Sanscrit comment or explanation annexed. Half this number of sentences may be made to convey, in the current language of the country, nearly every truth and fact, both moral and scientific, which it is at present desirable to impart to a Hindoo Youth: and were he even to commit these to memory, he might in less than half the time devoted to the Sanscrit Grammar, furnish his mind with a treasure of ideas, which, duly improved by reflection, might enable him hereafter to illuminate all around him. In the present deficiency of taste for reading, therefore, it is not easy to say how ideas could be more easily diffused than by epitomes of this kind, carefully improved from year to year, till rendered complete as to their subjects, and unexceptionable in point of style and arrangement. To these may at any time succeed more enlarged treatises, to the highest advantage; and thus the seeds of knowledge and virtue, early sown in the mind, be gradually nourished, till they ripen into individual virtue and national happiness. A little reflection on the nature of thus writing from dictation will convince us, too, that it is a most effectual means of conveying instruction. It secures the attention of a whole class; and promotes the improvement of a pupil in reading, writing, orthography, and grammar, at the same time that it conveys clear and distinct ideas to the mind. Its advantages relative to fixing ideas in the memory will easily appear, from a review of the process observed in communicating a sentence. Suppose, for example, that a class of twelve boys were prepared to write from dictation the following three sentences— "The earth moves round the sun in three hundred and sixty-five days, which motion forms the year." "The earth turns round on its own axis once in twenty-four hours, which forms day and night." "The moon encompasses the earth in twenty-nine days and a half, thus forming the lunar month." The whole class being ready, receive and write the first word; and are led to expect the next with calmness and desire, the state of mind best suited for the reception of ideas: this heard and written, they go on gradually receiving and almost anticipating the idea, till the last word leaves it full on the mind. These three sentences being written by each of the twelve boys, they now turn March 1819. them into a reading exercise; the first boy reading the first sentence aloud, which the rest have also before them in their own hand-writing: the next boy reads the second, and the next the third; which brings the fourth boy to read the first a second time: and thus with the rest, till each sentence will thus have been read four times, while the whole class have had them all written before them, and written too with their own hand. Thus three of the most important facts in nature, first written, and then distinctly read four times, will be so impressed on the mind as, perhaps, never to be wholly obliterated. This will serve to shew with what ease and effect the whole of the ideas in these various Compendiums can be communicated; and if comprised in 450 pages, (which might, perhaps, be done,) the whole, at half a page each day, might be thus written from dictation in the space of three years. Thus, while the mode of conveying these various ideas in short and easy sentences would admirably suit them for dictation, the method of first writing, and then repeatedly reading them, would se cure their being retained, in a degree almost equal to that of their being committed to memory. Were books made of a size to contain what could be written from dictation in the course of a month, at the rate of half a page or even a page of the Compendiums, every day, these Books, thus written, and daily examined by the Monitors and the Teacher, could be sent to the Superintendent at the end of the month, who, by examining them, might have before him the exact state of the School from month to month; and, from the corrections in the orthography, &c. he could judge of the diligence of the Monitors and the Teacher, as well as of the progress of each Pupil. But this might be improved to another purpose, possibly still more valuable. These books, particularly when neatly written, might be returned, with the Superintendent's signature, by way of approbation, to the Boys, as presents. They would, of course, gladly take them home to their parents, and probably read them to their neighbours, particularly if the ideas contained in them were such as had struck their own minds. Thus some of the most important facts in History and Natural Science might be circulated monthly, in every village around, without the least effort, or giving the least umbrage to any one. The slow, but certain effect of this, in enlightening any country, muse R be cheering to every benevolent and enlarged mind. As there is nothing in these Compen diums which is strictly local, it would be easy to get them translated into the various languages into which we are translating the Scriptures; and in most of these languages, to give the Alphabetic Tables, the sketch of Grammar, the Vocabulary, and the system of Arithmetic. By these means, just ideas of the heavenly bodies, the earth, the past state of the world of the nature and high destination of man-of God, as the Creator, the Saviour, and the Judge of mankind-of virtue and vice, and of a future state, fixed and eternal-might, in a certain degree, be diffused throughout the East; which, with the facility of reading which this would create, would be an admirable preparation for the effectual dissemination of the Sacred Scriptures, the best gift, next to his Dear Son, which God has ever given unto men. Teachers. Of the Teachers in the Burdwan Schools, Mr. Robertson writes In each School there are two Masters. The principal is engaged in subjects taught in the School generally: the second is considered as altogether attached to the Arithmetical Department. Besides these, an Hirkarra is employed, to see that the Children do not loiter or absent themselves, when their parents suppose them in School. It has, however, been the practice of Lieutenant Stewart to choose his Teachers from the ablest of the Schoolmasters in the villages where he was about to establish our Seminaries; because opposition was hereby prevented, and we had the advantage of obtaining men who had already been in the habit of teaching. It seems the general practice to appoint such persons for Masters as have either been chosen by the Natives or fully approved by them. The proportion of Teachers to the Children varies, according to circumstances, or to the judgment of the parties employing them. Superintendence. The efficiency of Native Education depends so much on vigilant and steady Superintendence, that great attention has been paid to the simplifying and organizing this work as a system. A The Baptist Missionaries report— A system of Superintendence has been: formed; by which each School is visited, at least twice in the week, by different persons in succession, who are quite unconnected, and whose different accounts of the number of Pupils, &c. compared with each other, form also a check on that given by the Master at the end of the month, whose pay these accounts regulate. This kind of Superintendence refers chiefly to the NUMBER of the Children instructed-a most important point, as this regulates the pay of the Masters, and hence the due appropriation of the funds. This, however, would not, of itself, be sufficient to secure the PROGRESS of the Children; as the number might be accurately known and well kept up, and yet the Children remain nearly stationary in their progress. The plan sketched in the "Hints" (that of writing, by Dictation, from Compendiums) was, however, soon found to furnish means for ascertaining and securing the improvement of the Youth, even in the most important of those ideas so essential to the enlargement of their minds. Nothing is done toward imparting ideas, and little toward improving the Children in Orthography, till they are able to write from Dictation the various Epitomes drawn up for their use. It was, therefore, found desirable to make a discrimination in the Schools, on this head; and to regulate the Master's wages by the proficiency of the Children, so as greatly to increase the sum given for those who were brought so faṛ forward as to be able to write upon paper, and to keep it very low for the tuition of the rest. This measure was attended with the happiest effects: it, in a great degree, took away from the Masters the temptation to swell the Schools in point of numbers, as the price given for all incapable of writ ing from Dictation was now so small, as scarcely to repay the labour and care required in a system of deception capable of eluding discovery. It also gave them an interest in their Pupils, not felt before: their diligence and ability became the Master's real gain; as a School of eighty Children, who, by their own and the Master's diligence, were brought forward so as to write from dictation, were, in a few months, worth more than double the sum to him that they were on entering the School. But, above all, it brought their progress into a shape fully capable of being ascertained by the means formerly suggested—the introduction of Paper Books for Writing. The manner of preparing and using these Books is fully explained in the First Report of the Native School Institution. The Missionaries consider that the work both of Teaching and Superintendence is, by this method, simplified to the utmost. The ideas in the Compendiums, as they have nothing in them of a local nature, may suffice for the Schools of a whole country; and, if conveyed in language sufficiently perspicuous, they will require little or no comment either from the Teachers or the Superintendents. The business of the Pupils then being confined to the acquisition of reading and writing from the Tables given, and the writing of these ideas from Dictation, the whole of the work of Superintendence is reduced to the knowledge of these two facts:-Has there been, in any School, a given number of Pupils present? and have they written, from Dictation, certain Tables, or portions of a Compendium ? Having selected the ideas to be conveyed, and fixed on a method by which this can be effectually done, our work is clear before us. The rest will be found compa ratively easy; nothing, in point of instruction, being left dependent on the Monitors, or even on the Master; to form the School into suitable Classes, furnish these with their proper Tables, and see that Order is preserved and Diligence secured, being all that will be required. Mr. Robertson makes the follow. ing report of the System of Superintendence adopted in the Burdwan Schools: The plan adopted by Lieutenant Stewart is, to have a clever and zealous Brahmin as a Visitor; whose duty it is to go round to every School, to examine the Boys, and to report their progress. If the Master be inattentive to his duty, it is soon discovered by his Visitor, who is prompted by his own interest to see that the immediate Teachers do their duty: for he will himself also have to come under the observation of his employer; and be subject to dismissal, if every thing is not found as it ought to be. Our Schools are not however left en tirely to the Native Visitor: Lieutenant Stewart himself occasionally goes round to each village, and examines the children. from all the Schools are brought into Burdwan by their respective Teachers; when a general examination takes place. Once a month, also, the Head Classes : After this, It is thus seen which of the Schools has made the greatess progress. Two Classes are confronted with each other, and examined by the Visitor in all the subjects learnt during the past month. the Boys are allowed to question one another. The highest Boy of one Class puts his question to the highest Boy of the other if he cannot reply, it passes down to each in succession, until it reaches the last. If any Boy is able to solve it, he takes precedency; but if not, a mark is made of the failure. This Class is now at liberty, in its turn, to put a question to the other; which, if not answered, is noticed as in the former case. In the end, it appears who is the conquered party. It generally happens that the vanquished party now challenges the opposite Class to contend in some other subject; and thus a new trial of strength commences. As the Children are in the habit of writing from tried as to their progress. A Thesis being a Thesis, they are on this occasion publickly given, each boy writes it down on his slate, and endeavours to arrange his thoughts on the subject. When all have finished, their productions are read aloud which excites much emulation, and affords, at the same time, great amusement. ! Nothing can exceed the animation and trials. Indeed, we shall look in vain for eagerness of the Boys to excel in these an equal degree of emulation in Europe. The general appearance of people with whom we are connected in Hindoostan leads us to conclude that the apathy of the Native Character is too predominant to admit of success in the laborious work of instruction: but, in our Schools, where character is fairly elicited, I have, seen nothing but what leads to an opposite conclusion. The Wesleyan Missionaries in Ceylon have also established a systematic controul over their Schools. They state, on this subject Our Schoolmasters regularly attend at the Mission House every Saturday Morning, at ten o'clock; when they are met by one of us, in turn, and receive instructions on One School, on the Burdwan Plan, containing 180 Scholars, costs 24 rupees monthly. Thirty Schools, on the Chinsurah Plan, containing 3000 Scholars, cost 800 rupees monthly. Fifty Schools, on the Serampore 3500 Scholars, Plan, containing cost 825 rupees monthly. various points. All School business in the course of the 'week is referred to this Meeting; at which every Master makes a report of any thing particular relating to his School. The names of all Children for admission into the Schools are brought on paper to this Meeting, for our signature; and the names of no Scholars can be erased from the School-papers, on any pretence, without a similar authority. To this Meeting all applications for New Schools are brought; and here all Candi. dates are examined, before their appoint. ment to the office of Schoolmaster. The Meeting begins with singing and prayer; and concludes by the Master's reading, verse by verse, a chapter out of the Scriptures, in English and in Cingalese; after which one of them prays, and they are dismissed with the blessing. We have found this arrangement to be attended with many advantages. The Schools on some of the other Stations are so widely apart, as to render it inconvenient to have the Masters together oftener than once a fortnight. The Schools themselves are subject to regular visits from the Missionaries; who, in the general, are severally acquainted with every Child under their care, and individually examine them from time to time, to mark their proficiency, and to reward their progress. The Girls' Schools are likewise regularly visited by the valuable Sisters of our Mission-an arrangement which is at once a pleasing exercise to them, and a means of recommending the plan to the favourable opinion and concurring confidence of the inhabitants in general. With such a mode of discipline, formed, to the best of our judgment, on an earnest observation of what is most likely to be suitable and useful in this country, seconded by the blessing of the Universal Father of our race, we enjoy the gratifica tion of fully expecting that knowledge and piety, civilization and morals, shall be in this manner carried, with the most pleasing effects, from one village and district to another, as far as it may please a gracious Providence to permit our influence to extend, and shedding the most important blessings upon all within its reach. Expence. We have collected the following data from different Reports : From these data it appears, that 180 Children are educated on the Burdwan Plan for 24 rupees monthly: but that, on that of Chinsurah, the same number cost just double, that is 48 rupees; and, on that of Serampore, nearly double, or rather more than 43 rupees. This advantage on the side of the Burdwan Schools evidently arises from the application of the System to the instruction of a greater number of Scholars by a given number of Masters. There may be cases where it would not be practicable to assemble more than 70 Children in a School, as in those on the Serampore Plan; or 100, as in those of the Chinsurah: but, in such cases, the economical efficiency of the System is, in a great measure, lost. Another advantage strikes us in the Burdwan Schools. The Conductors are enabled, by assigning a greater number of Children to their Teachers, to obtain superior assistance. The Re port of the Calcutta Committee remarks, on this point, that they "fully concurred with Mr. Stewart in the expediency of engaging efficient NATIVE Teachers at a GOOD PRICE; rather than endanger the success of their operations, by employing incompetent persons, though at an expense considerably less." This plan may, indeed, require a larger expenditure in the erection and maintenance of suitable buildings; but such expenditure will probably be found, in the end, to have been economical, ENCOURAGement. from them. Other grounds of encouragement are stated in the Reports of the different Institutions. The favour and liberal contributions of opulent Natives, the good capacity of the Children, the manifest tendency of the Schools to meliorate the condition of the people, and to attach them to this country, the concurrence of all classes of persons in these efforts, and, above all, the promised Blessing of our Heavenly Father-all these considerations may well serve to animate Christians to redoubled and persevering zeal in training up the Children of India in the way that they should go.. We have thus abstracted and arranged the chief topics which presented themselves on this important subject. There are various details in the different Reports, which our limits would not admit; but which will naturally engage the attention of all who enter in India, on this field of labour. Our Readers will rejoice, with us, in the wide prospects of good, opening before the eye of the Christian; and will call down, by earnest prayer, the blessing of God on these and all other parts of the great system of benevolent exertion, by means of which the Good Shepherd is bringing the lost sheep into His fold. REPORT OF THE WESLEYAN MISSIONS, FROM MIDSUMMER 1817, TO MIDSUMMER 1818. (Treasurers-Thomas Thompson, Esq. Hull; and Rev. G. Marsden, 16, Canterbury Place, Lambeth.) UNDER the heads of the respective Stations occupied by the Society, a summary of the latest intelligence was given in the "Survey" printed in the Number for January. We shall now give an abstract of such parts of the Report as did not appear there. "The whole presents," it is observed, "new indications of the coming of the Kingdom of our Lord; additional instances of the enterprise and successes of Christian Zeal; and still widening scenes of labour, and new calls of duty, to the Missionaries abroad, and to the friends of Missions at home." INTRODUCTION. CEYLON. The last Report stated the efforts of the Missionaries, in the erection of Places of Worship, the establishment of Schools, the translating and printing of the Scriptures, and in preaching to the |