_Croft-on-Tees, Yorkshire. February, 1916._ CONTENTS PAGE. I. HISTORICAL: Earliest History—Ethnological Characteristics—Supposed Relation to lost Tribes of Israel—Tiridates and St. Gregory—Introduction of Christianity among the Plain-dwellers—Animal Sacrifices—Monophysite Doctrine—Mass—Ignorance and Bigotry of Clergy—Mountaineers remaining Pagans—Decline of the Kingdom—Seljuk Invasion—Mountaineers converted to Islam—Lesser Armenia—Incorporation in Ottoman Empire 9 II. GEOGRAPHICAL: Physical Features—Divisions of Population—Sedentary Plain-dwellers: chiefly Armenians—Semi-Nomads: Kurds—Nomads: Kurds and Half-Arab—Four Agricultural Mountain Strongholds 15 III. ARMENIAN QUESTION: Kurds and Armenians: Equal Historical Rights to Consideration—Mohamed II. grants Religious Freedom—Millets—Root-Evil of all Subsequent Troubles—Sir Charles Wilson’s Explanation—‘Odysseus’ on Excellent Relations between Turks and Armenians—Mr. Geary’s Corroboration of Turkish Tolerance—Armenian Population scattered—Disturbing Factors: Foreign Missionaries, Treaty of Berlin, Revolutionary Societies—Blackmail and Murder—Growing Popular Distrust of Armenians 19 IV. ARMENIAN CHARACTER: Lord Bryce’s Idyllical Representation—Competent Opinions by Others:—Sir Charles Wilson—Lord Salisbury—Mr. Grattan Geary—‘Odysseus’—Captain Burnaby—Sir Mark Sykes 25 V. PAST RISINGS: Family-Likeness between so-called Armenian Atrocities and Past Bulgarian ditto—Gross Exaggerations—Sir Henry Layard’s Despatch—The Zeitun Rising in 1895—A Graphic Account—The Malatia Massacres Exception to General Rule—Constantinople Riots in 1896—Mr. Henry Whitman’s Observations—Partisan Correspondents—The Predicament of Mr. Melton Prior 31 VI.