The Kurds of the valleys employ beasts of burden for carrying their crops, as well as waggons, which are however very simple and clumsy.  The body is formed of several long thin stems of trees bound together; the axles of shorter stems, with disks of thick board for wheels, of which each waggon has generally only two.  Four oxen are yoked to these, each pair being led by a guide, who sits very oddly on the shaft between the yoke, with his back towards them.

Late in the evening, we reached Oromia safely, after a hard ride of more than sixteen hours.  I had no letters to any of the missionaries, and with the exception of Mr. Wright, they were all absent.  They lived with their wives and children in the country.  However, Mr. Wright received me with true Christian friendship, and after many disagreeable days I again found comfort.

The first evening I laughed heartily when Mr. Wright told me in what manner the servant had informed him of my arrival.  As I did not know enough of Persian to be able to tell the servant to announce me, I merely pointed to the stairs.  He understood this, and went up to his master, saying that there was a woman below who could not speak any language.  Afterwards I asked a servant for a glass of water, in English; he rushed up stairs as if he had been possessed, not, as I thought, to get what I wanted, but to tell his master that I spoke English.

Mr. Wright acquainted the other missionaries of my presence, and they were so good as to come and visit me.  They also invited me to spend a few days with them in the country, but I accepted their friendly invitation for one day only, as I had already lost so much time on the road.  They all advised me not to go any further alone; although they admitted that the most dangerous part of the journey was past, and recommended me to take with me some armed peasants when passing the mountains near Kutschie.

Mr. Wright was so good as to look out for a courageous and trusty guide.  I paid double fare, in order to reach Tebris in four, instead of six days.  In order to make the guide think that I was a poor pilgrim, I gave Mr. Wright the half of the agreed price, and begged him to pay it instead of myself, and also to say that he would be paid the other half by Mr. Stevens, the English consul.

I made as good use as possible of the day which I passed at Oromia.  In the morning I visited the town, and afterwards I visited, with Mrs. Wright, several rich and poor families, in order to observe their mode of life.

The town contains 22,000 inhabitants, is surrounded by walls, but not closed by gates; it is possible to pass in and out at any hour of the night.  It is built like all Turkish towns, with this exception—­that the streets are rather broad, and kept clean.  Outside the town are numerous large fruit and vegetable gardens, which are surrounded by very high walls; pretty dwelling-houses stand in the centre of the gardens.