Page:The Nestorians and their rituals, volume 1.djvu/441

Rh and at 5 reached Doori, where we were kindly received into the house of Mar Yeshua-yau, the Nestorian Bishop of Berwari.

The Episcopal residence consists of one long semi-subterranean apartment and a few outhouses, built in the mouth of a ravine a short distance from the village. Several dried skins and large earthen bins filled with rice, wheat, and butter, a few agricultural implements, cooking utensils, wooden bowls, and rolls of bedding, formed the domestic furniture. The Bishop's sister and two or three other relatives and their children were inmates of the same dwelling, and occupied the upper end of the room, which served as store, nursery, and kitchen, for the whole family. The Bishop himself was at vespers in the church of Mar Kayyoma when we arrived, but he came shortly afterwards and gave us a hearty welcome. He was dressed in a pair of brown woollen shalwar, or wide trowsers, a jacket of the same material, and a felt cap bound round with a small black turban. He was followed by several of his people, who made themselves quite at home in his house, squatted near the fire, smoked their pipes, and took part in the conversation with the greatest freedom. Nevertheless they paid him every token of respect, lighted his pipe, listened attentively whenever be spoke, and seemed to vie with each other who should do his bidding. The Bishop gave me a sad account of his diocese, and complained bitterly of the oppression of the Coords, who have driven away many of his people from their villages, and taken possession of their lands and property. I inquired why he did not represent these proceedings to the Mutsellim of Amedia. "Of what use would that be?" said he; "the governors are all Moslems, and never attend to our grievances, and our persecutors who surround us only vex us the more for having dared to seek redress." I spoke to him about the education of his people, to which the poor man replied, "Come, come; we shall be glad to welcome you, our churches shall be open to you, you may establish schools amongst us, and I will see that my people obey you. Perhaps your coming may free us from the tyranny of the infidels, but as for ourselves we can do nothing; we have barely bread enough to eat, we cannot procure books, we hardly dare worship in our churches, and what would the Coords say if