MR. SOUTHGATE'S TOUR IN TURRET 'AND PERSIA.

SorrinuTE is a clergy inan of the American Episcopal Church ; who was deputed by the Foreign Committee of the Board of Mis- sions, to visit such parts of Turkey and Persia as he might deem advisable, in order to investigate their spiritual condition, with a view to the establishment of resident missionaries, to operate both upon the Asiatic Christians and the Mahometans. Arriving at Constantinople without any remarkable incident, he immediately began the study of the Turkish language, and associated himself as much as practicable with the natives; a very little experience convincing him that this was the only mode of' getting a true idea of the Turkish character, or of being able to pronounce a just judg- ment upon it. After some months passed in this preparatory dis- cipline, and an excursion in Asia Minor to try the extent of' his acquirements, he started on his mission, with an Armenian servant, who had accompanied ninny European travellers. To Trebizond lie proceeded by the new steam-boat, and thence to Erzeroum along the usual road. II km he turned aside to traverse the Southern shore of' Lake Van ; and passing safbly through the Kurds, by a route untravelled by any European, reached Tebriz. lie thence proceeded to the present capital of Persia, Tehran ; returning to Constantinople by thunadan, Kermanshah, Bagdad, Diarbekir- towns of great celebrity in the palmy days of the Mahometan po wers .

Ilk acquaintance with the language, the object he had in view, and the manner in which be mixed with the natives on every occa- sion, furnished Mr. Sorrno.vrn with better opportunities of ob- serving the real character of time Orientals, than any modern tra- veller excepting CONOLLY. Though not himself without traits of the colonist in certain points, he is, in essentials, a man of en- larged and observing mind ; sensible in his estimate of worldly matters, and catholic in his views of religion,—so much so, that, we suspect, zealots will denounce him for the liberality with which he concedes it true spirit of piety to Mussulmans, and separates the corruptions of practice or of commentators from the actual doctrines of Mahomet. hence, Mr. SOUTHGATE'S book is one of' the best which has of late years appeared on the subject of Turkey and Persia ; being full of facts and information of a novel kind, mid presenting altogether a completer idea of' the people amongst whom he travelled. With his solidity, indeed, there is occasionally mixed someA% hat of heaviness; and the subjects he fre- quently discusses—the state of morals, education, and religion— may be less agreeable to Common readers than flashy description and got-up scenes. But to those who wish to form an idea of the Turkish character as it is exhibited in remote parts of the em- pire, and of' the change, or submission to change, which seems at present to pervade the Mahometan mind, Mr. SOUTHGATE'S Nar_ mar,. q' a 'Pour through Armenia, Kurdistan, Persia, and Mesopo- iambi, will be an interesting and welcome book. According to our author, the much-talked-of surety of the word of a Turk cannot be always taken, at least in the capital ; and where the promise is kept, he seems to consider it arises as much from indolence, or want of dexterity in evasion, as from any peculiar fidelity. Of the peasantry lie entertains a much better opinion than of the city Turks; the new refbrms having shaken all the old opinions and prejudices of the latter, without providing any new restraints : and Mr. &um:ATE emphatically declares, that he " has never known a Mussulman sincere in his faith, and devout and punctual hi his religious duties, in whom moral rectitude did , not seem an active quality and a living pi incipk." The Kurds, whom most travellers stigmatize as robbers, :11r. Sol:TM:ATE places at the head of the Asiatic peasantry, for cheerfulness, industry, activity, amid willingness: but then, a distinction must be drawn between the agricultural and mountain Kurds, the latter being bad enough. The Christians, generally, he found an ignorant and ratIn4- servile race—the effects of oppression. In the few places \dere they Nrcre on an equality with the Mahometans, they dis- played an openness and frankness of character beyond that of any other class. Of the Persians Mr. SOUTHGATE gives a very in- different aceount,—liars to a man, and most of them cheats. Their reputation for plensantness anti " accessibility" he does not gainsay ; but their liberality of sentiment arises from their laxity, and their love of metaphysics : indifferent to all religion, they are willing to hear and argue about any. Even as a matter of reason or science, lie suspects that no very great theological effects will be produced on the Persians, from the versatility of the majority, or the refitted and doubt-weighing of the few. Here is an example of a

LONG SEARCHING AFTER TRUTH.

Mirza Said Ali, the coadjutor of Martyn in the work of translating the New

Testament, is still living at Shiraz ; an old and respected man, though in worldly circumstances considerably reduced. Nearly thirty years have now passed away since that which he spent in the society of Martyn. Ile is still, as he then was, a professed inquirer for the truth, dissatisfied with his own religion, and unprepared to embrace Christianity: and yet he is doubtless more sincere in his desire for a settled faith than the thousands of his countrymen who are drifting idly about upon the fathomless and shorcless sea of a vain- glorious scepticism.

One characteristic of this indifferent or sceptical disposition, is a

willingness to learn any thing. without scruple. Their versatility, however, renders the Persians impatient scholars, apt to abandon a study when difficulties have to be encountered ; and Mr. SOUTH- GATE attributes their desire of learning, less to any love of truth, than to hopes of the temporal advantages they may derive from it. Ile candidly admits, however, that this motive is quite as praise- worthy as that which animates the majority of students in Chris- tian countries. Nor, indeed, throughout his work does he display any trace of exclusiveness, or of unreasonable expectations from Missionary exertions. There is little, he says, in the doctrine or discipline of the Asiatic Christians, which need prevent a Mis- sionary of the Episcopal Church of England or America from joining in their service. lie recommends that, in the first instance, no attempt should be made to alter unimportant points, or to effect " conversions," as it would only raise obstacles by exciting discus- sions. He would trust to education, and the influence of the Scriptures, which are permitted to be read, by those who have copies and can read. As regards the Mahometans, he would not open up religious discussions, or attempt proselytes, but educate youth in secular learning; distribute the Scriptures, which they willingly peruse ; and inculcate morality, to which the better class of Mahometans are quite willing to assent, and the most bigoted cannot object to, upon their own principles. From such a

course he anticipates much eventual success; because the late political changes have effected a great alteration even in the most strict Mahometans, and the great mass of the faithful anticipate

some extensive revolution in their religion. Mr. So-env:ATI.: com- pares their state to that of the Jews on the advent of Christ, and calls for a John the Baptist : to us their condition seems rather to resemble that of the Pagan world—an outward decorum towards

religion, with a concealed scepticism, in the better-conducted, and an open indifference in the rest. This remark, however, applies chiefly to large cities and places on the main roads : in many remote spots there is, no doubt, much genuine Mahometanisin of the best kind. here, for example, is a picture of A PATRIARCHAL BEY.

The Bey. did not make his appearance for some time after our arrival ; but I observed lum eyeing us from a small window in the wall of his house. lie sent us, however, a present of cherries and a bouquet of roses' in token of hospitality, and at last came himself. His sons, who had gathered round us, rose R4 he approached, and his appearance was so venerable that I almost involuntarily did the same. He was slightly bowed with age, but his figure was still tall and commanding. IIis beard, long since whitemal by the frost of time, descended to his breast. Ilis face wore a grave but kindly aspect, anti his whole appear- ance bespoke the simplicity of patriarchal times. He laid his hand upon his breast and bade us welcome. We pressed him to a seat upon the carpet, while Iris suns stood respectfully before him. The eldest was about forty years, and the youngest just entered into manhood. So, I thought, the patriarch Jacob may have often sat at even-tide before the door of his tent, surrounded by his manly sons. The old Bey knew no language besides his own ; but one of the young men was able to serve as interpreter. When the sun had set, we retired to our apartment ; and the Bey came in and ate, and spent the evening with us. I have often met with Mussulnums who scented to possess a deep religious feeling, and with whom I could exer- cise something of religious communion. I have sometimes had my own mind quickened and benefited by the reverence with which they spoke of the Deity, and have sometimes mingled in harmonious converse with them on holy things. I have heard them insist with much earnestness on the duty of prayer, when they appeared to have some spiritual sense of its nature mid importance. I have 'sometimes fauna them entertaining elevated views of mural duty, and looking with contempt on the pleasures of the world. These are, indeed, rare characters ; but I should do injustice to my own conviction if I did not confess that I have found them. In these instances I have uniformly been struck with a strong resemblance to patriarchal piety. That reverence for God, that spirit of simple trust and resignation to his will, that disposition to observe the ope- rations of his hand in the works of nature, and that kindly and beneficent feeling towards all, which are the prominent characteristics of the Nall of pro- phets and holy men of old, are also the peculiar traits of Islamism, whenever it it assumes any thing of a spiritual eharacter. These thoughts are suggested by my recollections of the Kurdish patriarch. 'When we sat down to eat, he implored a blessing with great solemnity, and rendered his thanks when we arose. Before he lefeus, he spread his carpet and offered his evening devotions with apparent meekness and humility ; and I could not but feel how impressive are some of the Oriental forms of worship, when I saw his aged head bowed to the earth in religious homage. I have not scrupled to adopt the same form when necessitated to perform the satire duty in the presence of Mussulmans; avoiding, of course, their various and oft-re- peated prostrations.

Every one knows that Mahomet recognized the divine missions of Abraham, Moses, and Christ; and they whose reading has been much among Oriental travellers are aware that the more en- lightened Mussulutans entertain a high respect for the character of the Saviour. The tolerance of the Mahometans for Christian ob- servances, the extent to which the Christian Scriptures are read, and the interest they inspire as pictures of life or moral treatises, strike us as new information in the report of' Mr. SOUTHGATE. " The fasts of the Christians, and the same is true of their festivals, are by no means repugnant to Mahommedans, but, on the contrary, are almost uni- versally respected. I have not only often heard them spoken of by Mussul- mans with the utmost deference, but have beard a Mussulman upbraiding a Christian for a violation of his fast. In travelling during Lent, I have seen Mussulmans subject themselves to inconvenience to avoid compelling Christian families to prepare food which they were unaccustomed to use at that season. During some of the Christian festivals, especially at Constantinople, the crowd of Mussulmans who join in the public diversions is hardly that of the Christians. The Easter feast is particularly well knowmt ti toth, Turks. They speak of it as the Christian Buiram, corresponding to their on festival so called, which follows close upon Ramazans'

MAIIONIETAN PERUSAL OF THE CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURES.

Evens now, the Bible is by no means a stranger in the hands of Alamitos, for though those possessed by Christians are supposed to be corrupt, they on the whole, respected as the Word of God. Their connexion with 1116baa'e' medanism, and the frequent allusions to them in the Koran, render then) object of curiosity, especially to the learned Mussulmans. They are frequaif, sought after from no other motive than to learn the nature of the domain; which they teach. Several instances have come to my knowledge, in sissi, men in authority have sent requests for copies to Christians whom they St,„ to possess them. The parts which they choose and read with time greato, pleasure are the narrative portions, in which they often become muss interested.

About nine miles distant from Broussa, the first capital of the Turkish ez, pire, is a village inhabited by a mixed population of Greeks and Turks no,

certain occasion, the latter requested the priest of the saline to reaol tl,

Gospel to them. Ile consented, and sat down, with most of' the Mussulms; in the village around hitn, and a copy of the New Testament, procured fra an American missionary in Browse, in his hand. He began, and seas „ amidst almost breathless silence, until the hour of meals had come. Hi hearers, however, had become so deeply interested in the narrative, that as would not permit him to suspend the reading. lie continued, therefore, tm terrupted until he came to the closing scenes of the life of Christ. Here tlitl stopped, for it is a doctrine of the Mohammedans that it was not Jesostill was crucified, but sonic one in his appearance and likeness. The lives of the patriarchs and prophets are also a favourite portion eta; Scriptures to the 111 ussulmans. Their own books are full or stories coneeniki them. They speak of them with the deepest reverence. They regard then all as veritable Mussulmans, as, ink the literal sense of the word, they ink were. They .adopt their names. They respect the places of their Vials to perlbrin pilgrimages to their sepulchres. The other portions of the sacred writings which Massulmans read with tlt highest adinhation, are those which abound in moral sentiments and pieces'

Such are the Psalms of David and the Proverbs of Solomon. The formenss

replete with those expressions of adoration and trust in God which are aor, congenial to a devout Mussulman, and with allusions and resemblances inufl familiar to the mind of an Oriental. The latter is, throughout, an Eats: book. Its imothegmatical and sententious style is that to which the mindiS Mussulmans are most accustomed in their own books on moral truth and dot.

Not to particularize further, I MR.y nnenrticma the Sermon on the Moont's another portion of Scripture which I have heard Mussulmans read and esp. tiate upon with evident delight.

We could pursue the subject of the religious character and cos dition of the East much further, but we have said enough to indicatt the character of i'1r. SoternoaTit's volumes to those who take an ir,. taut in the subject. We will therefore occupy the remainderd our notice with a few miscellaneous sketches.

TURKEY AND PERSIA—A CONTRAST.

The scene was entirely Persian, and we felt at once that we bad entered' new country. The contrast was equally striking in the reception that weniet In Turkey, on arriving at a town, lime traveller his only to present his firms to the Governor, to secure for himself respectable lodgings : in Persia, fir= are unknown, and the traveller is often glad to find a shelter for lrinnseif 1mm tb meanest caravanserai. In Turkish towns, there was always some one label; us to dismount, and to draw off our unwieldy travelling-imots: in Salmons crowd gathered about us to gaze and inquire, but no one would render min! service. In Turkey, the arrival of a traveller excites no stir, no maltase from Iris place to ask after him, no impertinent throng collects about himta annoy hun with comments and questions : we had hardly dismouutolii Salinas, betbre half the town were gathered in the court of the camvainerr. where they stared at us and remarked upun us as freely as if they were repult

licaus.

PERSIAN CONTRACTS.

Abbas Mirza, a son of the last Shah, and heir-apparent to the throne, as

vested it into an arsenal; to which use it is still devoted. When I %haunt workmen were engaged in boring cannon, which was done by a simple iambic turned by four oxen. The whole establishment was under the charge of c Armenian, who had contracted with the Government to furnish a eertai: number of cannon, at a specilled some. It was related to new, on good ads ritv as illustrative of the financial state of the kingdom, that the contracts hail upon his hands Government-notes to the amount of 00,000 tomain' about 30,0001., which (excepting one of 5,000 tomans, 2,500/., that Inc badss! at a loss of 40 per cent.) he Was unable to dispose of at any rate. In an meantime, he was cotnpelled to fulfil his part of the contract to his own ruin. • BEGGING DERVISHES.

They are not respected by the people, and are exceedingly insolent. Thrj are clamorous in demanding charity, and sometimes sit down bethre a hous with the determination not to quit it until money is given. There tilts- remr. day after day and week after week, execrating the inmates, until their dem: is granted or they are beaten away. One sat in this manner more than flura months before the British Residency in Bagdad. A story was told me at Tehran of another, who placed himself in a of the wall in front of the Ambassador's Palace. II is incessant impoitunitiii becoming troublesome, and it not being thought safe to oust lihn by forms-, curious expedient was devised. The Ambassador gave orders that the aids should be bricked up. The Dervish was warned of the intention, buepersistei: in maintaining his position until the wall bad advanced as high as las cmi.- wheu he thought it prudent to ask in release. In another instance, at Shinizo Dervish had taken his station at the foot of the flag-staff, where his clamor s soon became annoying, The Agent quietly gave orders that the staff shoal be washed every morning; and a man was sent up for the purpose, who pourel,i down pails full of water, until the intruder beneath was glad to decamp.

TURKS IN PERSIA.

Two of our fellow lodgers at the caravanserai were Turks of Bagdad, alp had visited Mecca, and returned by the Persian route for the purpose of seeiag the country of the Shiahs. They were the first, and I believe the last Orient:1ln whom I ever saw travelling for pleasure or observation ; and as they weN making purchases for the Bagdad market, I suspect that, even in this instants it was not the love of knowledge alone which induced them to perform the journey. They were heartily sick of the country, and execrated it in unman' sured terms. The Persians, they said, were a nation of liars, and didnet deserve the name of Mussulmans. John excited their wrath to the Minot, by relating a remark which he had heard from a Persian merchant in Tehrl: who had said, that he never failed to make a large pilau when a Turk came .6 trade with him, for he was always sure, in such a case, that no small gain as coming into his coffers.

A SENSIBLE REMARK.

The apparent severity of the Persian Shahs is, I believe, misjudged by or

habit of looking upon the working of a despotic government with feelings of and conformed to our democratic institutions. The Shah, who l'o'wneonulitty only the chief minister of justice, appears to a republican, or even

roll; 1Moderate monarchist, like a great public executioner. We associate the acts with the character of the individual, when we should rather regard him as merely a personification of the law. On one occasion the present Shah or- dered several criminals, who had been guilty of the murder of an officer in the

army, to be put to death in his presence. have heard it adduced as a proof

of his cruelty, when, if it had followed upon the judgment of a jury of twelve WI], it would have appearell simply as a Just act of law. Let me not be mis- understood. I am not discussing principles of government, but only suggesting a distinction, which ought to be borne in mind iii our judgments upon the cha- racters of (as the stereotyped phrase goes) " Eastern despots."

" APPROPRIATION AT BAGDAD,.

The present number of mosques is about fifty and many of these are in so ruinous a condition, that prayer is no longer offered in then,. The endow- ments of such have been seized upon by Government, anti sacrilegiously appro- priated to its own use, while of others it has made itself the :ultnimstrator, thus having the control of their revenues, and disbursing for their support only so much as it pleases. In some instances it has curtailed several of their en- dowed offices, and retained the salaries fbr its own purposes. Such acts prac- tised by this civil ruler and endured by the Mussulinans, only serve to show to what degradation the religion has A SYRIAN BISHOP.

The Metropolitan with whom I lodged (Mutran Isai) was a man amid& age, wait a face full of good-nature, and an agreeable disposition. Ile lived in the most unostentatious and temperate manner, as became, in the eyes of his people, the sanctity of his office. Some of his priests apologized repeatedly tor my humble accommodations, and reminded me that I must not expect more in the. house of a Bishop. The house itself, which he held rent-free, had but three rooms. III one of them the Bishop lodged, another was occupied by a servant, and the third was assigned to ow. 3lutran Isai suggested, immediately upon my arrival, that I should procure my fbod, and have it cooked without, as he had not the means of providing for me within. llis ilonaestic establish- ment was indeed of the most humble order. A few metallic plates, a fork and spoon, a drinking-glass, and a napkin, constituted the entire furniture of his

table.

lie spent the day in Ids room, excepting the hours of morning and evening prayers. When these approached, be putt on a neatly-arranged turban and an ample cloak, and taking the crosier (a simple silver-tipped staff) in his hand, walked slowly to the church, and commenced the services. His room was open to all, and I seldom found him alone. The poorest of hit flock came and knelt before him and kissed his hand, and the aggrieved brought their complaints.

The reader who peruses Mr. SOUTHGATE'S volumes attentively, will draw conclusions upon several points somewhat at variance with those he may have already formed from the narratives of other travellers. The question is, has this difference been solely caused by the changes consequent upon the late Grand Signior's reforms and the Russian imstsions of Persia and Asiatic Turkey We suspect not. The generality of travellers in the East are igno- rant of the language, and gallop through the country as quickly as they can, sojourning chiefly in towns, where they mix but little with the people. Mr. Souvre %TV on the other hand, travelled leisurely; and it was with the people, excluding by that word only the authorities that h e chiefly associated. Most other travellers have retained the European costume, which immediately marks out the wearer as a sight ; offending the taste of the natives, exciting any latent prejudice, and revolting their ideas of decency on ac- count of' its close display of the human form. Mr. SOUTHGATE, throughout Turkey, dressed h In Turk, but never concealed his nation or his objects ; by which means he attracted no attention to his appearance, and could, where he deemed it needful, avoid being recognized as a foreigner.