the mind is affected in an uncommon and an indescribable manner. No one could ever have expected to witness such a collection of antiquities, so well preserved, and in their proper positions. The light which has been cast on the manners and habits of the ancients is important in a thousand particulars. [To be Continued.

The New York Ethnological So

ciety.

The last meeting held in January, like that which preceded it, was attended by a number of invited friends. They, with the members, listened with great interest to the reading of two letters: one from Mr. Thompson, one of our missionaries in Syria, giving an account of his late travels in the northern parts of that country, with notices of several ancient cities, not visited by Burkhardt or others; and the second from the enterprising English explorer, Mr. Layard, with a long description of his excavations near the Tigris, at a place twenty miles below Niniveh. A palace which he opened yielded a great number of sculptured figures and historical scenes, generally resembling those discovered by M. Botta, and copied by Mr. Flandin, but some of them in a superior style and probably of an older date. Some have been shipped for England, and many others have been copied in plaster.

A number of interesting and recent works were lying upon the tables, as usual, and a lithograph was presented, of several figures on the walls of Niniveh, copied by M. Botta. But the object which excited most interest, was a map of Jeddo, the famous capital of Japan, which Mr. Williams procured by a fortunate accident. The Japanese have been as successful as the Chinese, in preventing the free access of foreigners into their country: so that many of the numerous peculiarities of that people remain unknown to the world. Of course one of their own maps of their own capital, must naturally have attractions for a curious eye, especially one of large size, and filled with minute details.

It is six feet square, made of their own paper, as Mr. W. informed the company, which is produced by macerating the leaf of a species of mulberry tree, and spreading and drying it, somewhat as our paper-makers do with the pulp of cotton and linen rags. It bore a consid

erable resemblance to the tapa, or mulberry cloth of the Pacific ocean islands, although not made of bark, nor laid in successive sheets, as that is. By holding it before the light the texture appeared uniform, but lines were seen at which the small fibres, of which it is composed, were pasted together.

The streets of Jeddo lie delineated on its surface, presenting an irregular, confused appearance, thickly spotted with names, in the Chinese character, and many squares, with temples, also named. The military emperor has his abode in the centre, with an extensive wall, or fortified line enclosing his quarter, somewhat in the form of an irregular European fortress; while numerous smaller enclosures, throughout the rest of the city, indicate the precincts of princes and officers, or nobleman, each of which is distinguished by a figure, which is the armorial ensign of its owner. Immediately around the emperor's district is a row of princely wards or districts, each with its palace and square, marked with a small double globe; while beyond these are the divisions occupied by officers, in which a variety of marks are observa ble.

Brazilians.

The native Brazilians have been represented as almost destitute of ideas of any religion, almost without government. They have vague and indefinite notions of some superior power, and of a future state. Although peaceful among themselves, they are desperate in battle, and generally feast upon the bodies of their slaughtered enemies. The female is perhaps less degraded than is usual among heathen nations. Yet they are considered as much inferior to man, and perform most of the manual labor.

Polygamy is practised by the chiefs and nobles of the country, and marriage may be dissolved at pleasure. To be eligible to the married state, according to their theories,' a man must have taken a captive in war and given him to the tribe to be devoured-though we have a right to believe that this pre-requisite is not always required. Captives are often kept a long time before being put to death, treated with the utmost kindness, and often permitted to marry the nearest kindred of the captors. But when the dreadful day arrives and the fatal hour

comes, mutual defiances are exchanged between the captive and his executioner -until finally he is killed with a club, and eaten with great rejoicing. Some have expressed admiration of the savage character-what say they to such pictures of human depravity? The population of Brazil is estimated at about five millions.

The nations of Buenos Ayres, who have never been subdued, are similar in their social habits and customs to the Brazilians. They seldom wear clothing, though they are, like other savage nations, extremely fond of ornaments. They guard with great strictness and severity their domestic rights, and exhibit no inconsiderable degree of jealousy. When twins are born, one of them is destroyed; and when the mother dies, they adopt the cruel and inhuman practice of burying with her the living infant.

The institution of Matrimony is recognised by all the tribes of North America. But their particular views of the subject are as widely diverse from each other as their respective habits. Some countenance polygamy, while others do notsome consider marriage a sacred union for life, while others indulge its dissolution at pleasure. The people of California, for instance, have no ideas of the obligations imposed by this union, and recognise none. They pay very little regard to morality-the men often staking everything as prizes and wagers at their games. The females are slaves, and are compelled to perform all the drudgery of manual labor in times of peace and war, except the actual encounter of battle.-Sel.

The three most important establishments in the country are the factories of the Hudson's Bay Company, and the most important of all New Helvetia, founded by Captain Suter, a retired officer of the Swiss Guards, of Charles X., disbanded. at the revolution of the three days, of 1830. This enterprising gentleman emigrated from Missouri to California in 1838-39, and has formed the nucleus of the future empire on the Pacific. Capt. Fremont, on his visit to Capt. Suter, in 1844, states, that on his first settlement he had some trouble with the Indians, but by the occasional exercise of well-timed authority, converted them into a peaceable and industrious people. On application to the chief of a village, he obtains as many boys and girls as he can employ, and there were at that time a number in training for a woolen factory. He bought out the stock of a Russian establishment, the owners of which wished to leave the country, consisting of a large number of cattle, artillery, &c. His fort mounis 12 cannon, and can hold 100 men, but is garrisoned with 40 Indians, in uniform. The imports and exports of California, M. de Mofras gives as follows:

BIOGRAPHICAL.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF HOVSEP

GAMALIELYAN.

Hovsep Gamalielyan was born in Constantinople in the year 1801. He was by birth an Armenian, and was brought up in the faith of the Armenian Church, in which faith he remained until he was about fortythree years of age. Those who read this narrative, need not be told that this church, like the Greek Church and the Roman Church, has unhappily departed far from the simplicity and purity of the gospel; and it may be truly said, that in its doctrines and rites it follows the traditions of men rather than the commandments of God.

The subject of this brief sketch, besides being fully trained in the superstitious ways of his church, was also, until his fortythird year, a most notorious sinner. Being connected by relationship with one of the highest Armenian families in the capital, and having a fine voice, he was often invited, on festive occasions, to amuse the worldly and the gay by his frivolous and unbecoming songs.

Hovsep had a brother, once as vile as himself, but who, for many years, had externally reformed. His very excess of iniquity seemed, all at once, to strike him with terror, and he resolved to lead a religious life. At this time he had never yet heard the pure gospel preached; and, being entirely ignorant of God's righteousness, he went about to establish his own righteousness. In order to atone for his sins and purify his heart, he retired to a distant monastery, with the confident expectation that such a seclusion from the world would, as a matter of course, bring peace of mind and sanctity of character. Not finding his hopes realized in this res pect, he withdrew entirely from the society of men, and lived for a time as a hermit, in the midst of an uninhabited wilderness. He soon found, however, that even by this severe mode of bodily infliction, his soul was not purified, and there remained "an aching void," which had not yet been filled. He returned to the capital, and, concluding that the defect was in the form of religion under which he had been brought up, he embraced the Roman Catholic faith, and became chief singer in one of their churches. This was his situation when he heard of the American missionaries, and found his way to them. From them he heard the gospel preached, unmixed with human

traditions, and immediately embraced it with his whole heart, as the very thing for which he had been ignorantly seeking for so long a time.

He began to labor immediately and earnestly for the salvation of his brother Hovsep, as well as of the other members of his family. Hovsep warmly opposed his endeavours, but he persevered; and not only did he make unceasing prayer to God for the conversion of his brother, but he often engaged his Christian brethren to unite with him in praying for this special object. At his solicitation several of them united, at different times, in observing days of fasting and prayer, with particular reference to the conversion of Hovsep.

Nor were these prayers offered in vain. Hovsep became uneasy. He would oppose the earnest arguments of his brother as long as he could, and then go away for new strength to a friend of his, who has a reputation for much learning, and who is one of the most decided opposers of the evangelical system in Constantinople. From him Hovsep would gather a fresh store of arguments with which to meet his brother; but they would all vanish, like vapor before the sun, when brought within the clear atmosphere of the gospel. Sometimes he would become highly excited, and would use the most abusive language. On one occasion, indeed, he spat in his brother's face The latter meekly bore the insult, and calmly replied, "It is of no consequence; you will one day learn to do better."

At length Hovsep's confidence in his former false opinions became very much shaken. He ceased to oppose, and resolved no longer to have recourse to man for guidance to the truth, but to the Bible and to God. He brought to the test of Scripture the errors in which from childhood he had been taught to trust; and, one by one, they vanished before the clear light of the truth. Thus, auricular confession and absolution, transubstantiation, the worship and intercession of the saints and of relics, especially of the true cross, and other similar errors, came up in review, and were successively rejected. But there was one error to which he clung with surprising tenacity; and, for a while, it seemed as though he could never relinquish it. This was the worship and intercession of the Virgin Mary.

To those who are imperfectly acquainted with Oriental Christianity, this may appear to be a singular fact. So deep, however,

are the spiritual blindness and infatuation of the eastern churches on this subject, that Christ, in his own proper character, is almost entirely excluded from the scheme of salvation, and Mary is everywhere substituted in his place. Hovsep, having been nurtured in the bosom of the Armenian Church, had inhaled, as it were, with his very breath, a most extravagant reverence for Mary. He could not believe that a being so lovely, so pure, so holy, so exalted, and yet so merciful and condescending, was not a suitable advocate and mediator in heaven for needy sinners.

It pleased God at length to open his eyes to see the depth of his sins, and, of course, to feel his need of an infinite Savior; and then it was that he spontaneously turned away from Mary to Jesus Christ, as the only sufficient Mediator and Intercessor of sinners; the only being, in all the universe, able to save such a miserable offender as he now viewed himself.

Within a month from the time when he formed the resolution to take the Bible for his only guide, he was a firm and joyful believer in Christ. His sins, which were many, were forgiven him; and as he had been forgiven much, so he loved much. The sudden and entire change in his life was manifest to all. He was extensively known in the city; and many who had been witnesses of his former irregular life, now saw with wonder that all his evil ha bits had been suddenly relinquished, and that his conduct was entirely altered.

From this time until the period of his death, being about the space of two years, he was enabled to pursue a uniform and consistent course of piety; ever showing, in no ordinary degree, the graces of love, gentleness and humility; manifesting great simplicity and godly sincerity, single hearted and fervent zeal in the Lord's work; and a peculiar readiness to sacrifice his own comfort, for the good of others, and to consecrate his property and his all to the service of the Lord. His views of what are termed the evangelical doctrines, were characterized by a remarkable clearness and consistency; and he had also a very clear and forcible method of expressing his thoughts in conversation, which gave great pungency to his address.

Early in 1846, the Armenian Patriarch, as is well known, began to anathematize the evangelical Armenians in Turkey. They had, up to that time, retained their connection with the Armenian Church; although the greater part conscientiously

avoided every superstitious rite. For this they were sometimes persecuted; still, for the most part, they were permitted by the ecclesiastical authorities to remain without any great molestation. About the time alluded to, however, the Patriarch caused a new confession of faith to be drawn up, containing the anti-scriptural doctrines of transubstantiation, private confession to a priest and absolution, the worship of relics and pictures, the intercession of the saints, &c. This confession he peremptorily called upon all the evangelical Armenians to subscribe; and all who refused were bitterly anathematized. Not content with this, he used his great influence to vex the recusants, as far as he prudently could, in their temporal affairs. The new order of things in Turkey, however, in regard to religious toleration, prevented his proceeding in this wicked work to the extent of his desires.

Hovsep was an early victim of this persecution. He was living with his sister's husband when the trouble commenced; but he was forced to leave his home by the stringent orders of the Patriarch. The brother-in-law, though he did not agree with Hovsep in his religious views, was still kind; and had no desire to exclude his relative from his house. He had no other election in the matter, however, than to force his brother to leave, or be himself anathematized and persecuted; and for the latter he was not prepared. Hovsep, therefore, disowned by his own kinsmen, was compelled, like many others, to seek refuge among strangers.

Hovsep was a dealer in silk cord, tassels, fringes, &c. Immediately after his expulsion from his home, he was compelled by the chiefs of his trade, who acted under the orders of the Patriarch, to leave his shop; and thus he remained for four months without the possibility of doing any business. And when a general order was issued by the Turkish authorities, for restoring to the persecuted Protestants the rights of trade, his shop had so completely passed out of his hands, that he could not recover it; but the Lord provided a better situation for him, in the same kind of business in which he was before engaged. And it is a remark. able fact that during the last nine months of his life, four of which he was compelled by the persecution to spend in idleness, -he was more prosperous in his worldly affairs than in any preceding six months of his life. Perhaps this cannot be said of any other of the persecuted Armenians.

though we hope they will ultimately prove, in their own experience, that "godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come."

With the other Protestant brethren, Hovsep suffered unnumbered reproaches and insults in the streets. On one occasion, in one of the khans of the city, where he had gone on business, he was furiously assailed by two or three zealous Armenians of the Patriarch's party, who knocked him down, and would otherwise have injured him, had they not been prevented. He meekly rose and walked away, praying that God would give repentance to his merciless enemies.

The death of Hovsep is to be traced to his persecutors, as will appear from what I am going to narrate. On the twenty-sixth day of August, as he was quietly seated in his shop, two or three of the roughest and most reckless enemies of the Protestants suddenly appeared before him. A day or two previously some of this same class had gone to the shop of another Protestant brother, and, with knife in hand, had threatened his life. Hovsep, supposing from their savage appearance and mode of address that they had come to him with a similar intent, was taken with so sudden a fright that it caused a violent haemorrhage from the lungs. The bleeding continued daily for a week or more, and this was the cause of his death.

His pastor, on hearing of his illness, lost no time in calling upon him; and, ascertaining from the physician that in all probability he must soon die, he felt it to be his duty to inform Hovsep of his true condition. The sick man received the solemn message with great quietness, and immediately said, "If in the days of my worldliness any one had told me that I was about to die, I should have been filled with sorrow.

But now, blessed be God, I have not the least fear of death; for I know that when I die I shall go to be with Christ."

His pastor asked him if he was ready to die and go to be with Christ? He replied, "Yes, by the grace of God, I am ready." And when requested to state the ground of his hope, he said, "My hope is altogether in Christ, Christ is my Savior."

One day the pastor sung with him that beautiful hymn of Toplady, "Rock of

Ages, cleft for me," &c., which is translated into the Armenian langnage; and when they came to the last verse,

While I draw this fleeting breath;
When my eyelids close in death;
When I rise to worlds unknown,
And behold thee on thy throne;
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,

Le me hide myself in thee!

his utterance was choked, and he was quite overcome with the deep emotions of his heart, in view of the glory that should soon be revealed in him.

One day Hovsep remarked to his brother who was attending him, "I am sinning against God!" His brother inquired to what particular sin he alluded. "I fear," said he, that I am impatient." His brother then reminded him of a sickness he had had while in his impenitent state, during which he was full of impatience and unhappiness. But, now," said his brother, "I hear you often speak of your joy in Christ. It is the Lord who sustains you; and though he sometimes tries you he gives you grace to bear the trial, and in this way answers your prayers; as says the hymn,

་་

'Tis in this way." the Lord replied,
"I answer prayer for grace and faith.
These inward trials I employ,

From self and pride to set thee free;
And break thy schemes of earthly joy,

That thou mayst seek thy all in me." The quotation was, of course, made in Armenian, in which language we have a beautiful translation of this hymn of Newton.

Hovsep's brother, who was with him during his whole illness, testifies that he never saw the least sign of fretfulness or even impatience in him, during the whole period of his sufferings. He was always full of hope and peace and joy; and when, on the last day of his life, his physician declared that he was about to die, he exclaimed, "Blessed be God;" and, after he lost the power of speech, even until his last breath, his lips continued to move in prayer and praise.

About an hour after I left, he told his brother that he was greatly distressed for breath. His brother replied that this was only a sign that he was very near heaven. "Yes," he exclaimed, " blessed be the name of the Lord!" He then requested his brother to raise him up in the bed, when suddenly he dropped his head and expired. This was on the 3d of October, 1846.-Miss. Herald.