school begun, of girls, another of boys, and with their own preaching and healing and touring fairly organized, and daily growing.

And thus the new Mountain Station got at last its local habitation and its name. We call it the Mountain Station, although its headquarters, Mosul, are on the vast level plains of the great Tigris valley, twenty miles west of the last mountain range. But Mosul is the gateway to the mountains. In the midst of these rugged heights themselves, amid their untamed tribes, no missionary's wife and children could safely live, but to some of the more settled and quiet regions they can every summer all repair, and at frequent intervals throughout the year hardy men and vigorous, such as Mr. McDowell and Mr. Ainslie and Dr. Wishard, can reach all the mountain heights and valleys. This for more than three years has been their charge.

For this new station, the work in Mosul, on the Tigris plain, and in the Kurdish

mountains, the Board this year has set apart more than $10,000. And its missionaries there, in a city proverbially unhealthful, only exchanged in the summer heats for a mountain life of hardship and danger, must not be left without suitable homes, nor without proper buildings for their schools. The Board in undertaking this work has had respect to the hope and prayer for long years of its Western Persia missionaries. It looks to the Church to bear that field in their prayers before God, and to furnish the means for the safety and efficiency of its missionary force.

Already in this hard field there is fruit. The occasional labor of many years past and the vigorous efforts of the last three have been felt through a large part of the mountains. Not a few villages yet exclude the missionaries. In some this is the hand of hostile Koords; in others, of the Papists. But our brethren are this year reporting five churches; five ordained ministers; four unordained preachers in other regular congregations where churches

are not yet formed. Besides these, five itinerant evangelists are at work. The members of the churches number 170, and the Sunday-schools count 355 pupils, many of them full-grown men and women. Twenty-eight converts were added last year to the church, and thirty others taken on probation. These flocks are all gathered in the face of every danger, taken as it were from the paw of the lion and the bear.

The schools among these rough people number eighteen, with 284 scholars. We write it with wonder and with praise. True, most of them are village schools, and their teaching is elementary indeed, but a school of any kind, a reading-book, especially if that book be a New Testament in their mother-tongue-it is the coming near of the kingdom of heaven to those rude men. Of these schools two are taught by women. Mr. McDowell says theirs are by far the best of all. Yet the men are following on. And better days are coming, for already there are two High Schools, one in Mosul, one at Tiary, in the very core of the mountains. These will soon furnish better teachers for the village schools.

We do not envy the man who can read without a glow at his heart of the kindling at last of the light of knowledge in Kurdistan, and of the advent of the gospel of peace among its turbulent and savage tribes.

"INTO THE INNER PRISON." About three years ago Rev. Mr. Mechlin, of Salmas, baptized a converted Moslem at Khoi, in the northwestern province of Azerbaijan. The avowal of Christian faith by a Moslem is on his part nothing less than an invitation of death. Mirza Ibrahim, however, would not listen to any proposal for private baptism. He boldly acknowledged his conversion, and was baptized in our Mission Chapel. Contrary

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to expectation, he was not immediately molested. Soon, however, the hatred and violence of fanatical Moslems around him was awakened. His wife and property were taken from him, and he himself, sick and feeble, was forced to flee. He came southward to Oroomiah. Here he was received by our missionaries and employed by them at a salary of four dollars a month, as a copyist, and also that he might preach Christ in what is known as the Inner Mission for Moslems. After a few months in this region, during which he preached with fearlessness and vigor, a still more violent persecution

arose.

BROUGHT TO THE MAGISTRATES.

6

Under the impassioned appeals of the Moslem mullahs, the authorities arrested him and he was hurried to Oroomiah. His treatment at his arrest is described by Rev. Dr. Shedd in The Independent: "As he was going he put his Testament in his bosom. The inquiry was made by the Serapast, or Governor of the Christians, and around him was the crowd of scowling mullahs and other Moslems, Why should you, a Moslem, be teaching the Christians' doctrines?' Mirza Ibrahim took out his Testament and asked in reply, 'Is not this Injil a holy book?' The Serapast acknowledged that it was. Then am I not right in reading it and teaching it?' 'But how about Mohammed? That is for you to say. My faith is in Christ and His Word. He is my Saviour.' At this the command was Beat him.' The Christian brother at whose house he was seized was arrested with him, and both were beaten by the farashes and the crowd. Mirza Ibrahim was knocked down and kicked terribly even by the Serapast. Some in the crowd demanded his blood. He was taken before the Governor of the city, and there, in the presence of many dignitaries, reaffirmed. his faith in Christ as the only Saviour of

his soul. Wealthy officials stood ready to raise a purse of money for him, if he stood in need of pecuniary aid. But his patient endurance of the abusive treatment heaped upon him, went to show that something other than money was at the bottom of his bold renunciation of Mohammedanism. Some declared him crazy, but not a few of the more intelligent military men, who have, by their contact with Dr. Cochran and the better class of our native Christians, come to hold more liberal sentiments towards Christianity, are convinced that this man is an honest believer in Jesus Christ, and are much moved by his courage in confessing him."

CAST INTO PRISON.

He was finally thrown into prison with a chain about him and his feet made fast in the stocks. No violence nor cruelty, however, could intimidate him. Although the city was in an uproar, and the mob at the prison gates, his appearance was one of perfect calmness, and Dr. Shedd writes: "In all the ordeal here, even when most tormented, his face has shone like that of an angel. His testimony has been firm and full of Christ. You may shoot me from the mouth of a cannon, but you cannot take away my faith in Christ,' was his reply to the threats of his enemies." The danger was imminent that the fanatical mob would seize him, put him to death, and then attack the Christian quarter. He was, therefore, after special effort by his friends, sent by the authorities of Oroomiah to Tabriz, there to appear before a higher tribunal, that of the Governor of the province. He was brought in chains. Without the aid of friends in Oroomiah, he would have had to make the long journey on foot as well as in chains, under care of his mounted guards.

A young man, named Absalom, who has been working very earnestly and effectually for Christ, at his own charges, for several

[October,

years, and has been quite intimate with Mirza Ibrahim, went to the prison to bid him good-bye on the day he was to be sent to Tabriz.

He found him tying his clothing in a handkerchief ready to go. He had a quantity of provisions which had been sent him by Christian friends. The soldiers told him to take it with him, as he would need it on the way. "No," he replied, "I have a Master who will provide for me. I must leave this bread for the poor prisoners left here." Then turning to his fellow prisoners he said: "I have talked with you of Mohammed and have shown you that he can never save you and I have shown to you Christ the all-sufficient Saviour. You have learned truth enough to save your souls if you only receive it." They all rose with heavy chains on their necks and bade him go in peace while they prayed that his God and the Saviour whom he trusted and served would protect him.

As he left the prison yard he turned, and raising his hands solemnly called God to witness that if, on the judgment day, he should meet any of these souls unsaved he had declared to them the way of life, and that he was free from their blood.

He was then escorted by eight soldiers to the house of the general, Baghir Khan.

Absalom was separated from him, but following after, he found in the yard of the General some 200 Mussulmans, curious to see the man who had dared to defy the mullahs and deny the authority of the prophet. An officer came out of the house and told them, "This is a wonderful man. He is as brave as a lion. A mullah has just been there trying to convince him of his error, but he replies to everything and the mullah has gone away with his head hanging down. He says Mohammed is not a prophet, and that unless they can prove that he is from the Holy Books he will not give up his faith in Christ, even if they cut off his head."

1892.]

STRONG IN FAITH.

The General now called Absalom and told him to go and see Mirza if he wished to, pointing to the room where he

was.

Absalom went in and embraced him and they talked together a short time. Absalom asked him if his faith continued strong. He replied "It seems to me stronger every day." Then Absalom asked "Are you not afraid sometimes? Does not this temptation come to you?" Mirza answered "If death were not the common lot of all from Adam until now, may be Satan would bring this temptation before me. I know that I must die sometime. Why should I fear to die now?" Absalom then said, "I have a word for you now: It is not man who sends you to Tabriz; it is God. You are to bear witness to the guards, to the Governor; may be to the Crown Prince. Stand firm!"

Then Mirza said, "I think it may be so. Tell the missionaries and my other friends to pray that God will increase my faith. Tell them this is not of myself-I have no power-God is helping me." Then they knelt and prayed together, the crowd looking in through the large open Persian windows.

As they came out the General spoke in a loud tone to the guards saying, "I have a word to say: I swear by the spirit of Jesus Christ that if you maltreat this man or say a word against his religion I will cause you to eat your own fathers."

RENEWED IMPRISONMENT.

Reaching Tabriz, his guards delivered him to the keeper of the prison, and then themselves reported at once at the mission school, under the care of Mrs. Van Hook. Here they told his story and left a few clothes and other articles of the prisoner which they had saved. Mirza Ibrahim in Tabriz was thrust into the worst prison in the city, with a chain about his neck and his hands bound. He was thus fastened to a gang of murderers. These criminals

name.

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are to be seen in Persia, in companies of ten or twelve, an iron collar around the neck of each, a chain passing from man to man, and at times irons added to the legs of the worst offenders. In such disgrace and suffering this Christian brother found himself, simply for owning Jesus' He sent to the missionaries asking that they would give him a mat for his prison floor, since he had to lie down in the midst of vermin. It is needless to say that his brethren would have done anything in the world for his relief, but they and he knew well that for them to appear openly as his friends would but make his case all the worse. Only by the help of intermediaries could they send him food. It is the cruel custom in Persia to furnish no food to prisoners. If they have not money or friends they are in a wretched case. Ibrahim pawned his cloak to buy his bread, and sent to Mr. and Mrs. Wilson by an old fellow-townsman, Ali, begging for seven krans to redeem his cloak to protect him from the cold.

ANSWERED PRAYERS.

It was to him the sorest of his trials that he should be chained by the neck to that company of criminals. of criminals. For deliverance from this he especially prayed, and praver was made for him constantly by his brethren. Mrs. Van Hook, who just about this time left Tabriz with Miss Dean, to return to America, told us on her arrival at the Mission House, that on the very morning of her departure they heard that their prayer had been answered and the chain removed. For some reason, the jailor was moved to take it off. Perhaps it was the unusual spirit of the man, sharing the food sent him by his friends in the city, with the other prisoners. "Such," he said, against all remonstrances, "is the spirit of Jesus." He was allowed to have his New Testament with him, and most constantly and faithfully did he preach the true Life to his

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fellow-bondsmen. Thrust into prison for preaching Christ, and yet allowed to carry on this criminal work in the prison itself! Many of the prisoners, we hear, were profoundly moved by the message of our brother. One of them, a murderer, was so moved with contrition and melted under his instructions that he made full confession of his sins. As for Ibrahim himself, his days are marked here also not only by courage, but by peace. From the first he has been saying, "They may kill me, but I know that I shall go to my Saviour." "And so," writes Mrs. Wilson, "of this poor, weak man, faulty, perhaps in many respects, God seems to have raised up a faithful witness, and how it stirs our hearts to know of such love and devotion! Would our own faith bear such a test?"

What is to be the fate of this persecuted man? It is impossible to say. There is some ground for hope of his life. "It is pleasant to say," writes Rev. Dr. Shedd, of Oroomiah, "that the civil authorities (in distinction from the Moslem mullahs) have shown a fair and tolerant spirit. Some of the leading men have shown real sympathy for the prisoner. It is a fair and square issue before the Government, whether or not it will listen to the cry of the mullahs and the law of the Koran and execute a man who has openly renounced Islam. But this case of Mirza Ibrahim has been made so public, and the ecclesiastics have recently gained such influence that no one can predict what the issue will be. Much prayer is offered that our brother may be faithful unto death."

HOSPITAL INCIDENTS IN PERSIA.

J. P. COCHRAN, M. D., OROOMIAH. A mountain Nestorian while hunting wild boar was accidently shot by a companion, the rifle ball shattering his leg. His friend did not dare take him home, for he knew too

to

[October,

well that swift retribution would be meted out to him by the wounded man's relatives. At once he left his home and family and fled another district, where his wife and children, driven away from their own village, in time joined him. They cannot return, at least for three years. What property they have not been able to take with them is confiscated. They must be exiles, it may be for many years, from their home. The code of honor amongst these wild Nestorians or Koords demands blood for blood, without any form of trial, even although the injured party declares that he holds no grudge whatever against the man who injured him, and admits that the affair was purely accidental.

The sequel to this story will illustrate still another characteristic in human life as we see it here. The wounded hunter, although deserted by his companion, was found by others and brought to our hospital. Here it was seen that the leg was so injured that he must die unless he should undergo quite a serious operation, and that even then he must be a cripple for life. His mother-in-law was told of this. Immediately she took him away, saying that she would rather have a dead son-in-law than a cripple who would be nothing but a burden to her daughter.