Statement respecting the Orphan Hospital, 14th August 1809. To the Editor. " SIR, IN your Magazine for April last, you have made an extract from a recent publication by a German Traveller (Dr Frank) containing some unhandsome reflections on the Orphan Hospital of this city. As the managers of that institution are your fellow citizens,-known to you, and not wholly beneath your notice, it was not perhaps too much for them to expect, that before you had given currency to such reflections, you should have taken the trouble to enquire into their truth. Travellers are understood to use a licence; and if Dr Frank will use it without injuring others, let him avail himself of the common priviledge. But the licence of a Traveller warrants no man to say what is not,to the prejudice of his neighbour. Whether the licence was in this instance used at the expence of those whom the traveller attacks, or of those from whom he professes to have received his information, the managers are not concerned to ascertain: but they do not hesitate to say, that his reflections on the Orphan Hospital, wherever they have had their origin, are altogether unfounded. nimously informed him, that from the time of a particular event, which happened in 1796, "this institution has greatly declined," it is no longer difficult to perceive the origin to which the whole of his representation is to be traced.-The managers have no wish to detract from the merits of any individual. At the same time, justice to the respectable characters who have, since the period referred to, conducted the affairs of the Hospital, and indeed justice to the Hospital itself, the interests of which might be injured by this attack on its credit, requires that they lay before the public the following statement, taken from the Hospital books, of the numbers maintained, the work done, and the improvements introduced, from 1796 to the present time, from which it will be seen whether or not Dr Frank or his informers were warranted to say that this institution has greatly declined; and as your Magazine has been the principal vehicle for the circulation of his reflections in this country, the managers cannot entertain a doubt, that you will feel it your duty to counteract the injurious effects of them, by giving this letter the same publicity. And Dr Frank represents the Hospital as particularly defective in respect of order and cleanliness. It is possible, thro' the carelessness of servants, or the operation of some other incidental cause, which no precaution can always controul, that a house which is generally kept in the best order, may be found at a time in a different state. had Dr Frank confined his reflections. to the points of order and cleanliness, it might be supposed, that, by a singular coincidence, he had really visited the Orphan Hospital at such a time. But when he takes upon him to insinuate, that many of the inhabitants of Edinburgh admitted the truth of what he states, and to assert that they una Sept. 1809. age; All this work was performed by children under 14 years of for the children in the Orphan Hospital always go out to apprenticeships, or to service, not at 19 years of age, as Dr Frank erroneously states, but at the age of 14, and in some instances sooner, when it happens that their educa. tion is completed, and that proper situations occur. General Improvements, 1797. Premiums to children excelling at examination, 1799. Hair mattress substituted for chaff. 1800. Girls' dress improved, addi tional servant,-sick ward fitted up 1803. Sleeping wards enlarged,--boys' Tho' the managers of the Orphan Hospital flatter themselves that the inhabitants of Edinburgh, in general, give them credit for the manner in which their trust is discharged, yet, considering of what importance it is that this should be properly understood by the country at large, they thought it necessary to request a visitation of the Hospital by gentlemen whose official characters would be to the public a pledge of impartiality and of accuracy in making it. The visitation has accordingly taken place, and a signed report of the visitors is herewith sent you for insertion in your Magazine. In giving you this trouble, the managers are actuated solely by a desire to do justice to an institution, which they are satisfied is still what Mr Howard found it," one of the most useful "institutions of its kind in Europe," and which they trust will long continue to be what another competent judge of its merits, the late Dr Hardy, described it," an hospitable asylum, "where the fatherless child,-the or"phan who has none to help him, is "fed, and clothed, and supported ;"where education, and habits of use"ful employment, are infused and "completed together, and from which, as from a well-ordered nursery of "the community, the more laborious "professions of life are perpetually re"cruited by youth of both sexes, al"ready trained to virtuous industry*." Signed in name and by appointment of a general meeting of the cor poration. DAV. JOHNSTON, D.D. Preses. Report of the Visitors of the Orphan Hospital. Edinburgh, 3d Aug. 1809. We the subscribers have, for several weeks, been occasionally visiting the Orphan Hopital of this city, sometimes two of us together, some times * Sermon before the Society for the sons of the clergy. times each of us alone, and sometimes all of us on the same day. We have minutely inspected all the apartments in the house; the teaching rooms, the sleeping rooms, the store rooms, and the kitchen, all of which we found well arranged, clean, and well aired. Every possible degree of attention is paid to the health of the children, to their food, their clothing, their exercise and amusement, their education, their morals, and religion. They are instructed by well-qualified teachers in every thing suitable to the rank in society which they have to fill. The boys, besides reading, writing, and arithmetic, learn several trades, as those of tailors, shoe-makers, and book-binders, which render them useful to the house, and lay the foundation of their future employment through life. The girls are taught sewing, knitting, spinning, and every other sort of work which is necessary in their station. In no department of the institution have we discovered any appearance of negligence, or slovenliness, or dirtiness, but, on the contrary, though we visited the house on days, and at hours when we were not expected, we always found the greatest attention paid to cleanliness, and business going on in a manner so orderly as gave us much satisfaction.— We are happy in remarking, that with the increasing number of children, and the growing revenues of the house, improvement has been uniformly made in all the requisite articles of food, clothing, and education. We, therefore, after repeated and minute inspection, now declare, that, in our judgment, the Orphan Hospital of Edinburgh is most usefully, most faithfully, and most successfully conducted, in all the departments of the establishment, and that the whole of the management reflects the highest honour on the ability, the integrity, and zeal of the governors, and on the diligence and fidelity of the house-keep er, and of the teachers, whom they employ. No institution can have stronger claims to public patronage than an Orphan Hospital. And when it is seen that charitable donations in aid of this house are so judiciously and so effectually applied, it is hoped that, through an increase of public contributions, a provision may be made for enabling the governors to admit into the house, for the benefit of an excellent education, a greater number of orphans. WM. COULTER, Lord Provost. WILL. RITCHIE, one of the Ministers of the High Church, and Professor of Divinity in the University. CHA. STUART, M.D. President of the Royal College of Physicians. ANDREW INGLIS, M.D. President of the Royal College of Surgeons. Curious particulars concerning the OSAGES, a nation of AMERICAN INDIANS, liv. ing South of the river MISSOURI, in LOUISIANA, a territory of the United States. Addressed to the EARL of BUCHAN, by Samuel Mitchell, a Senator from the State of New York, in the Congress of the United States, &c. T has been questioned whether the natives of North America have any poetical taste. For a long time I was inclined to the opinion that they possessed no compositions of this kind, or at least none beyond a single sentence or ejaculation. This was my belief, when, after the cession of Louisiana to the United States, the Osage natives, from the regions far west of the Mississippi, made their first appearance on the shores of the Atlantic. A party of them had been sent from Washington in 1804, to see the maritime country, and had travelled as far as New York. Having repeatedly seen these strange vi sitors, sitors, and the gentlemen who attended them, during their stay in that city, I was much gratified by many answers made to questions I asked concerning them. Among other information, I received, was the fact, that the party had a Poet among them. I endeavoured to procure a a retired interview with this son of Song; but such was the croud of company, and such their incessant occupation, that I found it utterly impossible. The next year another party of these red men of the West came to the seat of the national government on the banks of the Potomac. I visited them, cultivated their acquaintance, and received frequent visits in return. I was both instructed and entertained with the geographical delineations they made of the regions they were acquainted with. They draw with chalk on the floor, a sketch of the rivers Arkansas, Missouri, and Mississipi, and of the Osage and Gasconade. They depicted the villages of the Great and Little Osages, and their route thence toward the city of Washington; and they marked the spot where the vast Saline exists, to the westward and southward of their settlements. Among other displays of their knowledge, they favoured me with concerts of vocal and instrumental music. Four or five performers stood up together in a row, and uttered, with measured tone and accent, several of their popular songs. A small basket with stones in it like a child's play thing; a rattle-snake's tail tied to the extremity of a wild turkey's long feather; a sort of board to be beaten by the hand; and a flute or rather whistle made of native reed ; were the instruments which this band of harmony employed. Their concert was animated, and seemed to give the actors a great deal of pleasure. The spirit and satisfaction they manifested made me cu rious to know what were the words and sentiments of the songs. After various efforts, I succeeded in procuring several of these aboriginal pieces, through the aid of their interpreter. He gave me the literal translation; and this I have turned into English verse, with but small amplification or paraphrase. When I took out my pen, ink, and paper, the chief musician or poet felt so much timidity or embarrassment, that he could with difficulty be prevailed on to repeat the words. At length, however, on being told "That the red man kept his Song in his mouth, but that I would shew him the white man's method of putting it into his pocket," his scruples were overcome, for he laughed and then slowly and distinctly uttered the words of several songs. I offer you as specimens of the talent of this people in this way, three rhymical compositions. The subjects of these are Friendship, War, and Peace, and they afford striking illustrations of the manner of thinking among these simple and unlettered men. You will judge of the sagacity and quickness of wit, which the Osages possess, by the following anecdote:I observed to one of their chiefs, who visited me, that " as the white men would soon begin to encroach upon them, the woods would be destroyed by fire, or cut down. Their game would grow scarce, deer and bison would disappear, and the Osages would be obliged to retire and dispossess their neighbours by force, or remain at home and adopt the manners of white men." I asked him when food grew so scarce, "what he and his countrymen would do?" "Father," said he, in reply, "we hear that the president of the United States is a very rich man, and has a great quantity of money; we have been told that the Secretary at war is exceedingly wealthy too, and keeps many bags of dollars; they say likewise that the New-York senator posses possesses a great estate, and has as much cash as he wants. Now, father, what will Mr Jefferson, Mr Dearborn, and Mr Mitchell do, when all their money is gone?" : I. Osage Song of Friendship. Composed on the arrival of a party of their warriors at Washington in December 1805, and at Dr Mitchell's house with their accompaniment of aboriginal musical instruments. The joy of this band was the greater, on having reached in safety their place of destination, inasmuch as another body of their nation had been murdered on their journey thither, by the Sioux. They express peculiar delight in having had an interview with the president of the United States, whom they call their "Great White Father." My comrades brave, and friends of note! The Master of your life and breath*, Ye red men! since ye here have been, Thou Chief Osage! fear not to come, When here to march thou feel'st inclin' d' II. Osage War-Song: Wanapasha, one of their chiefs, encourages his comrades to be intrepid in battle. Say, warriors, why when arms are sung, And dwell on every native tongue, Do thoughts of death intrude? The great Spirit, or supreme Being, is called by the Osages the "Master of Life," or "Master of Breath." Why weep the common lot of all? Why fancy you yourselves may fall Pursuing or pursu'd? Doubt not your Wanapasha's* care, Or stretch them on the field. No nation can withstand our course Or check our bold career, Though, did they know my warlike fame, The terrors of my form and name, They'd quake or die with fear. III. Osage Song of Peace. Recited on terminating the war with their neighbours the Kanzas. Ye brave Osages, one and all, Here, smoke the calumet at ease; Beneath your fury lost their lives, Ye brave Osages, one and all, There take the hands the Kanzas show, Ye brave Osages, one and all, Your life's great master now adore, |
