This evening they halted at a Tartar village, where the occupant of the traktir, or house of entertainment, persuaded the driver to take out his horses for the night. The conduct of this man and his companions was suspicious; they eagerly examined the mattresses of the travellers, which were of superior quality; and when William Rasche came to make the tea, which he did by the moonlight outside the hut, the boiling water which he poured in to rinse the teapot came out into the tumblers a white liquid; and after the tea was put in the innkeeper held up the pot against the moon, and looked curiously into it. Instead of retiring early, as the Tartars always do, the men in the hut kept a watch upon the travellers; and the suspicions even of the driver were awakened, when one of them came to him, as he was lying by his horses, to borrow his knife. His horses, however, were so weary, and he himself so unwilling to move, that the travelers contented themselves with harnessing the horses, and making ready to depart in case of necessity. Soon after midnight, finding they were still watched by the Tartars, and apprehending that these waited only till they should all be asleep, to carry off their horses or to rob their persons, they decided to make the best of their way out of their hands. The driver being slow to move, W.R. jumped into his place, seized the reins, and drove quickly off, thankful to have effected a safe escape. It is very common for the Tartars to prowl about in the night, and steal the horses and waggons, of their more settled and thrifty neighbors.
After about three hours' driving, the moon shining so bright that they could see to read by it, they arrived at another village, of a less suspicious character.
On the 18th they reached Simpheropol, where they were glad to rest. The next day they wished to visit Pastor Kilius of Neusatz, to whom they had an introduction: as they were considering how they should get to him, he opportunely came to the hotel. He introduced them to several estimable persons, and took them the next day to his dwelling, situate in a picturesque mountain village, twenty versts from the city. At Neusatz commences another chain of German colonies, settled by the Evangelical Lutherans. The next morning they attended the public worship, and in the afternoon the Scripture-teaching for the children. On the 22nd they went to Zürichthal, a village formed of well-built houses, but where they found the school in a very low state. The 23rd they started early for the Sudag colony, intending to spend the time there until the departure of the steamer for Odessa; but they found nothing to interest them in this settlement, and accordingly proceeded to Feodosia, (or Kaffa,) a watering-place on the south coast of the Crimea. The German inns in this place were all full, and to procure a wholesome lodging, the; drove the next day four miles among the hills, where they hired a large apartment at the house of a German. The situation was romantic, with an extensive prospect over sea and mountains; and on the hill-side was a thicket, forming a delightful bower, where John Yeardley and his companion "live by day, walked, talked, reposed, and wrote." In this retreat, breathing cool air and quietude, J.Y. received the physical refreshment he so much needed, while he reviewed the course of his laborious journey. Notwithstanding his discouragements, he was able to cast all his burden upon his Saviour, with whom he seems to have dwelt in nearer communion as his day on earth went down.
8 mo. 26.--This morning I felt more sweet union with my God in spirit than for a long time; and a strong desire has arisen to live in closer communion with Jesus, the beloved of my soul, the only access to the Father--the only place of rest, safety, and true peace. I long more than ever not to be troubled with cross occurrences over which I have no control, and which have too long perplexed me and disturbed my inward peace. I long more than ever to spend my few remaining days on earth as with my God in heaven, to refer everything to Him, and to pray more earnestly and diligently for his grace to preserve me near to himself under all circumstances, until he shall have prepared me to be taken to heaven, to join the happy company there in a blissful eternity. "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trusteth in thee."--Isa. xxvi. 3.
On the 1st of the Ninth Month they sailed to Odessa, where they had to remain eight days. In this city they received a visit from a pastor, who conversed with them on the work of the heavenly kingdom then going on in the Bast, especially in Constantinople and Asia Minor.
The Saviour's kingdom, writes John Yeardley, in allusion to this conversation, is spreading, and many instruments are being raised up in various nations to help forward the great work. The kingdom of Satan is in danger; he sees it, and stirs up the jealousy of men, setting them against one another, and, by their seeking through party-spirit to exalt their own particular religion, hindering the Lord's work. Into whatever nation the beams of the Sun of Righteousness shine, the inhabitants begin to inquire the way to Zion, and turn their faces thitherward. This alarms the rulers whose kingdom is of this world.
From Odessa to Constantinople they had a quick and safe passage. At Constantinople John Yeardley was deeply interested in the institutions which the American missionaries have founded for the religious and temporal improvement of the Armenians. He visited two of these, the high school at Bebek and the girls' seminary at Has-keuï, both beautifully situated on the shores of the Bosphorus. In the former they found forty-eight young men,--sixteen Greek and thirty-two Armenian. The industrial part of the education was particularly gratifying to him.
Cyrus Hamlin, he says, who has the superintendence of their studies and labor, is wonderfully adapted for his vocation. He is assisted only by native teachers. The young men looked serious: some of their countenances were peculiarly impressive, indicating that they had been with Jesus. I saw them assembled in the school-room, and addressed them for some time; and C. Hamlin most willingly interpreted into Armenian what I said. It was a sweet and memorable time. The Armenian teacher would scarcely let go my hand after the meeting, he had been so touched with the power of divine love. In the girls' boarding-school we found twenty-five girls, all Armenians, with the exception of two or three Greeks. It was a lovely sight to see so many of this class under a course of religious and useful instruction. Many of the countenances were marked and pleasing, and were fixed on me with great apparent seriousness while I addressed them, along with some of the neighbors.----Everett (the conductor of the school) kindly and most willingly interpreted what I had to communicate. He and his wife have also a day-school for boys and girls. I consider these institutions as bright and hopeful spots in the East, from which much good may arise.
The persevering and well-directed efforts of the American missionaries for the evangelization of the Armenians, and the field of Christian labor which was thus opened, took firm hold of J.Y.'s mind; he longed to visit the schools and congregations in Isnik and Brusa, and probably only abandoned the journey at this time in the hope of undertaking it at some future day. John Yeardley describes Constantinople as--
Built entirely on the hills which slope from a considerable eminence down to the Bosphorus. The trees towering among the houses, the high spires and gilded domes, have a most imposing effect; but what is the astonishment of the traveller when he commences his ascent up steep, narrow, clumsily-pitched streets. I could only compare them to the worst-constructed bridle-roads in England which the packhorses traversed centuries ago. The three days we were in the city I only saw one or two carriages,--the most curious vehicles; indeed, there is scarcely a street in which two carriages can pass. Donkeys are the chief carriers. As to dogs, they are born and bred in the streets and are the property of the town, and in the day-time He by dozens in the streets, young and old, are always under the feet of the traveller, and he must constantly poke them out of the way with his stick; by night they are furious. The shops present a jumble of all kinds of wares; and the Turks sit cross-legged in the window, or work at their trade inside.