aside as an office for the printing-press which aids in the evangelical and educational work. Special facilities for female education are given in the Fiske Seminary, where girls receive a good schooling; and opportunities for higher study are offered to young men in Urumiah College, which was founded by the missionaries many years ago. It is situated outside the city, about twenty minutes' ride to the southwest, in a richly wooded enclosure, like a park, which served as a place of refuge for a large number of native Christians during the Kurdish raid. Here are gathered the various buildings of the institution halls, plain but serviceable, recitation-rooms, simple but neat, a small museum, a library and offices, and last but not least the clinic and medical dispensary under Dr. Cochran's supervision.

The hospitality which I enjoyed also at the English Mission gave me an opportunity to judge of that good work as well, and the same may be said of the representatives of the other Christian creeds in their respective spheres. At the cost of great personal sacrifice, and even risk of life, they are doing their share to fulfil the commandment which bids them to preach the gospel to all nations. To the Mission friends, one and all, who were so kind to me during my stay I feel deeply grateful.

My heart was quite full as I mounted my horse to join my pack-caravan, led by Shahbas, the chārvādār, Safar, my faithful servant, some attendants, and the two guards provided for my safety on the journey by the governor, Majidi Sultana. They were both well mounted, but Safar's horse resembled the rake which the Clerk rode in the Canterbury Tales. The horse upon which Shahbas sat cushioned — for his pack-saddle (pālān) was a heavy mattress of stuffed straw-looked better fed, but he had an uncanny fashion once in a while of getting his left forefoot out of joint, then hobbling a few feet till he stopped or fell, unless chance meanwhile twisted the dislocated joint back into place. The pack-horse was a sturdy

gray stallion, and his color led to our calling him Kabud, literally 'blue.' My own animal was a small but good horse, so I dubbed him Rakhsh, after the famous charger of Rustam, much to the amusement of the Persians that heard the name. When all was ready the signal was given, and away our cavalcade started on the twelve days' journey to Hamadan.

CHAPTER X

BY CARAVAN AND CAVALCADE

'Where beasts and men together o'er the plain

Move on a mighty caravan.'

WORDSWORTH, Descriptive Sketches, 8.

'MESHADI, Mesh-a-di, Mesh-a-a-d-i-i !' in a gentle crescendo and with musical accent cries the voice of our Persian servant to awaken the na'ib, or master of the caravansarai. A muffled bali, bali, 'yes, yes,' responds from a distant corner of the walled enclosure, and in a few minutes from somewhere in the darkness there peers into the mud-built sleeping-room the owner of this Oriental title. In reality the appellative Meshadi designates a Moslem who has made the pilgrimage to Meshad, if not to Mecca. In practice, however, it is often applied loosely, like our colonel, major, or professor, and frequently has little more dignity than the colloquial American 'boss.' Yet Meshadi, Husein, or whatever his name may be, is probably a tall, dignified individual, often handsome, with rather fine features, a chiselled nose, and a broad forehead surmounted by a high Persian cap. In his veins still flows some of the blood that made great the race of Cyrus; but he is slow, frequently shiftless, at the same time generally possessed of an eye to the main chance, but always kindly in his quiet way.

The camel-drivers are already up and starting before daylight. It is high time to be off. The dull dong, dong—not ding, dong, for there is no variety-coming from the huge bells attached to the dromedaries and mules, tells that the caravan-train, or Persia's Twentieth Century Express, is on the move. But he who wishes to travel fast,' as there are no