The metropolis was not found the best place to train men for the seclusion and small salaries of interior pastorates; but the school was nevertheless a most important instrument for good, and quite essential in the early progress of the mission. Of the forty-five students in the five years from 1857 to 1861, for which the Seminary was fairly held responsible, seven were preachers at the opening of 1862, and thirteen were members of the theological class.
The expediency of continuing the Seminary at the metropolis, had been discussed in the mission for several years. The other missions preferred training their native ministry within their own bounds; and the interior stations of the Western mission had strong objections to sending their pupils to be educated where expensive habits were almost necessarily acquired.
It was resolved, in the same year, to discontinue the boarding-school for girls at Constantinople, with the expectation of reviving it, also, at Marsovan. It was commenced in 1845. The whole number of pupils had been one hundred and twenty-eight, of whom one half became members of the church. Eighty-three were from Constantinople and vicinity, and forty-five from the interior. Thirty-seven completed the course of four years. Two of the older graduates were teachers of self-supporting schools at Nicomedia; another, whose parents lived at Trebizond, taught at Marsovan; a fourth, since married to a graduate of the Bebek seminary, devoted herself to teaching the girls in a day-school at Adabazar, in charge of the native pastor; another was mistress of a school of forty pupils at Baghchejuk; and still another had a school of forty-five girls at Diarbekir, and was otherwise a shining light. Five were wives of pastors,—at Constantinople, Broosa, Bilijik, Harpoot, and Diarbekir; three of preachers,—at Nicomedia, Bandurma, and Aidin; and several of helpers in different places. The school was located successively at Pera, Bebek, and Hass-Keuy; and its teachers were Miss Lovell, Mrs. Everett, and the two Misses West.
The summer heat at Adana was supposed to be too intense for the health of a missionary family. Mr. Coffing was therefore commissioned, by his brethren, to explore the Taurus Mountains, west and north of Marash, for a suitable summer residence. He performed this service in the autumn of 1860, accompanied by Mrs. Coffing and Deacon Sarkis. An interesting account of the tour may be found in the "Missionary Herald," for 1861.[1] Mr. Coffing requested permission, on his return, to occupy the new field, and left Aintab, with his family, for this purpose, in July, 1861; intending to reside at Hadjin, or Nigdeh in the mountains during the summer heat, and in the winter at Adana. As they went forth from Aintab, nearly the whole Protestant population, about fifteen hundred, stood on both sides of the road to bid them farewell, and as they passed, sang,—
"How sweet the tie that binds
Our hearts in Christian love;"
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.
Mr. Johnson, United States Consul at Beirût, took energetic measures, in connection with Mr. Morgan at Antioch, for apprehending the murderers. They had the coöperation not only of the gentlemen above mentioned, but also of Capt. Hobart of H. B. Majesty's Ship Foxhound, Capt. Simon, of the French Frigate Mogador, and Col. A. S. Frazer, H. B. M. Commissioner to Syria. The Turkish authorities acted with commendable decision, and two young Moslem robbers of the mountains, to whom the crime was traced, were finally captured; though one of them afterwards escaped, and was protected by the Pasha of the district. The other was executed in September, 1862, and the offending Pasha was removed from office. Robbery was evidently no object with the assassins, and it was believed, that they were instigated by others. The hostile Armenians of Hadjin and Adana were, for a time, under great apprehension, and were so much impressed by the forbearance of Mr. Johnson and Mr. Morgan, that they assured the latter of their readiness to receive any preacher he might choose to send among them. The sorely afflicted widow resolved to remain in the mission, where she is still very usefully employed among her own sex. It should be added, that this is the only instance in the history of the Board, in which a missionary has suffered a violent death, inflicted because he was a missionary, from the hands of the people among whom he labored.
Dr. Goodell attended the annual meeting of the Central mission in 1862; and so strong were his impressions that the appropriate work of the missionary was nearly accomplished at some of the stations, that he apprehended there might be more danger of the missionary's staying too long, than that he would go too soon.