'Reconnaissances in Mesopotamia, Kurdistan, North-West Persia, and Luristan from April to October 1888. By Lt F R Maunsell, Intelligence Branch. In Two Volumes. Volume I: narrative report, description of larger towns and routes leading from them. Simla: Intelligence Branch, Quarter Master General's Dept, 1890' [‎93v] (191/312)

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In SalabaJcJca on the left bank of the Zab there are 180 to 200 houses, and
in the district round Gundukhta 800 to 1,000.
In Berwari are five or six scattered villages, the chief of which is Duri.
There is a small Dominican school in Gundukhta numbering about 40 chil
dren and an American Mission School at Marza numbering about 50 children.
Neither of them accomplish much owing to the general ignorance of the
people.
There are American Mission helpers in Lizan, Tkhoma, Mansuriyah
and Hassan near Jazirah.
Dr. Browne, one of the Archbishops of Canterbury’s Mission, has lived for
the last year at Kochannis with Mar Shimun, and his being thus stationed
enabled the Urmia Missionaries to take prompt measures to report the intended
massacre of the Christians by the Kurds in Tiari in September 1888.
There are 13 Nestorian villages round Van and a few round Bitlis.
On the south-east side of the Bashkala plain on the left bank of the
Great Zab are a few isolated Nestorian villages, the principal of which are
Autess, Argi, Hanjoulis and Kelago {see Route XII).
Also in the high mountain districts north-west of Lewin and east of Nur-
duz are a few scattered Nestorian villages, the principal being Stian, Shah-
mannus and Sekunis {see Route XI).
In Gavvar there are altogether 12 villages on the plain itself and 48
villages on the slopes of the hills around it, making a total of 60 villages
altogether, of which 23 are Nestorian.
In Nutcha there are some 20 villages of Nestorians in addition to about 20
families scattered among the Kurdish villages numbering in all from 1,300 to
1,500 souls. This is only a remnant of what it once was. Traces of ruined
villages and churches show that a dense and prosperous Christian population
once dwelt in these mountains. They are reduced to great poverty now and
suffer much oppression.
The same remark applies to the Zebari valley at Rezan and Bila Keupri,
where a few scattered families still exist, the remnants of a large Nestorian
population.
In Shamsdin are four large Nestorian villages. Its people and those
of the adjoining district of Girdi are chiefly Kurds with but few Christians.
In the Urmia plain half the population of the plain is Christian and in
habit 200 villages ; 100 are either Nestorian or Armenian or a mixture of both.
In both Urmia and Salmas Armenians and Nestorians are much mixed
together, and marriages are not infrequent. In the Baranduz plain are also a
large number of Nestorian, and Armenian districts.
The safety of the Urmia Christians lies in the divisions of the Musalmans
into Sunnis and Shiahs, feuds among the Kurdish clans, and presence and
influence of Consuls and Missionaries.
Although the Christians are not more heavily taxed than others, they
are not on a par with the Musalmans as regards the administration of
justice.
The number of Nestorians in Urmia, Tergavvar, Sulduz and Salmas are
estimated by Mr. Thomson at 22,000, of which 2,800 are Armenians and
624 Papal Chaldeans.
In dealing with the Nestorian characteristics it must be distinctly remem-
Character of the Nesto- ^ ere ^ to judge them by a European standard
rians. would produce disappointing results.
Their character is a curious mixture of the most glaring defects with very
apparent virtues.