Page:The Nestorians and their rituals, volume 1.djvu/418

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
358
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.

reliance on the divine care and bounty is a virtue which is practised in a much higher degree by Easterns than it is by the people of the West generally, and hence the claims of relationship are more fully recognised by the former than by the latter. An indigent relative, however distantly connected, feels himself at home in the house of his kinsman, who on his part considers himself bound to do all in his power to assist him. From this it results that there are many households in the East, composed of several united families, who live together in peace and harmony, the poorer sharing the affluence of the richer, and all regarding one another as members of the same domestic circle.

So great was the kindness and hospitality shown us at Aleppo by many eastern friends,—in which acknowledgment we should be ungrateful not to record the attention of Mr. Consul Werry, who though ill at the time did all he could to render our stay profitable and agreeable, that we prepared to leave it with regret. But we had not yet reached the end of our journey, and duty called us to be going. We accordingly started from the town on the 17th of June, visited Dana and the ruined establishments of the Stylites, or Pillar Saints, in that neighbourhood, crossed the Orontes and the great Turcoman plain, and entered Antioch in three days from Aleppo. From thence our route lay over the wooded heights of mount Casius to Latachia, where we embarked in a native boat for Beyroot, and again left for Smyrna in the Austrian steamer "Arciduca," on the 4th of July. At Smyrna Mr. Fletcher and Kas Botros took their departure for Malta, and Mrs. Badger and I accompanied by Kas Michael proceeded to Constantinople, where we were welcomed by the Rev. Messrs. Miles and Taylor; two missionaries of the American Episcopal Church, who had been sent out to labour among the Armenians. The Rev. H. Southgate was absent at the time on a visit to his native country, where he was consecrated Bishop, and subsequently rejoined his colleagues. This mission, I regret to say, was broken up a few years after, but for what reason I am not informed. We remained at the Turkish capital till the 18th of September, engaged in forwarding the interests of the Nestorians and their Patriarch, and in holding frequent intercourse with the heads of the Christian communities there, and