After a period without the _possibility of sending and—receiving mail, we are now able to send mail regularly by the U.S.8. North Carolina, This will last as long as there are any steamers which can carry mails from here. Our letters will go in the North Carolina's special sealed mail bag. Through the Turkish port, we can send only letters written in Arabic, Turkish, French, or German.
The only steamer calling here now is the Maritima Italiana. If Italy is drawn into the war, we shall be completely cut off. So if you hear of Italy declaring war, don't expect any more letters. If my letters stop, coming, it is probably because we: have no way of sending.
We have received no news from America for four weeks, but expect that we shall hear ' eventually. Please send me fifty American stamps with which to post my letters on ship-board. I may never receive them but am ready to risk that much. The North Carolina has them, but since the foreign post-offices have been closed it is not legal for them to sell stamps to We are all very well, and bite is moving on quietly, although with Having declared Government is. seizing all British, French, and Russian property. All subjects of these nations are held as hostages, and may be taken into the interior at any time. We have three British subjects on our faculty. Really, all British have left the country.
In Damascus, they have seized the British Hospital, which Dr. McKinnon had to leave some weeks ago, and have swept it as clean as a whirlwind. All surgical instruments, furniture, _bedding,—everything has gone. Where? Nobody knows.
Here in Beiritt, all French and British schools have been closed and the property seized. To-night the Syrian Protestant College sheltering thirty Catholic "Freres" who have been turned out into the street. A number of Jesuit priests! have been with us several days, having also been turned out. The Sisters of Charity, perhaps sixty them, are expected any time into
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.