WRIGHT, Austin H

[s. 813] : Born at Hartford, Vt., November ti 11, 1811. Died January 14, 1865. He studied at Dart mouth College and Union Theological Seminary, N. Y., and in the medical department of the University of Virginia, Char preaching during his term of study population of the “Ragged Mountains;” sailed March 9, 1840, as a mi ionary of the ABCFM for the Nestor i ans, to take the place in Urmia of Dr. Grant, whose impaired health and large plans for the Mountain Nestor i ans led him to seek a residence in one of the mountain districts of Kurdistan. His perfect acquaintance with the Turkish, Syriac, and Persian languages, coupled with his knowledge of medicine and his kind, gentle courtesy of manner, gave him much influence among all cla es of the people, and the busine connected with the authorities, and intercourse with the higher cla es, was to a great extent in his hands, or carried on through him. The Persian officials and other gentlemen appreciated very highly the courteous, dignified, yet simple ease and grace with which he met them. In 1860 he returned to the United States, but, the feeble, he engaged in labors for the Nestor i ans. In the early part of 1863 he began the revision of the New Testament in Syriac, preparatory to its being electrotyped and printed by the ABS in pocket form. To this the Psalms were added, and he took back with him on his return in 1864 the first few copies, which were hailed with delight by the people. A short time before this it was determined to undertake the translation of the Bible into Turkish for the Mohammedan population of Azerbaijan. This work was a igned to Dr. Wright in conjunction with Mr. Rhea, and he entered upon it with great enthusiasm. But in three months he was called to a lotteville, to the destitute |- higher service. 813