crisis before the central lights had
grown bright enough, and a knowledge of the Gospel been sufficiently
diffused in the empire. There was everywhere a curiosity to know
what Protestantism was, and to hear what the missionaries had to
say; but this curiosity, regarded as a national feeling, was in
danger of dying out. In the year 1851, the President of the National
Council of the Armenians said to Mr. Dwight: "Now is the time for
you to work for the Armenian people. Such an opportunity as you now
enjoy may soon pass away, and never more return. You should greatly
enlarge your operations. Where you have one missionary, you should
have ten; and where you have one book, you should put ten in
circulation." Constantinople, Smyrna, Broosa, Trebizond, Erzroom,
and Aintab, were already occupied as stations. It was proposed at
once to occupy Sivas, Arabkir, Diarbekir, and Aleppo. Mr. Adger,
after a laborious and most useful service in the literary department
of the mission, was constrained, by his health, in 1847, to retire
from the field.

The statement of Lord Stratford, that three years were allowed to
pass before the Sultan's firman was transmitted to the provinces,
will account in part for the fact that persecution did not cease. In
general, whenever evangelical views entered for the first time into
a place, a battle was to be fought, and the first recipients of
these views were sure to suffer more or less from the hands of their
former co-religionists. But relief was almost sure to come on an
appeal to the capital; and thus there was a gradual progress towards
the full protection of the Protestants as a distinct community.

The accession of missionaries during the time now under review, was
as follows: Joel S. Everett, in 1845; Isaac G. Bliss, in 1847;
Oliver Crane, in 1849; Joseph W. Sutphen, in 1852--who died before
the close of the year; Wilson A. Farnsworth, William Clark, Andrew
T. Pratt, M. D.; George B. Nutting, Fayette Jewett, M. D., and
Jasper N. Ball, in 1853; Albert G. Beebe, George A. Perkins, Sanford
Richardson, Edwin Goodell, and Benjamin Parsons, in 1854; and
Alexander R. Plumer, and Ira T. Pettibone, in 1855. All these were
married men, except Mr. Pettibone. Mary and Isabella, daughters of
Dr. Goodell, returned to the mission within the last two years.

In June, 1848, Pera was again ravaged by fire, and Messrs. Dwight,
Homes, and Schauffler lost their houses, and most of their effects.

In October of