In a Letter dated September 28, 1824, Mr.Perowne

states

Our sphere of labour has been enlarged since I wrote last. Three new Boys' Schools have been added to those under my charge; and Mrs. Perowne's Female Schools are increased to thirteen. In these thirteen schools are about 350 Children of all castes, from the Brahmin to the Haree. They manifest a power of intellect superior to most of the other sex. They have more simplicity, and less prejudice. The ignorance and degradation of the female population cannot even be conceived by those who live in happy England. Wretched as is the state of the men, that of the women is far worse. Destitute of instruction, and shut out from the means of obtaining it, they have nothing scarcely to guide them but the dictates of their own passions and desires. With what pleasure, then, will every lover of our race hear, that a brighter day is beginning to dawn-that the ignorance of the Females is beginning to be dispelled-and that they are receiving that knowledge, which must eventually not only raise them to their proper rank, but tend to humanize and reform the other sex also. I may appear sanguine-but I cannot pass along the road, without seeing objects whom I regard as presages of future good. To behold, in every direction, little GIRLS, with bunches of leaves under their arms and inkstands in their hands, hastening with smiling faces to school, is so new a thing in this country, that the very novelty may well excite peculiar sensations in the mind.

Of the improvement already made in the Female Schools, Mr. Perowne remarks

They were so sunk, as to be without a single spiritual idea. If asked who made them, they could not tell; and to the question, "Who is God?" if able to give an answer at all, it was only by pointing to a shapelesss block of wood or stone. But, in twelve months, this desert has begun to rejoice and blossom as the rose. Ideas have been imparted-their mental powers have been called into exercise-and they have learned the leading truths of Revelation, and the relative duties which it enforces. All looks fair and promising: we only wait for the outpouring of the Spirit from on high, to give life and perfection to the body thus formed.

If it be thought that the number of Children is small, compared with the immense population of Burdwan, we confess, with regret, that this is the case; but, looking at the openings in every direction, and trusting to the blessing of God, we say, with confidence, "GIVE US THE MEANS, and, by next year at this time, the number shall be DOUBLED."

At a very recent period, a Naval Officer, who had visited Burdwan, stated to one of the Secretaries, that he had been assured that nothing but the want of Funds prevented the admission of as many Girls as Boys into the Schools; and that there was no longer any difficulty in the way of Female Education, but that which arose from inadequate pecuniary resources.

Many of the School Buildings connected with this Station were either seriously injured, or entirely swept away, by an alarming inundation in the Autumn of 1823. Some months elapsed before the disastrous ravages of the flood were repaired. Of this awful inundation, Mr. Jetter thus writes :

I was with Mr. Perowne, where we saw the raging River Damoda rolling along, and from which streams of water rushed against our house, rising to such a height, that we dared not venture to go to an out-house to procure some eatables to satisfy our craving hunger.

We were 33 persons, including 23 English School-Boys, who were unable to go home because of the water. One night (from Saturday to Sunday) we were obliged to stand on the top of the house, the water rising so high that it was nine inches in depth in the rooms. Oh how awful it was to see the poor helpless Bengalees sitting on the banks of tanks and the branches of trees, every moment expecting the water to swallow them up!

On the same subject Mr. Reichardt writes,—

Whilst at Burdwan, I beheld a truly singular and awful scene. Two days after our arrival, it began to rain, and continued without intermission for two days and two nights. The rivers, which were already high, overflowed their banks; so that the whole district of Burdwan, as far as the eye could reach, was inundated. All the houses of the poor Bengalees fell in; and the people were obliged to climb up the trees, in order to save their lives. There they sat for four days, without sustenance, crying to their gods, "Hori! Hori! save us! we are lost!" Brethren Deerr and Maisch and myself were together in one house; and if the water had risen but one inch higher, it would have entered our rooms, and we should have been obliged to flee to the roof, for which purpose we kept a ladder ready: however, we were spared this danger by the water decreasing. Many Idols, and particularly those which they had prepared to celebrate the Poojah of the Goddess Doorga, were broken

to pieces or floated away. I saw a heap of them, about sixty in number, lying broken near the road: the impotency of these Idols was greatly exposed, and many of the Bengalees began to ridicule them, saying, "Our gods are dead! They could not prevent the flood." But I am sorry to say that this impression of the nothingness of Idols, which they, during this awful catastrophe, received, is already worn off; for, soon after that, instead of the image of Doorga, they worshipped a water-pot, into which they had cited her spirit. The following statement of this inundation is given in the Report of the Auxiliary Society :A fearful desolation was spread over the face of the whole country, by the overflowing of the Damoda River. The mud cottages of the Natives were laid in ruins, and several persons perished in the waters. The Society's Schoolhouses were swept away: the books used in them were destroyed; and the Children for a long time after generally scattered, being compelled to seek shelter where they could find it. The pecuniary loss to the Society has not been less than 3000 Rupees; and as it has been determined to re-erect the English School on the Society's Premises, of materials which may resist a similar calamity, that alone will cost 1200 Rupees. It has been found necessary also, both with a view to the health of the Missionaries, and also as, eventually, the best economy, to build another Dwelling-house on the Society's Premises; the estimated expense of which is 5000 Rupees.

For a short time after the inundation, the business of the Schools was completely at a stand; but, by the great activity of Mr. Perowne and Mr. Deerr, every thing now has assumed its former appearance. Mr. Perowne has even added considerably to his former number of Schools; and, in a recent communication, informs the Committee that his department in the Mission goes on in an encouraging manner.*

Buxar.

At this Station, which is under the superintendance of Kurrum Messeeh, one Adult has been baptized by Mr. Bowley. No further accounts have been received since the last Report.

Benares.

There are Three Stations connected with this Mission-the Old Mission-Premises at Secrole, a

Many additional particulars relative to the Burdwan Mission have appeared, since the Anniversary, in the Missionary Register for August, pp. 354-367.

village, inhabited by English residents, a short distance from Benares; the New Mission-Premises, lately erected still nearer to the city; and the School founded by Jay Narain. The New Station, which is conveniently situated for the superintendance of the Schools and for visits to the city, is occupied by the Rev. Thomas Morris and Mr. Stewart; while Mr. Adlington remains at Secrole. Mr. Morris had suffered from ill health during the rains, but was much recovered.

In the endowed School are 141 Boys, some of the elder of whom appear to have derived advantage from the use of the Sacred Scriptures: and four additional Schools, established at Benares and in its vicinity after Mr. Morris's return from Goruckpore, contain 113 Scholars.

In the School opened at the Old Mission-Premises in 1822 for the Daughters of the Native Christians, were 11 Females, some of whom have made considerable progress: after encountering much difficulty, Mrs. Morris established a Female School in Benares, in which were 9 Girls. Two more Girls' Schools, containing together 20 Scholars, have been recently established.

The interest which some of the Pupils in the Schools feel in the proceedings of the Missionaries may be learned from the following statement of Mr. Morris:

I attended a Mela, or Fair, near the city; at which were assembled many thousands of human beings, who knew not the God who made them and who gave His Son to be a sacrifice for the sins of the world! Surveying the multitude from a little eminence which we had selected, and on which we stood to distribute Tracts and the Scriptures, my mind was much affected by what I saw of the immoral condition of the people. One circumstance, however, delighted me: several of the Boys from our Schools stood round us, ready to assist in examining such persons as came for books; as we do not give them except to those who have first learnt to read. Such a circumstance may appear of little importance to those who do not enter into our situation: but it is highly encouraging to us, to witness it in this country-to see, in such a scene as an Indian Fair presents, children, who have

themselves learnt from us to read our books, ready to put them into the hands of those who are more advanced in years. The Calcutta Committee thus report the proceedings of Mr. Morris, in his own words:

Since my return to this place, four schools for boys have been commenced in the city and suburbs of Benares. The difficulties with which we have hitherto had to contend (such, for instance, as the want of proper teachers, and the boys constantly teasing us for pice) will, I trust, in time be gradually removed. The want of efficient Schoolmasters has been, and still is, greatly felt; and this must be the case till we have means of training them up ourselves. Seminaries attached to Missions for this purpose are highly desirable. Aware of the little real good ever likely to be effected by the old disorderly system, kept up by the Natives, of teaching the children merely to cipher and write the Kythee Character, I endeavoured to teach, in the first instance, three men to read the Davanagari, in which we have Gospels, Tracts, &c. printed. These men are at present employed at the schools.

In order to keep the boys in the schools, and also to rouse them to action, those who are diligent, and get on pretty well, receive each a ticket on the day of the weekly examination; and quarterly or so, according to merit, they must obtain a trifling reward. Indeed some excitement of this kind appears absolutely necessary, as few come to school from a real love of acquiring knowledge, further than as much as will enable them to obtain a livelihood.

The following is a List of the Schools, where situated, and when commenced; with the number of boys in each school:

Of the Boys it must be understood that their progress at present is but small. One part of the day they devote to ciphering in Kythee, and the other they employ in reading in the Davanagari Character. As soon as they have learned the Alphabet and gone through the Spelling-book, either

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