branch schools in the town or its vicinity, as well as eleven schools in the Lebanon and Damascus. The total number under instruction in 1869 was sixteen hundred. The Normal Training Institution includes an elementary school, an infant school, an upper-class Moslem boarding school, and a day school. The instruction is liberal, comprising Arabic, English, and French, the Holy Scriptures, grammar, geography, history, vocal and instrumental music. In the boarding school the pupils learn English, French, and Arabic, and there are special classes for German, Greek, and Turkish, writing and arithmetic; several learn music, drawing, and needlework. In the elementary school, Arabic, English, geography, and writing are taught; and a similar couse of instruction is pursued in the branch schools. Many distinguished evangelical visitors have borne testimony to the great value of this educational association, but perhaps the most interesting is that of his Excellency Franco Pasha, governorgeneral of the colony :

"Since I was in Beirut eight years ago I have not witnessed anything like what I have now seen here in regard to the growth of education and the spread of knowledge. Therefore my admiration is great in regard to what I have seen in this useful school, touching the success of the daughters of Syria in languages, sciences, morality, by the care of the honourable head, Mrs. Bowen Thompson. Therefore I offer to her my hearty thanks for the care she has taken to spread education in the right direction-teaching the children of all sects without distinction; and I have been pleased in that I have seen them brought up in unity and love; and as these young girls must one day be mothers, they will, without doubt, impart to their children these same good principles. Hence unity and civilization will become general, under the shadow of the rule of his Majesty the Sultan.

"I feel especially obliged to Mrs. Thompson for her desire to teach Arabic education in Arabic, which is their native language. I know this school will be very valuable to Syria, and I congratulate Beirût for having it."

CORRESPONDENCE.

The British and Foreign School Society, while inviting correspondence, and anxious to make the Record a medium of communication between teachers, and a vehicle by which they may make their thoughts known, is in no way responsible for the sentiments expressed.

SIR, It is now just a year since it was announced that the Committee of Council on Education had admitted the Tonic Sol-fa Notation to an equality with the established mode. In the year previously, when the ordinary notation was exclusively used, only one school is mentioned as obtaining a grant for music. Apart from the time necessary for tuition, it was not anticipated that much would be done in the first year by Tonic Sol-fa teachers, because there is a natural timidity about leading the way to a new examination, and because Tonic Sol-fa singing, like all subjects for which no grant could be obtained, had been very much neglected in

the schools. Under these circumstances of disadvantage it is gratifying that seven teachers have communicated to Mr. Curwen the fact of their having obtained the grant, all of them within the last three months. Probably there are others who have not written to him. The examination includes writing down the notes of music heard, singing a tune at sight from the black-board, following extempore pointing on the "modulator" or picture of the scale, and singing a prepared piece of music as a test of voice-training and taste. Tonic Sol-fa pupils all over the country are taking up the matter with great interest, and are raising a fund for supplying each of the 14,000 Government teachers with all necessary information. The number of teachers who announce their intention of trying for the grant next year is large.—I am, Sir, yours, &c.,

J. C.

SIR,-I am engaged as a missionary of the Moravian or United Brethren's Church, at a station called Gracefield, on the north side of the island of Antigua, and no doubt some information concerning the state of education in this locality will be interesting to you.

We have two schools in operation at this station, one an infant and the other a juvenile. They are conducted by young people trained in our institutions in this island, who give satisfaction. The infant is only a preparatory school for the juvenile, where the children enter as soon as they can read easy lessons with fluency.

They prosper very well in numbers, the average for both schools for last year being 103. Only the elementary branches are taught in these schools, as the children belong exclusively to the labouring class; besides these, however, in the juvenile school we teach geography, grammar, and a little of English history.

Children who manifest aptitude in learning and promise future usefulness are sometimes sent to our training institutions, where they learn the higher branches, and are afterwards employed as teachers.

The parents of the children are careless, ungodly people, and the poor little ones are nurtured in all manner of vice. We would wish to rescue these, but we have not means at command. Our church has spent considerable sums on the missionary work, also on schools, and she cannot extend her efforts in these islands, as there is so much to be done yet in the heathen world. What would be wanted to meet the evil alluded to would be something in the shape of "dame schools," and a few pounds annually would enable us to open one or two of these, as persons would be employed who can only teach the elementary branches, and therefore could not expect much in the way of salary.

Should any charitable individual or individuals be disposed to render some assistance, so that we could look after these poor little neglected ones, we should most thankfully avail ourselves of such help, and I believe that much good, under the blessing of God, would be the result of such efforts.

On the station here we labour under a great disadvantage, having no school-house. The infant school, with an average of fifty-two children, is kept in a mere shed, very inconvenient, and unsuitable for the purpose; so that the teacher has to avail herself of the shade of a large tree

near the shed, under which the classes are gathered during the hottest part of the day. The juvenile school is kept in the church, this is also an undesirable and inconvenient arrangement, much to be deplored, and only resorted to through necessity.

We intend making efforts to erect a school-house next year. We will try to raise what we can on the spot by contributions, &c., but as our people belong to the labouring class, whose wages never exceed tenpence per day, even for able-bodied men, there is no prospect of being able to raise much, and we must look principally to friends abroad for help.

If reference to individuals in England is desired by any who may be inclined to help, I would mention the Rev. Henry Shawe, the secretary of our missions in London, 97, Hatton Garden, E.C.; and the Rev. T. L. Badham, late secretary, 97, Hatton Garden.

I am, Sir,

yours, &c.,
JOHN THOMAS.

P.S.-If you should have parcels, &c., to send, please forward the same to Messrs. William Mallalieu & Co., 97, Hatton Garden, London, E.C.

SIR, I earnestly hope that the committee of our influential society will see the necessity of memorializing the Committee of Council to permit the examination of children in the first standard to take place at the age of seven. Most physiologists, and the parents of children in the middle and upper classes, feel that it is the earliest age to begin taskwork, and it would remove a pecuniary burden from the managers, and a grievance from teachers. I am, Sir, Yours respectfully,

King's Lynn.

HENRY HARRIS.

MISCELLANEOUS.

PRESENTATION TO MR. DRAGE.-On Monday evening, July 4, a meetingconvened for the purpose of presenting Mr. John Drage, master of the Croydon British School, with a testimonial in appreciation of his twenty years' services in that capacity-was held in the schoolroom of this institution. Mr. Cowdell occupied the chair, and there were present many ladies and gentlemen who take a warm interest in the school, as well as a goodly number of parents and old pupils.

The chairman, after a few introductory remarks, said he was afraid that this institution, which was probably the most successful standing movement in the town, had been very much overlooked by their neighbours, though he would not hesitate to say that there was hardly a school out of London that could bear anything like comparison with this one. Mr. Drage had worked it for twenty years with admirable ability, and he believed that the committee of the school had seconded him in every possible way. He therefore felt they owed an immeasurable debt of gratitude to the committee, but at the same time all their various plans and designs would have failed if they had not found an honourable exponent of their opinions, and he believed that in Mr. Drage they had found such an exponent. He understood that Mr. Drage had educated nearly 6,000 children in this school; and, from what he had seen, he felt sure that such education was not of a merely superficial and

elementary kind, but he believed Mr. Drage was careful to instil into the children the grand principles of religious truth. He had also found Mr. Drage a friend to the boys he had educated, for whenever he had applied to him in respect to any of his old scholars, he had always found that Mr. Drage was perfectly well informed about the character and peculiarities of them. After commenting at considerable length upon the energy and perseverance of Mr. Drage, the chairman proceeded to present a magnificently bound copy of the Bible, with the purse of 100 guineas. These were

And

accompanied with an elaborately embellished testimonial, which read as follows:- "It being admitted by all observers, and confirmed by the constant commendations of Her Majesty's Inspector of Schools, that Mr. John Drage has for twenty years conducted the Croydon British School for boys with untiring zeal and great success, and imparted to many of the boys the best education of this kind at a comparatively small expense, the undersigned present him with the Bible and purse of 100 guineas, as a small testimonial in recognition of his services.' Mr. Drage desired to express to every person present, and to kind friends absent, most fervently and deeply his warmest, and earnest, and heartfelt gratitude for the high Christian spirit which had actuated them to do him so much honour. More especially did he feel indebted to those gentlemen who, notwithstanding their numerous daily avocations, nevertheless manifested so deep an interest in this undertaking on his behalf. He desired also to thank them in the name of his partner in life and of his family; and he could assure them that he should ever cherish the remembrance of that he might say the best-moment of his life, trusting it might be an incentive to his children to follow in his footsteps. He had ever received from the school committee the greatest courtesy, Christian kindness, and large liberality on all occasions. further, he might say, in looking back upon the past twenty years, there had been perfect harmony between himself and the committee, and his success had in no small degree been attributable to the co-operation and hearty support the committee had ever rendered him. He considered that he owed a great obligation to his heavenly Father, and he desired to express his profound reverence and gratitude to Him that He had permitted him every school day during the past twenty years to come in and out of the school, and personally to superintend its working. In the early part of 1850 he came to Croydon, and on arriving at West Croydon he was peculiarly impressed with the idea-before he had seen more than half a dozen houses of the town-that this was the niche which God in His providence intended for him; and although since then many inducements have been held out to him to leave for more lucrative positions, yet, when the flash of the pan had passed away, the impression upon his mind had almost invariably been, "No, the Lord hath not yet shut the door, and why look for another ?" So he had fixed upon his banner these three words, "Ebenezer,' Immanuel," and "Jehovah-jireh," for the Lord had been with him in the past, and he looked to Him for the future.

99.66

After speaking at considerable length on the duties of a teacher, Mr. Drage concluded by again thanking his friends for the great honour they had conferred on him. In conclusion, he observed that he trusted that at the last great day, when we should meet at the great assize, they would all be found at God's right hand.

PRESENTATION TO MR. HULLS.-Mr. Hulls, master of the Heath Street British Schools, Hampstead, having become the proprietor of a boarding school near Bath, a largely attended meeting of the parents of the children attending the schools, together with the subscribers and other friends connected with the school and with Heath Street Chapel, was held in the schoolroom on August 11, for the purpose of presenting testimonials to Mr. Hulls, as well as to welcome Mr. Davis, late of Wardour Street Schools, who succeeds

to the mastership. After tea the chair was taken by the Rev. W. Brock, Jun., minister of the chapel, who spoken in the most eulogistic terms of the value of Mr. Hulls's labours, and expressed his regret at his removal; and successive speakers enlarged on the benefits that had accrued from his teaching. Mr. Sims, the assistant master, on behalf of the elder scholars, presented Mr. Hulls with a handsome and elegant writing-case and inkstand; and Mr. James Harvey, one of the deacons of the chapel, presented Mr. Hulls with a purse of fifty guineas, accompanied by the following address, which was tastefully illuminated and framed :-"Presented to Mr. Charles Henry Hulls, with a purse of fifty guineas, by members and friends of Heath Street Chapel, Hampstead, 11th August, 1870, as an expression of their warm esteem of his personal character, and in recollection of the many valuable services cordially rendered by him in every good work during nine years of his association with them. Signed, on behalf of the contributors, W. Brock, Jun., minister; J. Harvey, T. A. Evans, B. A. Lyon, S. R. Pattison, deacons." Mr. Hulls expressed his acknowledgments for the kindness and consideration he had always received, and said he could only credit himself with one thing-that he had tried, with all his heart, to do his work faithfully. A meeting like the present, if there had been nothing else, would have compensated him for all his labours and all his sacrifices, if he had made any sacrifices, in the nine years he had been there. The memories of Hampstead would ever remain green with him. He had experienced so much kindness, forbearance, and co-operation in every way, that he could not fully express his thanks, and he could only ask them to accept all as if he had said everything he could wish. Mr. Hulls also referred gracefully to the children's present.

REUNION OF BOROUGH ROAD STUDENTS.-The students of 1864-5 resolved on leaving the college to meet at Birmingham at Whitsuntide, 1868, which resolution was successfully carried out, and a very agreeable and profitable reunion was the result. The next meeting was fixed for Whitsuntide, 1870, in London; and accordingly, on the evening of Monday, June 6th, a number of them met at the South Islington and Pentonville British School, when it was resolved to have an excursion to Windsor on the following day, and all the circumstances being propitious, an exceedingly pleasant holiday was spent. A dinner followed on returning to town, and the business of the day was concluded by agreeing to meet again at Manchester in 1872, and in the meantime to send to each of the students a revised list of names and addresses as far as it can be obtained. The meeting from beginning to end was a most enjoyable one, teachers coming from all parts of the country to share the society of those with whom so many happy days had been spent at college. The only drawback was the absence of many loved and honoured faces, and it was felt to be scarcely fair that so many of the metropolitan teachers should be among the absentees, when other gentlemen had come hundreds of miles to be present. It is to be hoped that the next time there will be an effort made by every one; for although the students of no other year have ever met twice, yet there seems no apparent reason why they should not meet many times, and thus keep up the kindly feelings which animated them during their college career.

THE SICK AND WOUNDED IN THE PRESENT WAR.

IT was suggested that the teachers and children of British Schools throughout the country might like to make a joint contribution to the Fund for the relief of the sufferers on both sides in the present Continental War. A Committee was formed, and collecting cards were sent to all British Schools, together with the following remarks: "If you approve of the suggestion, and are willing to receive contributions from the children in your School, and forward the amount to any of the Committee, care will be taken both to acknowledge the receipt and to hand over the money to the National Society for Aid to the Sick and Wounded in the War,' or to any other organization which you may prefer." "Teachers desiring to aid in this movement will kindly make the effort known in their neighbourhood, and pay the amount received to the Treasurers, before the end of October. All sums