Mediterranean. NEW-YORK LADIES' GREEK COMMITTEE. THE return of Mr. King to the Mediterranean, and the eager desire of Books which he found in Greece, were stated at p. 40 of the Survey. The following extracts of his Journal, written at Poros, an island in the Gulf of Egina, and addressed to the Ladies' Greek Committee of New York, by whom he has been sent out to the Mediterranean, have appeared in an American Publication. Eagerness of the Greeks for the Scriptures. Aug. 1, 1828-When I arose, I found many persons standing at my door, wishing for New Testaments. After breakfast, several Boys came in with a Priest; and, on my asking what they wished, the reply from all was"Books! books!-the Gospel! the Gospel!" In order to satisfy myself with regard to the truth of their assertion, that they were able to read, I made them stand up in a row; and proceeded to hear them read from the Gospel, one after another; and made remarks to them upon the truths which it contains. While thus occupied, eight or ten Boys came in, and announced to me that their Teacher was below and wished to see me. I, of course, invited him to come in. On his entering, all his scholars took their stand together in order; and these, together with the others who had previously entered, formed an interesting groupe of thirty or forty boys, from eight to eighteen years of age. The Teacher, Nicephorus Pamboukes, told me that he was a Native of Argos; and that he was regularly employed here by the President, Capo d'Istria, as Teacher of the Ancient Greek, and that he had in his school about eighty scholars. After he had taken his seat, and the usual compliments had passed between us, he addressed me in the following manner: "How much labour you have taken, to come from America, five or six thousand miles, to bring us aid! We are indeed in affliction. Pass over into the Morea, and you will find our cities laid waste-many without house, without food, or raiment. Truly your reward will be great, from Him, who rewards those who give only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple. But we are unworthy. With regard to our religion, we are fallen from the elevation where we once were. We have borne long the Turkish Yoke-have become ignorant-have not the Gospel-and war has introduced many evils. I have come After these went away, others came and begged for the Gospel. If Christians in America could have witnessed the scenes which I have witnessed to day-the earnestness with which Youths and Old Men plead with me for a Bible-I am sure there would be no want of money to print it in sufficient numbers to supply all Greece. I suppose that there have been at my room to-day, begging for that inestimable treasure, more than a hundred persons, from the age of nine years to fifty-five or sixty. Among them was a Priest, with a long white beard, who came with his son to beg a New Testament. Several Old Men, whose hairs begin to whiten with age, came and begged the same; saying, that they had children who knew how to read, but that they had not the Gospel in their houses. Some from Athens, some from Hydra, some from other places, came for the same purpose. Before granting them their request, I examined them all, to see if they could read; and, in presenting to them the books, I addressed them, in a few words, on the importance of reading the Gospel daily, with prayer to God, through Christ, that he would enlighten them-that he would renew their heartsthat they might love the truth, and practise it in their lives. Parents who could read, I addressed on the importance of reading the Scriptures daily with their children, and of training them up for heaven. Aug. 2-Many called for the New Testament. That seems to be desired here, more than any other book. One man from Roumelia, about forty years of age, came and bought three New Testaments, one for himself: the other two he said he wished for two Priests who lived near him, and who had not the Gospel; and he desired that they might have it, so as to be able to teach others. On my asking him if there were no other Priests near him who had not the Gospel, he replied, "Yes; but they are old men, and not now capable of improvement: the other two are young, and may improve. Now, they have not the Gospel; and how should they know any thing to teach others?" There was something in this man's remarks, and in his appearance altogether, which struck me very much: he had on, I believe, only one long coarse garment, with a leather girdle about his loins, and seemed to possess all the hardihood of a mountaineer. Visited the School of Nicephorus Pamboukes. I addressed the Scholars on the importance of uniting with human knowledge that of the Gospel; and gave 27 New Testaments to them. Several had previously obtained them from me, so that there are perhaps 50 in the school who have the Gospel. I should have furnished all the Students with New Testaments, were it not that I have only 20 or 30 left in my possession: 140 or 150 were all that I was able to obtain at Malta, and it will probably be a long time before I can receive any from England. Among others who called to-day, was an interesting man, with a most interesting son, a boy of eight or nine years of age, from the ancient Arcadia: both were able to read with great fluency. His object in calling, was to beg of me the Gospel for himself and family. He came twice, and waited, and pleaded a long time, till I could not find it in my heart to refuse his request, and gave him one out of the little number which remained, and which I had intended to keep to present to the Priests that I might meet with in the Morea. Aug. 7, 1828-Several persons called to-day for the Gospel, and I am obliged to send them empty away. In the afternoon, a little boy came and asked me for a small school-book, printed at Malta. I asked for it 15 paras. He said he had no money: and stood waiting, till the spot where he stood was so wet with perspiration, that the print of his feet was visible on the floor for a long time after he went away. Seeing him wait so long, I told him again, that he must give me 15 paras for the book. "I am poor," said he, "and cannot pay it. Father I have not he was killed by the Turks, or I know not by whom. He is gone-my mother is left with myself and two sisters-and I cannot pay!" While he thus spoke and pleaded for a book, his eyes filled with tears, and I could no longer resist: so I gave him his request. He is thirteen years old, and has already advanced so far in learning as to begin to write. I mention this simply to let you know how much desire is manifested here for books. Intercourse with Greeks. Aug. 3: Sunday- After the Service, I walked out a little distance, to see if the orders which the President has lately given, that all the shops and coffee-houses shall be shut up on the Lord's Day, were obeyed: I saw one only open. When in the marketplace, I saw several women who had water to sell: good water here is scarce; and One brought from the Monastery, which is at a Since my arrival here, one thing has struck me very much. It is, that many of the people, and several of the Priests, seem ready to confess their ignorance, and the importance of reading the Scriptures in Modern Greek-in the language which they understand-in order to be benefitted, and that they may know the true religion of the Gospel. This, several have expressed to me; and among others, one of the Bishops. Aug. 10: Sunday-I went, with Nicephorus Pamboukes and a Greek Physician, to visit the poor and sick strangers who live over against Poros, on the main land. It is only about four minutes' distance. I took with me four New Testaments; two of which were for two Priests, who had desired me to send them the Gospel. Soon after I had passed over, the two Priests came and received the New Testaments with much apparent joy; and a third came and begged for another, which I gave to him, The fourth I opened, and began to read from it, and made remarks to the people who stood around me: in a few minutes, forty or fifty persons collected; and, in collecting, made a good deal of noise; but on asking their attention, they almost instantly became silent, and I again opened the New Testament, and spoke from these words, Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness. At five in the afternoon, I went again with the Physician, to see some of the poor. During this second visit, a Priest came to me from the Bishop of Damala, saying, that the Bishop had desired him to beg. of me five or six New Testaments, to distribute among the Priests in his Diocese. As the Bishop lived near, I called to see him; and he observed to me, that he wished the New Testaments for the object above mentioned, as many of the Priests were unlearned; and he wished them to be acquainted with the Gospel, so that they might be able to teach the people. Importance of Schools for Greece. Had an interview with the President: and, among other things, conversed with him about the establishment of Schools; and asked his Excellency, whether, in case I had a certain sum of money yearly for the establishment of Schools, I should meet with any difficulty in employing it for that purpose. "Not the least," said he: "you can establish as many Schools as you please." He observed, however, that there were two difficulties-one, the want of houses; and the other, the want of Teachers. Teachers, I doubt not, I could find, if I had the means of employing them. I could obtain some of them here, some from Constantinople, some from Smyrna, and some from Palestine. Now, if ever, is the time to commence; and every plan ought to be laid, as if Greece were actually free, and sure to rise. Aug. 7, 1828-In the forenoon, went to the Monastery, to visit the Lancasterian School there established: the Teacher's name is Petros Bowas. There are in this School, 86 Boys, the youngest of which is 9 and the oldest 17 years of age: the greater part are from 10 to 15 years old. They were taken by the President from the army, which they followed; and from the midst of filth, and vermin, and wretchedness. They were in a school of vice, and training up for ruin: they are now decently clothed ;-and I have seldom visited any school of the kind, in any country, that appeared to be in more perfect order. They are taught six days in the week, without regard to Feast-days: this is one step toward correcting this people. The Teacher told me, that he thought the expense of feeding and clothing them, and giving them instruction, is about two piastres a day each: -15 piastres make a Spanish Dollar. Damala is a small place. There is one School, consisting of 13 scholars, from 9 or 10 to 15 years of age. The Teacher receives for his services one piastre per month from each scholar, and the PROMISE of a loaf of bread, which he says they do not regularly give him. In the afternoon, visited Nicephorus Pamboukes. He says the scholars are obliged to WRITE off Homer and other Classics, for want of books. He again expressed to me his joy that I had come to assist the people; and to teach them the true religion of the Gospel; of which, he observed, they are very ignorant. Aug. 11-Went to Egina. I had been here only a few days, before the President shewed me an article in one of the French Papers, stating that I had come out to Greece for the purpose of establishing Schools; for the EXPENSE of which the Ladies of your city had subscribed sufficient money. I told the President, that I wished it were so; but that if they had subscribed sufficient for the establishment of Schools in Greece, it was done after I came away, or without my knowledge. As the Ladies of New York have now the reputation of having done this, I think it would be very well for them to subscribe enough for the establishment of one large School at Athens or at Egina. There is not the least obstacle in the way of my establishing the School, if I had the means: and a few hundred dollars, I fancy, would suffice. The moment Athens is free, I intend to go thither to reside it is now in the hands of the Turks. The present a Critical Season for Exertions in behalf of Greece. It is now the moment, and perhaps the only favourable moment, that may for a long time be presented, to do something for Greece. The most important thing to be done first, is the establishment of Lancasterian Schools, both for Males and Females; and two or three schools of a high order. With this, the Bible must be distributed. If something is not done soon, Greece will be lost. The flood-gates of iniquity have been opened, and kept open, by the war, the influx of foreigners, and other causes: and the barrier erected against vice by a religion whose superstructure, though resting on a good foundation, is made up of wood, hay, and stubble, is not sufficient to resist the mighty torrents which are now rolling in upon this country. But that which I have often stated in America, I would now say again, That, whatever Greece may be as to her present charac ter, she is ready to receive and employ the two means, and I may perhaps say the only means, which God ever blessed to the civilization and happiness of a nation- the light of the Gospel, and the light of Science. Such an interesting field for labour was seldom, if ever, opened before the Christian and Philanthropist, as that which Greece now presents. Severe Sufferings of the Greeks. Aug. 10, 1828 - I found several persons sitting under a fig-tree. In a few minutes, 60 or 70 assembled under and round the tree: I begged their attention, and spoke to them from Matt. xi. 28. They were all poor and distressed, and many of them ill of fevers. Several Priests were present. I spoke to them about half-an-hour. If tears would have relieved them, I could have wept freely, as I spoke to this interesting group of sufferers, who had need of strong consolation. All listened with great attention. There are collected here, as in a village, about 200 families, and I should say at least 1000 persons, who live in little huts or cabins resembling those described by the Rev. Mr. Stewart in the Sandwich Islands, who are destitute of almost every comfort of life, and almost every thing needful to preserve their existence. Out of the thousand, I should judge that there are three or four hundred ill, most of them of fevers. Here I saw the aged and helpless female lying on the ground, pining away with hunger and disease. Here I saw the pale and sickly infant, sucking fever from the breast of its languishing, distressed mother, who could no longer provide for her own wants! Here I saw young men and maidens, feeble and suffering, each clothed with only ONE tattered garment, which had been patched and sewed, till it seemed to be nothing but a collection of shreds! Here I saw parents, ill themselves, casting looks of sorrow upon their children, who sat and lay round them on the ground, meagre and pale. In almost every cabin, I found one or two ill; and, in some, several. But of all the objects of pity which I saw, one in particular deserves notice. It was a poor female, of about 25 or 30 years of age, lying on a little coarse blanket spread upon the ground, and a small blanket elevated two feet or two feet-and-a-half above her, to shield her from the rays of the sun. The blanket on which she lay seemed to be too short to stretch herself upon; and the only garment which she had on, which consisted of patches sewn together, was very much tattered. Her Husband had been slain by the Turks; and two little children could no longer behold the wretchedness of their mother, for their eyes had been closed in death. In this situation she was labouring under a burning fever, which, together with grief and anguish, had caused her mind to wander. This I did not perceive, till I called to her; and said, "Sister! look for consolation to Him, who, like you, had not where to lay His head!" At these words, she raised her head, looked at me with a degree of wildness which indicated the commencement of a delirium, and then stretched out her hands toward me in a manner of supplication for help. Thus I spent the forenoon, going about among the sick and wretched; endeavouring to point them to Him, who, though rich, became poor for our sakes, and gave His life that we might live. I blessed God that He had permitted me to stand on Missionary Ground, and to speak to such poor, suffering creatures, in the name of Christ. CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY. Proceedings of the Rev. John Hartley at Smyrna. FROM a Letter written by Mr. Hartley to Rev. H. D. Leeves, on the 13th of March, from Smyrna, we extract the following account of his proceedings at that place : The Scriptures are now publicly read in the two principal Schools of the Greeks and Armenians at Smyrna. At a late Examination of the Pupils of the Greek School, a very large number of the New Testaments of the Bible Society were distributed, as prizes; and, several times during the week, Abraham, the Master, reads and expounds the Sacred Writings, to all the Scholars assembled together. It is a circumstance still more unprecedented, to see 60 Armenian Children with the New Testament in their hands. One of the Teachers of the large Armenian School has been the instrument of this happy event: he is a man fully aware of the corruptions which have found their way into his Church, and most desirous of diffusing Scriptural Knowledge, for the purpose of dissipating them: how was I delighted, the other day, on visiting the school, to see the children seated, in Oriental style, on their little rugs, and studying the Armenian Testament ! It is the ancient Armenian which they peruse; and their school-exercises consist in translating it into Turkish. I had the pleasure of hearing the beginning of St. John's Gospel expressed in Turkish accents, by these little Orientals: and had I been listening to the most overpowering Oratorio in England, it would not have been such music in my ears. The same day I had the gratification to find my Armenian Friend engaged in teaching one of the Priests of his nation to understand the New Testament; for you are sufficiently aware, that the Armenian Priests, in general, read the ancient language at Church, without understanding it. Two Young Men, but lately Roman Catholics, have not only embraced Protestant Doctrines, but they give reason to hope that they are sincerely solicitous for their eternal interests. There are also three Young Greeks, with whom I read and pray habitually; and not a few others, of various religious names, who afford promising expectations. You will have learned, from other sources of information, that John Baptist de Castro is now with us. I have taken much pains to impress on his mind the necessity of a total change of disposition; and to shew, that, without this, no transition from Judaïsm to Christianity, nor even severe sufferings for the Cause of Christ, will avail him. At times, I have lamented an apparent sternness of character, notwithstanding all his zeal and application to the study of the Scriptures: but I have also been rejoiced to see this rugged temperament at other times dissolved into feelings of tenderness, and, as I trust, of devotedness. He told me once, that my expressions But," he added, gave him pain: you seek the good of my soul: others only aim at my temporal happiness." In the latter expression, he alluded to some of the Armenians; who check him in his attempts to convert his countrymen, and who incite him to pursue the amusements and follies of youth. The Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem, who is at present in these parts, has invited him to accompany him to the Holy City; but he has declined the proposal, fearful of the restraints to which such a connection would expose him. You probably recollect the Polish Jew who applied to us for baptism in Constantinople. On my return from Greece, I found him in Smyrna, and renewed my intercourse with him. I re gret to say, that I have not been able to baptize him as yet, though he ardently desires it. He has obtained some acquaintance with Christianity, and manifests some dispositions which are pleasing; but I have had the pain to find that his conduct has not been altogether such as becometh the Gospel of Christ. But even where we cannot do good to an individual himself, we can sometimes do good, through him, to others. Of this I have been convinced, in the instance before us. At Constantinople, he brought me a Polish Roman-Catholic, who appeared to receive the Truth in the very love of it; and, but lately, he brought me a Roman Catholic, one of Admiral de Rigny's band, who was eager to embrace the Protestant Religion. Unfortunately, the Admiral sailed soon after my acquaintance had been formed with this individual: not, however, before I had an opportunity of giving him some good advice; and of furnishing himself, and through him various other persons on board Le Conquerant, with some of our most useful Italian Tracts. I have also a Young Armenian residing with me, both as Servant and Turkish Master, who was introduced by the Jew above mentioned: he studies the Armenian Testament daily; and, from being a complete Intidel, appears to be gaining some right ideas of the Truth, and joins me daily in prayer with seriousness. Persia. Remarkable Instance of the Effect of the late Rev. Henry Martyn's Labours. A NARRATIVE appears in a recent Number of the Asiatic Journal, in which a remarkable instance is adduced of the effect of Mr. Martyn's visit to Shirâz. The writer of this Narrative, the substance of which we subjoin, spent a few weeks, nine or ten years ago, at Shirâz. It will be seen, from his own statement, that religion had not its full controul over him; but there is an air of integrity in the Narrative which conciliates confidence in its truth. It may lead to encouraging reflections on the powerful working of the leaven of Divine Truth, now so widely scattered through the world. Having received an invitation to dine (or rather sup) with a Persian party in the city, I went, and found a number of guests assembled. The conversation was varied-grave and gay; chiefly of the latter complexion. Poetry was |