The population of Adrianople was then estimated at one hundred and forty thousand, of whom forty thousand were supposed to be Turks.

The books in the Turkish language found in Mr.Morse's baggage, including a large number of New Testaments, were at first detained at the custom-house, under instructions from the Porte, but were released upon application of the American and English Consuls.

His bookseller obtained a firman for the sale of books, and freely exposed the Turkish Testament, and Mr.Morse was himself allowed free access to the largest and finest of the mosques,--a favor not granted at the capital.
The most formidable opposition apprehended was from the Romish missionaries.

They had been quick to see a double advantage in the disaffection of the Bulgarians with the Greek Church, and the fall of the Russian Protectorate, and had already erected a fine church.
The French residents, their consul, and even the English consular agent, were Catholics.

An intelligent Bulgarian expressed the opinion that Protestant missions furnished the only possible safeguard against Rome in that country, and one of the best informed of the American missionaries declared his belief, that the greatest contest of Protestantism with Rome, since the era of the Reformation, would be in Turkey.
The Rev.Theodore L.Byington and wife joined the mission in 1858, and were stationed at Adrianople.