It was a tract destined to exert an important influence.
Mr.King's term of service had now expired; and on the 26th of August, 1825, after three years of active and very useful missionary labors, he left Syria homeward bound.

He went first to Tarsus by ship, and thence, by what proved a tedious land journey, to Smyrna.
His clothes, books, papers, and several valuable manuscripts were sent by a vessel, that was taken by a Greek cruiser, and only a part of them were returned.

On his arrival at Smyrna, December 4, he received the painful intelligence of the death of his beloved associate at Beirut.
Mr.King remained several months at Smyrna, waiting the recovery of his effects, making good progress, meanwhile, in the modern Greek language, and doing much service for the Greeks.

He then visited Constantinople with the Rev.Mr.Hartley, of the Church Missionary Society, where he was received by several high Greek ecclesiastics with a kindness similar to that he had received from the Greeks of Egypt, Palestine, Syria, and Asia Minor.

It was after his departure, that a copy of his Farewell Letter found its way into the hands of Armenians, who brought it before a council convened for the purpose, as will be related hereafter.