RESEARCHES OF THE REV. E. SMITH AND REV. H. G. O. DWIGHT IN ARMENIA: INCLUDING A JOURNEY THROUGH ASIA MINOR, AND INTO GEORGIA AND PERSIA, WITH A VISIT TO THE NESTORIAN AND CHALDEAN CHRISTIANS OF OORMIAH AND SALMAS. IN TWO VOLUMES VOL. I. BY ELI SMITH, BOSTON: PUBLISHED BY CROCKER AND BREWSTER, NEW YORK: JONATHAN LEAVITT, 182 Broadway. Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1833, By CROCKER & BREWSTER, In the Clerk's office of the District Court of Massachusetts. GRIFFIN & Co. PRINTERS. A LARGE extent of territory, in the countries lying around the Mediterranean, had been surveyed by the missionaries of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, before Messrs. Smith and Dwight entered upon the tour described in these volumes. Messrs. Fisk and Parsons, in the year 1820, had traversed the country embracing the Seven Churches of Asia. Messrs. Fisk and King had ascended the Nile, as far as Thebes in Upper Egypt, in 1823. Messrs. Parsons, Fisk, King, Bird, Goodell, and Smith had, at different times, explored the whole of Palestine and the greater part of Syria, within the years 1821-1827. In 1827 Mr. Gridley travelled from Smyrna into Cappadocia ;. and in that year and the two following, Messrs. Brewer, King, Smith and Anderson, visited the Peloponnesus and the more important of the Ionian and Ægean islands. Tripoli and Tunis, on the northern coast of Africa, were visited by Mr. Bird in 1829. These investigations, together with those of missionaries employed by other societies, had laid open the religious and moral condition of the Coptic, Maronite, and Greek churches to the minute observation of their brethren in this western world. Some sects there were, however, having their principal residence farther east, of which, though enough was known to excite interest, there was not enough to determine definitely what should be attempted for their spiritual improvement. Such, among others, were the Armenians, Georgians, Nestorians and Chaldeans. To ascertain what it was practicable for the churches of America to do for these sects, and also for the Turks, Türk máns, Kürds, and Persians, among whom they reside, the Prudential Committee of the Board resolved to send two missionaries into Armenia on a tour of investigation. The Rev. ELI SMITH was selected for one, on account of his experience as a traveller, and his acquaintance with the Arabic language, with which he had made himself familiar in Syria, and also with Turkish, which a little practice would enable him to employ in conversation. The Rev. H. G. O. DWIGHT, although but just come into the Mediterranean, was associated with him, in full confidence that he would render important aid in the service. It is due to these brethren to say, that they executed their commission to the entire satisfaction of the Committee. The result has been the collection of a mass of interesting and valuable facts, the relation of which, in the independent journals of the two travellers deposited at the Missionary Rooms, occupies more than a thousand pages of manuscript. The use which Mr. Smith has made of the journal of his companion, is explained in the Preface. It may be proper to add, that the Committee have taken measures, since receiving these reports, to commence a mission among the Nestorians of Oormiah, in Persia; and they hope soon, with the leave of Providence, to occupy a number of new stations in that part of the world. We regard the statements contained in these volumes as possessing an accuracy and value far beyond what is common in books of travels; and as being worthy of the atten tive perusal of the geographer and historian, as well as of missionaries and directors of missionary societies; and indeed of all who are interested in the publication of the gospel in the east, and in the intellectual and moral improve- . ment of man. Missionary Rooms, Boston, Jan. 17, 1833. B. B. WISNER, Secretaries. PREFACE. AN important fact brought to light by the experience of protestant missions in Western Asia, has for some time interested the benevolent in the relics of the Oriental Churches. While papists are hedged around by inveterate prejudice, and moslems by their intolerant law against apostasy, those churches are accessible. The importance of evangelical labors among them, therefore, has been naturally regarded as enhanced, not only by the prospect of effecting their own improvement, but by the very inaccessibleness in other ways of the regions they inhabit. One of the largest of the oriental churches is the ARMENIAN. From what missionaries had seen of its scattered members along the coast of the Levant, the American Board of Missions had been led to hope, that in Armenia itself might be found some promising fields for missionary culture. To investigate this point, their Prudential Committee directed the journey narrated in the following pages to be undertaken. Their Instructions, bearing date the 19th of January 1830, may be found published in part in the Missionary Herald vol. xxvi. p. 75. They were received at Malta on the 27th of February, and the journey was accomplished during the remainder of that and the first six months of the following year. |