One, however, a personal friend, I must write a few words of, namely, Professor John Ayvazovski, of the council of the St. Petersburg Academy of Fine Arts, a marine painter of the first rank. He is now 79, but looks scarcely 60, with beautiful large, bright eyes. He came to the World's Fair, where fifteen of his pictures were exhibited in the Russian section; and he presented two other fine ones to the American people in recognition of their help to the Russian famine sufferers,--one showing the arrival in port of a steamer with its cargo of grain, the other the advent of a drosky at a village of starving people, with a man in front waving an American flag. He visited and painted an excellent picture of Niagara. He had seven pictures at the Philadelphia Exposition of 1876. His paintings are mostly in royal palaces: there are 120 in that of the Russian imperial family, and 34 in the Sultan's. His own gallery, at Theodosia, Russia, has 84. He has received many prizes from expositions. He is also a great scholar and a good Christian. His brother, who lately died, was one of the greatest bishops of the Armenian church. There is a very interesting story about Professor Ayvazovski's boyhood which I will give here: His parents were Armenian peasants, living in a village not far from Moscow. One day Nicholas I was passing by the hamlet on horseback, and dropped his whip. The Emperor beckoned to young Ayvazovski, and told him to pick it up. The boy approached boldly and asked, "Who are you?" Nicholas replied, "I am the Emperor." The boy rejoined, "If you cannot take care of your whip, how can you take care of your subjects?" The Emperor was pleased at this remark, and ordered him to be educated at his own expense, and in any profession he chose. He took to the brush, and is the pride of his nation. IN PERSIA, INDIA, ETC. The Armenians of Persia are great merchants, and high civil officers of the Shah. I name only a few: Chahanguir Khan is minister of arts and superintendent of the arsenal. Nirza Melkoum Khan was the former ambassador of the Shah at London; a man of great wealth and learning, and an able diplomat. He retired on account of age, and lives in London. Nazar Agha was ambassador of the Shah at Paris. General Sharl Bezirganian is the general superintendent of the telegraph service in Persia. In India and Burmah there are great Armenian merchants, who are millionaires, and respected by the governments and the peoples. In Egypt, though few in number, they are the ruling element. Nubar Pasha was the prime minister of the Egyptian government until a few weeks ago; one of the richest men in Egypt, and the greatest statesman in Africa. He speaks several languages, and spends his summers in France, owning property in Paris. Dikran Pasha is another rich and very gifted Armenian, and Boghos Pasha another man of power. IN EUROPE.