clothes were torn off the man's body1 and the flesh from his bones4 ,but the brave man would not loose his hold2 and the tigress was tired out first3 alarmed1--with a sudden start backward1 she jerked her tongue out of the man's hand1 and rushed out of the den and out of the jungle4 ,how glad was the man to escape from a horrible fate6 his body was faint and bleeding2 but his life was preserved1 and his heart overflowed with gratitude to ,god for his wonderful deliverance4 ,he who delivered ,daniel from the lion's den delivered him from the tiger's den4 ,the tiger's mouth1 indeed1 had not been shut2 but his open mouth had not been suffered to devour the ,lord's servant4 ,,the ,,thugs4 ,there is a set of people in ,india more dangerous than wild beasts4 ,they are called ,thugs1 that is1 deceivers2 and well do they deserve the name2 for their whole employment is to deceive that they may destroy4 ,yet they are not ashamed of their wickedness2 for they worship the goddess ,kalee1 and they know that she delights in blood4 ,before they set out on one of their cruel journeys1 they bow down before the image of ,kalee1 and they ask her to bless the shovel and the cloth that they hold in their hands4 ,what are they for8 ,the cloth is to strangle poor travellers1 and the shovel to dig their graves4 ,a ,hindoo family were once travelling when they overtook three men on the way4 ,these men seemed very civil and obliging2 and they soon got acquainted with the family1 and accompanied them on their journey4 ,who were these men8 ,alas6 they were ,thugs4 ,it was very foolish of the family to be so ready to go with strangers4 ,at last they came up to three other men1 who were sitting under the shade of a tree1 eating sugared rice4 ,these men also were ,thugs2 and they had agreed with the other ,thugs to help them in their wicked plans4 ,but the family thought they were kind and friendly men1 and consented to sit down with them in the shade1 and to partake of their food4 ,they did not know that with the rice was mixed a sort of drug to cause people to fall asleep4 ,the family ate and fell asleep3 and when they were asleep1 the ,thugs strangled them all with their cloths1--the father1 the mother1 and the five young people1--and then with their shovels they dug their graves4 ,but before they buried them they stripped them of their garments and their jewels2 for it was to get their precious spoils they had committed these dreadful murders4 ,the ,thugs went afterwards to the priests of ,kalee to receive a blessing1 and they rewarded the priests by giving them some of their stolen treasures4 ,but1 after all1 these wicked men did not escape punishment2 for the ,english governors heard of their crimes1 and caught them1 and brought them to justice4 ,then these murderers confessed the wicked deed just related3 but this was not their only crime2 for it had been the business of their lives to rob and to destroy4 ,do not these ,thugs resemble him who is always walking about seeking whom he may devour8 ,only he destroys the soul as well as the body4 ,he is the great ,deceiver1 and the great ,destroyer4 ,none but ,god can keep us from falling into his power3 therefore we pray1 ,deliver us from evil1 or from the evil one4 ,,the ,,hindoo ,,women4 ,it is a miserable thing to be a ,hindoo lady4 ,while she is a very little girl1 she is allowed to play about1 but when she comes to be ten or twelve years old1 she is shut up in the back rooms of the house till she is married2 and when she is married she is shut up still4 ,she may indeed walk in the garden at the back of the house1 but nowhere else4 ,hindoo ladies are not taught even those trifling accomplishments which ,chinese ladies learn3 they can neither paint1 nor play music2 much less can they read and write4 ,they amuse themselves by putting on their ornaments1 or by making curries and sweetmeats to please their husbands3 but most of their time they spend in idleness1 sauntering about and chattering nonsense4 ,as rich ,hindoos have several wives1 the ladies are not alone2 and being so much together1 they quarrel a great deal4 ,some ,english ladies once visited the house of a rich ,hindoo4 ,they were led into the court at the back of the house1 and shown into a little chamber4 ,one by one some women came in1 all looking very shy and afraid to speak2 yet dressed very fine in muslin sarees1 worked with gold and silver flowers1 and they were adorned with pearls and diamonds4 ,at last they ventured to admire the clothes of their visitors1 and even to touch them4 ,then they asked the ,english ladies to come and see their jewels2 and they took them into a little dark chamber with gratings for windows1 and displayed their treasures4 ,they talked very loud1 and all together and so foolishly1 that the ladies reproved them4 ,the poor creatures replied1 ,we should like to learn to read and work like the ,english ladies2 but we have nothing to do1 and so we are accustomed to be idle1 and to talk foolishly4 ,do come again1 and bring us books1 and pictures1 and dolls4 ,you see what useless1 wearisome lives the ,hindoo ladies lead4 ,now hear what hard and wretched lives the poor women lead4 ,the wife of a poor man rises from her mat before it is day1 and by the light of a lamp spins cotton for the family clothing4 ,next she feeds the children1 and sweeps the house and yard1 and cleans the brass and stone vessels4 ,then she washes the rice1 bruises1 and boils it4 ,by this time it is ten o'clock1 when she goes with some other women to bathe in the river1 or if there be no river near1 in a great tank of rain-water4 ,while there1 she often makes a clay image of her god1 and worships it with prayers1 and bowings1 and offerings of fruit and flowers1 for nearly an hour4 ,on her return home she prepares the curry for dinner3 her kitchen is a clay furnace in the yard1 and there she boils the rice4 ,when dinner is ready1 she dares not sit down with her husband to eat it3 no1 she places it respectfully before his mat1 and then retires to the yard4 ,her little boys eat with their father2 but her little girls dine with her upon the food that is left4 ,it is not the busy life she leads that makes a poor woman unhappy3 it is the ill-treatment she endures4 ,a kind word is seldom spoken to her3 but a hard blow is often given4 ,her own boys are encouraged to insult her because she is only a woman4 ,she is taught to worship her husband as a god1 however bad he may be4 ,there is a proverb which shows how much women are despised in ,india4 ,how can you place the black rice-pot beside the golden spice-box6 ,by the rice-box a woman is meant3 by the spice-box a man3 and the meaning of the proverb is that a wife is unworthy to sit at the same table with her husband4 ,in this manner a wife is treated3 a widow is still more despised4 ,however young she may be1 she is not allowed to marry again2 but is obliged to live in her father's house1 or 7if she has no father7 in her brother's house1 to do the hardest work1 and never to eat more than one meal a day1 and that meal of the coarsest food4 ,widows used to burn themselves in a great fire with their husbands' dead bodies2 but the ,english government has forbidden them to do so any more2 but their hard-hearted relations make them as miserable as possible4 ,,missionaries4--,there are hundreds of missionaries in ,india2 but not nearly enough for so many millions of people4 ,the ,hindoos call them ,padri-,sahibs1 which means ,father-,gentlemen1 and they give them this name to show their love1 as well as respect4 ,once a missionary who had been long in ,india was going back to ,england for a little while4 ,it was from ,calcutta that he set sail4 ,the ,christian ,hindoos stood in crowds by the river-side to bid him farewell4 ,among the rest was a little girl with her parents4 ,she was a gracious child1 who had turned from idols to serve the living ,god4 ,the missionary said to her1 ,well1 my child1 you know ,i am going to ,england4 ,what shall ,i bring you from that country8 ,i do not want anything1 she modestly replied4 ,i have my parents1 and my brother1 and the ,padri-,sahibs1 and my books1 what can ,i want more8 ,but1 said the missionary1 you are only a little girl1 and surely you would like something from ,england4 ,shall ,i bring you some playthings8 ,no1 thank you1 said the child2 ,i do not want playthings--,i am learning to read4 ,come1 come1 said the missionary1 shall ,i bring you a playfellow1 a white child from ,england6 ,no1 no1 answered the little girl1 it would be taking her from her parents4 ,well then1 said her friend1 is there nothing ,i can bring you8 ,well1 if you are so kind as to insist on bringing me something1 ask the ,christians in ,england to send me a ,bible-book and more ,,padri-,,sahibs4 ,illustration3 ,,missionary',s ,,house4 ,this was a good request indeed1 but to get ,padri-,sahibs is a hard thing to do4 ,who can tell how much good they have done already6 ,there are many ,christian villages in ,india1 and they are as different from heathen villages as a dove's nest is different from a tiger's den4 ,some very wicked men have been converted4 ,you have heard of those proud and hateful beggars1 the ,sunnyasees and the ,fakirs4 ,one day a missionary1 who had gone for his health to the ,himalaya ,mountains1 was walking in the verandah of his house1 when he was surprised by a man suddenly throwing himself down at his feet1 and embracing his knees4 ,the missionary could not tell who this man was1 for a dark blanket covered the man's head and face4 ,but soon the covering was lifted up1 and a swarthy and withered countenance was shown2 the missionary knew it to be that of an old ,fakir he once had known1 as the chief priest of a gang of robbers1 but now the ,mahomedan was become a ,christian2 and he had travelled six hundred miles1 hoping to see once more the face of his teacher2 and lo6 he had seen it at last4 ,,schools4--,the ,hindoos have schools of their own1 but only for boys4 ,the scholars sit in a shed1 cross-legged upon mats1 and learn to scratch letters with iron pins upon large leaves4 ,but what can they learn from ,brahmin teachers but foolish tales about false gods8 ,missionaries have far better schools1 where the ,bible is taught2 and missionaries' wives have schools for girls2 and sometimes they take pity on poor orphans1 and receive them into their houses4 ,one evening as a ,christian lady was returning home1 she saw a ,hindoo woman lying on the ground1 and a little boy sitting by her side4 ,the lady spoke kindly to the sick woman1 and then the little boy looked up and said1 with tears in his eyes1 ,my mother is sick1 and has nothing to eat2 ,i fear she will die4 ,the lady had compassion on the mother and the child1 and hastening home1 she sent her servant to fetch them both4 ,they were soon put to rest on a nice clean mat1 with a blanket to cover them2 but the mother died next morning4 ,the little boy was left an orphan1 but not forlorn1 nor friendless1 for the ,christian lady took care of him4 ,he was five years old1 thin and delicate1 and much fairer than most ,hindoo children4 ,he had many winning ways2 but he had a proud heart4 ,he was proud of his name1 ,ramchunda1 because it was the name of a great false god3 but when he had learned about the true ,god1 he asked for a new name1 and was called ,john4 ,his wishing to change his name was a good sign3 and there were other good signs in this little orphan2 and before he died1--for he died soon1--he showed plainly that he had not a new name only1 but a new nature4 ,little ,phebe was another child received by a missionary's wife4 ,she was not an orphan1 yet she was as much to be pitied as an orphan2 for her mother told the missionaries that if they did not take the child1 she would throw her to the jackals4 ,it was a happy exchange for the infant to leave so cruel a mother to be reared by a ,christian lady1 who1 instead of throwing her to jackals1 brought her to ,jesus4 ,she died when only five years old by an accident3 when washing her hands in the great tank she fell in1 and was drowned4 ,but some ,hindoo children1 though carefully instructed1 do not grow gentle and loving1 like ,john and ,phebe4 ,the tents of some ,english soldiers were pitched in a lonely part of ,india2 and the night was dark1 when an officer's lady thought she heard the sound of a child crying4 ,the lady sent her servants out to look1 and at last they brought in a little girl of four years old4 ,and where do you think they had found her8 ,buried up to her throat in a bog1 her little head alone peeping out4 ,and who do you think had put her there8 ,her cruel mother4 ,yes1 she had left her there to die4 ,this child gave a great deal of trouble to the kind lady who had saved her1 nor did she show her any love in return for her kindness2 and after keeping her about two years1 the lady sent her to a missionary's school4 ,you see how cruelly mothers in ,india sometimes treat their children4 ,their religion teaches them to be cruel4 ,a mother is taught to believe that if her babe is sick1 an evil spirit is angry4 ,to please this evil spirit1 she will put her babe in a basket1 and hang it up in a tree for three days4 ,she goes then to look at it1 and if it be alive1 she takes it home4 ,but how seldom does she find it alive6 ,either the ants or the vultures have eaten it1 or it is starved to death4 ,when there is a famine in the land1 many mothers will sell their children for sixpence each3 and if they cannot sell them1 they will leave them to perish4 ,one missionary received fifty-one poor starving children into his house3 they were always crying1 ,sahib1 roti1 roti2 that is1 ,master1 bread1 bread4 ,but the bread came to late too save their lives2 for all died except one4 ,yet these sick children were very wicked4 ,one of them stole a brass basin1 and sold it for sweetmeats4 ,though very kindly treated1 some of them wished to escape2 and to prevent it1 the missionary tied them together in strings of fifteen2 ,there is a tribe in ,india called ,khunds2 and they sprinkle their fields with children's blood1 and they say this is the way to make the corn grow4 ,the ,english government once rescued eighty poor children from the ,khunds1 and sent them to a ,christian school4 ,what miserable little creatures they were when they arrived6 but they were soon clothed and comforted2 and taught to hold a needle1 and to know their letters2 and1 better still1 to pronounce the name of ,jesus4 ,like these poor little captives1 we were all condemned to die1 till ,jesus rescued us1 and promised everlasting life to those who believe4 ,,the ,,english ,,in ,,india4 ,there are many rich ,english gentlemen living in ,india3 some are judges1 and some are merchants1 and some are officers in the army4 ,they dwell in large and grand houses1 with many windows down to the ground1 and a wide verandah to keep off the sun4 ,instead of glass1 there is grass in the windows3 the blinds are made of sweet-scented grass1 and servants outside continually pour water on the grass to make the air cool4 ,instead of fires1 they have fans4 ,these fans are like large screens hanging from the ceiling1 and waving to and fro to refresh the company4 ,instead of carpets there are mats on the floor2 and round the beds gauze curtains are drawn to keep out the insects4 ,the servants are all ,hindoos1 and a great number are kept2 and this is necessary1 because each servant will only do one kind of work4 ,each horse has two servants1 one to take care of it1 and the other to cut grass3 even the dog has a boy to look after it alone4 ,the servants do not live in their master's house1 but in small huts near4 ,the place where they live is called the compound4 ,when ,english people travel they do not go in carriages1 but in palanquins4 ,a palanquin is like a child's cot1 only larger2 and there a traveller can sleep at his ease4 ,the men who carry the palanquins are called ,bearers4 ,the nurses are called ,ayahs4 ,babies are carried out of doors by their ayahs1 but children of three or four are taken out by the bearers4 ,there was once a little girl of three years old who taught her bearer to fear ,god4 ,little ,mary was walking out in a grove with her heathen bearer4 ,she observed him stop at a small ,hindoo temple1 and bow down to the stone image before the door4 ,the lisping child inquired1--,saamy1 what for1 you do that8 ,o1 missy1 said he1 that is my god6 ,your god6 exclaimed the child1 your god1 ,saamy6 ,why your god can no see1 no can hear1 no can walk--your god stone6 ,my ,god make you1 make me1 make everything6 ,yet ,saamy still1 whenever he passed the temple1 bowed down to his idol3 and still the child reproved him4 ,though the old man would not mind1 yet he loved his baby teacher4 ,once when he thought she was going to ,england he said to her1--,what will poor ,saamy do when missy go to ,england8 ,saamy no father1 no mother4 ,o ,saamy6 replied the child1 if you love ,god he will be your father1 and mother too4 ,the poor bearer promised with tears in his eyes that he would love ,god4 ,then1 said she1 you must learn my prayers2 and she began to teach him the ,lord's ,prayer4 ,soon afterwards ,mary's papa was surprised to see the bearer enter the room at the time of family prayers1 and still more surprised to see him take off his turban1 kneel down1 and repeat the ,lord's ,prayer after his master4 ,the lispings of the babe had brought the old man to ,god3 ,saamy did not only bow the knee1 he worshipped in spirit and in truth1 and became a real ,christian4 ,,chief ,,cities4 ,there are three great cities which may be called ,english cities1 though in ,india3 because ,englishmen built them1 and live in them1 and rule over them4 ,their names are ,calcutta1 ,madras1 and ,bombay4 ,the capital city is ,calcutta4 ,there the chief governor resides4 ,part of ,calcutta is called the ,black ,town1 and it is only a heap of mud huts crowded with ,hindoos4 ,the other part of ,calcutta is called the ,english town2 and it consists of beautiful houses by the river-side1 each house surrounded by a charming garden and a thick grove4 ,madras is built on a plain by the sea1 and is adorned by fine avenues of trees1 amongst which the ,english live in elegant villas and gardens4 ,here also there is a ,black town4 ,it is very hard to land at ,madras1 because there is no harbor4 ,bombay has one of the best harbors in the world4 ,it is built on a small island covered with cocoa-nut groves4 ,now let us compare these places with each other4 ,calcutta boasts of her fine river1 but then the ground is flat and marshy2 and therefore the air is damp and unhealthy1 and there are no grand prospects4 ,madras is very dry1 and sandy1 and dusty2 but then there is the sea to enliven and refresh it4 ,bombay has the sea also1 besides the groves1 and at a little distance1 high mountains1 which look beautiful1 and which it is delightful to visit4 ,there are no such mountains near ,calcutta or ,madras4 ,these are the chief ,english cities4 ,i must now speak of the favorite city of the ,hindoos4 ,it is ,benares on the ,ganges4 ,you might go from ,calcutta in a boat1 and after sailing four hundred miles1 you would reach ,benares4 ,the ,hindoos say that it was built by their god ,sheeva1 of gold and precious stones2 but that1 as we are living in a bad time1 it appears to be made of bricks and mud1 though really very different4 ,they say that ,benares is eighty thousand steps nearer heaven than any other city1 and that whoever dies there 7even though he eat ,,beef67 will go to heaven4 ,a missionary once reported a ,hindoo for telling lies4 ,the answer was1 ,why1 what of that8 do ,i not live at ,benares8 ,the man thought he was quite safe1 however wicked he might be4 ,in walking about ,benares a stranger might be surprised to meet every now and then a white bull1 with a hump on its back1 without a driver or a rider1 or any one to keep it in order4 ,you must know that a white bull is said to belong to the chief god of ,benares1 and it is considered a sacred animal1 and is allowed to do as it pleases4 ,and how does it behave8 ,it behaves much in the same manner as a child would who had its own way4 ,the white bull helps itself to the fruit and vegetables sold in the streets1 and even to the sweetmeats4 ,it has a great taste for flowers2 and it cunningly hides itself near the doors of the temples1 to watch for the people coming out with their garlands of marigolds round their necks4 ,at these the bull eagerly snatches with its tongue1 and swallows them in a moment4 ,finding it is petted by every one1 it grows so bold1 as to walk into the houses1 and even to go up the stone stairs on to the roof1 where it seems to enjoy the cool air1 as it quietly chews the cud4 ,in the spring the white bulls like to wander out in the fields to eat the tender green grass4 ,a farmer finding one of these bulls in his fields1 made him get into a boat1 and sent him by a man across the river ,ganges4 ,but the cunning creature came back in the evening2 for he watched till he saw some people setting out in a boat1 and then jumped in2 and though the passengers tried to turn him out1 he would stay there4 ,in this way he got back to the cornfields4 ,so much respected are these bulls that a ,hindoo would sooner lose his own life than suffer one of them to be killed4 ,an ,english gentleman was just going to shoot one that had broken into his garden1 when his ,hindoo servant rushed between him and the bull1 saying1 ,shoot me1 sir1 shoot me1 but let him go4 ,you may be sure that the gentleman did not shoot the servant1 and ,i think it probable he spared the bull's life4 ,there is one more city to be noticed4 ,,delhi was once the grandest city in ,india1 and the seat of the great ,moguls1 those ,mahomedans who conquered ,india before the ,british came4 ,the ancient palace is still to be seen3 it is built of red stone2 but its ornaments are gone2 where is now the room lined with crystal1 the golden palm-tree with diamond fruits1 and the golden peacock with emerald wings1 overshadowing the monarch's throne8 ,the ,persians have stripped the palace of all its gorgeous splendor4 ,we have now described the two most numerous nations in the world1 ,china and ,hindostan4 ,they contain together more than half the world4 ,in some respects they are alike1 and in some respects they are different4 ,in these respects they are different4 ,,in ,,china4 ,,in ,,hindostan4 ,there is one emperor4 ,there is no emperor1 and the ,english govern the country4 ,there is one language4 ,there are many4 ,they use chairs1 and tables1 ,they sit and sleep on mats4 and beds4 ,they eat with chop-sticks4 ,they eat with their fingers4 ,they wear shoes4 ,they go barefoot1 and wear sandals4 ,the men shave their heads ,the men twist up their except one lock4 hair with a comb4 ,they seldom wash themselves4 ,they bathe often4 ,they eat pigs more than ,they abhor pigs4 any other meat4 ,they are grave and silent4 ,they are merry and talkative4 ,they are industrious4 ,they are idle4 ,the most learned rise to be ,every one is high and low great men4 according to his caste4 ,they mind the laws4 ,they care not for laws4 ,the land is well cultivated4 ,there is much waste land1 and many jungles4 ,now let us consider in what respects they are alike4 ,china and ,hindostan are alike in these respects4 ,they are both very populous1 though ,china has twice as many inhabitants as ,hindostan4 ,in both rice is the chief food4 ,in both large grown-up families live together4 ,in both the women are shut up4 ,in both foreigners are hated4 ,in both conjurers are admired4 ,in both many idols are worshipped4 ,in both there are ancient sacred books4 ,in both the people are deceitful1 unmerciful to the poor1 and in the habit of destroying their own little girls when babies4 ,in both it is believed that the soul after death goes into another body1 and is born over and over again into this world4 ,is it not mournful to think that more than half the people in the world have no bright hope to cheer a dying bed8 ,one poor ,hindoo was heard to exclaim as he was dying1 ,where shall ,i go last of all8 ,he asked a wise question4 ,he wanted to know where1 after having been born ever so many times1 he should be put for ever and ever4 ,that is the great point we all want to know4 ,but the ,hindoo and the ,chinaman cannot know this3 they have never heard of everlasting happiness4 ,,circassia4 ,this is not a vast country like ,china1 or ,hindostan4 ,it may be called a nook1 it is so small compared with some great kingdoms3 but it is famous on account of the beauty of the people4 ,they are fair1 like ,europeans1 with handsome features1 and fine figures4 ,but their beauty has done them harm1 and not good2 for the cruel ,turks purchase many of the ,circassian women1 because they are beautiful1 and shut them up in their houses4 ,perhaps you will be surprised to hear that the young ,circassians think it a fine thing to go to ,turkey--to live in fine palaces and gardens1 instead of remaining in their own simple cottages4 ,but ,i think that when they find themselves confined between high walls1 they must sigh to think of their flocks and their farms at home1 and more than all1 of the dear relations they have left behind4 ,circassia is a pleasant country1 situated near the noble mountains of ,caucasus4 ,the snow on the mountains cools the air1 and makes ,circassia as pleasant to live in as our own ,england4 ,indeed1 if you were suddenly to be transported into ,circassia1 you would be ready to exclaim1 ,is not this ,england8 ,here are apple-trees1 and pear-trees1 and plum-trees1 like those in my father's garden3 those sounds are like the notes of the blackbird and thrush1 which sing among the hawthorns in ,english woods4 ,but look again1 you will see vines interlacing their fruitful branches among the spreading oaks4 ,you do not see such vines in ,england4 ,but hark6 what do ,i hear8 ,it is a sound never heard in ,england4 ,it is the yell of jackals4 ,,manners ,,of ,,the ,,people4--,there is no country in the world where the people are as kind to strangers as in ,circassia4 ,every family1 however poor1 has a guest-house4 ,there is the family-house1 with its orchard1 and stables1 and at a little distance1 another house for strangers4 ,this is no more than a large room1 with a stable at one end4 ,the walls are made of wicker-work1 plastered with clay4 ,there is no ceiling but the rafters1 and no floor but the bare earth4 ,yet there is a wide chimney1 where a blazing fire is kept up with a pile of logs4 ,and there is a sofa or divan1 covered with striped silk1 and many neat mats to serve as beds for as many travellers as may arrive4 ,the wind may whistle through the chinks1 and the rain come through the roof1 but the stranger is well warmed1 and comfortably lodged2 and above all1 he has the host to wait upon him with more attention than a servant4 ,the supper is served as soon as the sun sets4 ,but where is the table8 ,there is none4 ,is the supper placed on the floor8 ,not so4 ,it is brought in on stools with three legs4 ,they answer the purpose of tables1 trays1 and dishes1 all in one4 ,what is the fare served up8 ,this is the sort of dinner provided4 ,on the first table is placed a flat loaf2 the gravy in the middle1 and the meat all round4 ,when this is taken away1 another table is brought in with cheese-cakes2 a third with butter and honey2 a fourth with a pie2 a fifth with a cream2 and last of all1 a table1 with a wooden bowl of curdled milk4 ,the company have no plates2 but each ,circassian carries a spoon and a knife in his girdle1 and with these he helps himself4 ,the servants who stand by1 are not forgotten3 a piece of meat or of pie-crust is often given to one of them2 it is curious to see the men take it into a corner to eat it there4 ,there are many hungry poor waiting at the door of the guest-house1 ready to help the servants to devour the remains of the feast2 and there is often a great deal of food left2 for there are generally ten tables1 and sometimes there are forty tables4 ,the guests are expected to taste the food on each1 however many there may be4 ,instead of wine1 there is a drink called shuat handed to the guests3 it is distilled from grain and honey4 ,vegetables are not much eaten in ,circassia3 for greens are considered fit only for beasts3 and there are no potatoes4 ,pies1 and tarts1 and tartlets of various kinds are too well liked1 and the finest ladies in the land are skilful in making them4 ,the family live in a thatched cottage1 called the family-house4 ,it is not divided into rooms4 ,if a man wants several rooms1 he builds several houses4 ,as you approach the dwelling of a ,circassian1 you hear the barking of dogs1 and upon coming nearer1 you see women milking cows1 and feeding poultry1 and boys tending goats1 and leading horses4 ,if you go into the farm-yard1 you will see among the animals1 the buffalo--but no pig4 ,there are1 however1 wild boars in the woods4 ,,circassian ,,women4--,they are not shut up as ,hindoo1 and ,chinese1 and ,turkish ladies are4 ,they do not indeed go into the guest-house to see strangers2 but strangers are sometimes invited into the family-house to see them4 ,an ,englishman1 who visited a family-house1 was introduced to the wife and daughter4 ,they both rose up when he entered3 nor would they sit down1 till he sat down2 and this respect ladies show not only to gentlemen1 but even to the poorest peasants4 ,the only furniture in the house was the divan1 on which the ladies sat2 a pile of boxes1 containing the beds1 which were to be spread on the floor at night2 and a loom for weaving cloth1 and spindles for spinning4 ,the daughter1 who was sixteen1 was dressed in a skirt of striped silk1 with a blue bodice1 and silver clasps2 and she wore a cap of scarlet cloth1 adorned with silver lace--her light hair flowing over her shoulders3 yet though so finely arrayed1 her feet were bare2 for she only put on her red slippers when she walked out4 ,the mother was covered with a loose calico wrapper1 and her face was concealed by a thick white veil4 ,the visitor laid some needle-cases at the ladies' feet1 for it is not the custom for them to receive presents in their hands4 ,the needle-cases greatly delighted the young ,hafiza1 and her mother4 ,the present was well chosen1 because the ,circassian women are very industrious1 supplying their husbands and brothers with all their clothes1 from the woollen bonnet to the morocco shoe4 ,the wool1 the flax1 and the hemp1 are all prepared at home by the mothers1 and made into clothes by the girls1 who first spin the thread1 then weave the cloth1 and finish by sewing the seams4 ,some girls are very clever in knitting silver lace for trimming garments4 ,a girl named ,dussepli was famous for her skill in this art1 indeed her name signifies1 ,shining as lace4 ,an ,englishman went to the place where she lived to buy some of her lace4 ,he was shown into the guest-house1 and he soon saw ,dussepli approaching in a pair of high pattens4 ,at first sight there was nothing pleasing in ,dussepli but when she spoke she seemed so kind1 and so true1 that it was impossible not to like her4 ,by her industry in knitting lace1 and dyeing cloth1 she helped to support her father1 who was poor4 ,,the ,,circassian ,,men4--,war is their chief occupation4 ,working in the fields is left to the women1 and the little boys1 and the slaves4 ,there is1 alas6 great occasion for the men to fight1 as the land has long been infested with many dangerous enemies4 ,the ,russians are endeavoring to conquer the ,circassians3 but the ,circassians declare they will die sooner than yield4 ,long ago the enemies must have triumphed1 had it not been for the high mountains which afford hiding-places for the poor hunted inhabitants4 ,every man carries a gun1 a pistol1 a dagger1 and a sword2 and the nobles are distinguished by a bow1 and a quiver of arrows4 ,the usual dress is of coarse dark cloth1 and consists of a tunic1 trowsers1 and gaiters4 ,the cap or bonnet is of sheep-skin1 or goatskin4 ,the boys are taught from their infancy to be hardy and manly4 ,they are brought up in a singular way4 ,instead of remaining at home1 they are given at three years old1 into the care of a stranger3 and the reason of this custom is1 that they may not be petted by their parents4 ,the stranger is called foster-father1 and he teaches any boy under his care to ride well1 and to shoot at a mark4 ,the boy follows his foster-father over the mountains1 urging his horses to climb tremendous heights1 and to rush down ravines2 and appeasing his hunger with a mouthful of honey from the bag1 fastened to his girdle4 ,such is the life he leads1 till he is a tall and a strong youth2 and then he returns home to his parents4 ,his foster-father presents him with a horse1 and weapons of war1 and requires no payment in return for all his care4 ,men brought up in this manner must be wild1 bold1 restless1 and ignorant4 ,such are the ,circassians4 ,they care not for learning1 as the ,chinese do1 but only for bravery4 ,we cannot wonder at this1 when we remember what enemies they have in their land4 ,the ,russians have built many strong towers1 whence they shoot at all who come near4 ,but1 not satisfied with this1 they often come forth and rob the villages4 ,illustration3 ,guz ,beg the ,lion of ,circassia4 ,there was a ,circassian1 7and he may be still alive17 called ,guz ,beg2 and he gained for himself the name of the ,lion of ,circassia4 ,he was always leading out little bands of men to attack the ,russians4 ,one day he found some ,russian soldiers reaping in the fields1 and when he came near they ran away in terror1 leaving two hundred scythes in the field1 which he seized4 ,but a great calamity befel this ,lion4 ,he had an only son4 ,when he first led the boy to the wars1 he charged him never to shrink from the enemy1 but to cut his way through the very midst4 ,one day ,guz ,beg had ridden into the thick of the ,russian soldiers1 when suddenly a ball pierced his horse1 and he was thrown headlong on the ground4 ,there lay the ,lion among the hunters4 ,in another moment he would have been killed1 when suddenly a youthful warrior flew to his rescue2--it was his own son4 ,but what could one do among so many6 ,a troop of ,circassian horse rushed to the spot1 and bore away ,guz ,beg2 but they were too late to save his son4 ,they bore away the body only of the brave boy4 ,guz ,beg was deeply grieved2 but he continued still to fight for his country4 ,see those black heaps of ashes4 ,in that spot there once lived a prince named ,zefri ,bey1 with his four hundred servants2 but his dwellings were burned to the ground by the ,russians4 ,that prince fled to ,turkey to plead for help4 ,what would have become of his wife1 and little girls1 if a kind friend had not taken them under his care8 ,this friend was hump-backed1 but very brave4 ,some ,english travellers went to visit him1 and were received in the guest-house and regaled with a supper of many tables4 ,next day the little girls came to the guest-house and kissed their hands4 ,the daughter of the hump-backed man accompanied them4 ,the children were delighted with some toys the traveller gave them1 and the kind young lady accepted needles and scissors4 ,but where was the wife of ,zefri ,bey8 ,a servant was sent to inquire after her1 and found her in rags1 lying on a mat1 without even a counterpane1 and weeping bitterly4 ,had no one given her clothes1 and coverings8 ,yes1 but she gave everything away1 for she had been used1 as a princess1 to make presents1 and now she cared for nothing4 ,such are the miseries which the ,russians bring upon ,circassia4 ,,the ,,government4--,there is no king of ,circassia2 but there are many princes4 ,the people pay great respect to these princes1 standing in their presence1 and giving them the first place at feasts1 and in the battle-field4 ,but though the people honor them1 they do not obey them4 ,there is a parliament in ,circassia1 but it does not meet in a house1 but in a grove4 ,every man who pleases may come1 but only old men may speak4 ,if a young man were to give his opinions1 no attention would be paid4 ,the warriors sit on the grass1 and hang up their weapons of war on the boughs above their heads1 while they fasten their horses to the stems of the trees4 ,the speakers are gentle in their tones of voice and behavior4 ,the ,circassians admire sweet winning speeches4 ,they say there are three things which mark a great man2 a sharp sword1 a sweet tongue1 and forty tables4 ,what do they mean by these8 ,by a sharp sword they mean bravery1 by a sweet tongue they mean soft speeches1 and by forty tables they mean giving plentiful suppers to neighbors and to strangers4 ,are the ,circassians right in this way of thinking8 ,no--for though bravery is good1 and speaking well is good1 and giving away is good1 these are not the greatest virtues3 and people may be brave1 and speak well1 and give away much1 and yet be wicked3 for they may be without the love of ,god in their hearts4 ,what are the greatest virtues8 ,these three1 ,faith1 ,hope1 and ,charity4 ,these are graces which come from ,god4 ,,servants4--,there are slaves in ,circassia1 called serfs4 ,but they are so well treated1 that they are not like the slaves of other countries4 ,they live in huts round their master's dwelling2 they work in the fields1 and wait upon the guests1 and share in the good fare on the little tables4 ,when a ,circassian takes a ,russian prisoner1 he makes him a slave1 and gives him the hardest work to do4 ,yet the ,russians are much happier with their ,circassian masters than in their own country4 ,once a ,circassian said to his ,russian slave1 ,i am going to send you back to ,russia4 ,the man fell at his master's feet1 saying1 ,rather than do so1 use me as your dog2 beat me1 tie me up1 and give me your bones to pick4 ,the master then told him that he had not spoken in earnest1 and that he would not send him away1 and then the poor fellow began to shout1 and to jump with joy4 ,,brotherhoods4--,there is a very remarkable plan in ,circassia1 unlike the plans in other countries4 ,a certain number of men agree to call themselves brothers4 ,these brothers help each other on every occasion1 and visit at each other's houses frequently4 ,they are not received in the guest-house1 but in the family-house1 and are treated by all the family as if they were really the brothers of the master4 ,a brotherhood sometimes consists of two thousand1 but sometimes of only twenty persons4 ,,religion4--,circassia1 though beautiful1 is an unhappy country4 ,the ,russians keep the people in continual fear2 this is a great evil4 ,but there is another nation who have done the ,circassians still greater harm4 ,i mean the ,turks4 ,and what have they done to them8 ,they have persuaded them to turn ,mahomedans4 ,the greatest harm that can be done to any one1 is to give him a false religion4 ,there are no grand mosques in ,circassia1 because there are no towns3 but in every little village there is a clay cottage1 where prayers are offered up in the name of ,mahomet4 ,there can be no minaret to such a miserable mosque3 so the man who calls the hours of prayer1 climbs a tall tree1 by the help of notches1 and getting into a basket at the top1 makes the rocks and hills resound with his cry4 ,how different shall be the sound one day heard in every land2 when all people shall believe in ,jesus4 ,then shall the inhabitants of the rocks sing--then shall they shout from the top of the mountains1 and give glory unto the ,lord and not to ,mahomet4 7,is4 xlii4 #aa1 #ab47 ,but though the ,circassians call themselves ,mahomedans1 they keep many of their old customs1 and these customs show that they once heard about ,christ4 ,it is their custom to dedicate every boy to ,god3 but not really to ,god1 for in truth they dedicate him to the cross4 ,let me give you an account of one of the feasts of dedication4 ,the place of meeting was a green1 shaded by spreading oak-trees4 ,in the midst stood a cross4 ,each family who came to the feast1 brought a little table1 and placed it before the cross2 and on each table1 there were loaves1 and a sort of bread called pasta4 ,there was a blazing fire on the green1 round which the elder women sat1 while the younger preferred the shade of a thicket4 ,the priest took a loaf of bread in one hand1 and in the other1 a large cup of shuat1 7a kind of wine7 and holding them out towards the cross1 blessed them4 ,while he did this1 men1 women1 and children1 knelt around1 and bowed their heads to the ground4 ,afterwards1 the shuat and the bread were handed about amongst the company4 ,but this was only the beginning of the feast4 ,afterwards1 a calf1 a sheep1 and two goats were brought to the cross to be blessed4 ,then a little of their hair was singed by a taper1 and then they were taken away to be slaughtered4 ,now the merriment began3 some moved forward to cut up the animals1 and to boil their flesh in large kettles on fires kindled on the green2 many young men amused themselves with racing1 leaping1 and hurling stones1 while the elder people sat and talked4 ,when the meat was boiled1 it was distributed among the sixty tables1 and then the priest blessed the food4 ,and then the feasting began4 ,does it not seem as if the ,circassians must once have learned about ,jesus crucified1 and about his supper of bread and wine1 and about the ,jewish feasts and sacrifices8 ,once1 perhaps1 they knew the true religion1 but they soon forgot it1 and though they still remember the ,cross1 they have forgotten ,christ2 and though they still bless the bread and the cup1 they know nothing of redeeming love4 ,do you not long to send missionaries to ,circassia8 ,well1 some good ,scotch missionaries went there some years ago1 but alas6 the ,russians sent them away4 ,their thatched cottages may still be seen1 and their fruitful orchards1 but they themselves are gone4 ,there are1 however1 a few ,german ,christians in ,circassia4 ,they are not missionaries1 but only farmers1 therefore the ,russians allow them to remain4 ,they have a little church1 where the ,bible is read1 and ,god is worshipped4 ,you will be glad to hear a few ,circassians may be seen amongst the congregation2 they were converted by the ,scotch missionaries1 and they have remained faithful amongst their heathen neighbors4 ,circassia is situated between two seas3-- ,the ,black ,sea1 and ,the ,caspian ,sea4 ,what a wonderful place is the ,caspian ,sea4 ,it is like a lake1 only so immensely large1 that it is called a sea4 ,the waters of lakes are fresh1 like those of rivers2 but the waters of the ,caspian are salt1 but not so salt as the salt sea4 ,the shores of the ,caspian are flat1 and unwholesome4 ,you might think as you stood there1 that you were by the great ocean1 for there are waves breaking on the sands1 and water as far as the eye can reach1 but there is no freshness in the air as by the real sea4 ,the mountains of ,caucasus run through ,circassia4 ,they are quite low compared to the ,himalaya2 they are about the height of the ,alps1 and the tops are covered with snow4 ,but the valleys between these mountains1 are not like the ,swiss valleys1 which are broad and pleasant2 but these valleys are narrow1 and dark1 and not fit to live in1 yet they are of great use as hiding-places for the ,circassians4 ,when pursued by a ,russian1 a ,circassian will urge his horse to dash down the dark valley1 and lest his horse should be alarmed by the sight of the dangerous depth below1 he will cover the animal's eyes with his cloak4 ,thus1 many a bold rider escapes from a cruel soldier4 ,,georgia4 ,when you hear of ,circassia1 you will generally hear of ,georgia too1 for the countries lie close together1 and resemble one another in many respects4 ,but though so near1 their climate is different2 for ,circassia lies beyond the mountains of ,caucasus1 and is therefore1 exposed to the cold winds of the north4 ,but ,georgia lies beneath the mountains1 and is sheltered from the chill blasts4 ,georgia is1 therefore1 far more fruitful than ,circassia1 the people1 too1 are less fair1 and less industrious4 ,the sides of the hills are clothed with vines1 and houses with deep verandahs are scattered among the vineyards1 and women wrapped in long white sheets may be seen reposing in the porticoes1 enjoying the soft air1 and lovely prospect4 ,while ,circassian ladies are busy weaving and milking1 the ,georgian ladies loll upon their couches1 and do nothing4 ,which do you think are the happier8 ,these ,georgian ladies1 too1 though very handsome1 are much disfigured by painted faces1 and stained eyebrows4 ,their countenances1 too1 are lifeless1 and silly1 as might be expected1 since they waste their time in idleness4 ,over their foreheads1 they wear a kind of low crown1 called a tiara4 ,there is no country where so much wine is drank as in ,georgia1 even a laborer is allowed five bottles a day4 ,the grapes are exceedingly fine1 quite different from the little berries called grapes in ,circassia4 ,the casks are very curious1 they are the skins of buffaloes1 and as the tails and legs are not cut off1 a skin filled with wine looks like a dead1 or a sleeping buffalo4 ,and what is the religion of ,georgia8 ,it is the ,russian religion1 because the ,russians have conquered the country4 ,they cannot conquer the brave1 and active ,circassians1 but they have conquered the soft1 and indolent ,georgians4 ,the ,georgians are called ,christians1 but the ,greek ,church1 which is the ,russian religion1 is a ,christianity1 laden with ceremonies and false doctrines4 ,,tiflis4 ,there is but one town in ,georgia4 ,it is beautifully situated on the steep banks of a river1 with terraces of houses1 embosomed in vineyards4 ,so little do the people care for reading1 that there is not a bookseller's shop in the town1 and it is very seldom that a bookcase is seen in a house2 for the ,georgians love show1 and entertainments1 and idleness1 but not study4 ,,tartary4 ,this is one of the largest countries in the world1 yet it does not contain as many people as the small land of ,france4 ,how is this8 ,you will not be surprised that many people do not live there1 when you hear what sort of a country it is4 ,fancy a country quite flat1 as far as eye can see1 except where a few low sand-hills rise2 a country quite bare1 except where the coarse grass grows2--a country quite dry1 except where some narrow muddy streams run4 ,such is ,tartary4 ,what is a country without hills1 without trees1 without brooks8 ,can it be pleasant8 ,this flat1 bare1 dry plain1 is called the steppes of ,tartary4 ,in one part of ,tartary1 there is a chain of mountains1 and there are a few towns1 and trees1 but very few4 ,you may travel a long while without seeing one4 ,nothing can be so dreary as the steppes appear in winter time4 ,the high wind sweeping along the plain1 drives the snow into high heaps1 and often hurls the poor animals into a cold grave4 ,sledges cannot be used1 because they cannot slide on such uneven ground4 ,but if the white ground looks dreary in winter1 the black ground looks hideous in summer2 for the hot sun turns the grass black1 and fills the air with black dust1 and there are no shady groves1 no cool hills1 no refreshing brooks4 ,there must1 indeed1 be a little shade among the thistles1 as they grow to twice the height of a man2 but how different is such shade from the shade of spreading oaks like ours6 ,instead of nice fruit1 there is bitter wormwood growing among the grass1 and when the cows eat it1 their milk becomes bitter4 ,,wild ,,animals4--,the most common1 is a pretty little creature called the sooslik4 ,it is very much like a squirrel4 ,but can it live where squirrels live1--in the hollows of trees8 ,where are the trees in the steppe8 ,the sooslik makes a house for itself by digging a hole in the ground1 just as rabbits do in ,england4 ,will it not surprise you to hear that wolves follow the same plan1 and even the wild dogs8 ,the houses the dogs make are very convenient1 for the entrance is very narrow1 and there is plenty of room below4 ,there are some very odious animals on the steppe4 ,snakes and toads4 ,yes1 showers of toads sometimes fall4 ,but neither snakes nor toads are as great a plague as locusts4 ,these little animals1 not bigger than a child's thumb1 are more to be dreaded than a troop of wolves4 ,and why8 ,because they come in such immense numbers4 ,the eggs lie hid in the ground all the winter4 ,o if it were known where they were concealed1 they would soon be destroyed4 ,but no one knows where they are till they are hatched4 ,in the first warm days of spring the young animals come forth1 and immediately they begin crawling on the ground in one immense flock1 eating up all the grass as they pass along2 in a month they can fly1 and then they darken the air like a thick cloud2 wherever any green appears1 they drop down and settle on the spot4 ,the noise they make in eating can be heard to a great distance1 and the noise they make in flying is like the rustling of leaves in a forest4 ,they cannot be destroyed3 but there are two things they hate1--smoke and noise1--and by these they are sometimes scared and induced to fly away4 ,,people ,,and ,,customs4--,besides the wild animals1 there are tame animals1 who inhabit the steppe with men and women who take care of them4 ,they are all wanderers1 both men and beasts4 ,you can easily guess why they wander4 ,it is to find sufficient grass for the cattle4 ,every six weeks the ,tartars move to a new place4 ,yet one place is so like another1 that no place appears new2--there is always the same immense plain--without a cottage1 or an orchard1 a green hill1 or running brook1 to make any spot remembered4 ,it is great labor to the ,tartar women to pack up the tents and to place them on the backs of the camels1 and then to unpack and to pitch the tents4 ,it is a great disgrace to the men to suffer the women to work as hard as they do3 but the men are very idle1 and like to sit by their tents smoking and drinking1 while their wives are toiling and striving with all their might4 ,the women have the care of all the cattle3 and the men attend only to the horses4 ,perhaps they would not even do this1 were it not that they are very fond of riding2 and such riders as the ,tartars are seldom seen4 ,to give you an idea how they ride1 ,i will describe one scene that took place on the steppe4 ,some travellers from ,europe were on a visit to a ,tartar prince3 7for there are princes in the desert17 and they were taken to see a herd of wild horses4 ,the prince wished to have one of these wild horses caught4 ,it is not easy to do this4 ,but ,tartars know the way4 ,six men mounted a tame horse1 and rushed into the midst of the wild horses4 ,each of the men had a great noose in his hand4 ,they all looked at the prince to know which horse he would have caught4 ,when they saw the prince give a sign1 one of the men soon noosed a young horse4 ,the creature seemed terrified when it found that it was caught3 his eyes started out1 his nostrils seemed to smoke4 ,presently a man came running up1 sprang upon the back of the wild horse1 and by cutting the straps round his neck1 set him at liberty4 ,in an instant the horse darted away with the swiftness of an arrow2 yet the man firmly kept his seat4 ,the animal seemed greatly alarmed at his strange burden1 and tried every plan to get rid of it2--now suddenly stopping1--now crawling on the grass like a worm1--now rolling1--now rearing1--now dashing forward in a fast gallop through the midst of the herd2 yet all would not do2 the rider clung to the horse as closely as ever4 ,but how was the rider ever to get off his fiery steed8 ,that would be difficult indeed2 but help was sent to him by the prince4 ,two men on horseback rode after him1 and between them they snatched away the man from the trembling and foaming horse4 ,the animal1 surprised to find his load suddenly gone1 stood stupefied for a moment1 and then darted off to join his companions4 ,what this man did1--many ,tartars can do3 and even little boys will mount wild horses1 and keep on by clinging to their manes3 women1 too1 will gallop about on wild horses4 ,in ,circassia the customs are very different2 for though men ride so well1 women there never ride at all2 and surely it is far better not to ride than to be as bold as a ,tartar woman4 ,,food4--,what can be the food of the ,tartars8 ,not bread1 7for there is no corn17 nor fruit1 nor vegetables4 ,the flocks and herds are the food4 ,the favorite meat is horse-flesh2 though mutton and beef are eaten also4 ,then there is plenty of milk--both cow's milk and sheep's milk4 ,as there is milk1 there is butter and cheese4 ,but it is very unwholesome to live on meat and milk without bread and vegetables4 ,the water1 too1 is very bad2 for it is taken from the muddy rivers1 and not from clear springs4 ,it is a comfort for the ,tartar that he can procure tea from ,china4 ,their tea is indeed very unlike the tea brought to ,england2 for it comes to ,tartary in hard lumps1 shaped like bricks4 ,it is boiled in a saucepan with water1 and then mixed with milk1 butter1 and salt4 ,thus you see the ,tartar needs neither tea-kettle1 teapot1 nor sugar basin4 ,it would be well if tea and milk were the only drinks in ,tartary2 but a sort of spirit is distilled by the ,tartars from mare's milk2 and brandy also is brought from ,russia4 ,,tents4--,a ,tartar tent is very unlike an ,arab tent4 ,it is in the shape of a hut1 for the sides are upright1 and the roof only is slanting1 and there is a small hole at the top to let the smoke escape4 ,neither is it made of skins1 but of thick woollen stuff1 called felt1 which keeps the cold out4 ,at night the entrance is closed1 and the family sleep on mats around the fire in the midst4 ,,appearance4--,the ,tartars are not handsome like the ,turks and ,circassians4 ,they are short and thick2 their faces are broad and bony1 their eyes very small1 and only half open2 their noses flat1 their lips thick1 their chins pointed1 their ears large and flapping1 and their skin dark and yellow4 ,their dress is warm1 and well suited for riding in the desert4 ,different tribes have different dresses3 this is the dress of the ,kalmuck ,tartar4 ,he wears a yellow cloth cap trimmed with black lamb-skin2 wide trowsers1 a tight jacket1 and over all a loose tunic1 fastened round the waist4 ,his boots are red1 with high heels4 ,the women dress like the men2 but they let their hair grow in two long tresses1 while the men shave part of their heads1 and keep only one lock of hair hanging on their shoulders4 ,illustration3 ,,tartar ,,tents4 ,you see that the ,tartars are much like the ,chinese in their persons and dress2 but they are a much stronger1 bolder people1 and much more ignorant4 ,no wonder1 therefore1 that many years ago the ,tartars got over the ,chinese wall1 and took possession of the ,chinese throne4 ,you must not forget that the ,emperor of ,china is a ,tartar4 ,,government4--,to whom does ,tartary belong8 ,has it a king of its own8 ,no4 ,once it had many kings1 called khans2 but now the khans have lost their power1 and are only called khan to do them honor4 ,now ,tartary belongs to the great empires on each side of it1--,russia and ,china4 ,part of ,tartary is called ,russian ,tartary1 and part--,chinese ,tartary4 ,there is only a small part that is not conquered2 and it is called ,independent ,tartary4 ,there are many different tribes1 and each tribe keeps to a certain part of the land1 and never ventures to wander beyond its own bounds4 ,,religion4--,the religion is the same as that which is so common in ,china1--the religion of ,buddha2 but in some parts of ,tartary there is the religion of ,mahomet4 ,it is sad to think that far more people in the world worship ,buddha1 the deceiver1 than ,jesus1 the ,son of ,god4 ,the ,tartars think to please their false god by making a loud noise4 ,it would astonish a stranger to hear their jingling bells1 shrill horns1 squeaking shells1 bellowing trumpets1 and deafening drums4 ,how unlike is their senseless noise to the sweet sound of a ,christian hymn6 ,the ,tartars think also to please their gods by glaring colors2 so their priests dress in red and yellow1 and bear flags1 adorned with strips of gay silk4 ,a band of priests looks something like a regiment of soldiers4 ,the chief priest is called the ,lama1 and he is worshipped as a god2 but his situation is not very pleasant2 for he is not allowed to walk without help4 ,whenever he attempts to walk1 he is held up by a man on each side1 as if he were an infant2 and usually he is drawn in a car1 or carried in a palanquin4 ,from want of exercise1 he becomes very weak and helpless4 ,when he dies1 his body is burned1 and the ashes are gathered up and made into an idol4 ,thus he continues to be a god after he is dead4 ,another ,lama is chosen by one of the princes4 ,there are many ,lamas in ,tartary for the various tribes4 ,as the ,tartars are always moving about1 a tent serves for a temple2 and the idols are carried in great chests4 ,they cannot walk1 therefore they must be carried4 ,what use are such gods8 ,the ,tartars have found out a way of praying without any trouble2 and it is a way that suits idols very well4 ,they get some prayers written1 and place them in a drum1 and then turn the drum round and round with a string4 ,this they call praying2 and while they are thus praying1 they can be chattering1 smoking1 and even quarrelling4 ,the princes have a still easier way of offering up prayers4 ,they write prayers upon a flag1 and then place it before their tents for the wind to blow it about4 ,this is their way of praying to their gods4 ,and what1 my dear child1 is your way of praying to your ,god8 ,have missionaries visited the ,tartars8 ,yes2 ,i will tell you of two ,german missionaries1 who tried to convert a tribe of ,tartars called the ,kalmucks1 living near the ,caspian ,sea and the river ,volga4 ,these good men were treated with great contempt by the ,tartars4 ,the missionaries translated the ,gospel of ,st4 ,matthew into the ,tartar language4 ,one of the ,tartars1 instead of thanking them1 observed1 ,i wonder you should take so much trouble to prepare a book that we shall never read4 ,when the precious books were given to the ,tartars1 some of them returned the books2 and when it was read to them1 they scornfully said1 as they turned away1 ,it is only the history of ,jesus4 ,at last one ,tartar1 named ,sodnom1 believed in ,jesus4 ,he said to the missionaries1 ,now the ,tartars1 from my example1 may turn to the ,lord3 for as1 when sheep are to be washed1 each is afraid to enter the water till one has been in1 so it may be with my countrymen4 ,sodnom read every evening in the ,testament to his family in the tent4 ,at first his wife was displeased1 and said that her husband wasted the fire-wood in making a light to read a book that was of no use4 ,but afterwards she listened1 and made the children keep quiet4 ,the neighbors also listened1 and twenty-two turned to the ,lord6 ,then the prince and the priests grew angry1 and said the ,christians must leave the camp4 ,where could the ,christians go8 ,there was a village called ,sarepta1 where some ,germans lived4 ,there they determined to go1 though it was two hundred miles off4 ,one of the missionaries led the way on horseback2 the ,tartars followed on foot3 then came camels bearing the tents and the women1 while a bullock-cart contained the young children4 ,the flocks and herds were driven by the bigger children4 ,the good ,germans in ,sarepta received the ,tartars with great joy4 ,one gray-headed man of eighty-three came to meet them1 leaning upon his staff4 ,he said he had been praying that he might see a ,christian ,tartar before he died4 ,he heard these ,tartars sing hymns to the praise of ,jesus1 and he felt his prayers were answered4 ,two days afterwards he died4 ,like old ,simeon1 he might have said1 ,lord1 now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace1 for mine eyes have seen thy salvation4 ,the ,christians went to live in a small island in the river ,volga4 ,when the river was frozen1 the ,germans went over the ice to visit them4 ,sodnom gave them tea mixed with fat in a large wooden bowl2 and to please him1 the kind ,germans drank some1 though they did not like it4 ,many ,tartars assembled in ,sodnom's tent1 and seated on the ground smoking their pipes1 talked together about heavenly things2 and before they parted1 they put away their pipes1 and folding their hands1 sang hymns in their own language4 ,the ,germans1 in taking leave1 divided a large loaf among the company2 for bread is considered quite a dainty by the ,tartars4 ,the change that had taken place in these ,tartars filled the ,germans with joy2 and more missionaries would have gone to teach the heathen ,kalmucks1 had not the ,emperor of ,russia forbidden them4 ,,astracan4 ,this city is on the ,caspian ,sea4 ,it is very unpleasant1 on account of the heat and the gnats4 ,not only ,tartars dwell there1 but many people of all nations1 ,russians1 ,hindoos1 and ,armenians4 ,the chief trade of ,astracan is in the fish of the sea1 and in the salt on the shores4 ,,bokhara 7,,in ,,tartary74 ,this is a kingdom in the midst of ,tartary4 ,it lies at the south of the ,caspian ,sea4 ,it is not like the rest of ,tartary1 for it is a sweet green spot4 ,travellers have said that it is the most beautiful spot in the world1 but that is not true4 ,the reason that travellers have said so1 is that1 after passing through a great desert1 they have been charmed at seeing again running streams1 and shady groves4 ,but though ,bokhara is a beautiful place1 it is a wicked place4 ,the king is one of the greatest tyrants in the world4 ,he is called the ,amir4 ,the city where he dwells is called ,bokhara 7which is also the name of the whole country74 ,his palace is on a high mound1 in the midst of splendid mosques1 and mansions4 ,amongst these grand buildings is the prison1 a place of horrible cruelty4 ,there the prisoners lie in the dark1 and the damp4 ,one use of the prison is to keep water cool for the king in summer2 it feels therefore just like a cellar4 ,but the worst dungeon1 is filled with stinging insects1 called ticks1 reared on purpose to torment prisoners4 ,in order to keep the ticks alive when no prisoners are there1 raw meat is thrown into the place4 ,there is also a deep pit into which men are let down with ropes2 as once the holy ,jeremiah was in ,jerusalem4 ,once a fortnight the prisoners are judged by the ,amir4 ,even when the ground is covered with snow they stand with bare feet1 waiting for hours till the ,amir appears4 ,can so cruel a monarch be happy8 ,no4 ,he lives in constant fear of his life4 ,he is afraid of drinking water1 lest it should be poisoned4 ,all that he drinks is brought from the river in skins1 and sealed1 and guarded by two officers2 it is then taken to the chief counsellor1 called the ,vizier1 and tasted by him1 and his servants2 it is then sealed again1 and sent to his majesty4 ,the ,amir's dinner when it is ready1 is not placed on the royal table1 but locked up in a box1 and taken to the ,vizier to be tasted1 before it is served up in the palace4 ,but it is not the ,amir only who is afraid of poison4 ,no one will accept fruit from another1 unless that other tastes it first4 ,it must be very terrible to live in the midst of such murderers as the people of ,bokhara seem to be4 ,the ,amir is so much afraid of people making plans to destroy him1 that he chooses to see all the letters that are written by his subjects2 if a husband write to his wife1 the letter must first be shown to the ,amir4 ,there are boys1 too1 going about the city listening to all that is said1 that they may let the ,amir know1 if any one speak against him4 ,but while the ,amir is watching his people1 they are watching him2 for his chief officers hire men to listen to the ,amir's conversation1 that they may know if he intends to kill them4 ,yet every person appears to approve all the ,amir does1 saying on every occasion1 ,it is the act of a king2 it must be good4 ,they are such people as ,jeremiah describes in the ,bible4 ,their tongue is as an arrow shot out1 it speaketh deceit2 one speaketh peaceably to his neighbor1 but in his heart he lieth his wait4--7,jer4 ix4 #h47 ,,appearance4--,the people in ,bokhara are much handsomer than other ,tartars2 their complexions are fairer1 and their hair is of a lighter color4 ,they wear large white turbans1 and several dark pelisses with high-heeled boots4 ,these high heels prevent their walking well1 and most people1 both men and women1 ride2 but the ladies always hide their faces with a veil of black hair cloth4 ,the large court of the palace is filled from morning to night with a crowd of noisy people1 most of them mounted on horses and donkeys4 ,in the midst of the court is the fruit market4 ,it is wonderful to behold the quantity1 and beauty of the fruits4 ,the same fruits grow in ,bokhara as in ,england1 only they are much finer4 ,such grapes1 plums1 and apricots1 mulberries1 and melons1 are never seen in ,europe1 and they are made more refreshing by being mixed with chopped ice4 ,large piles of ice stand all the summer long in the market-place1 and even beggars drink iced water4 ,but hot tea is preferred before any other drink4 ,in every corner of the market there are large urns of hot tea1 and small bowls of rich milk1 surrounded all day by a thirsty crowd4 ,how much better is this sight than the gin palaces of ,london6 ,but there is one great inconvenience in ,bokhara1 for which all its fruits can scarcely make amends4 ,there is bad water4 ,for ,bokhara is not built on the banks of a river1 or among running brooks3 all the water is brought by canals1 from a small stream near the town1 and when the canals are dried up by the heat1 there is no water1 except in the tanks where it is kept4 ,this stagnant water produces a disease called the ,guinea worm4 ,in this complaint the skin is covered with painful swellings1 and when they burst1 a little flat worm is discovered in each1 which must be drawn out before the poor sufferer can recover4 ,,religion4--,it is the ,mahomedan4 ,the ,amir is a strict observer of his religion4 ,every ,friday he may be seen going to prayers in his great mosque4 ,the ,koran is carried before him1 and four men with golden staves accompany him1 crying out1 ,pray to ,god that the ,commander of the ,faithful may act justly4 ,as he passes by1 his people stroke their beards to show their respect4 ,bokhara is reckoned by ,mahomedans a very religious city2 for in every street there is a mosque2 every evening people may be seen crowding to prayers2 and if boys are caught asleep during service1 they are tied together1 and driven round the market by an officer1 who beats them all the way with a thick thong4 ,there is a school1 too1 in almost every street of ,bokhara1 and there the poor boys sit from sunrise1 till an hour before sunset1 bawling out their foolish lessons from the ,koran2 and during all that time they are never allowed to go home1 except once for some bread4 ,they have no time for play1 except in the evening1 and no holiday1 except on ,friday4 ,seven years they spend in this manner1 learning to read and write4 ,when they leave school1 if they wish to be counted very wise1 they go to one of the colleges2 for there are many in ,bokhara4 ,some spend all their lives in these colleges1 living in small cells1 and meeting in a large hall to hear lectures about the ,mahomedan religion4 ,it is a happy thing1 however1 that in summer the students go out to work in the fields2 for how much better is it to work with the hands1 than to fill the head with the wicked inventions of ,mahomed4 ,the ,mahomedans1 however1 are very proud of their religion1 because they say1 they do not worship idols2 7yet they do worship at ,mecca1 a black stone1 and other like things in other places74 ,they imagine that all ,christians are idolaters1 for they know that the ,russians bow down to pictures4 ,once the ,vizier of ,bokhara conversed a long while with two ,englishmen about their religion4 ,he asked them1 ,do you worship idols8 ,the ,englishmen replied1 ,no4 ,the ,vizier would not believe them1 but said1 ,i am sure you have images and crosses hung round your necks4 ,upon which1 they opened their vests to show there was nothing hidden4 ,then the ,vizier smiled1 and said to his servants1 ,they are not bad people4 ,as the servants were preparing tea1 the ,vizier took a cup1 and said to the travellers1 ,you must drink with us1 for you are people of the ,book1 meaning the ,bible4 ,yet you must not suppose because the ,vizier seemed to approve these ,christians1 that he1 and the ,amir1 would allow missionaries to settle in the kingdom4 ,it is dangerous for ,englishmen to visit ,bokhara4 ,when they do come1 they must be very careful not to give offence1 or they will lose their lives4 ,englishmen are more dreaded than any other people1 because it is known in ,bokhara1 that they have conquered ,hindostan1 and therefore the ,amir fears lest they should conquer his kingdom also4 ,as soon as an ,englishman enters ,bokhara1 he is forbidden to write a letter1 for fear he should contrive some plan to bring enemies there4 ,neither is he allowed to ride in the streets2 none but ,mahomedans are allowed to ride in them1 though any one may ride outside the city4 ,some years ago two ,englishmen came to ,bokhara1 named ,colonel ,stoddart1 and ,captain ,conolly4 ,they acted foolishly in writing letters1 and trying to send them secretly to their friends4 ,they were found out1 and shut up4 ,colonel ,stoddart behaved very wickedly in one respect2 he pretended to be a ,mahomedan6 ,was not this wicked8 ,soon he grew sorry1 and declared himself a ,christian4 ,at last both ,stoddart and ,conolly were sentenced to die4 ,they were led with their hands tied behind them to a place near the palace1 to be executed4 ,conolly as he went along1 cried out1 ,woe1 woe to me1 for ,i have fallen into the hands of a tyrant4 ,at the place of execution the two ,englishmen kissed each other4 ,stoddart said to the king's minister1 7for the ,amir was not present17 ,tell the ,amir that ,i die a disbeliever in ,mahomed1 but a believer in ,jesus4 ,i am a ,christian1 and a ,christian ,i die4 ,then ,conolly said to his friend1 ,we shall see each other in paradise near ,jesus4 ,these were their last words4 ,immediately afterwards their heads were cut off with a knife4 ,some time after this cruel murder1 a clergyman1 named ,joseph ,wolff1 arrived at ,bukhara4 ,he had travelled all the way from ,england1 and all alone1 on purpose to inquire after ,conolly1 who had been his dear friend4 ,the ,amir was surprised at his coming1 and said1 ,i have taken thousands of ,persians and made them slaves1 and no one came from ,persia to inquire what was become of them2 but as soon as ,i take two ,,englishmen prisoners1 behold a man comes all this long way to inquire after them6 ,the ,amir did not know how precious are the lives of ,englishmen in the eyes of their countrymen4 ,joseph ,wolff found it hard to get away from ,bokhara4 ,he was kept a long while in prison1 and he feared he should be slain2 for when he asked the ,amir to give him the bones of ,stoddart and ,conolly to take to ,england1 this was the ,amir's answer3 ,i shall send ,,your bones6 ,yet1 after all1 he was permitted to leave ,bokhara1 the ,lord graciously inclining the tyrant to let him go4 ,how can ,missionaries be sent to such a country6 99 99 99 99 99 ,bokhara is the only large town in the kingdom4 ,the sea of ,aral lies to the north of the kingdom3 it is an immense lake1 but not nearly so large as the ,caspian ,sea4 ,the river ,oxus flows into the ,caspian4 ,it is famous for its golden sands4 ,the great trade of ,bokhara is in black woolly lamb-skins1 to make caps for the ,persians3 the younger the lamb the more delicate the wool4 ,thus many a pretty lambkin dies to adorn a ,persian noble4 ,the best raisins in the world come from ,bokhara4#h ,,the ,,toorkman ,,tartars4 ,you have heard a great deal of the ,tartars1 and you have been told that they are a quiet and peaceable nation4 ,but not all2 there is a tribe of ,tartars called the ,toorkmans1 of a very different character4 ,they wander about in the country between ,bokhara and ,persia1 and their chief employment is to steal men from ,persia1 and to sell them in ,bokhara as slaves4 ,a whole troop1 mounted on horses1 rush sword in hand upon a ,persian city1 and return to the camp with hundreds of beasts and human creatures as their captives4 ,some ,english travellers once met five men chained together1 walking with sad steps in the deep sands of the desert4 ,they were ,persians just caught by the ,toorkmans1 and on their way to ,bokhara4 ,when the ,englishmen saw these poor captives1 they uttered a sorrowful cry1 and the ,persians began to weep4 ,one of the travellers stopped his camel to listen to their sad tale2 and he heard that a few weeks before1 while working in the fields1 they had been seized and carried off4 ,they were hungry and thirsty2 for the ,toorkmans cruelly starve their slaves1 in order that they may be too weak to run away4 ,the traveller gave them all he had1 which was a melon1 to quench their thirst4 ,but the worst part of the ,toorkmans' conduct remains yet to be told4 ,when they have taken many captives1 they usually kill the old people1 because they would not get much money for them in ,bokhara2 and they choose one of their captives to offer up as a thank-offering to their god66 ,who is their god8 ,the god of ,mahomed4 ,but though they are ,mahomedans1 they have no mosques1 and are too ignorant to be able to read the ,koran4 ,robbery is their whole business4 ,for this purpose they learn to ride and to fight4 ,they understand well how to manage a horse1 so as to make him strong and swift4 ,they do not let him eat when he pleases1 but they give him three meals a day of hay and barley1 and then rein him up that he may not nibble the grass1 and grow fat2 and sometimes they give him no food at all1 and yet make him gallop many miles4 ,by this management the horses are very thin1 but very strong1 and able to bear their masters eighty miles in a day when required2 and they are so swift that they can outrun their pursuers4 ,it is not surprising that the ,toorkmans do not eat these thin horses1 though other ,tartars are so fond of horse-flesh4 ,they prefer mutton4 ,when they invite a stranger to dinner1 they boil a whole sheep in a large boiling-pot2 then tear up the flesh1--mix it with crumbled bread1 and serve it up in wooden bowls4 ,two persons eat from one bowl1 dipping their hands into it1 and licking up their food like dogs4 ,the meal is finished by eating melons4 ,these coarse manners suit such fierce and wild creatures as the ,toorkmans4 ,it is their boast that they rest neither under the shadow of a ,,tree nor of a ,,king3 meaning that they have neither trees nor kings to protect them in the desert4 ,the men wear high caps of black sheep-skin1 while the ,women wear high white turbans4 ,the tents are adorned with beautiful carpets1 not only the floors1 but the sides1 and it is the chief employment of the women to weave them4 ,as for the men1 they spend most of their time in sauntering about among the tents2 for the fierce dogs guard the flocks4 ,but when their hands are idle1 their thoughts are still busy in planning new robberies and murders4 ,it was by such men that the earth was inhabited when ,god sent the flood to destroy it4 ,it is written1 ,the earth was filled with ,,violence4 ,is there any man brave enough to go to these men to warn them of the judgment to come1 and to tell them of pardon for the penitent1 through the blood of ,jesus8#i #h ,taken from ,sir ,alexander ,burnes1 and from ,kanikoff1 the ,russian1 and from ,rev4 ,joseph ,wolff4 #i ,extracted from ,sir ,alexander ,burnes' ,bokhara4 ,,chinese ,,tartary4 ,very little is known in ,europe of this part of ,tartary2 and why8 ,because the ,emperor of ,china1 who reigns over it1 does not like travellers to go there4 ,it is divided by high and snowy mountains from the rest of ,tartary4 ,when a traveller has passed over these mountains1 he finds on the other side ,chinese officers1 who inquire what business he has come upon4 ,if he have come only to wander about the country1 he is desired to go home again2 because the ,chinese are afraid lest strangers should send spies1 and then ,,armies--to conquer their empire4 ,one traveller1 because he stayed too long in ,tartary1 was imprisoned for three months2 and before he was let go1 a picture of him was taken4 ,what was done with this picture8 ,it was copied1 and the copies were sent to various towns on the borders of ,chinese ,tartary1 with this command1 ,if the man1 who is like this picture1 enter the country1 his head is the ,emperor's1 and his property is yours4 ,happily the traveller heard of this command1 and was never seen again in the country4 ,you see how cunning it was of the ,chinese to allow any one who killed the traveller to have his property2 for thus they made it the interest of all to kill him4 ,there is one city in ,chinese ,tartary where many strangers come to trade with the people4 ,it is called ,yarkund4 ,there caravans arrive from ,pekin1 laden with tea1 after a journey of five months over the wilds of ,tartary4 ,then merchants come from ,bokhara to buy the tea1 and to carry it home1 where it is so much liked4 ,,affghanistan4 ,this land is not a desert4 ,yet there are but few trees1 and because there is so little shade1 the rivulets are soon dried up4 ,yet it might be a fruitful land1 if the inhabitants would plant and sow4 ,but they prefer wandering about in tents1 and living upon plunder1 to settling in one place and living by their labor4 ,the ,tartar has good reason for roaming over his plains1 because the land is bad2 but the ,affghan has no reason1 but the love of roaming4 ,the plains of ,affghanistan are sultry1 but the mountains are cool2 for their tops are covered with snow4 ,the shepherds feed their flocks on the plains during the winter2 but in the spring they lead them to the mountains to pass the summer there4 ,then the air is filled with the sweet scent of clover and violets4 ,the sheep often stop to browse upon the fresh pasture2 but they are not suffered to linger long4 ,the children have the charge of the lambs2 an old goat or sheep goes before to encourage the lambs to proceed1 and the children follow with switches of green grass4 ,many a little child who can only just run alone1 enjoys the sport of driving the young lambs4 ,the tents are borne on the backs of camels4 ,the men are terrible-looking creatures1 tall1 large1 dark1 and grim1 with shaggy hair and long black beards4 ,they wear great turbans of blue check and handsome jackets1 and cloaks of sheep-skin2 they carry in their girdles knives as large as a butcher's2 and on their shoulders a shield and a gun4 ,besides these wild wanderers1 there are some ,affghans who live in houses4 ,cabool1 the capital1 is a fine city1 and the king dwells in a fine citadel4 ,the bazaar is the finest in all ,asia4 ,it is like a street with many arches across it2 and these people sell all kinds of goods4 ,but what is a fine bazaar compared to a beautiful garden8 ,cabool is surrounded by gardens3 the most beautiful is the king's4 ,in the midst is an octagon summer-house1 where eight walks meet1 and all the walks are shaded by fruit-trees4 ,here grow1 as in ,bokhara1 the best fruits to be found in an ,english garden1 only much larger and sweeter4 ,the same kind of birds1 too1 which sing in ,england sing among its branches1 even the melodious nightingale4 ,it is the chief delight of the people of ,cabool to wander in the gardens3 they come there every evening1 after having spent the day in sauntering about the bazaar2 for they are an idle people1 talking much and working little4 ,the noise in the city is so great that it is difficult to make a friend hear what you say3 it is not the noise of rumbling wheels as in ,london1 for there are no wheeled carriages1 but the noise of chattering tongues4 ,the ,affghans are a temperate people2 they live chiefly upon fruit with a little bread2 and as they are ,mahomedans1 they avoid wine1 and drink instead iced sherbets1 made of the juice of fruits4 ,in winter excellent dried fruits supply the place of fresh4 ,but the ,affghan1 though living on fruits1 is far from being a harmless and amiable character2 on the contrary1 he is cruel1 covetous1 and treacherous4 ,much ,british blood has been shed in the valleys of ,affghanistan4 ,we cannot blame the ,affghans for defending their own country4 ,it was natural for them to ask1 ,what right has ,britain to interfere with us8 ,a ,british army was once sent to ,affghanistan to force the people to have a king they did not like1 instead of one they did like4 ,i will tell you of a youth who accompanied his father to the wars4 ,this boy looked forward with delight to going as a soldier to a foreign land1 and his heart beat high when the trumpet sounded to summon the troops to embark4 ,joyfully he quitted ,bombay1 crossed the ,indian ,ocean1 and landed near the mouth of the ,indus4 ,when the army began its march towards ,affghanistan1 he rode on a pony by his father's side4 ,at first it seemed pleasant to pitch the tent in a new spot every day1 to rest during the heat1 and to travel in the dead of the night1 till the sun was high in the sky4 ,but soon this way of life was found fatiguing1 for the heat was great1 and the water scarce4 ,the air1 too1 was clouded by the dust the troops raised in marching2 and green grass was seldom seen1 or a shady tree under which to rest4 ,the food1 too1 was dry and stale1 and no fresh food could be procured1 for the ,affghans1 before they fled1 destroyed the corn and fruit growing in the fields1 that their enemies might not eat them4 ,the camels1 too1 which bore the baggage of the ,british army1 grew ill from heat and thirst2 for it is not true that camels can live long without water2 in three or four days they die4 ,besides this1 the hard rocks in the hilly country hurt their feet1 and hastened their death4 ,many a camel died as it was seeking to quench its thirst at a narrow stream in the valley1 and its dead body falling into the water1 polluted it4 ,yet this water the soldiers drank1 for they had no other1 and from drinking it they fell ill4 ,the father of the youthful soldier was one of these1 and he was compelled to stop on the way for several weeks2 and because the heat of a tent was too great1 he took shelter in a ruined building4 ,here his son nursed him with a heavy heart4 ,where was the delight the youth had expected to find in a soldier's life8 ,at last the ,british army reached a strong fort built on the top of a hill2 ,guznee was its name4 ,its walls and gates were so strong that it seemed impossible to get into the city2 yet the ,british knew that if they did not1 they must die either by the ,affghan sword1 or by hunger and thirst among the rocks4 ,for some time they were much perplexed and distressed4 ,at last a thought came into the mind of a ,british captain1 ,let us blow up the gates with gunpowder4 ,the plan was good2 but how to perform it1--there was the difficulty4 ,soon all was arranged4 ,in the night some sacks of gunpowder were laid very softly against the gates2 but as no one could set fire to the sacks when close to them1 a long pipe of cloth was filled with gunpowder1 and stretched like a serpent upon the ground2 one end of the pipe touched the sack1 and the other end was to be set on fire4 ,but before the match was applied1 a ,british officer peeped through a chink in the gates to see what the ,affghans were doing within4 ,behold6 they were quietly smoking1 and eating their supper1 not suspecting any danger6 ,the match was applied--the gunpowder exploded1 and the strong gates were shattered into a thousand pieces2 the army rushed in sword in hand1 and the ,affghans fled in wild confusion4 ,where was our young soldier8 ,he was running into the fort between two friendly soldiers1 who kindly helped him on2 each of them was holding one of his arms1 and assisting him to keep up with the troops1 as they rushed through the gates4 ,as he ran1 he heard horrible cries1 but the darkness hindered him from seeing the dying ,affghans rolling in the dust1 only he felt their soft bodies as he hastily passed over them4 ,he heard his fellow-soldiers shouting and firing on every side4 ,some fell close beside him1 and others were wounded1 and carried off on the shoulders of their comrades1 screaming with agony4 ,half an hour after the gates were fired1 the city was taken4 ,the news of the victory spread among the ,affghans on the mountains1 and the plains1 and the whole country submitted to the ,british4 ,the army soon marched to ,cabool1 that proud city4 ,no one opposed their entrance1 and the bazaar1 and the king's garden1 and the royal citadel were visited by our soldiers4 ,after spending two months in beautiful ,cabool1 resting their weary limbs and feasting on fine fruits1 the army was ordered to return home4 ,they began to march again towards the coast1 a distance of fifteen hundred miles1 over cragged rocks1 and scorching plains4 ,in the course of this terrible journey1 the father of the young soldier again fell ill1 and was forced to stop by the way4 ,his affectionate son nursed him night and day2 closed his eyes in death1 and saw him laid in a lowly grave in the desert4 ,with a bleeding heart the youth embarked to return to ,bombay4 ,during the voyage1 a furious storm arose1 and all on board despaired of life4 ,then it was the youth remembered the prayers he had offered up by his dying father's bed2 then it was he felt he had not turned to ,god with all his heart1 and then it was he vowed1 that if the ,lord would spare him this once1 he would seek his face in truth4 ,god heard and spared4 ,and did the youth remember his prayers and vows8 ,he did1 though not at first1--yet after a little while he did4 ,he read the word of ,god1 he prayed for the ,spirit of ,god1 and at length he enjoyed the peace of ,god2 and now he neither fears storm nor sword1 because ,christ is his shelter and his shield4 ,,beloochistan4 ,just underneath ,affghanistan1 lies ,beloochistan1 by the sea coast4 ,it is separated from ,india by the river ,indus4 ,you may know a ,beloochee from an ,affghan by his stiff red cotton cap1 in the shape of a hat without a brim2 whereas1 an ,affghan wears a turban4 ,yet the religion of the ,beloochee is the same as that of the ,affghan1 namely1 the ,mahomedan1 and the character is alike1 only the ,beloochee is the fiercer of the two3 the country also is alike1 being wild and rocky4 ,beloochistan has not been conquered by the ,british3 it has a king of its own2 yet the ,british have fought against ,beloochistan4 ,on one occasion a ,british army was sent to punish the king of ,beloochistan for not having sent corn to us1 as he had promised4 ,the army consisted of three thousand men1 and amongst them was the young soldier1 of whom you have heard so much already4 ,his father was ill at the time1 and could not fight2 but the youth came upon his pony1 with a camel to carry his tent1 and all his baggage4 ,the troops as usual marched in the night4 ,in the morning1 about eight o'clock1 they first caught sight of ,kelat1 the capital of ,beloochistan4 ,it was a grand sight1 for the city is built on a high hill1 with a citadel at the top4 ,the dark ,beloochees were seen thronging about the walls and the towers1 gazing at the ,british army1 but not daring to approach them4 ,our soldiers1 when they first arrived1 were too much tired to begin the attack1 and therefore they rested on the grass for two hours4 ,at ten o'clock the word of command was given1 and the attack was made4 ,the ,british planted their six cannons opposite the gates1 and began to fire4 ,where was the young soldier8 ,he was commanded to run with his company close up to the wall1 and there to remain4 ,as he ran1 he was exposed to the full fire of the enemy4 ,the youth heard bullets whizzing by as he passed1 and he expected every moment that some ball would lay him low2 but through the mercy of ,god he reached the wall in safety4 ,close underneath the wall was not a dangerous post1 for the bullets passed over the heads of those standing there4 ,about noon1 the ,british cannons had destroyed the gates4 ,then the ,british soldiers rushed into the town4 ,amongst the first to enter was the young soldier2 because when the gates fell he was standing close by4 ,as he passed along the streets1 he saw no one but the dead and the dying2 for the ,beloochees had fled for refuge to their citadel on the top of the hill4 ,the king himself was there4 ,the citadel was a place very difficult for an enemy to enter2 for the entrance was through a narrow dark passage underground4 ,into this passage the ,british soldiers poured1 but soon they came to a door1 which they could not get through1 for ,beloochee soldiers stood there1 sword in hand1 ready to cut down any one who approached4 ,look at my back1 said one soldier to his fellow4 ,the other looked1 and beheld the most frightful gashes gaping wide and bleeding freely4 ,such were the wounds that each soldier1 who ventured near that door1 was sure to receive4 ,at this moment a cry was heard1 saying1 ,another passage is found4 ,when the ,beloochees heard this cry1 they gave up all hopes of keeping the enemy out of the citadel2 so they left off fighting1 and cried ,peace4 ,but their king was already dead2 he had fallen on the threshold of the passage last found4 ,the first man who tried to get in by that way the king had killed2 but the second had killed the king4 ,the ,british1 as they rushed in by this new way1 trampled on the body of the fallen monarch4 ,he was a splendid object even in death2 his long dark ringlets were flowing over his glittering garments1 and his sharp sword1 with its golden hilt1 was in his hand4 ,the ,british hurried by1 and climbed the steep and narrow stairs leading to the top of the citadel1 and the enemy no longer durst oppose their course4 ,on the terrace at the top of the citadel1 in the open air1 stood the nobles of ,beloochistan4 ,there were princes too from the countries all around4 ,it was a magnificent assembly4 ,these men were the finest of a fine race4 ,some were clad in shining armor1 and others in flowing garments of green and gold4 ,thus they stood for a moment1 and the next--they were rolling on the ground66 ,how was this8 ,had not peace been agreed upon on both sides8 ,yes1 but a ,british soldier had attempted to take away the sword of one of the princes4 ,the prince had resisted1 and with his sword1 had wounded the soldier2 and instantly every ,british gun on that spot had been pointed at the nobles of ,beloochistan4 ,this was why the nobles were lying in the agonies of death4 ,our young soldier was not one of those who slew the nobles4 ,he was standing on another part of the terrace1 when1 hearing a tremendous volley of guns1 he exclaimed to a friend1 ,what can that be8 ,going forward1 he beheld heaps of bleeding bodies1 turbans1 and garments--in one confused mass4 ,the dying were calling for water1 and the very soldiers who had shot them1 were holding cups to their quivering lips1 though themselves parched with thirst4 ,but water could not save the lives of the fallen nobles3 one by one they ceased to cry out1 and soon--all were silent--and all were still4 ,the ,,victory was ,,won6 ,but how awful had been the last scene6 ,how cruelly1 how unjustly1 had the lives of that princely assembly been cut short6 ,the conquerors returned that evening to their camp4 ,on their way1 they passed through the desolate streets of the city2 the mud cottages on each side were empty1 and blood flowed between4 ,the young officer1 as he marched at the head of his company1 was struck by seeing a row of his own fellow-soldiers lying dead upon the ground4 ,they had been placed there ready for burial on the morrow4 ,their ghastly faces1 and gaping wounds were terrible to behold4 ,the youth remembered them full of life and spirits in the morning1 unmindful of their dismal end2 then he felt how merciful ,god had been in sparing his life2 and when he crept into his little tent that night1 he returned him thanks upon his knees2 though he did not love him then as his ,saviour from eternal death4 ,wearied1 he soon fell asleep1 but his sleep was broken by dreadful dreams of blood and death4 ,the next day he walked through the conquered town1 and saw the ,british soldiers dragging the dead bodies of their enemies by ropes fastened to their feet4 ,they were dragging them to their grave1 which was a deep trench1 and there they cast them in and covered them up with earth4 ,such is the history of the conquest of ,kelat4#aj ,how many souls were suddenly hurled into eternity6 ,how many unprepared to meet their ,judge1 because their sins were unpardoned1 and their souls unwashed6 ,but in war1 who thinks of souls and sins6 ,o horrible war6 ,how hateful to the ,prince of ,peace6 #aj ,september #ac1 #ahci4 ,,burmah4 ,of all the kings in ,asia1 the king of ,burmah is the greatest1 next to the emperor of ,china4 ,he has not indeed nearly as large a kingdom1 or as many subjects as that emperor2 but like him1 he is worshipped by his people4 ,he is called ,lord of life and death1 and the ,owner of the sword1 for instead of holding a sceptre in his hand1 he holds a golden sheathed sword4 ,a sword indeed suits him well1 for he is very cruel to his subjects4 ,nowhere are such severe punishments inflicted4 ,for drinking brandy the punishment is1 pouring molten lead down the throat2 and for running away from the army1 the punishment is1 cutting off both legs1 and leaving the poor creature to bleed to death4 ,a man for choosing to be a ,christian was beaten all over the body with a wooden mallet1 till he was one mass of bruises2 but before he was dead1 he was let go4 ,every one is much afraid of offending this cruel king4 ,the people tremble at the sound of his name2 and when they see him1 they fall down with their heads in the dust4 ,the king makes any one a lord whom he pleases1 yet he treats even his lords very rudely4 ,when displeased with them1 he will hunt them out of the room with his drawn sword4 ,once he made forty of his lords lie upon their faces for several hours1 beneath the broiling sun1 with a great beam over them to keep them still4 ,it was well for them that the king did not send for the men with spotted faces4 ,who are those men8 ,the executioners4 ,their faces are always covered with round marks tattooed in the skin4 ,the sight of these spotted faces fills all the people with terror4 ,every one runs away at the sight of a spotted face1 and no one will allow a man with a spotted face to sit down in his house4 ,in what terror the poor ,burmese must live1 not knowing when the order for death will arrive4 ,yet the king is so much revered1 that when he dies1 instead of saying1 ,he is dead1 the people say1 ,he is gone to amuse himself in the heavenly regions ,the king has a great many governors under him1 and they are as cruel as himself4 ,a missionary once saw a poor creature hanging on a cross4 ,he inquired what the man had done1 and finding that he was not a murderer1 he went to the governor to entreat him to pardon the man4 ,for a long while the governor refused to hear him3 but at last he gave him a note1 desiring the crucified man to be taken down from the cross4 ,would you believe it8--the ,burmese officers were so cruel that they would not toke out the nails1 till the missionary had promised them a piece of cloth as a reward6 ,when the man was released1 he was nearly dead1 having been seven hours bleeding on the cross2 but he was tenderly nursed by the missionary1 and at last he recovered4 ,yet all the agonies of a cross had not changed the man's heart1 and he returned to his old way of life as a thief4 ,had he believed in that ,saviour who was nailed to a cross for his sins1 he would1 like the dying thief1 have repented4 ,though the ,burmese are so unfeeling to each other1 they think it wrong to kill animals1 and never eat any meat1 except the flesh of animals who have died of themselves4 ,even the fishermen think they shall be punished hereafter for catching fish2 but they say1 ,we must do it1 or we shall be starved4 ,you may be sure that such a people must have some false and foolish religion2 and so they have1 as you will see4 ,illustration3 ,,idol ,,car ,,and ,,pagoda4 ,,religion4--,it is the religion of ,buddha4 ,this ,buddha was a man who was born at ,benares1 in ,india1 more than two thousand years ago2 and people say1 that for his great goodness was made a boodh1 or a god4 ,yet the ,burmese do not think he is alive now2 they say he is resting as a reward for his goodness4 ,why then do they pray to him1 if he cannot hear them8 ,they pray because they think it is very good to pray1 and that they shall be rewarded for it some day4 ,what reward do they expect8 ,it is this--to rest as ,buddha does--to sleep forever and ever4 ,this is the reward they look for4 ,every one in ,burmah thinks he has been born a great many times into the world1--now as an insect1--now as a bird1--now as a beast1 and he thinks that because he was very good1--as a reward he was made a man4 ,then he thinks that if he is very good as a poor man1 he shall be born next time to be a rich man2 and at last1 that he will be allowed to rest like ,buddha himself4 ,what is it to be good8 ,the ,burmese say that the greatest goodness is making an idol1 and next to that1 making a pagoda4 ,you know what an idol is1 but do you know what a pagoda is8 ,it is a house1 with an idol hidden inside1 and it has no door1 nor window1 therefore no one can get into a pagoda4 ,some pagodas are very large1 and others very small4 ,as it is thought so very good to make idols and pagodas1 the whole land is filled with them2 the roads in some places are lined with them2 the mountains are crowned with them4 ,next to making idols1 and building pagodas1 it is considered good to make offerings4 ,you may see the father climbing a steep hill to reach a pagoda1 his little one by his side1 and plucking green twigs as he goes4 ,he reaches the pagoda1 and strikes the great bell1 then enters the idol-house near the pagoda1 and teaches his young child how to fold its little hands1 and to raise them to its forehead1 while it repeats a senseless prayer2 then leaving the green twigs at the idol's feet1 the father descends with his child in his arms4 ,how many little ones1 such as ,jesus once took in his arms1 are taught every day to serve ,satan4 ,the people who are thought the best in ,burmah1 are the priests4 ,any one that pleases may be a priest4 ,the priests pretend to be poor1 and go out begging every morning with their empty dishes in their hands2 but they get them well filled1 and then return to the handsome house1 all shining with gold1 in which they live together in plenty and in pride4 ,they are expected to dress in rags1 to show that they are poor2 but not liking rags1 they cut up cloth in little pieces1 and sew the pieces together to make their yellow robes2 and this they call wearing rags4 ,they pretend to be so modest1 that they do not like to show their faces1 and so hide them with a fan1 even when they preach2 for they do preach in their way1 that is1 they tell foolish stories about ,buddha4 ,the name they give him is ,guadama1 while the ,chinese call him ,fo4 ,they have five hundred and fifty stories written in their books about him2 for they say he was once a bird1 a fly1 an elephant1 and all manner of creatures1 and was so good whatever he was1 that at last he was born the son of a king4 ,,character4--,the ,burmese are a blunt and rough people4 ,they are not like the ,chinese and the ,hindoos1 ready to pay compliments to strangers4 ,when a ,burmese has finished a visit1 he says1 ,i am going1 and his friend replies1 ,go4 ,this is very blunt behavior4 ,but all blunt people are not sincere4 ,the ,burmese are very deceitful1 and tell lies on every occasion2 indeed1 they are not ashamed of their falsehoods4 ,they are also very proud1 because they fancy they were so good before they were born into this world4 ,all the kind actions they do are in the hope of getting more merit1 and this bad motive spoils all they do4 ,they are kind to travellers4 ,in every village there is a pretty house1 called a ,zayat1 where travellers may rest4 ,as soon as a guest arrives1 the villagers hasten to wait upon him2--one brings a clean mat1 another a jug of water1 and a third a basket of fruit4 ,but why is all this attention shown8 ,in the hope of getting merit4 ,the ,burmese resemble the ,chinese in their respect to their parents4 ,they are better than the ,chinese in their treatment of their children1 for they are kind to the girls is well as to the boys2 neither do they destroy any of their infants4 ,they are temperate also1 not drinking wine1--having only two meals in the day1 and then not eating too much4 ,in these points they are to be approved4 ,they are1 however1 very violent in their tempers2 it is true they are not very easily provoked1 but when they are angry1 they use very abusive language4 ,thus you see they are by no means an amiable people4 ,,appearance4--,in their persons they are far less pleasing than the ,hindoos2 for instead of slender faces and figures1 they have broad faces and thick figures4 ,but they have not such dark complexions as the ,hindoos4 ,they disfigure themselves in various ways4 ,to make their skins yellow1 they sprinkle over them a yellow powder4 ,they also make their teeth black1 because they say they do not wish to have white teeth like dogs and monkeys4 ,they bore their ears1 and put bars of gold1 or silver1 or marble through the holes4 ,the women wear a petticoat and a jacket4 ,the men wear a turban1 a loose robe1 and a jacket2 they tie up their hair in a knot behind1 and tattoo their legs1 by pricking their skin1 and then putting in black oil4 ,they have the disagreeable custom of smoking1 and of chewing a stuff called coon1 which they carry in a box4 ,every one 7except the priests7 carries an umbrella to guard him from the sun2 the king alone has a white one2 his nobles have gilded umbrellas2 the next class have red umbrellas2 and the lowest have green4 ,,food4--,burmah is a pleasanter country than ,hindostan1 for it is not so hot1 and yet it is as fruitful4 ,the people live chiefly upon rice2 but when they cannot get enough1 they find abundance of leaves and roots to satisfy their hunger4 ,,animals4--,there are many tigers1 but no lions4 ,the ,burmese are fond of adorning their houses with statues of lions1 but never having seen any1 they make very strange and laughable figures4 ,the pride of ,burmah is her elephants2 but they all belong to the king1 and none may ride upon one but himself1 and his chief favorite4 ,carriages are drawn by bullocks1 or buffaloes2 and there are horses for riding1 so the ,burmese can do very well without the elephants4 ,the king thinks a great deal too much of these noble animals4 ,there was a white elephant that he delighted in so much1 that he adorned it with gold1 and jewels1 and counted it next to himself in rank1 even above the queen4 ,,houses4--,the ,burmese build their houses on posts1 so that there is an empty place under the floors4 ,dogs and crows may often be seen walking under the houses1 eating whatever has fallen through the cracks of the floor4 ,the king allows none but the nobles to build houses of brick and stone2 the rest build them of bamboos4 ,this law is unpleasant2 but there is another law which is a great comfort to the poor4 ,it is this2--any one may have land who wishes for it4 ,a man has only to cultivate a piece of spare land1 and it is counted his1 as long as he continues to cultivate it2 therefore all industrious people have gardens of their own4 ,,the ,,karens4 ,among the mountains of ,burmah1 there are a wild people called the ,karens1 very poor and very ignorant2 yet some have attended to the voice of the missionaries4 ,they are not so proud as the ,burmese2 for they have no gods at all1 and no books at all3 they have not filled their heads with five hundred and fifty stories about ,gaudama2 therefore they are more ready to listen to the history of ,jesus4 ,the ,karens live in houses raised from the ground1 and so large is the place underneath1 that they keep poultry and pigs there4 ,every year they move to a new place1 and build new houses1 clear a new piece of ground1 by burning the weeds1 dig it up1 and sow rice4 ,thus they wander about1 and they number their years by the number of houses they have lived in4 ,of all the ,eastern nations1 they sing and play the most sweetly1 and when they become ,christians1 they sing hymns1 very sweetly indeed4 ,there is one ,christian village among the mountains1 called ,mata1 which means love2 and every morning the people meet together in the ,zayat1 or travellers' house1 to sing and pray4 ,before they were ,christians1 the ,karens were in constant fear of the ,nats2 7not insects1 but evil spirits71 and sometimes in order to please their ,nats1 they were so cruel as to beat a pig to death4 ,the ,christian ,karens have left off such barbarous practices1 and have become kind and compassionate4 ,when the missionaries told them that they ought to love one another1 some of them went secretly the next day to wait upon a poor leper1 and upon a woman covered with sores4 ,another day1 without being asked1 they collected some money and brought it to the missionaries1 saying1 they wished to set free a poor ,burman who had been imprisoned for ,christ's sake4 ,it is cheering to the missionaries to see them turning from their sins4#aa ,,ava4 ,this city was once the capital of ,burmah1 and then it was called the golden city4 ,but now the king lives in another city1 and the glory of ,ava has passed away4 ,,maulmain4 ,this city1 though in ,burmah1 may be called a ,british city1 because the ,british built it2 for they have conquered great part of ,burmah4 ,there are missionaries there4 ,one there is1 named ,judson1 who has turned more than a hundred ,burmese to the ,lord4 ,but he has known great troubles4 ,his wife and his little girl shared in these troubles4 ,i will now relate the history of the short life of little ,maria ,judson4 ,,the ,,missionary',s ,,babe4 ,the missionary's babe1 little ,maria1 was born in a cottage by the side of a river1 and very near the walls of the great city of ,ava1 where the king dwelt4 ,it was a wooden cottage1 thatched with straw1 and screened by a verandah from the burning sun4 ,it was not like an ,english cottage1 for it was built on high posts1 that the cool air might play beneath4 ,it contained three small rooms all on one floor4 ,the country around was lovely2 for the green banks of the river were adorned with various colored flowers and with trees laden with fine fruits4 ,in this pretty cottage1 the infant ,maria was lulled in her mother's arms to sleep1 and often the tears rolling down the mother's cheeks1 fell upon the baby's fair face4 ,why did the mother weep8 ,it was for her husband she wept4 ,he was not dead1 but he was in prison4 ,he was a missionary1 and the king of ,ava had imprisoned him in the midst of the great city4 ,was his wife left all alone with her babe in her cottage8 ,no1 there were two little ,burmese girls there4 ,they were the children of heathen parents1 and they had been received by the kind lady into her cottage1 and now they were learning to worship ,god4 ,their new names were1 ,mary1 and ,abby4 ,there were also two men servants1 of dark complexion1 dressed in white cotton1 and wearing turbans4 ,it was a sorrowful little household1 because the master of the family was absent1 because he was in distress1 and his life was in danger4 ,every day his fond wife visited him in his prison4 ,she left her babe under the care of ,mary1 and set out with a little basket in her hand4 ,after walking two miles through the streets of ,ava1 she came to some high walls--she knocked at the gate--a stern-looking man opened it4 ,the lady1 passing through the gates1 entered a court4 ,in one corner of the court1 there was a little shed made of bamboos1 and near it1 upon a mat1 eat a pale1 and sorrowful man4 ,his countenance brightens when he perceives the lady enter4 ,she refreshes him with the nice food she has brought in her basket1 and comforts him with sweet and heavenly words3--then hastens to return to her babe4 ,as soon as she enters her cottage1 she sinks back1 half fainting1 in her rocking-chair1 while she folds again her little darling in her arms4 ,happy babe6 thy parents are suffering for ,jesus--and they are blessed of the ,lord1 and their baby with them4 ,greater sorrows still1 soon befell the little family4 ,one day1 a messenger came to the cottage1 with the sad tidings that the bamboo hut had been torn down1 the mat1 and pillow taken away1 and the prisoner1 laden with chains1 thrust into the inner prison4 ,the loving wife hastened to the governor of the city to ask for mercy2 but she could obtain none1 only she was permitted to see her husband4 ,and what a sight6 ,he was shut up in a room with a hundred men1 and without a window66 ,though the weather was hot no breath of air reached the poor prisoners1 but through the cracks in the boards4 ,no wonder that the missionary soon fell ill of a fever4 ,his wife1 fearing he would die1 determined to act like the widow in the parable1 and to weary the unjust judge by her entreaties4 ,she left her quiet cottage1 and built a hut of bamboos at the governor's gate1 and there she lived with her babe1 and the little ,burmese girls4 ,the prison was just opposite the governor's gate1 so that the anxious wife had now the comfort of being near her suffering husband4 ,the governor was wearied by her importunity1 and at last permitted her to build again a bamboo hovel for the prisoner in the court of the prison4 ,the sick man was brought out of the noisome dungeon1 and was laid upon his mat in the fresh air4 ,he was supplied with food and medicine by his faithful wife1 and he began to recover4 ,but in three days1 a change occurred4 ,suddenly the poor wife heard that her beloved had been dragged from his prison1 and taken1 she knew not where4 ,she inquired of everybody she saw1 ,where is he gone8 but no answer could she obtain4 ,at last the governor told her1 that his prisoner was taken to a great city1 named ,a-ma-ra-poora4 ,this city was seven miles from ,ava4 ,the wife decided in a moment what to do4 ,she determined to follow her husband4 ,taking her babe in her arms1 and accompanied by the ,burmese children1 and one servant1 she set out4 ,she went to the city up the river in a covered boat1 and thus she was sheltered from the scorching sun of an ,indian ,may4 ,but when she arrived at ,amarapoora1 she heard that her husband had been taken to a village six miles off4 ,to this village she travelled in a clumsy cart drawn by oxen4 ,overcome with fatigue1 she arrived at the prison1 and saw her poor husband sitting in the court chained to another prisoner1 and looking very ill4 ,he had neither hat1 nor coat1 nor shoes1 and his feet were covered with wounds he had received1 as he had been driven over the burning gravel on the way to the prison3 but his wounds had been bound up by a kind heathen servant1 who had torn up his own turban to make bandages4 ,when the missionary saw his wife approaching with her infant1 he felt grieved on her account1 and exclaimed1 ,why have you come8 ,you cannot live here8 ,but she cared not where she lived1 so that she could be near her suffering husband4 ,she wished to build a bamboo hut at the prison gate3 but the jailor would not allow her4 ,however1 he let her live in a room of his own house4 ,it was a wretched room1 with no furniture but a mat4 ,here the mother and the children slept that night1 while the servant1 wrapped in his cloth1 lay at the door4 ,they had no supper that night4 ,next day1 they bought food in the village1 with some silver that the lady kept carefully concealed in her clothes4 ,a new trouble soon came upon them4 ,mary was seized with a small-pox of a dreadful sort4 ,who now was to help the weak mother to nurse the little ,maria8 ,abby was too young4 ,the babe was four months old1 and a heavy burden for feeble arms2 yet all day long the mother carried it1 as she went to and fro from the sick child to the poor prisoner4 ,sometimes1 when it was asleep1 she laid it down by the side of her husband4 ,he was able to watch a sleeping babe1 but not to nurse a babe awake1 owing to his great weakness1 and to his mangled feet4 ,soon the babe herself was attacked by the small-pox1 and continued very ill for three months4 ,this last trial was too much for the poor mother4 ,her strength failed her1 and for many weeks she lay upon her mat unable to rise4 ,she must have perished1 if it had not been for the faithful servant4 ,he was a native of ,bengal1 and a heathen4 ,yet he was so much concerned for his sick mistress and imprisoned master1 that he would sometimes go without food all day1 while he was attending to their wants2 and he did all without expecting any wages4 ,the poor little infant was in a sad case now its mother was lying on the mat4 ,it cried so much for milk1 that once its father got leave to carry it round the village to ask the mothers who had babes1 to give some milk to his4 ,by this plan1 the little creature was quieted in the day1 but at night its cries were most distressing4 ,the time at length arrived1 when these trials were to end4 ,the king sent for the missionary1 not to put him to death1 as he had once intended1 but to ask for his help4 ,what help could he render to the king8 ,the reason why the missionary had been imprisoned so long was1 that a ,british army had attacked ,burmah4 ,the king had feared1 lest the missionary should take part with the enemy1 and therefore he had shut him up4 ,now there were hopes of peace1 and an interpreter was wanted to help the ,burmese to speak with the ,british4 ,the missionary knew both the ,english language and the ,burmese1 and he could explain to the king what the ,english general would say4 ,for this purpose he was brought to ,ava4 ,he was not driven along the road like a beast1 but relieved from his chains1 and treated with less cruelty than formerly4 ,yet he was still a prisoner4 ,the mother was now well enough to make a journey1 though still very weak4 ,she returned to her cottage by the river-side1 and soon she had the delight of seeing her husband enter it4 ,it was seventeen months since he had been torn from it by the king's officers1 and ever since1 he had been groaning in irons4 ,but he was not now come to remain in his cottage1 but only to obtain a little food and clothing to take with him to the ,burmese camp4 ,his wife felt cheered on his account1 hoping that as an interpreter he would be well treated4 ,no sooner was he gone1 than she was seized with that deadly disease1 called spotted fever4 ,what now would become of little ,maria8 ,through the tender mercy of ,god1 on the very day the mother fell ill1 a ,burmese woman offered to nurse the babe4 ,every day the mother grew worse1 till at last the neighbors came in to see her die4 ,as they stood around1 they exclaimed1 in their ,burmese tongue1 ,she is dead1 and if the king of angels should come in1 he could not recover her4 ,their king of angels could not1 but her ,,king of ,,angels could1 for he can raise the dead4 ,but this dear lady was not dead1 though nearly dead4 ,the ,lord of life showed her mercy4 ,a friend entered the sick chamber4 ,it was ,dr4 ,price1 a missionary and a prisoner1 but who had obtained leave from the king to visit the sick lady4 ,he understood her case1 and he ordered her head to be shaved1 and blisters to be applied to her feet4 ,from that time1 she began to recover1 and in a month1 she had strength to stand up4 ,the governor1 who had once been so slow to hear her complaints1 now sent for her to his house4 ,he received her in the kindest manner4 ,what was her joy1 when she foiled her husband there1 not as a prisoner1 but as a guest4 ,many prayers had she offered up1 during her long illness1 and they were now answered4 ,the promise she had trusted in was fulfilled4 ,this was that promise3 ,call upon me in the day of trouble1 and ,i ,,will ,,deliver ,,thee1 and thou shalt glorify me4 ,but still brighter days were at hand4 ,the ,king of ,burmah had peace with the ,british1 and had agreed to deliver the missionaries into their hands4 ,glad1 indeed1 were they to escape from the power of the cruel monarch4 ,little ,maria and her parents1 as well as ,mary and ,abby1 were conveyed in a boat down the river to the place where the ,english army had encamped4 ,the ,english general received them with fatherly kindness1 and gave them a tent to dwell in near his own4 ,what a fortnight they spent in that tent4 ,it was a morning of joy1 after a night of weeping4 ,little ,maria was now1 for the first time1 dwelling with both her parents4 ,soon afterwards she was taken to a new home in a town in ,burmah1 built by the ,english4 ,it was called ,amherst#ab4 ,here the missionary might teach the ,burmese to know their ,saviour1 without being under the power of the cruel ,burmese king4 ,it seemed as if the little family1 so long afflicted1 were now to dwell in safety1 and to labor in comfort4 ,but there is a rest for the people of ,god1 and to this rest one of this family was soon removed4 ,the missionary determined to go to ,ava1 to plead with the king for permission to teach his subjects4 ,he parted from his beloved wife1 little thinking he should never see her again4 ,during her husband's absence1 she watched with deep anxiety over her little ,maria4 ,the child was pale1 and puny1 yet very affectionate and intelligent4 ,whenever her mamma said1 ,where is dear papa gone8 the little creature started up1 and pointed to the sea4 ,she could not speak plainly1 for she was only twenty months old4 ,not long did she enjoy her mother's tender care4 ,the poor mother1 worn with her past watching1 and weeping1 was attacked by fever4 ,as she lay upon the bed1 she was heard to say1 ,the teacher is long in coming1 ,i must die alone1 and leave my little one2 but as it is the will of ,god1 ,i am content4 ,she grew so ill1 that she took no notice of anything that passed around her2 but even then she called for her child1 and charged the nurse to be kind to it1 and to indulge it in everything till its father returned4 ,this charge she gave1 because she knew the babe wan sick1 and needed the tenderest care4 ,at last the mother lay without moving1 her eyes closed1 and her head resting on her arm4 ,thus she continued for two days1 and then she uttered one cry1 and ceased to breathe4 ,her illness had lasted eighteen days4 ,then she rested from her labors1 and slept in ,jesus4 ,what now became of little ,maria8 ,the wife of an ,english officer receded her in her house for a few weeks1 and then a missionary and his wife came to ,maria's home1 and took charge of the child4 ,maria was pleased to come back to her own home1 and she fancied that kind ,mrs4 ,wade was her own mother4 ,what a day it was when the poor father returned home6 ,no wife to meet him1 with love and joy2 only a sickly babe1 who had forgotten him1 and turned from him with alarm4 ,where could he go1 but to the grave to weep there8 then he returned to the house to look at the very spot where he had knelt with his wife in prayer1 and parted from her in hope of a happy return4 ,little ,maria was nursed with a mother's care1 though not in a mother's arms2 but her delicate frame had been shaken by her infant troubles1 and care and comforts came ,,too ,,late4 ,after drooping day by day1 she died at the age of two years and three months1 exactly six months after her mother4 ,her father was near to close her faded eyes1 and fold her little hands on her cold breast1 and then to lay her in a little grave1 close beside her mother's1 under the ,hope ,tree4 ,the words of the poet would suit well the case of this much tried infant3-- ,short pain1 short grief1 dear babe1 were thine1 ,now1 joys eternal and divine4 ,like ,maria's are the sufferings of many a missionary's babe1 and many lie in an early tomb4 ,but they are dear to the ,saviour1 for their parents' sakes1 and their deaths are precious in his sight1 and their spirits and their dust are safe in his hands4 #aa ,taken from ,travels in ,eastern ,asia1 by ,rev4 ,howard ,malcolm4 #ab ,amherst is only thirty miles from ,maulmain4 ,,siam4 ,cross a river1 and you pass from ,burmah to ,siam4 ,these two countries1 like most countries close together1 have quarrelled a great deal1 and now ,britain has got in between them1 and has parted them2 as a nurse might come and part two quarrelsome children4 ,britain has conquered that part of ,burmah which lies close to ,siam1 and has called it ,british ,burmah2 so ,siam is now at peace4 ,but though these two countries have been such enemies1 they are as like each other as two sisters4 ,siam is the little sister4 ,siam is a long narrow slip of a country1 having the sea on one side1 and mountains on the other4 ,the religion of ,siam is the same as that of ,burmah1 the worship of ,buddha4 ,but in ,siam he is not called ,buddha3 the name given him there is ,codom4 ,you see how many names this ,buddha has2 in ,china he is ,fo2 in ,burmah he is ,gaudama2 in ,siam1 he is ,codom4 ,neither is he honored in ,siam in exactly the same way as in ,burmah4 ,instead of building magnificent pagodas1 the ,siamese build magnificent image houses or temples4 ,the ,siamese resemble the ,burmese in appearance1 but they are much worse looking4 ,their faces are very broad1 and flat2 and so large are the jaws under the ears1 that they appear as if they were swollen4 ,their manner of dressing their hair does not improve their looks2 for they cut their hair quite close1 except just on the top of their heads1 where they make it stand up like bristles2 nor do they wear any covering on their heads1 except when it is very hot1 and then they put on a hat in the shape of a milk pan1 made of leaves4 ,they do not disfigure themselves1 as the ,burmese do1 with nose-rings1 and ear-bars2 but they1 love ornaments quite as much1 and load themselves with necklaces and bracelets4 ,their dress consists of a printed cotton garment1 wound round the body4 ,this is the dress of the women as well as of the men2 only sometimes the women wear a handkerchief over their necks4 ,in disposition the ,siamese are deceitful1 and cowardly4 ,it has been said of them1 that as friends they are not to be trusted1 and as enemies not to be feared3 they cannot be trusted because they are deceitful3 they need not be feared because they are cowardly4 ,this is indeed a dreadful character2 for many wicked people are faithful to their friends1 and brave in resisting their enemies4 ,no doubt the manner in which they are governed makes them cowardly2 for they are taught to behave as if they were worms4 ,whoever enters the presence of the king1 must creep about on hands and knees4 ,the great lords require their servants to show them the same respect4 ,servants always crawl into a room1 pushing in their trays before them2 and when waiting1 they walk about on their knees4 ,how shocking to see men made like worms to gratify the pride of their fellow-men6 ,the rule is never to let your head be higher than the head of a person more honorable than yourself2 if he stand1 you must sit2 if he sit1 you must crouch4 ,the ,siamese are like the ,burmese in cruelty4 ,when an enemy falls into their hands1 no mercy is shown4 ,a king of a small country called ,laos1 was taken captive by the ,siamese4 ,this king1 with his family1 were shut up in a large iron cage1 and exhibited as a sight4 ,there he was1 surrounded by his sons and grandsons1 and all of them were heavily laden with chains on their necks and legs4 ,two of them were little boys1 and they played and laughed in their cage6--so thoughtless are children6 ,but the elder sons looked very miserable2 they hung down their heads1 and fixed their eyes on the ground2 and well they might2 for within their sight were various horrible instruments of torture2--spears with which to pierce them2--an iron boiler1 in which to heat oil to scald them2--a gallows on which to hang their bodies1 and--a pestle and mortar in which to pound the children to powder4 ,you see how ,satan fills the heart of the heathen with his own cruel devices4 ,the people who came to see this miserable family1 rejoiced at the sight of their misery3 but they lost the delight they expected in tormenting the old king1 for he died of a broken heart2 and all they could do then1 was to insult his body2 they beheaded it1 and then hung it upon a gibbet1 where every one might see it1 and the beasts and birds devour it4 ,what became of his unhappy family is not known4 ,but though so barbarous to their enemies1 the ,siamese in some respects are better than most other heathen nations1 for they treat their relations more kindly4 ,they do not kill their infants1 nor shut up their wives1 nor cast out their parents4 ,yet they show their cruelty in this3--they often sell one another for slaves4 ,they also purchase slaves in great numbers2 and there are wild men in the mountains who watch ,burmans and ,karens to sell them to the great chiefs of ,siam4 ,it is the pride of their chiefs to have thousands of slaves crawling around them4 ,,bankok4 ,this city is built on an island in a broad river1 and part of it on the banks of the river4 ,it ought therefore to be a pleasant city1 but it is not1 owing to its extreme untidiness4 ,the streets are full of mud1 and overgrown with bushes1 amongst which all the refuse is thrown2 there are also many ditches with planks thrown across4 ,there is only one pleasant part of the town1 and that is1 where the ,wats are built4 ,the ,wats are the idol-houses4 ,near them are shady walks and fragrant flowers1 and elegant dwellings for the priests4 ,the people think they get great merit by making ,wats1 and therefore they take so much trouble3 for the ,siamese are very idle4 ,so idle are they that there would be very little trade in ,bankok1 if it were not for the ,chinese1 who come over here in crowds1 and make sugar1 and buy and sell1 and get money to take back to ,china4 ,you may tell in a moment a ,chinaman's garden from a ,siamese garden2 one is so neat and full of flowers2--the other is overgrown with weeds and strewn with litter4 ,the most curious sight in ,bankok1 is the row of floating houses4 ,these houses are placed upon posts in the river1 and do not move about as boats do2 yet if you wish to move your house1 you can do so2 you have only to take up the posts1 and float to another place4 ,besides the floating houses1 there are numerous boats in the river1 and some so small that a child can row them4 ,there are so many that they often come against each other1 and are overset4 ,a traveller once passed by a boat where a little girl of seven was rowing1 and by accident his boat overset hers4 ,the child fell out of her boat1 and her paddle out of her hand2 yet she was not the least frightened1 only surprised2 and after looking about for a moment1 she burst out a laughing1 and was soon seen swimming behind her boat 7still upside down71 with her paddle in her hand4 ,these little laughing rowers are too giddy to like learning1 and they are not at all willing to come to the missionaries' schools2 but some poor children1 redeemed from slavery1 are glad to be there1 and have been taught about ,christ in these schools4 ,,malacca4 ,this is a peninsula1 or almost an island1 for there is water almost all round it4 ,in shape it is something like a dog's leg1 even as ,italy is like a man's leg4 ,the weather in ,malacca is much pleasanter than in most parts of ,india1 because the sea-breezes make the air fresh4 ,there is no rainy season1 as in most hot countries1 but a shower cools the air almost every day4 ,the country1 too1 is beautiful1 for there are mountains1 and forests1 and streams4 ,yet it is a dangerous country to live in1 for the people are very treacherous4 ,there are many pirates among them4 ,what are pirates8 ,robbers by sea4 ,if they see a small vessel1 in a moment the pirates in their ships try to overtake it1 seize it1 take the crew prisoners1 and sell them for slaves4 ,the governors of the land do not punish the pirates2 far from punishing them1 they share in the gains4 ,that is a wicked land indeed1 where the governors encourage the people in their sins4 ,malacca has no king of her own2 the land belongs to ,siam1 except a very small part4 ,the inhabitants are called ,malays4 ,they are not like the ,siamese in character2 for instead of being cowardly1 they are fierce4 ,neither have they the same religion1 for instead of being ,buddhists1 they are ,mahomedans4 ,yet they know very little about the ,koran1 or its laws4 ,one command1 however1 they have learned1 which is--to hate infidels4 ,they count all who do not believe in ,mahomet to be infidels1 and they say that it is right to hunt them4 ,they are proud of taking ,christian vessels1 and of selling ,christians as slaves4 ,there are some valuable plants in ,malacca4 ,there is one which has a seed called pepper4 ,there is a tree which has in the stem a pith called sago4 ,who collects the pepper and the sago8 ,there are mines of tin4 ,who digs up the tin8 ,the idle ,malays will not take so much trouble1 so the industrious ,chinese labor instead4 ,the ,chinese come over by thousands to get rich in ,malacca4 ,as there is not room for them in their own country1 they are glad to settle in other countries4 ,but though the ,chinese set an example of industry1 they do not set an example of goodness2 for they gamble1 and so lose their money1 they smoke opium1 and so lose their health1 and they commit many kinds of wickedness by which they lose their souls4 ,as for the ,malays1 they are so very idle1 that when trees fall over the river1 and block up the way1 they will not be at the trouble of cutting a way through for their boats1--but will sooner creep under or climb over the fallen trees4 ,the capital of ,malacca is ,malacca1 and this city belongs to the ,english2 but it is of little use to them1 because the harbor is not good4 ,,singapore4 ,this city also belongs to the ,english1 and it is of great use to them1 because the harbor is one of the best in the world4 ,many ships come there to buy1 and to sell1 and amongst the rest1 the ,chinese junks4 ,the city is built on a small island1 very near the coast4 ,there are many beautiful country houses perched on the hills1 where ,english families live1 and there are long flights of stone steps leading from their houses to the sea4 ,but many of the ,malays have no home but a boat1 hardly large enough to lie down in4 ,there they gain a living by catching fish1 and collecting shells1 and coral1 to exchange for sago1 which is their food4 ,these men are called ,ourang-lout1 which means ,man of the water4 ,does not this name remind you of the apes called ,ourang-outang1 which means ,man of the woods8 ,there are ,ourang-outangs in the forests of ,malacca1 and they are more like men1 and are more easily tamed than any other ape4 ,yet still how different is the tamest ape from the wildest man2 for the one has an immortal soul1 and the other has none4 ,the ,malay language is said to be the easiest in the world1 even as the ,chinese is the most difficult4 ,the ,malay language has no cases or genders1 or conjugations1 which puzzle little boys so much in their ,latin ,grammars4 ,it is easy for missionaries to learn the ,malay language4 ,when they know it1 they can talk to the ,chinese in ,malacca in this language4 ,i will tell you of a school that an ,english lady has opened at ,singapore for poor ,chinese girls4 ,,the ,,christian ,,school-,,girls4 ,the two elder girls were sisters1 and were called ,chun and ,han4 ,both of them1 when they heard about ,jesus1 believed in him1 and loved him4 ,yet their characters were very different1 ,chun being of a joyful disposition1 and ,han of a mournful and timid temper4 ,they had no father1 and their mother was employed in the school to take care of the little children1 and to teach them needle-work2 but she was a heathen4 ,when ,chun and ,han had been three years in the school1 their mother wanted them to leave1 and to come with her to her home4 ,the girls were grieved at the thought of leaving their ,christian teacher1 and of living in a heathen home2 yet they felt it was their duty to do as their mother wished4 ,but they were anxious to be baptized before they went1 if they could obtain their mother's consent4 ,their kind teacher1 ,miss ,grant1 thought it would be of no use to ask leave long before the time1 lest the mother should carry her girls away1 and lock them up4 ,so she waited till the very evening fixed for the baptism4 ,miss ,grant had been praying all day for help from ,god1 and the two sisters had been praying together2 and now the bell began to ring for evening service4 ,now the time was come when the mother must be asked4 ,do you know1 said ,miss ,grant to the mother1 that the children are going to church with me8 ,yes1 replied the mother1 wherever ,missie pleases to take them4 ,then the lady told her of the baptism1 and entreated her consent4 ,at last the heathen mother replied1 ,if you wish it1 ,i will not oppose you4 ,miss ,grant1 afraid lest the mother should change her mind1 hastened into her palanquin1 and the sisters hastened into theirs4 ,looking back1 the lady perceived the mother was standing watching the palanquins4 ,seeing this1 she stopped1 saying1 ,nomis1 why should not you come1 and see what is done8 ,to the lady's surprise1 the mother immediately consented to come2 and so this heathen mother was present at the baptism of her daughters4 ,their teacher1 7who was their mother in ,christ17 rejoiced with exceeding joy to see her dear girls give themselves to the ,lord1 and to hear them answer in their broken ,english1 ,all dis ,i do steadfastly believe4 ,soon after their baptism1 the girls went to live in their mother's house4 ,to comfort them1 ,miss ,grant promised to fetch them every ,sunday1 to spend the day with her4 ,she came for them at five o'clock in the morning1 before it was light1 and took them back at nine1 when it was quite dark4 ,if she had not fetched them herself1 they would not have been allowed to go4 ,after awhile1 they were not allowed to go4 ,the reason was1 that the heathen mother wanted ,chun to marry a heathen ,chinaman4 ,chun refused to commit such a sin4 ,then her mother was angry1 mocked her1 and prevented her going to see ,miss ,grant4 ,still ,chun refused4 ,she saw her mother embroidering her wedding-dresses1 but she still persisted that she would not marry a heathen1 especially as she would have to bow down before an idol at her marriage4 ,chun grew very unhappy1 and looked very pale1 she wrote many letters to her kind friend1 and offered up many prayers to her merciful ,god4 ,and did the ,lord hear her1 and did ,he deliver her8 ,he did4 ,a ,christian ,chinaman1 who had been brought up by a missionary1 heard of ,chun1 and asked permission to marry her4 ,he had never seen her1 for it is not the custom in ,china for girls to be seen4 ,miss ,grant was delighted at the thought of her darling ,chun marrying a ,christian1 and she helped to prepare for the wedding4 ,there was no bowing down before an idol at that wedding1 but an ,english clergymen read the service4 ,chun's face1 according to the custom1 was covered with a thick veil1 and even her hands and feet were hidden4 ,a few days after the wedding1 ,miss ,grant1 according to the custom1 called on the newly married4 ,she found the room beautifully ornamented1 like all ,chinese rooms at such times1 but there were two ornaments seldom seen in ,china--two ,bibles lying open on the table4 ,chun long rejoiced that she had so firmly refused to marry a heathen4 ,one day1 ,miss ,grant said to her1 playfully1 ,has your husband beaten you yet8 7for she knew that ,chinamen think nothing of beating their wives47 ,chun replied1 with a sweet look1 ,o no6 he often tells me1 that first he thanks ,god1 and then you1 ,miss1 for having given me to him as his wife4 ,there was another girl at ,miss ,grant's school1 named ,been4 ,sometimes she was called ,beneo1 which means ,miss ,been1 just as ,chuneo means ,miss ,chun4 ,miss ,grant hoped that ,been loved the ,saviour1 and hated idols1 but she soon lost her1 for her parents took her to their heathen home4 ,after ,been had been home a short time her mother died4 ,the neighbors were astonished to find that ,been refused to worship her mother's spirit1 and to burn gold paper1 to supply her with money in the other world4 ,while her relations were busily occupied in their heathen ceremonies1 ,been sat silent and alone4 ,soon afterwards1 her father1 who cared not for her1 sold her to a ,chinaman to be his wife1 for forty dollars4 ,miss ,grant heard her sad fate1 and often longed to see her1 but did not know where to find her4 ,one evening1 as she was paying visits in her palanquin1 she saw a pair of bright black eyes looking through a hedge1 and she felt sure that they were her own ,been's4 ,she stopped1 and calling the girl1 saluted her affectionately4 ,she was glad she had found out where ,been lived1 as she would now be able to pay her a visit4 ,soon she called upon her1 in her own dwelling2--a poor little hut in the midst of a sugar plantation4 ,she brought as a present1 a ,new ,testament in ,english1 and in large print4 ,been appeared delighted4 ,do you remember how to read it8 inquired ,miss ,grant4 ,yes1 how could ,i forget8 ,been sweetly replied4 ,well then1 read1 said ,miss ,grant4 ,been read1 ,i am the good shepherd1 and know my sheep4 ,do you understand8 inquired the lady4 ,yes1 said ,been1 and she translated the words into ,malay4 ,as ,miss ,grant was rising to depart1 she observed a hen gathering her brood under her wings4 ,of what does that remind you1 ,been8 ,i know1 said the poor girl2 ,i remember what ,i learnt at school2 and then in her broken ,english1 she repeated the words3 ,as a hen gaderet her chickens under her wings1 so would ,i have gaderd de1 but dou wouldest not4 ,at this moment1 ,been's husband came in4 ,the girl was glad1 for she wanted ,miss ,grant to ask him as a great favor1 to allow her to spend next ,sunday at the school4 ,the husband consented4 ,there was a joyful meeting indeed1 on that ,sunday1 between ,been1 and ,chun1 and ,han2 nor was their affectionate teacher the least joyful of the company4 ,,siberia4 ,this is a name which makes people shiver1 because it reminds them of the cold4 ,it is a name which makes the ,russians tremble1 because it reminds them of banishment1 for the emperor often sends those who offend him to live in ,siberia4 ,yet ,siberia is not an ugly country1 such as ,tartary4 ,it is not one dead flat1 but it contains mountains1 and forests1 and rivers4 ,neither is ,siberia a country in which nothing will grow2 in some parts there is wheat1 and where wheat will not grow barley will1 and where barley will not grow turnips will4 ,yet there are not many cornfields in ,siberia1 for very few people live there4 ,in the woods you will find blackberries1 and wild roses1 like those in ,england2 and red berries1 as well as black berries1 and lilies as well as roses4 ,still it must be owned that ,siberia is a very cold country2 for the snow is not melted till ,june1 and it begins to fall again in ,september2 so there are only two whole months without snow2 they are ,july and ,august4 ,,inhabitants4--,the ,russians are the masters of ,siberia1 and they have built several large towns there4 ,but these towns are very far apart1 and there are many wild tribes wandering about the country4 ,one of these tribes is the ,ostyaks4 ,their houses are in the shape of boxes1 for they are square with flat roofs4 ,there is a door1 but you must stoop low to get in at it1 unless you are a very little child2 and there is a window with fish-skin instead of light4 ,there is a chimney1 too1 and a blazing fire of logs in a hole in the ground4 ,there is a trough1 too1 instead of a dining-table1 and out of it the whole family eat1 and even the dogs sometimes4 ,the house is not divided into rooms1 but into stalls1 like those of a stable2 and deer-skins are spread in the stalls1 and they are the beds2 each person sits and sleeps in his own stall1 on his own deer-skin1 except when the family gather round the fire1 and sitting on low stools1 warm themselves1 and talk together4 ,in one of these snug corners1 an old woman was seen1 quite blind1 yet sewing all day1 and threading her needle by the help of her tongue4 ,she wore a veil of thick cloth over her head1 as all the ,ostyak women do1 and as she did not need light1 she hid her head completely under it4 ,but though the ,ostyaks are poor1 they possess a great treasure in their dogs1 for these creatures are as useful as horses1 and much more sensible4 ,they need no whip to make them go1 and no bridle to turn them the right way2 it is enough to tell them when to set out1 and to stop1 or to turn1 to move faster1 or more slowly4 ,these dogs are white1 spotted with black2 the hair on their bodies is short1 but long on their handsome curling tails4 ,they draw their masters in sledges1 and are yoked in pairs4 ,there are some large sledges1 in which a man can lie down in comfort3 to draw such a sledge twelve dogs are necessary2 but there are small sledges in which a poor ,ostyak can just manage to crouch1 and two dogs can draw it4 ,when the dogs are to be harnessed1 they are not caught1 as horses are1 but only called4 ,yet they do not like work better than horses like it1 and when they first set out they howl1 but grow quiet after a little while4 ,the driver is sometimes cruel to these poor dogs1 and corrects them for the smallest fault1 by throwing a stone at them1 or the great club he holds in his hand1 or at least a snow-ball3 if a hungry dog but stoop down to pick up a morsel of food on the road1 he is punished in this manner4 ,yet it must be owned1 that the dogs have their faults2 they are greedy1 and inclined to thieving4 ,to keep food out of their way1 the ,ostyaks build store-houses1 on the tops of very high poles4 ,the dogs are always on the watch to slip into their master's houses4 ,if the door be left open ever so little1 a dog will squeeze in1 if he can2 but he does not stay long within1 for he is soon thrust out with blows and kicks2 the women scream at the sight of a dog in the hut1 for they fear lest he will find the fish-trough4 ,yet after long journeys1 the dogs are brought into the hut1 and permitted to lie down by the fire1 and to eat out of the family trough4 ,at other times they sleep in the snow1 and eat whatever is thrown to them4 ,when they travel1 bags of dried fish are brought in their sledges1 to feed them by the way4 ,the puppies are tenderly treated1 and petted by the fire2 yet many are killed for the sake of their fleecy hair1 which is considered a fine ornament for pelisses4 ,the ,ostyaks have another1 and a greater treasure than dogs2 they have reindeer4 ,those who live by fishing have dogs only1 but those who dwell among the hills1 have deer as well as dogs4 ,reindeer are like dogs in one respect1 they can be driven without either a whip or a bit1 which are so necessary for horses4 ,but though they do not need the lashing of a whip2 they require to be gently poked with a long pole2 and though they do not need a bit1 they require to be guided by a rein1 fastened to their heads2 because they are not like dogs1 so sensible as to be managed by speaking4 ,but deer are very gentle1 and are much more easily driven than horses4 ,to drive horses four-in-hand is very difficult1 but to drive four reindeer is not4 ,the four deer are harnessed to the sledge all in a row1 and a rein is fastened to the head of one2 when he turns all the rest turn with him4 ,usually they trot1 but they can gallop very fast1 even down hill4 ,when they are out of breath the driver lets them stop1 and then the pretty creatures lie down1 and cool their mouths with the snow lying on the ground4 ,men ride upon reindeer2 not upon their backs1 but on their necks2 for their backs are weak1 while their necks are strong4 ,riders do not mount reindeer as they do horses1--by resting on their backs1 and then making a spring1 for that would hurt the poor animals2 they lean on a long staff1 and by its help1 spring on the deer's neck4 ,but it is not easy1 when seated1 to keep on2 you would certainly fall off1 for all strangers do1 when they try to ride for the first time4 ,the ,ostyak knows how to keep his balance1 by waving his long staff in the air1 while the deer trots briskly along4 ,but these reindeer have some curious fancies2 they will not eat any food but such as they pluck themselves from the ground4 ,it would be of no use at the end of a long journey1 to put them in a stable2--they would not eat2 they must be let loose to find their own nourishment1 which is a kind of moss that grows wild among the hills4 ,the reindeer1 after he is dead1 is of as much use to the ,ostyak1 as when he was alive2 for his skin is his master's clothing4 ,both men and women dress alike1 in a suit that covers them from head to foot2 the seams are well joined with thread1 made of reindeer sinews1 and the cold is kept well out4 ,the ,ostyak lets no part of his body be uncovered but just his face1 and that would freeze1 if he were not to rub it often with his hands1 covered over with hairy reindeer gloves4 ,the women cover their faces with thick veils4 ,the ,ostyak wears a great-coat made of the skin of a white deer2 this gives him the appearance of a great white bear4 ,he carries in his hand a bow taller than himself4 ,his arrows are very long1 and made of wood1 pointed with iron4 ,with these he shoots the wild animals4 ,he is very glad when he can shoot a sable2 because the ,russian emperor requires every ,ostyak to give him yearly1 as a tax1 the skins of two sables4 ,the fur of the sable is very valuable1 and is made into muffs and tippets1 and pelisses for the ,russian nobles4 ,but without his snow-shoes1 the ,ostyak would not be able to pursue the wild animals1 for he would sink in the snow4 ,these shoes are made of long boards1 turned up at the end like a boat1 and fastened to the feet4 ,what a wild creature an ,ostyak must look1 when he is hunting his prey1 wrapped in his shaggy white coat1--his long dark hair floating in the wind1--his enormous bow in his hand1 and his enormous shoes on his feet6 ,what is the character of this wild man8 ,ask what is his religion1 and that will show you how foolish and fierce a creature he must be4 ,the ,ostyak says1 that he believes in ,,one ,god who cannot be seen1 but he does not worship him alone2 he worships other gods4 ,and such gods6 ,dead men6 ,when a man dies1 his relations make a wooden image of him1 and worship it for three years1 and then bury it4 ,but when a priest dies1 his wooden image is worshipped more than three years2 sometimes it is never buried2 for the priests who are alive1 encourage the people to go on worshipping dead priests' images1 that they may get the offerings which are made to them4 ,but what do you think of men worshipping ,,dead ,,beasts8 ,yet this is what the ,ostyaks do4 ,when they have killed a wolf or a bear1 they stuff its skin with hay1 and gather round to mock it1 to kick it1 to spit upon it1 and then--they stick it up on its hind legs in a corner of the hut1 and ,,worship it6 ,alas6 how has ,satan blinded their mind6 ,and in what manner do they worship the beasts8 ,with screaming1--with dancing1--with swinging their swords1--by making offerings of fur1 of silver and gold1 and of reindeer4 ,these reindeer they kill very cruelly1 by stabbing them in various parts of their bodies1 to please the cruel gods1 or rather cruel devils whom they worship4 ,has no one tried to convert the ,ostyaks to ,god8 ,the emperor of ,russia will not allow protestant missionaries to teach in ,siberia4 ,he wishes the ,ostyaks to belong to the ,greek church1 and he has tried to bribe them with presents of cloth to be baptized2 and a good many have been baptized4 ,but what good can such baptisms do to the soul8 ,the ,russians do much harm to their subjects1 by tempting them to buy brandy4 ,there is nothing which the ,ostyaks are so eager to obtain1 as this dangerous drink4 ,on one occasion1 a traveller was surrounded by a troop of ,ostyaks1 all begging for brandy1 and when they could get none1 they brought a large heap of frozen fish1 and laid it at the travellers feet1 saying1 ,noble sir1 we present you with this4 ,they did get some brandy in return4 ,then1 hoping for more1 they brought a great salmon1 and a sturgeon1 as long as a man4 ,they seemed ready to part with all they had1 for the sake of brandy4 ,thus you see how much harm the ,ostyaks have learned from their acquaintance with the ,russians4 ,the chief good they have got1 has been learning to build houses2 for once they lived only in tents4 ,,the ,,samoyedes4 ,this tribe lives so far to the north1 that they see very little of the ,russians1 though they belong to the emperor of ,russia4 ,they live close by the ,northern ,sea4 ,imagine how very cold it must be4 ,the ,samoyedes inhabit tents made of reindeer skins1 such as the ,ostyaks used to live in4 ,they are a much wilder people than the ,ostyaks4 ,the women dress in a strange fantastic manner2 not contented with a reindeer dress1 as the ,ostyaks are1 they join furs and skins of various sorts together2 and instead of veiling their faces1 they wear a gay fur hat1 with lappets2 and at the back of their necks a glutton's tail hangs down1 as well as long tails of their own hair1 with brass rings jingling together at the end4 ,but if their taste in dress is laughable1 their taste in food is horrible1 as you will see4 ,a traveller went with a ,samoyede family for a little while4 ,they were drawn by reindeer1 in sledges1 and other reindeer followed of their own accord4 ,when they stopped for the night1 they pitched the tent1 covering the long poles with their reindeer skins1 sewed together4 ,the snow covered the ground inside the tent1 but no one thought of sweeping it away4 ,it was easy to get water to fill the kettle1 as a few lumps of snow soon melted4 ,some of the men slept by the blazing fire1 while others went out1 armed with long poles1 to defend the deer from the wolves4 ,there was in the party a child of two years old1 with its mother4 ,the child was allowed to help himself to porridge out of the great kettle4 ,the traveller offered him white sugar2 but at first he called it snow1 and threw it away2 soon1 however1 he learned to like it1 and asked for some whenever he saw the stranger at tea4 ,at night1 the child was laid in a long basket1 and was closely covered with furs2 in the same basket also1 he travelled in the sledge4 ,one day the traveller saw a ,samoyede feast4 ,a reindeer was brought1 and killed before the tent door2 and its bleeding body was taken into the tent1 and devoured1 all raw as it was1 with the heartiest appetite4 ,it was dreadful to see the ,samoyedes gnawing the flesh off the bones2 their faces all stained with blood1 and even the child had his share of the raw meat4 ,truly they looked more like wolves than men4 ,i might go on to tell you of many other tribes2 but ,i must be content just to mention a few4 ,there is a tribe who live in the eastern part of ,siberia1 called the ,yakuts1 and instead of deer1 and dogs1 they keep horses1 and oxen1 and strange to say1 they ride upon the oxen2 and eat the horses4 ,a horse's head is counted by them a most dainty dish4 ,the cows live in one room1 and the family live in the next1 with the calves1 which are tied to posts by the fire1 and enjoy the full blaze4 ,you may suppose that the calves need the warmth of the fire1 when ,i tell you that the windows of the house are made of ice1 but that the cold is so great1 that the ice does not melt4 ,there is a large tribe called the ,buraets4 ,they dwell in tents4 ,they are ,buddhists4 ,at one time the ,russians allowed missionaries to go to them4 ,there was an old man named ,andang1 who used to attend the services very regularly4 ,his wife accompanied him4 ,one ,sunday the preacher spoke much of heaven and its glories4 ,the old woman1 on returning to her tent1 said to her husband1 ,old man1 ,i am going home to-night4 ,her husband did not understand her meaning3 then she said1 ,i love ,jesus ,christ1 and ,i think ,i shall be with him to-night4 ,she lay down in her tent that night1 but rose no more4 ,in the morning1 the old man found her stiff and cold4 ,he saddled his horse1 and set off to tell the missionary4 ,o sir1 said he1 with tears1 my wife is gone home4 ,when the missionary heard the account of her death1 he felt cheered by the hope that the old woman1 though born a heathen1 had died a ,christian1 and had left her tent to dwell in a glorious mansion above2 for how was it that she felt no fear of death1 and how was it that she felt heaven was her home8 ,was it not because ,jesus loved her1 and because she loved ,jesus8 ,,the ,,banished ,,russians4 ,siberia is the land to which the emperor sends many of his people1 when they displease him4 ,in passing through ,siberia1 you would often see wagons full of women1 children1 and old men1 followed by a troop of young men1 and guarded by a band of soldiers on horseback4 ,you might know them to be the banished ,russians4 ,what is to become of them8 ,some are to work in the mines1 and some are to work in the factories4 ,some are to have a less heavy punishment2 they are to be set free1 in the midst of ,siberia1 to support themselves in any way they can4 ,gentlemen and ladies have a small sum of money allowed them by the emperor1 and they live in the towns4 ,these people are called in ,siberia1 the unfortunates4 ,some of them have not deserved to be banished2 but some have been guilty of crimes4 ,,cities4 ,there are a few cities in ,siberia1 but only a few1 and they have been built by the ,russians4 ,the three chief cities are1-- ,tobolsk1 on the west1 on the river ,oby4 ,irkutsk1 in the midst1 on the lake ,baikal4 ,yarkutsk1 on the east1 on the river ,lena4 ,,of ,,these ,,cities1 ,tobolsk is the handsomest4 ,irkutsk is the pleasantest4 ,yarkutsk is the coldest4 ,it is not surprising that ,tobolsk should be the handsomest1 for there the governor of ,siberia resides4 ,a great many ,chinese come to ,irkutsk to trade1 and they bring quantities of tea4 ,yarkutsk is the coldest town in the world2 there may be others nearer the north1 but none lie exposed to such cold winds4 ,the inhabitants scarcely dare admit the light1 for fear of increasing the cold2 and they make only one or two very small windows in their houses4 ,yet in summer vegetables grow freely in the gardens4 ,the ,ostyaks live near the ,oby4 ,the ,buraets live near lake ,baikal4 ,the ,yakuts live near the ,lena4 ,,the ,,ural ,,mountains4 ,they are full of treasures2 gold1 silver1 iron1 copper1 and precious stones4 ,they are dug up by the banished ,russians1 and sent in great wagons to ,russia1 to increase the riches of the emperor4 ,,kamkatka4 ,it is impossible to look at ,siberia1 without being struck with the shape of ,kamkatka1 which juts out like a short arm4 ,it is a peninsula4 ,a beautiful country it is2 full of mountains1 and rivers1 and woods1 and waterfalls1 and not as cold as might be expected4 ,but there are not many people dwelling in it2 for though it is larger than ,great ,britain1 all the inhabitants might be contained in one of our small towns4 ,and why are there so few in so fine a country8 ,because the people love brandy better than labor4 ,they have been corrupted by the ,russian soldiers1 and traders1 and convicts1 and they are sickening and dying away4 ,a traveller once said to a ,kamkatdale1 ,how should you like to see a ship arrive here from ,china1 laden with tea and sugar8 ,i should like it well1 replied the man1 but there is one thing ,i should like better--to see a ship arrive full of men2 it is men we want1 for our men are sick2 of the twelve here1 six are too weak to hunt or fish4 ,but the ship that would do the most good to ,kamkatka1 is a missionary ship4 ,the ,greek church is the religion2 but no religion is much thought of in ,kamkatka2 hunting and fishing only are cared for4 ,yet ,i fear if missionaries were to go to ,kamkatka1 the emperor of ,russia would send them away4 ,where there are few men1 there are generally many beasts and birds2 this is the case in ,kamkatka4 ,one of the most curious animals in ,siberia1 is the ,argalis1 or mountain sheep4 ,it is remarkable for its enormous horns1 curled in a very curious manner4 ,think not it is like one of our quiet1 foolish sheep2 there is no animal at once so strong and so active4 ,it is such a climber1 that no wolf or bear can follow it to the high places1 hanging over awful precipices1 where it walks as firmly as you do upon the pavement4 ,sometimes a hunter finds it among the mountains1 and just as he is going to shoot it1 the creature disappears3--it has thrown itself down a precipice6 ,is it dashed to pieces8 ,no1 it fell unhurt1 and has escaped without a bruise2 for its bones are very strong1 and its skin very thick4 ,the bears of ,kamkatka live chiefly upon fish and berries1 and seldom attack men4 ,yet men hunt them for their skins1 and for their fat4 ,the skins make cloaks1 and the fat is used for lamps2 but their flesh is thrown to the dogs4 ,many of the bears are very thin4 ,it is only fat bears that can sleep all the winter in their dens without food2 thin bears cannot sleep long1 and even in winter they prowl about for food4 ,dogs are very much afraid of them4 ,a large party of travellers1 who were riding in sledges1 drawn by dogs1 observed the dogs suddenly begin to snuff the air1 and lo6 immediately afterwards1 a bear at full speed crossed the road1 and ran towards a forest4 ,great confusion took place among the dogs2 they set off with all their might2 some broke their harness1 others got entangled among the trees1 and overturned their sledges4 ,but the bear did not escape2 for the travellers shot him through the leg1 and afterwards through the body2 and the dogs feasted on his flesh1 instead of the bear feasting on theirs4 ,hunting seals is one of the occupations of the ,kamkatdales4 ,three men in sledges1 each sledge drawn by five dogs1 once got upon a large piece of ice1 near the shore4 ,they had killed two seals upon the ice1 when they suddenly perceived that the ice was moving1 and carrying them out to sea4 ,they were already too far from land1 to be able to get back4 ,they knew not what would become of them1 and much they feared they should perish from cold and hunger4 ,the ice was so slippery that they were in great danger of sliding into the sea4 ,to prevent this1 they stuck their long poles deep into the ice1 and tied themselves to the poles4 ,they were driven about for many days2 but one morning1--to their great joy1 they found they were close to the shore4 ,they did not forget to praise ,god for so mercifully saving their lives2 though they were so weak from want of food1 as scarcely to be able to creep ashore4 ,,character4--,the ,kamkatdales are generous and grateful4 ,a poor family will sometimes receive another family into the house for six weeks2 and when the food is nearly gone1 the generous host1 not liking to tell his visitors of it1 serves up a dish of different sorts of meat and vegetables1 mixed together2 the visitors know this is a sign that the food is almost exhausted1 and they take their leave4 ,did ,i say the ,kamkatdales are grateful8 ,i will give you an instance of their gratitude4 ,a traveller met a poor boy4 ,he remembered his face1 and said1 ,i think ,i have seen you before4 ,you have1 said the boy2 ,i rowed you down the river last summer1 and you were so kind as to give me a skin1 and some flints2 and now ,i have brought the skin of a sable as a present for you4 ,the traveller1 perceiving the boy had no shirt1 and that his skin dress was tattered1 refused the present2 but seeing the boy was going away in tears1 he called him back1 and accepted it4 ,a ,chinese servant1 who was standing by1 pitied so much the ragged condition of the boy1 that he gave him one of his own thin nankin shirts4 ,,thibet4 ,i cannot tell you much about ,thibet2 and the reason is1 that so few travellers have been there4 ,and why have so few been there8 ,is it because the mountains are so steep and high1 the paths so narrow and dangerous8 ,all this is true2 but it is not mountains that keep travellers out of ,thibet2 it is the ,chinese government2 for ,thibet belongs to ,china1 and you know how carefully the emperor of ,china keeps strangers out of his empire4 ,how did the ,chinese get possession of ,thibet8 ,a long while ago1 a ,hindoo army invaded the land1 and the people in their fright sent to ,china for help4 ,the ,chinese came1 drove away the ,hindoos1 and stayed themselves4 ,they are not hard masters1 they govern very mildly2 only they require a sum of money to be sent every year to ,pekin1 as tribute4 ,but though ,thibet belongs to ,china1 the ,chinese language is not spoken there4 ,the people are like the ,tartars in appearance2 they have the same bony face1 sharp black eye1 and straight black hair2 but a much fresher complexion1 owing to the fresh mountain air they breathe4 ,the ,himalaya mountains1 the highest in ,asia1 lie between ,thibet and ,hindostan4 ,their peaks are always covered with snow1 and rapid streams pour down the rugged sides4 ,the snow on the mountain-tops makes ,thibet very cold2 but there are warm valleys where grapes1 and even rice flourish4 ,the people build their houses in the warmest spots they can find2 they try to find a place sheltered from the north wind1 by a high rock1 and lying open to the south sun4 ,their dwellings are only made of stones1 heaped together1 and the roofs are flat4 ,their riches consist in flocks of sheep and goats4 ,they have1 another animal1 which is not known in ,england1 and yet a very useful creature1 because1 like a cow1 it yields rich milk1 and like a horse1 it carries burdens4 ,this animal is called the ,yak1 and resembles both a horse and a cow4 ,its chief beauty is its tail1 which is much finer than a horse's tail1 and is black1 and glossy1 soft and flowing4 ,many of these tails are sent to ,india1 where they are used as fly-flappers4 ,the sheep and goats of ,thibet are more useful than ours2 for they are taught to carry burdens over the mountains4 ,they may be seen following each other in long trains1 with large packs fastened on their little backs1 and climbing up very narrow and steep paths4 ,and what is in these packs8 ,wool3 not sheep's wool1 but goat's wool3 for the goats of ,thibet have very fine wool under their hair4 ,no such wool is found on any other goats4 ,but though the people of ,thibet can weave common cloth1 they cannot weave this beautiful wool1 as it deserves to be woven4 ,therefore they send it to a country the other side of the ,himalaya mountains1 called ,cashmere2 and there it is woven into the most beautiful shawls in all the world4 ,but wool is not the only riches of ,thibet4 ,there is gold to be found there2 some in large pieces1 and some in small dust4 ,there are also large mines of copper4 ,and what use is made of these riches8 ,the worst in the world4 ,with the gold and copper many ,,idols are made2 for ,thibet is a land of idols4 ,the religion is the same there as in ,china1--the ,buddhist2--and that is a religion of idols4 ,but there is an idol in ,thibet1 which there is not in ,china4 ,it is a ,,living ,,idol4 ,he is called the ,grand ,lama4 ,there are ,lamas in ,tartary1 but the ,,grand ,lama is in ,thibet4 ,he is looked up to as the greatest being in the world1 by all the ,lamas in ,tartary1 and by all the people of the ,buddhist religion4 ,there are more people1--a great many more1--who honor him1 than who honor our ,,great ,,god4 ,but this man leads a miserable life4 ,when one ,lama dies1 another is chosen2--some little baby1--and he is placed in a very grand palace1 and worshipped as a god all his life long4 ,i have heard of one of these baby ,lamas1 who1 when only eighteen months old1 sat up with great majesty on his pile of cushions4 ,when strangers entered1 he looked at them kindly1 and when they made a speech to him1 he bowed his little head very graciously4 ,what a sad fate for this poor infant6 ,to be set up as a god1 and taught to think himself a god--while all the time he is a helpless1 foolish1 sinful1 dying creature6 ,,lassa4 ,this is the chief city of ,thibet4 ,here is the palace of the ,grand ,lama4 ,if is of enormous size4 ,what do you think of ,,ten ,,thousand rooms8 ,did you ever hear of so large a house8 ,neither did you ever hear of so high a house4 ,it is almost as high as the pinnacle of ,st4 ,paul's church4 ,there are seven stories1 and on the highest story are the state apartments of the ,grand ,lama4 ,it is no matter to him how many flights of stairs there may be to reach his rooms2 for he is never allowed to walk2 but it is fatiguing for his worshippers to ascend so high4 ,i suppose the priests make their ,grand ,lama live so high up1 that he may be like our ,god who dwells in the highest heavens4 ,who occupy the ten thousand rooms of the palace8 ,chiefly idols of gold and silver4 ,the house outside is richly adorned1 and its roof glitters with gold4 ,there are many magnificent houses in ,thibet1 where priests live4 ,no one could live with them1 who could not bear a great noise3 for three times a day the priests meet to worship1 and each time they hollo with all their might1 to do honor to ,buddha4 ,the noise is stunning1 but they do not think it loud enough2 so on feast days1 they use copper instruments1 such as drums and trumpets1 of the most enormous size1 and with them they send forth an overwhelming sound4 ,this unmeaning noise may well remind us of a sound--louder far--that shall one day be heard2 so loud that all the world will hear it4 ,it is the sound of the ,,last ,,trumpet6 ,it will wake the dead4 ,stout hearts will quail2 devils will tremble2 but all those who love the ,lord1 will rejoice and say1 ,lo1 this is our ,god2 we have waited for ,him1 and ,he will save us4--7,is4 xxv4 #i47 ,,ceylon4 ,this is one of the most beautiful islands in the world4 ,part of it indeed is flat--that part near ,hindustan2 but in the midst--there are mountains2 and streams running down their sides1 and swelling into lovely rivers1 winding along the fruitful valleys4 ,such scenes might remind you of ,switzerland1 the most beautiful country in ,europe4 ,the chief beauty of ,ceylon is her ,,trees4 ,i will mention a few of the beautiful1 curious1 and useful trees of this delightful island4 ,the tree for which ,ceylon is celebrated1 is the ,,cinnamon tree4 ,for sixty miles along the shore1 there are cinnamon groves1 and the sweet scent may be perceived far off upon the seas4 ,if you were to see a cinnamon-tree1 you might mistake it for a laurel2--a tree so often found in ,english gardens4 ,the cinnamon-trees are never allowed to grow tall1 because it is only the upper branches which are much prized for their bark4 ,the little children of ,ceylon may often be seen sitting in the shade1 peeling off the bark with their knives2 and this bark is afterwards sent to ,england to flavor puddings1 and to mix with medicine4 ,there are also groves of cocoa-nut trees on the shores of ,ceylon4 ,a few of these trees are a little fortune to a poor man2 for he can eat the fruit1 build his house with the wood1 roof it with the leaves1 make cups of the shell1 and use the oil of the kernel instead of candles4 ,the ,,jack-,,tree bears a larger fruit than any other in the world2--as large as a horse's head1--and so heavy that a woman can only carry one upon her head to market44 ,this large fruit does not hang on the tree by a stalk1 but grows out of the trunk1 or the great branches4 ,this is well arranged1 for so large a fruit would be too heavy for a stalk1 and might fall off1 and hurt the heads of those sitting beneath its shade4 ,the outside of this fruit is like a horse-chestnut1 green1 and prickly2 the inside is yellow1 and is full of kernels1 like beans4 ,the wood is like mahogany1--hard and handsome4 ,but there is a tree in ,ceylon1 still more curious than the jack-tree4 ,it is the ,,talpot-,,tree4 ,this is a very tall tree1 and its top is covered by a cluster of round leaves1 each leaf so large1 that it would do for a carpet1 for a common-sized room2 and one single ,,leaf1 cut it in three-cornered pieces1 will make a ,,tent6 ,when cut up1 the leaves are used for fans and books4 ,but this tree bears no fruit till just before it dies1--that is till it is fifty years old3 ,,then--an enormous bud is seen1 rearing its huge head in the midst of the crown of leaves2--the bud bursts with a loud noise1 and a yellow flower appears1--a flower so large1 that it would fill a room6 ,the flower turns into fruit4 ,,that ,,same ,,year ,,the ,,tree ,,dies6 ,,people4--,and who are the people who live in this beautiful land8 ,in the flat part of the island1 towards the north1 the people resemble the ,hindoos1 and speak and think like them2 and they are called ,tamuls4 ,but among the mountains of the south a different kind of people live1 called the ,cingalese4 ,they do not speak the ,tamul language1 nor do they follow the ,hindoo religion4 ,they follow the ,buddhist religion4 ,you know this is the religion of the greater part of the nations4 ,ceylon is full of the temples of ,buddha4 ,in each temple there is an inner dark room1 very large1 where ,buddha's image is kept1--a great image that almost fills the room4 ,illustration3 ,,devil ,,priests4 ,the priests in their yellow cloaks1 with their shaven heads and bare feet1 may be seen every morning begging from door to door2 but proud beggars they are1--not condescending to speak1--but only standing with their baskets ready to receive rice and fruit2 and the only thanks they give--are their blessings4 ,there is another worship in ,ceylon1 and it is more followed than the worship of ,buddha1 yet it is the most horrible that you can imagine4 ,it is the worship of the ,,devil6 ,buddha taught1 when he was alive1 that there was no ,god1 but that there were many devils3 yet he forbid people to worship these devils2 but no one minds what he said on that point4 ,there are many devil priests4 ,when any one is sick1 it is supposed that the devil has caused the sickness1 and a devil priest is sent for4 ,and what can the priest do8 ,he dances1--he sings1--with his face painted1--small bells upon his legs1--and a flaming torch in each hand2 while another man beats a loud drum4 ,he dances1 he sings--all night long1--sometimes changing his white jacket for a black1 or his black for a white1--sometimes falling down1 and sometimes jumping up1--sometimes reeling1 and sometimes running1--and all this he does to please the devil1 and to coax him to come out of the sick person4 ,this is what he pretends2--but in reality1 he seeks to get money by his tricks4 ,the people are very fond of these devil-dancers2 it tires them to listen to the ,buddhist priests1 mumbling out of their books1 the five hundred and fifty histories of ,buddha2 but it delights them to watch all night the antics of a devil priest4 ,what is the character of these deceived people8 ,they are polite1 and obliging1 but as deceitful as their own priests4 ,they are not even sincere in their wrong religion1 but are ready to pretend to be of any religion which is most convenient4 ,the ,portuguese once were masters of ,ceylon1 and they tried to make the people ,roman ,catholics4 ,then the ,dutch came1 who tried to force them to be ,protestants4 ,many infants were baptized1 who grew up to be heathen priests4 ,now the ,english are masters of ,ceylon2 they do not oblige the people to be ,christians1 yet many pretend to be ,christians who are not4 ,a man was once asked1 ,are you a ,buddhist8 ,no1 he replied4 ,are you a ,mahomedan8 ,no4 ,are you a ,roman ,catholic8 ,no4 ,what is your religion8 ,government religion4 ,such was his answer4 ,this man had no religion at all1--he only wished to obtain the favor of the governor4 ,but will he obtain the favor of the ,governor of the world1 the ,king of kings8 ,we have said nothing yet about the appearance of the ,cingalese4 ,both men and women wear a piece of cloth wound round their waists1 called a comboy2 but they do not1 like the ,hindoos1 twist it over their shoulders2 they wear a jacket instead4 ,neither do the men wear turbans1 as in ,india1 but they fasten their hair with a comb1 while the women fasten theirs with long pins4 ,the ,cingalese ladies and gentlemen imitate the ,english dress1 especially when they come to a party at the ,english ,governor's house4 ,then they wear shoes and stockings instead of sandals2 the gentlemen contrive to place a hat over their long hair1 by first taking out the combs2 yet they still wind a comboy over their ,english clothes4 ,the ,hindoos do not thus imitate the ,english1 for they are too proud of their own customs4 ,hindoo ladies never go into company2 but ,cingalese ladies may be seen at parties1 arrayed in colored satin jackets1 and adorned with golden hair-pins1 and diamond necklaces4 ,you have heard of the foolish ideas the ,hindoos entertain about castes4 ,it is the ,brahmin priests who teach them these opinions4 ,the ,buddhist priests say nothing about castes2 yet the ,cingalese have castes of their own2 but not the same castes as the ,hindoos4 ,there are twenty-one castes in all2 the highest caste consists of the husbandmen1 and the lowest of the mat-weavers4 ,below the lowest caste1 are the ,,outcasts6 ,the poor outcasts live in villages by themselves1 hated by all4 ,when they meet any one1 who are not outcasts1 they go as near to the hedge as they can1 with their hands on the top of their heads1 to show their respect4 ,these poor creatures are accustomed to be treated as if they were dogs4 ,what pride there is in man's heart6 ,how is it one poor worm can lift himself up so high above his fellow-worm1 though both are made of the same dust1 and shall lie down in the same dust together6 ,,kandy4 ,this town is built among the high mountains4 ,it was built there for the same reason that the eagle builds her nest on the top of a tall rock1--to get out of the reach of enemies4 ,but the proud king1 who once dwelt there1 has been conquered1 and now ,england's ,queen rules over ,ceylon4 ,no wonder that the proud king had enemies1 for he was a monster of cruelty4 ,his palace is still to be seen4 ,see that high tower1 and that open gallery at the top6 ,there the last king used to stand to enjoy the sight of his subjects' agonies4 ,those who had offended him were killed in the ,court below1--killed not in a common manner1 but in all kinds of barbarous ways1--such as by being cut in pieces1 or by swallowing melted lead4 ,at length the ,cingalese invited the ,english to come and deliver them from their tyrant2 the ,english came and shut him up in prison till he died1 and now an ,english governor rules over ,ceylon4 ,the greatest curiosity to be seen at ,kandy is a ,,tooth6 a tooth that the people say was taken out of the mouth of their ,buddha4 ,it is kept in a splendid temple on a golden table1 in a golden box of great size4 ,there are seven boxes one inside the other1 and in the innermost box1 wrapped up in gold1 there is a piece of ivory1 the size of a man's thumb1--that is the tooth of ,buddha6 ,every day it is worshipped1 and offerings of fruit and flowers are presented4 ,,colombo4 ,this is the chief ,english town of ,ceylon1 as ,kandy is the chief ,cingalese town4 ,the ,english governor lives here1 but he has a house at ,kandy too1 where he may enjoy the cool mountain air4 ,there is a fine road from ,colombo to ,kandy1 broader and harder than1 ,english roads2 yet it is out through steep mountains1 and winds by dangerous precipices4 ,but there are laborers in ,ceylon stronger than any in ,england4 ,i mean the ,,elephants4 ,it is curious to see this huge animal meekly walking along with a plank across its tusks1 or dragging wagons full of large stones4 ,among the mountains there are herds of wild elephants1 sometimes a hundred may be seen in one herd4 ,there are no elephants in the world as courageous as those of ,ceylon1 yet they are very obedient when tamed4 ,if you wished to visit the mountains1 you might safely ride upon the back of the sure-footed elephant1 and all your brothers and sisters1 however many1 might ride with you4 ,,missionaries4--,there are some in ,ceylon1 and some of the heathens have obeyed their voice4 ,there was once a devil priest4 ,having been detected in some crime1 he was imprisoned at ,kandy1 and while in prison he read a ,christian tract1 and was converted4 ,thus 7like ,onesimus1 of whom we read in the ,bible17 he escaped from ,satan's prison1 while shut up in man's prison4 ,when he was set free1 he was baptized by the missionary at ,kandy1 and he chose to be called ,abraham4 ,what name did he choose for his son1 a boy of fourteen8 ,isaac4 ,he buried his conjuring books1 though he might have sold them for eight pounds4 ,his cottage was in a village fifteen miles from ,kandy4 ,he had left it--a wicked man2 lib returned to it a good man4 ,after some time1 a missionary went to visit ,abraham in his cottage4 ,a good ,cingalese was his guide4 ,the walk there was beautiful1 along narrow paths1 amidst fields of rice1 through dark thickets1 and long grass4 ,no one in ,abraham's village had ever seen the fair face of an ,englishman2 and the sight of the missionary alarmed the inhabitants4 ,abraham's family was the only ,christian family in that place4 ,how glad ,abraham felt at the sight of the missionary1--almost as glad as the first ,abraham felt at the sight of the three angels4 ,when the missionary entered1 ,abraham was teaching his wife1 for she was soon to be baptized4 ,by what name8 ,by the name of ,sarah4 ,there were seven children in the family4 ,how hard it must be for ,abraham to bring them up as ,christians1 in the midst of his heathen neighbors4 ,even his brothers hate him1 wound his cattle1 and break down his fences4 ,once they pointed a gun at him1 but it did not go off4 ,abraham's comfort is to walk over to ,kandy every ,saturday1 to worship ,god there on ,sunday with the ,christians2 and he does not find fifteen miles too far for his willing feet4 ,may the ,lord preserve ,abraham1 faithful in the midst of the wicked4 ,,borneo4 ,this is the largest island in the world1 except one4 ,borneo is of a different shape from our ,britain1 but if you could join ,britain and ,ireland in one1 both together would not be as large as ,borneo4 ,yet how unlike is ,borneo to ,britain6 ,britain is a ,christian island4 ,borneo is a heathen island4 ,yet ,borneo is not an island of idols1 as ,ceylon is4 ,all heathens do not worship idols4 ,i will tell you who live in ,borneo1 and you will see why there are so few idols there4 ,many people have come from ,malacca1 and settled in ,borneo2 so the island is full of ,malays4 ,these people have a cunning and cruel look1 and no wonder2--for many of them are ,,pirates6 ,it is a common custom in ,borneo to go out in a large boat1--to watch for smaller boats1--to seize them--to bind the men in chains1 and to bring them home as slaves4 ,there are no seas in the world so dangerous to sail in1 as the seas near ,borneo1 not only on account of the rocks1 but on account of the great number of pirates4 ,what is the religion of ,borneo8 ,it is ,mahomedanism4 ,but the ,malays do not follow the laws of ,mahomet as the ,turks do4 ,they do not mind the hours of prayer1 nor do they attend regularly at the mosque4 ,this is not surprising1 for they do not understand the ,koran4 ,mahomet wrote in ,arabic1 and the ,malays do not understand ,arabic4 ,why do they not get the ,koran translated8 ,mahomet did not wish the book to be translated4 ,why then do not the ,malays learn ,arabic8 ,i wonder they do not1 but ,i suppose they are too idle1 and too careless4 ,the boys go to school and learn to read and write their own easy language--the ,malay2 and they learn also to repeat whole chapters of the ,koran1 but without understanding a word4 ,still they think it a great advantage to know these chapters1 because they imagine that by repeating them1 they can drive away evil spirits4 ,the ,malays observe ,mahomet's law against eating pork2 but many of them drink wine1 though ,mahomet forbids it4 ,however1 they follow ,mahomet in not having dancing at their feasts2 indeed1 their behavior at feasts is sober and orderly1 for they amuse themselves chiefly by singing1 and repeating poems4 ,they have only two meals a day1 and they live chiefly upon rice1 which they eat1 sitting cross-legged on the floor4 ,they get tea from ,china1 and drink many cups during the day1 in the same way as the ,chinese4 ,the ladies are treated like the ladies of ,turkey1 and shut up in their houses1 to spend their time in folly and idleness4 ,the men scarcely work at all1 but employ the slaves they have stolen at sea1 to labor in their fields4 ,their houses are not better than barns1 and not nearly as strong2 for the sides and roof are generally made only of large leaves4 ,they are built upon posts1 as in ,siam4 ,it is well to be out of the reach of the leeches1 crawling on the ground4 ,the ,malays dress in loose clothes1 trowsers1 and jacket1 and broad sash2 the women are wrapped in a loose garment1 and wear their glossy black hair flowing over their shoulders4 ,the rich men dress magnificently1 and quite cover their jackets with gold1 while the ladies delight to sparkle with jewels4 ,,bruni4 ,this is the capital4 ,it is often called ,borneo1 and it is written down in the maps by this name4 ,it is one of the most curious cities in the world2 for most of the houses are built in the river1 and most of the streets are only water4 ,every morning a great market is held on the water4 ,the people come in boats from all the country round1 bringing fruit and vegetables to sell1 and they paddle up and down the city till they have sold their goods4 ,the ,sultan's palace is built upon the bank1 close to the water2 and the front of his palace is open2 so that it is easy to come in a boat1 and to gaze upon him1 as he sits cross-legged on his throne1 arrayed in purple satin1 glittering with gold4 ,there is a mosque in ,bruni2 but it is built only of brick1 and has nothing in it but a wooden pulpit2 and hardly anybody goes there1 though a man stands outside making a loud noise on a great drum1 to invite people to come in4 ,,the ,,dyaks4 ,these are a savage people who inhabit ,borneo4 ,they lived there before the ,malays came1 and they have been obliged to submit to them4 ,they are savages indeed4 ,they are darker than the ,malays2 yet they are not black2 their skin is only the color of copper4 ,their hair is cut short in front1 but streams down their backs2 their large mouths show a quantity of black teeth1 made black by chewing the betel-nut4 ,they wear very little clothing1 but they adorn their ears1 and arms1 and legs1 with numbers of brass rings4 ,their looks are wild and fierce1 but not cunning like the looks of the ,malays4 ,they are not ,mahomedans2 they have hardly any religion at all4 ,they believe there are some gods1 but they know hardly anything about them1 and they do not want to know4 ,they neither make images to the gods1 nor say prayers to them4 ,they live like the beasts1 thinking only of this life2 yet they are more unhappy than beasts1 for they imagine there are evil spirits among the woods and hills1 watching to do them harm4 ,it is often hard to persuade them to go to the top of a mountain1 where they say evil spirits dwell4 ,such a people would be more ready to listen to a missionary than those who have idols1 and temples1 and priests1 and sacred books4 ,their wickedness is very great4 ,it is their chief delight to get the heads of their enemies4 ,there are a great many different tribes of ,dyaks1 and each tribe tries to cut off the heads of other tribes4 ,the ,dyaks who live by the sea are the most cruel2 they go out in the boats to rob1 and to bring home1 not slaves1 but ,,heads6 ,and how do they treat a head when they get it8 ,they take out the brains1 and then they dry it in the smoke1 with the flesh and hair still on2 then they put a string through it1 and fasten it to their waists4 ,the evening that they have got some new heads1 the warriors dance with delight1--their heads dangling by their sides2--and they turn round in the dance1 and gaze upon their heads1--and shout1--and yell with triumph6 ,at night they still keep the heads near them2 and in the day1 they play with them1 as children with their dolls1 talking to them1 putting food in their mouths1 and the betel-nut between their ghastly lips4 ,after wearing the heads many days1 they hang them up to the ceilings of their rooms4 ,no ,english lord thinks so much of his pictures1 as the ,dyaks do of their heads4 ,they think these heads are the finest ornaments of their houses4 ,the man who has most heads1 is considered the greatest man4 ,a man who has ,,no ,,heads is despised6 ,if he wishes to be respected1 he must get a head as soon as he can4 ,sometimes a man1 in order to get a head1 will go out to look for a poor fisherman1 who has done him no harm1 and will come back with his head4 ,when the ,dyaks fight against their enemies1 they try to get1 not only the heads of men1 but also the heads of women and ,,children4 ,how dreadful it must be to see a poor ,,baby',s ,,head hanging from the ceiling6 ,there was a ,dyak who lost all his property by fire1 but he cared not for losing anything1 so much as for losing his ,,precious ,,heads2 nothing could console him for ,,this loss2 some of them he had cut off himself1 and others had been cut off by his father1 and left to him6 ,people who are so bent on killing1 as these ,dyaks are1 must have many enemies4 ,the ,dyaks are always in fear of being attacked by their enemies4 ,they are afraid of living in lonely cottages2 they think it a better plan for a great many to live together1 that they may be able to defend themselves1 if surprised in the night4 ,four hundred ,dyaks will live together in one house4 ,the house is very large4 ,to make it more safe1 it is built upon very high posts1 and there are ladders to get up by4 ,the posts are sometimes forty feet high2 so that when you are in the house1 you find yourself as high as the tall trees4 ,there is one very large room1 where all the men and women sit1 and talk1 and do their work in the day4 ,the women pound the rice1 and weave the mats1 while the men make weapons of war1 and the little children play about4 ,there is always much noise and confusion in this room4 ,there are a great many doors along one side of the long room2 and each of these doors leads into a small room where a family lives2 the parents1 the babies1 and the girls sleep there1 while the boys of the family sleep in the large room1 that has just been described4 ,you know already what are the ornaments on which each family prides itself1--the ,,heads hanging up in their rooms6 ,it is the ,,sea ,dyaks who live in these very large houses4 ,the ,,hill ,dyaks do not live in houses quite so large4 ,yet several families inhabit the same house4 ,in the midst of their villages1 there is always one house where the boys sleep4 ,in this house all the ,,heads of the village are kept4 ,the house is round1 and built on posts1 and the entrance is underneath through the floor4 ,as this is the best house in the village1 travellers are always brought to this house to sleep4 ,think how dreadful it must be1 when you wake in the night to see thirty or forty horrible heads1 dangling from the ceiling6 ,the wind1 too1 which comes in through little doors in the roof1 blows the heads about2 so that they knock against each other1 and seem almost as if they were still alive4 ,this is the ,,head-,,house4 ,these ,hill ,dyaks do not often get a new head2 but when they do1 they come to the ,head-,house at night1 and sing to the new head1 while they beat upon their loud gongs4 ,what do they say to the new head8 ,your head1 and your spirit1 are now ours4 ,persuade your countrymen to be slain by us4 ,let them wander in the fields1 that we may bring the heads of your brethren1 and hang them up with your heads4 ,how much ,satan must delight in these prayers4 ,they are prayers just suited to that great ,,murderer and ,,destroyer6 ,the ,malays are enemies to all the ,dyaks2 and they have burnt many of their houses1 cut down their fruit trees1 and taken their children captives4 ,the ,dyaks complain bitterly of their sufferings4 ,some of them say1 ,we do not live like men1 but like monkeys2 we are hunted from place to place2 we have no houses2 and when we light a fire1 we fear lest the smoke should make our enemies know where we are4 ,they say they live like monkeys4 ,but why do they behave like tigers8 ,an ,english gentleman1 named ,sir ,james ,brooke1 has settled in ,borneo1 and has become a chief of a large tract of land4 ,his house is near the river ,sarawak4 ,he has persuaded the ,sultan of ,borneo1 to give the ,english a ,,very ,,little island called the ,isle of ,labuan4 ,it is a desert island4 ,of what use can this small island be to ,england8 ,english soldiers may live there1 and try to prevent pirates infesting the seas4 ,if it were not for the pirates1 ,borneo would be able to send many treasures to foreign countries4 ,it is but a little way from ,borneo to ,singapore1 and there are many ,english merchants at ,singapore1 ready to buy the precious things of ,borneo4 ,gold is found in ,borneo1 mixed with the earth4 ,but ,i don't know who would dig it up1 if it were not for the industrious ,chinese1 who come over in great numbers to get money in this island4 ,diamonds are found there1 and a valuable metal called antimony4 ,the sago-tree1 the pepper plant1 and the sugar-cane1 and the cocoa-nut tree are abundant4 ,the greatest curiosity that ,borneo possesses are the eatable nests4 ,these white and transparent nests are found in the caves by the sea-shore1 and they are the work of a little swallow4 ,the ,chinese give a high price for these nests1 that they may make soup for their feasts4 ,,animals4--,borneo has very few large animals4 ,there are1 indeed1 enormous alligators in the rivers1 but there are no lions or tigers2 and even the bears are small1 and content to climb the trees for fruit and honey4 ,the majestic animal which is the pride of ,ceylon1 is not found in ,borneo3 ,i mean the elephant4 ,yet the woods are filled with living creatures4 ,squirrels and monkeys sport among the trees4 ,the leaps of the monkeys are amazing2 hundreds will jump one after the other1 from a tree as high as a house1 and not one will miss his footing2 yet now and then a monkey has a fall4 ,the most curious kind of monkey is found in ,borneo--the ,ourang-outang2 but it is one of the least active2 it climbs carefully from branch to branch1 always holding by its hands before it makes a spring4 ,these ,ourang-outangs are not as large as a man1 yet they are much stronger4 ,all the monkeys sleep in the trees2 in a minute a monkey makes its bed by twisting a few branches together4 ,beneath the trees--two sorts of animals1 very unlike each other1 roam about1--the clumsy hog1 and the graceful deer4 ,as the largest sort of monkeys is found in ,borneo1 so is the smallest sort of deer4 ,there is a deer that has legs only eight inches long4 ,there is no more elegant creature in the world than this bright-eyed1 swift-footed little deer4 ,,japan4 ,this is the name of a great empire4 ,there are three principal islands4 ,one of these is very long1 and very narrow2 it is about a thousand miles long1--much longer than ,great ,britain1 but not nearly as broad4 ,yet the three islands together are larger than our island4 ,there is a fourth island near the ,japan islands1 called ,jesso1 and it is filled with ,japanese people4 ,you know it is difficult to get into ,china2 but it is far more difficult to get into ,japan4 ,the emperor has boats always watching round the coast1 to prevent strangers coming into his country4 ,these boats are so made1 that they cannot go far from the shore4 ,no ,japanese ship is ever seen floating in a foreign harbor4 ,if it be difficult to get into ,japan1 it is also difficult to get out of her4 ,there is a law condemning to death any ,japanese who leaves his country4 ,the ,chinese also are forbidden to leave their land2 but they do not mind their laws as well as the ,japanese mind theirs4 ,i shall not be able to tell you much about ,japan2 as strangers may not go there1 nor natives come from it4 ,english ships very seldom go to ,japan1 because they are so closely watched4 ,the guard-boats surround them night and day4 ,when it is dark1 lanterns are lighted1 in order the better to observe the strangers4 ,one ,english captain entreated permission to land1 that he might observe the stars with his instruments1 in order afterwards to make maps2 but he could only get leave to land on a little island where there were a few fishermen's huts2 and all the time he was there1 the ,japanese officers kept their eye upon him4 ,he was told that he must not measure the land4 ,it seems that the ,japanese were afraid that his measuring the land would be the beginning of his taking it away4 ,however1 he had no such intention1 and was content with measuring the ,,sea4 ,he asked the ,japanese to sell him a supply of fruit and vegetables for his crew1 and a supply was brought2 but the ,japanese would take no money in return4 ,he wanted to buy bullocks1 that his crew might have beef1 but the ,japanese replied1 ,you cannot have them2 for they work hard1 and are tired1 they draw the plough2 they do their duty1 and they ought not to be eaten2 but the hogs are lazy2 they do no work1 you may have them to eat1 if you wish it4 ,the ,japanese will not even milk their cows1 but they allow the calves to have all the milk4 ,if you wish to know why the ,japanese will not allow strangers to land1 ,i must relate some events which happened three hundred years ago4 ,some ,roman ,catholic priests from ,spain and ,portugal settled in the land1 and taught the people about ,christ1 but they taught them also to worship the cross1 and the ,virgin ,mary4 ,thousands of the ,japanese were baptized1 and were called ,christians4 ,after some years had passed away1 the emperor began to fear that the kings of ,spain and ,portugal would come1 and take away his country from him1 as they had taken away other countries2 so the emperor began to persecute the priests1 and all who followed their words4 ,one emperor after another persecuted the ,christians4 ,there is a burning mountain in ,japan1 and down its terrible yawning mouth many ,christians were thrown4 ,one emperor commanded his people instead of worshipping the cross1 to trample upon it4 ,to do either--is wicked2 to do either is to insult ,christ4 ,all ,christians are now hated in ,japan4 ,the ,dutch tried to persuade the emperors to trust them2 but they could only get leave to buy and sell at one place1 but not to settle in the land4 ,there are many beautiful things in ,japan1 especially boxes1 and screens1 and cabinets1 varnished and ornamented in a curious manner1 and these are much admired by great people in ,europe4 ,there is silk1 too1 and tea1 and porcelain in ,japan2 but they are not nearly as fine as ,china4 ,there is gold also4 ,there are as many people in ,japan1 as there are in ,britain2 for the ,japanese are very industrious1 and cultivate abundance of rice1 and wheat4 ,oh6 how sad to think that so many millions should be living and dying in darkness2 for the chief religion is the false1 and foolish religion of ,buddha1 or1 as he is called in ,japan1 ,budso4 ,how many names are given to that deceiver6 ,buddha in ,ceylon2 ,fo1 in ,china2 ,gaudama1 in ,burmah2 ,codom1 in ,siam--and ,budso in ,japan6 ,what sort of people are the ,japanese8 ,they are a very polite people--much politer than the ,chinese1 but very proud4 ,they are a learned nation1 for they can read and write1 and they understand geography1 arithmetic1 and astronomy4 ,there is a college where many languages are taught1 even ,english4 ,the dress of the gentlemen is elegant2--the loose tunic and trowsers1 the sash1 and jacket1 are made of a kind of fine linen1 adorned with various patterns2 the stockings are of white jean2 sandals are worn upon the feet1 but no covering upon the head1 although most of the hair is shaven1 and the little that remains behind1 is tied tightly together2 an umbrella or a fan is all that is used to keep off the sun2--except on journeys1 and then a large cap of oiled paper1 or of plaited grass is worn4 ,the great mark by which a gentleman is known1 is wearing two swords4 ,the ,japanese houses are very pretty4 ,in the windows--flower-pots are placed2 and when real flowers cannot be had1 artificial flowers are used4 ,in great houses1 the ladies are shut up in one part2 while in the other1 company is received4 ,the house is divided into rooms by large screens1 and as these can be moved1 the rooms can be made larger1 or smaller1 as the master pleases4 ,there are no chairs1 for the ,japanese1 though so much like the ,chinese1 do not sit like them on chairs1 but on mats beautifully woven4 ,the emperor's palace is called1 ,the ,hall of the ,thousand ,mats4 ,every part of a ,japanese house is covered with paper1 and adorned with paintings1 and gold1 and silver flowers2 even the doors1 and the ceilings1 are ornamented in this manner4 ,beautiful boxes1 and porcelain jars1 add to the beauty of the rooms4 ,the climate is pleasant1 for the winter is short1 and the sun is not as hot as in ,china2 so that the ladies1 and gentlemen1 are almost as fair as ,europeans1 though the laborers are very dark4 ,illustration3 ,,japanese ,,gentleman4 ,but ,japan is exposed to many dangers1 from wind1 from water1 and from fire--three terrible enemies6 ,the waves dash with violence upon the rocky shores2 the wind often blows in fearful hurricanes2 while earthquakes and hot streams from the burning mountains1 fill the people with terror4 ,but more terrible than any of these--is wickedness2 and very wicked customs are observed in ,japan4 ,it is very wicked for a man to kill himself1 yet in ,japan it is the custom for all courtiers who have offended the emperor1 to cut open their own bodies with a sword4 ,the little boys of five years old1 begin to learn the dreadful art4 ,they do not really cut themselves1 but they are shown how to do it1 that when they are men1 they may be able to kill themselves in an elegant manner4 ,how dreadful6 ,every great man has a white dress1 which he never wears1 but keeps by him1 that he may put it on when he is going to kill himself3 and he carries it about with him wherever he goes1 for he cannot tell how suddenly he may want it4 ,when a courtier receives a letter sentencing him to die1 he invites his friends to a feast2 and at the end of it1 his sentence is read aloud by the emperor's officer2 then he takes his sword1 and makes a great gash across his own body2 at the same moment1 a servant who stands behind him1 cuts off his head4 ,this way of dying is thought very fine1 and as a reward1 the emperor allows the son of the dead man to occupy his father's place in the court4 ,but what a place to have1 when at last there may be such a fearful scene6 ,missionaries cannot come into ,japan to teach the people a better way of dying1 and to tell them of a happy place after death4 ,,australia4 ,this is the largest island in the world4 ,it is as large as ,europe 7which is not an island1 but a continent74 ,but how different is ,australia from ,europe6 ,instead of containing1 as ,europe does1 a number of grand kingdoms1 it has not one single king4 ,instead of being filled with people1 the greater part of ,australia is a desert1 or a forest1 where a few half naked savages are wandering4 ,a hundred years ago1 there was not a town in the whole island2 but now there are a few large towns near the sea-coast1 but only a very few4 ,it is the ,english who built these large towns1 and who live in them4 ,australia is not so fine a land as ,europe1 because it has not so many fine rivers2 and it is fine rivers that make a fine land4 ,most of the rivers in ,australia do not deserve the name of rivers2 they are more like a number of water-holes1 and are often dried up in the summer2 but there is one very fine1 broad1 long1 deep river1 called the ,murray4 ,it flows for twelve hundred miles4 ,were there several such rivers us the ,murray1 then ,australia would be a fine land indeed4 ,why is there so little water8 ,because there is so little rain4 ,sometimes for two years together1 there are no heavy showers1 and the grass withers1 and the trees turn brown1 and the air is filled with dust4 ,i believe the reason of the want of rain is--that the mountains are not high2 for high mountains draw the clouds together4 ,there are no mountains as high as the ,alps of ,europe2 the highest are only half as high4#ac ,,the ,,natives4--,the savages of ,australia have neither god1 nor king4 ,some heathen countries are full of idols1 but there are no idols in the wilds of ,australia4 ,no1--like the beasts which perish1 these savages live from day to day without prayer1 or praise1 delighting only in eating and drinking1 hunting and dancing4 ,most men build some kind of houses2 but these savages are satisfied with putting a few boughs together1 as a shelter from the storm4 ,there is just room in one of these shelters for a man to creep into it1 and lie down to sleep4 ,they do not wish to learn to build better huts1 for as they are always running about from place to place1 they do not think it worth while to build better4 ,a native was once sitting in the corner of a white man's hut1 and looking as if he enjoyed the warmth4 ,the white men began to laugh at him1 for not building a good hut for himself4 ,for some time the black man said nothing1 at last he muttered1 ,ay1 ay1 white fellow think it best that-a-way4 ,black fellow think it best that-a-way4 ,a white man rudely answered1 ,then black fellow is a fool4 ,upon hearing this1 the black fellow1 quite affronted1 got up1 and folding his blanket round him1 walked out of the hut4 ,how much pride there is in the heart of man6 ,even a savage thinks a great deal of his own wisdom1 and cannot bear to be called a fool4 ,sometimes the natives build a house strong enough to last during the whole winter1 and large enough to hold seven or eight people4 ,they make it in the shape of a bee-hive4 ,their reason for moving about continually1 is that they may get food4 ,they look for it1 wherever they go1 digging up roots1 and grubbing up grubs1 and searching the hollows of the trees for opossums4 7,of these strange animals more shall soon be mentioned47 ,the women are the most ill-treated creatures in the world4 ,the men beat them on their heads whenever they please1 and cover them with bruises4 ,a gentleman once saw a poor black woman crying bitterly4 ,when he asked her what was the matter1 she told him that her husband was going to beat her for having broken his pipe4 ,the gentleman went to the husband1 and entreated him to forgive his gin 7for that is the name for a wife or woman74 ,but the man declared he would not forgive her1 unless a new pipe was given to him4 ,the gentleman could not promise one to the black man1 as there were no pipes to be had in that place4 ,the next morning the poor gin appeared with a broken arm1 her cruel husband having beaten her with a thick stick4 ,the miserable gins are not beaten only2 they are half starved2 for their husbands will give them no food1 and they--poor things--cannot fish or hunt1 or shoot2 they have nothing but the roots they dig up1 and the grubs1 and lizards1 and snakes they find on the ground4 ,their looks show how wretchedly they fare2 for while the men are often strong and tall1 the women are generally thin1 and bent1 and haggard4 ,yet the woman1 weak as she is1 carries all the baggage1 not only the babe slung upon her back1 but the bag of food1 and even her husband's gun and pipe2 while the man stalks along in his pride1 with nothing but his spear in his hand1 or at most a light basket upon his arm2 for he considers his wife as his beast of burden4 ,at night the woman has to build her own shelter1 for the man thinks it quite enough to build one for himself4 ,such is the hard lot of a native woman1 while she lives2 and when she dies1 her body is perched in a tree1 as not worth the trouble of burying4 ,i have already told you1 that the natives have no ,,god2 yet they have a ,,devil1 whom they call ,yakoo1 or debbil-debbil4 ,of him they are always afraid1 for they fancy he goes about devouring children4 ,when any one dies1 they say1 ,yakoo took him4 ,how different from those happy ,christians who can say of their dead1 ,god took them6 ,people who know not ,god1 but only the devil1 must be very wicked4 ,these savages show themselves to be children of debbil-debbil by their actions4 ,they kill many of their babes1 that they may not have the trouble of nursing them4 ,old people also they kill1 and laugh at the idea of making them tumble down4 ,one of the most horrible things they do1 is making the skulls of their friends into drinking-cups1 and they think that by doing so1 they show their ,,affection6 ,they allow the nearest relation to have the skull of the dead person4 ,they will even ,,eat a little piece of the dead body1 just as a mark of love4 ,but generally speaking1 it is only their enemies they eat1 and they do eat them whenever they can kill them4 ,there are a great many tribes of natives1 and they look upon one another as enemies4 ,if a man of one tribe dare to come1 and hunt in the lands of another tribe1 he is immediately killed1 and his body is eaten4 ,the bodies of dear friends--are treated with great honor1 placed for some weeks on a high platform1 and then buried4 ,mothers prize highly the dead bodies of their children4 ,a traveller met a poor old woman wandering in search of roots1 with a stick for digging in her hand1 and with no other covering than a little grass mat4 ,on her back she bore a heavy load4 ,what was it8 ,the dead body of her child1--a boy of ten years old2 this burden she had borne for three weeks1 and she thought she showed her love1 by keeping it near her for so long a time4 ,alas6 she knew nothing of the immortal spirit1 and how1 when washed in ,jesus' blood1 it is borne by angels into the presence of ,god4 ,but though these savages are so wicked1 and so wild1 they have their amusements4 ,dancing is the chief amusement4 ,at every full moon1 there is a grand dance1 called the ,corrobory4 ,it is the men who dance1 while the women sit by and beat time4 ,nothing can be more horrible to see than a ,corrobory4 ,it is held in the night by the light of blazing fires4 ,the men are made to look more frightful than usual1 by great patches1 and stripes of red and white clay all over their bodies2 and they play all manner of strange antics1 and utter all kinds of strange yells2 so that you might think it was a dance in ,,hell1 rather than on earth4 ,it may surprise you to hear these wild creatures have a turn both for music and drawing4 ,there are figures carved upon the rocks1 which show their turn for drawing4 ,the figures represent beasts1 fishes1 and men1 and are much better done than could have been supposed4 ,there are few savages who can sing as well as these natives2 but the words of their songs are very foolish4 ,these are the words of one song1 ,eat great deal1 eat1 eat1 eat2 ,eat again1 plenty to eat2 ,eat more yet1 eat1 eat1 eat4 ,if a pig could sing1 surely this song would just suit its fancy4 ,how sad to think a man who is made to praise ,god forever and ever1 should have no higher joy than eating6 ,and what is the appearance of these people8 ,they are ugly1 with flat noses1 and wide mouths1 but their teeth are white1 and their hair is long1 glossy1 and curly4 ,they adorn their tresses with teeth1 and feathers1 and dogs' tails2 and they rub over their whole body with fish oil and fat4 ,you may imagine1 therefore1 how unpleasant it must be to come near them4 ,,the ,,colonists ,,or ,,settlers4 ,once there were only black people in ,australia1 and no white2 now there are more white than black2 and it is probable1 that soon1 there will be no black people1 but only white4 ,ever since the white people began to settle there1 the black people have been dying away very fast2 for the white people have taken away the lands where the blacks used to hunt1 and have filled them with their sheep and cattle4 ,there are two sorts of white people who have come to ,australia4 ,they are called ,convicts1 and ,colonists4 ,convicts are some of the worst of the white people2--thieves1 who instead of being kept in prison1 were sent to ,australia to work hard for many years4 ,it is a sad thing for ,australia1 that so many thieves have been sent there1 because after their punishment was over1 and they were set at liberty1 some remained in the land1 and did a great deal of harm4 ,colonists are people who come of their own accord to earn their living as best they can4 ,it is a common sight when travelling in ,australia1 to meet a dray drawn by bullocks1 laden with furniture1 and white people4 ,it is a family going to their new farm4 ,in the dray there are pigs1 and you may hear them grunting2 there are fowls1 too1 shut up in a basket2 and besides1 there are plants and tools4 ,when the family arrive at the place where they mean to settle1 they find no house1 nor garden1 nor fields1 only a wild forest4 ,immediately they pitch a tent for the mother and her daughters to sleep in1 while the father1 his sons1 and his laborers1 sleep by the fire in the open air4 ,the next morning1 the men begin to fell trees to make a hut1 and they finish it in a week2--not a very grand dwelling1 it is true1 but good enough for the fine weather2 the floor is made of the hard clay from the enormous ant hills2 the walls--of great slabs of wood2 the roof--of wooden tiles1 and the windows--of calico4 ,when the hut is finished1 a hen-house1 and a pig-sty are built1 and a dairy also underground4 ,a garden is soon planted1 and there the vines1 and the peach-trees bear beautiful fruit4 ,the daughters attend to the rearing of the fowls1 and the milking of the cows1 and soon have a plentiful supply of eggs and butter4 ,the men clear the ground of trees1 in order to sow wheat and potatoes4 ,thus the family soon have all their wants supplied2 and they find time by degrees to build a stone house1 with eight large rooms2 and when it is completed1 they give up their wooden hut to one of the laborers4 ,this is the way of life in the ,bush2 for such is the name given to the wild parts of ,australia4 ,some settlers keep large flocks of sheep1 and gain money by selling the wool and the fat1 to make cloth and tallow4 ,a shepherd in ,australia leads a very lonely life among the hills1 and he is obliged to keep ever upon the watch against the wild dogs4 ,these voracious animals prowl about in troops1 and cruelly bite numbers of the sheep1 and then devour as many as they can4 ,happily there are no large wild beasts1 such as wolves1 and bears1 lions1 and tigers2 for these would devour the shepherd as well as the sheep4 ,but there are men1 called bush-rangers1 as fierce as wild beasts4 ,these are convicts who have escaped from punishment4 ,they often come to the settlers' houses1 and murder the inhabitants4 ,the natives are not nearly as dangerous as these wicked white men2 indeed they are generally very harmless1 unless provoked by ill-treatment4 ,they are willing to make themselves useful1 by reaping corn1 and washing sheep2 and a little reward satisfies them1 such as a blanket1 or an old coat4 ,when some of the flock have strayed1 the blacks will take great pains to look for them1 and seem as much pleased when they have found them1 as if they were their own sheep4 ,the black women can help in the wash-house1 and in the farm-yard2 but they are too much besmeared with grease to be fit for the kitchen4 ,it is wise never to give a good dinner to a black1 till his work is done2 because he always eats so much1 that he can work no more that day4 ,some of these poor blacks are very faithful and affectionate4 ,there was one who lived near a settler's hut1 and he used to come there every morning before the master was up2 he would enter very gently for fear of waking him1--light the fire by rubbing two pieces of wood together1 and set the kettle on to boil2 then he would approach the bed1 and putting his hand affectionately on the hand of the sleeper would whisper in his ear1 till he saw him open his eyes1 when he would greet him with a kind and smiling look4 ,these attentions were the mark of his attachment to the white man4 ,this black was as faithful1 as he was affectionate4 ,once he was sent by a farmer on a message4 ,it was this1 ,take this letter to my brother1 and he will give you sixpence1 and then spend the sixpence in pipes for me4 ,the black man took the letter1 and went towards the place where the brother lived4 ,he met him on horseback4 ,the brother after reading the letter1 rode away without giving the sixpence to the bearer4 ,what was the poor black man to do8 ,shall ,i go back1 thought he1 without the pipes8 ,no4 ,i will try to get some money4 ,he went to a house that he knew of1 and offered to chop some wood for sixpence1 and with that sixpence he bought the pipes4 ,was not this being a good servant8 ,this was not eye-service2 it was the service of the heart4 ,but there are not many natives like this man4 ,they are generally soon tired of working4 ,for instance1 a boy called ,jackey1 left a good master who would have provided for him1 to live again wild in the woods1 and went away with the blanket off his bed4 ,,animals4--,there are few of our animals in ,australia1 or of their animals in ,england4 ,there is no hare1 no rabbit1 no nightingale1 no thrush1 in ,australia4 ,once there were no horses1 nor cows1 nor sheep1 nor pigs2 but now there are a great many4 ,much terrified were the natives at the sight of the first horse which came from ,england2 for they had never seen such a large animal before4 ,the largest beast in ,australia is the ,kangaroo1 remarkable for its short fore-legs1 and its great strong hind-legs1 and for the pocket in which it shelters its little one4 ,it is a gentle creature1 and can be easily tamed4 ,a pet kangaroo may often be seen walking about a settler's garden1 cropping the grass upon the lawn4 ,but though easily tamed1 a wild kangaroo is not easily caught2 for it makes immense springs in the air1 far higher than a horse could leap1 though it is not as big as a sheep4 ,when hunted by dogs1 it gets1 when it can1 into the water1 and turning round1 and standing still1 dips the dogs1 one by one1 till it drowns them4 ,there is another beast1 called the opossum1 not much bigger than a large cat1 and it also has a pocket for its young ones4 ,but instead of cropping the grass1 it eats the leaves of trees4 ,it has a gentle face like a deer1 and a long tail like a monkey4 ,it hides itself1 as the squirrel does1 in the hollows of trees4 ,like the owl1 it is never seen in the day1 but at night it comes out to feed4 ,the blacks are very cunning in finding out the holes where the opossums are hidden1 and they know how to drag them out by their long tails1 without getting bitten by their sharp teeth4 ,with the skin of the opossum the natives make a cloak4 ,the wild dogs1 or dingoes1 are odious animals4 ,they may be heard yelling at night to the terror of the shepherd1 and the farmer4 ,they are bold enough to rush into a yard1 and to carry off a calf1 or a pig2 and when they have dragged it into the woods1 they cruelly eat the legs first1 and do not kill it for a long while4 ,these three--the kangaroo1 the opossum1 and the dingo1--are the principal beasts of ,australia4 ,among the birds1 the emu is the most remarkable4 ,it is nearly as tall as an ostrich1 and has beautiful soft feathers1 though not as beautiful as the ostrich's4 ,but the most curious point in the emu is1--it has no tongue4 ,you may suppose1 therefore1 that it is neither a singing bird1 nor a talking bird2 it only makes a little noise in its throat4 ,but if it is silent1 there are numbers of parrots1 and cockatoos1 to fill the air with their screams4 ,in ,england1 these birds are thought a great deal of1 but in ,australia1 they are killed to make into pies1 or into soup4 ,parrot-pie and cockatoo-soup1 are common dishes there4 ,however1 many of the parrots and cockatoos1 are caught by the blacks1 and sold to the ,english1 who send them to ,england in the ships4 ,there are not such singing birds in ,australia1 as there are here4 ,though there is a robin red-breast there1 he does not sing as sweetly as he does here4 ,but there are laughing birds in ,australia4 ,there is a bird called the laughing jackass4 ,he laughs very loud three times a day4 ,he begins in the morning2--suddenly a hoarse loud laugh is heard1--then another1 then another1--till a whole troop of birds seem laughing all together1 and go on laughing for a few minutes2--and then they are all quiet again4 ,such a noise must awaken many a sleeper on his bed4 ,at noon the laugh is heard again4 ,at evening there is another general fit of laughter4 ,these birds are not like children1 who laugh at no particular hour1 but often twenty times a day4 ,the laughing jackass is almost as useful as a clock1 and it is called1 the bushman's clock4 ,,botany ,,bay4 ,this is a famous place1 for here the ,english first settled1 and here it was thieves were sent from ,england as a punishment4 ,some were sent there for fourteen years1 and some for twenty-one years1 and some for life4 ,how did the place get the beautiful name of ,botany8 which means the knowledge of flowers4 ,because there were so many beautiful flowers seen there1 when ,captain ,cook first beheld it4 ,yet the name ,botany ,bay1 does not seem beautiful to us2 for it reminds us not of roses1 but of rogues2 not of violets1 but of violent men2 not of lilies1 but of villains4 ,,sydney4 ,this town is close to ,botany ,bay4 ,it is the largest town in ,australia4 ,it is a very wicked city1 because so many convicts have been sent there4 ,many of the people are the children of convicts1 and have been brought up very ill by their parents4 ,of course there are many robberies in such a city1 far more than there are in ,london4 ,who would like to live there6 yet it is a fine city1 and by the sea-side1 with a harbor1 where hundreds of ships might ride1--safe from the storm4 ,it is plain1 too1 that ,sydney is full of rich people1 for the streets are thronged with carriages1 driving rapidly along4 ,the convicts often become rich1 after their time of punishment is over1 by keeping public-houses1 and when rich they keep carriages4 ,if you were in ,sydney1 you would hardly think you were in a savage island2 for you would see no savages in the streets4 ,what is become of those who once lived in these parts8 ,they are all dead1 or gone to other parts of the island4 ,the last black near ,sydney1 used to talk of the old times1 and say1 ,when ,i was a pick-a-ninny1 plenty of black fellow then4 ,only one left now1 mitter4 ,,adelaide4 ,it is much better to live here than in ,sydney1 because convicts have never been sent here4 ,numbers of honest poor people are leaving ,england and ,ireland1 every year1 to go to ,adelaide4 ,when they arrive at the coast1 they get into cars1 and are driven seven miles1 passing by many pretty cottages1 and gardens1 till they arrive at ,adelaide4 ,there they find themselves in the midst of gardens2 for the houses are not crowded together1 as in our ,english towns1 but are placed in the midst of trees1 and flowers1 and grass2 because there is plenty of room in ,australia4 ,but there is one great evil both in ,sydney and in ,adelaide1 which is the dust blown from the desert1 and which almost chokes the inhabitants4 ,if there were more rain in ,australia1 there would be less dust4 ,australia is divided into three parts3-- ,i4 ,new ,south ,wales4 ,capital1 ,sydney4 ,,ii4 ,western ,australia4 ,capital1 ,perth4 ,,iii4 ,south ,australia4 ,capital1 ,adelaide4 #ac ,the ,australian mountains are about seven thousand feet high4 ,,van ,,dieman',s ,,land4 ,this island is as cool as ,great ,britain2 yet it is not a pleasant land to live in2 for it is filled with convicts4 ,there are no natives there now2 they died away gradually1 except a few1 who were taken by the ,english to a small island near1 called ,flinder's ,island4 ,they were taken there that they might be safe2 yet they never ceased to sigh1 and to cry after their native land4 ,,the ,,young ,,savages4 ,many travellers have tried to see the land in the midst of ,australia1 but hitherto they have not succeeded4 ,after going a little way1 they have been obliged to return1 and why8 ,because they have found no water4 ,i will give you an account of the journey of ,mr4 ,eyre4 ,this traveller wished to go into the midst of the land1 but finding he could not1 he travelled along the coast1 at that part called the ,great ,bight 7or the ,great ,bay74 ,he set out from ,adelaide with a large party1 but various accidents occurred by the way1 and at last he found himself with only one ,englishman1 and three native boys4 ,the eldest was almost a man4 ,his name was ,wylie1 and he was a good-tempered1 lively youth4 ,the second was named ,neramberein4 ,i shall have nothing good to relate of him1 but a great deal of evil2 for he was indeed a very wicked boy4 ,the youngest was called ,cootachah--a boy who was easily induced to follow bad examples4 ,mr4 ,eyre was the chief person in the party1 and his ,english companion was ,mr4 ,baxter4 ,ten horses carried the packages1 and six sheep were made to follow1 that they might be killed one by one for food4 ,all these poor animals suffered terribly from want of water4 ,sometimes they went a hundred miles without a refreshing draught4 ,the horses became so weak1 that the travellers were unwilling to mount their backs2 and as for the sheep1 they could scarcely crawl along4 ,many ways of getting water were tried4 ,one way was digging up the roots of trees4 ,a little1--a very little1--water may often be squeezed out of the end of a root2 because the root is the mouth of the tree1 and sucks up water from the ground4 ,another way of getting water was by gathering up the dew in a sponge4 ,enough dew to make a cup of tea might sometimes be obtained2 but not enough for the poor beasts to have any4 ,when the travellers1 by digging1 could make a well1 then they were glad indeed2 for then the beasts could be refreshed as well as themselves4 ,the whole party were become so weak from fatigue and thirst1 that they could not get on fast1 and they found it necessary to save their food as much as possible1 that it might last to the end of the long journey4 ,they took a little flour every day out of their bag1 and made it into a paste4 ,sometimes they caught a fish1 or shot a bird or beast1 and then they had a hearty meal4 ,when they killed one of their sheep1 then they had plenty of mutton4 ,at last1 all the sheep were killed but one4 ,it happened at this time1 that one of the horses was so sick that he could not move4 ,it was plain he would soon die2 therefore the travellers determined to kill him1 and eat his flesh4 ,mr4 ,eyre was grieved at the thought of killing his horse1 neither could he bear the idea of eating horse flesh2 but then he feared1 that if the horse were not killed1 the whole party would be starved4 ,the native boys were delighted when they knew the horse was to be eaten2 for they had long been fretting for more food4 ,they would like to have devoured it all on the spot2 but they were not allowed to do so2 the greater part of the flesh was cut off in thin slices1 dipped in salt water1 and then hung up in the sun to dry1 to serve as provision for many days to come4 ,the boys were permitted to devour the rest of the carcase4 ,with what haste they prepared the feast6 ,they made a fire close to the carcase1 and then cut off lumps of flesh1 which they roasted quickly1 and then ate4 ,they spent the whole afternoon in this manner1 looking more like ravenous wolves than human creatures4 ,when night came1 they were not willing to leave their meat1 but took as much as ever they could carry into their beds1 that they might eat whenever they awoke4 ,next day1 they returned to the roasting and eating1 and the next night again they took meat with them to bed4 ,mr4 ,eyre wondered at their gluttony and he thought it necessary to give them an allowance of food1 instead of letting them eat as much as they liked4 ,he gave five pounds of meat to each boy every day4 ,five pounds is as much as a shoulder of mutton--and ten ,english boys would think it quite enough for dinner2 but the ,australian boys were not satisfied6 ,mr4 ,eyre began to suspect that in the night they stole some of the meat hanging up to dry on the trees4 ,therefore one night he weighed the meat1 and in the morning weighed it again4 ,he found that four pounds were gone4 ,he thought it was very ungrateful of boys1 to whom he gave so much1 to steal from his small stock4 ,as a punishment he gave them less meat next day than usual4 ,he entreated the boys to tell him who was the thief4 ,the eldest and youngest declared that they had not stolen any meat2 but ,neramberein would not answer at all1 and looked sulky and angry1 and muttered something about going away1 and taking ,wylie with him4 ,mr4 ,eyre replied1 that he might go if he pleased1 while at the same time he warned him of the dangers of the way4 ,the next morning1 as soon as breakfast was over1 the three boys all rose up and walked away4 ,mr4 ,eyre called back the youngest1 as he felt he was misled by his elders1 but he let the others go4 ,they had stayed with him till the horse was all eaten up1 except the dried pieces--but now they hoped to get more food1 when travelling alone1 than with ,mr4 ,eyre4 ,as soon as the boys were gone1 ,mr4 ,eyre determined to stop some time longer where he was1 that he might not overtake them4 ,there was one sheep still remaining1 and which seemed very restless all by itself4 ,this sheep was killed for food1 and in that place there was plenty of water2 so that the little company fared well that day and the next2 especially as ,mr4 ,baxter had the good fortune to kill an eagle1 which made an excellent stew4 ,just as the travellers had finished their evening meal1 they were astonished to see the two runaway boys approaching4 ,wylie came running up1 declaring that both he and his companions were sorry for their bad behavior1 and were anxious to be received again1 not being able to get enough to eat4 ,but though ,wylie acted in this frank manner1 his companion was very sulky4 ,he said nothing1 but seated himself by the fire1 pouting and frowning1 and evidently much vexed at being obliged to come back4 ,mr4 ,eyre thought it well to give the boys a lecture on their bad conduct1 especially upon their thefts2 for they now owned that they had stolen meat from the trees1 though they had before denied it4 ,but though ,mr4 ,eyre reproved the boys1 he treated them very kindly1 for he gave them some tea1 and bread and meat for supper4 ,the next day the whole party continued their journey4 ,they were obliged to be very sparing of their food1 lest when it was gone they should get no more4 ,but their greatest trial was the want of water4 ,after travelling during four days1 they stopped one evening in a rocky place at the top of high cliffs1 hoping that if any rain should fall1 some might be caught in the hollow places among the rocks4 ,that evening they ate no supper2 for having had dinner1 they might do without supper4 ,before they lay down to sleep1 they made themselves places to sleep in1 by setting up boughs1 as shelters from the wind4 ,they also piled up their goods in a great heap1 and covered it with oil skin1 to keep out the damp4 ,mr4 ,eyre did not sleep when the rest did1 for he undertook to watch the horses till eleven at night1 and then he agreed to change places with ,mr4 ,baxter4 ,the hour was almost come1 and ,mr4 ,eyre was beginning to lead the horses towards the sleeping place1 when he was startled by hearing a gun go off4 ,he called out1--but receiving no answer1 he grew alarmed1 and leaving the horses1 ran towards the spot1 whence the noise had come4 ,presently he met ,wylie1 running very fast1 and crying out1 ,oh6 ,massa1 ,oh6 ,massa1 come here4 ,what is the matter8 inquired ,mr4 ,eyre4 ,wylie made no answer4 ,with hurried steps1 ,mr4 ,eyre accompanied him towards the camp4 ,what a sight struck his eyes6 ,his friend ,baxter1 lying on the ground1 weltering in his blood1 and in the agonies of ,,death4 ,the two younger boys were not there1 and the goods which had been covered by the oil-skin1 lay scattered in confusion on the ground4 ,it was too clear that one of the boys had ,,killed poor ,baxter4 ,no doubt it was ,neramberein who had done it6 ,it seems that the boys had attempted to steal some of the goods1 and that while they were gathering them together1 ,baxter had awaked1 and had come forth from his sleeping place1 and that then one of the boys had shot him4 ,mr4 ,eyre raised the dying man from the ground where he was lying prostrate1 and he then found that a ball had entered his left breast1 and that his life was fast departing4 ,in a few minutes he expired6 ,what were the feelings of the lonely traveller6 ,here he was in the midst of a desert1 with no companion but one young savage1 and that young savage was not one whom he could trust2 for he knew not what part ,wylie had taken in the deeds of the night4 ,he suspected that he had intended to go away with the other boys1 but that when ,baxter was murdered1 he had grown alarmed4 ,wylie indeed denied that he had known anything of the robbery1 but then he was not a boy whose word could be believed4 ,the remainder of that dreadful night was passed by ,mr4 ,eyre1 in watching the horses4 ,anxiously he waited for the first streak of daylight4 ,he then drove the horses to the camp1 and once more beheld the body of his fellow-traveller4 ,how suddenly had his soul been hurried into eternity1 and into the presence of his ,god6 ,it was ,wylie's business to light the fire1 and prepare the breakfast4 ,meanwhile1 ,mr4 ,eyre examined the baggage to see how much had been stolen4 ,these were the chief articles he missed4 ,all the bread1 consisting of five loaves1 some mutton1 tea and sugar1 tobacco and pipes1 a small keg of water1 and two guns4 ,and what was left for the traveller8 ,a large quantity of flour1 a large keg of water1 some tea and sugar1 a gun1 and pistols4 ,but would these have been left1 had the ungrateful boys been strong enough to carry them away8 ,mr4 ,eyre desired before leaving the fatal spot to bury the body of his friend2 but the rocks around were so hard1 that it was impossible to dig a grave4 ,all he was able to do1 was to wrap the corpse in a blanket before he abandoned it forever4 ,slowly and silently he left the sorrowful spot1 leading one horse1 while ,wylie drove the others after it4 ,during the heat of the day1 they stopped to rest4 ,it was four in the afternoon1 and they were soon going to set out again1 when they perceived at a distance--,,two ,,white ,,figures6 two white figures6 and soon knew them to be the two guilty boys1 wrapped in their blankets4 ,mr4 ,eyre had some fear lest the young murderer should shoot him also2 yet he thought it wise to advance boldly towards him1 with his gun in his hand4 ,he perceived that each of the wicked youths held a gun1 and seemed ready to shoot4 ,but as he approached1 they drew back4 ,he wished to speak to them in order to persuade them not to follow him on his journey1 but to go another way2 however he could not get near them2 but he heard them cry out1 ,o ,massa1 we don't want you2 we want ,wylie4 ,the boys repeated the name of ,wylie over and over again2 yet ,wylie answered not1 but remained quietly with the horses4 ,at length ,mr4 ,eyre turned away1 and continued his journey4 ,the boys followed at some distance1 calling out for ,wylie till the darkness came on4 ,mr4 ,eyre was so anxious to get beyond the reach of these wicked youths1 that he walked eighteen miles that evening4 ,and he never saw them again6 ,i do not know whether he had ever told them of the true ,god1 of that ,,eye which never ,,sleeps1 of that ,,eye which beholds ,,robbers and ,,murderers in the night2--but whether he had told them or not of this great ,god1 they must have ,,known that they were acting wickedly when they robbed their benefactor1 and murdered his friend2 and they must have felt very ,,miserable after they had done those deeds4 ,alone with ,wylie1 ,mr4 ,eyre pursued his journey along the high clefts of the ,great ,bight1 or ,bay4 ,for five days they were without water for the horses2 at last they dug some wells in the sand4 ,but by this time one of the horses was grown so weak1 that he could scarcely crawl along4 ,this horse1 ,mr4 ,eyre determined to kill for food4 ,wylie1 delighted with the idea1 exclaimed1 ,massa1 ,i shall sit up1 and eat the whole night4 ,and he kept his word4 ,while his master was skinning the poor beast1 he made a fire close by1 and soon began tearing off bits of flesh1 roasting1 and eating them1 as fast as he could4 ,mr4 ,eyre1 after cutting off the best parts of the flesh to dry1 allowed ,wylie to eat the rest4 ,see the young glutton1 with the head1 the feet1 and the inside1 permitted to devour it as best he could6 ,he hastened to make an oven1 in which to bake about twenty pounds to feast upon during the night4 ,it is not wonderful1 if during that night he was heard to make a dismal groaning1 and to complain that he was very ill4 ,he said1 indeed1 that it was working too hard1 had made him ill1 but his master thought it was eating too much1 for whenever he woke1 he found the boy gnawing a bone4 ,next day1 ,wylie was not able to spend his whole time over the carcase1 for he had to go1 and look for a lost foal2 but the day after1 it was hard to get him away from the bones4 ,for some time the travellers lived upon dried horse flesh1 with a kangaroo1 or a fish1 as a little change4 ,wylie continued to eat immoderately1 though often rolling upon the ground1 and crying out1 ,mendyat1 or ill4 ,one night he appeared to be in a very ill-humor1 and ,mr4 ,eyre tried to find out the reason4 ,at last ,wylie said in an angry tone1 ,the dogs have eaten the skin4 ,it seems he had hung the skin of a kangaroo upon a bush1 intending to eat it by-and-bye1 and the wild dogs had stolen the dainty morsel4 ,wylie was restored to his usual good-humor by the sight of some fine fishes his master had caught4 ,next time the boy shot a kangaroo1 he took good care of the skin1 folding it up1 and hiding it4 ,one day he was so happy as to catch two opossums in a tree4 ,his master determined to see how ,wylie would behave1 if left entirely to himself4 ,he sat silently by the fire1 while ,wylie was cooking one opossum4 ,the boy1 having got it ready for his supper1 took the other to his sleeping place4 ,his master inquired what he intended to do with it4 ,wylie replied1 ,i shall be hungry in the morning1 and ,i am keeping it for my breakfast4 ,then ,mr4 ,eyre perceived that the greedy boy intended to offer him neither supper nor breakfast4 ,accordingly he took out his bag of flour1 and said to ,wylie1 ,very well1 we will each eat our own food2 you eat the opossums you shot1 and ,i eat the flour ,i have2 and ,i will give you no more4 ,in this manner1 ,mr4 ,eyre hoped to show the boy the folly of his selfishness4 ,wylie was frightened at the idea of getting no more flour1 and immediately offered the smaller opossum to his master1 and promised to cook it himself4 ,what a selfish1 and ungrateful boy6 ,wylie had a wicked heart by nature1 and so have we4 ,only he had not been taught what was right1 as we have been4 ,this is a prayer which would suit well every child1 and every man in the world1 ,create in me a clean heart1 ,o ,god1 and renew a right spirit within me4 ,mr4 ,eyre continued to be kind to ,wylie1 though he saw the boy did not really love him4 ,but the troubles of the journey were nearly at an end4 ,at last the travellers saw a ship a few miles from the shore4 ,oh ,i how anxious they were that the sailors should see them6 ,what could they do8 ,they kindled a fire on a rock1 and they made a great deal of smoke come out of the fire4 ,soon a boat was seen approaching the shore4 ,how great was the joy of the weary travellers4 ,the sailors in the boat were ,frenchmen1 but they were not the less kind on that account4 ,they invited ,mr4 ,eyre and ,wylie to accompany them to their ship4 ,when the young savage found himself on board1 he was almost wild with delight1 for he had now as much to eat as he could desire1 and he began eating biscuits so fast1 that the sailors began to be afraid lest he should eat them all2 and they were glad to give him fishes instead1 as they could catch plenty of them4 ,for twelve days ,wylie and his master lived in the ship1 and then left it1 laden with provisions1 and dressed in warm clothes4 ,they had still many miles to go along the shore1 but they suffered no more from want of food and water4 ,great was their rapture when they first caught sight of the hills of ,st4 ,george's ,sound2 for then they knew their journey would soon end4 ,but they had rivers to cross on the way1 and in trying to get the horses over1 they nearly lost the poor beasts1 and their own lives too4 ,for three days their clothes were dripping with wet1 and the last night was one of the worst2 but then they knew it was the ,,last1 and that thought enabled them to bear all4 ,so does the ,christian feel when near the end of his journey4 ,he is in the midst of storms1 and wading through deep waters1 even the deep waters of ,,death2 but he knows that he is near ,,home4 ,it was in the midst of a furious storm1 that these travellers arrived at their journey's end4 ,though they were now close to the town of ,albany1 neither man nor beast were to be seen2 for neither would venture out4 ,at last1 a native appeared1 and he knew ,wylie1 and greeted him joyfully1 telling him at the same time that his friends had given him up for dead a long while ago4 ,this native1 by a loud shrill cry1 let his countrymen know that ,wylie was found2 and presently a multitude of men1 women1 and children1 came rushing rapidly from the town1 and up the hill to meet him4 ,his parents and brethren folded him in their arms1 while all around welcomed him with shouts of joy4 ,his master was kindly received at the house of a friend2 but he did not meet with so warm a welcome as ,wylie1 for he was not like him in the midst of his family4 ,the kind master overlooked all ,wylie's faults during the journey1 and remembered only his kindness in keeping with him to the end4 ,he even spoke in his favor to the government1 requesting that ,wylie might have a daily allowance of food as a reward for his good conduct4 ,what great reason had this young savage to rejoice that he had not listened to the enticements of his wicked comrades1 when they called him so often by his name1 and tried to induce him to forsake his kind master6 ,,little ,,mickey4 ,mickey was born in the wilds of ,australia2 yet he was a highly favored boy2 for he became servant to a missionary4 ,this was far better than being1 like ,wylie1 the companion of a traveller4 ,mickey was a merry and active little fellow1 and was a great favorite with his master's children4 ,the older ones taught him to read1 and the little ones played with him4 ,during the day1 ,mickey took care of the cattle1 and at night he slept in a shed close by his master's house4 ,he might have been a happy boy1 but he soon fell into sin and sorrow4 ,one evening he was in the cooking-house1 eating his supper with another native boy1 his fellow-servant4 ,the oven was hot1 and the bread was baking4 ,mickey opened the door of the oven1 and looked in4 ,that was wrong2 it was the first step towards evil4 ,mickey had eaten a good supper1 and ought to have been satisfied2 but1 like his countrymen1 he had an enormous appetite1 and was always ready to eat too much when he could4 ,he took some of the hot bread1 and gave some to his fellow-servant4 ,how like was his conduct to that of ,eve1 when she took the fruit1 and gave some to ,adam6 ,that night ,mickey was nowhere to be found1 nor his little fellow-servant either4 ,where could they be8 ,their master sent people to search for them2 but no one had seen them4 ,it seemed strange indeed1 that a boy who had been so kindly treated1 and who had seemed as happy as ,mickey1 should run away4 ,the good missionary and his children were in great grief1 fearing that some accident had befallen the lads4 ,but when the time came to take the bread out of the oven1 they began to suspect why ,mickey had gone away4 ,they saw some one had stolen large pieces of bread4 ,they said1 ,perhaps it was ,mickey who stole the bread1 and perhaps he is ashamed1 and so he has run away4 ,what a pity it was that ,mickey did not come1 and confess his fault2 he would have been pardoned and restored to favor4 ,even a good boy may fall into a great sin2 but then he will own it1 and ask forgiveness1 both of ,god and man4 ,still ,mickey was not like those hardened boys who robbed ,mr4 ,eyre1 for he was ashamed4 ,month after month passed away1 but no ,mickey appeared4 ,the missionary feared that the boy would never return1 but live and die amongst his heathen countrymen4 ,one day1 however1 he was told that a man was at the door1 who wanted to speak to him4 ,who is he8 inquired the missionary4 ,a schoolmaster1 sir1 replied the servant4 ,and what does he want8 ,he has brought with him some native boys1 and he wants you to come out and see them1 and speak a few words to them about their ,saviour4 ,the missionary gladly consented to go out to behold so pleasing a sight1 as a school of native boys4 ,as soon as he appeared1 several young voices called out1 ,mickey no come4 ,the missionary was surprised1 and inquired of the boys1 ,what do you mean8 where is ,mickey8 ,mickey no come1 repeated the boys4 ,he too much frightened4 ,why is he afraid8 asked the missionary4 ,because he steal de bread1 replied the boys4 ,the missionary now began to look around1 and soon espied ,mickey1 trying to hide himself behind a fence4 ,he called him2 but ,mickey1 instead of coming1 went further off4 ,two or three boys then ran towards him1 and attempted to bring him back1 but ,mickey resisted4 ,the missionary then went into the house hoping that the trembling culprit1 seeing he was gone1 would come out of his hiding-place4 ,very soon he was told1 that ,mickey was standing with the other boys at the door4 ,then the good missionary appeared again4 ,looking kindly at ,mickey1 he said1 ,why did you run away8 ,because me steal de bread2 me very sorry4 ,the missionary held out his hand to the sorrowful offender1 saying1 ,i forgive you1 ,mickey4 ,the boy eagerly seized the kind hand1 and holding it fast1 and looking earnestly up in the missionary's face1 he said1 ,when me steal again1 you must whip me--and whip me--and whip me--very--very much4 ,again the missionary assured the boy he had entirely forgiven him--and then ,mickey began to jump about for joy4 ,how glad ,mickey would have been to return to the service of his old master6 ,but that could not be2 for that master was just going to set sail for ,england1 to visit his home and friends1 and he could not take ,mickey with him4 ,just before he went1 he provided a feast for many of the native children1 and gave them a parting address4 ,mickey was there--no longer afraid--but glad to look up in the face of his beloved friend2 for now he knew he was forgiven4 ,when the moment came to say ,farewell1 the children ran forward1 eager to grasp the missionary's hand--but none pressed that hand so warmly and so sorrowfully1 as the little runaway4 ,i know not whether that generous master1 and that penitent servant ever again met upon earth2 but ,i have much hope they will meet in heaven2 for ,mickey seems to have been sorry for his sin2 and we know the promise3 ,if we confess our sins1 ,god is faithful and just to forgive us our sins4 ,and why8 ,because the blood of ,christ cleanseth from all sin4 ,there are many sinners who were once as much afraid of ,god1 as ,mickey was of his master2 but who have been pardoned1 and who will be present at his ,,heavenly ,,feast4 ,,the ,,end4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,cedar ,,tree4 ,,attractive ,,and ,,interesting ,,juvenile ,,books1 ,,published ,,by ,,robert ,,carter ,,brothers4 99 99 99 99 99 ,blossoms of ,childhood4 ,by the author of the ,broken ,bud4 #afmo4 #ge cents4 ,bunbury4 ,glory1 ,glory1 ,glory1 and other ,narratives4 #be cents4 ,cameron4 ,the ,farmer's ,daughter4 ,illustrated4 #cj cents4 ,commandment with ,promise4 ,by the author of ,the ,week1 c4 ,illustrated4 #ge cents4 ,duncan1 ,henry4 ,tales of the ,scottish ,peasantry4 #ahmo4 #ej cents4 ,the ,cottage ,fireside4 #dj cents4 ,duncan1 ,mary ,lundie4 ,rhymes for my ,children4 #be cents4 ,far ,off in ,asia and ,australia4 ,described by the author of the ,peep of ,day1 c4 ,illustrated4 #afmo4 ,fry1 ,caroline4 ,the ,listener4 ,illustrated4 #a #jj4 ,frank ,netherton4 ,or1 the ,talisman4 ,illustrated4 #afmo4 ,infant's ,progress4 ,by the author of ,little ,henry and his ,bearer4 ,illustrated4 #ge cts4 ,jamie ,gordon4 ,or1 the ,orphan4 ,illustrated4 #ge cents4 ,kennedy1 ,grace4 ,jessy ,allan4 #ahmo4 #be cents4 ,decision1 or ,religion must be all or nothing4 #be cents4 ,anna ,ross4 ,illustrated4 #cj cents4 ,michael ,kemp4 ,the ,happy ,farmer's ,lad4 ,illustrated4 #dj cents4 ,my ,school ,boy ,days4 ,illustrated4 #ahmo4 #cj cents4 ,my ,youthful ,companions4 ,a ,sequel to the above4 ,illustrated4 #cj cents4 ,my ,grandfather ,gregory4 ,illustrated4 #be cents4 ,my ,grandmama ,gilbert4 ,by the same author4 #be cents4 ,new ,cobwebs ,to ,catch ,young ,flies4 ,illustrated4 ,square4 #ej cents4 ,opie1 ,amelia4 ,tales and ,illustrations of ,lying4 #ahmo4 #dj cents4 ,old ,humphrey's ,addresses--,observations--,thoughts--,w alks in ,london--,homely ,hints--,country ,strolls--,sea ,captain--,grandparents--,isle of ,wight--,pithy ,papers--,pleasant ,tales--,north ,american ,indians4 #ab volumes4 ,each #dj cents4 ,osborne1 ,mrs4 ,david4 ,the ,world of ,waters4 ,illustrated4 #ge cents4 ,pastor's ,daughter4 ,by ,mrs4 ,l4,p4 ,hopkins4 ,illustrated4 #dj cents4 ,peep of ,day1 and ,line upon ,line1 and ,precept on ,precept4 #c volumes4 ,each #cj cents4 ,pollok1 ,robert4 ,tales of the ,scottish ,covenanters4 #afmo4 #ge cents4 ,helen of the ,glen4 #ahmo4 #be cents4 ,the ,persecuted ,family4 #ahmo4 #be cents4 ,ralph ,gemmell4 #ahmo4 #be cents4 ,stories on the ,lord's ,prayer4 ,by the author of ,edward and ,miriam4 ,sigourney1 ,mrs4 ,l4,h4 ,water ,drops4 #afmo4 #ge cents4 ,letters to my ,pupils4 ,portrait4 #ge cents4 ,olive ,leaves4 ,illustrated4 #ge cents4 ,boys' ,book4 #dj cents4 ,girls' ,book4 #dj cents4 ,child's ,book4 #ce cents4 ,sinclair1 ,catherine4 ,charlie ,seymour4 #ahmo4 #cj cts4 ,taylor1 ,jane4 ,hymns for ,infant ,minds4 #dj cents4 ,limed ,twigs4 ,colored plates4 #ej cents4 ,contributions of ,q4,q4 ,illustrated4 #a4 ,original ,poems4 ,illustrated4 #dj cents4 ,tucker1 ,s4 ,the ,rainbow in the ,north4 ,illustrated4 #ge cents4 ,week1 ,the4 ,by the author of the ,commandment with ,promise4 #ge cents4 ,wilson1 ,professor4 ,lights and ,shadows of ,scottish ,life4 #ge cents4