ST. TRIPHON'S MONASTERY 173 



seclusion he heard a voice : " This is not your place ; an uninhabited 

 and thirsting region is awaiting you " ; and obeying this mysterious 

 summons he left his father's roof and wandered forth to the far North, 

 finally reaching the shores of the Arctic Ocean, at Kola Prissoud, on 

 the river Pechenga in the country of the Laplanders/ 



Under the guise of trading he became acquainted with the Lap- 

 landers, and afterwards talked to them about the Gospel. Apostolic 

 labours of the heaviest description awaited this preacher of the Gospel 

 of Christ in the midst of rough idolaters — without any means of 

 defence against the wickedness of those heathens. The Laplanders 

 not only worshipped evil spirits, but even reptiles and bats ; and 

 bowed down before stones. Triphon living in their vicinity and 

 watching their coarse superstitions, deeply bemoaned the errings of 

 these people; and his soul kindled with greater zeal than ever to 

 lead them to Christ. He began by telling them of the only True 

 God, the Creator of Heaven and Earth, the only Father and Saviour 

 of all people. The habitations of the Laplanders were scattered 

 over swampy districts at great distances from each other ; the country 

 which the Holy Triphon had chosen for his apostolic labours extended 

 over about 500 versts in length and nearly as many in width. Blind 

 in their ignorance, the people were very slow at first to accept the 

 lofty teachings of Christianity. Triphon had to battle hard with the 

 superstitions and ancient delusions of the idolaters ; and he met with 

 the greatest opposition from the seers, or idolatrous priests, for whom 

 idolatry constituted a profitable profession. They were ready to tear 

 the new teacher of the Truth to pieces ; more than once they beat 

 him cruelly, pulled him by his hair, and in many ways insulted him. 

 But the Lord watched over His servant. The follower of Christ 

 meekly suffered blows and insults ; and when their malice became 

 too furious, he went away to the hills, and after a time reappeared to 

 preach the Gospel. But evidently even the savage has a conscieijce 

 and a desire to learn the truth ; amongst the Laplanders there were 



1 "Troitzky Papers," No. 764. 



