308 ATTEMPT AT CONVERSION. 



berry was boiled. The only cup we had was 

 fairly circulated, whilst another discussion upon 

 religion was entered upon, nearly of the same 

 character as our previous one. 



The party had come with the intention of convert- 

 ing me, but they were all disappointed, for I proved 

 that my religion was founded upon truth, and that 

 they themselves believed every principle of faith I 

 did. My reason for not going so far as they did, as to 

 receive the Koran as the Word of God, was because 

 my book, the New Testament, did not testify to the 

 truth of Mahomed's mission, as their's did to that 

 of Jesus. This plea, however, was met by a 

 curious tirade against Poulos (St. Paul), the only 

 one of the apostles that the Mahomedans appear to 

 have any knowledge of, and him they charge with 

 having falsified the Gospels, by striking out the 

 name of Mahomed wherever it appeared. I have 

 since learned, that all the foundation they have for 

 this accusation is the circumstance of one of the 

 forms of the name Mahomed, " Ohmed" having the 

 same signification in Arabic as the Greek word 

 7rapafc\r)7o<;> Comforter, one of the designations of 

 the Holy Ghost, and the coming of which was cer- 

 tainly promised by Christ. 



A long afternoon was occupied discussing this 

 subject, and during the conversation, my Islam 

 friends exhibited the greatest politeness, never 

 interrupting me as I stammered away in bad 

 Arabic, until some one of them, comprehending my 





