to fifty. In 1826 the average attendance in the
free schools of Beirut and vicinity, was more than three hundred; in
the following year it was six hundred in thirteen schools, and more
than one hundred of these pupils were girls. The Arabs were thought
to have less quickness than the Greeks, to be less studious and
ambitious, and more trifling, inconstant, and proud of little
things; but many of them were lively and promising, and did
themselves honor by their punctuality and application. The Romish
ecclesiastics were very hostile to all these schools.

It was in the summer of 1825, that Asaad el-Shidiak became first
personally known to the mission, as the instructor of Mr. King in
the Syriac language. His case soon acquired an extraordinary
interest, and will occupy a separate chapter.

In March, 1826, several Greek vessels entered the port of Beirut,
and landed five hundred men. They were unable to scale the walls,
but plundered the houses of natives on the outside. The wild
Bedawin, whom the Pasha of Acre sent to drive them away, were worse
than the Greeks. They plundered without making any distinctions, and
among other houses the one occupied by Mr. Goodell, but Consul
Abbott obliged the Pasha to pay for what they took from the
missionaries. It was afterwards ascertained, that the Maronite
bishop, having learned that the leases of the missionaries would
soon expire, came to Beirut just before this invasion, with an
excommunication for every Maronite who should permit his house to be
hired by a missionary; and prepared by bribery and intrigue to bring
also the Greek bishop and the Moslem rulers to act in concert with
himself, in driving Protestant missionaries from the country. The
sudden landing of the Greeks obliged him to flee in the night,
leaving his wicked devices unaccomplished, while the Maronites were
glad to place their best houses in the hands of the missionaries.

In 1827, the missionaries hoped that about twenty of those among
whom they labored, had been created anew in Christ Jesus. Among them
were Asaad and Phares Shidiak, from the Maronite Church; a lady from
the Latin Church; Dionysius, Gregory Wortabet, Jacob, and the wife
of Dionysius, of the Armenian Church; the wife of Wortabet and
Yooseph Leflufy, of the Greek Catholic Church; and Asaad Jacob and
Tannus el-Haddad, of the Greek Church. Leflufy was described as a
youth of great boldness and decision, and as thoroughly convinced of
the errors o