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of the enemy. After reducing several small fortresses that guarded the suburbs of the city, it became necessary to storm Fort Mozello, the principal outlet to the town, and which seemed the chief strength of the place. In the mean time, the army, notwithstanding the unremitting attention of the Commander in Chief, (LieutenantGeneral Stewart,) was rapidly diminishing in strength, by the unwholesomeness of their situation; and nothing now remained, but one vigorous effort for the reduction of the place, or an immediate retreat. The former of these alternatives was chosen; and it was therefore resolved, that a chosen body of troops, under one of the ablest officers, should undertake the assault, and endeavour to carry the place by storm. Colonel Moore, who had so eminently distinguished himself at the taking of Convention Fort, was selected for this arduous and dangerous enterprize; and few undertakings could put the courage and conduct of an officer to a severer test than the storming of this strong fortress. Daybreak was the time chosen for the assault, and, that no alarm might be given to the garrison, the soldiers were ordered not to load, as it was resolved to attempt it by the point of the bayonet. General Stewart, anxious for the reduction of a place on which his future success so greatly depended, arrived with his suite, a little before day-break, to be witness of the attack, and after giving the necessary directions, a signal was made for the troops to advance. They had now proceeded about half way, when the enemy, whose attention had been otherwise diverted by a false attack, at last perceiving their danger, flew to arms, and discharged a volley of grape shot, which, owing to the faintness of the light, did little execution. Colonel Moore continued to press forward at the head of his men, leaving behind the wounded and dying, and was now entering the walls, when a bomb-shell

bursting, struck him to the ground. Fortunately, however, he instantly recovered himself; and, notwithstanding the great effusion of blood, he pressed on, and after a most obstinate and sanguinary conflict, the enemy was compelled to surrender. Nothing but the most consummate skill, and determined bravery, could have stormed a fortress, garrisoned by some of the best troops of France, commanded by an old experienced General, and furnished with every necessary for a vigorous resistance. "When the General perceived the grenadiers ascending, he put spurs to his horse, and rode to the bottom of the hill on which the fort stood; and quitting his horse, mounted directly the breach.Finding the troops in possession of the place, he flew into the arms of the officer who conducted the assault.The surrounding soldiers shouted, and threw their hats into the air for joy. The moment was worth years of common life!*' The guns of Mozello were instantly turned against Calvi, which, in a few days, surrendered.

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(To be concluded in our next.) * Mordaunt's Letters by Dr. Moore.→→ On comparing the preceding narrative, as given in the Gazette, and other publications, after the reduction of Corsica, with Mordaunt's Letters, I find they agree exactly, except that the officer's name (Col. Moore) is not mentioned in the latter account. Dr Moore's narrative has been here followed almost ver

batim.-Happy must that father have been, who had thus the inexpressible pleasure of recording the gallant actions of his son; and happy must that son have been, who, like another Epaminondas, had the satisfaction to reflect that his parents could witness his rising fame! It would be unjust to pass over the uncommon liberality of Dr Moore in mentioning the treatment his son afterwards experienced in the island; and still more his endeavour to palliate the suppression of that passage in the Gazette, in which the most honourable mention was made of Col. Moore * * See Mordaunt's le

is p. 628.

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66

66

SIR,

To the Editor.

WEST.

has been said, that the present age has given examples of charity, which may be very properly recommended to imitation. "The equal "distribution of wealth, which long "commerce has produced, does not "enable any single hand to raise eḍi"fices of piety like fortified cities, to “ appropriate manors to religious uses, or to deal out such large and lasting beneficence as was scattered over the land in ancient times, by "those who possessed counties or pro"vinces." But no sooner is a new species of misery brought to view, and a design of relieving it professed, than every hand is open to contribute something, every tongue is busied in recitation, and every act of pleasure is employed for a time in the interest of virtue.

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There lately, by chance, fell into my hands, a paper respecting a charity school instituted in Leith for the education of orphan boys, and sons of persons in his Majesty's service; now, as I do not recollect that this establishment has yet been introduced generally to the notice of the public, while, at same time, it will be admit ted as an example of charity worthy of imitation; and as I flatter myself, from the general tenor of the Scots Magazine, that a communication on this head may be acceptable, I take Feb. 1809.

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The committee, (which consists of 17 members, the treasurer, and secretary,) flatter themselves that the substitution their liberal support as forscribers will continue to give this inmerly, and refer to the annexed report of the magistrates, ministers, and several of the subscribers who attended at the annual examination of the boys in August last, as to the progress they are making in their education.

[There are at present 165 subscribers, from half-a-guinea, to one guinea each, besides donations from corpo. rations, societies, &c.]

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teacher, and hereby recommend this
institution to the liberal support of the
subscribers, and the inhabitants of
Leith.

(Signed) Wm. Balleny, Magistrate.
John Crawford, Magistrate.
David Johnston, Minister.
James Robertson, Minister.

Thos. Aitchison, Minister.

W. F. Ireland, Minister.
John Colquhoun, Minister.
John Dudgeon, Merchant.
William Mowbray, do.
William Thorburn, do.

Thomas Thomson, Treasurer.

Charles White, Secretary.

Leith, Nov. 25th, 1808.

STATE OF THE FUNDS.

By balance in favour of the society, November 1807
Amount of subscriptions, donations, &c. for 1807 -
Interest for money lodged in the bank, and in the Treasurer's
hands

L.41 10 3

157 17 6

5 1 0

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Mr M'Farlane's salary for one year to Aug. 1808 55 0 0
Officer's salary for one year to ditto

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2 10 0

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53 0 0

15 10 0

700

173 1 0

L. 31 7 9

That

That able philosopher, and excellent man, Dr Franklin, devoted much of his time in establishing and protecting seminaries of this sort, as calculated permanently to secure the rights of the people, which can only be done by making their value properly known;" and this must depend on encreasing and extending information to every class of men.”

A few years ago, Joseph Lancaster, one of the society of friends, or quakers, introduced a mode of instructing his scholars, which has been followed by the most perfect success *. On his plan, one thousand boys may be educated in reading, writing, and arithmetic, by one person, at an expense not exceed ing 300l. per annum. His system is at present acted on in an establishment in this city with the happiest effect; and as the managers of the Boy's charity school in Leith may, perhaps, be inclined to adopt it, for this reason,—that at the same expense now incurred in the education of sixtyeight, they may educate five hundred boys and girls! And as many of your readers may not be fully acquainted with it in detail, I desire to refer them to the following account of its merits, as inserted in the Edinburgh Review, Vol. XI. for October 1807.

"The first or lowest class of children are taught to write the printed alphabet, and to name the letters when they see them. The same with the figures used in arithmetic. One day

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the boy traces the form of the letter, or figure; the next day he tells the name, when he sees the letter. These two methods assist each other. When

he is required to write H for example, the shape of the letter which he saw yesterday assists his manual execution;--when he is required to say how that letter is named, the shape of the letter reminds him of his manual

execution; and the manual execution has associated itself with the name.

In the same manner he learns syllables and words; writing them one day, reading them the next.

The same process for writing the common epistolary character, and for reading it.

(A) This progress made, the class go up to the master to read,--a class, consisting perhaps of 30. While one boy is reading, the word, ex., gr. Ab-so-lu-ti-on, is given out with a loud voice by the monitor, and written down by all the other 29 boys, who are provided with slates for that purpose; which writing is looked over by the monitors, and then another word called, and so on. Whoever writes a word, spells it of course at the same time, and spells it with much more attention than in the common way. So that there is always one boy reading, and twenty-nine writing and spelling at the same time; whereas, in the ancient method, the other twentynine did nothing.

(B) The first and second classes write in sand; the middle classes on slates; only a few of the upper boys on paper with ink. This is a great saving in point of expense ;-in books the saving is still greater. Twenty of thirty boys stand round a card suspended on a nail, making a semicircle.

On

*This is the only instance of solitary reading, and is used rather as a more particular trial of a boy's progress: in general, Mr Lancaster disapproves of it, as it creates no emulation.

On this card are printed the letters in a very large character;-these letters the boys are to name, at the request of the monitor. When one spelling class have said their lessons in this manner, they are dispatched off to some other occupation, and another spelling class succeeds. In this manner, one book or card may serve for 200 boys, who would, according to the common method, have had a book each. In the same manner, syllables and reading lessons are printed on cards, and used with the same beneficial economy.

(C) In arithmetic, the monitor dictates a sum, ex. gr. in addition, which all the boys write down on their slates. For example,

7 2 4

3 7 8

9 4 6

He then tells them, aloud, how to add the sum. First column-6 and 8 are 14, and 4 are 18; set down 8 and carry 1 to the next column ;-and so on. In this manner, the class acquire facility of writing figures, and placing them; and, by practising what the monitor dictates, insensibly acquire facility in adding. Again they are placed round arithmetical cards, in the same manner as in paragraph (B,) and required to add up the columns. This method evinces what progress they have made from the preceding method of dictating'; and the two methods are always used alternately.

It is obvious, that a school like this of Mr Lancaster's, consisting of from 700 to 1000 boys, would soon fall into decay, without a very close attention to order and method. In this part of his system, Mr Lancaster has been as eminently successful as in any other; contriving to make the method and arrangement, so necessary to his institution, a source of amusement to the children. In coming into school, in going out, and in moving in their classes from one part of the school to another, the children move in a kind

of measured pace, and in known places, according to their number, of which every boy has one. Upon the first institution of the school, there was a great loss and confusion of hats. After every boy has taken his place there, they all stand up, expecting the word of command, Sling your hats! upon which they immediately suspend their hats round their necks by a string provided for that purpose. When the young children write in sand, they all look attentively to their monitor, waiting for the word, and instantly fall to work, with military precision, upon receiving it. All these little inventions keep children in a constant state of activity, prevent the listlessness so observable in all other institutions for education, and evince (trifling as they appear to be) a very original and observing mind in him who invented them.

The boys assembled round their reading or arithmetical cards, take places as in common schools. The boy who is at the head of the class wears a ticket, with some suitable inscription, and has a prize of a little picture. The ticket-bearer yields his badge of honour to whoever can excel him; and the desire of obtaining, and the fear of losing, the mark of distinction, creates, as may easily be conceived, no common degree of enterprize and exertion. Boys have a prize when they are moved from one class to another, as the monitor has also from whose class they are removed.— Mr Lancaster has established a sort of paper currency of tickets. These tickets are given for merit ;-two tickets are worth a paper kite ;three worth a ball;-four worth a wooden horse, &c. &c. &c.

"It is no unusual thing with me to deliver one or two hundred prizes at the same time. And at such times the countenances of the whole school exhibit a most pleasing scene of delight as the boys who obtain prizes commonly walk round the school in

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