TOPOGRAPHY, KACES, RELIGIONS, LANGUAGES AND CUSTOMS, 43' 



favoured the invasion of Egypt by the Moslem Arabs, whum 

 Ihey joined in expelling the Greeks. The change of 

 government, however, did not benefit them, but they found 

 to their bitter disappointment that the enemies of the cross 

 Avere harder task-masters than their Christian enemies. 

 Being tyrannized over by harassing impositions and cm el 

 oppressions, they tried to get rid of them by a general rise, 

 Avhich Avas put doAvn Avith a high hand, and brought upon 

 them greater miseries. For many centuries the Copts A\'ere 

 treated with the utmost severity and subjected to the greatest 

 cruelties. In the ninth century they Avere made to wear 

 dark garments and turbans to distinguish them from the 

 Moslems, and as a mockery they Avere forced to carry a 

 heavy Avooden cross of about 5 lbs. Aveight, suspended 

 from the neck. In the thirteenth century another severe 

 persecution tock place, in Avhich all their principal churches 

 Avere destroyed throughout Egypt. HaAn"ng been so much 

 Avorried by constant ill-treatment and diabolical persecution,, 

 not a few of them embraced Islamism, and their churches 

 Avere turned into mosques. Indeed, all Christians Avere 

 domineered over by every Mohammedan, Avhether high or 

 loAA^, until the iron rule of Mohammed Ali Pasha in the 

 beginning of this century, when he had the Mamlooks 

 massacred, and accorded liberty to all Christians whercA^er 

 his power Avas extended. He being of Albanian origin, 

 tolerated both Christians and Jews, and meted out justice 

 to both Moslem and non-Moslem alike. 



It is calculated that the present number of the- Copts all 

 OA'er Egypt does not exceed a quarter of a million souls. 



The religious system of the Coptic church is the same as 

 that of all other oriental and Papal churches in regard to 

 unscriptural forms and ceremonies, excepting that of the old 

 Chaldean church, erroneously nicknamed " Nestorian," but 

 they practise both circumcision and baptism the same as the 

 Abyssinians. They believe that their church was founded 

 by St. Mark, and their Patriarch is regarded by them as his 

 lineal successor. They administer the Eucharist in the form 

 of small cakes (as all Monoph3^sites do), which are moistened 

 with Avine for the laity, but the priests receive it in both 

 kinds separately. 



Having touched in the beginning of my paper upon the 

 Chaldean, Syrian, and other nationalities existing in Mesopo- 

 tamia and Assyria, 1 must explain at some length their 

 history and present constitution and doctrinal differences. 



