The women here go closely veiled.  They cover over their heads and breast with a white kerchief, in which thick impenetrable network is inserted, at the places opposite the eyes.

In the houses of the poorer classes two or three families live under one roof.  They possess little more than straw mats, blankets, pillows, and a few cooking utensils, not to forget a large wooden box in which the meal, their chief property, is kept.  Here as everywhere else where corn is cultivated, bread is the principal food of the common people.  Every family bake twice daily, morning and evening.

Many of the small houses have very pretty courts, which are planted with flowers, vines, and shrubs, and looked like gardens.

The dwellings of the wealthy are lofty, airy, and spacious; the reception rooms have a large number of windows, and are covered with carpets.  I saw no divans, people always lie upon the carpets.  As we made the visits without being invited, we found the women in very plain coloured cotton dresses, of course, made in their own fashion.

In the afternoon I rode with the missionaries to their large country-house, which is situated about six miles from the town, on some low hills.  The valley through which we rode was very large, and altogether well cultivated and delightful.  Although it is said to lie about 4,000 feet above the level of the sea, cotton, castor-oil plants, vines, tobacco, and every kind of fruit grow here as in South Germany.  The castor-oil plant, indeed, is not more than four feet high, and the cotton but one foot; they produce, however, rather abundantly.  Several villages are half hid in orchards.  I came into this country at a fortunate time:  there were beautiful peaches, apricots, apples, grapes, etc., true fruits of my native country, of which I had long been deprived.

The house of the missionary society is most charmingly situated; it commands a view of the whole valley, the town, the low range of hills, and the mountains.  The house itself is large, and furnished with every possible convenience, so that I thought I was in the country-house of wealthy private people, and not under the roof of simple disciples of Christ.  There were four women here, and a whole troop of children, great and small.  I passed several very pleasant hours among them, and was heartily sorry that I was obliged to take leave of them at 9 in the evening.

Several native girls were also introduced to me who were educated by the wives of the missionaries.  They spoke and wrote a little English, and were well acquainted with geography.  I cannot avoid, on this occasion, making some observations with regard to the missionaries, whose mode of life and labours I had frequent opportunities of observing during my journey.  I met with missionaries in Persia, China, and India, and everywhere found them living in a very different manner to what I had imagined.