first seen them, now piteously lamenting, and awaiting their return to gaol.

On the same evening we had an interesting visit from two native gentlemen, the Headmaster of the High School, and the Principal of the Normal Training School for male teachers. The latter of these, Mr. Mahiputram Rupram, had visited England to study the educational institutions, and returned full of admiration at our method of training teachers, which he endeavoured to introduce into his own Normal School. Both gentlemen gave me valuable information respecting the position and wants of the different classes of Hindoo society. The Government schools touch only the higher classes, among whom the desire for education is rapidly extending. No class exists here corresponding with our lower middle or mechanic class. The inferior portion of the population is quite untouched by any educational institutions; they do not feel the want of education for their children, and the higher classes do not appear to feel any sympathy for them, as in our country. A deep impassable gulf is between the different classes, arising chiefly from caste distinctions; never did I notice any friendly recognition of the lower by the higher, nor hear of any efforts being made to do them good or elevate their condition. When I urged upon a native gentleman the duty of trying to do something to diminish the ignorance of those who constitute the largest portion of the population, he replied, 'We have enough to do at present with the education of our own class, without thinking of these.' I endeavoured to explain to these gentlemen the kind of education which we consider adapted to meet the wants of this class, and the importance of endeavouring to elevate them; they appeared thoroughly to comprehend and appreciate the idea of

our ragged schools. The subject of female education was one in which they were deeply interested. None but the higher classes attempt at present to obtain instruction for their daughters, and here great difficulties are experienced from the want of good female teachers. I promised to do all in my power to help them, but pointed out that it would be impossible to obtain the services of English ladies without proper arrangements being made for their residence in a strange land. Mr. Tagore suggested the establishment at Bombay of a Female Normal Training School, whence teachers might be sent out into the surrounding districts.

Tuesday, Oct. 3.-It was arranged for us to pay an early visit to the jail before the heat became oppressive. We therefore started between seven and eight in the morning, with the advantage of the escort of Dr. Wyllie, the superintendent. It is the custom in India to appoint a gentleman of the Civil Service to superintend the jails, most commonly the surgeon. Ahmedabad jail was originally a Mahometan college, and was converted to its present purpose in 1820. It is a fine-looking building, and near the citadel, but not of course. well adapted to its present purpose, though the large space inclosed by the buildings gives it great capabilities of improvement. The first thing which struck us painfully was that the men had irons on their legs. This barbaric custom, which has long been exploded in our own country, is here preserved, and is indeed general in India in consequence of the usual insecurity of the premises. The prisoners were working in large open sheds with little appearance of confinement. A number were occupied in weaving strong cotton carpets, which appeared well calculated for wear. Others were making towelling of various kinds, very strong and good, from

the cotton grown in the neighbourhood, while others were manufacturing pretty little cocoa mats and baskets. There was not in general a criminal look in the culprits; they were working with good will, and appeared interested in their occupation, as in an ordinary factory. Except the chains, there was nothing of a penal description in the scene around us; and though working in this cheerful open place at useful trades might not give the intended feeling of punishment, still it was to be hoped that training these men to useful labour, under good moral influences, must have a beneficial influence on their future lives. On remarking this with great satisfaction to Dr W., he informed me that the salutary influence of the day's work under proper supervision was completely neutralised, or even worse, by the corrupting influences of the night. There are 400 prisoners in this jail, for whom the number of sleeping-cells is totally inadequate, and three or four are consequently locked up together in the dark for twelve hours, viz. from sunset to sunrise. There is no possibility of preventing during this period communication of the most corrupting nature, both moral and physical. No man convicted of a first offence only can enter this place, which ought to be one of punishment and attempted reformation, without the greatest probability of contamination, and in gaining experience in evil from the adepts in crime who are confined with him; no young boy can enter without his fate being sealed for life! Juvenile delinquents, casual offenders, hardened thieves sentenced to a long term of imprisonment, are all herded together without any possibility of proper classification or separation. The condition of the thirty-two whom I had seen at the court on the day before was even worse than the others; they were all penned up together

without work. There they had been for many months; and still they all were without any attempt being made to give them instruction, which might improve their moral and intellectual condition. This state of things was not owing to any neglect on the part of the superintendent, a man of enlightened benevolence, who devoted himself heart and soul to his work. The conditions of this jail are such that, though able and willing to remedy all these evils, if authority and means were given to him, under the existing circumstances he is powerless. There is ample room on the premises for him to construct separate cells for all the prisoners, with only the cost of material—this is not granted to him; he cannot therefore carry out the printed regulations that the prisoners are not to be made worse while in custody. The regulations direct that the juveniles shall be separated from the adults; this is now simply impossible. Rules are made that the prisoners shall receive instruction, but no salary is allowed for a schoolmaster; there is no place appropriated for instruction, and no time is granted for schooling; there are ten hours for labour, two hours are requisite for meals and rest, and during the remainder of the twenty-four hours the prisoners are locked up. It is indeed permitted by the regulations that some prisoners may be employed as instructors, but with the proviso that their hours of labour shall not be abridged for the purpose. Such instructors could not be expected to exercise any good moral influence on the other prisoners; yet to commence with these, if any educated men were among them, might lead to some better arrangement. The old college hall might possibly be employed as a schoolroom for a couple of hours after sunset; but light would then be required, and oil did not form a part of the authorised

expenditure. There were, then, obstacles to any kind of instruction being imparted to the prisoners, which no amount of earnestness on the part of the officials or the superintendent could surmount.

On enquiring whether there were any females in the jail, we were conducted to a small separate court, where in a dismal ward there were some miserable women employed in drudgery work. There were no female attendants, and indeed no attempt appeared to be made to improve their wretched condition. I felt grieved and shocked that in any part of the British dominions, women who were rendered helpless by being deprived of liberty, and thus fell under our special responsibility, should be so utterly uncared for, as to be left under the superintendence of male warders, and without any means of improvement.

In all these observations I found that I had the full accordance of the superintendent; who, so far from being annoyed at the discovery of so many evils in this place, only rejoiced that some one should add force to his own representations by an independent testimony. He stated that he understood it to be in contemplation to build a large central jail for the long-sentenced prisoners; the removal of these from his own would of course remedy the overcrowding, though it would not enable each prisoner to have a separate cell. In the meantime the evils were very great in a sanitary as well as in a moral point of view. On one occasion more than 100 had died owing to a want of good sanitary arrangements. Immediate attention to the condition of this jail appeared therefore necessary.

Considering this as a common jail, without longsentenced prisoners, the following points suggested

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