Merdin, we find that the
custom of avenging murder and requiring blood for blood, exists among
the independent Chaldeans and Syrians, and keeps them in continual
warfare, where one happens to be killed by the inhabitants of another
village. The inhabitants of the village of the person killed, feel it
a necessary point of honour to revenge it.

He also mentioned, that the Yezidees were no longer so numerous as
formerly, but were greatly diminished by the plague, which happened a
few years ago, by which Diarbekr lost 10,000 of its inhabitants.

We had a visit from an Armenian, who was formerly treasurer to Sir
Gore Ouseley; while speaking about Christianity, he said, it was no
use to speak to the Armenians about it, for they all say, "How can we
know any thing about such matters, and that, except as a sect, they
are too ignorant to know or care about Christianity." They are indeed
full of the pride of heart that appertains to sectarians, and
obstinately resist the Scriptures being translated into the modern
languages, because, say they, the ancient language was spoken in
Paradise, and will be the language of heaven, and that, therefore,
translating the sacred book into that which is modern, is a
desecration. How wonderfully does Satan blind men, and how by one
contrivance or another does he endeavour to keep God's word from them,
as a real intelligible book, which the Spirit of God makes plain, even
to the most unlettered; but the more we discover him endeavouring to
pervert God's word from becoming intelligible, the more we should
strive to let every soul have the testimony of God concerning his
life in Christ, in a language he understands. In this point of view I
look to the schools with comfort.

_August 19._--Things here seem most unsettled, and require us to live
in very simple faith as to what a day may bring forth. It is stated,
that between 20 and 30,000 Arabs are close to the gates of the city.
The Pasha has an army about 24 miles from hence; but unable to move,
except all together, and there is another regiment under an English
officer about 12 miles distant. The deposition of this Pasha seems to
be the principal object of these Arabs, in which it is not impossible
that they may be fully supported by the Porte. What will be the result
of all this we are not careful to know, for we are not to fear their
face, nor to be afraid, but the Lord will be to us a hiding place from
the storm, when the blast of the terr