said
never to have made so much progress among the permanent Armenian
residents of Erzroom, as during the period of these outrages.

One principal reason for the determination of the ecclesiastics to
uproot Bible religion from Erzroom, was the central and consequently
influential position of that city in the interior of Armenia. In the
district of Pasin, to the east, were nearly two hundred villages, in
which Mr. Peabody found both priests and people remarkably
accessible. In the nearer villages, a few were always found so much
awake to the truth as to pay little regard to the injunctions of
their spiritual rulers, who were opposed to Bible teachings. Not
unfrequently individuals from Egin, Diarbekir, and other distant
places, called on Messrs. Peabody and Smith for religious inquiry. A
tour of Haritun of Nicomedia to Sivas, Erzroom, Egin, etc., brought
to light many encouraging facts in those places. In every important
place some inquirers were found, and only laborers seemed needful to
gather in an abundant harvest.

The author can bear witness to the increase of intelligence at
Trebizond. The quiet preaching of the word by Messrs. Johnston and
Bliss, and the distribution of the Scriptures and other evangelical
books, had, by the blessing of God, moved many minds, and taught the
difference between truth and error; and they gladly availed
themselves of every opportunity to come together for conference and
prayer. Not many, however, were willing to run much risk for the
truth's sake, and few gave satisfactory evidence of being "born
again."

A young man of superior attainments in Trebizond, belonging to the
Papal Armenians, died in the spring of 1844, giving the most
satisfactory evidence of conversion. His priest had made every
effort to reclaim him, but Mugurdich, for that was his name, was
very decided, and a few days before his death made a formal
renunciation of his Church in writing, and peacefully committed his
all to Christ. His body was not allowed a burial in the graveyard,
or with the usual religious ceremonies, but was carried out at a
late hour, in a dark stormy night, by common street porters, under
the direction of a Turkish police-officer, and buried in a waste
place about a mile out of the city. His priest had threatened to
bury him like a dog; but he told them, at the time, that they could
thus do him no harm, as they could not reach his soul.

The Vartabed in this city was not deemed sufficientl