At half

several small villages at the foot of them. past nine we crossed the river again, and stopped for the night at the house of Immanuel. He is a Greek. His house stands on the river's bank with a mill in one end of it. He soon told us, that our letter of introduction stated that we were ministers, of the Gospel, much interested for the Greeks, and carried about books for distribution among them; adding, that they had lately built a church in this neighborhood; and it would be, 'a great charity if we would leave a few books here.' We ascertained that five, out of 10 or 12 men about the mill, are able to read, and gave them Tracts; we also gave a number to Immanuel for the priest and others.

"9. Pursued our course along the same plain. In four hours passed through a considerable village called Soma. The inhabitants are principally Turks -about seventy families are Greeks. In two hours and a half from Soma we reached Kircagasch, and stopped for dinner. This town is situated at the foot of a high mountain of lime-stone, called on the maps Temnus, on the south side of the plain. It is said to contain 10,000 inhabitants, viz. 8,000 Turks, 1,000 Greeks, and 1,000 Armenians. There are eleven mosques, and one Greek, and one Armenian church. Left a number of Tracts for the Greeks. At three o'clock we set out from Kircagasch, and pursued our way at the foot of mount Temnus. Passed two small Turkish villages. The principal productions in this part of the country are grain, cotton, tobacco, and pasturage for flocks. At one time we counted five hundred cattle together, attended by the herdsmen and their dogs; in another flock were about as many goats, and in others a still greater number of sheep.

"At eight o'clock we reached Thyatira, now Akhisar, and put up at a khan. Immediately after we arrived, a heavy rain commenced. At Pergamos we were told, that within a few weeks eight men have

been killed by robbers, at different times, on the road between that place and this. We saw a man at Pergamos, who was attacked about two years ago, on this road, and left for dead. He still carries a scar in his cheek, in consequence of the wound which he then received. All these barbarities, however, were perpetrated in the night. We were uniformly told, that in the day time no danger is to be apprehended. Still our attendants showed strong signs of fear; and it was not without difficulty that we persuaded them to leave Kircagasch with the prospect of being out a few hours after dark. From all dangers, seen and unseen, God has mercifully preserved us. May our spared lives be wholly his. We read the address to the church at Thyatira, prayed to that God whom saints of old worshipped in this place, and then retired to rest, commending this city, once beloved, to the compassion of our Redeemer.

"10. We had a letter of introduction from a Greek in Smyrna to Economo, the Bishop's procurator, and a principal man among the Greeks in this town. This morning we sent the letter, and he immediately called on us. We then conversed some time respecting the town. He says the Turks have destroyed all remnants of the ancient church; and even the place where it stood is now unknown. At present, there are in the town 1,000 houses for which taxes are paid to the government.

"Thyatira is situated near a small river, a branch of the Caicus, in the centre of an extensive plain. At the distance of three or four miles it is almost completely surrounded by mountains. The houses are low, many of them mud or earth. Excepting the moslem's palace, there is scarcely a decent house in the place. The streets are narrow and dirty, and every thing indicates poverty and degradation.

"There has been some doubt whether Ak-hisar is really the ancient Thyatira. There is a town. called Tyra, or Thyra, between Ephesus and Laodicea, which some have supposed to be Thyatira. But we have with us the Rev. Mr. Lindsay's letter, in which he gives an account of his visit to the seven churches. Ak-hisar is the place which he called Thyatira, without even suggesting any doubt about it. When we inquired in Smyrna for a letter of introduction to Thyatira, they gave us one to this place. The bishop, priest and professors at Haivali, and the priests in Pergamos, and in this town, have all spoken of Ak-hisar and Thyatira as being the same. In the inscription which we copied, the place is called Thyatira. St. John addressed the seven churches in the order in which they are situated, beginning with Ephesus and closing with Laodicea. If Ak-hisar is Thyatira, this order is complete; if not, it is broken.

"11. At seven we set out for Sardis. Passed in sight of three or four small villages, and at half after eleven stopped to dine at a village called Marmora. It has four mosques and one Greek church with two priests. The whole number of houses is said to be about 500, of which 50 are Greek. Gave some Tracts to a priest and to several others. At one we resumed our journey. At two came in sight of a lake, and made a bend around the west side of it. At four we ascended a hill, and saw before us an extensive plain, through which the Hermus runs, and beyond it mount Tmolus extending to the east and west as far as the eye could reach. At the foot of this mountain stood Sardis, the great capital of the Lydian kings, and the city of the far famed Croesus. We crossed the plain obliquely, bearing to the east, and reached Sardis, now called Sart, at half past six, in 10 hours travel from Thyatira; course a little east of south.

"Found difficulty in procuring a lodging; a length put up in a hut occupied by a Turk. It was about 10 feet square, the walls of earth, the roof of bushes and poles covered with soil and grass growing on it. There was neither chair, table, bed nor floor in the habitation. The Turk seemed to live principally by his pipe and his coffee.

'Sabbath, 12. After our morning devotions, we took some Tracts and a Testament and went to a mill near us, where three or four Greeks live. Found one of them grinding grain. Another soon came in. Both were able to read. We read to them the address to the church in Sardis, and then the account of the day of judgment, Mat. xxv. Conversed with them about what we read, and then spoke of the Lord's day, and endeavored to explain its design, and gave them some Tracts. We had our usual forenoon service in the upper part of the mill; and could not refrain from weeping, while we sung the 74th Psalm, and prayed among the ruins of Sardis. Here were once a few names which had not defiled their garments; and they are now walking with their Redeemer in white. But, alas! the church ́as a body had only a name to live, while they were in reality dead; and they did not hear the voice of merciful admonition, and did not strengthen the things which were ready to die. Wherefore the candlestick has been removed out of its place. In the afternoon we walked out and enjoyed a season of social worship in the field. This has been a solemn, and we trust a profitable Sabbath to us. Our own situation, and the scenery around us, have conspired to give a pensive, melancholy turn to our thoughts. Our eye has affected our hearts, while we beheld around us the ruins of this once splendid city, with nothing now to be seen but a few mud huts, inhabited by ignorant, stupid, filthy Turks, and the only men who bear the Christian name, at work all day in their mill. Every thing seems, as

if God had cursed the place, and left it to the dominion of Satan.

"Brother Parsons is unwell. If one of us should be attacked in this place with a lingering and dangerous disease, it would be only such a trial as we often thought of, and mentioned, when anticipating the mission. Yet such a trial would put our faith and our submission to a severe test. The Providence and grace of God alone can give us comfort and support.

"13. Went out to view more particularly the ruins of the place. Saw the decayed walls of two churches, and of the market, and the ruins of an ancient palace. Two marble columns are standing, about thirty feet high, and six in diameter, of the Ionic order. The fragments of similar pillars lay scattered on the ground. Chandler, who was here about sixty years ago, says five pillars were then standing. All our guide could tell of the place was, that it was the palace of the king's daughter. Ascended a high hill to see the ruins of the old castle. Some of the remaining walls are very strong. Copied two inscriptions.

"In the afternoon took leave of Sart, and went across the plain to see the tumuli or barrows on the opposite hill. In half an hour we crossed the Hermus, and in an hour more reached one of the largest barrows. It is made of earth, in the form of a semi-globe, and, as nearly as we could measure it with our steps, is 200 rods in circumference. From the summit of this, 40 or 50 others were in sight; most of them much smaller. Strabo says, the largest of these was built in honor of Halyattes, the father of Croesus, and was six stadia, i. e. three quarters of a mile, in circumference.

"From these tumuli we went to Tatarkeny, a village one hour east of Sart on the way to Philadelphia. Arrived in the evening, and put up with a Greek priest.