'Narrative of a Residence in Koordistan, and on the Site of Ancient Nineveh; with Journal of a Voyage down the Tigris to Bagdad and an Account of a Visit to Shirauz and Persepolis.' [‎79] (106/450)

CH. XV.] THE BISHOP OF MAR MATTEI. 79
I perceive that these people do not like to be called
Jacobites. The bishop corrected me frequently, and
said they were Syrians. The Roman Catholic Sy
rians call themselves by that name, and the others
they call Jacobites, as sectaries of Jacobus Baradeus.
These latter, again, will not allow they are sectaries,
and insist on being called by their national appel
lation.
I must do the old bishop the justice to record a
fact, though it tells rather against myself. In affirm
ing something, I made use of the common Maho
metan form of " Wallah," by God. He stopped me
immediately. " Cannot you affirm simply," said he,
" without taking God's name in vain ? If you believe
in the Gospel, do not swear." But unfortunately,
having learned all my oriental languages from Ma-
liomedans, their profane modes of expression are so
very familiar to me, that I fear I must often uncon
sciously have offended him in the course of conver
sation.
December 16.—I was hard at work till near three
o'clock in the afternoon, sketching the country and
finishing my observations, and the day was delight
fully clear and favourable for my purpose. I then
went to the top, and over to the other side ol the
mountain, the ascent to which was extremely steep.
South-east of the convent in a cleft in the moun
tain is a small olive-plantation, with a fine spring of