schools not on the ground of "attending to the rising generation," but to
aid him in the language ... give him opportunities of "trying his wings
(as he calls it) against Christian errors, and exciting the attention of
Moslems. Indeed, several (chiefly Persians) have come privately and begged
New Testaments to send to their friends in Persia. At present I conceive
he has nearly the whole Christian population here in his hands." And
later, "Groves has not at all disappointed me, do not think that from
anything I have written. He is what I expected from his book, and a great
deal more. He has a practical organizing directing energy which fits him
to be the centre of many persons, especially since it is combined with
entire unselfishness and a total absence of personal ambition or _desire_
to take the lead which he does take. He is very sanguine.... I am apt to
be sadly faithless, and to see nothing but difficulties."

Perhaps his lack of conviction that this effort at missionary work _could_
make its way in spite of so many great difficulties, as well as his own
bad health (he states that he had not had a single day of real health
since they have been at Bagdad), had something to do with his decision to
return to England.

In August, 1832, Newman had a big class of boys every afternoon to whom he
taught English and Geography; he mentions that "into the latter" he puts
"a vast miscellany, physical, political, historical," from his knowledge
and power of talk.

On 18th Sept., 1833, he left Bagdad. There is no entry in his diary
between this and the last one in August, 1832, four months earlier. No
word of his parting with his friends; no word of his reluctance to give up
his missionary work.