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Topsy-Turvy Land - Arabia Pictured for Children by Samuel M. Zwemer;Amy E. Zwemer
page 67 of 87 (77%)
Bedden (native boat) and demanded the firearms of the Arabs. Then he bound
them and put his own sailors on board, and brought the precious cargo of
souls into Muscat harbour.

[Illustration: SLAVE GIRL IN ARABIA.]

The owner of the slave-dhow was sent to prison, and the boys and girls
were given away to Christian people to train, the missionary in Muscat
getting the largest share.

This was the origin of the rescued-slave school at Muscat. Other slaves
are caught from time to time and liberated. Sometimes they are sent to
Bombay or other places in India; a large number were once liberated at
Aden and are now in a school at Lovedale in Africa. When these poor slave
children first come from the slave ships they are very ignorant and almost
like wild animals. They need to learn everything, and even their language
is of little use to them, as they need to learn Arabic before they can get
along in Arabia. The Muscat boys first learned English from the
missionary, but it was not easy for them.

They only knew a few words when I first went to Muscat. For instance, they
called all lights, such as lamps, candles, etc., _fire_. Well, one night
we were sitting on the verandah with the lamp, reading, and Suliman came
and said _"big fire!"_ We jumped up and said "where?" Looking all around
we could not see a sign of fire. Then he said, "big fire on table." We ran
into the dining-room--still no fire. Suliman then pointed to the lamp and
said again "big fire"; so we learned by that time he wanted the lamp for
the table, as dinner was ready.

[Illustration: LIBERATED SLAVES AT BAHREIN.]
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