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Education of Native Children.

The general plan of supporting schools, under the superintendence of the Missionaries, for the gratuitous instruction of heathen children in reading, writing, arithmetic, and the principles of Christianity, continues in operation, as in preceding years. The confidence of all, who are competent to judge on the subject, is unabated in the efficacy of this plan, especially if pursued for a considerable length of time. By means of these schools heathen prejudices are destroyed, the minds of the young are enlightened and invigorated, the sublime truths of the Gopel are brought home to the conscience, the curiosity of parents and other relatives is excited, the inquiry for books is increased, and the way is prepared for a better race to succeed the present generation. The most favourable opportunities of communicating religious instruction are connected with the schools. In the rooms employed for this purpose, religious meetings are held more regularly than elsewhere; and even during school hours, "it is not uncommon to see from 20 to 50 persons standing around the doors to hear the boys read, and repeat their lessons, catechisms, hymns, &c.

The Missionaries having experienced some difficulty in obtaining passports to visit the schools on the continent opposite to Bombay, found it necessary to prefer a memorial to the new governor. In consequence of the explanations which they gave, passports were readily furnished.

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that, within a short time, the usual number would attend.

General View of the Schools.

In the last joint letter of the Missionaries, an account of this part of their labours is comprised in the following paragraph.

"Our schools are in a state of progressive improvement. We have at present five schools on the continent, seven in Bombay, two at Tannah, and seven in Mahim and the vicinity; making in all twenty-one. The average number of children in a school is about 50, making the aggregate number of 1,050 heathen children, who daily receive Christian instruction, and are taught to read and write, by the liberality of our fellow Christians at home. We consider our schools as a very important part of our mission; and are confident, that they will be the means of effecting much good."

As the Board and the Christian community have heretofore been made acquainted with the management of these schools, the Missionaries do not deem it necessary to go into details on this subject. There are some incidental notices, however, in their communications, to which it may be well to advert. The journal of Mr. Graves contains the following account of a visit to one of the schools.

"Feb. 11, 1821. Endeavoured to impress the minds of the boys with the truth, that God can hear and perceive without bodily organs. I told them, that these organs, in the human body, avail nothing when the spirit is fled; that the soul is our percipient and chief part; that we can think, and love, and hate, without the use of our bodies; that, as they could conceive of created spirits

hearing and perceiving without bodies like ours, so God, a Spirit that formed the bodily organs of man, could certainly perceive all things without them; that as the body of a man could not be a friend without a soul, so beholding a lifeless image with the eyes, or fixing it on one's mind, could not constitute acceptable worship. But if we worshipped the true God with our spirits, it would certainly be acceptable to Him, as he always beheld us.

"Then, as usual, I attended prayer. The boys stand silent; and the teachers, of their own accord, always require them

to raise and unite their flat hands, as is their custom when paying reverence, or making earnest requests. It is very seldom that any disturbance occurs during prayer. There is reason to think that this exercise tends to fix their attention on divine things. I have heard objections, from some or other of the parents, to almost every thing else, which we do in regard to the schools, but I have heard of none, on account of attending prayer in them."

The difficulties, in the way of obtaining children, to be educated in the mission families,

On receiving a letter from Mr. Fisk communicating the intelligence, that benevolent individuals in Charleston, Savannah and Augusta, had conceived the design of supporting three free schools, in or near Bombay, to be named after those places respectively, the Missionaries were highly gratified. They immediately selected the first school, which had been established by them in Bombay, and a fine school it is, they say, and denominated it the Charleston school. One of their schools at Tannah is denominated the Savannah school;

having been stated, the subject and one at Mahim, the Augusta school. is thus explained.

Children intended to be supported in

mission families.

It being so difficult to obtain native children to be educated by the Misionaries, several societies and individuals, who had provided for the support of such children, have, in consequence of the various publications of the Board on this subject, directed that these appropriations should be otherwise applied. In some cases the donors have directed, that the payments already made should be considered as expended in the support of native free schools; in others, that the provision should be transferred to Ceylon; and in others still, that the sums already paid, and to be paid here after, should be placed among the general funds of the Board. It has been a cause of much regret, that the hopes and desires of patrons should have been in any measure diappointed The best that can be done, in any case of unavoidable disappointment, is, to reach as near as possible to the object first aimed at, but necessarily relinquished. And since a Christian domestic education cannot at present be imparted to indigent Hindoo children in the manner first con templated, the Committee are gratified in reflecting that much has been done, on a more general scale, to enlighten the minds of the rising generation, and thus to prepare them for the reception of the Gospel.

After various notices with respect to the general concerns of the mission, the following paragraphs, containing the last intelligence, close the account

of this station.

Call for more Missionaries. Mr. Hall expresses a hope, that two more labourers may be sent to strengthen that mission. "In this," he says, "I may be selfish. They are certainly wanted, and greatly wanted here. But they may, I am aware, be still more needed elsewhere. I feel greatly tried with the prospects of our mission. God forbid that any of us should labour a little, and then faint, and do no more. We all need, and it is comforting to know that we have, the prayers of the Board, and of thousands; but above all that we have, if true to Him, the intercessions of One, who ever lives to make intercession for the saints according to the will of God."

*After this part of the Report was completed, a letter came to hand from Mr. Hall, written a few days subsequently to the date of the last joint letter, though before the embarkation of Mr. Bardwell. The following paragraph contains some important facts not mentioned elsewhere.

Our public letter would have been more full, had it been prepared more leisurely, and in our usual way. Its deficiencies may be supplied by private communications with Mr. Bardwell Much more might be said of our schools and preaching. I have not time to enlarge. Five of our schoolmasters are Jews, and we are likely to have a sixth. During the present month, one new school has been opened at Panwell; and one

CEYLON MISSION.

Education of Heathen Children.

It does not appear, from any communications which have come to hand, precisely what alterations have been made, with respect to the number of schools and pupils, in consequence of the large reinforcement, by which the Mission had been strengthened. Doubtless a very considerable impulse has been added to the business of instruction.

Taking into view how much the Missionaries had suffered by ill health, it is quite remarkable that their schools should have been so little interrupted. The process of making these multitudes of heathen children acquainted with the rudiments of human learning, and the simple but most sublime truths of our holy religion, has regularly advanced. Useful knowledge has been communicated; the conscience has been formed, by the aid of a perfect standard; the dormant powers of the soul have been called into exercise; and the seed of the word has been sown, some of which, it is no presumption to say, has sprouted, and is now in blossom. May the great Lord of the harvest cause it to produce a glorious increase.

The common schools for the instruction of native children are conducted upon such a plan, as cannot fail to approve itself to the understandings of parents, while the pupils are gradually made acquainted with knowledge of the most important kind. A full description of these schools, and of the other missionary operations, as in existence at Tillippally, is contained in an account of that station lately received, which was drawn up by Mr.

has been opened on Salsette, which is not in the last account. Two more, as we expect, are soon to be opened in two large towns on the coast; and then we shall have a chain of schools, which will open to us a missionary range on the continent, of more than fifty miles in length. My present intention and hope are to make this tour in the course of next month. Mr. Graves has also the same tour in contemplation. Such tours afford very extensive opportunities for preaching the Gospel; a circumstance which gives additional importance to our schools. 33

Jan. 1822.

Poor with great care and judgment. This document relates to the state of things, as they were about the close of last year. The Committee deem it highly valuable, as it illustrates the real tendency of Christian exertions among a heathen people.

From the journal of Mr. Meigs at Batticotta, and from letters written by the other Missionaries, it appears, that the same system is pursued at all the stations; at least with respect to its material parts.

When Dr. Scudder arrived, Mr. Poor had nine common schools under his superintendence. Of these, two have been transferred to the care of the station at Oodooville, one to the superintendence of Dr. Seudder, and one has been suspended, on account of the sickness of the schoolmaster. Four new schools have since been established in villages near Tillipally; leaving nine under Mr. Poor's care still. In these nine schools the names of 426 boys are enrolled as pupils, of whom two-thirds or three-fourths, are actually in school from day to day.

Manner of collecting the Schools. These schools are first collected by persons who wish to be employed as teachers. At the commencement of these operations, the teachers are heathens from a double necessity: no native Christians can be found; and, if they could be found, they would not be able to collect pupils from heathen families But the course of instruction, in the schools, tends to break down the heathen prejudices of teachers and learners. Even the smallest boys spend a part of the time in committing easy catechisms to memory. They cannot attend school a single month, without having some of the first principles of religion and morality imprinted on their minds. As they advance in learning, and are able to write on the ola, they are employed in copying, and committing to memory, Watts's catechisms, the sermon on the Mount, and a selection of passages from the Scriptures.

Ostervald's Abridgement of the Bible is introduced into three of the schools, and will be introduced into all of them. In all of them, a short system of morality, composed by a native Christian on the coast, is now used. As there are no printed books among the people, except those introduced by the Missionaries; and as the children are never taught the use of the printed character unless in the mission schools; it is of great importance to have a variety of printed books, in the Tamul character, at the disposal of the Missionaries at each station. The schools, under the care of Mr. Poor, have enjoyed the benefit of Scripture Tracts, printed by the Columbo Bible Society; other Tracts printed at Tranquebar; several sets of Tracts kindly presented to the Mission by the Wesleyan Missionaries; and a little volume, written by the venerable Swartz.

Probable effect of this course of instruction.

In estimating the effect of the course of instruction, which has been pursued, it is to be remembered, that the knowledge obtained by heathen children, in their own schools, is of no real value. What few schools exist among the heathen population, and without the influence of Christian missions, are of the most miserable kind. The teachers are poorly remmerated; the parents have no public spirit on the subject of educa tion; and the children, after being merely taught to write the Tamul character on the ola, remain ignorant of all that it concerns them to know, in regard to their conduct in this life, and prepara tion for the life to come. The mission schools are all commenced at the solicitation of the people, which is brought about principally by the agency of those, who expect to sustain the office of teachers. From whatever motives the pupils are collected, the effect of the schools is most salutary. No objection is now made to the course of instruction pursued by the missionaries; even the sons of bramhuns attending school, and

learning the catechisms without scru ple. Though pupils are not forbidden to read their heathen fables, yet, as the Missionaries examine the boys, in those studies only, which they have recommended, the result is, that the most important things are most studied and regarded.

A constant superintendence of all the schools, and a frequent inspection of them, are indispensable to their success. Mr. Poor is much assisted, in this important branch of missionary operations, by his interpreter Nicholas, who was mentioned in the last Report, as having been admitted to the church. Several of the elder and more intelligent boys, also, are now able to render very essential services in this business, and are thus trained up for great usefulness hereafter. On Wednesday evening of each week the schoolmasters of the station, and the boys of the family school, or boarding school, are all assembled at the mission house. The objects of this meeting are, to inquire into the state of the schools, to teach the masters their duty, to communicate religious instruction to them, and to pray with them. At these meetings, the masters have recited a book, containing a compend of the Christian religion, and have attended to some historical parts of Scripture. On the last Wednesday evening of the month, they bring a monthly report, containing the daily attendance of the boys, and a particular account of their progress in learning.

As the wages of the masters are in proportion to the daily attendance of the boys, there is a strong inducement perpetually operating to keep the schools as full as possible. To extraordinary diligence, either in master or scholar, small rewards are occasionally given, and with great effect.

The support and education of children in the families of the Missionaries, is becoming a very important and promising part of their beneficent exertions. The Board and the Christian public have long been aware, that children can be

supported in Ceylon, at a small expense, in the Mission families, where they can enjoy all the benefits of Christian instruction and domestic superintendence. A sufficient number of children can be obtained for this purpose, and a selection can be made of those, who give evidence of competent talents, and a docile temper.

When Dr. Scudder arrived at Tillipally, there were twenty-seven boys in the family of Mr. Poor, forming what is called, for the sake of distinction, the boarding school of that station. Of these boys, nine removed with Dr. Scudder to Panditeripo, three were dismissed, and one died. When Mr. Poor's last communication was written, the school had again risen to twenty-five, of whom two were on trial, and the rest were received and named, according to directions from benefactors in America, by whom they were supported. Seventeen of these boys spend half their time in English studies; and the first class has construed several small English books into Tamul. The boys of this class are able to interpret English in Tamul on common subjects, but more especially on subjects of a religious nature.

All the boys in the boarding schools have peculiar opportunities for gaining religious knowledge. Much pains is taken with them on the Sabbath; and the evening of that holy day is spent in giving religious instruction to them, and to the other members of the Missionary households. On Tuesday evenings a conference is held with them; on Wednesday evenings they attend, as has been stated, a meeting of the school masters; and on Friday evenings they recite a weekly lesson, and undergo an examination as to their conduct, their progress in study, &c. Mr. Poor has the satisfaction to state, that the boys "who have been longest in the school, and have most influence over the other boys, are most exemplary in their conduct, and render much assistance in forming the habits of the smaller child

ren.

The selection of girls to be educated in the Mission families is a more difficult undertaking. The prejudices of the natives are very obstinate on the subject. From time immemorial, females here, as in all other heathen countries, have been kept in a state of hopeless depression. Their minds have been left uncultivated, and they have aspired to nothing above the condition of servitude and degradation, in which they were born. To Christianity alone must they look for any melioration of their state and character. Mr. Poor had found it difficult to obtain female children to be educated in the family; and quite embarrassing to take suitable care of them, after they were obtained. Still the value of the object was so great as to encourage him to persevere. At the last dates, there were eight under his domestic care. They had made considerable proficiency and were employed part of the time in various branches of industry, and part of the time in study. The prejudices of the people were yielding on other subjects; and it may be confidently expected, that when they see the effects of female education they will no longer remain opposed to it.

The number of children in the boarding schools at Batticotta, Oodooville, and Panditeripo, the committee are not able to state. At the former place there were more than twenty at the beginning of last year, and the number has since been increased. It is probable that not far from a hundred youths of both sexes were in the mission families of the four stations, at the close of 1820; and that the common schools, under the superintendence of the Missionaries, contained more than a thousand pupils.

In looking forward to the probable effects of this course of labour with the rising generation, the Board will bear in mind the following considerations; viz. that nearly all the children, at Tillipally and its neighbourhood, who are taught to read, belong to the schools

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