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Russel possessed the great advantage of having for his companion one who could interpret for him, and lend him the aid of his former Indian experience in all those little difficulties in which a stranger to the country is apt to be seriously embarrassed and annoyed, especially when the stranger is an elderly gentleman, and accustomed further to the unadventurous life of an English minister of the Gospel. It is not many old gentlemen that would be willing to leave home, and go through all the fatigue and botheration of an Indian journey of several thousands of miles, for any purpose whatever ; and we are sure that very few indeed would go through the fair and foul of eastern travel with the cheerful old-school equanimity that Mr. Russel seems to have carried with him. He sleeps one night in the upper saloon of the Hindustan, and in the morning falls through the ventilationhatch into the lower saloon. This somewhat perilous adventure he quietly dismisses with the remark-" I fell on my feet, which were much • bruised; but otherwise received no hurt." Near the end of his travels, his palki falls, and he wonders that this is only his second accident of the same kind. And so on, throughout the whole journey, he is always ready to take every thing by the right handle, to look at things that might be vexatious on the brighter side, and when occasion offers, to give vent to a vein of old-fashioned humour in a quiet, fatherly sort of joke. But he seems never to have lost sight of the serious business on which he was bent, or to have forgotten the spirit in which such a business should be gone about.

Now we conceive, that the report of a sober-minded, experienced, elderly gentleman, sent out on such a mission, is fitted to be very satisfactory both to the directors of a Society at home, and to the members generally. There are a thousand things that can be made plain in a few words by a disinterested eye-witness, which a voluminous correspondence would fail to clear up, even if they were worth the trouble. And, perhaps, the greatest demand for such explanations relates to money matters. It is not easy, for instance, for people in England, to understand how three hundred a year in Calcutta is no more than a hundred and fifty in Newcastle or Manchester, and how the parson in India must keep his carriage, while the parson at home walks on his feet. We have heard some amusing stories of the complaints sometimes made of Missionary extravagance. One man, we have heard, asked with up-turned eyes, if it was true that Bengal missionaries had poultry on their tables almost every day! Another inquired whether they had servants to fan them; while a third hinted something about silver tea-spoons and Britannia-metal forks. Now, a man of sense, who has visited the country, will be able at once to clear away all such nonsensical misunderstandings from the minds of the honest, beef-eating, sea-coal-consuming, folks who entertain them. We say a man of sense, for we have heard of an inspector of missions, who put down the hospitality which was shown to himself to the account of missionary extravagance, and who voted gharis and buggies a sinful indulgence. We believe, that he was cured of the

last mistake by a five mile walk in the sun (as we say in English) with a padre who had sold his buggy, to pay the expenses attending some sickness, or incident of one kind or another in his family. Of course we do not look for much of this sort of discussion in a book; but it is well that there should be some men at home-men whom their fellow Christians know and respect, and who have themselves felt the heat and thirst and fatigue of Indian life, and who have seen the missionary at his work, and the heathen at his idol worship. And we think it would be well if other Missionary Societies and Churches would follow the example set by the Baptist Society, and send out, from time to time, deputations of the "elders" on such missions of inquiry and encouragement; for we cannot conceive that almost any thing is better fitted to encourage the missionary amid his exile, with all its monotony and trials, than a friendly visit from one or two of the men most respected for wisdom and goodness in his particular Church. The missionaries can explain many things to the deputies, and the deputies to the missionaries, and again to the directors at home, which years of correspondence might fail to clear up to the satisfaction of either party, and thus the confidence of the directors, and the comfort of the missionaries, might both be increased, and the missionary work in a corresponding measure more vigorously and heartily prosecuted.

Again we say, we have much pleasure in noticing this book, and heartily wish we had many more of the same class to notice.

Report of the Board of Education, from May 1, 1851, to April 30, 1852. No. X. Bombay. 1852.

WE presume that there is a slight mistake in this title, and that the goodly, cloth-bound, four-hundred-and-seventy-five-paged volume before us, while it is the Tenth Report issued by the Bombay Educational Board, is the first, and is meant to be the last, relating to the official year 1851-52, instead of being, as its title seems to indicate, the tenth relating to that year.

It appears from the Report, that an annual grant of Rs. 1,25,000 is put at the disposal of the Board. But they allude also to a Reserved Fund (whence obtained we do not know, though we suppose that previous Reports of the Board, if we had access to them, would afford us the information), which is capable of bearing "for a few months" a drain of an annual excess of Rs. 19,681-11-6 of expenditure over regular income. The Board very properly point out the fallacy of supposing that this sum, of one and a quarter lakh of rupees, is giving an education to the people of the Bombay Presidency generally. The contrary fact is strikingly evinced by the statement that, "by early disposi'tions of Government, no less a sum than Rs. 44,740, out of the Rs.

'1,25,000, has been allotted to the island of Bombay alone, i. e., to 'the wealthiest portion of the Presidency," while the remainder is of course mainly given to the districts, where the desire for education is strongest, and consequently most is given where least is needed, and none at all where most is needed. This is a serious evil, which attaches to the Government scheme of education in all the Presidencies. The few, who are both able and not unwilling to pay for their education, are educated at the expense of Government, and nothing is left for the establishment of schools amongst those who have the most need for schools to be maintained among them.

We think that our Educational Councils and Boards might take a valuable hint on this point from their brethren in the Abkari department. A few years ago there was just as little desire amongst the people of India for strong drink as there is now for education. But by a judicious system of establishing grog-shops, and making it the intérest of the Abkari officials to promote their success, the Government have succeeded, not only in creating a desire for liquor in the most unpromising districts, but in deriving from the desire so created no inconsiderable amount of revenue. This is a simple fact. Now no one can doubt that the mere establishment of a few Gin-palaces in Calcutta, Madras and Bombay, however richly they might have been endowed, would have gone scarcely a single step towards the diffusion of the taste in question throughout the land. We offer this hint, with considerable confidence that wise men may turn it to good account.

The Board, however, solicit the Governor in Council, to place an additional lakh of rupees per annum at their disposal, which they propose to expend rather in the encouraging of existing native schools, and placing them under their own superintendence, than in the founding of new schools. We know not how it may be in the Bombay Presidency; but we are persuaded that this method would fail in Bengal. The native schools are hopelessly and irrecoverably bad, and incapable of being turned to any good account in supplying the educational wants of the people. The money that might be granted to them would be completely thrown away; and any superintendence that might be assumed over them would be nuga

tory.

As to the existing colleges and schools, the Report glows through. out with the brightest couleur de rose dye. The Board are thoroughly pleased with Principals, Professors, Teachers and Scholars; the Principals with Professors, Teachers and Scholars; and the Professors and Teachers with their Scholars; and, if we are to judge from the questions proposed, and the answers given at the examinations, we should say that all have abundant reason to be pleased with all. Take for example the following list of mathematical questions proposed to the students of the first year :

"Mathematics.-Prof. Patton-from 11 to 2.

"1.

If from any point in the circumference of a circle four lines be drawn to the angles of an inscribed quadrilateral, the anharmonic

ratio of the pencil thus formed is represented by the ratio of the rectangles under the opposite sides.

"2. The points of intersection of the opposite sides of a re-entrant 'hexagon, inscribed in a circle, lie on the same right line.

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"3. If a right angle revolve round a fixed point within a circle, required the locus of the middle point of the chord it subtends. 4. Describe a circle touching two given circles, and passing through a given point.

5. Prove the formula for finding the angles of a spherical triangle when the sides are given.

6. When two sides and the contained angle are given, how are the other parts found?

"7. Thence find the distance between London and Calcutta, their respective latitudes being 51° 31' N. and 22° 34′ N., and their ' longitudes 0° 6' W. and 88° 26' E.

"8. Given the ratio of the sines, and the ratio of the tangents, of two angles, find them, geometrically or trigonometrically."

Such was the three hours' work prescribed to first year's students; and within that time answers were actually given by some of the students to some of the questions. We have witnessed, with no little interest, the teaching of mathematics in Europe, in Asia, and in Africa, but we can safely say, that nowhere have we found such proficiency amongst first year's students as that indicated by this fact. But this is not all. Referring to Prof. Patton's report, we find that these students have had, not a year's, but only six months', training in the college and referring again to the Report of the upper school, we find that on their entrance to the college, the amount of their acquirements must have been the first six books of Euclid, and Algebra as far as quadratic equations. It must be interesting to all mathematicians, to trace the process by which such a wonder (for we can call it by no other name) has been achieved. Here then is Mr. Patton's account of the matter :

"FIRST YEAR'S STUDENTS. This class, during the six months 'that elapsed since they entered the college, have revised their geometry, and have studied in addition, a large collection of deductions ' and examples, given to them in the class from my own note-books. 'On account of my absence for some time from ill health, and on leave, I was compelled to entrust the class to Assistant Professor Dadabhai Naorozji, during the time they were studying Plane and Spherical Trigonometry; and I take this opportunity of testifying to the excellent manner in which he executed his duty, as shown by the result of the examination. The application of Trigonometry to Astronomy was taught by myself."

Elsewhere, we find that the period of Prof. Patton's absence was confined to the month of October; and this was the time expended by the Assistant Professor in indoctrinating the class into the whole mystery of Plane and Spherical Trigonometry.

We have thus, by a somewhat tedious process, got a glimpse of

the truth in this matter. With respect to it, we shall only say, that it was not thus that we were taught those subjects, and not even the sight of the examination-papers before us-highly creditable though they be—can make us wish that our son should be so taught them.

We know not how it is in Madras; but we grieve to say that in our own Presidency, and in Bombay, there is, on the part of the managers of the Government educational institutions, a sad desire to impart a superficial acquaintance with many subjects, instead of that slow and gradual training of the faculties, which is the essence of good education. "Plane and Spherical Trigonometry in the month of October" is the brief formula by which we shall henceforth designate the treatment in virtue of which " Young Bengal" and "Young Bombay" are reared.

Transactions of the Bombay Geographical Society. From September 1850 to June 1852. Edited by the Secretary. Volume X. Bombay. 1852.

It seems a somewhat remarkable coincidence, that we have precisely the same remark to make on this title that we made on that of the work which formed the subject of the immediately preceding notice. We presume that we have before us the Transactions of the Bombay Geographical Society, Vol. X., from September, 1850, to June, 1852. Be this as it may, the volume before us is a very interesting one, both as giving a favourable view of the activity of our friends in the West, and on account of the intrinsic value of the articles that it contains. The proceedings of the meetings of the Society contain a vast mass of important facts, a perfect feast for a proper Baconian mind; while of the six articles all are good, and some of very great value and importance. We would especially notice, without any disparagement to the others, Art. II.-" Researches in the Vicinity of the Median wall of Xenophon, and along the old course of the River Tigris. By Felix Jones, Commander, Indian Navy." And Art. III.-" The Volcanoes of India. By Dr. Buist, F. R. S. L. and E." These articles, and indeed the whole volume, will well repay perusal. We cannot do better than give our readers & specimen of the style of Commander Jones in the following extract :

The Majummah, as the name implies, are a large tribe congregated from minor families of Arabs, who are individually so small as to be unable to protect themselves, and parts of larger hordes who have originally migrated from a distance on account of feuds or oppression on the part of the Government. They lead both a pastoral and agricultural life, and are only so far nomade as to wander over the territory assigned them, which is the most northerly of the cultivated district bordering the Tigris and Dijeil. Parties of them are found in the Khális dis

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