felt the necessity of regulating their Schools by the character of those whose welfare they would promote. Whilst the ultimate object of every Missionary Station is the same, Christian Love suggests a variety in the means used.

At

Thus, whilst, in some places, all the combined means of Christian Schools and Christian Ordinances are admissible, so that the Missionary shall have full scope for the exercise of his zeal and talents; in others, the efforts of the Missionary must be limited to the management of Schools. Again, there may be a variety in the character of the Schools themselves. some Stations, Schools of a strictly Christian complexion may be established; in which the Scriptures shall be introduced, and a complete course of Christian Instruction shall be adopted: whilst in other places, it may not be wise, for a season at least, to introduce the Christian Scriptures, or to attempt more in the Schools than the elements of reading and writing, or what may be called a course of

moral and scientific instruction.

The Missionary who superintends a number of Schools on this limited plan, cannot be accused of withholding what it is his glory to communicate; but should be considered as discreetly adapting himself to the circumstances in which he is placed: and, by patient continuance in doing the little which he can, he may reasonably look forward to a period, when, by the Divine Blessing on his labours, his Ministry may be discharged with entire freedom.

In conformity to these principles, a variety will be observed in the character of the Schools supported by the Committee, adapted to the varied circumstances of the

inhabitants.

At every Station, their first object has been to gather together and instruct the poor scattered ignorant Christians, whether European, or descendants of Europeans by Native Parents. These last form a numerous and increasing class of people, who, in their earliest years, are subject to peculiar disadvantages; and, as they advance to maturity, are, in a great measure, destitute of the means of instruction, no adequate means having been hitherto supplied. It is therefore a dictate at once of duty and policy, to place the facilities of obtaining instruction within their reach and a system which has for its object to establish Schools for their benefit, and furnish qualified Teachers, must be considered, by reflecting persons,

as an important supplement to our esta blishment of regular Chaplains.

Having provided their destitute FellowChristians with the means of religious instruction, their next endeavour has been, at each Station, so far as circumstances admitted, to embrace the Mahomedans and Heathens around them.

The character of their Schools varies, therefore, according to circumstances.

Thus, at Chunar, the School Establishment consists of, 1. An English Free School; 2. A Persian School; 3. A Hindoostanee School. In the two former, the Scriptures and Scripture Catechisms their Establishment at Agra, and other are regularly taught. Similar to this is places.

But, at Burdwan, where the Children are entirely Heathen, the Scriptures do not form a part of the stated course of instruction. Where we cannot effect what we would, it is the part of prudence to attempt what we can. ing a large body of Children to read and By teach. write, affording them the means of obtain. ing useful knowledge, and training them up in habits of moral reflection, a great benefit is surely conferred; a good foun dation is laid of future improvement: and if these humble labours be accompanied by prayers for the Divine Blessing, the Committee cannot doubt that they may prove eventually instrumental of the highest good.

While local circumstances should have due weight in modifying the Means of Instruction, that Instruction must be adapted to meet the actual state of the Natives.

Improvement in their own Languages. The Baptist Missionaries justly observe—

Whatever ends besides might be answered by introducing among the Natives the English Language, the hope of imparting efficient instruction to them, or indeed to any nation in a language not their own, is fallacious. For ideas to be acquired with effect in a foreign language, opportunity, leisure, inclination, and ability must combine, in the case of every individual; and, even then, scarcely one in ten would so thoroughly acquire the English Language as to derive due instruction from the mass of knowledge contained therein. These advantages, too,

must be renewed to every successive generation; and the same advantages, of opportunity, inclination, and sufficient ability must unite in the case of each individual.

One grand step, therefore, toward imparting instruction to our Indian Neigh

bours with due effect, will be that of improving them in the knowledge of their own languages.

The Rev. Thomas Robertson, in a Report of the state of the Burdwan Schools, agrees in this view of things:

It were, in a great measure, vain (he says) to supply the Native Youth with books, if we were not also to convey a much more extensive acquaintance with their language, than they at present pos sess. Even the Village Schoolmasters, are, in general, little versed in their native tongue. If you put a book into their hands, they are unable to read it, except with great difficulty; and are still less able to understand its general contents. It should, therefore, be our endeavour to extend among the Natives a more general and enlarged acquaintance with their own language.

In pursuance of this plan, suitable Tables and Elementary Works, with every advantage in point of legibility and appearance, are circulated by the School-Book Society.

Enlargement of their Minds by useful

Knowledge.

The Baptist Missionaries have suggested important hints on this subject; and they have, in a great measure, accomplished what they suggest.

Their System of Arithmetic should be improved; and they should be made acquainted with the simplest and easiest method of solving those practical questions which are now so abstruse to them. This would be useful beyond merely enabling them to manage an account: the precision of thought and the habit of reasoning, which a thorough acquaintance with the fundamental principles of numbers tends to produce, are not useless, in strengthening the mind, and in fitting it for further advances in knowledge.

To this might be added a concise but perspicuous Account of the Solar System; preceded by so much of the laws or motion, and of attraction and gravity, as

To these might be added a number of popular truths and acts relative to Natural Philosophy. In the present improved state of knowledge, a thousand things have been ascertained, relative to light, heat, air, water, meteorology, mineralogy, chemistry, and natural history, of which the Ancients had but a partial knowledge, and of which the Natives of the East have, as yet scarcely the faintest idea. A knowledge of these facts would rectify and enlarge their ideas of the various objects of nature around them; and might inflame à few minds, of a superior order, with an unquenchable desire to know why these things are so; and thus urge them to those studies, which, in Europe, have led to the discovery of these important facts.

To this view of the Solar System, of the

Earth, and of the various Objects which added such a Compendium of History and it contains, might, with advantage, be

Chronology, as should bring them acquainted with the state of the world in past ages, and with the principal events which have occurred since the Creation. It should commence with the Creation, and describe the primitive state of man, the entrance of evil, the corruption of the antediluvian age, the Flood, and the

peopling of the earth anew from one family. The compiler should avail him

self of all the light thrown on this subject by modern research and investigation: he should particularly notice the nations of the East; incorporating, in their proper place, the best accounts both of India and China. He should go on to state the call of Abraham; the giving of the Decalogue; the gradual revelation of the Scriptures; the settlement of Greece, and its mythology; the Trojan War; the Four great Monarchies; the Advent of the Saviour of Men; the persecution of the Christian Church; the rise of Mahomedanism; the origin of the Papacy; the invention of printing, of gunpowder, and of the mariner's compass; the Reformation; the discovery of the passage to India by sea; and the various discoveries of modern

science. Such a synopsis of History and Chronology would exceedingly enlarge their ideas relative to the state of the world; certainly not to the disadvantage of Britain, which God has now so exalted as to render her almost the arbitress of nations.

Lastly, it would be highly proper to impart to them just ideas of themselves, relative both to body and mind, and to a future state of existence, by what may be termed a Compendium of Ethics and Morality.

Although this Compendium of Ethics is mentioned last, it is not necessary that the communication of ideas, so important in their nature, should be deferred till all the rest be acquired: it might be better to intersperse them among those already mentioned, that they might take deep root in the mind.

If we would therefore wish to improve the public morals of our Indian FellowSubjects, this must be attempted by the introduction of a remedy suited to the nature of the disease; by imparting to them that knowledge relative to themselves, to their responsibility for their actions, their state both here and hereafter, and the grand principles of piety, justice, and humanity, which may leaven their minds from their earliest youth.

Should any one say, a Effect this by at once introducing the Holy Scriptures into these Schools;" the measure is not so much objected to on account of any danger attending it, as from its not appearing to be the most efficient method which can be adopted. That the Scriptures contain every degree of information relative to the nature of man, his relation to God, and a future state, no one can deny. But is it to be expected, that an Indian Youth, to tally unacquainted with the nature of the book, and the reading of whose parents and contemporaries has never been equal to a twentieth part of its contents, should be able, under the direction of a Heathen Teacher, to select precisely those truths which would meet the deficiency of his own ideas? It seems necessary, that these important facts, relative to the nature of man, a future state, our responsibility to God, &c. with which we in Europe are familiarized from our earliest infancy, should be laid down in a way no less clear and definite than those which relate to the solar system, natural philosophy, geography, and history. The Compendium containing these ideas might be drawn up in the words of Scripture, or otherwise; the plainest and easiest language being adopted,

and that of Scripture preferred when peculiarly suited, as is the case in a mul titude of instances, to express the idea to a child.

Female Education is almost entirely neglected among the Natives. As Christianity obtains influence, this want will be supplied.

On this point the Baptist Missionaries speak with their accustomed good sense:

More

In some instances Girls have wished, and have been permitted, to partake of the instruction imparted by the Institution. Under the eye of a teacher in whom peculiar confidence has been reposed, some have been admitted, and have gone through their exercises, separated from the Boys by a mat partition. Female Pupils could have been obtained, had it appeared desirable; but, in the infancy of the Institution, it appeared best to depart as little as possible from those ideas which have acquired authority and veneration. Nor, indeed, while it is in the highest degree desirable to dispel ignorance from the female mind among the Hindoos, are we certain that a sudden and complete exchange of that reserve and exclusion to which they have been so long habituated, for the boldness which they might acquire by mingling with Boys, before their minds are duly prepared by imbibing superior principles, would be altogether desirable. We would rather hope, that as the system advances, some plan may be adopted which may communicate to them the blessings of knowledge, without the sacrifice of that modest reserve, which, if not real virtue, is among, the Hindoos, virtue's best preservative.

In Ceylon, Female Education is rapidly gaining ground. The Wesleyan Missionaries write

This department will, we trust, be as interesting to the British Ear, as it is novel to the Oriental Eye; the education of the Female Part of the Indian Popula tion having been very partially indeed introduced, even in Ceylon.

Under the entire controul and superintendence of ignorant Mothers, is it surprising that the rising generation imbibe the most incorrect notions on all subjects of importance; and form an unbending predilection for those idolatrous ceremonies, to which maternal

tenderness has led them, or perhaps carried them, even before they were capable of being led? Is it surprising,

under these circumstances, that the moral principle of such is so weak, not to say depraved, in its operations; and that the pure religion of Jesus Christ should meet with so limited a reception among them? The wonder certainly is, that it is not more completely and universally so. The evil has been at the source; and that has been so difficult of access, as not to admit of any adequate remedy. But we bail the dawn of a memorable and happy day for Ceylon, from the commencement of Day Schools for the instruction of Native Females.

Lady Brownrigg and Lady Johnston warmly patronized this benevolent part of the School System.

In addition to the improvement of their minds, the Girls are prepared, by proper instruction, for future usefulness and domestic occupations.

EFFICIENT IN THEIR OPERATION.

To render the Means of Native Education best adapted to their end, they must not only be varied as circumstances may require, and fitted generally to meet the actual state of the people, but they must be efficient in operation.

Power of the Indo-British System. That System which was first practised in India, and has been brought to a high degree of perfection in Britain, is peculiarly adapted to give efficiency to Edu

cation.

On this subject the Baptist Missionaries say

As early as the year 1807, the plan suggested by Dr. Bell, and improved by Lancaster, had attracted our notice; and the advantages arising from its leading features, particularly that of conveying ideas through writing from Dictation, had forcibly struck our minds. It appeared evident, not only that an accurate knowledge of orthography and arithmetic could be thus communicated, but that other ideas could be conveyed in the same way to any extent which the pupil's stay at school permitted.

Of

The plan was tried in the Benevolent Institution at Calcutta. this experiment it is said—

The effects of the plan in this Institu tion, in taking away all the langour and tedium of a School, and alluring Children, scarcely under the shadow of parental authority, to attend School cheerfully, from day to day, and from month to month; together with the ease with which it enabled One Master to superintend double the number for which a Master and Two Assistants were formerly judged necessary; convinced us that nothing was necessary in adapting it to Schools for the Natives, but the selection of proper ideas for communication, and the organizing of a plan, which, by vigilant superintendence, should secure the communication of these ideas independently of ability in the render it scarcely necessary for him even Master for conveying them, and indeed previously to possess them.

In the "Hints" before quoted, practical instructions are laid down for the mechanical arrangement of the Schools, with respect to Classes, Monitors, and Superintendents.

Advantages of Instruction by Dictation. Of the information respecting Language and Science before spoken of, the Baptist Missionaries

say

These ideas, however, should not be communicated in the form of a treatise; but in that of simple axioms deliThis method comes recommended by severed in short and perspicuous sentences; veral considerations: it agrees with the mode in which doctrines are communi

cated in the Hindoo Shasters, and is

therefore congenial with the ideas of even the learned among them. It would admit of these sentences being written from dic. tation, and even committed to memory. with advantage, as well as of their being easily retained: and, finally, the conciseness of this method would allow of a multitude of truths and facts relative to astronomy, geography, and the principal phenomena of nature, being brought before youth within a very small compass.

Nearly eleven hundred short maxims are employed to convey the doctrine of Sanscrit Grammar; all which every child devoted to the study of that language is expected to commit to memory, with their