Page:The Nestorians and their rituals, volume 1.djvu/143

Rh away the evening in singing some of their plaintive mountain airs. The moon shone resplendent till a late hour, and continued her calm and majestic course through a cloudless sky, long after the soft cadence of the Coordish song had given place to the hum of insects, and to the flittings of bats and owls, now the sole guardians of the tomb of Bar Hebræus.

The day following we took a trip to Ain-oos-Safrâ about two hours to the south-east of the convent. The spring from which the mountain derives its name, is situated on the verge of the plain where its waters are collected into a cistern swarming with small leeches and enormous frogs. This place is held in high veneration by the Yezeedees around, who have here a yearly dance in honour of one of their reputed saints. The branches of a wild fig-tree hard by were covered with rags of different colours, which we learned on inquiry betokened the visits of those people who resort hither to seek the divine intervention in their behalf. Such as are about to undertake a journey, barren women, and the sick and infirm, are the principal visitors on ordinary occasions, and these record their vows, by tearing off a shred from their garments, and tying it to the tree before mentioned. The same custom prevails extensively among the Mohammedans throughout Turkey, and it is not uncommon for the traveller to meet with shrubs and bushes on the road literally hid under these votive offerings.

Close by the spring are the ruins of the convent of Mar Gawrièl, and on the summit of the mountain we saw the remains of a similar building dedicated to Mar Danièl, both formerly tenanted by Nestorian monks. Once a year divine service is celebrated at the latter place, and the Chaldeans and other Christians who resort thither consider it a miracle that on their first arrival myriads of beetles are seen creeping up the walls and about the ruins which, they say, entirely disappear as soon as the prayers are ended. It is affirmed, and I believe with truth, that the more superstitious regale themselves with a mess of these noisome insects before returning home.

Since our first visit to Mar Mattai the convent has been partially repaired and is now the residence of Mutran Matta and two monks. Mutran Matta is the same person who has already been mentioned as the abbot who succeeded Mutran Moosa just