PERSIA. 



061 



between Teheran and Tauris, and similar facil- 

 ities will be afforded, as soon as safe arrange- 

 ments can be made with the local Persian 

 merchant*, for the intermediate towns on the 

 route. The rate of postage is 25 centimes for 

 a single letter within Persia, and 55 centimes 

 to any part of Europe, an arrangement having 

 been made with the Russian postal authorities 

 by which letters bearing the Russian as well 

 as the Persian stamp will be forwarded to 

 their European destination. Herr Niederer 

 reports that postal enterprise is popular, and 

 its use is increasing. He contemplates, as soon 

 as practicable, establishing other routes to the 

 south and to Bagdad. 



The country on the Russian border at Merv 

 was disturbed at the beginning of the year by 

 the irruptions of the Tekke, the most preda- 

 tory tribe of the Turkomans. These people 

 were in straitened circumstances for food, 

 and made frequent raids into the Persian ter- 

 ritories for cattle and sheep, and occasionally 

 carried off some prisoners. A force was sent 

 from Meshed to pursue one of these bands, 

 and overtook them at Kelati Nadiri, where it 

 totally defeated them with the loss of 500 dead 

 and wounded and 500 horses. 



A force of Turkish Kurds having entered 

 Persian territory near the city of Ushua and 

 committed heinous outrages on property and 

 person, the Governor of Urina crossed the 

 boundaries into Turkey, August 13th, with 

 five regiments of infantry and eight guns, to 

 give them wholesome chastisement. 



On the birthday of the Shah, March 6th, 

 his Majesty gave a reception to the diplomatic 

 corps. The Austro-Hungnrian minister pre- 

 sented an address of congratulation on behalt 

 of the foreign representatives, to which the 

 Shah made an appropriate reply. He after- 

 ward spoke especially to each of his guests. 

 The Shah entered upon the thirtieth lunar 

 year of his reign in December. As thirty years 

 in the Persian reckoning mark a cycle, or 

 karn, considerable importance was attached to 

 this event, and it was decided to celebrate it 

 with extraordinary festivities. The celebration 

 was, however, postponed till January, 1877, 

 in order to hold it in connection with the 

 great religious festivals of Korban and Kad- 

 dir. 



The Presbyterian Church in the United 

 States of America has a mission in Persia, 

 with its headquarters at Urumiah, the labors 

 of which have been directed chiefly to the 

 Nestorian Christians. At the annual meeting 

 of the mission held at Urumiah, October 18, 

 1876, action was taken in favor of beginning 

 work among Mussulmans for their conversion 

 to Christianity. The missionaries expressed 

 themselves aware of the hostility that this 

 stop would excite from the Government, but 

 decided that while they would, as far as possible, 

 avoid a direct issue with the authorities upon 

 the matter, they could not avoid what they 

 considered to be a duty. 



PERU (REPLICA DEL PEn6), an indepen- 

 dent state of South America. 



Details relative to boundaries, territorial di- 

 vision, population, etc., will be found in the 

 ANNUAL CYCLOPAEDIA for 1878 and 1875. 



The President of the Republic is General 

 Mariano Ignacio Prado, installed in office on 

 August 2, 1876. 



GCANO WORKINGS IN THE NORTH ISLAND. 



The cabinet is composed of the following 

 ministers: Interior, Sefior Manuel F. Benavi- 

 des; Foreign Aft'airs, Sefior Jos6 Antonio Gar- 

 cia y Garcia; Justice, Dr. Antonio Arenas, 

 who is also President of the Council ; Finance, 

 Sefior Jos6 Aranibar ; and War and the Navy, 

 General Pedro Bustamente. This cabinet was 



VOLCANO OF KISTf UR ARE<JU1PA. 



considered particularly strong, being formed 

 of men representing all the different shades of 

 political opinion ; but, according to the decla- 

 ration of the new President, they will not be 

 biased by any party spirit. Dr. Arenas was 

 the Opposition candidate for the presidency at 



