door-keeper, five peons, two sweepers, and a gardener at four each, include the establishment of the Institution.

The number of Students seldom or never exceeds a Hundred. These are received from the age of seventeen to twenty. Natives of any part of India being of the Mussulman religion, are admissable. The term allotted for study, is seven years; beyond which should any remain, they have to depend on themselves for support.

Some are

All the students are supported by the Institution. married and have families, with whom they live during that part of the week in which their presence is not required at the College. They are divided into Five Classes, which receive a different allowance according to the books they study. The first class, or

those who read the highest works on Arabic jurisprudence, have each Fifteen Rupees monthly. The second class receive each of them Ten. The third receive Eight; the fourth, Seven; and the Fifth class Six Rupees. The President instructs the First Class himself, and examines the other our every Thursday. The hours of reading, are from seven to ten in the morning, and from one to four in the afternoon. At nine in the evening, all are expected to be in their bed-rooms. Should any be missing, they are liable to be reported to the President. Tuesdays and Fridays, the regular hours of study are dispensed with; on Tuesdays for the sake of their reviewing what they have read ; and on the Friday because it is the Mahomedan sabbath.

The Superintendance of this Institution was in the beginning vested in the Senior Member of the Board of Revenue, the Persian Translator, and the Preparer of Reports in the Sudder-Dewanny Adawlut. The latter was in 1793 changed for the Regis ter of the above court. The Gentlemen upon whom it has now. devolved, are, Mr. C. Buller, Mr. P. M. Wynch, and Mr. Dow rin; to whom are added Dr. Lumsden, and Captain Galloway.

The Native Presidents of this College, in the course of forty years have been Five. The first of these was Moulvee Muhummud-moojud-ud-deen, already mentioned as employed by Mr. Hastings to found the Institution. He presided over it for twelve years. On his death succeeded Moulvee Israeel-khan, who died after holding the office two years. Moulvee Gholammoojud-ud-deen, was the Third President of this college, which office he filled for seven years. After his death the office of President remained vacant for nearly seven years, the business of the college being conducted by the four Assistants. At length Moulvee Imaum-ullah, the first assistant, was appointed to this office, which he filled for nearly twelve years. He died in the course of the last year. The present, the fifth President, is Moulvee Nujeefullah, who has successively filled the offices of fourth, third, second, and first assistant in the Institution. He is said to be an eminent Arabic scholar, and to be both esteemed and feared by the great body of students.

Such then is the state of this Institution for the cultivation of the Arabic language, the expenses of which, to the amount of nearly Two Thousand Rupees monthly, are wholly borne by Government. Viewed as an Institution intended to preserve a language necessary to the right understanding of laws, which regulate the inheritances and the property of millions, it argues in the Founder and Supporters a high degree of sound political wisdom;-and regarded merely as an institution for preserving the learned language of a conquered people, endeared to them by feelings of a religious nature, to every Mussulman who recollects the different course observed toward the Hindoos respecting their sacred language by the Mahomedan conquerors of India, it must appear a display of generosity to which he cannot easily find a parallel in the annals of his own religion. That it gives in some degree a stability to Islamism in India, is to be regarded as an incidental circumstance, which candor would hesitate to charge on the intention of the founder. If they who then studied the Arabic language were almost exclu

sively Mussulmans, to have interfered with the religious opinions of those who thus studied that language, would have been, to imi tate the conduct of the Mussfilman conquerors of India. But this tendency in the Institution might now be effectually counteracted by another act of liberality, respecting which, however, we mere ly venture an opinion. The Arabic language is no more the exclusive monopoly of any religious sect than the Persian, or the Sungskrit; nor will a spirit of candor and liberality permit it to be viewed as such. Hindoos are now to be found who are excellent Arabic scholars; and genius may hereafter appear among Christian natives of India, as well as among others. Let the benefits of this admirable Institution then be open to natives of India in general, whatever be their religious persuasion; and while nothing is held out as a premium for embracing Christianity, let nothing be suffered to operate as a fine for following the dictates of reason and conscience ;-let places and privileges of every des cription, be open to all natives of learning and worth, (the dictate of sound policy as well as of candor,) and every injurious tenden cy will vanish; learning and worth will obtain encouragement, the public be faithfully served, and ignorance and moral demerit, covered by whatever religious profession, will sink discountenanced into obscurity. For the length of this article, our apology must be, that, relative to whatever is connected with India, nothing inaccurate or superficial ought to be advanced, except where want of information may render it unavoidable.

2. The Military Orphan Institution.

The next Institution which occurs, if we follow the order of time, and the first at this Presidency in which the principles of Christianity were taught, was that for the Education of the Or phans belonging to the Military at the Presidency of Fort William. This Institution to which the public have been indebted for so many valuable members of society, was planned as

early as the year 1782, by the generous and comprehensive mind of Col. Hirkpatrick, whose attention to. its interests, and con. stant solicitude for its prosperity, will ever endear him to the friends of humanity in India. But if it was originated by the

army, it was encouraged in the warmest manner by the Supreme Government, who recommended it to the notice of the Honorable Court of Directors. Thus powerfully recommended, and support ed at home by the energetic exertions of Col. Kirkpatrick, who made a voyage to Europe almost entirely to promote its interests, it attracted the notice of the Right Honorable the Board of Con-troul, then recently formed; and Mr. Dundas, afterwards Lord Melville, declared it worthy of support from the Honorable Court of Directors on the ground of its being a public benefit.

This Institution is not supported by general contribution; but wholly by the liberality of the officers in the Army. The regular subscription expected, is Three Rupees monthly from each Subaltern officer and Assistant Surgeon; six from Captains and Full Surgeons; and nine from officers of the rank of Major. But their contributions are not always confined to the sum stipulated; often does a generous mind indulge itself to an extent known only to those who have the care of the funds. Hence it will not appear surprizing, that at the end of the year 1801, about eighteen after its formation, the funds amounted to the sum of Sicca Rupees Three Hundred and Seventy-four Thousand, one Hundred and Sixty-seven.

years

The Institution at present contains Two Schools; one for the Children of Deceased Officers; and another for the Children of European Privates and Non-commissioned Officers as soon as they reach the age proper for tuition. This last, often termed the Lower Orphan School, as the other is the Upper, is supported wholly by the liberality of the Honorable Company. The children admitted into the Upper School, after being duly educated, are often placed out under indentures for the term of five years, often

to gentlemen in the service, particularly those who fill situations to the eastward, from which quarter, (as well as others) the most pleasing accounts have been received by the Secretary relative to their diligence and good behaviour. In case of no place offering, which indeed is seldom the case, after a certain age they are hu manely allowed a monthly sum from the Fund, till they can provide for themselves. The provision for the Female Orphans is highly generous; after receiving in general an excellent education, a marriage portion is given with them, regulated by the state of the funds; and those unmarried, if they prefer leaving the School are allowed a sum from the Fund monthly, which though it does not place them in a state of affluence, preserves them from dependance. Thus a refuge from poverty and ruin is generously afforded to unprotected innocence, if necessary, even to the end of life,

The Superintendance of this Institution is vested in a Governor, a Deputy Governor, and twelve Managers. The Governor is now the Most Noble the Marquis of Hastings, as Commander in Chief. Of the Twelve Managers, six are stationary at Fort William and the other six are chosen as Representatives of the siz chief Military Stations; the Presidency, Kurnal, Dinapore, Chunar, Cawnpore, and Meerut.

The good which has resulted to the settlement from this Institution it is not easy to calculate. Numerous are the youths who have here received that instruction which has rendered them eminently useful to society; and the scenes of domestic happiness exhibited at this presidency and indeed almost throughout India, by those Female Orphans who have derived their all from this Institution, are such as delight the mind in the bare contemplation. The endeavors of many who have presided in both departments, to instil into the minds of their pupils ideas of virtue and religion, have been highly praise-worthy; and in this department our late excellent friend Mr. Burney shone with pre-eminent lustre. The full extent of his usefulness will never be known till that day which discloses all