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"The death of Max Louis Rossvally, M.D., at the age of 64, has closed the career of an enthusiastic convert from Judaism to Christianity. The story of his conversion is told in one of Horner's penny stories, entitled "Charlie Coulson, the Drummer Boy." It was through Charlie Coulson's Christian fortitude, after a wound sustained in the battle of Gettysburg during the American War, at which time Dr. Rossvally was a surgeon-major in the United States service, that his thoughts were first directed towards the true Messiah. For ten years after that period he fought against Christian convictions, but was ultimately converted. He was at once disinherited by his friends, his mother writing to him: 'You are no longer my son; we have buried you in effigy; we mourn you as one dead. And now may the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, strike you blind, deaf, and dumb, and damn

your soul forever.' From that time until his death he worked hard in his Master's cause. He carried on evangelistic work with much success before leaving America. After his arrival in England Dr. Rossvally wrote the story of the drummer boy, of which no fewer than 2,000,000 copies in seventeen different languages have already been circulated, three-fourths of which were gratuitously distributed by himself. Aided by Mr. Cory, J.P., of Cardiff, Dr. Rossvally opened a free Medical Mission in Leeds early last year, selecting the Jewish quarter of the town for its location. To sufferers, both Jew and Gentile, the mission was always free, and thousands have profited through the large-hearted philanthropy of the deceased gentleman. He attended Roscoe-place Wesleyan Chapel, and, often under much physical pain, his cheering words and ready purse helped forward the work of that and other places of worship."-The Christian.

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BY THE WAY.

MARCH, 1893.

E are pleased to announce that the Annual Sermon, in May, will be preached by the Bishop of Sodor and Man, in Holy Trinity Church, Marylebone.

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Mr. T. E. Zerbib, Missionary in Marocco, is coming to England this year on leave of absence. It is hoped that he may arrive in time to speak at the Annual Meeting in Exeter Hall.

We record, with deepest regret, the death, on January 22nd, of the Rev. Samuel Paynter, M.A., at his residence, Mayfair, W., at the patriarchal age of 91 years. He was formerly Rector of Stoke-nextGuildford, which living he resigned many years ago. Mr. Paynter was a most munificent contributor to the Society's funds, and a subscriber for at least 60 years. He was a Life Member of the Society, and also an Honorary Life Governor. He was both a friend in need and a friend indeed; many times have his substantial remittances relieved temporary anxiety as to ways and means.

**

The death of such old, staunch, and true friends is indeed a most serious loss to the Society. By their prayers, sympathy, and active support they are a tower of strength, and we miss them sorely when they are gone. We hope and trust that younger friends will come forward to take their places, and fill up the gaps in the ranks. Fresh recruits are ever wanted in the service of the Lord, and especially in the ranks of those who are striving to carry out the "marching orders" of the Church: "Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature."

Let

Our anxiety about the financial position of the Society naturally increases, as we enter upon the last month of the year, which closes on the 31st instant. Although there has been an encouraging increase on the amount received up to the same time last year, there is every reason to fear that the income will fall short of the expenditure. We therefore earnestly entreat all friends and supporters to make good use of the remaining month. Hon. Secretaries, Treasurers, and Collectors see to the ingathering of subscriptions to the last shilling, and to the securing of new subscribers, and let those who are richly blessed with this world's goods not forget to supplement, "of their abundance," their annual subscription with a donation to further help the important and Scriptural work in which the Society is engaged.

The ANNUAL PRAYER MEETING was held at the Inns of Court Hotel, on Friday, January 20th. In the unavoidable absence of the President, Sir John H. Kennaway, Bart., M.P., W. N. West, Esq., Chairman of Committee, presided, and was supported by several members of the Committee, and a large number of the Society's friends. After the opening hymn, the Rev. A. C. Adler, Missionary at Amsterdam, read an appropriate passage of Holy Scripture. In the course of his remarks the Chairman said: "Once more we are met together, on the anniversary of the arrival of the first Bishop of the Church of England in Jerusalem in 1842, and of the consecration of Christ Church in 1849, where the scriptural and unadorned services of the Church are still maintained, to the great advantage of Jewish converts, who would otherwise only see Christianity exemplified in the corrupt Eastern and Western Churches. Will you pray that the hands of the Committee may be

strengthened in maintaining, not only in the Holy City, but throughout our Mission stations, the simple Gospel of the Grace of God, which is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth, whether Jew or Gentile. In the midst of many difficulties peculiar to the Mission among God's ancient people, we have very much to be thankful for in the prosecution of our work, especially in Jerusalem, Constantinople, and the North of Africa, and, I must add, in the new Medical Mission in the East of London, under the superintendence of Dr. Chaplin."

The Chairman also alluded to other encouraging facts-namely, the recent opening of the new Mission School for Girls in Jerusalem, the seventy-eight baptisms in Warsaw, and eighteen in Jerusalem, last year; and also the 133 baptisms by the late Dr. Cassel during the last five years of his ministry. Mr. West deeply regretted his death, and also that of the Rev. C. J. Goodhart, a personal friend of his own, a devoted lover of the Jews, and formerly Secretary of the Society. The Chairman especially commended to the prayer and sympathy of all present the needs of the Abyssinian Mission at this very serious period of its history. Earnest prayer was offered by the Revs. E. Maxwell and C. Bradshaw Foy, and a devotional address given by the Rev. S. T. Bachert, the Society's Missionary at Hamburg. Most of the company afterwards partook of tea and coffee at the Society's House.

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On the same day simultaneous meetings were held by the Society's friends in the provinces-at Liverpool, Birmingham, Norwich, Worthing, and other places. We heartily trust that a rich blessing may follow this united approach to the Throne of Grace.

We desire to draw the attention of the Society's friends, and especially those residing in the Metropolis and its suburbs, to the announcement that "Palestine Exhibitions" are to be held in Brixton Hall from March 21 to 25, and in St. Martin's Town Hall, Charing Cross, during the May week-May 1 to May 6 inclusive. These exhibitions are very popular, and, we think we may say, deservedly so. No pains are spared in making them illustrate such manners and customs of the Holy Land, as may tend to throw light on the Bible, and that people of whom the Bible is so full-the Jews.

In December, the Rev. W. Becker, of Berlin, preached a Mission Sermon at Potsdam, in the Evangelical Garrison Church Garrisonskirche") under the pulpit of which Frederick the Great and his father lie buried.

THE BAGDAD MISSION.-I.

WAS delighted to gather from a notice in a recent number of the Intelligence that there is some prospect of the old Mission in this town and neighbourhood being re-opened, and I thank God most devoutly for having put it into the heart of a generous servant to offer the liberal sum of £100 annually for three years towards this object. My heart naturally goes out to this station-the first scene of my missionary labours among God's ancient people. Looking back now, after an interval of thirty-seven years, I do not consider that the field was so barren as some were led to think. We could not understand, at the time, why Bagdad was given up; and so convinced were both my colleague (the Rev. J. H. Brühl, then Head of the Mission) and myself of its ultimate success, that he offered, on his and my behalf, to remain as itinerating Missionaries in the Bagdad district (after sending our families to England) for five years, in order to visit all the places of im portance and to preach the Gospel. How surprised and astonished our friends were, when, about twenty years after we had left, the call came from Hamadan, in the adjoining country of Persia, "Come over and help us." It was then clearly seen that our labours

in the Lord had not been in vain. Then arose the desire to send a Missionary to Persia. The money came in, but it was not easy to find the man; we had to wait long before God gave us a Missionary suitable for the responsible and important post. This is really what our Saviour teaches us to do. "Pray ye the Lord of the harvest that He will send forth" not money or stipend, but "labourers, into His harvest."

One glimpse at the labourers who have been sent out by the Society, and the work done by them. There had been Missionaries in Bagdad long before the Society sent out their chosen staff to re-occupy the place. The former, thorough men of God, had no doubt done a good work, but they were general Missionaries, and not exclusively to the Jews. These were Mr. Parnell, afterwards Lord Congleton; Dr. Groves, a Medical Missionary; Dr. Kitto, the father of the present Vicar of St. Martin's-in-the-Fields; and Mr. Calman, a Hebrew Christian, who for many years afterwards lived in Jerusalem, rendering valuable help in the Hebrew College there, and also in the Hospital. In the year 1844 the Society sent out Murray Vicars with his most energetic Hebrew Christian wife, Henry Aaron Stern, and Paul H. Sternschuss, men full of zeal and love, and determined to do the Master's bidding. Mr. Vicars died, Sternschuss left, and Stern became Head of the Mission. The Rev.

J. H. Brühl joined him in 1851. When Mr. Stern was removed to another sphere of work, Mr. Brühl remained single-handed in Bagdad. For several years he continued faithfully doing the work of an evangelist throughout the vast district. Seeing, however, that he could not do justice to the extensive field entrusted to him, he returned to England to ask for a fellow-labourer, and the choice fell upon myself. I had been accustomed to Oriental life, knew the habits and customs of the different, nationalities, and spoke a number of the necessary Eastern languages.

Accompanied by our families, we left England in March, 1857, and reached Bagdad in June. We adopted a different route to that of our predecessors, Vicars, Stern, and Sternschuss. They went from

or frames, into which the inflated skins are tied. The inflating is all done with the human breath, and when the skin is filled with air, the mouth, which is a protruding soft piece of leather, is tied and fastened in the frame, with the mouth upwards. If the air escapes, the mouth is untied, and a bamboo cane introduced, whilst the neck is held tight, so as not to allow the air to escape, and by blowing through the cane the skin is refilled. The raft, thus prepared, is launched in'o the river, and is covered with loose boards when floating from Diarbekir to Mosul, but only with reeds and twigs when going from Mosul to Bagdad. A small felt tent is stretched over a framework of wood, and placed in the middle of the raft for the passengers. The luggage and goods are put all around and on the sides, as ballast. The whole

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Jerusalem, vid Damascus, and on camels across the desert to Hitt and Bagdad; we went via Smyrna to Alexandretta by sea, from Alexandretta to Diarbekir on horseback, and on rafts from Diarbekir to Bagdad.

The rafts, as seen in the illustration, made at the time, are peculiar; they are now-a-days exactly as they were hundreds, or rather thousands, of years ago, as described by Herodotus. They are made of inflated goat-skin bladders, or water bottles, such as are used in carrying water into houses or on journeys. The raft is made thus :-A frame of planks, according to the size required for 100 or 200 skins, is either nailed or tied together. This frame is divided off by wooden rafters crossing it and forming small squares,

structure is piloted by men with rude and unwieldy oars, made up of crooked beams, with reeds tied at the end to form the broad part of the oar. They endeavour to keep the raft in the strongest current, so as to move on with greater speed. The same raft never goes all the way from Diarbekir to Bagdad, but you are always obliged to change at Mosul. In spring the journey is performed from each of these places in five or six days. The scenery on the river is, in some parts, highly picturesque; the banks are, however, scantily inhabited, and the surrounding country is but imperfectly cultivated. The pasture lands are rich, and attract the nomads of Nedged and Mesopotamia,

The approach to Bagdad is charming for miles and miles before you have sighted the city, but as the raft keeps on nearing the bridge of boats, the sight becomes more enchanting. The buildings on each side of the river are very quaint and picturesque; the graceful cupolas of the Mosques and brilliantcoloured minarets, intermingled here and there with beautiful clusters of palm-trees, sparkle under a pure and radiant sky. We land close to the English residency, thankful to have reached our destination, and resolved to devote our lives and all our powers to the promotion of Christianity amongst the Jews of Bagdad.

Bagdad is a most important centre for Mission work

Hebrew, which is almost colloquial among the Jews; and I preached in Arabic. In the summer we were almost always travelling on Missionary journeys. It was absolutely necessary that two Missionaries should occupy Bagdad, otherwise the out-stations could not have been visited without for a time neglecting the chief and central station, Bagdad itself. Our work extended and expanded gradually; the Book Depot became a centre of usefulness, especially when one part of it was turned into a free Dispensary for the poor; numbers of people began to flock to it, and we had many golden opportunities of preaching to the people and of inviting them to come to our services on Saturdays and Sundays. In course

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among the Jews. We estimated that we were amidst a population of from 60,000 to 80,000 Jews. The area was vast, but the Jews were all accessible, and may become more and more so. Bagdad alone has a Jewish population of between 20,000 and 25,000 Jews. There are Jews in Mosul (ancient Nineveh), Ervil, Zocho, Jesireh, Kerkuk; throughout the whole of Kurdistan, Diarbekir, Oorfa, Beredjii, on the Euphrates, Hillah (Babylon), Hitt and Anah; and in the whole of Persia, Bosrah, and Bender Abushir. By arrangement between Mr. Brühl and myself there was a regular division of work: he preached in

of time we planned and succeeded in opening a Day School; we had many troubles and difficulties in connection with it; many a cherem (excommunication) was hurled against us, but we persevered, and succeeded in carrying it on, notwithstanding all obstacles. Through the children we had access to the parents. And though there were not many baptisms, we were, by God's grace and blessing enabled to impress many a Jewish heart that we Christian Missionaries were their friends, that our motives were pure, that we loved them not because we were of the same race, but because we believed in

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