rat. This province we have seen almost in its whole extent, first entering it at the western and then at its eastern extremity. On the last occasion we passed very near the base of that noble mountain, which is called by the Armenians, Masis, and by Europeans generally Ararat, and for more than twenty days had it constantly in sight, except when obscured by clouds. It consists of two peaks, one considerably higher than the other, and is connected with a chain of mountains running off to the N. W. and W. which though high are not of sufficient elevation to detract at all from the lonely dignity of this stupendous mass. From Nakhchewan, at the distance of at least 100 miles to the S. E. it appeared like an immense isolated cone of extreme regularity, rising out of the valley of the Araxes. Its height is said to be 16,000 feet, but I do not know by whom the measurement was taken. The eternal snows upon its summit occasionally form vast avalanches, which precipitate themselves down its sides with a sound not unlike that of an earthquake. When we saw it, it was white to its very base with snow. And certainly not among the mountains of Ararat or of Armenia generally, nor those of any part of the world where I have been, have I ever seen one, whose majesty could plead half so powerfully its claims, to the honour of having once been the stepping stone between the old world and the new. I gave myself up to the feeling that on its summit were once congregated all the inhabitants of the earth, and that, while in the valley of the Araxes, I was paying a visit to the second cradle of the human race. Nor can I allow my opinion to be at all shaken by the Chaldee paraphrasts, the Syrian translators and commentators, and the traditions of the whole family of Syrian churches, which translate the passage in question mountains of the Kurds. The Septuagint and Josephus, who support the Hebrew original, certainly speak the language of a tradition quite as ancient. Not to urge the names of places around Mount Masis in favour of its claims, as I think in the case of Nakhchewan might be done with some force, there is one passage of Scripture of some importance, which I do not recollect to have ever seen applied to elucidate this subject. In Gen. 11: 2, where the movements of the descendants of Noah are first alluded to, it is said that they journeyed from the east and came into the land of Shinar. Now had the ark rested upon the mountains of Kurdistan, they would naturally have issued at once into Mesopotamia, and have made their way down to Babylon from the north; nor would they have been obliged to go so far to find a plain. But in migrating from the valley of the Araxes, they would of course keep on the eastern side of the Median mountains until they almost reached the parallel of Babylon, before they would find a convenient place for crossing them. Such is now the daily route of caravans going from this city to Bagdad. They go south as far as Kermanshah, and then making almost a right angle take a western direction to Bagdad; thus making their journey some ten or twelve days longer than it would be, were they to take the more mountainous and difficult road by Soleymania. It has been objected to this location of Mount Ararat, that there are now no olive trees near enough for Noal's dove to have plucked her leaf from; and perhaps this opinion gave rise to the tradition in favour of the Kurdish mountains, which are so near to the warm regions of Mesopotamia. In fact, there are no olive trees in the valley of the Araxes, nor of the Cyrus, nor in any part of Armenia we have seen, nor yet, as we have been told, on the shores of the Caspian. They are to be found no nearer than some of the warm valleys of the province of Akhaltzikhi and the basin of the ancient Colchis. We mentioned this objection in a circle of learned monks at Etchmiazin. They shrewdly replied, by asking if it would be very hard work for a pigeon to fly to Akhaltzikhi and back again. Their explanation was in fact satisfactory. The distance, in the direction taken by caravans, is about 130 miles, and in a straight line must be less; a distance which, according to some recent experiments made upon the flight of carrier pigeons between London and Antwerp, might be easily passed over twice in a day by that bird. * * * Yours very truly, ELI SMITH. 2. Extracts from a letter to the Editor from PROFESSOR THOLUCK of the University of Halle. Translated from the Ger man. MY DEAR FRIend, HALLE, JULY 5, 1831. The reception of the second Number of your Biblical Repository, which has this day come to me from Leipsic, reminds me of the debt of friendship which I owe you; and I will tear myself away from business and seize a moment in order to hold converse with you. In regard to the public [theological] affairs in Halle, the storm has become quite still, and the fruits have been beyond all expectation. I have in my auditorium no longer room, and must read my private course on exegesis of the N. T. in the large public lecture room; and inasmuch as Wegscheider and Thilo both read exegesis at the same time, this is certainly a great deal. In like manner my private rooms no longer suffice for those who attend our evening religious exercises; I have had to transfer these to my auditorium, and even here there is no longer place to sit down. I know also several instances, where those who were deeply sunk in rationalism, have not only become supernaturalists, but, so far as human eye can see, are really converted from darkness to light, and adorn their profession by their lives and conduct. And generally speaking, although I for myself would not wish such another explosion, yet it cannot be denied that the impression made has in many respects been highly salutary. As to myself, the increased interest manifested by the students has given me so much more to do, that at present I am so lost in University labours, as not to be able to attend to any thing else; I read no periodical, and go still less than formerly into society. Activity in behalf of the kingdom of the Lord is my only, but also my sufficient delight. In respect to our theological literature, a very welcome appearance to me is Olshausen's Commentary on the three Evangelists in a synopsis or harmony. I have also procured the printing of Calvin's Commentary on the Epistles of Paul; and hope it will bring with it a very important blessing. Very many students purchase it. I think it would also find friends in America. The price is very low; two volumes of about 400 pages each for 1 rth. 16 gg. i. e. about $1,25.-Another welcome work to me is Schubert's "Geschichte der Seele," a system of Psychology, a work of rich and various matter.-On the Old Testament, Hengstenberg's Daniel stands foremost, a very learned work, and more full and rich than even his Christology. A commentary on Daniel by Havernik will also be an important appearance, when it shall leave the press. The first number of your work has not yet reached me. My special wish is, that you may make known in America more of our ideal tendency in theology. I cannot feel at all satisfied with Knapp's System; for me it has not sufficient depth. Your countrymen ought to become acquainted with the works of Twes ten and Nitzsch.*-Your account of Halle, which was extracted in the New York Observer, has naturally interested us much. The facts stated are all historically true. I pass over what relates to myself, in all of which you judge so kindly; but must tell you the judgment of our friend von G. who is greatly troubled on account of what he calls your "neutrality in respect to Gesenius," because no hint is given as to the unhappy influence which he exerts upon theology. It is true, that it has been a source of mortification to me in several instances, that an English or American Christian should feel satisfied with only describing such a man as Gesenius merely in a scientific point of view, without any regard to his theological influence. In your case, you might properly have respect to the relations in which you so long lived with him; but in other instances, this circumstance did not exist. In the mean while, it might still be a question, whether even here this circumstance ought to prevent all expression of an opinion, if mildly and affectionately uttered.† We can then hardly expect to see each other again; at least not on your side of the ocean; whether on this side, that hope I will not give up. So then, let this silent and unsatisfying messenger speed its way across the ocean, and remind you of your home in Halle, and of all the joys and tears that cleave to this recollection! With faithful remembrance, yours, A. THOLUCK. 3. From the same to the same. LEIPSIC, SEPT. 20, 1831. MY DEAR FRIEND, Here from Leipsic, whither I have come for a few days for the sake of recreation, I direct my view towards America; in *Twesten, Vorlesungen über die Dogmatik.--Nitzsch, System der christlichen Lehre. I have here preferred to give in full this christian reproof of a friend; and hope it was received in the spirit in which it was written. Meanwhile it will be seen from the subsequent letter, that the remarks were founded on the perusal of a mere extract; and that the impression which caused them, was removed on reading the whole of the articles alluded to. EDITOR. order that in the midst of all the troubles by which we here on this side of the ocean are encompassed, I may find relief and refreshment in turning away from them all and looking upon your peaceful continent.-There is a solemn divine judgment broken out upon us. In Halle we daily await the Cholera. In Berlin, in twelve days, sixty two have died, and only two recovered. All the students have dispersed. Still the nations do not look to him who smites them. The spirit of insubordination still glimmers, and we have yet stronger explosions of it to expect.The time may come indeed, when I could make use of your friendly invitation to your shores; but now, every man must keep his station in the combat, until he can be no longer useful. That I am here reminded of you so strongly, has its reason in the circumstance, that I have here received the third number of your journal, and read it immediately through en masse. I own to you that I regard the plan of these three numbers as excellent. Your articles on Germany are so very candid, and the christian warmth which they exhibit is such, that they have been highly gratifying both to Hahn and myself. In a scientific respect also, I find that the articles which have sprung up on American ground, are of great value (vorzüglich), and the selections from the German, very appropriate; only I could wish, as I mentioned in my former letter, that the more modern German Dogmatik and christian philosophy might also find a place in your work. Should you succeed in making the contents of your Repository hereafter as rich and valuable as hitherto, it will become a classical book for the study of theology in America, and will be the commencement of a new era. It must have cost you much labour already, along with your other exercises, to carry on this Journal and furnish the many translations. In the article on Germany in the third number, the description given of our "love of novelty," struck me as not being entirely well grounded. I think in order to comprehend this fully, one must have regard to the very great revolution which has been taking place in theology since 1750; and then again since 1817 the reaction, while that rationalistic critical tendency and effort which had been begun, has been still going on. That this inquiry after the xavóτegóv ti, does not lie altogether in the German national character alone, is shown by the history of theology in the seventeenth and first half of the eighteenth centuries. Then the German theologians held as much to standard works as the English; and for the very reason, that there really was no pro |