midst all turmoils and in the most
troublous times--in this we find peace and quietness.

The poor men who came to endeavour to obtain from the Pasha here the
re-institution of the Syrian patriarch in those churches in Merdin,
from which he had been ejected by the Roman Catholic bishop, are now
returning without success, but carrying back with them two boxes of
Arabic and Syrian New Testaments to the Patriarch. May the Lord water
them by his most Holy Spirit, so that they may become the ground of
living churches, instead of those of stone which they have lost.

I have been much surprised to learn that all the Arab tribes on these
rivers, except the Montefeiks, are Sheahs or followers of Ali, whom I
had formerly thought followers of Omar.

I have already mentioned, that on leaving Mousul, Mr. Taylor's party
were attacked and obliged to return to Telaafer,[14] a village between
Mousul and Merdin, whence, after having waited for a stronger escort,
they proceeded towards Merdin, when the event related in the following
letter took place; but the supposed death of the three gentlemen was
unfounded. They were only made prisoners and carried to the mountains
of Sinjar, among the Yezidees. These people are declared enemies of
the Mohammedans, whom they hate; but, on the whole, except when their
cupidity is excited, they are not unfriendly towards Christians. They
seem, with the Sabeans and some others, such as the Druzes, to be
descendants of the believers in the two principles who have blown
their pestiferous breath at different times into every system of
religion that has prevailed in these countries, corrupting all.
However, these Yezidees, be they originally what they may, have now
these three gentlemen in custody, and require 7,500 piastres of this
place--about L75, for their liberation, and Major T. has sent a person
from hence to treat about it.

[14] All this was wrong; they were treacherously robbed and
murdered, Mr. Jas. Taylor, Mr. Aspinal, a merchant of Bombay, and Mr.
Bawater, formerly, I think, in the marines.

"My dear Sir,

"It is, I can assure you, with a sincere and melancholy regret
at the dreadful, I may say horrible and awful event that I have
so lately witnessed, that I sit down now to address a few lines
to you. I feel quite unable to give you an entire relation of
our misfortunes, and shall content myself with saying, that out
of seven as happy people as cou