History of the missions of the American board of commissioners for foreign missions to the oriental churches, Volume II.Anderson, Rufus
Religion
History of the missions of the American board of commissioners for foreign missions to the oriental churches, Volume II.
Anderson, Rufus
American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions; Missions -- Eastern churches
and also an original hymn, expressive of their feelings on parting
with this mission family. More than a hundred persons accompanied
them during that afternoon, returning the next day; and many were
the prayers offered for them, and for the dark town in the mountains
whither they went. Their road through or rather upon the Taurus
Mountains, was difficult, and in some places dangerous; but without
serious accident they reached Hadjin on Saturday, July 14th. There
they were kindly welcomed by the people, and commenced their labors
with pleasant prospects of success. But, after a few weeks, the
Moslem governor and the Armenian priests commenced a cruel
opposition, scarcely paralleled in the missionary experiences of
Turkey, and drove them from the place, with much loss and suffering.
Arriving at Adana, where the native brethren gave them a kind
reception, Mr. Coffing sought redress from the government, but in
vain, as the Pasha was unfriendly; and the native Protestants of
that city were subjected to many outrages during the winter.
[1] _Missionary Herald_, 1861, pp. 169, 170.
After six months, Mr. Coffing left Adana to attend the annual
meeting of his mission at Aleppo, going by way of Alexandretta. The
road being dangerous around the head of the gulf, he took a guard of
three soldiers; but in the latter part of the route, he dismissed
two of them, going on with the other, two muleteers, and a pious
Armenian servant. When three miles from Alexandretta, he was fired
upon by two men concealed in a thicket near the road. Two balls
struck his left arm above the elbow, shattering the bone and
severing an artery, and one entered the body. Though severely
wounded, he rode on two miles further; and then, from loss of blood,
sunk down upon the beach, not far from Alexandretta, and sent to
that place for help. It was promptly rendered by Mr. Levi, the
American Vice Consul, Arthur Roby, Esq., the English Vice Consul,
and other gentlemen, and the fainting missionary was taken to the
house of Mr. Levi, where he died the next morning, March 26th, 1862.
The Armenian servant died four days later from his wounds, and
another, who was wounded, recovered.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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