Page:The Nestorians and their rituals, volume 1.djvu/239

Rh during the following spring to attack the Nestorians on the east, while he promised to co-operate with him and fall upon them on the south and west.

The protracted siege of Amedia, which resisted for several months the most vigorous measures made to reduce it, and the disturbances created in Bahdinân and Berwari by Ismael Pasha in his efforts to regain possession of his hereditary rights, gave Mohammed Pasha's army full employment during the spring of 1842, and diverted him from any warlike attempt upon the Tyari country. Mohammed Pasha, however, proved that he could at least think of more than one enemy at a time, and could wield other than military weapons. After some persuasion, he succeeded in inducing Said Beg, a nephew of Bedr Khan Beg's, to come to Mosul, where he entered into a secret league with him to betray his uncle and compass his death. Said Beg was accordingly despatched to the valley of Zakho with a friendly message from Mohammed Pasha to the Emeer of Buhtân; but the object of his mission becoming known to the Coordish chief, a strong detachment of soldiers was sent against him, who inflicted a severe chastisement upon the tribe to which he belonged, and carried away with them a considerable booty. When Mohammed Pasha learned that his stratagem had signally failed, he wrote a letter to Bedr Khan Beg congratulating him on his fortunate escape, and praising him for the rigour with which he had punished the offenders!

During the summer of this year (1842) the late Dr. Grant, of the American Independent Board of Missions, commenced building premises for an extensive missionary establishment at Asheetha, the largest village in Tyari, and the nearest to the Berwari district. He himself informed me before his death, that on asking leave of Mar Shimoon to commence the undertaking, the Patriarch referred him to Noorallah Beg, the Coordish Emeer of Hakkari, pleading at the time that he had not the power of granting his request. Noorallah Beg gave the necessary permission, and the Doctor remained in the Tyari country to superintend the building. There is reason to