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UNITARIAN CHURCH.
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:
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477
.029
INDIA.
VOL. I.
LONDON: PRINTED BY
SPOTTISWOODE AND CO., NEW-STREET SQUARE
AND PARLIAMENT STREET

UNIV
OF
MICH
H. Adlard, sc
FROM AN ORIGINAL PAINTING BY BRIGGS, RA.
Gours very sincerely
Rummetun Roy

Ob SEPT 27 TH 1833.
London: Longmans & Co
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
↓
BY
MARY CARPENTER,
AUTHOR OF
OUR CONVICTS,' 'LAST DAYS OF RAMMOHUN ROY,' ETC.
IN TWO VOLUME S.
VOL. I.
$
2
LONDON:
LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO.
i.
1868.
ΤΟ
The Honoured Memory
OF
THE RAJAH RAMMOHUN ROY,
THE GREAT REFORMER OF INDIA,
WHO FIRST EXCITED IN THE AUTHOR'S MIND
A DESIRE TO BENEFIT HIS COUNTRY,
These Volumes
ARE
RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED.
7-24-42
PREFACE.
IT WAS NOT MY INTENTION, when I went to India, to
write an account of my travels: my visit was purely
one of friendly sympathy. Circumstances recorded in
the following narrative, led me to modify my original
intention, and greatly extended my sphere of observa-
tion. The light afforded me by my past experience, as
well as the sympathy in my work of the Supreme Go-
vernment and that of each Presidency, and the friendly
confidence of the native inhabitants, enabled me, in my
brief visit, to see and learn much which does not
usually come under the notice of travellers. Every-
thing, invested with the charm of novelty, produced a
very vivid impression on my mind; and though I had
no time while in the country to record in writing many
of these impressions, yet I had peculiar opportunities
of comparing them with those of official gentlemen,
and of experienced residents in the country, and thus
of correcting or strengthening them.
On my return to England, it appeared to those who
are most desirous to benefit India, that an important.
means of drawing attention to that great country
viii
PREFACE.
would be lost, if I did not record my observations and
impressions for publication. On reflection, I accorded
with this opinion, and now respectfully offer to my
countrymen and countrywomen these volumes for their
kind consideration.
I must crave from my readers some indulgence for
the many defects they will discover, in consideration of
the fact that, during my preparation of the work, my
attention has been forcibly claimed for the various
institutions under my care, some of which had suffered
from my absence.
RED LODGE HOUSE, BRISTOL :
February 5, 1868.
CONTENTS
OF
THE FIRST VOLUME.
CHAPTER I.
THE OUTWARD VOYAGE.
PAGE
РАСЕ
Malta
Alexandria
Arrival at Bombay
18
Official Letters
24
The Red Sea.
9
The First Journey
26
Aden
11
Surat
31
Alarm of Fire at Sea
17
Arrival at Ahmedabad
34
CHAPTER II.
AHMEDABAD AND ITS INSTITUTIONS.
Tropical Vegetation
39
Need of Female Normal Schools
6-4
Animated Nature.
41
Soirée of Hindoo Ladies
69
Court of Justice
42
Hindoo Dinner-party
70
The Jail
18
Pienie at Sirkhej
71
A Girls' School
53
Tomb of Shah Alum
74
High School.
55
Jain Temple.
75
Visits of Native Ladies.
57
Widow Remarriages
76
Normal Training School
58
Reformatory Schools
77
Lunatic Asylum
61
Native Christian Mission Sta-
Native and English Inhabitants 63
tion .
78
VOL. I.
a
CONTENTS OF THE
CHAPTER III.
SURAT, BOMBAY, AND POONA.
PAGE
PAGE
History of Surat
83
Watering-place
85
Mission Boarding School for
Girls.
106
•
English Cemetery.
86
Journey over the Bhore Ghaut
Girls' School.
89
Incline
107
·
Soirée of Hindoo Ladies
90
Government and Mission
Morning Reception of English
Schools
109
and Natives
93
Mission Boarding School for
Native Inspectors .
9.4
Girls.
113
Mission Chapel and Station
95
The Jail
115
The Jail
98
Heathen Temple on Parbati
Arrival at Bombay
99
Hill .
117
·
Anglo-Indian Residence
100
Baptisms at Mission Chapel
119
The Cocoanut
101
The Jail
103
Female Normal Training
School
120
CHAPTER IV.
MADRAS.
Parsee Dinner-party
Voyage to Beypoor
127
The Hospital
150
128
Museum
151
The Journey.
129
School of Industrial Arts
152
Arrival at Madras.
130
Visit from Native Gentleman
Mission Schools
Presidency College
Mahometan School
Military Orphan Asylum
Vepery College
Conference with Native Gentle-
133
·
and Lady
155
139
Veda Somaj.
156
•
141
Cathedral
159
•
•
143
The Monsoon
160
•
145
Departure from Madras
161
men
↑
148
FIRST VOLUME.
xi
PAGE
The Ganges
164
•
The Landing.
The City
166
4
CHAPTER V.
CALCUTTA.
Country Missionary Excursion
Visit to Heathen Temple
167
Brahmo Worship
•
Religious Movement
Rajah Rammohun Roy
Keshub Chunder Sen
Brahmo Prayer Meeting
Native City
Tea-party of Native Gentlemen
169
•
Medical College
170
•
•
Alipore Jail
179
Female Prison
180
Lunatic Asylum
181
Institutions .
PAGE
190
195
•
.
197
199
200
202
203
203
School for Neglected Children 207
and Ladies
183
•
Christmas Day
Mission Schools
185
Female Normal School .
Church Female Normal School
187
Social Science Association
Zenana Teaching .
188
Drawing Room
209
213
218
•
220
Bethune Girls' School
189
•
Bishop's College
223
Horticultural Gardens
224
•
Howrah
227
CHAPTER VI.
THE SUBURBS OF CALCUTTA.
Ooterparrah .
Burranagore.
Native Public Library
Bhowanipore
Serampore
Konnegur
231
Ranaghat
234
Kishnaghur
.
236 The Jail
•
CHAPTER VII.
FAREWELL TO CALCUTTA-MADRAS-CALICUT.
239
244
248
255
•
257
266
Bamabodhini Shova
271
Departure from Calcutta
273
Triplicane
Monegar Chonltry
284
286
Arrival at Madras, Guindy Park 275
Address at Evangelistic Hall
Female Normal School Me-
and at Patcheappah Hall
289
•
morial
277
Coimbatore
290
Native Address
280
Calicut.
292
Veda Somaj.
281
The Jail
296
•
Mission Chapel
282
Industrial Exhibition
298

LI
Y
OF THE
R
SIX
UNITARIAN CHUR T I
SHELF NO.
Anu
Arbor, Mich.
INDIA.
CHAPTER I.
THE OUTWARD VOYAGE-ARRIVAL IN INDIA-
THE FIRST JOURNEY.
Wednesday, Sept. 5, 1866.-We went on board the
'Syria,' and soon steamed off from Marseilles. We now
felt we were actually en route for India.
The bay looked very glorious, surrounded by the old
historic city, the Massilia of the ancient Romans. This
entrance from the East to civilised Europe has not been
standing still during the two thousand years in which
its name has been known as a fine harbour; and though
some of the streets we traversed on the preceding day
were dingy and unpromising enough, yet we were well
rewarded for spending a few hours in exploring the city,
by observing splendid new rows of buildings, handsome
broad streets arranged so as to terminate with some fine
monument, beautiful drives, and lovely public gardens,
in which advantage was so skilfully taken of the natural
features of the site, as to lead one on, almost insensibly,
to a splendid view over the city to the surrounding
country, bounded by the graceful outline of blue hills
or mountains. The spirit of the imperial capital seemed
spreading here, and gave one a striking impression of
VOL. I.
B
t
2
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
the power which made itself felt even in the new
buildings of this distant part of the empire.
As we steamed swiftly along, we saw disappear, one
after another, the buildings we had visited on the
preceding day; the hills faded from us so quickly that
the pencil could scarcely catch their outline. Then a
bold rocky coast succeeded-cliffs bright and glistening
in the sunlight, with a clear azure sky above, and washed
below by the blue waters of the Mediterranean. Their
fantastic turreted forms looked like actual castles crown-
ing some steep massive rock, such as are seen on the
banks of the glorious Rhine. One longed to stay and
take a nearer view of them, and penetrate the caverns
at their base; but we passed swiftly on the forms of
the cliffs and the rocky islets were changing their rela-
tive positions perpetually, and we had scarcely time to
make simple outline sketches of them, before they re-
ceded from our view.
We had now bid adieu to the shores of Europe.
Very different feelings must have animated the va-
rious passengers who were now to be our companions
until our arrival at Alexandria. Several were gentle-
men who had some official position in India and who
were returning to their duties, with or without their
families; others were going out for the first time on
engagements of different kinds.
Our own small party was composed of very various
materials. I had been requested by a friend to take
charge of a young Hindoo lady, the daughter of Dr.
Goodeve Chuckerbutty, of Calcutta. He had become a
Christian, and had sent his daughter to England for
education. As she had been absent for six years, he
was glad of this opportunity for her to come home, and
the young lady herself was not a little rejoiced to return
THE OUTWARD VOYAGE.
3
to her native land. An estimable young Jewish lady,
who was going to Bombay to meet her betrothed, placed
herself under my care, and by her agreeable character
added much to the pleasure of the voyage. We all had
the escort of Mr. Monomohun Ghose, a Hindoo gentle-
man from Calcutta, who, after spending between four
and five years studying in England, had been called to
the English Bar. He was leaving with much regret
the country where a new and civilised life had been
opened to him; where he had seen the natives of our
marvellous island of Great Britain in their true light,
and where he had received the courteous hospitality
which we always desire to show to strangers. It was
with many anticipations of difficulties, many fears of
what he would have to encounter in his own land, and
yet with hopes of being able to contribute something to
the elevation of his countrymen, that he now bid adieu
to the Western World, to the continent that had been
the object of his earliest aspirations, which had been
more than realised. As for myself, the desire of many
years was about to be gratified. The visit to England,
now four-and-thirty years ago, of the Rajah Rammohun
Roy, the first great reformer of his countrymen—the first
who had publicly called on them to renounce idolatry
and superstition, who had presented to them the Pre-
cepts of Jesus, the Guide to Peace and Happiness,' who
had devoted his life to their elevation-had left an in-
delible impression on my mind; that impression was
perpetuated by the circumstance that his mortal remains
are deposited in the beautiful cemetery of Arno's Vale,
near Bristol. Other duties and engagements had long
called away my attention from India; but six years
before, my interest in that great country had been re-
vived by a visit from a young Brahmin convert to
B 2
4
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
Christianity. He had given, in a public lecture, so gra-
phic and fearful a picture of the condition of Hindoo
women, as to lead me to form the solemn resolve to do
something to ameliorate their condition, whenever an
opening should present itself; if possible, to visit India.
whenever I should be able to do so, and, if I could do.
nothing more, extend to them the sympathy of an Eng-
lish woman. The work which I had already undertaken
for the neglected children of my own country, and espe-
cially the criminal children of my own sex, was not
then sufficiently matured to be left with safety. But
the visits of other Hindoo gentlemen to Bristol, the
anxiety they manifested for the elevation of the women
of India, together with their assurances that a visit from
me to their people would be useful, decided me to un-
dertake the journey as soon as possible. It is unneces-
sary to state the difficulties which had to be overcome,
arising from the fears of friends, and the arrangements
that required to be made to secure the safety of my
work in my absence: all these did but increase the
thankfulness and joy with which I found myself actually
embarked on my enterprise, and inspired me with cour-
age to surmount any future obstacles.
Nothing of peculiar interest presented itself before
we reached our first goal, Malta, for we passed by Sar-
dinia in the night, and did not catch a glimpse of
Caprera, which we had longed to see.
But, every day the sea was so marvellously calm—such
a lovely blue, so delicate and tender! It was unlike
anything I had seen before, though I had always thought
previously that the waters washing the southern coast of
my native Devon must transcend any others in beauty.
The fleecy clouds of the soft autumnal sky were ex-
quisitely reflected in it, and sometimes a sail in the dis-
THE OUTWARD VOYAGE.
5
tance carried on the eye to the horizon, which was often
scarcely discernible, so nearly blended were the heavens
above with the waters below. Each evening revealed
other glories, for the moon cast her full splendour on the
waters-a flood of liquid silver-and justified her title
to be Empress of the Night; while Venus, with a loveli-
ness all her own, threw her radiance over the sea, too
bright to be obscured by the more powerful lustre of
the moon. And as our beautiful vessel glided along
with unerring course, her paddles left in the waters a
double track of foam, which, receding even to the hori-
zon, marked a pathway in the sea made by the marvel-
lous mind of man.
It was well worth some few discomforts and difficul-
ties to have uninterrupted leisure to enjoy such beauty,
and to be able to rise from it to Him who is the source
of all !
However delightful a voyage may be, ship passengers
do nevertheless eagerly hail the first sight of land. So
did we the island of Malta. At first faintly discerned
on the horizon, then a long strip of land, then the
features of the country were clearly defined, and then-
almost before we were prepared for it-the harbour of
the famous town and fort of Valetta burst upon us.
But there was no landing for us unfortunate beings!
Though our crew and passengers appeared quite free
from any contagion, yet we had left some few undis-
puted cases of cholera at Marseilles, and we must not
inflict on the island the danger of infection. Only those
landed who had reached their destination, and we did.
not envy their lot, as they would be subjected to all the
annoyance and expense of performing quarantine. We
were not, however, doomed to complete disappointment,
for the setting sun gave us one of the most brilliant
6
CO
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
effects that I have ever beheld. We may think the
brilliancy of Turner's painting unnatural, poetical, and
exaggerated, but none that I have ever seen exceeded
this. The sun shed a rich golden light on the buildings
at the entrance of the harbour, on the left side a little
elevated and defended by a massive fort; on the right,
rising in terraces up the steep cliff, was the city, crowned
by the church of St. Paul, built by our good Queen
Adelaide, the last spire we should see for many a day.
All these were built of white stone, and, with the forti-
fications rising behind them, looked dazzlingly brilliant
as they reflected the rays of the setting sun. The soft
blue sky had melted by the most delicate gradations.
into a golden tint, so brilliant that it could be but faintly
represented by the richest chromes; these again melted
into a roseate hue, and this again into the softest warm-
est grey possible, which relieved the buildings, and
seemed to rest on the flood of glowing red below.
The water reflected the buildings above with such
marvellous delicacy and exactitude, that Canaletti and
even Turner would have confessed themselves quite un-
equal to the task of reproducing the effect on canvas.
I felt it to be presumptuous to attempt to note it down
in colours, yet the slightest memorial of such a scene is
most valuable to the possessor.
6
The
Sept. 9, Sunday morning. The stewardess an-
nounced that it was a fresh morning.' It was bright
and beautiful, as one loves to see a Sabbath at home,
but the flitting clouds indicated a little more animation
in the sea than was quite agreeable to some of us.
ship-bell took the place of church-bells, and we obeyed its
summons to join in the worship, which was impressively
conducted by our fellow-passenger, the Archdeacon of
Calcutta. Thus isolated from the rest of the world,
THE OUTWARD VOYAGE.
7
and on the mighty waters, one feels peculiarly under the
care of Him who rules them, and the prayers for those
who are travelling by land or by sea' have a deeper
meaning to us.
6
ALEXANDRIA.-Our first introduction to the Eastern
World. The bay, surrounded by the city connected
with so many old associations, was beautiful and glorious
in the morning sun. But alas! we were not permitted
to see it any nearer than from our ship, as we were under
ban, and two not very respectable-looking Egyptians
came on board with soiled yellow ribbons, indicating
that they were officers appointed to take care that the
quarantine laws were strictly observed. They did not
appear to have any repugnance to food forbidden by their
religion, but rather glad of an opportunity of indulging
in it freely without unpleasant surveillance; they also
invited some of the gentlemen to go on shore under
their escort to see the city, on condition of backshish.'
This of course was refused. We were officially in-
formed that, as a great favour, we should be permitted
to travel by night through Egypt in carriages specially
provided for the purpose, and thus saved the necessity
of remaining, at enormous expense and inconvenience,
fourteen days in quarantine. There were no very
pleasant prospects before us, as the most experienced
of our fellow-passengers informed us. At decline of
day we were put on shore, all communication with the
inhabitants of Alexandria being strictly forbidden. We
hoped that this prohibition would protect us from the
officiousness of the rough Egyptian porters-but quite
in vain. It was with difficulty that we protected our
luggage and portable effects from them, as they crowded
round us; they, indeed, might have easily carried
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
і
infection, if any was to be taken from us, into every part
of the Pasha's dominions. Our troubles, however, were
not yet begun. To our dismay, we were then thrust
into some long covered wooden vans, boarded almost to
the top, and without windows, so that the only means of
seeing anything of the country we passed through was
to stand on the narrow seats, and look through a small
round hole, or over the top of the boarding. This was
our first introduction to Egypt, the land of ancient
story, which had taken so important a place in the early
civilisation of the world, and which was so remarkably
associated with the religious history of the chosen people.
The mere fact of being on that soil hallowed by so
many sacred memories was most interesting, though we
could not catch even a passing glimpse of the objects
around us, except occasionally of Venus, our faithful
attendant, who was now shedding her silver rays no
longer over the sea but on a branch of the Nile. But
it was impossible thoroughly to enjoy even this, miser-
ably imprisoned as we were, the gentlemen in one
van and the ladies in another, and enjoined not to
alight until we should arrive at Suez. One poor lady
was very ill, and passed a night of agony on the narrow
wooden benches, groaning piteously; the poor children
were of course full of discomfort, which they expressed
after their own peculiar fashion-some fretfully, some pas-
sionately, in one very inharmonious chorus. No comfort
of any kind could be procured, few could obtain even
short snatches of broken sleep. Thus we passed the
night-we who had each paid our four pounds ten
shillings for the transit through Egypt.
1
At length daylight dawned, and having passed un-
knowingly by the Pyramids and Cairo, we found ourselves
at the end of our journey, near Suez, and realised the
THE OUTWARD VOYAGE.
9
idea of being actually in the East, when we noticed very
shaggy-looking Egyptians go forth from their mud
cabins to their daily occupations, or groups of travellers
on camels, and saw around us the real sandy desert'
of the Israelites. We carried away some sand as a trophy.
Every thoughtful person who is for the first time on
the Red Sea, and beholds the bare jagged mountain
cliffs of the Sinaitic range, must feel inspired with in-
describable emotions. However the Scripture narrative
may be viewed by different religionists, yet the simple
fact that this region has been for thousands of years as-
sociated with marvellous events connected with the rise
of revealed religion in the world, that the memories
linked with that 'great and terrible wilderness' have ever
been held sacred both by Jews and Mahometans as well
as by Christians-all these recollections inspire the mind
with feelings which cannot be expressed, and which
draw off the thoughts from surrounding discomforts.
The very Mount Horeb of the Ten Commandments
cannot be seen from the ship, being too far inland, but
the Sinaitic range looked very glorious as the setting sun
shed bis rays on it. The sky being of the richest hue far
above the horizon, it will be easily imagined how very
brilliant the rocks must have been to come out brightly
as intense orange against it; while the more distant
range was of a soft delicate red, and the sea, which we
had noticed in the morning as of a deep but vivid
blue, was now a soft and warm grey.
The Red Sea is generally the most dreaded part of
the voyage, and the intense heat we should have to en-
counter was much feared for us by our friends. We
were thus prepared for something very trying to our
health. For myself I may bear witness that, looking
back on this voyage now after my return home, I do
10
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
not remember having found this part of it peculiarly
unpleasant, nor do I recollect that those of our fellow-
passengers who had usually been on deck found it so
either. The cabins must have been extremely hot and
oppressive, and we thankfully accepted the arrangement
made for us by the captain, to separate off part of the
deck for us ladies, that we, as well as the gentlemen,
might pass the night there. It was very wonderful to
look up from our lowly bed, and find ourselves canopied.
by the cerulean vault spargled with the brightest dia-
mond stars imaginable, and to trace out our old familiar
constellations in their changed places. But one passenger
felt the heat more than she could bear. The poor invalid
who had suffered so much in that dreadful night of the
transit through Egypt was not to accompany her husband
to the end of his voyage; she became worse and worse,
and expressed a presentiment which was strong in her
mind that the Red Sea would be fatal to her. Her
young native servant was very assiduous in her atten-
tion to her sick mistress, and the ship's doctor did all
he could. But one afternoon her husband was called
away from the dinner-table; her sufferings were nearly
ended-she soon breathed her last. Early next morning.
we heard the tolling of the ship's bell, and knew that
the last solemn ceremony was being performed of com-
mitting the mortal remains to the sea. We seldom saw
again any of that party; we all felt much for them.
Sunday, Sept. 16.-Again a Sabbath on the water!
After breakfast all the ship's crew are assembled on
deck in clean Sunday trim, to have the roll called
over. We had now a number of Hindoo sailors on
board, and their gay clothing was varied and picturesque:
some clean white garments gave a brilliancy to their
dark complexions, and we should hardly have recognised
them as the same persons whom we had seen in their
THE OUTWARD VOYAGE.
11
<
dingy working-dress. Every little incident of this kind
pleasantly breaks the monotony of ship life. Our re-
ligious service was this time on deck, which was far
pleasanter than in the saloon, though perhaps more try-
ing to the voice of the preacher. During the course of
it, our attention was a little distracted by an island in
sight, perhaps the very one on which the Alma' was
wrecked many years ago.
There were others not far
off, all desolate and burnt up by the intense heat. Our
careful captain anxiously watched to keep his vessel
clear of them. Will civilisation ever attempt to people
such spots? We may look to the time when even these
may become the abode of man, and when springs may
be drawn by his marvellous skill out of these barren
rocks.
ADEN.-The long-desired termination of our Red Sea
voyage. The close oppressive heat was now succeeded
by a fresh breeze, after passing the straits. We felt
ourselves indeed in a foreign region. The strangest
human figures, in boats equally strange, soon surrounded
our ship, some bringing various articles for sale, others
wishing to exhibit their skill in diving for a piece of
money. Many passengers threw a coin into the water,
and the dexterity was wonderful with which these
boys caught it before it reached the bottom. The
transparency of the sea enabled us to watch their
curious motions in diving; they seemed in their natural
element, and to feel perfect masters of it. Most of our
passengers landed, but I did not, thinking it unwise to
encounter any unnecessary fatigue. Notwithstanding
the miseries caused by coaling, which involves a perfect
babel of discordant voices, with dust and dirt in every
direction, the calm evening beauty of the scene around
us was most refreshing to the spirit. Withdrawing
12
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
?
the attention from Steamer Point itself, and the not
very picturesque but useful ridges of coal near it, the
eye rests on precipitous bare rocks and mountains op-
posite, which cannot sustain the smallest vegetation
against their arid sides; they are cleft apparently by
some tremendous volcanic action into a frightful gorge,
terminated by still higher mountains, whose ruggedness
is softened by distance. No ordinary mountain scenery
can give the smallest conception of this, in its extra-
ordinary burnt dreary aspect. But distance and the
transparent warm atmosphere of these southern regions
can lend enchantment even to these gloomy peaks.
The sky was of the most exquisite delicate grey gradu-
ally melting into gold. On one side of this central
chasm, opposite to us, the jagged peak, grey and distinct,
rose against the evening sky, receding to the horizon;
on the other, the fort stood on an isolated cliff, with
distant hills in the background. The sea on every side.
was most calm and serene, reflecting like a lake the
picturesque little vessels that were scudding about with
the strange-looking natives, or some steamers which
might be going off to the African coast. Our fellow-
passengers returned with various treasures of ostrich-
feathers, beautiful coral, baskets, &c., which they had
purchased; but many were somewhat annoyed to find
how exorbitant a price they had paid, through their
inexperience, without obtaining really choice articles.
We bid adieu to the last land we should behold before
arriving at our destination. The voyage across the Arabian
Sea is the least interesting of any part of the overland
route to India. We were indeed isolated from the
inhabited portion of the globe, for there was no land to
interrupt the rolling waters of the oceans which were
between us and the ice-girt southern pole. We did not
•
THE OUTWARD VOYAGE.
13
find the weather perceptibly cooler as we were led to
expect, but it was somewhat rougher. Lassitude crept
over most of us during the greater part of the day, and
those who had attempted in the earlier stages of the
voyage to employ their time to some profit, gradually
succumbed to the influences around them. A few
of the passengers, kindly seconded by the captain and
some of the officers, got up some amusing theatricals
for evening entertainment, and our Hindoo friend gave
an excellent Shakespearian recitation; this being in a
language foreign to him was very striking to us all,
as he seemed perfectly at home in the full meaning
and spirit of the piece, which was Clarence's dream.
The heavenly bodies presented a never-failing source
of interest, the waters as in the Mediterranean reflect-
ing their splendour; we had also the pleasure of ob-
serving the wonderful phosphorescence of the waves
wherever moved by the vessel, arising from multitudes
of minute animalcules. One evening, before going
down to our seven-o'clock tea, there was an unusual
gloom over the sky; the moon seemed to be under
a heavy cloud, for her brightness was so veiled that
the fixed stars were more visible than they had been for
some time.
While below we were informed that there
was an eclipse of the moon in progress. We hastened
on deck, and then found that there was indeed a total
The phenomenon, always interesting, was on this
occasion peculiarly so; the obscuration was total, but
the moon was visible, of a deep red colour. It was a
remarkable sight, and we watched it with extreme inter-
est, until the moon gradually emerged from the shadow,
and shone forth with intense splendour, dimming the
light of all the heavenly bodies, except our beautiful
planets, our faithful attendants, Venus and Jupiter.
one.
14
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
During the voyage I availed myself of the oppor-
tunity presented to me by my fellow-passengers of ob-
taining some information respecting the country I was
about to visit, and its inhabitants. The very different,
and even contrary statements I received from them,
severally and independently, confirmed my belief that
the accounts of India and the Hindoos which we hear
in England are greatly coloured by the character and
views of the narrator; I perceived, especially, that what
may be true of one part of India is very incorrect of
another. I had already heard much from my Hindoo
friends, and had read much on the subject; I was not,
therefore, going to a country or state of society entirely
unknown to me. I soon perceived, however, that
though everything I heard from gentlemen or ladies
who had lived long in the country was most valuable,
in showing me what had to be learnt, and in aiding
me to form a judgment, yet that I must not allow my
mind to be influenced by the representations of indi-
viduals, however intelligent or however long they had
resided in India. One gentleman, for instance, would
assure me that the natives could never be trusted, and
were most dishonest as servants; another spoke of their
great fidelity and personal attachment to their em-
ployers, remaining with them under every difficulty, and
serving them with a consideration and kindness, as well
as honesty, seldom found among English servants.
was struck by observing that the Hindoo sailors, when
required to act together in drawing up the line or
cable, &c., seemed to find it impossible to work in
concert, as our English sailors do, giving a long pull,
and a strong pull, and a pull all together;' each one
appeared to exert his strength quite independently, and
thus lost much of that power which is gained by union.
C
I
THE OUTWARD VOYAGE.
15
In order to help them to keep time in their work, a
fiddle was brought out and played to them on these
occasions, which proved a poor substitute for the
English sailors' united chorus. I expressed my
surprise to a gentleman who employed many natives
in his business, that the captain did not train these men
to do their work better. He looked at me with amaze-
ment, and replied, "He cannot; it is impossible to
train these people. I have been working with them a
dozen years, and if I appear to improve them a little,
when I leave them for a time, everything is lost that I
have taught them. They cannot be improved.' This
remark, and the hopelessness which it indicated, led me
to consider closely, in my future intercourse with the
natives, whether this despondency respecting the pos-
sibility of their improvement was well-founded, or
whether this difficulty in ameliorating their condition
arose from want of such friendly interest in them, as
would lead to a study of their nature, and the best way
of improving it, and that it was increased by the want
of early training adapted to remedy defects. The con-
clusions I arrived at after further opportunities of obser-
vation will be stated in a later part of this work. Many
spoke of the natives with a contempt and dislike which
reflected great discredit, in my opinion, on those who
indulged in such feelings towards a race totally different
from our own, and which ought to be treated with con-
sideration as in some degree dependent on us. The
Hindoos ought not be judged by the same standard as
Englishmen, who have so long enjoyed the advantages
of education and Christianity.
6
I could not avoid expressing some indignation when
I heard a military gentleman call the natives niggers,'
a term peculiarly improper, as the Asiatic race is per-
16
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
fectly different from the African, and no term of con-
tempt ought to be applied to the negro or any other
human being. He excused himself on the plea that the
Hindoos did not object to it. Little do those who use
such language from simple thoughtlessness, without any
unkind feeling, know how deep a dislike to our country-
men, what rankling in the heart, they thus excite in the
nation with regard to whom they use this language. One
young gentleman, who was going out to take an office
in India, appeared to seize opportunities of inflicting
divers kicks and blows on any unfortunate coloured
persons he might come across; this, however, was
speedily checked by his fellow-passengers. Such con-
duct is no longer tolerated in India, and British justice
enables any one who is thus treated at once to obtain
his remedy by law. A specimen of the arrogant pre-
tensions of some English was given by a fellow-
passenger, who actually informed my Hindoo friend,
a gentleman of birth and very superior education, that
the 'conquered race' ought always to do homage to the
conquerors, and that all natives should salaam every
Englishman they meet! As he was treated respectfully
and on a perfectly equal footing by the passengers
generally, I endeavoured to show him the absurdity of
the remark, and to turn it off as a joke-but it was not
so to him; he felt it most painfully, and frequently
afterwards referred to it, as an indication of the real
feelings of Englishmen towards them. Other gentle-
men, however, spoke and acted very differently.
especially, who was returning to an influential position
in Northern India, spoke with much interest of the
efforts he and others were making to bring forward.
native gentlemen into situations where they were pre-
paring for the difficult art of self-government. He
One
THE OUTWARD VOYAGE.
17
was, however, the only one on board who appeared to
have had intercourse with the educated and superior
classes of the Hindoos.
6
Sunday, Sept. 22.-Our Sabbath calm was some-
what interrupted in the afternoon by a slight alarm
of fire in one part of the machinery. The captain
appeared little disturbed by it, having all arrangements
made for such a catastrophe, and it was quickly
extinguished. Our speed, however, was considerably
slackened, and it appeared that some injury was done.
The Geelong' had been intended for an Australian
voyage, for stormy not hot weather, and the great heat
had caused the accident. Not wishing to alarm the
passengers, nothing was done on that day to remedy
the mischief. It was therefore very startling during
the night to find the vessel stop, and hammering con-
tinued for a couple of hours. At length we went on as
usual, and though our arrival was somewhat retarded,
we were still two days before we were due.
Monday, Sept. 23.-Our last day on board. What
varied hopes and fears animated us fellow-passengers!
Almost all were anticipating delightful meetings with
friends or relatives, or looking forward to some definite
object in life-except myself. I knew not a single
person in Bombay, whether native or English; for a
letter received at Aden informed me that the Parsee
friend, Mr. Manockjee Cursetjee, who had recently
visited England a second time, and who had offered me
one of his villas, was now with the Court at Poona;
and announced the melancholy news of the death of
Mr. Ramchunder Balchrishna, a most enlightened
Hindoo, who had visited Bristol, and expressed most
earnest interest in the elevation of the women of India.
VOL. I.
C
18
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
On his return to Bombay he had been much discouraged
by the caste prejudices excited against him in conse-
quence of his journey to England, and the improvement
he wished to make in his own family. He became much
depressed, and pecuniary losses completely prostrated
him. He had died of fever a short time before my
arrival, universally lamented. The young Jewish lady
was in high spirits at the prospect of her reception by
the hospitable and distinguished family, who had pro-
mised to have her met, and conducted to their beauti-
ful abode at Poona; and we all sympathised with her
joyous feelings. She hoped also that her betrothed
would have arrived from his station at Rangoon.
Tuesday, Sept. 24.-Very early in the morning the
cannon announced our arrival in the harbour of Bom-
bay. Shortly after, boats arrived with missives. A
kind invitation for me to the wedding at Poona from
the Sassoons, Miss J.'s hospitable hosts, was declined
with many thanks, as this would interfere with the
object of my journey. This, however, showed me that
I was not to be regarded as a stranger in a strange.
land. On going early on deck, to my great surprise, I
found an official waiting from the Governor, Sir Bartle
Frere, who informed me that his Excellency had kindly
arranged for the reception of myself and party at his
marine bungalow, and that breakfast was awaiting our
arrival. We therefore took leave of our friends, and
left the vessel which had been our temporary home,
truly grateful that our voyage had been accomplished
so well, and with so little discomfort. I had indeed
felt it a season of rest and quiet, greatly needed to
prepare for such exertion as might be before me. So
we went with our conductor in the Government boat,
and soon reached the landing-place at Bombay.
ARRIVAL IN INDIA.
19
Everything is so strange and wonderful on first
landing on a new continent!
Not having been on shore since we left the European
soil at Marseilles, except during our miserable transit
through Egypt, every object attracted my attention,
and almost bewildered me. My native friend Mr. G.
welcomed me to the land of his birth, and before we
could reach the carriage provided for us, I had other
greetings. The landlord of the Adelphi Hotel brought
a letter from my Parsee friend requesting me to remain
there on his account until his arrival from Poona, and
Mr. G. quickly recognised by the crest of the Tagores
-an elephant, with the motto Work will win '—on the
turban of a native servant, a messenger from our friend
Mr. Satyendra Nath Tagore, C.S., apologising for not
being there to welcome us. He had just been appointed
assistant-judge, and could not leave his duties; he
begged us, however, to proceed at once to Ahmedabad,
under escort of his butler, so soon as we were suffi-
ciently rested from our voyage-an invitation which
we accepted with pleasure; it was, indeed, one of long
standing.
The beautiful Oriental palms, especially the graceful
cocoanut trees, were most striking, and at once reminded
me that I was in India. Everywhere, the appearance
of the men, women, and children was sufficiently novel
and curious. The deficiency of clothing in the men
struck me peculiarly. They seem to consider that a
black skin supersedes the necessity of raiment, and in
this respect the lower orders appear perfectly devoid of
any sense of decency. I never became reconciled to
this, and believe now, as I did then, that living thus
in a sort of savage state in the midst of a civilised peo-
ple increases that want of proper self-respect and that
C 2
20
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
separation from the higher classes which is so painfully
characteristic of Hindoo society.
We were not aware of the Indian mode of hospitality,
which consists in putting a house at the disposal of
guests. Forgetting that the Court was at Poona, we
expected on arriving at the Government bungalow, Ma-
labar Point, to be received by some members of the
household. We were therefore somewhat surprised at
passing between rows of native liveried servants, and
being ushered into a central apartment, of which, and
the whole house, we were expected to take possession,
making ourselves perfectly at home! It was fortunate
that my Hindoo friend was with me, as few of the native
servants understood any English, and the young lady
with me had quite forgotten her native language. Mr.
G. was located in a small bungalow adjoining, and we
all greatly enjoyed the cool commodious rooms, and the
shady verandah overlooking the sea. Many friends
called, and some had been to the ship to offer me kind
hospitality-among others, the Rev. Dr. Wilson, who,
with his excellent wife, are always ready to show kindness
to those who want help, and are the friends of all, of
whatever creed or race. On calling that evening at his
beautiful villa overlooking the sea, we were surprised
to see a native gentleman walk in with his wife, a
spectacle which greatly astonished my Calcutta friend;
as in that city no lady is ever allowed to come out in
public, and in the house it is considered indecorous
for a gentleman to speak to his wife, or even to notice.
her, in presence of strangers. This incident led me to
perceive what I had previously suspected-that what I
had been told respecting India by gentlemen long resi-
dent in Calcutta, or the Bengal Presidency, did not apply
to India generally, and certainly not to Bombay. I
ARRIVAL IN INDIA.
21
afterwards found, as I had also anticipated, that the
Calcutta of fifteen, ten, or even five years ago, is very
different in many important respects from the Calcutta
of to-day. I therefore determined to remain in the
position I had chosen, that of a learner.
When we established ourselves in our delightful tem-
porary home, our ignorance of Anglo-Indian life made
our position appear very strange to us. It is usual for
visitors to take their own personal attendants with them
-I was travelling without one. The servants in India,
being generally Hindoos or Mahometans, do not live in
the house, and the culinary department is always sepa-
rated from it to avoid the heat of the fires. My young
lady-friend and I were therefore quite alone in the bun-
galow, with none but menservants near, who had their
domiciles in the compound or enclosure round the house.
I was assured, however, by Mr. Ghose that we need feel
no uneasiness; and, indeed, it was so, for nothing could
be more kind and thoughtful than the manner in which
all our wants were abundantly supplied.
Sept. 25.-The next day Mr. G. went into town to
telegraph to Mr. Tagore our arrival and intention to
visit him, and to deliver some of my letters in Bombay.
He was much surprised at the friendly courteous man-
ner in which he was received by all the English gentle-
men he met. Remembering the general tone of society
towards native gentlemen in Calcutta five years ago,
before he left India, he was agreeably surprised by the
very great difference he observed here. In the evening
we drove to a public promenade along the beach, where
we saw a glorious sunset on the bay: numerous car-
riages were there also, and the seats along the road.
were covered with persons enjoying the freshness of the
evening air and the beauty of the scene.
These were
02
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
principally Parsees, who form an opulent and influential
class in Bombay, and who are also considered more
advanced than the Hindoos in social reform. But these
gentlemen were enjoying their ride alone. I at once
felt I was very far from my native island, where the
ladies of a family share all the innocent gratifications
of the other sex, and where evening enjoyment after a
day of labour is considered incomplete without their
presence.
A pleasant surprise awaited us on our return. Dr.
A. P., the Hindoo gentleman who had conducted his
wife to call on me the preceding day, now brought his
three young daughters, and those of his deceased friend,
Ramchunder Balchrishna, to the Government bungalow
to see me. They had been educated in the Alexandra
School for young Parsee ladies, which had been founded
chiefly through the exertions of Mr. Manockjee Curset-
jee, and in which it is attempted to give a good English
education to the pupils. These young ladies did great
credit to the institution. They were dressed simply and
nearly in the English style, and their manners were
unaffected and easy. Though they had received only
two years' instruction, they were able to speak English
fluently, and to enjoy seeing strangers and hearing of
distant England. I regret to state that this was the
only visit of the kind I received while in India, and
that the pupils of this school and Mrs. Tagore were the
only young Hindoo ladies I met with who could speak
English. On all other occasions I was obliged to avail
myself of an interpreter to communicate with native
ladies, except in the case of those who had been con-
nected with the missionaries, or were converts to Chris-
tianity. Surprise has often been expressed that I did
not acquire the language' before coming to India. It
ARRIVAL IN INDIA.
23
would have been impossible for me, under the circum-
stances, to have devoted time and attention to the ac-
quisition of a new language so radically different from
the classical and modern tongues with which I was
already acquainted; but the acquisition of any one lan-
guage would have been but of little use to me. My
first visit would have required a knowledge of Guzerathi,
the second, Marathi. At Madras I should have re-
quired Tamil, Telugu, or Canarese; at Calcutta, Bengali;
while on my return I should have needed Malayalim or
some other language, to enable me to converse with the
native ladies. It may be said that Hindostani is a lingua
franca, which would have been useful everywhere. It
would, doubtless, have been an advantage to me to be
acquainted with it on many occasions; but all I heard
while in India led me to the conclusion that though it
is very necessary for persons resident in the country to
master it, as it is the ordinary language of servants, yet
it does not appear to be a cultivated language, or one rich
in literature; besides, in the different parts of the country,
it becomes so much mingled with the vernacular of the
district, that what is used in one part can hardly be
understood by those inhabiting a distant province. With
very rare exceptions, all the educated classes in the parts
of the empire I visited understood English, and generally
were masters of the language; hence I had not the least
difficulty in communicating with the gentlemen of the
country, and through them with the ladies.
It has been already stated that my visit to India was
not undertaken with any intention of special work there,
but as a proof of friendly sympathy, and in the hope of
gaining such information as might lead to future help
in the matter of female education. I anticipated also
obtaining that rest and refreshment which I needed. It
24
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
was, then, with great astonishment, and at first with some
regret, that I received the following official document,
which was handed to me on the evening of this day
OFFICIAL LETTERS FROM THE GOVERNMENT OF BOMBAY.
No. 531 of 1866.
EDUCATIONAL DEPARTMENT.
From C. Gonne, Esq., Secretary to Government, Bombay, to
Sir Alexander Grant, Bart., Director of Public Instruction.
Sir,-His Excellency the Governor is informed that Miss
Mary Carpenter is likely to arrive by the mail steamer now
expected, and that she hopes to give a portion of her time in
India to the same questions, connected with education generally,
with youthful and other reformatories, and with convict dis-
cipline, to which she has devoted so much time and attention
in England.
2.-On questions connected with these and other cognate
subjects, I am desired to state, Miss Carpenter's opinion has,
for many years past, been sought and listened to by legislators
and administrators of all shades of political opinion in Eng-
land; and his Excellency in Council looks forward to her
visit to Bombay as likely to be of great public benefit, by aid-
ing in the solution of many problems with regard to which
much has yet to be learnt in India, from the results of late
European enquiry and discussion.
3.—I am accordingly instructed to request that you will be
good enough to furnish Miss Carpenter with any statistical or
other information on subjects connected with her enquiries
which your records may supply, and afford her every facility
to visit and inspect the institutions under your control.
I have the honour to be, Sir,
Your most obedient servant,
(Signed)
J. KING,
For Secretary to Government.
Bombay Castle, September 26, 1866.
ARRIVAL IN INDIA.
25
The same to-
The Inspector-General of Prisons-The Inspector-General
of Medical Department (for communication to all officers in
charge of Lunatic Asylums)-All Departments of the Govern-
ment Secretariat-The Director of Public Instruction-The
Inspector-General of Hospitals and Officers in charge of
Lunatic Asylums-The Inspector-General of Prisons.
This printed circular was enclosed in the following
letter :-
No. 544 of 1866.
From C. Gonne, Esq., Secretary to Government, Bombay, to
Miss Mary Carpenter, Bombay.
EDUCATIONAL DEPARTMENT.
Madam,-I am directed by his Excellency the Governor
in Council to enclose, for your information, a copy of the in-
structions which have been given to the Heads of Departments
under this Government, with the view of aiding the objects of
your visit to Western India.
I have the honour to be, Madam,
Your most obedient servant,
(Signed)
J. KING,
Acting Under-Secretary to Government.
Bombay Castle, September 26, 1866.
It was evident, then, that my journey must now in-
clude a much more extended sphere than I had hitherto
contemplated. An opportunity so courteously given of
studying the different institutions of the country must
not be lost. To some of these-hospitals and lunatic
asylums-I had not in my work hitherto directed special
attention, and it did not seem desirable to me to enter
on a new sphere of labour, though I might visit these
26
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
as occasion offered. To education generally-the educa-
tion and reformation of the neglected and destitute.
classes of children-and to prison discipline, with the
treatment of the criminal classes, my work had been
hitherto given. To these, wherever I went, I resolved
henceforth, as far as lay in my power, to devote my
thoughts and attention. I therefore gratefully acknow-
ledged to the Governor in Council the obligation he
conferred on me by his missive.
BOMBAY, Sept. 26.-At an early hour we were at
the railway station, which was indeed a scene of in-
conceivable din and confusion. To attempt to describe
the motley groups around would be useless. We should
have been perfectly bewildered but for the help of our
native friend. At length we were comfortably seated
in one of the first-class carriages, which, on the Indian
railways, are very large and commodious. An English
gentleman and a native of rank were our travelling com-
panions. The country offered no peculiar objects of
interest, but was generally verdant, having been refreshed
by the rains. The cocoanut trees, so characteristic of
a tropical country, disappeared as we proceeded inland.
The other trees did not seem at first sight very different
from our own, but a closer observation showed us that
not one was exactly the same. Our chief forest trees
(the oak, elm, beech, ash, &c.) are not known here. The
fir-trees of the more northern regions do not appear,
but we occasionally saw some which bore considerable
resemblance to these, as well as to our other old familiar
friends. Mr. Ghose could not enlighten us respecting
their names and nature, as they were generally different
from what he had been accustomed to see in Bengal.
Some very strange-looking fruits, as they seemed, attracted
THE FIRST JOURNEY.
27
our attention. On approaching nearer we found that
they were the hanging nests of a tribe of birds, which
adopt this plan as a protection from their enemies,
the monkeys and the snakes. It was very interesting
to observe in their natural state these very curious con-
trivances suggested by instinct, which we had formerly
seen only in a museum.
Some woody mountains at no great distance bounded
our view on the right, and formed a striking object.
We had good opportunities for observing the lower
classes of the population, since the stations were frequent,
and as the arrival of the train appeared to be the great
event of the day in these regions, numbers of natives
crowded round, every time we stopped; their unregu-
lated manners, loud discordant jabbering, and insuf-
ficient clothing, did not impress the mind with a favour-
able idea of the peasantry of the country, but we felt
that it would be unfair to select such a concourse as a
type of the people. As the railways are under the
control of English companies, we did feel a right to
complain of the neglectful conduct of the railway
officials, whose attention we found it very difficult to
obtain; and the stations themselves were so roughly
built, that it was seldom possible for a lady to alight
there, or to obtain any refreshment.
At length, after passing over several smaller rivers,
we came to the beautiful Nerbudda, whose wide sandy
banks indicate that during the rains it must be of con-
siderable width. The bridge which crosses it is long,
and it had been recently repaired after some damage
from the rains. This stream is held sacred by the super-
stitious natives, and considerable indignation was felt
at the idea of its being crossed, in defiance of the god-
dess of the river, by the sacrilegious machinery. On
28
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
the appointed day, therefore, when all was prepared for
the opening of the railway, immense multitudes of the
natives assembled on the banks of the sacred stream,
expecting to see its titular divinity execute vengeance
on the perpetrators of this impious outrage. The train
arrived and began to cross the bridge, when, in the very
middle of its course, there was a sudden stoppage!
The power of the goddess was now manifest to the
assembled multitudes; she was about to be avenged.
Hideous shrieks and yells arose with the most tremen-
dous excitement. But in a few moments there was
another shout such as is never heard from Hindoos-
a true British hurrah from the triumphant officials
mounted on the train, who set on the steam again, and
gloriously crossed the river. Then the astonished
natives changed their minds, and said it was a god!
Cocoanuts and other votive offerings were showered in
profusion; and even now at times such presents are
made, to gain the favour of so powerful an agency.
The railway must indeed appear something superna-
tural to these ignorant inhabitants of districts which
before had seldom been disturbed by the inroads of civi-
lisation. The real effects on the population are more
wonderful than fiction would dare to represent; in a
variety of ways the railroad is probably producing a
greater change in the population than any other single
agency. The mere fact of connecting by an easy and
agreeable day's travelling, places which formerly could
be reached only by tiresome and expensive journeys
of weeks, is of incalculable importance in breaking
down the narrow ignorance which characterises most
parts of India, and in promoting friendly intercourse
between different parts of the country, as well as in
facilitating commerce, &c. The railway carriages are
THE FIRST JOURNEY.
29
also extremely useful, indirectly, in leading the most
exclusive natives to disregard the regulations of caste.
A Brahmin has frequently been known to draw back
on entering a carriage, when perceiving it filled with
persons of other castes, with whom contact would, in
his opinion, be pollution. He retreats to seek another,
but all are equally infected; he appeals for protection
to the railway official, who coolly informs him that his
remedy is easy; he may take a first-class ticket, and
enjoy solitary state in a carriage to himself. But this
greatly-increased outlay is not at all to his mind, and
as his business is pressing he swallows the indignity,
and steps into the carriage with the other passengers.
An amusing story was told us of a proud Brahmin
thus being unexpectedly shut in with a number of
persons of the most despised class, on whom he had
been accustomed to heap every species of insult. Find-
ing him now in their power, they returned to him some
of the contemptuous treatment which he had lavished
on them, and he was obliged to bear it from his fellow-
passengers until the train stopped. Christianity had
not taught him that we are all children of the same
Heavenly Father, nor them that we are to forgive in-
juries and to overcome evil with good; the railway was
giving this arrogant man a lesson that he had better in
future restrain himself in his treatment of his humbler
fellow-beings. My friend Mr. G. saw some persons of
different castes drinking together in a railway carriage;
on his pointing out to them their impropriety, they
excused themselves on the ground that the current of
air which passed through the carriage when in motion.
removed contamination from them! Habits of punctu-
ality and attention to duty are also taught, both directly
and indirectly, by the railway. At first, passengers were
30
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
constantly too late, or arrived just as the train was
starting, and being thus unable to take their tickets,
had the mortification of seeing it go off without them.
Persons of consequence were at first very indignant on
the occasion, but soon learnt that they, too, must sub-
mit to the inexorable law of railroads, which, like time
and tide, wait for no man. The railway officials, who
are chiefly natives, are here obtaining unconsciously an
excellent training, of more value to them than any
pecuniary recompense. While, then, we were frequently
annoyed by many inconveniences and discomforts on
this journey, we could not but feel that under the cir-
cumstances the Indian railways are very wonderful, and
show the possibility of improving even the inferior por-
tions of the native races, under judicious government and
proper training. Our English fellow-passenger, whose
duties in the Civil Service gave him much opportunity
of forming a judgment on these subjects, fully corro-
borated my opinion. He spoke much of the importance
of cotton cultivation in this district. By his exten-
sive knowledge of the country, and the friendly manner
in which he conversed in the vernacular with the native
gentleman, and spoke of the natives generally, he gave
us a very favourable impression of the tone of feeling
existing in this province between the English and the
natives. Having heard much of the unhealthy effect
of the Indian climate on our countrymen, I was aston-
ished to learn from him that he had been more than
twenty years in the country, since his florid appearance
indicated the healthy condition of an English country
gentleman. This he attributed to regular active ex-
ercise, and to having his mind fully occupied by his
work. A similar testimony I received from many in
various parts of the country. The native gentleman
THE FIRST JOURNEY.
31
could speak a little English, and showed us with much
pride likenesses of the Queen and Royal Family in
lockets appended to his handsome gold watch-chain.
He politely asked us to occupy his villa on our return.
At length we reached Surat, where we were rejoiced
to meet our friend Mr. Tagore, who had come from
Ahmedabad that morning to meet us. Though we had
sent him a telegram announcing our journey on the
morning preceding, he had not received it until the
middle of the night, and had kindly started at once to
make every possible arrangement for our comfort. We
had been informed that we could pass the night at the
railway station; all the accommodation provided there,
however, for passengers, consisted of cane sofas in very
uncomfortable-looking ladies' waiting-rooms, with miser-
able dirty dressing-rooms. There seemed to be nothing
like an hotel in the place, and Mr. Tagore had there-
fore telegraphed to a native gentleman who had bor-
rowed from a friend a beautiful villa or 'garden house'
in the neighbourhood, where a dinner in English style
was kindly provided for us. We afterwards learnt that,
had the time of our coming been known, many of the
English families resident in or near Surat would have
shown us hospitality; having, however, no introduc-
tions to this city, I had not calculated on any such
courtesy.
SURAT, Sept. 27.-The next morning we were up
betimes to reach the station early, and we drove
through this famous old town. Few traces of its ancient
splendour remain, after the various vicissitudes it has
gone through; indeed, we were chiefly struck with the
air of desolation pervading all the streets; this was
heightened rather than diminished by occasional re-
32
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
mains of ancient carving over some miserable abode
where half-dressed natives were standing, fixing on us a
dull stupid gaze as we passed. What we saw gave us a
far from pleasant impression of a Hindoo city, and
when the Hindoo gentleman who had kindly arranged
for our comfort pressed me to stay there a few days on
my return, I certainly did not feel any anxiety to
accept the invitation. Little did I anticipate how much
of progress I should find in the midst of what appeared
very unpromising at Surat.
Nothing of peculiar interest presented itself on this
second day's journey; indeed, if there had been much
to observe, we should hardly have noticed it, so intent
were the two friends who had long been separated on
giving and receiving news from each other-so glad was
I to learn from my young friend the assistant-judge
everything about his present position, and of what he
thought was wanting for India. He informed us that
on bis return to his own city, Calcutta, about two years.
before, after having passed his examination for the Civil
Service, he was received with the greatest honour by
his countrymen; indeed, his success was regarded by
them as a national triumph. He was appointed by the
Government to the Bombay Presidency, and he deter-
mined to take with him his young bride, to whom he
had been long betrothed. Having witnessed in England
the comfort and happiness of our domestic life, and
perceiving the immense benefits resulting to society
from the elevation of women, he resolved to depart
entirely from the customs of his country-which impose
strict seclusion on ladies of position, and oblige them to
treat their husbands with a deference bordering on
servility-and to regard his wife in every respect as an
equal. Staying for some months at Bombay before
THE FIRST JOURNEY.
33
}
proceeding to his destination, his bride had been most
kindly received, and gradually introduced into the cus-
toms of English society. The change was indeed great
to her from the seclusion of the zenana to the freedom
of our life, but she had shown herself equal to it,
under the protection of her husband. When settled at
Ahmedabad, she again met with English ladies, who
took a generous pleasure in bringing forward their
young Eastern sister; and intercourse with them was
facilitated by her having become sufficiently acquainted
with English for ordinary purposes, through the sedu-
lous instructions of her husband. They were fortunate
in being at Ahmedabad in the midst of a native society
considerably advanced in ideas on the subject of female
elevation, so that they had not the immense difficulties
to encounter which would have beset them had they
remained at Calcutta. On one occasion, indeed, they
gave an entertainment to English and native gentlemen
and ladies, a brilliant account of which appeared in the
local newspapers. How much moral courage all this
must have required I did not fully know until after I
had visited Calcutta. We heard also from our friend that
he had an important case in hand-a gang of thirty-two
men and boys who had been roving the country steal-
ing, and who, after many remands by the magistrates,
owing to the difficulty of obtaining reliable evidence,
were now on trial. We wished much to see him in his
new dignity. The time thus passed rapidly as we
travelled through a rich and beautiful country, revived
by the recent rains. There was no place of refresh-
ment during the whole journey, so we were thankful
that we had been liberally supplied with provisions
at the Government bungalow, and that our friend had
also brought his contribution, a custom which appears
VOL. I.
D
34
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
general and necessary in railway travelling in India.
We were, however, unpleasantly reminded of being in a
tropical region by the rapidity with which sandwiches
became uneatable, and sweet cakes were made the abode
of a colony of ants. We found some compensation in
the fruit of the banana or plantain, a most valuable
article of food in India, very plentiful, cheap, nutritious,
and refreshing; it is equally acceptable to rich and
poor, and is prized by all. Those who know it only
as procured in English fruit-shops can little appreciate
its real excellence.
At length, as evening advanced, we perceived that we
were approaching a city, and drove into the station at
Ahmedabad, the termination of this line of rail. As
this is the capital of an extensive cotton district, the
place was very crowded, and the scene of many greetings
and much bustle; but our friend soon perceived his
carriage waiting for us, and having put our luggage into
his bullock-cart to follow, we drove off, all highly grati-
fied that this long-expected visit was now actually to be
accomplished. There were many interesting objects on
our way, but they did not attract much attention from
us; we were anxious to see his Eastern home, and the
lady who was at the head of it. At length we passed
through a large wooded compound to a handsome-look-
ing house with a portico, and were introduced to draw-
ing-rooms fitted up in English style, where Mrs. Tagore
kindly received us, and led Miss C. and myself to our
apartments, which she had taken pains to arrange so as
to promote our comfort. When dinner was announced
she conducted us in, doing her part as hostess admirably.
The table was spread as in an English gentleman's
house, and, except the presence of Hindoo servants,
there was little to remind me that I was separated from
THE FIRST JOURNEY.
35
my native land by nearly a whole hemisphere. There
was even less to make me realise the idea, as we were
conversing with animation in English round the hospit-
able table, that I was the only individual there of Saxon
race,—that the young lady with me, to whom English had
become more familiar than her own language, and who
was a Christian, was the daughter of a Coolin Brahmin,
one of the highest and most exclusive of sects,-and that
my other friends, who had not embraced Christianity,
were of the ancient unmixed races of Hindoos who had,
without renouncing their nationality, broken through
the bonds imposed by ancient custom, and were anxious
to bring Western civilisation into their own country. This
meeting was a happy one to all of us, and we felt it to
be an omen that we should realise long-cherished hopes
and aspirations.
D 2
36
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
CHAPTER II.
AHMEDABAD AND ITS INSTITUTIONS.
THE city of Ahmedabad is said to have been founded
A.D. 1412 by the Sultan Ahmed Shah, as the capital of
the then rich empire of Guzerat, and he named it after
himself. Ancient Hindoo capitals supplied materials for
raising many of the structures of the new city. It was
built along the river Sabarmati, which forms the base
of a city of semicircular form. It remained a powerful
place under various rulers, until in the eighteenth cen-
tury the Marathas obtained possession of it. In 1780
the English stormed and seized it. Afterwards it was
restored to the Marathas, and remained in their hands
until 1818, when, on the fall of the Peishwa, it finally
reverted to the British. The city is surrounded by a
substantial wall, averaging fifteen feet in height and five
in thickness, which is more than five miles in length.
There are bastions at almost every fifty paces and
eighteen gates. The walls are in substantial repair, for
in 1832 the municipal authorities levied a special tax
for their thorough restoration.
Three centuries of Mahometan rule left many traces
of grandeur in the architecture of the city; the splendid
tombs and mosques, built with much richness of detail
and often beauty of design, show that it was once in-
habited by a very superior race. But great devastations
are evident everywhere, and the general appearance of
AHMEDABAD AND ITS INSTITUTIONS.
37
the city indicates rather departed grandeur than present
prosperity. Yet the fine old walls with their bastions
and gates have a very striking appearance, and the
Mahometan buildings, which are seen in every direction,
tempt the traveller to spend many days in exploration.
Murray tells us in his guide-book that a week at least
will be required to view over the principal sights of the
place, and many interesting excursions may be made to
remarkable places in the neighbourhood. Yet this ex-
traordinary city is so little known on the other side of
India, that when at Calcutta some months afterwards I
spoke to an educational inspector about schools in Ah-
medabad, he remarked, 'You may as well speak in Eng-
land of what is done in the school of some remote village
in Russia, as to us here of such a place as Ahmedabad.'
The interesting relics of antiquity in this wonderful
city I had, however, little power of exploring. The
weather was still hot, and all my time and strength
were required to become acquainted with the institutions
and the inhabitants of the place.
Our kind host adopted the mode of living usual with
the Anglo-Indian gentry. At six o'clock an early cup
of tea is generally served to every one in private; this
is a very much-prized custom of the country. All
members of the family are at their own disposal until
they assemble for a substantial breakfast at about ten,
earlier or later according to circumstances. Sometimes
special excursions are planned for these cool early hours;
sometimes there is literally a 'morning call' from friends,
generally by appointment; no one, however, is expected
to be ready to admit visitors between seven and eight A.M.
unless previously notified. After breakfast the gentle-
men go to their business, and do not appear until it is
finished. The ladies usually receive company before
38
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
two, when 'tiffin' is announced, after which they are
supposed to be in retirement until they dress for the even-
ing ride, and return to dinner at half-past seven or eight.
Little is done after the long ceremony of that meal, and
all retire early, often at ten, to rise betimes, and enjoy
the cool of the early morning. On Sunday we are re-
minded mournfully of being in a heathen country—no
'sound of the church-going bell;' we did not even
hear the old familiar tones of a church clock, or even
of a house clock; there seemed little note of time,
except the announcement of meals. The camp church
is about four miles from the city, and the same clergy-
man officiates at a small church near Mr. Tagore's
residence, but on this occasion there was no service. So
we had family worship at home, each one taking a part
in it, on this the first Sabbath in the country of the
great Indian reformer Rammohun Roy: this course we
adopted on each succeeding Sabbath.
Guzerat is famed for the luxuriance of its vegetation,
and for its abundant and varied animal life. Of the
former we had seen numerous indications on our
journey, and on our rides we were struck with observing
high hedgerows of hothouse plants, which did not,
however, indicate careful nurture such as ours receive.
in England; they were wild and straggling, and not
beautiful, though certainly useful as a fence. The
cereals are extremely abundant, quite different from
ours of the temperate regions. The trees are very
varied many produce fruits and seeds, which, though
not useful as human food, are excellent nutriment to
the animals that sport among their branches. The
graceful acacia is a pleasing object at all times,
and especially when it forms a shady avenue to some
princely abode. The Oriental palms in all their varied
AHMEDABAD AND ITS INSTITUTIONS.
39
families have disappeared, the country being too far
inland; but it was delightful to see for the first time the
banyans, renowned in stories told us from early childhood.
The fine grove of these noble trees which led from the
city gate to the camp did not, however, realise our ex-
pectations. The long roots hung down indeed from the
branches of the trees, but did not reach the ground,
having been injured or destroyed by being in so public
a thoroughfare of both men and beasts. The absence
of beautiful flowers, however, greatly disappointed me.
No splendid tropical plants adorned, as I had expected,
the verandahs of the houses of the gentry; their ample
compounds were not artistically laid out as in England,
so as to screen the unsightly outbuildings of the
mansion, and to gratify a taste for the beauties of
nature; unless Nature herself had done something
to adorn the spot, everything seemed left uncared for;
a neglected road took the place of what would have
been in England a fine carriage-drive. The dwellings
of the poor were equally destitute of floral decoration.
In the most narrow dismal streets of our crowded cities
at home, pots of flowers may be seen in some upper
windows, where the miserable tenants carefully cherish
such plants as can bear the smoke and impure air, and
thus obtain a small glimpse of the loveliness of nature.
But here in a splendid climate, with every advantage
that can be desired, a total apathy seems to pervade
the population respecting flowers, or indeed anything
which would require the bestowal of the very smallest
trouble. The field flowers of England cannot of
course grow in this torrid region, and there appear
none to supply their places. The scorching rays of the
midday sun, with a long dry season, during which the
ground is not often moistened by a single drop of rain,
40
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
are too powerful for tender roots which do not penetrate
to any great depth. The chief flowers, I was informed,
grow on trees or shrubs, and in some parts of the
country on creepers hanging in festoons from lofty
trees. These blossom at different parts of the year,
but rarely at the particular time when I happened to
visit any place. Except, therefore, in a few spots where
special care and culture were bestowed, the six months.
I spent in India did not give me any very favourable
impression of the native taste for flowers. They ap-
peared to be chiefly sought after by the lower classes to
make votive garlands and wreaths for their idols, for
which a small yellow chrysanthemum and marigold are
much in request; and by the higher, as complimentary
offerings to guests.
But if the deficiency of flowers caused me some dis-
appointment, the wild animals were a constant source
of entertainment. No zoological gardens are needed
here! The monkeys exhibited the most entertaining
tricks and gyinnastic exercises gratis for our amuse-
ment, and were neither feared nor regarded with much
surprise as frequent visitors to the trees in our host's
compound. The most charming little squirrels made
themselves perfectly at home on the window-sills, and
even ventured into the room if they had a chance of
finding anything eatable. Beautiful green parrots were
abundant in the trees, and especially appeared to delight
in the large banyans, under whose shade we took our drive.
Once the carriage was stopped in a narrow sandy road,
bordered with cactuses, by a long string of camels, a sight
which was too common in these parts to excite any alarm
in the horses. As we were returning early one morning
through the city from a visit to an institution, we ob-
served in a narrow street a procession of bullock-carts,
AHMEDABAD AND ITS INSTITUTIONS.
41
each containing something carefully covered; what
was our amazement on beholding in each cart a fine
young tiger standing firmly manacled down, and covered
with a cloth as a sort of morning dress! His ferocity
appeared entirely subdued by the sense of incapacity.
It was impossible to divine the meaning of this
strange spectacle, as there are no wild-beast shows
here. We were informed, however, that they were for
the barbaric native prince of Baroda, who places his
special delight in collecting and keeping under his
sway numbers of savage animals. Not long before, he
had filled with horror the civilised portion of the com-
munity by trampling to death with elephants some
unfortunate persons who had fallen under his dis-
pleasure. It is well that such a man lives in an age
when public opinion has sufficient force to restrain him.
from further enormities of the kind. This was the only
actual glimpse of the royal animal that I had in India;
but tiger-hunting appears to be a favourite British
sport in these parts. The prowess of the English in this
daring amusement is much prized by the natives, as it
is not unfrequently the means of rescuing a village, or
even a whole district, from continual attacks of the
savage beast.
A tiger's skin is highly valued by the
hunter as a trophy; I saw several adorning one gen-
tleman's house. The claws are regarded by the natives.
as charms; they are worn as brooches by English
ladies. Though I heard many snake stories while in
India, yet I happily did not see one of these dreaded
reptiles during my whole stay there; the nearest
approach to one was at Ahmedabad, where I once saw
the large trail of a snake across the dusty road. With
respect to the insect portion of the animal kingdom,
the less said the better. I did not see the gorgeous
42
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
butterflies I expected, or indeed any that I admired,-
but became acquainted with many whose presence I did
not desire.
Ahmedabad may be regarded as a favourable specimen
of a mofussil or provincial town. The general condition
of a Hindoo city is much modified by the character of
the English officials who are stationed there. In this
respect, as in many others, Ahmedabad is fortunate,
though not singular, in the advantages it possesses, as
it has very long enjoyed the services of gentlemen of
high culture and devoted energy. The results of these
are very evident in the advanced tone of the more
educated native inhabitants, in the enlightened de-
velopment of many of the institutions, and the improve-
ments which are continually going on in the city and
its neighbourhood.
The privilege I enjoyed of being the guest of a
Hindoo family enabled me to have far more friendly
intercourse than I could have had under other circum-
stances with the native inhabitants, and the impressions.
formed in this city materially aided me in my subse-
quent judgments, both respecting society and the in-
stitutions of the country. The reader will not there-
fore, it is hoped, object to my giving in a journal form
a somewhat detailed account of these.
Monday, Oct. 1. Our host, the assistant-judge,
kindly permitted us to accompany him to the court,
to be present at the conclusion of the trial now pending.
The case was a curious one. Several months before a
large quantity of property was discovered in the pos-
session of persons who could not give any account of it.
Two men were apprehended as thieves, and these, when
examined, stated that they were members of a large
gang engaged in predatory excursions, and leading a
AHMEDABAD AND ITS INSTITUTIONS.
43
wandering vagabond life. They gladly accepted the
offer of being allowed to turn Queen's evidence, and
proceeded to point out to the police various persons
from different districts who were their accomplices. As
many as thirty-two were thus apprehended, and thrown
into prison together. Much time was occupied in
taking depositions before the magistrates, searching for
witnesses, and weighing their very loose and indefinite
evidence. The prisoners themselves, although at first
they made tolerably clear statements, after having been
kept associated in prison for some time, gave such con-
tradictory accounts, that little credit could be attached
to them. Some of them greatly objected to take any
form of an oath, or to make any solemn asseveration as
required by law. The oath is very simple, requiring
only that the Great God should be invoked as a witness
that they speak the truth, the whole truth, and
nothing but the truth.' 'What should I tell a lie
for?' said one. A clever little fellow, about eight years
old, was the son of one of the witnesses. He could not,
of course, be expected to understand the nature of an
oath, but was asked, 'Do you know the difference
between truth and falsehood?' 'Who knows?' was the
precocious reply. The young rogue was not, of course,
aware that a certain Roman judge once showed the
same scepticism when he asked, 'What is truth?' and
did not wait for a reply.
The result of repeated examinations was, that the
whole gang of thirty-two men and boys were com-
mitted for trial, but not before they had been four or
five months in prison. The case for the prosecution
was completed on the preceding Saturday, but, owing to
the length and conflicting nature of the evidence, the
trial was not concluded. Mr. Ghose, who had just been
44
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
called to the English Bar, and was familiar with the
proceedings of our courts of justice, was present on
that occasion. The proceedings were in Guzerathi, the
vernacular of this part of the country; but as this
language, like all others of Northern India, is based
on Sanscrit, and he was thoroughly acquainted with
that magnificent language, as well as with Bengali and
Hindostani, he found little difficulty in following the
proceedings. He was much struck with the order and
propriety with which the whole was managed, and felt
an emotion of very natural pride that here, probably for
the first time, an assize court was being conducted solely
by natives of his country-the judge himself, neces-
sarily a civil servant, being the first Hindoo who had
obtained that honour. I myself felt perhaps no less
proud that my country had been so successful in deve-
loping the native powers of self-government, and that
she has infused her principles of justice into the nation
for which she has so serious a responsibility.
We set off about noon-the judge, Mr. Ghose, and
myself. Though the court was not a quarter of a mile
from the house, we were obliged to go in a covered
carriage, to protect ourselves from the powerful rays
of a midday October sun. On arriving, we found the
thirty-two prisoners sitting outside on the ground,
chained together, or rather connected together by a
rod uniting each pair of handcuffs, so as to compel
them to walk in line. They were guarded by a small
number of policemen, dressed in dark cloth, and
evidently a superior set of men; their countenances
and deportment indicated that energy, sagacity, and
attention to duty which characterise our English police
force. The court is a small simple unadorned building;
the windows and doors being habitually open in these
AHMEDABAD AND ITS INSTITUTIONS.
45
parts, publicity is obtained without much room within
for spectators. Several persons were there to await the
result of the trial; but their dress indicated that they
belonged to the more respectable class, and not to the
low vagabond people who infest our police courts.
We were ushered first into the justice's room, where
I had great pleasure in seeing for the first time our
friend arrayed in his official silk gown and bands—
wigs are very mercifully dispensed with in these parts.
The clerk of the court and other turbaned officials
attended, and handed him very respectfully various
documents, which he signed with as much dignity as
our worthy Recorder at home. We then followed the
judge into the court, and occupied chairs placed for us
near him. The prisoners were brought in unmanacled,
and stood in mournful array round the room. In
ordinary cases there are no juries in these courts; it
would indeed at present be a useless farce to introduce
here our treasured English institution. In place of it
there are two or more natives called 'assessors,' whose
verdict the judge takes, and registers with his own.
Not understanding the proceedings, I had leisure to
observe the prisoners. There was great variety in their
deportment and expression of countenance. Some were
young men of an open and intelligent appearance, who
spoke fluently and well-one might believe that they
would maintain themselves honestly if placed in suitable
circumstances; others were evidently low bad charac-
ters, who were getting their living dishonestly; some
were elderly men, whom one regretted to see in such a
position, when so near the close of life; worse than all,
there were four or five miserable little boys, who had
come from a great distance, and who had lost their
mothers in their wanderings. The little witness again
46
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
came up, and with cool effrontery pointed out the
various prisoners whom he accused of being thieves.
One of these was his own father, who indignantly
repelled the charge, stating his conviction that the
boy had been induced by the police to make these
statements. I myself felt sure that no reliance could
be placed in him.
The result of the trial was, that the judge and
assessors did not consider the evidence sufficient to
punish the prisoners; at the same time there was
every reason to believe that the bulk of them were
habitual thieves, forming part of large gangs which
infest the country; these make annual predatory excur-
sions to a distance from their homes, bringing back, to
divide at the rendezvous, the plunder they have
collected. The boys were probably being trained to
a life of crime; some of them were known to have been
living with a wicked-looking woman who was among
the prisoners. They were acquitted of the theft, but
required to give bail for future good conduct. When
this announcement was made, a great lamentation
arose among the prisoners. "Where could they get
bail?' they touchingly asked. In default they were
led out one by one to be manacled again, submissively
yielding themselves to the officer appointed to the
duty. Law has evidently established a strong and
mysterious sway over the minds of the population,
however degraded. I was, indeed, informed that it is
the awe and dread inspired by the paraphernalia of
justice, which deters the common people from frequent-
ing the courts.
The business of the court was terminated, and we
left the poor prisoners sitting on the ground as we had
AHMEDABAD AND ITS INSTITUTIONS.
47
first seen them, now piteously lamenting, and awaiting
their return to gaol.
On the same evening we had an interesting visit from
two native gentlemen, the Headmaster of the High
School, and the Principal of the Normal Training School
for male teachers. The latter of these, Mr. Mahiputram
Rupram, had visited England to study the educational
institutions, and returned full of admiration at our
method of training teachers, which he endeavoured to
introduce into his own Normal School. Both gentlemen
gave me valuable information respecting the position
and wants of the different classes of Hindoo society.
The Government schools touch only the higher classes,
among whom the desire for education is rapidly extend-
ing. No class exists here corresponding with our lower
middle or mechanic class. The inferior portion of the
population is quite untouched by any educational in-
stitutions; they do not feel the want of education for
their children, and the higher classes do not appear to
feel any sympathy for them, as in our country. A deep
impassable gulf is between the different classes, arising
chiefly from caste distinctions; never did I notice any
friendly recognition of the lower by the higher, nor hear
of any efforts being made to do them good or elevate
their condition. When I urged upon a native gentle-
man the duty of trying to do something to diminish the
ignorance of those who constitute the largest portion of
the population, he replied, 'We have enough to do at
present with the education of our own class, without
thinking of these.' I endeavoured to explain to these
gentlemen the kind of education which we consider
adapted to meet the wants of this class, and the impor-
tance of endeavouring to elevate them; they appeared
thoroughly to comprehend and appreciate the idea of
48
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
our ragged schools. The subject of female education
was one in which they were deeply interested. None
but the higher classes attempt at present to obtain in-
struction for their daughters, and here great difficulties.
are experienced from the want of good female teachers.
I promised to do all in my power to help them, but
pointed out that it would be impossible to obtain the
services of English ladies without proper arrangements
being made for their residence in a strange land. Mr.
Tagore suggested the establishment at Bombay of a
Female Normal Training School, whence teachers might
be sent out into the surrounding districts.
Tuesday, Oct. 3.-It was arranged for us to pay an
early visit to the jail before the heat became oppressive.
We therefore started between seven and eight in the
morning, with the advantage of the escort of Dr. Wyllie,
the superintendent. It is the custom in India to ap-
point a gentleman of the Civil Service to superintend
the jails, most commonly the surgeon. Ahmedabad
jail was originally a Mahometan college, and was con-
verted to its present purpose in 1820. It is a fine-look-
ing building, and near the citadel, but not of course
well adapted to its present purpose, though the large
space inclosed by the buildings gives it great capabili-
ties of improvement. The first thing which struck us
painfully was that the men had irons on their legs.
This barbaric custom, which has long been exploded in
our own country, is here preserved, and is indeed general
in India in consequence of the usual insecurity of the
premises. The prisoners were working in large open
sheds with little appearance of confinement. A number
were occupied in weaving strong cotton carpets, which
appeared well calculated for wear. Others were making
towelling of various kinds, very strong and good, from
AHMEDABAD AND ITS INSTITUTIONS.
49
the cotton grown in the neighbourhood, while others
were manufacturing pretty little cocoa mats and baskets.
There was not in general a criminal look in the cul-
prits; they were working with good will, and appeared
interested in their occupation, as in an ordinary factory.
Except the chains, there was nothing of a penal descrip-
tion in the scene around us; and though working in
this cheerful open place at useful trades might not give
the intended feeling of punishment, still it was to be
hoped that training these men to useful labour, under
good moral influences, must have a beneficial influence
on their future lives. On remarking this with great
satisfaction to Dr W., he informed me that the salutary
influence of the day's work under proper supervision.
was completely neutralised, or even worse, by the cor-
rupting influences of the night. There are 400 prisoners.
in this jail, for whom the number of sleeping-cells is
totally inadequate, and three or four are consequently
locked up together in the dark for twelve hours, viz.
from sunset to sunrise. There is no possibility of pre-
venting during this period communication of the most
corrupting nature, both moral and physical. No man
convicted of a first offence only can enter this place,
which ought to be one of punishment and attempted
reformation, without the greatest probability of con-
tamination, and in gaining experience in evil from the
adepts in crime who are confined with him; no young
boy can enter without his fate being sealed for life!
Juvenile delinquents, casual offenders, hardened thieves.
sentenced to a long term of imprisonment, are all herded
together without any possibility of proper classification
or separation. The condition of the thirty-two whom I
had seen at the court on the day before was even worse
than the others; they were all penned up together
VOL. I.
E
50
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
without work. There they had been for many months;
and still they all were without any attempt being made
to give them instruction, which might improve their
moral and intellectual condition. This state of things
was not owing to any neglect on the part of the super-
intendent, a man of enlightened benevolence, who
devoted himself heart and soul to his work. The con-
ditions of this jail are such that, though able and willing
to remedy all these evils, if authority and means were
given to him, under the existing circumstances he is
powerless. There is ample room on the premises for
him to construct separate cells for all the prisoners, with
only the cost of material-this is not granted to him;
be cannot therefore carry out the printed regulations.
that the prisoners are not to be made worse while in
custody. The regulations direct that the juveniles shall
be separated from the adults; this is now simply im-
possible. Rules are made that the prisoners shall re-
ceive instruction, but no salary is allowed for a school-
master; there is no place appropriated for instruction,
and no time is granted for schooling; there are ten
hours for labour, two hours are requisite for meals and
rest, and during the remainder of the twenty-four hours.
the prisoners are locked up. It is indeed permitted by
the regulations that some prisoners may be employed
as instructors, but with the proviso that their hours of
labour shall not be abridged for the purpose. Such in-
structors could not be expected to exercise any good
moral influence on the other prisoners; yet to commence
with these, if any educated men were among them,
might lead to some better arrangement. The old col-
lege hall might possibly be employed as a schoolroom
for a couple of hours after sunset; but light would then
be required, and oil did not form a part of the authorised
AHMEDABAD AND ITS INSTITUTIONS.
51
expenditure. There were, then, obstacles to any kind of
instruction being imparted to the prisoners, which no
amount of earnestness on the part of the officials or the
superintendent could surmount.
On enquiring whether there were any females in the
jail, we were conducted to a small separate court, where
in a dismal ward there were some miserable women em-
ployed in drudgery work. There were no female atten-
dants, and indeed no attempt appeared to be made to
improve their wretched condition. I felt grieved and
shocked that in any part of the British dominions, women
who were rendered helpless by being deprived of liberty,
and thus fell under our special responsibility, should
be so utterly uncared for, as to be left under the super-
intendence of male warders, and without any means of
improvement.
In all these observations I found that I had the full
accordance of the superintendent; who, so far from
being annoyed at the discovery of so many evils in this
place, only rejoiced that some one should add force to
his own representations by an independent testimony.
He stated that he understood it to be in contemplation
to build a large central jail for the long-sentenced
prisoners; the removal of these from his own would of
course remedy the overcrowding, though it would not
enable each prisoner to have a separate cell. In the
meantime the evils were very great in a sanitary as well
as in a moral point of view. On one occasion more than
100 had died owing to a want of good sanitary arrange-
ments. Immediate attention to the condition of this
jail appeared therefore necessary.
Considering this as a common jail, without long-
sentenced prisoners, the following points suggested
E 2
52
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
themselves as necessary to carry out the intentions of
Government:
First.-A number of well-ventilated sleeping-cells
should be constructed without delay, so as to enable
every prisoner to have a separate cell for sleeping.
Secondly.-A trained and efficient teacher should be
engaged to carry out instruction; arrangements should
be made to provide a cheerful and well-lighted school-
room. Educated prisoners may be employed as assist-
ant teachers; these should be specially trained and
instructed by the headmaster in their labour hours, so
as to provide as efficient a staff as possible.
Thirdly.-The mark system and classification should
be carried out.
Fourthly.-Prisoners awaiting trial should be kept in
separation, but not under penal condition.
Fifthly.-The female department should be com-
pletely remodelled, under female warders. All the ad-
vantages provided for the men should be given to
the women.
Wednesday, Oct. 3.-Our next visit was of a more
agreeable description, viz. to the schools of Ahmedabad.
Efforts have been made for the last fifteen years to in-
troduce education among the little girls of the place.
The result has been that, as those who had received
some rudiments of instruction became themselves
mothers, they knew the importance of opening the
minds of their daughters, and not only were themselves
more enlightened, but sent their children willingly to
school. The school which we were about to visit was
founded by a wealthy citizen of the place, since deceased;
his widow, a superior woman, maintained it from respect
to his memory; she placed its management under the
care of a committee composed of English and native
AHMEDABAD AND ITS INSTITUTIONS.
53
ladies; and though she did not wish to receive any
pecuniary help from the public funds, yet she desired
that it should have the advantage of Government in-
spection. The English ladies were much pleased to
induce their native friends to act thus with them. How
remarkable a step had here been quietly taken I did
not fully appreciate until I had been in Calcutta, and
other parts of the empire; then I found how very far
behind Ahmedabad these other places were, in effort to
promote female education among the leading Hindoos,
-in emancipation of the ladies from the thraldom im-
posed by custom,-and in self-effort for improvement on
their own part.
It was, then, with great pleasure that we set off
soon after breakfast to visit this school for young ladies.
Friends at home had bountifully supplied me with a
variety of little presents-toys, beads, &c. Books would
of course be useless, as English is an unknown tongue
in India to the female portion of the inhabitants; but
a number of pictures, tastefully mounted on fancy cards,
we thought certain to prove attractive. Children in all
parts of the world delight in gifts, especially from
strangers; I received a welcome, therefore, by provid-
ing myself plentifully with these treasures.
We were
introduced into a large schoolroom, where about eighty
little girls, whose ages ranged from six to eleven, were
sitting in order on benches. The very slight clothing
usual in this country did not conceal the profusion of
jewels with which their persons were adorned-bracelets
and anklets of every description, rings on the fingers.
and on the toes, pearl earrings and nose-rings, arranged
according to the individual taste of each. The adorn-
ings were evidently special, in honour of the occasion,
many wearing on their little persons two hundred
54
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
pounds' worth of jewels. At all times, however, the
habit of wearing ornaments of the precious metals,
pearls, or other jewels, is so common that it is not safe
for the children to go out alone, lest they should be
murdered for the sake of them. This occurrence is by
no means infrequent, and there are consequently
arrangements always made for conducting the children
to school, and sending them safely home. Having ob-
served the children, we asked for the mistress of the
school. There was none! Masters only, or pundits,
were there, and also two or three inspectors of schools.
The older classes were examined in our presence in
some of the ordinary branches of education, and they
seemed familiar with them; but all the younger classes,
constituting nearly three-fourths of the school, were
unable to take any share in what was going on. The
infant system of education appears to be entirely un-
known in these parts. I requested to hear the children
sing, and they performed to the best of their power a
kind of harsh intoning of the poetry they were learn-
ing. One of the pundits professed to teach needle-
work to the girls, and appeared somewhat proud of the
specimens he produced; the attempt at fancy work was
not bad, but the plain sewing would certainly excite
much amusement in an ordinary needlewoman at home.
When the examination was concluded, and the little
presents distributed, we were informed that the lady-
patroness of the school invited me to call on her. I
was obliged, however, to decline the honour, as she
could not admit the gentlemen of the party, and we
were expected at the High School. She therefore
politely sent in trays of flowers and pan-sooparee, with
silver vases of rosewater to sprinkle on us, the usual
mode of showing honour to guests. Pan-sooparee con-
AHMEDABAD AND ITS INSTITUTIONS.
55
sists of bits of betelnut with a little lime to draw out
the flavour, wrapt in leaves of the same tree. Spices are
also freely distributed. The natives are much in the
habit of chewing these. We were surprised to see four
women there, observing the examination; they were
widows who had come to present themselves as candi-
dates for training to teach in the school. Their appear-
ance did not excite in my mind any expectation that
they could be qualified for such an office in any short
period; still the fact was encouraging, that women were
anxious to gain their livelihood in this manner.
We then proceeded to the High School. Schools of this
kind hold an intermediate position between the branch
schools, which are vernacular only, and the college where
young men prepare to matriculate and take degrees.
The branch schools may be considered as corresponding
to some extent with our National and British schools,
but the class of boys is higher, and there are not here
pupil-teachers, but assistant-masters. The boys who
are to be educated generally remain three or four years
in the branch school, and five in the High School,
whence they proceed to the college, if they succeed in
passing their matriculation or entrance examination, as
it is called. Hence these youths have a much longer
period of school education than is usual in England,
except in the higher classes of society. In the superior
mission schools, it is not uncommon for the three kinds
of schools to be combined in one institution, the
scholars being received in a very rudimentary stage, and
continuing in a superior class after matriculation, and
until they had obtained the degree of Master of Arts.
This I afterwards saw at Bombay. There was no
mission school here, and the High School we were about
to visit prepared the young men for university degrees.
56
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
It was indeed a remarkable sight. We passed from
room to room, each one with its class of from twenty to
thirty young men and a teacher, all absorbed in their
lessons, and manifesting an attention and good conduct,
as well as intelligence, rarely witnessed in England in
a large school; the Eastern dress, with the bare legs and
feet, made the spectacle very striking. Most of the
students appeared to be between fourteen and twenty
years of age; we little imagined then that a large pro-
portion of them were probably married; we afterwards.
learned that an intelligent youth of eighteen, whom we
saw there, had been married nine years! We were
requested to question the elder classes, and as they
were familiar with English, we had pleasure in doing
So. We examined the three highest classes in our
literature (both prose and poetry), Roman and English
history, natural philosophy, and mathematics. The
'pons asinorum' did not appear to puzzle them, though,
to satisfy ourselves that they thoroughly understood it,
we requested the master to vary the figure and the
letters as much as possible. In arithmetic the Hindoos
are peculiar adepts. The students showed much pro-
ficiency in all the different subjects indicated. When
asked to explain the eclipse which had recently taken
place, they did so very clearly and accurately, and evi-
dently saw the absurdity of the Hindoo superstition
respecting such phenomena. I was surprised at a
question put to them by Mr. G., What was their object
in coming to school?' and still more astonished by the
answer, 'To get a Government situation.' I asked the
same question in almost every place I visited, and
always received a similar reply. It is much to be re-
gretted that these youths, evidently of fine powers and
intellectual taste, are not incited to love knowledge for
6
AHMEDABAD AND ITS INSTITUTIONS.
57
itself. They do not appear desirous of going beyond
the routine which is necessary to prepare them for
matriculation. Hence the knowledge of our literature
is restricted to the extracts from celebrated authors in
their class-books, and they cannot therefore become
familiar with the spirit and characteristics of distin-
guished writers. Still, when we remembered that all
the examination we had been giving them was in a
language foreign to them, we could not but be aston-
ished at their wonderful facility in it. The institution
appeared admirably managed, and the instructors equal
to their work. We regretted only that there was not a
better supply of school apparatus, maps, diagrams, &c.,
which might have greatly facilitated the acquirement of
real ideas. Altogether, the visit to this school was a
most gratifying one, and we rejoiced to find so good a
system of education introduced into India.
Thursday, Oct. 4.-The visit of a native lady was
announced. She came attended by ber son as in-
terpreter, whom, in his genteel semi-English dress,
I did not at first recognise as one of the students of the
High School. It was he who had induced his mother
to come and call on me. She remained some time,
much pleased with inspecting all the presents, and with
carrying away herself some tokens of friendship. It
was impossible, of course, to interchange many ideas
with her or with any other native ladies, but the sym-
pathy and kindness which were reciprocated between
us were valued on each side. This visit led the way to
many others. On one occasion a Parsee and a Hindoo
lady so far overcame their prejudices as to take tiffin
with us. There seemed no reserve or jealousy among
either gentlemen or ladies respecting these visits. I
could not attribute this freedom from the conventional
58
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
prejudices, of which I had heard so much, to any special
favour shown to myself as a stranger; for I learnt to
my surprise and pleasure that, not long before, my host
had given a soirée to English and native gentlemen
and ladies, when Mrs. Tagore well sustained her part
as hostess, and especially entertained the ladies ;-the
evening was announced in the papers as a great success.'
It is indeed little known in Lower Bengal how much
advancement has been made in this part of Western
India.
.
Friday, Oct. 5.-We visited this morning the Nor-
mal Training School, under the escort of the prin-
cipal, Mr. Mahiputram Rupram. The building is not
very commodious, but, until a better one can be pro-
vided, answers the purpose fairly. This, like many
native houses, is built round a central square court. On
entering we saw the windows of the second-floor filled
with red turbans, the wearers of which were gazing at
the strangers with that calm unimpassioned curiosity
which was now becoming familiar to us. We proceeded
to the schoolroom on the lower floor, where there were
several classes of young boys, who were being instructed
by students as an exercise of the lessons on teaching
which had been given to themselves. The principal
directed a student to give a gallery lesson to the first
class, and though it was in the vernacular, and conse-
quently unintelligible to me, I could perceive that the
instruction was given well, and excited the intelligence
and interest of the scholars. It was very strange in
this distant part of the world, in the midst of a people
differing so widely from our own in language, manners,
and thought, to find the same system adopted which
many years ago I had seen successfully carried out in
the Home and Colonial Training School in London.
AHMEDABAD AND ITS INSTITUTIONS.
59
The principal had made a good use of the advantage
he enjoyed in having visited the English training insti-
tutions. How much power does our country possess of
disseminating wise and good principles over the world!
In another class we noticed a lad of fourteen of pecu-
liar intelligence, and were informed that he was a boy
of low caste, his father being a shoemaker; it would
seem as if the introduction of the industrial element
into his education had stimulated his mental powers,
for he far outstripped all his companions. The boys
were then about to be dismissed to recreation, and I
requested the master to discharge them, walking out in
step, two and two; after various attempts, it was found
impossible to accomplish this simple act. The difficulty
which the native sailors found in pulling together,
evidently arose from the same natural peculiarity which
prevented these lads from stepping together: it can be
overcome by proper training, for the sepoys go through
military evolutions like other soldiers. I never heard
any school, either of boys or of girls, sing together;
not more than two or three ever attempted to do so,
except in two of the Bombay girls' schools, and then
the sound produced was very far from melodious or
agreeable, but somewhat loud, rather resembling
discordant shouting. The boys then left the school in
'Indian file,' and we went into a hall where a number
of students were pursuing their studies; many did not
look very promising instructors of youth, but the prin-
cipal informed us that they were solely on probation,
and that those who did not appear competent would be
dismissed. We left the place much gratified with the
institution, and with the efforts which are being made
by the Government to secure a good supply of teachers
for the boys' schools. Most of these students coming
60
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
from a distance required to be boarded; they belong to
different castes, but no difficulty is felt on this account,
as they employ a Brahmin cook who can prepare food
for anyone, and each adopts his own peculiar customs
in taking his meals. It was on our return from this
school that we saw the curious procession of tigers
ignominiously carried along in bullock-carts.
There was still another important institution which re-
mained to be seen, yet that was not very attractive to me.
Accustomed as I have unhappily been to human nature
in a state degraded by crime, it always has been still
more dreadful to me to witness the painful spectacle of
the light of reason obscured by disease. A lunatic asy-
lum is one of the very last places which I should willingly
visit. Learning, however, that the excellent superin-
tendent of the jail, Dr. Wyllie, had established one with
great effort and devotion of time and thought, I could
not but accept his kind invitation to visit with him on
another morning the hospital, dispensaries, and lunatic
asylum.
The former of these institutions did not exhibit any
peculiar features: they appeared established on the
some general system as those in England, with adapta-
tion to the peculiarities of the climate; everything ex-
hibited the greatest care, businesslike accuracy, and
thoughtful detail. The general appearance of the hos-
pital wards is at first striking to a stranger, as, instead
of the comfortable beds and other arrangements we see
in England, there are hard mattresses, on which the
patient usually lies in his clothes. There were several
sick policemen, and I could not but suppose that their
illness might be partly owing to the thick dark cloth
clothing they are obliged to wear, and which in this
hot country must be very oppressive.
AHMEDABAD AND ITS INSTITUTIONS.
61
We proceeded next to the asylum-it was in a large
garden. The building was very plain and simple, but
well contrived and airy. Dr. Wyllie had himself super-
intended the erection of it at a smaller expense than I
could have imagined possible. His system was one of
kind judicious physical and mental treatment, with full
employment for the patients. They were occupied
chiefly in cultivating the ground, which gave them great
variety: some were digging, some drawing water from
the well with the help of the bullock-cart, or manur-
ing the ground with the aid of the dry-soil system;
others were preparing it for the reception of the seed.
All were working steadily like any ordinary labourers,
and the worthy doctor was not a little proud to show
the produce of his garden, both in fruits and flowers. I
could hardly believe myself among lunatics. There was
very little, even with close observation, to indicate un-
soundness of mind, either in manner or expression of
countenance. Yet some were really very much affected.
I saw a class of six or eight murderers. They were not
placed in any strict confinement, though under more
surveillance than the others. When there are suspicious
appearances about the eyes, they receive medical treat-
ment, and an attack of dangerous madness is thus
averted. The benevolent spirit of the superintendent,
which pervades the whole establishment, has probably
much to do with its great success. This certainly might
serve as a model for such institutions in the economical
manner in which it is conducted, the comfort of the
inmates, and their successful treatment. The only un-
satisfactory part of the asylum is that allotted to women,
and there, as in the jail, the great want was evident
of well-trained, respectable female officials. However
clever and well-qualified male officials may be-however
62
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
devoted to their duty, and anxious to discharge it well,—
they cannot understand, or do if comprehended, the work
of a woman, any more than one of the other sex can take
the place of a man. Our Heavenly Father has created
the two sexes with different powers, and for different
spheres of work, in His world. One cannot take the
duties of the other without disturbing the order of His
providence. A man cannot comprehend the proper
work of the woman. The evils observable in the insti-
tutions of Ahmedabad, from the want of female officials
in the departments appropriated to their sex, were evi-
dent in every part of India I visited.
There were many other schools which time did not
permit me to visit. The various institutions, however,
which have been thus briefly described, greatly impressed
me, especially as they exist in a city in the Queen's
dominions of which many of our countrymen here have
not even heard. Without these, and deprived of the in-
fluence which, directly or indirectly, they have exercised
on the native inhabitants, Ahmedabad would always
be well worthy of a visit from a stranger; but its inter-
est would consist rather in the relics of a departed alien
race, than in any signs of life and improvement in the
inhabitants. The dwellings of the lower classes ap-
peared most dilapidated and miserable, and the streets,
where any attempts of native ornamentation were ob-
servable, did not indicate any progress in civilisation.
No institution did I observe or hear of but what had
sprung up under British influence. All the native
gentlemen whom I met were connected with government
institutions of some kind, which had developed their
powers, and given them that peculiar training which is
the result of long experience. It was very gratifying
to an Englishwoman to observe that all this beneficent
:
AHMEDABAD AND ITS INSTITUTIONS.
63
action in the place was not the result merely of the ne-
cessity of carrying out business orders; they sprang from
a direct and evident intention in officials to benefit as
much as practicable the people among whom they were
located. The railway and all its connected machinery
may be regarded as simply necessary to the business pro-
ceedings of the country; but the establishment of an
admirable and complete system of school-training, into
which are introduced all the improvements of superior
minds in England, the hospital, dispensaries, and lunatic
asylum, and a large public library-all these are the
result of many years of patient effort on the part of
Government official gentlemen, who did not limit their
exertions to the work which they were required to do,
but had given their hearty voluntary labour to the im-
provement of the city. Ahmedabad is probably superior
to most provincial or mofussil towns. It was certainly
better and more enlightened in many ways than any
other that I saw. It offers, however, an excellent ex-
ample of how much may be done to raise India, by a
judicious course pursued by those English gentlemen
who are placed in office there.
It was not within the special scope of my enquiries
to investigate many subjects of considerable interest,
such as the tenure of land, the growth of cotton, and
the municipal government. What I heard, however,
led me to the conclusion that Guzerat is peculiarly
favoured in these respects, and that these advantages,
combined with great fertility of soil, give promise of
much future improvement. This province appears in
many respects to be a peculiarly interesting one, and
would well reward the researches and investigations of
intelligent persons who devoted time and attention
to the subject, while the inhabitants, having felt the
64
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
practical benefit of English administration, and having
in many cases been long accustomed to friendly inter-
course with resident official gentlemen, are quite pre-
pared to receive in a good spirit any kind advances
from the English. In all the intercourse I had myself
with native gentlemen at Ahmedabad, and indeed
generally throughout India, I was much struck with the
readiness with which they seized and thoroughly compre-
hended new ideas, though presented to them in a foreign
language, and with the courteousness and candour they
exhibited in argument or discussion.
My first great subject was of course female education.
I met with no exception in Bombay Presidency in the
strong interest felt by native gentlemen on this subject.
There was no need to point out to them the importance
of obtaining female teachers for the schools. They felt
it as strongly as I could do, or even more so, from having
personally witnessed the evils arising from the want of
them. But where could female teachers be obtained?
No natives who can carry on such a work at present
exist in India, nor can trained English teachers be pro-
cured. The few who are in the country are employed
in the mission schools, and none can be spared from
them, even if desired by the managers of the Hindoo
girls' schools. To obtain teachers from England for
each school would involve an enormous expense not to
be thought of; and if one or two could be induced to
come over to help to conduct a model school, with the
assistance of teachers familiar with the vernacular, where
could they take up their abode? It would be impos-
sible to live as inmates of a native home. There are
here no boarding-houses where any English lady could
reside. There is no house for the accommodation of tra-
vellers in this ancient capital of a powerful race, except
AHMEDABAD AND ITS INSTITUTIONS.
65
a 'travellers' bungalow,' which would not appear a very
attractive or suitable place for the residence of a respect-
able English woman. The missionary at Ahmedabad
had not a home where he could receive any lady to
board; and if he had, it would not be considered by the
natives suitable for her to live there, as it would give to
her work a proselytising character, which would entirely
defeat its object. No guarantee on her part would re-
move the suspicion from the native ladies that her real
intention was to convert them, and interference with
their religion they would not tolerate. Should a house
be taken for two ladies, where they might live indepen-
dently? That plan did not appear to me feasible, for the
expense of maintaining such an establishment, in which
several menservants and a carriage of some sort would be
essential, must be very great; and even if the cost of this
could be met, it did not seem to me a position which
I could recommend to any ladies, to come and live
alone in a foreign city, in the midst of those of whose
language and manners they were perfectly ignorant.
Such were the conclusions at which we arrived after
many long and interesting conversations. Besides, the
introduction of a few English ladies here would not meet.
a general want. The Government had provided for a
regular supply of teachers in boys' schools by the esta-
blishment of excellent normal training schools; why
should not the same arrangement be made to insure a
regular supply of female teachers? It is true that
there would be far greater difficulties to be contended
with, because a ready supply of students can be found
for the male normal schools, from the young men who
have received an excellent education; whereas there are
no native young women in India who have received a
similar education and preparation for becoming teachers;
VOL. I.
F
66
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
besides, the national practice of very early marriages, and
the seclusion of ladies, would for some time render it
extremely difficult to find natives who would desire to
become students. Still it was believed, not only by the
native gentlemen, but also by many English gentlemen
and ladies with whom I had the opportunity of con-
ferring at various times, that there exist in the country
a number of educated English women, who, through
widowhood, orphanage, or other circumstances, have
not at present the means of comfortable maintenance,
and who would gladly avail themselves of the means of
qualifying themselves to obtain a respectable livelihood
as teachers. Such persons having been accustomed to
the country, and probably somewhat acquainted with
the language, would more easily be prepared for their
future duties than new-comers, who would be obliged to
occupy some time in studying the vernacular; still we
might look forward also to obtaining lady-students
from the mother-country;-a large number of young
persons do not find a sufficient demand for their
labour in our overstocked market, and we may hope
to obtain some of these, who would devote them-
selves to the work. At any rate the experiment should
be tried, and every effort made to commence what might
lead to a proper supply of teachers for the girls' schools.
Where would, the funds come from? was our next con-
sideration. On all accounts it appeared very desirable
that the institution should be under the special care and
sanction of the Government. 'But the Government
does not care as much for girls as for boys,' urged my
native friends in a tone of some reproach. I assured
them that this was not the case, and that the cause of
their hesitation and backwardness in taking any steps
in this important matter, was from a fear of annoying
AHMEDABAD AND ITS INSTITUTIONS.
67
them, by even apparent interference in their domestic
affairs. It was therefore necessary for the natives
themselves to ask Government to take the subject into
consideration. They expressed their desire to co-operate
in any way in their power, taking themselves part of
the expense of the undertaking. Having requested
some of the leading men to express their views in writ-
ing, the first record in my manuscript book was made
by the principal of the Normal Training School, Mr.
Mahiputram Rupram. The reader will, it is hoped, not
regard the expressions used as less sincere, from their
being tinged with Oriental enthusiasm :- Be hopeful,
O my heart, thy hovering doubts are past and gone;
that which thou didst believe to be impossible will now
be accomplished through the friendly exertions of Miss
Carpenter, the famous philanthropist of Bristol. The
grand object of her visit to this country is, I believe,
to do what she can towards rescuing our women from
their present degrading ignorance and superstition, and
thereby elevate their moral and social position. May
the Almighty and All-merciful God bless her efforts
and grant her every success! Amen.'
Our host, who entered warmly into the subject of the
female normal training schools, kindly invited the
leading men of the city to a soirée for the discussion
of it, and their feeling was unanimous and earnest.
One of these, Mr. Premabhai Hemabhai, was a member
of the Legislative Council of Bombay. Not under-
standing English, the subject was explained to him in
his own language, and he wrote in Guzerathi what is
thus translated :—
I met Miss Carpenter this evening at nine at Mr.
S. Tagore's house at Ahmedabad, along with several
F 2
68
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
respectable gentlemen. She not being able to talk in
Hindostani, Messrs. Tagore and Mahiputram interpreted
between us. The great difficulty in the work of female
education in this country is, that we cannot find com-
petent female instructors among us. She has come
here to observe the condition of women in this country,
and to promote their education. I am of opinion that
if we get an European (meaning English or any other
foreigner) lady to teach them, it will be very well. Our
women are very sharp, and quite able to learn what
may be taught them. They easily learn our religious
books taught them by male teachers. Secular learning
is not more difficult. Secular education makes no
progress because we have no feinale teachers. It is be-
cause they are ignorant that they (women of this
country) do not understand in some respects what is
right and good, and what is wrong and bad. They are
not able to hear and read books containing good know-
ledge. Then, again, they are for the most part confined
in their houses, which prevents the development of their
faculties. I have much more to say. I have expressed
my views very briefly. I conclude now. I very much
thank Miss Carpenter for her coming over to this
country to encourage education among our fair sex, and
to improve their condition. It is very good of her to
do so.
I hope the social position and condition of our
females will begin to improve from this time.
'P.S.-After writing the above I remembered one.
important circumstance which I write here. In this
country, among some of the Hindoos on death oc-
casions, the females beat their breasts, so much so
that some of them lay bare part of their bodies, and
beat their breasts with the palm of both their hands,
and with such force that the beaten parts become very
AHMEDABAD AND ITS INSTITUTIONS.
69
sore, and then some of them become sick, and some even
die; some become dizzy, and immediately fall down on
the ground. I have seen this with my own eyes. All
this is the result of ignorance, the result of want of
knowledge,'
This gentleman requested me to meet at his residence
the following day a number of Hindoo ladies, whom he
would assemble to visit me there. The ladies of the
household and I went at the appointed time; the gentle-
men were not of course invited. It was a most novel
and remarkable sight. Between twenty and thirty
ladies in native dress, and richly adorned with jewels,
were assembled in the handsome drawing-room, which
was fitted up in English style with sofas and couches,
the walls being adorned with engravings and coloured
prints. Many of the ladies brought their daughters,
but the little creatures had no appearance of the vivacity
of childhood, probably being somewhat impressed by
the unusual assemblage, but still more by the conscious-
ness of the splendour of their strings of pearls and
varied ornaments. The master of the house received
us with dignified courtesy, the youth who had brought
his mother to call on me serving as interpreter. After
the interchange of friendly greetings with the ladies, I
was requested to address them on the subject of female
education; my remarks were communicated to our host,
who delivered them with great emphasis to the audience,
in their own language. They appeared much interested,
and on my expressing a desire to hear their views, one
of them spoke with much energy and fluency, expressing
the general accordance of her friends with the views I
had expressed-their strong desire for the education of
their daughters, and the earnest wish for female teachers.
Should such a change be made, she said, they would be
ΤΟ
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
able to leave the young ladies at school much longer than
was at present possible. The usual attention having been
paid in the distribution of flowers and pan-sooparee, and
the sprinkling of rosewater, we retired, much gratified
with our reception, though I was at the time little
aware how remarkable such a party is in that country,
and how great an advance it indicated over the state of
society in the capital of the Empire.
An evening party on the same day was hardly less
remarkable, though at the time it did not strike me as
being so. Mr. Tagore and his friend Mr. G., having
been previously invited to dine at the house of one of
the gentlemen of the Civil Service, desired to return the
compliment, and the English gentleman accepted an in-
vitation from him to dine at his house. Mrs. Tagore
did the honours of the house with perfect propriety.
Indian music was provided for us during dinner; some
sweet but plaintive native melodies were played by two
Hindoos on stringed instruments, and gave us some idea
of the national music. Before this we had heard
nothing worthy of the name, the festivals of the lower
orders being celebrated by a repetition of discordant
sounds without any attempt at tune. This dinner re-
mained as a solitary incident in my visit to India.
no other occasion did I sit at table with Hindoo
gentlemen and ladies. So great a change is gradually
going on in Ahmedabad, through the insensible influence
of British civilisation.
On
Our host did not wish that we should leave the neigh-
bourhood without seeing some of the objects of interest
it contains, and proposed taking us to the royal
cemetery of Sirkhej. This is a famous place for excur-
sions, and though not five miles from the city, a visit
to it occupies a whole day. It was arranged for us all
AHMEDABAD AND ITS INSTITUTIONS.
7]
C
to start very early on Thursday the 11th Oct., and our
expectations of enjoyment were raised somewhat high,
having heard much of a picnic at Sirkhej as the great-
est attraction to Ahmedabad. Knowing how such ex-
cursions are managed at home, we little imagined what
preparations were considered necessary for one in India.
At two in the morning the servants required to start
under the conduct of the butler, and took with them, not
baskets of cold provisions, but an entire cooking appa-
ratus, chairs, tables, and everything necessary to prepare
a regular breakfast and dinner, comme il faut. We
did not witness the departure of the cavalcade, for such
it must have been, but having been fortified by our
early tea,' started about seven, to secure the cool of the
morning. A bullock-cart was now to be our convey-
ance, for reasons which we soon perceived. On arriving
at the bank of the river, we found that there was no
bridge and no boat! Our only possibility of crossing
was to submit to be dragged through the stream by the
bullocks, who did not appear to regard this procedure
with any surprise. We were warned that we might be
upset in the water by their slipping into a hole; but no
catastrophe occurred, and we were highly amused by
the novel mode of transit. Our road, if such it could
be called, lay through deep sand and over hillocks, so it
proved somewhat wearisome; at length on an open
plain two turrets or pillars appeared, which proved to
be the entrance to this wonderful place. The first
glance was not impressive. It is in the keeping of the
Mahometans, and a considerable landed property is
left for its proper maintenance; but here, as elsewhere,
we saw interesting relics of the past-even those which
are still deemed sacred-left in a very neglected and
dilapidated condition, with many idle and low people
72
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
lounging about, or pursuing their ordinary occupations
there. We were, however, soon struck with a large
domed edifice on the right of the entrance, the mausoleum
of a saintly man, the spiritual adviser of Ahmed Shah,who
died in 1445. It was a grand and solemn place within,
evidently regarded as very sacred: the tomb itself was
covered with rich cloths and tapestry, while much more
was stored in a large receptacle, for use on state occa-
sions. It was a very impressive feeling that goodness
was so honoured, and after more than four centuries.
To the west of the dome is a large square building with
a mosque on one side, and on the other splendid colon-
nades. In the south colonnade are covered seats looking
out on the tank, which is nearly a quarter of a mile
square, and is itself surrounded with various small
ruined buildings, probably intended for washing and
bathing, or to be employed as pleasant summer-houses.
There are other tombs; one is a chaste stone building,
the mausoleum of Mahomed Begarba and two of his
brothers, while a smaller one is that of his queen.
Everywhere we saw beautiful specimens of architecture
and lovely stone tracery for windows, though, except in
the colonnades, there was a deficiency of grandeur of
design. After a cursory glance, we found breakfast
prepared for us with as much form and order as if at
home. A kitchen is extemporised in these parts more
easily than in England, and servants in India are less
dependent, than with us, on what we are accustomed to
consider the necessaries of civilised life. Ours was a
singular position, invading with our modern usages this
sacred relic of departed royalty. Shortly, there was
another arrival: we greeted, to our great surprise, the
assistant-magistrate, his intelligent son, our young in-
terpreter, his wife, his son's wife, and other members of
AHMEDABAD AND ITS INSTITUTIONS,
73
his family. They planned this excursion expressly to
meet us here, and thereby added much to the pleasure
of the day. They, too, came prepared to take their
meals here, but according to their own native customs;
and they therefore brought a carpet to spread on the
ground, with the particular clothing which it is thought
proper to adopt while eating-also their own Indian
dishes. The party then strolled among the ruins, while
I established myself in one of the shady recesses to
sketch the tank and surrounding buildings, to which an
unusual cloudy effect gave peculiar beauty. My work
finished, I found myself quite alone, the two parties
being dispersed, except three of the ladies and a young
boy, who fortunately could speak a little English. They
offered, through him, to accompany me round the
tank, and I gladly accepted their escort. It was a very
novel position, thus to be under the guidance of these
Hindoo ladies in their picturesque native dress, quite at
their ease, with their bare feet and toes with silver
rings, which one of them took the opportunity of wash-
ing in the tank as we proceeded. The country round
was very luxuriant, and I carried away as trophies
splendid ears of grains entirely new to me. There was
a deep well near our dining-place, to which the country
people in picturesque dresses came to draw water. In
remembrance of One of more than eighteen centuries
ago, I asked them to give me to drink,' a request which
was very kindly complied with. The mother of our
young interpreter not being able to invite us to eat with
her, sent us a present of some of their favourite dishes,
and requested permission to come with her son and
watch us at our meal, a request which, under the eir-
cumstances, we could not refuse. Everything connected
with English manners is evidently as great a matter of
74
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
curiosity among the native ladies, as their habits are to
us. We again visited the tombs, and loitered among
the porticoes, but left early that we may not be be-
nighted in our perilous crossing of the river.*
On another day we made an afternoon excursion to
the tomb of Shah Alum, at a little distance from the
city, along a heavy dusty road, bordered with cactuses,
where we met a long string of camels, which would have
been somewhat alarming to European horses. This
tomb was a very striking building, with a large mosque
and minaret near. The buildings were beautiful and
picturesque against the clear blue sky. We were for-
tunate in going on the festival of the New Moon, when
the Mahometans from the country round assemble to
enjoy the society of their friends, and to do homage to
the Queen of Night in a manner little distinguishable
from heathen ceremonies. The loud and discordant
cries and clang of instruments were anything but agree-
able or harmonious. Excepting when small parties
went to recite their prayers to the priest, there was
nothing which indicated reverence. Here, and on many
other occasions afterwards, I was strongly impressed
with the degree in which contact with Hindooism de-
teriorates a religion which professes spiritual purity, and
freedom from anything bordering on idolatry. I could
now fully sympathise with the prophet of old, who
indignantly exclaimed, Your new moons and your
appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble.
unto me; I am weary to bear them.'
A morning excursion took us to a remarkable well,
covered over with galleries supported by ranges of
columns. It was constructed in 1556 by Dada Harir,
* For a full description of Sirkhej and the tomb of Shah Alum, with
beautiful photographs, see 'Architecture of Ahmedabad,' by T. C.
Hope, Esq., C.S.
AHMEDABAD AND ITS INSTITUTIONS.
75
who built there also a mosque and mausoleum for him-
self. Much elaborate ornamentation was lavished to pro-
duce very little effect, the galleries not having even the
semblance of a purpose, but Nature decorated the ruins
with her own wild beauty. The inhabitants of the
neighbourhood performed not only their ablutions, but
the cleansing of their garments in it; the water has a dull
leaden colour, and, being so covered over as to exclude
the vivifying influence of the sun's rays, did not appear
particularly inviting for personal use.
We did not visit any Hindoo temples; they do not
appear numerous or important in these parts. The
Jains are a leading sect here. They profess not to
worship any God, but to reverence good men, whom
they place in niches in their temples. There did not
appear to be much to choose between their religion and
Hindooism; the Jains seemed to be really quite as
idolatrous. We went one morning to view a new and
splendid Jain temple built by Hathi Singh, who died
extremely rich in 1845; it is sustained by his family.
We are accustomed to associate idolatry with barbarism,
except among the ancient Greeks and Romans, who so
marvellously blended with it the æsthetic element, and
left the idols created by their own hand to be models
for ever of masculine energy and feminine beauty. It
was, therefore, singularly grating and indeed revolting
to the feelings, to have it first brought forcibly to the
mind, that here not only the low and ignorant cling to
debasing superstition, which the advanced and enlight-
ened of their nation discard, but that rich and influential
men endeavour to gain popularity with their townsmen
by giving position and splendour to the degradation of
their so-called religion. This temple is most gorgeously
adorned, built on a uniform plan, and decorated with
76
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
multitudes of images. All of these are, however, to my
taste extremely hideous; not one excited an idea which
could elevate or inspire with a feeling of beauty, or of
excellence of any kind. A priest, whose countenance
was fraught with cunning and expressive of many bad
feelings, forbad our entrance without an order from the
proprietor; a small coin would probably have obtained
admission for us, but I was glad that neither my friend
nor I had one to offer him. The horror which I felt on
seeing this Jain temple remained with me to the end of
my journey, whenever I beheld an idol temple; for I
increasingly perceived that the system perpetuated in
these places degrades morally and intellectually a great
people, and keeps woman bound in moral and spiritual
thraldom. Until she is emancipated and brought to
her true position in society, the Hindoo nation cannot
become what they were intended to be by the Father
of all.
The educated native gentlemen are becoming pain-
fully alive to the evil of the present position of women,
but do not yet venture openly to remonstrate. They pre-
sent the singular phenomenon of the enlightened portion
of a community being chained down by the ignorant and
superstitious. One of the subjects now warmly agitated
among them is the remarriage of widows. The present
prohibition of this by Hindoo law is a cause of immense
evil. If a child is betrothed, as we should call it, in in-
fancy, and her fiancé dies, she is regarded as a widow, and
subjected during the whole of her life to the privations and
wretched neglected condition at present inseparable from
widowhood. This state of things is the cause of great
suffering and also immorality, in cases where the young
widow is not favourably situated for support. A public
meeting was held at Ahmedabad on the subject, while
AHMEDABAD AND ITS INSTITUTIONS.
77
we were there, but ladies were of course not invited to
be present. Polygamy does not now appear common
among the superior classes. I heard of one case only
at Ahmedabad. In some parts a singular custom pre-
vails, that marriages may be celebrated only once in
twelve years. This involves the necessity of performing
the first marriage or betrothal when the child is an
infant, if the appointed time then occurs. One gentle-
man considered that he should be awkwardly situated if
his wife should die before the expiration of the twelve
years, and thought it best to take another at once, to be
ready for the emergency.
The subject of reformatory schools occupied much of
our consideration. The native assistant-magistrate, as
well as many others connected with the administration
of justice, expressed considerable anxiety that provision
should be made for the education of criminal boys. An
existing clause in the law permits such to be sent to
any duly authorised reformatory in the district. But
none such existed here, nor was there any provision
made for establishing one. The law appeared only as
an isolated clause, and not as a complete Act forming
part and parcel of the laws of the country, as in the
case of our Industrial and Reformatory Schools Acts.
One more institution remained to be visited, and that,
not the least interesting of the whole, was reserved for
the last day of my abode in this ancient city. The
missionary, Mr. Moore, had more than once called on
me, and informed me respecting his proceedings. He
had shown me his little school, which I regretted to see
in so inconvenient and unattractive a building. This
arose, he said, from the prejudices of the people, which
made them unwilling to rent a house for the purpose.
He told me that the parents of the children appeared
78
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
grateful for the interest shown in their welfare, and that
on the whole his work was encouraging. He had no
chapel, as there was a station at a little distance con-
nected with his mission, to which he devoted much
time and attention. He kindly arranged to take me to
visit this.
On Sunday morning, October 14, at half-past six,
we mounted the bullock-cart, and, after passing through
many of the low native streets, made our way slowly
through sandy lanes. We passed several Mussulman
antiquities and some pagan monuments, and at length
stopped at a plain simple building, which was the mission
schoolroom and chapel. A bright cheerful couple re-
siding in an adjoining cottage greeted us with a pleasant
cordial smile of welcome, the first I had seen in any
native of the humbler classes. No sympathy appears
ever to exist between the higher and lower classes in
India among the natives themselves. Christianity has
not yet taught them, 'All ye are brethren.' Being at
home accustomed to exchange friendly smiles with any
children who come in my way, it made me feel quite in
a foreign country, to be unable to obtain anything but
a vacant stare from any young persons whom I noticed.
It was then most refreshing to the spirit on this Sabbath
morning to be so greeted, and to receive a cup of new
milk from the schoolmaster and his wife, as a token of
hospitality. This station is somewhat isolated, and the
inhabitants live together as a Christian community,
without being annoyed by their heathen countrymen.
They are all cultivators-that is, they rent small pieces
of land from the Government, on the profits of which
they live. These people are very poor, and there is no
attempt to raise their condition from the mission funds;
they dwell in small huts similar to those in ordinary
AHMEDABAD AND ITS INSTITUTIONS.
79
use; but a striking difference between them and the
heathen is at once perceptible in the sense of personal
decency shown in their clothing and general demeanour.
Among the lower orders whom I had hitherto seen, the
men and children are usually devoid of any garment,
except perhaps a cloth round their loins; at the same
time they wear silver ornaments, and pearl or other
earrings; the women are bedizened with any ornaments
they can get hold of, with very miserable raiment, only
partially covering the person. Here everyone was
neatly and decently dressed, and I did not notice any
ornaments in the place; though these are not forbidden
by the missionary, they are not valued as they used to
be. At the sound of a bell, the first I had heard in
this heathen land, the congregation gradually dropped
in, and took their places on the matting in an orderly
manner. The service being in Guzerathi, I could not
understand it, but I could warmly sympathise with the
spirit which evidently pervaded this little congregation.
Many looked intelligently attentive, and all joined in the
worship in an orderly manner. A little Sunday-school
was afterwards conducted by the schoolmaster and some
of the elders: the Christian singing was sweet and re-
freshing, after the harsh meaningless tones I had heard
in the schools elsewhere. After a short service for my
benefit in English, and a simple but well-prepared
breakfast, we departed, the members expressing a wish
that some lady would often visit them, and take an
interest in the improvement of the children. Truly it
is strange that none do so!
This little colony appeared to me a striking instance
of the natural effects of Christianity. An air of cheerful
contentment pervaded the place. I was informed
that the members generally live consistent lives, and
80
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
endeavour to lead others to join them. Early mar-
riages are entirely abolished, the young men not being
married until they arrive at the age of eighteen, the
girls at sixteen. Multitudes of such little stations all
over the land would do incalculable good. • Fear not,
little flock,' I thought on leaving them, 'it is your
Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.'
6
And now my visit was come to a close, and I had to bid
adieu to my first home in India. My kind host wrote in my
book the following passage, embodying thoughts he had
offered in prayer at the family altar in our weekly service:
"It is not for nothing that India has been placed
under the British rule. It is impossible to think that her
destinies have been ruled by a blind unsparing Fate, or
that it is for the glory and power of England alone.
that such a wonderful bond of connection has been es-
tablished, by an inscrutable Providence, between the
two countries, separated from each other by half the
world, and a whole world of ideas and feelings. There
is one hope, one intense conviction from which no
true patriot can escape-that is, that England and India
are to be a mutual blessing; that our country, once
famous in the world's history, is destined to be helped
out of her present degeneracy and utter staguation. And
is there no reason for this hope? and are there no data to
base this conviction upon? What was India a few years
ago, and what do we see around us? We see a marked
progress, brought about by the influence of Western civi-
lisation. We see a nation domineered over by caste
and idolatry—a nation of which the men are completely
enslaved to custom, and the women kept down and
tyrannised over by the men by dint of sheer physical
strength, which they cannot resist-a nation which has
long ceased to be progressive, and of which inertia and
AHMEDABAD AND ITS INSTITUTIONS.
81
stationariness is the natural condition. Even this
nation, opening its eyes to the enormous evils around
it, is gradually wakening to the influences of the
bright light of thought and knowledge, before which
millions of false stars are fading away. India sank
down under the weight of the accumulated corruption
of ages; foreign influences were requisite to rouse her.
These are being felt through her length and breadth.
A steady though slow progress is perceptible. The
tyranny of society is slowly succumbing to the gaining
force of individuality and intellect. Superstition is
losing its strongholds one after another. Ceremonial
observances are being replaced by true principles of
morality. There are many things still wanting, hideous
defects still to be remedied; but let us work each of us
individually, and hope for a brighter future. May
India be grateful to England for the blessings she has
been enjoying under her benign rule! May England
feel that India is a sacred trust and responsibility
which cannot be thrown away!'
'Ahmedabad, October 14, 1866.'
VOL. I.
G
82
?
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
CHAPTER III.
SURAT, BOMBAY, AND POONA.
It was with much regret that, on the morning of Oct. 15,
1866, I took leave of the native gentlemen, who ac-
companied me to the station at Ahmedabad to bid me
farewell, for I had been treated by them as a friend,
though a stranger in a strange land. Having exchanged
greetings till the train carried me out of sight, and
watched to the last the minarets near the station, which
my young friend, the interpreter, had taken me to
explore while waiting for departure, I experienced a
little of the desolate feeling of being thrown completely
among foreigners. It was, then, with much pleasure, that
I recognised, at the station at Surat, the young Hindoo
who had provided us with an abode on our journey
from Bombay; the sight of a place one has visited
before, when one is travelling in a foreign country, and
the countenance of even a casual acquaintance, gives
one almost a home-feeling. He was accompanied by an
elderly gentleman, who had commenced a girls' school
in Surat fifteen years before, and the principal of
the Normal School, who was also the secretary of a
society for promoting female education. With these
gentlemen was the educational inspector of the district,
who, with his lady, had kindly invited me to take up
my abode at their house.
Surat is a remarkable old city. It has many of
the same features as Ahmedabad, since it abounds in
SURAT.
83
monuments of departed greatness; but it stands on
much less ground, and is in a state of great dilapida-
tion. Its situation on a river formerly navigable to
Surat from its mouth for even large ships, rendered it.
naturally an object of attraction to European merchants,
as well as a convenient place of departure for Mecca,
for Mahometan pilgrims from all parts of Hindostan ;
this obtained for it the name of the Gate of Mecca. On
the other side of the river are the remains of what was pro-
bably an ancient Hindoo city. About five centuries ago,
probably, the Mahometans commenced to colonise Surat.
The Portuguese found their way to the city soon after
their arrival in India, and in 1512 sacked the then open
town; it was afterwards fortified by the Mahometans.
In the beginning of the seventeenth century the English
visited the place; and in 1612 many conflicts occurred
between them and the Portuguese, whose armaments
were finally defeated; and the Mogul Emperor sent a
firman authorising an English minister to reside at his
court-thus opening trade to our nation. In 1615 a
factory was established at Bharuch or Broach, the trade
of which was so flourishing that in 1683, 55,000 pieces
of cloth were sent from it to England. The Dutch com-
menced trade here in 1616, and for some years their
factory competed successfully with that of the English
at Surat. The French finally established another factory
in this city in 1668, but all commercial prosperity was
then sadly interrupted by the ravages of the Marathas,
which led to the erection of walls of brick instead of
mud. This warlike race still continued for some time
its incursions. Continual troubles arose, and for a
time the English left their factory; but in 1712 a new
firman was granted to the English company, which
was now thoroughly established in Surat, and the real
G 2
84
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
government of the city was vested in presidents, a long
series of whom ruled and passed away during the
eighteenth century. The last titular Nawab died in 1842,
and the flag of Delhi was removed from the citadel. This
city has not only been a prey to the destructive attacks
of its invaders, but has also been exposed to tre-
mendous floods when the rains have swollen the stream
of the Taptee; the waters have then risen to so tre-
mendous a height that boats have sailed over the walls
of the city. Great changes have also transformed
buildings once famous. The noble pile, once the
English factory, is now in part a lunatic asylum, in part
a hospital for natives. The castle, once so important,
can now boast of little but its historical associations.
There is also an extensive asylum for diseased animals.
A city with a history so remarkable, and with remains
so interesting, would give scope for long researches to an
antiquarian. But my object was the present, not the
relics of the past-the condition of human beings, not
of the brute creation. My short stay in the city did
not allow of my devoting my attention to both, and I
did not explore the curious records of departed splendour
or power. A boating excursion in the evening was an
agreeable termination of the day. On the left bank of the
river we observed the house once occupied by the chief
of the French factory, now the residence of a wealthy
Banian. Farther on is a house called the Dutch
Garden, where the chief of the Dutch factory resided.
Most of the houses here have an air of dilapidation,
and many parts show traces of the violence of the river,
when swollen by rains. The banks, however, attracted
our attention but little, for the exquisite beauty of the
sunset on the water was so entrancing as to absorb all
the thoughts and feelings. No one who has not wit-
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85
nessed it can comprehend the extraordinary richness
and gorgeous red of a tropical sunset, reflected in the
calm grey mirror of a broad stream. The landscape,
even if uninteresting, when thrown into deep shadow
against it, is invested with a solemn beauty. But the
glory soon passes away-the pencil cannot portray it
before one general gloom overshadows all. We might
have felt some uneasiness in returning, if the moon had
not given us the benefit of her silvery light.
Tuesday, Oct. 16.-A great confusion of tongues
early broke my rest the next morning. The window of
my sleeping-room overlooked the landing-place of the
river. There, multitudes both of men and women as-
sembled before sunrise to perform their ablutions, and
for various household purposes, such as drawing water
and washing clothes. Strange was the scene which was
here every morning presented to an English eye; for
the women appeared wholly devoid of any feeling akin to
delicacy, and in this public place, to avoid wetting their
garments, left the greater part of their bodies uncovered.
It would seem as if the great seclusion of the women
of the higher classes withdraws the refining influence
of their sex from society;-those who are not so
shielded are thus left in the rude position of barbaric life,
where the weaker sex is oppressed by the stronger, and
being degraded, is deprived of its special excellence.
In India the voices and manners of the lower classes of
women appeared to me more harsh and coarse than
those of the men. I felt assured, however, that this did
not arise from their nature being inferior, but from
the condition in which they are placed.
It was necessary to be up betimes, since a very full
programme for the day had been arranged by my friends.
Our first visit was to the English cemetery, which is
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SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
not far from the city on the road to Broach. It is thus
spoken of in Murray's Guide: A mean wooden door-
way opens upon a large expanse of broken grɔund,
covered with weeds, trees, and mouldered tombs.' The
present altered condition of the burying-ground proves
how much devoted labour must have been bestowed
upon it by the English clergyman of the place, who has
made it one of his special cares, that his countrymen,
whose remains are laid in a foreign land, shall not be
forgotten or neglected. My attention was first drawn,
not to the gorgeous sepulchral monuments, but to the
extraordinary neatness and beauty of the place. While
trees of English foliage were tastefully arranged to
shade the walks and the tombs, lovely tropical plants
and magnificent creepers, with their bright and splendid
flowers, added a beauty to them which I had not wit-
nessed elsewhere; the whole inspired into the spirit.
thoughts of the eternal spring, and the everlasting gar-
den, while wandering among the abodes of the dead.
Texts of Scripture recording heavenly aspirations, and
a certain hope of a blissful resurrection,' were most
refreshing to the mind in the midst of the surrounding
joyless heathenism; they made me feel more intensely
than ever the blessedness of that faith which survives the
wrecks of time and the fall of empires, and calmly bears.
He
its testimony in the midst of a land of idolatry.
who has thus adorned with Nature's choicest treasures
this abode of the dead, has not only shown pious rever-
ence for the departed, but has soothed the wounded
spirits of those who have been called to lay their be-
loved ones in a foreign land.
C
A number of costly sepulchral monuments are in this
cemetery, of some antiquity; they carry one back to the
time when the European factories vied with each other
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87
in Surat in gorgeousness of living, and the English
presidents endeavoured to obtain the respect of the
native princes and people by their magnificence. At
the present day we understand better the true character
of greatness, and the Hindoo nature is sufficiently en-
lightened to appreciate the moral grandeur of a rail-
road, as greater than external pomp. Though many of
the tombs of the greatest pretensions are not such as to
approve themselves highly to modern taste, and some
remind one more of Mahometan than of Christian archi-
tecture, yet it is impossible to pass without notice the
tomb of the Oxendens, those 'most brotherly of brothers,'
as they have been called by Mr. Bellairs, in his 'Account
of the Old Tombs of Surat,' which has been reprinted
from the 'Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society' (vol. vi.
p. 146), and gives an interesting description of these
and other monuments. Christopher Oxenden died first,
in 1659, and his brother erected over his grave a domed
structure, with four pinnacles at the corners.
On a
small marble slab is a quaint inscription written by him.
in Latin, which may be thus rendered—
'Here lies buried Christopher Oxenden, by his life.
an example of probity; by his death, one of the perish-
able nature of life.
'He makes his entrance and his exit, and here he
brought to a termination his undertakings and his life.
He was able to enter in his accounts only days, not
years, for Death suddenly called him to a reckoning.
'Do you ask, O my Masters, what profit you have
gained, or what loss you have suffered?
You have lost a servant, we a companion, he his life;
but on the other side of the page he may write, Death to
me is gain.'
Sir George Oxenden survived his brother ten years,
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SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
and then was laid near him, and a lofty mausoleum was
erected in his honour, enclosing his brother's tomb. It
is forty feet high, with two storeys, and massive pillars
support two cupolas rising one above the other;
round their interiors are galleries, reached by a flight
of many steps. In the upper compartment is a marble
slab with a laudatory Latin inscription, which is still
legible. Sir George is styled Anglorum in India,
Persia, Arabia præses,' but it is stated that the greatest
glory of this noble mausoleum is that it covers ‘gene-
rosos duos fratres fraterrimos.'
6
Many tombs most interesting to the antiquarian are
found here some displaying the armorial bearings of
their families; but, as one author truly remarks, 'The
devices of western heraldry quaintly contrast with the
semi-Saracenic architecture of the tombs, and with the
luxuriant tropical foliage in which they are entombed.'
Time did not allow of a visit to the Dutch cemetery,
which is a little farther from the city; the tombs are
fewer, but of more varied design, and overhung with
luxuriant parasitical plants. The most splendid tomb
is that of the Baron Van Reede, who was called the
Mæcenas of Malabar, and who made and sent to Hol-
land valuable collections of books and curiosities.
died in 1691. This tomb exceeds all others in size and
magnificence; some idea may be formed of its costliness,
from the fact that six thousand rupees were charged to
the Dutch Company for mere repairs.
He
This reverence for the dead among Christians forms a
striking contrast to the neglected manner in which at
Ahmedabad the Mahometan tombs are left exposed by
the wayside, without any wall or defence around them ;
it is strange that a people who show such peculiar and
almost superstitious respect to the remains of their great
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89
men, as we saw at Sirkhej, should be so careless about
those of their friends. It is also remarkable that the
mode of disposal of the dead which is universally re-
garded with the utmost horror among Western civilised
races, should be the approved custom of the Parsees,
who are numerous at Surat. I had no desire to visit
their tower of silence, where the dead are deposited, to
be torn in pieces and devoured by vultures.
We turned from the dead to the living.
The boys' school, in which youths are prepared to
pass their matriculation examination, and the Normal
Training School, do not differ in general character from
those at Ahmedabad. The girls' school, however, ap-
peared superior, though exhibiting the same peculiar
features. In the large schoolroom, containing from eighty
to one hundred young girls, whose ages probably ranged
from six to ten years, there was no female teacher, and
the lower classes appeared inert and unoccupied. The
first classes were intelligent, and answered the ques-
tions put to them by the inspector, who kindly accom-
panied us, with much quickness. The questions were of
course in the vernacular, as in no Hindoo schools is
English yet taught to girls. Being anxious to know
how far the knowledge displayed by the girls was real,
I requested that the class may be asked some questions.
respecting common objects. The nature of silk was
that put to them, and a little girl, after giving a correct
answer, at once ran for a lesson-book in which was a
chapter on the silkworm, with a picture at the top;
this she triumphantly brought, to demonstrate the
correctness of the reply. The class wrote dictation in
Guzerathi very correctly: at the head of every exercise.
each girl wrote an invocation to her deity for help.
Several native gentlemen were present, who took a
90
4 SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
warm interest in female education; they wished for
me to meet a number of the ladies themselves, and it
was arranged for them to assemble in that room the
same afternoon. A few English ladies were invited to
accompany me, but of course no gentleman was to be
present except those who were necessary as interpreters.
At the appointed hour we went to the meeting, and
found the room nearly filled with Hindoo ladies,
chiefly the mothers of the young scholars. Seats of
honour were appointed for the English strangers, whose
dress and deportment were the subject of much criticism
and comments among the native ladies. There were
other arrivals after ours, and we were surprised to find
that many had walked there unattended through the
streets. One lady came escorted by her husband, who
endeavoured to obtain admission with her, and who ex-
pressed much annoyance at being refused. I felt it
then, as always, extremely tantalising to be unable to
exchange any expressions of friendship with those ladies,
otherwise than by dumb show; but I went among them,
endeavouring to make my friendly feelings understood,
and they readily reciprocated them. Some of the ladies
had brought their young children with them, but on my
attempting to take an infant in my arms, I was saluted
with a loud scream, evidently being regarded with as much
terror as is a black man by English children. I was in
future cautious in my advances to creatures too young
to comprehend the friendliness of my intentions. The
pictures, toys, and ornaments which I had with me were
objects of much curiosity not only to the children, but
to the grown-up ladies, and I only regretted that I had
not provided myself with more, to distribute as tokens
of friendly interest. When the Hindoo and English
ladies had surveyed each other sufficiently (I was be-
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91
coming accustomed to have every article of my dress
closely scrutinised), I was requested to address them;
this was to be accomplished through two interpreters,
as at Ahmedabad, since the elder gentleman who had
summoned the meeting did not understand English.
Whether the sense of what I said was correctly con-
veyed to my audience I cannot of course say, but my
remarks were certainly translated, and then delivered
with full emphasis and considerable amplification, and
appeared to be fully appreciated. At the conclusion,
the young wife of the speaker came forward, and handed
me an address, composed and beautifully written by her-
self in Guzerathi. The following translation was after-
wards given me the simplicity of the expressions
guarantees the sincerity of the writer:-
To the very benevolent and virtuous woman,
Mary Carpenter.
Dear Mother-A few days ago I learnt from my
husband your name, and your object in coming here at
such a great distance from your country. I was very
anxious to see you. Now that you come here, and that
you take so much pains to better our condition, I in
behalf of these sisters here present feel very thankful
to you. May God grant you long life, and may you
continue to exert yourself in this laudable work!
(Signed)
Surat, October 16, 1866.
These few words express the feeling which was every-
where manifested by native ladies in each Presidency,
in connection with my visit. The fact of my coming from
so great a distance to see them, unconnected with any
society, and without any other motive than a desire to
92
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
manifest friendly sympathy to them, was sufficient to
elicit a warm response.
She loves us for ourselves'
has in it a touching significance to the heart, whether
uttered by a poor dying Irish boy or felt by Hindoo
ladies. A beautifully-carved sandalwood card-case was
then presented to me from the ladies, a token of friend-
liness from Hindoo sisters which I greatly treasure, now
that I am again in my native land.
This, we presumed, was the conclusion of our soirée,
but on intimating our intention to bid farewell, we were
requested to wait; garlands, bouquets, and pan-sooparee
were distributed, and rosewater was sprinkled on the
guests.
The next morning, October 17, my hosts kindly
invited a party of about twenty-five English gentlemen
and ladies to breakfast; and as the native gentlemen.
could not, in accordance with their national customs, sit
at table with us, they joined us afterwards in the draw-
ing-room, that we might discuss the subject of female
education. It was a remarkable assemblage, and one
which in itself indicated a great and most satisfactory
progress. Every English gentleman or lady has very
great means of doing good in India without any exertion
or expense, by the simple exercise of kindly feeling
towards those among whom it is their lot to live ; every
one who, in addition, occupies an official position in this
country, confers a benefit if he discharges his duty with
genuine hearty feeling, as well as conscientiously; not
only does he valuable work, but is helping to draw the
inhabitants of India into sympathy with England, and to
infuse into them a true conception of the principles we
adopt in our political and social economy. Such work
must have been long going on in Surat, to have prepared
the way for so much free expression of opinion and
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93
friendly intercourse between the two races, as I had the
pleasure of witnessing on that morning.
"
The native gentlemen thoroughly entered into the im-
portance of the scheme for a Female Normal School, and
signified their approval in the following statement, which
was signed by above twenty of the leading men of the
city: We, the undersigned, think it most desirable and
absolutely necessary for female education in Guzerat,
to have a Normal Training School for female teachers
opened in one of the principal towns in the province.'
A native deputy educational inspector thus inscribed
his views in my book:
'I have been engaged in the educational line since
these last sixteen years, that is, as soon as I left my
college studies in 1850. I think I was the first person
who wrote a tract on the subject of female education in
Guzerathi. The subject was fully discussed in several
meetings of a literary society at Bombay, and it was
finally decided that the female education ought to be
commenced among Guzerathi people. I and several other
brethren of mine undertook to establish girls' schools,
and voluntarily devoted two hours every day to teach
the girls. This was continued for some time, the taste
for education increased, and after some time we found
it absolutely necessary to appoint separate paid teachers.
The taste for female education is still on an increase.
The people are not so obstinate as they were fifteen years
ago, in not sending their daughters to the schools. But
the difficulty we now feel is that the girls, as soon as
they reach the age of ten or eleven years, leave the
school and cannot stay, owing to there being no female
teachers. Hence I see that there is now a greater ne-
cessity for good female teachers; and I most fervently
hope that female education, if carried on under good
94
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
trained female teachers, will be beneficial in improving
the general condition of the people.'
October 17, 1866.
It happened that Mr. Curtis, the educational inspector,
had at this very time summoned many of his deputies to
meet him at Surat on business. They conferred on the
subject, and fully agreed in the importance of providing
for a supply of female teachers, in the same manner as this
had been done successfully for male teachers. In order
to ascertain how far their views were practical, Mr. C.
asked questions to elicit whether these gentlemen en-
deavoured to obtain education for their own families,
and also whether they would like their wives to learn
plain needlework-an art which in India is usurped by
the male sex, tailors being employed to make even the-
clothes of English ladies. It was very satisfactory to
hear a deputy sub-inspector say with some pride, 'My
wife made all the clothes I have on; it was she who
made this vest.' The native inspectors seemed all to
feel their professional honour concerned in bringing
forward their wives as much as possible in learning.
One was proud to state that his wife had arrived at the
fifth book. I afterwards learnt that one of these ad-
vanced ladies had made an application to enter as
a student in the proposed Female Normal Training
School. It would indeed be an immense advantage
for a husband and wife to be both engaged in education,
with mutual help in the different departments of a
boys' and a girls' school under their respective care.
Wednesday, Oct. 18. This morning early I went
to attend the mission chapel, where there is worship in
the vernacular every day at eight o'clock. It was a
neat, large, airy room. There were very few present,
-
SURAT.
.95
but I remembered the Saviour's promise, 'Where two
or three are gathered together in My name, there am I
in the midst of you.' The few that were there evidently
felt this, and there was a holy influence around. The
singing was touchingly beautiful, led by the wife of
the missionary. The master of the mission school and
his wife were there, native converts. There was also a
man of superior and intelligent air, who was employed
to search out the most miserable and neglected children,
and bring them into a little school which he taught.
He said he loved the work, for he had been a poor
miserable boy himself. Thus was our ragged school
work practically developed in India. I learnt that this
worthy man had been a servant in the household of the
inspector, who had given him instruction, of which he
had made good use. He was so earnest to help on others,
that he accepted a lower stipend as schoolmaster than he
would have gained in domestic service, to devote himself
to his present work. There was also a young native Chris-
tian woman of very pleasing appearance, who invited me to
her house. She was living with her parents. Her grand-
father was the first convert made by the missionaries;
her father, a very learned moonshee, is employed as a cate-
chist, and is believed to do much good among his country-
men, the Mahometans. The house was particularly clean
and neat; adorned with books, pictures, and beautiful
needlework, it indicated everywhere the influence of
Christianity on the household. No one who has not
witnessed it can realise the marvellous change made in
all the thoughts and feelings, habits and manners of
Hindoos, by the reception of Christianity into the heart.
and life. Surely this young woman, now the third
generation of believers, has a work to do for her peo-
ple. The sister is already doing one as the wife of an
96
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
excellent Parsee convert minister, and the mother of
Christian children. Of that family I heard and saw much
at Bombay. The first printing-press in Guzerat was es-
tablished by this mission, and still occupies the original
premises. They are airy and pleasant, very unlike such
business establishments in England. Indeed, when
seeing none but half-clad Hindoos, one can hardly
fancy oneself in an office from which is to emanate
knowledge over the whole province. Yet so it was, and
in proof of it the missionary somewhat proudly handed
me a copy of the Scriptures, on good paper, in a clear
beautiful type, and a magazine in the vernacular, which
is printed here and extensively circulated. The binding,
too, was far from second-rate; indeed, some valuable
copies of choice works were shown me, which were
sent here to secure specially good workmanship. The
mission committees at home, who reckon their success
by the number of converts whose names can be en-
rolled in their reports, little comprehend how great
and true a work is being steadily and unobtrusively
done by the faithful men and women whom they
send out to sow seed, which others may reap in this
apparently unproductive field. Who can tell what
good this mission in Guzerat has done?-Only the Lord
of the Harvest, who will reckon up His fruits and His
precious grain at the Last Day. It was gratifying to
learn that the same Church clergyman who had shed so
much beauty over the English burial-ground, showed his
truly catholic spirit in working harmoniously with the
Dissenting missionary. He himself specially devotes his
efforts to preaching at the railway stations, where he wel-
comes all alike, of whatever creed or colour. In this hea-
then land, creeds and parties should be forgotten; Chris-
tians, of whatever sect, should strive only to bring all to
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97
accept the Lord whom we all love, as the wellbeloved
Son, the sent of God, and to live in obedience to His
laws. Every Christian, of whatever creed or Church,
should strive to make his life consistent with his pro-
fession.
It was necessary to make a short visit suffice to the
Public Library and the General Hospital. The former
appears in progress to be a very good and complete one
under native management, with European encourage-
ment and help. It is astonishing what a new character
these public institutions give to the portions of the city
where they are situated. The municipal commissioners
endeavour to keep space round them open, and improve
the locality; sometimes a sacred tree is in the way
which must not be cut down, sometimes mean miser-
able streets quite destroy the effect; but on the whole
the ancient city seems to have a new life springing up
within it, and a far better one than anything which
could have been conceived in the days of its material
wealth and magnificence. It is a happy thought that
our nation has been the means of bringing this about;
that our Government has, even with defects and short-
comings, conceived and executed so wise a system of
ruling; that our people, with all their faults, have been
the means of carrying it out, and of kindly giving a
stimulus and aid to those who require it.
Many native gentlemen, and ladies also, came to visit
me on this day. It was gratifying to observe the self-pos-
session and yet modesty of the demeanour of the latter.
They appeared anxious for improvement; this was evi-
denced by the fact that two young ladies attended a class
which the missionary's wife held gratuitously at her own
residence. In these parts, it appears impossible to obtain.
any female instruction except from the missionaries. A
VOL. I.
H
98
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
C
Mahometan gentleman called, but did not bring his
lady, though he invited me to visit her. He could not
speak English, but made, through a gentleman who
kindly acted as interpreter, many enquiries respecting
my position and circumstances, feeling evidently as-
tonished to see a lady thus venture forth alone. All
the enquiries were probably not translated to me, for
my Hindoo friends had too much innate sense of pro-
priety ever to ask any question which might be regarded.
as ill-bred. At length our interpreter intimated that
the Mahometan gentleman was desirous of putting the
questions, How old are you?' and 'Have you any
friends and relations? On the first point I did not
gratify his curiosity. Forty is here regarded as a great
age, and fifty-which he suggested as my probable
age is reckoned almost superannuated. I satisfied his
mind, however, on the second point, by showing him a
photographic album well filled with friends and relations,
which served to convince him that I did not come here
from being without any friends at home to care for me.
There are two newspapers, partly English and partly
Guzerathi, belonging to the city; the editors called and
assured me of their friendly co-operation, which they
showed on more than one occasion.
Friday, Oct. 19.-This was my day of departure;
but I must not leave without visiting the jail, which I
did early in the morning. The shattered palisades
round the surrounding enclosure by no means give an
idea of a Government institution, still less of a jail.
All the prisoners were in irons; this was indeed neces-
sary for security in such premises. The same general
features were observable here as in Ahmedabad: no
instruction, and sleeping in association at night six or
eight in a cell; by day weaving and other skilled labour,
BOMBAY.
99
beautiful baskets, cane chairs, and other articles. The
rattan was here ordered by the superintendent when
he was not satisfied with the quality of the work. No
attempt appeared to be made to carry out any system
which would improve the moral condition of the pri-
soners. The wretched women were huddled together in
a miserable place; they were said to be so bad that they
could not be made worse. There did not appear to be
any attempt to make them better.
And now again a departure from a place already be-
come familiar, and farewell to many whom I had learnt
to esteem. It is sad to leave friends just as one is be-
ginning to know and value them; but such is the ine-
vitable lot of travellers!
It was late in the evening when the lamps of Bombay
sparkled in the distance; the sight of them was accept-
able after a hot and dusty journey. One is compelled
in India to be content to be covered with dust when
travelling, as open windows are indispensable. I was
truly thankful to find Mr. Scoble, that year sheriff, kindly
waiting to receive me, and convey me to his hospitable
abode, which he and his lady bade me regard as my
home during my stay in the country. So I did think
of it, in whatever part of India I was travelling, for I
knew that there I had friends who sympathised in my
work, and would be glad to see me again, and that in
their house was one place which they permitted me to
call my own. None can tell how much happiness they
confer, or how much good they do, when they thus ful-
fil the apostolic injunction, Be not unmindful to en-
tertain strangers.' Let me here offer them publicly, as
I have often done privately, my grateful thanks.
It was one of those splendid moonlight nights so
common in Bombay, when the open carriage drove
¤ 2
100
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
through an avenue of cocoanut palm-trees to the large
verandah of this pleasant Eastern abode. No one who
has not visited tropical countries can imagine the ex-
quisite loveliness of the long silvery branches, or rather
leaves, of this beautiful tree, floating in a gentle breeze,
and reflecting the light of the moon. The splendour of
the Queen of Night, as she shines forth from her throne
in the deep blue heavens, and sheds her rays on the
waters, always entranced me; yet here she seemed in-
vested with a fresh glory. My new home was at Breach
Candy, so close to that rocky shore that during the
rainy season the spray dashes against the windows of the
house, and the incessant roaring of the waves is perfectly
distracting to a person of weak nerves. Not very long
before my arrival, a dreadful shipwreck had occurred.
near this spot, and my kind host and hostess had been
called on for a large exercise of their hospitality, in suc-
couring those who with difficulty were rescued from a
watery grave. Now all was calm and peaceful. The
large verandah terrace was always shady, and refreshed
by the sea-breezes; this led directly into the spacious
drawing-room, dining-room, library, and music and
billiard-room, which all opened into each other and
allowed a free circulation of air, venetian shutters care-
fully excluding the heat on the sunny side; punkahs
are of course in every room, ready for use when re-
quired. There is no possibility of privacy or seclusion
in the sitting-rooms of Indian houses; native servants
appear everywhere unexpectedly, as the tread of their
bare feet is noiseless; and indeed a tailor sitting cross-
legged in the verandah, repairing house-linen or mak-
ing female attire, is very commonly considered an essen-
tial part of the household. These, and the native
servants generally, are not supposed to understand
BOMBAY.
101
English; the butler and valet frequently speak enough
for common house purposes. It is, however, generally
believed that the servants are acquainted with much
more English than they profess, and hence the extra-
ordinary knowledge possessed by them, and through
them the public generally, of the affairs of their em-
ployers. Such a state of things appears inseparable
from the present Anglo-Indian mode of life.
This house had a second-floor for sleeping apart-
ments. Such is rarely the case in country houses or
villas not actually in the city, as space is abundant, and
it is certainly very agreeable in this hot climate to be
spared the fatigue of mounting stairs. The rooms
assigned to me were spacious and airy, overlooking the
sea; and some of the windows were shaded by the tops
of beautiful large cocoanut trees, one of which had
actually nuts hanging from it in every stage of deve-
lopment. I learnt to feel quite a personal attachment
to these trees, and did not wonder that they are held
by some as sacred and worshipped-a far more innocent
object of idolatry than the hideous images one sees
everywhere. Every part of the tree-its fruit, sweet
milk, fibre, shell, leaves, bark, and wood-is useful
to man, and supplies the simple inhabitants of the
southern coasts with most that they require in their
primitive mode of life.
From the other windows of my room the sea pre-
sented a never-failing source of interest, whether in
the morning light, glowing but calm, a soft warm grey
in the zenith, against which the palms came out bril-
liantly; or in the rich deep red of the sun setting in the
water; or when, in the middle of the darkness of night,
I opened the shutter and beheld a flood of glory
on the dark silent waves, which reminded me, Thy
102
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
glorious eye pervadeth space,'- The light of His coun-
tenance is over all His works."
A morning sketch from those windows is now a
treasured memorial of that sea-view: the distant hills of
the bay, the extensive rocky beach, along which Parsees
were generally wandering before sunrise to pay their
morning orisons, and the palms bending towards the sea
to escape from the unwelcome land-breezes.
Saturday, Oct. 20.-A delightful packet of home
despatches was awaiting my arrival; for the first time
also, since leaving England, was I able completely to
unpack and arrange my affairs. Some rats had taken
a fancy to the binding of a few of my books, but other-
wise all were in excellent condition. Many friends,
both native and English, came to welcome me, and
gave me promise of many subjects for future observa-
tion. So much of interest had already presented itself
in connection with the Bombay Presidency, that I was
beginning seriously to think of not extending my
journey farther, but of employing my six months'
holiday in seeing and learning as much as possible in
this part of Western India only. But the importance
of taking some steps towards the establishment of a
Female Normal Training School, as a first and essen-
tial step towards any improvement in female education,
had now forced itself strongly on my mind. The
various discussions of the subject with both English
and natives, the careful consideration with them of
every difficulty, the anxiety expressed by both Hindoo
ladies and gentlemen that some such course should be
soon adopted, and the necessity of having Government
sanction before anything could be done all these
considerations led me to feel that I must make this
subject my primary one, and that all other plans must
BOMBAY.
103
be superseded by whatever seemed most likely to pro-
mote this. The subject of prison discipline was also
one which I felt to be of the first importance to the
welfare of India, and on which I was anxious to obtain
some information which might be of some future service;
-respecting this, I was peculiarly desirous of conferring
with official gentlemen. The study of the subject in
which I had engaged in the preparation of my work,
"Our Convicts,' and the close observation of the Irish
convict system, under the direction of Sir Walter
Crofton, the founder of it, made me wish to lose no
opportunity of gleaning further information here. But
the Court was likely to continue for some time longer
at Poona, waiting for the approaching durbar, and few
of those official gentlemen to whom I brought letters
of introduction were now in Bombay. It seemed best,
therefore, to accept the kind invitation of Lady Grant-
to whose husband, Sir Alexander Grant, the Director of
Public Instruction, I had brought an introduction from
Lord Cranbourne-to pay her a visit at Poona during
the durbar week, when I should have an opportunity.
of laying these subjects before the Government and
the Educational Department. It was fixed, there-
fore, that I should take this journey on the follow-
ing Wednesday, under the escort of Mr. Manockjee
Cursetjee, who was himself going to attend the dur-
bar.
Monday Oct. 22.-At an early hour my host, the
sheriff, kindly undertook to accompany me to visit the
jail, with his lady. A very different arrangement
prevails here from what is adopted in the provincial
towns. The jailer-or, as we in England should
say, the governor-is here called the marshal, and has
the responsible management of the place, under the
104
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
supervision of the sheriff and magistrates. He was
an Englishman, and very superior to the native officers
I had seen elsewhere. I perceived at once the good
effect of having an officer with full authority always
on the premises and resident there. The sheriff had
himself devoted much time and attention to it, and
had made many improvements in the place. Leg-irons
are now used only occasionally in extreme cases, and
the marshal expressed his opinion that they need never
be employed, if proper care is taken and a right disci-
pline is maintained. A number of English sailors are.
here, for neglect of duty. It is strongly suspected
that the captains provoke the men to misconduct while
in port, if they do not require their services, in order
to relieve themselves from their maintenance. A
clergyman of the city kindly gives gratuitous services.
and conducts regular worship on Sundays, but there
is no chapel or even schoolroom suitable within the
jail where these can be held. The industrial work
appeared excellent, and done with good will; indeed,
the marshal said that he had never any need of the
rattan moral influence appeared to prevail here.
There were, however, but few separate cells, and there
is no instruction provided for the prisoners. The
female prisoners had better premises than in the other
jails I had visited, but morally their condition was
equally dreadful. There are no female warders, and
there is no instruction. Then there were five women.
locked up together, one of whom was a murderess.
The poor creatures seemed pleased that they were
sufficiently cared for to lead us even to look at
them, and responded to our evident feelings of
sympathy. I suggested that the visits of ladies
would be valuable to the women confined in this and
BOMBAY.
105
other jails; if unable to converse with them they would
show them kindness, and even this would have a
softening effect on them; they might also teach them
needlework or other civilising feminine art.
It was
replied that this would be impossible, since there
was no place here where ladies could sit down; and
that, besides, these women were too low in their
habits to be approached by any person of refinement.
That such a state of things can exist in a country
governed by Christians, filled me with horror. We
cannot throw off the responsibility by the remark, 'Am
I my brother's or sister's keeper?' These poor wretched.
creatures are in our hands, and cannot escape from us,
or we from the duty imposed upon us by our relative
positions. Surely the simple revelation of these things
to the British public will stir up some to take up the
cause of the Hindoo female prisoner, and never let the
subject rest, until all is done for them that enlightened
humanity can do. If we are debarred from giving
them Christian teaching, let us at any rate exhibit to
them the fruits of our holy religion, in our treatment
of them, and let us discharge the solemn duty we owe
to them.
Tuesday, Oct. 23. The scenes I visited to-day
were of a very different character. As I was anxious
to see the girls' schools, under the management of the
missionaries, a friend kindly accompanied me to-day
to a school under her own management. It did not
exhibit any features very different from those which I
had already seen, the want of trained female teachers
being there, as elsewhere, strongly felt.
A boarding-school for native Christian girls was, how-
ever, quite new to me, and an institution which I was
desirous of observing closely, especially as I had for
106
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
nearly forty years directed my attention to the education,
physical, intellectual, moral, and religious, of the young
of my own sex; the greater part of this period to young
ladies, the last twelve years to the sole management of
the first Reformatory established in England for crimi-
nal girls. I wished, then, to study how far the same
principle might be applicable in this country. The
school I was about to visit is a boarding institution,
under the care of Mrs. Nesbit, who, animated with.
Christian love for these children, devotes herself in her
widowhood to them, and to other good works among the
natives. She occupies rooms in the premises, which she
makes her home, thus shedding her influence and
refinement into the school. The building is a very
simple and unostentatious one, and its deficiencies and
inconvenience of arrangement had decided the sup-
porters on providing a better one, to which the school
was about to be removed. The teachers are women,
except a pundit, who is engaged to give grammatical
lessons in the vernacular, in the presence of a female
official. The scholars are chiefly orphans, and of dif-
ferent nationalities-Hindoos, Armenians, half-castes
-but all associating without the slightest distinction.
Their ages varied considerably, some being very young,
others probably fifteen or sixteen. The deportment of
all was pleasing, and when they sung their voices
blended sweetly and harmoniously. In England, such
girls would be generally intended for domestic service,
and prepared for its duties while at school. I was in-
formed, however, that such can rarely be the case in
India, owing to the universal employment of men in
the household occupations, with us exclusively appro-
priated to women; it would not, therefore, be safe for a
young girl to be placed as servant in a family. The girls
POONA.
107
are usually married when about fifteen or sixteen to
native converts, and it is of importance that they should
be prepared to be good wives and mothers of families.
Mrs. Nesbit has them trained, therefore, to do all kinds
of housework; this is not only in itself very useful,
but is valuable in strengthening the muscles. Laundry-
work is at home an excellent occupation in these
respects, and is besides often very remunerative; it
appears, however, that this is never carried on in school.
Attention is, however, paid to needlework, and some is
even taken in for customers. The singing was sweet,
and in other respects this school gave me satisfactory
proof that, under good female instruction, Hindoo girls
are quite equal to their English sisters.
Wednesday, Oct. 24.-The railway journey to Poona
is one of no ordinary interest, for it is on the famous
Bhore Ghaut Incline, which rivals the wonderful Alpine
road. The first part of the journey is by Salsette to
Tanna, whence the celebrated caves may be visited; the
distant hills and sea, with the fertility of the country,
make the route interesting to a stranger. When the
ascent of the mountain commences, the train divides,
and the speed is greatly diminished; this is a consider-
able advantage, as it enables the traveller to enjoy the
marvellous beauty of the scenery. The road is not one
simple ascent, but has to be carried backward and for-
ward along the brow of different ridges; hence there is a
perpetual change of scene-stupendous precipices, deep
gorges, extensive plains, and overhanging mountains,
presenting every possible variety. A month before, there
were also magnificent waterfalls, from the effect of the
rains, but now there were only a few traces of these.
The day was sultry, but as we rose we reached a fresher
atmosphere, and at last arrived at Khandalla, near which
108
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
is a sanatorium for soldiers. The scene was now en-
tirely changed. On reaching the top of a steep ascent
one usually expects to find a corresponding descent the
other side. There, however, we were on the top of the
high table-land which forms the Deccan. The face of
the country was now strikingly altered, though in the
distance were mountains, and we could trace on the
steep face of one some famous sacred caves; yet around
us the country became increasingly barren, and the
regular and well-made roads indicated that we were
approaching a large military encampment. We passed
an engineering college and residences of official gentle-
men. The strange mingling of civilisation and bar-
barism is nowhere more striking than at Poona. It had
been very observable on the road, for the inferior car-
riages were filled with men and women, probably going to
the approaching durbar, whose nude condition and rough
unregulated deportment, especially in the case of the
women, were particularly repulsive. Poona itself is still
a stronghold of Brahminism, and having been a capital
of the Marathas, is particularly filled with the insignia
of idolatry, displayed in hideous images and paintings,
and in remains of ancient palaces and very narrow
streets and staircases. These contrast strangely with the
comparatively new encampment, and with the houses of
the English resident gentry, and all the state consequent
on the Court being there.
Thursday, Oct. 25.-This morning was devoted to
the schools, which are particularly good at Poona. It
is very striking to see the anxiety for learning in the
young men. It appears, however, that this arises from
the fact of successful application being the means of
obtaining scholarships, which more than suffice for the
maintenance of a young Hindoo, and also Government
POONA.
109
employment. If those are not procurable, still there is
considerable demand for clerks and writers in various
offices; and this, if not always a very lucrative mode of
living, is more in accordance with native taste, and
deemed more honourable, than employments involving
more physical labour. Hence very great efforts are
often made by parents to keep young men at the High
School, and then at college, considering this a good in-
vestment for their future benefit. This is a step in
advance. A gentleman at Surat, who had received all
his education gratuitously from benevolent persons, told
me that his father had spent 30,000 his rupees for
marriage, but would not have spent 3,000 rupees for
his education. We visited four educational institutions
for youths a Branch School, a High School, a Mission
School, and a Normal Training School.
In the Branch School, as English is not taught, the
masters are inferior and worse paid, but they appeared
to teach with great care and skill. The building had
probably been a large dwelling-house surrounding a
court, and with porticoes: in some of these the classes
are held, while families occupy other portions of the
house. This has a remarkably picturesque effect,
though not very convenient for tuition. The scholars
are, however, more tractable than our young English
boys, and we did not notice any tendency to disorder,
even under the excitement of the presence of strangers.
It was strange to see the little fellows sitting on the
ground with a reed pen, tracing out, at first rudely, then
with beautiful neatness, the Marathi characters. The
writing produced in the school was remarkably good.
On our asking for a specimen, the schoolmaster kindly
sent me a number of exercises which far surpassed any
that could be shown in our ordinary National or British
110
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
schools; some of them were even illuminated;— he sent
with them some verses of his own composition addressed
to Sir A. Grant, which were an exquisite specimen of
ornamental chirography.
The High School we visited had in the higher classes.
young men who had attained a very superior degree of
education. Their acquaintance with the structure and
genius of the English language was remarkable, as was
evinced by the facility with which they not only trans-
lated at first sight correctly into the vernacular very
difficult passages from our literature, but rendered
passages of their own language into good English. In
geometry and the higher branches of arithmetic, they
showed great proficiency. The following tables will have
considerable interest:
Castes of Pupils attending the School in the Poona Subdivision on
April 30, 1866.

Number of
schools
Hindoos
Mahome-
tans
Parsees
Others
Total
Boys'
Girls'
137
6758
292
1
7051
3
131
1
22
154
Period of Attendance of Pupils of Schools in the Poona Subdivision up
to April 1866.

Number of schools
Under 3 months
3 to 6 months
6 to 9 months
9 months to 1 year
1 to 2 years
2 to 3 years
3 to 4 years
4 to 5 years
5 to 6 years
Girls' 3
49
35
22 19 15
7
5
2
Boys' 137 1641 1278 957 767 1055 515 391 214 140 62 21
6 to 7 years
7 to 8 years
8 to 9 years
I
9
1
9 to 10 years
10 to 11 years
| | | 11 to 12 years
Total
7051
154
POONA.
111
We here see that while in Poona there are 137 boys'
schools, containing 7,051 scholars, there are only three
for girls, containing 154, and of this small number only
29 have had a year's instruction, only two having been
from four to five years at school; while of the boys more
than a third of the whole number have had from one
year to nine years' teaching. Two of these girls'
schools I visited; they were in small and very unsuitable
buildings, and with very inefficient teachers-a striking
contrast to what I had seen in Ahmedabad and Surat,
and what I afterwards saw in Bombay. So little can a
judgment be formed of even one Presidency from the
condition of a part of it.
The Mission Day School is a large one, containing from
600 to 700 youths. It is in what appears to have been
an ancient palace, judging from the size of the halls and
the richness of the dark wood-carving.
The scholars are all assembled once a day for Scripture
reading, and they presented a very striking spectacle
when so gathered together in the grand old hall, though
their minds did not appear to be much occupied with
what was going on. The large library and class-room
are also very striking, and for the first time I saw
objects of natural history displayed to awaken the
curiosity and stimulate the intellect of the scholars.
There and elsewhere the superintendent or missionary
candidly owned that their schools are not sought after
for the sake of Scripture instruction, as has been some-
times represented, but to obtain instruction at a cheaper
rate. They have generally, however, expressed the
hope and belief that though at first the scholars show
repugnance to Scripture instruction, yet that good ef-
fects do eventually show themselves, both in direct con-
versions, and in a diminution of prejudice; there cannot
112
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
:
but be a good influence arising from hearing the simple
teaching of our holy religion, even if the hearers do not
receive them as divinely inspired. Here also the exer-
cises were very beautifully written, and I carried away
some specimens of these, and also of maps drawn by the
young people, which did the highest credit both to
teachers and scholars, and are highly prized by friends
at home.
The Normal Training School did not appear as good
as those which I had seen elsewhere. Many young men
apply for admission into it without any special gift for
teaching, but in order to obtain a gratuitous education,
afterwards employing this to procure situations. This
of course has to be discouraged; it appeared to me, how-
ever, a matter of regret that with a view to this, Eng-
lish is not as thoroughly taught as in the High Schools.
Even if young men are intended only to be teachers in
vernacular schools, it is very desirable that they should
have their minds enlarged, and their power increased of
improving through English civilisation, to enable them
to improve their scholars.
Many of the students attending the High School as
well as the Normal School come from a distance, and a
boarding-house is provided for them. This we were.
invited to visit, and were escorted there early one morn-
ing by the Director of Public Instruction. It appeared
well situated for the convenience of the students, with
a garden, tank, &c. On our arrival, many of them had
not left their sleeping apartments-others were reclin-
ing, looking at their class-books, in preparation for the
examination; studying it could hardly be called, so
listless was their air. At this inert manner I was not
surprised, when I learnt that it is quite unusual for
them to take any exercise in the evening after their six
POONA.
113
hours of study are completed, nor do they ever think of
rising early to take any exercise in the morning. After
surveying the premises, before our departure we were
informed that the students were assembled for breakfast,
and invited to see them. What was the consternation of us
ladies, when the door was thrown open, to behold seventy
young men sitting on the floor with their food before
them, stripped to the waist! We speedily withdrew.
After this, we had a more agreeable visit to the
Mission Boarding School for young girls. It was a
pleasant house in the outskirts with a large garden, a sort
of home school. About twenty-five little Brahmin girls
attend as day-scholars, and share in all the benefit of
the instruction. The general features of the school
are much the same as at Mrs. Nesbit's, the girls learn-
ing to cook and do housework, in the same manner
as they may be expected to do in their future homes.
Their native style of dress is not altered except as
far as to cover the person decently, and they do
not wear shoes and stockings. The strictest economy is
observed; indeed, I noticed that the little cotton jackets
of some of the girls were somewhat in the fashion of
Joseph's coat of many colours'-manufactured out of
pieces of print sent from England, as we have seen done
at home in our ragged schools. The lessons we heard
indicated good teachers and intelligent scholars. Their
singing was peculiarly sweet and beautiful. It was
indeed very pleasant to hear our favourite hymn-
6
There is a happy land, far, far away!
sung with feeling by these little Hindoo girls. Some
of them wrote for me a verse in English very neatly, as
well as some lines in their own language. Who can tell
how many precious seeds are thus being sown in these
VOL. I.
I
114
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
little hearts, or what fruit will be brought forth from
them! We learnt that, beside the regular instruction
in singing, an English lady gives the most advanced
lessons at her own home, accompanying them with the
piano. She finds them apt scholars. One thing more.
I was desirous of ascertaining, viz., whether Hindoo
girls can play actively, or whether it is impossible to
surmount the listlessness of their natures. I therefore
requested the lady superintendent to release the children,
and let them have a good game. My friends thought
that it was unreasonable to expect that they could show
any animation in the presence of strangers. I had,
however, a better opinion of the nature of young girls
who have not been subjected to unnatural pressure, and
was right. There was a large graceful tamarind-tree in
the garden with overhanging branches; under this the
scholars danced and played with as much life and ani-
mation as any English girls.
There is in Poona another small orphanage for native
girls, supported by resident ladies.
English girls are not forgotten in India; indeed,
especial care appears to be taken that they shall be
properly educated and provided for. In Bombay there
are large boarding-schools for both the sons and the
daughters of soldiers. As the climate there is con-
sidered relaxing for children of European birth, an
establishment is provided at Poona for the very young
ones. This appears admirably situated and well man-
aged, the children being happy and healthful.
The jail at Poona presents the same unsatisfactory
features as elsewhere; and, as at Ahmedabad, the evils
of the present arrangements are strongly felt by the
superintendent, a gentleman who, though only tempo-
rarily filling the post, throws himself heart and soul
POONA.
115
into his work, without being able to prevent the in-
jurious effects he perceives. He exerts a strong moral
influence on the prisoners, and thus avoids the ne-
cessity of punishment. The female department was
even worse than elsewhere, for between forty and fifty
women were locked up together without any attempt to
improve them. Among them were some murderesses
and very hardened abandoned-looking women, while
others were young and with agreeable countenances.
What must these become from such contact, and without
any attempt to infuse better influences! All sense of
shame is lost, for on asking a young woman what her
caste was, she replied that she was of the thief caste.'
The superintendent has carried out, with much suc-
cess, a ticket-of-leave system in favour of some prisoners
who have been a length of time in the jail, and who
have given reason to hope that they purpose living an
honest life. Labour, if skilled, is very high here, and
in much demand. Hence he experiences no difficulty
in getting good employment for any whom he can re-
commend, and these report themselves regularly to him.
The Chinamen are very good gardeners, and particularly
neat and persevering in their work. When a piece of
ground is given them to live on, they cultivate it ad-
mirably, and obtain from it abundant produce. This I
had afterwards an opportunity of witnessing at Ma-
theran, near Bombay. The superintendent was at that
time employing as a gardener, on his own grounds, a
Chinaman who had been a pirate and a murderer, and
who is doing very well. This is the only experiment
of the kind which I heard of in India. Its success
encourages to an extension of the plan with long-sen-
tenced prisoners.
A Central Jail, or (as we should say) Convict Prison,
I 2
116
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
is in course of erection, the director, Dr. Wiehe, having
secured for the purpose fifty acres of land; this would
give him an opportunity of carrying out in its entirety
the Irish convict system, which has had such remarkable
success. But, most unfortunately, while the gentlemen
who have the practical management of these Indian
prisons are fully alive to the immense importance of
the separate sleeping-cells, and other matters essential
to reformation, the Government of each Presidency has
not the power of making the needed alterations. As
the first outlay is larger for a prison constructed with
separate cells, only a small percentage of them is al-
lowed, and thus in the new jail the old bad system is
to be perpetuated. Would that in India the same
interest could be excited on the subject of prison dis-
cipline, as of late has been the case in our country!
Would that some Howard or Mrs. Fry would arise
there, deeply sensible of our grave responsibility in that
country, who, with the knowledge of the subject ac-
quired during the last twenty years, would not rest till
an improved system is inaugurated!
There are, indeed, I was already beginning to learn,
difficulties in the way of reform in India which do
not exist in England. At home the felt necessity for
a reform in any department is brought forward by
the press; a public opinion is created, the matter is
laid before Government, and the necessary steps are
taken to obtain fresh legislation if needed. But in
India there are few to know or to feel the necessity of
a change in such matters as prison discipline, except
the gentlemen who are immediately concerned in the
management of the jails;—these are fully occupied
with their official duties, and unable to engage in any
movement, even if that were the right course to adopt
POONA.
117
to effect improvement. There are indeed great diffi-
culties here.
My friends did not allow me to be exclusively oc-
cupied with subjects of this kind, but desired that I
should see some of the lions of Poona. A heathen
temple, however picturesque, was no great attraction to
me; but the Parbati Hill is considered so very remark-
able a spot, that I gladly accepted an invitation from
my kind hostess to make an excursion to it. The drive
there is well-wooded and beautiful, and near the foot
of the hill is a fine tank reflecting the surrounding
scenery. Large elephants properly caparisoned for
riding, and palanquins with bearers, were waiting at the
bottom of the hill, evidently for visitors, and to my
surprise I learnt that the long flight of low steps lead-
ing to the temple at the top was to be mounted on
these animals. This was indeed a new and extraordinary
experience, but it was an opportunity too peculiar to be
lost. So the animal knelt, and Lady G. and I mounted
by a ladder to our seat, holding firmly as he rose. One
has certainly a good view of the country round, and
feels in an elevated position on an elephant's back; but
the sensation of going up steps on it was not very
agreeable, and one had a feeling that he might tip over
and bury his burden under him. Of that, however,
there was no real danger, for the creature never placed
down his foot, without having carefully examined with
his trunk whether all was quite safe for his heavy body.
It appeared that he had never ascended these steps.
before, and his driver continually addressed him in a
low, musical, and confidential tone. I learnt that it was
to this effect: Go on, my lord, I entreat you! Many
other elephants have taken this journey before—there is
no danger-go on, my lord. You are my father, my
118
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
father's brother,' &c. This was not a very enjoyable.
position, and we were thankful when we were safe on
terra firma. The temple is certainly very curious, and
worth seeing as a specimen of idolatrous worship. The
largest temple is dedicated to Shiva, and in it is a silver
image of the god, with two images, said to be of gold,
representing Parvati and Ganesh sitting on Shiva's
knees. Everything around reminded us of an idolatrous
and degraded worship, containing nothing to elevate or
refine the mind. It appeared to have been a special
festival, many of the native princes having visited the
place and made large offerings to the Brahmins, whom
we saw counting over their heaps of rupees. A gentle-
man once met with an old scholar in that position, who
offered him to become a Christian if he would procure
for him a government post! The knowledge that such
deceptions are attempted is probably one cause of the
great dislike usually felt by the Hindoos for native
converts.' A palace was built near this temple by the
last Peishwa; it is now in ruins. We looked through
the broken framework of the window, whence he watched
the final overthrow of his troops by the British in 1817.
The landscape now looked singularly rich and beautiful.
May it never again be desolated by war!
Oct. 28. The next day was Sunday, and it was
a most refreshing change to attend the Christian
worship of the Mission Chapel, even though it was in
an unknown tongue. We had to be up betimes, for
this was a very special occasion. Lady G.'s ayah was
to be baptised, and her master and mistress wished to
be present on the occasion. This young native woman
had struck me at first sight by her superiority in
mind and manners to any other I had seen. Her de-
meanour indicated great refinement and intelligence,
POONA.
119
and she was able to speak sufficient English for ordinary
communication. Lady G. said that she had no share
in her conversion, which appeared to have taken place
through her own deep earnest thought. She had been
with her mistress at the house of a gentleman, who had
regularly a Marathi service for any of the servants to
attend who desired it. She had been deeply impressed
by what she had heard, and, on afterwards accompanying
her mistress to England, was so struck with the very
different condition of a Christian country from her own,
that she wished to be baptised, considering that Chris-
tianity was proved by its fruits to be the best religion.
To this precipitate course her mistress did not give her
sanction; but on the ayah's return to India she learnt
to read, placed herself under the instruction of a mis-
sionary, and now her heart's desire was to be accom-
plished of becoming a member of a Christian church.
There is no rest from labour in India on the Christian
Sabbath. It is indeed the day particularly employed by
many to accomplish their own special work. We observed
many women at hard drudgery occupations as we rode
along. Such a fact alone indicates the radical difference
between a Christian and a heathen country. The ayah had
been much struck in England at not seeing any women.
coolies.' She said that she had heard the reason was
that the sovereign being a woman did not allow her own
sex to be degraded.
6
The approach to the little mission station was in har-
mony with the feelings which a bright Sunday morning
inspires at home. Beauty shall spring up out of
ashes.'
What had been a wilderness was converted into
a lovely garden by a few months' care from the mission-
ary; beautiful tropical creepers were overhanging the
entrance. All was simple, but neat and clean. How
120
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
unlike what we had witnessed the day before! The
elder school-girls led the singing most sweetly, and after
the introductory service in Marathi, the young con-
vert modestly presented herself for baptism ;-having
answered satisfactorily the ordinary questions, she re-
ceived the sacred symbol. Again there was an offering of
a heart to the Lord-a father came to present his little
one for admission to the Church. The service was now in
English; after the conclusion I learnt that this infant
was the child of a second marriage, the mother being
present, a respectable-looking young woman, and a
former pupil of Mrs. Nesbit's. He had several chil-
dren by the first marriage. Two pleasant-looking girls
were about to be married on the following Tuesday,
and I much regretted not being able to stay to be pre-
sent at the ceremony. Conversing with these worthy
people, and hearing their simple histories, impressed
me with the conviction that they felt Christianity to be
a blessed reality, and that in their humble way they
were helping to promote the coming of the kingdom of
God.
The great subject of Female Education occupied, of
course, a large share of my attention. This city ap-
peared far behind those which I had hitherto visited, in
the elevation of the female sex. No native lady visited.
me, nor was I invited to the homes of any. The girls'
schools were small and poorly conducted; but as they
were established comparatively recently, only through
the zealous efforts of some of the native school inspec-
tors, it was evident that a desire was springing up in the
same direction. This indeed was proved by the earnest
conversation I had with several of these gentlemen.
One of them thus stated his views in my book. All of
these written expressions I regarded as very valuable,
POONA.
121
because they were the spontaneous effusions of their
own minds:
'We have watched the progress of female education in
the Bombay Presidency from its very beginning, and
have contributed to promote its interest both by per-
sonal exertions and pecuniary assistance. Since the
last eighteen or twenty years, female education has
made a steady progress on this side of India; and all
the prejudices which the people showed, and all the ob-
stacles which they raised when female schools were first
opened, have gradually disappeared, except those which
the constitution of Hindoo society still presents. One
of these is the early age at which young females have
to go to their husbands, and assist in the performance
of domestic work. This will be seen from the fact that
no girls of more than twelve years of age are to be
found in our girls' schools. Before the age of twelve,
children can master but very little beyond the mere
elements of reading and writing, and after that age our
females cannot by their social observances mingle with
men. Among the pupils of our female schools, there
are many who possess means and opportunities of pro-
secuting their studies longer; but for want of compe-
tent teachers, with whom they can freely associate, they
are obliged to stop, with great reluctance, just at the
point where a desire for useful knowledge and higher
education springs up. To assist them at such a time,
schools entirely conducted by competent females would
be very useful, and for establishing such schools a staff
of female teachers must be trained up. To do this, we
must have a female training-school, superintended by an
educated and experienced lady. India at present can-
not supply such superintendents from amongst its
own females, and therefore we must have them from
122
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
England. From Miss Carpenter's account of the female
teachers in England, and of the means they adopt to
make an insensible, and even a depraved creature, a
good wife and a kind and prudent mother, we are led
to hope that the advent to India of such teachers would
be a great blessing to the future generations of the
country.'
Poona, October 27, 1866.
It was in accordance with the similar wishes expressed
by intelligent native gentlemen at Ahmedabad that I
had first drawn out a simple scheme for a Female
Normal Training School; I had discussed it fully in
every point at Surat, and here I availed myself gladly
of the opportunity presented by the presence of the
Director of Public Instruction in this Presidency to
consider the scheme thoroughly; it then received his
general approval. The pressing want in the country is
female teachers for girls' schools. When the rapid
progress of male education gave rise to the need of a
speedy supply of male teachers, there were already a
number of young natives who had received considerable
education, and who, with special training for the duties
of a teacher, might soon be prepared to be schoolmasters.
Simple arrangements for boarding these young men,
and suitable instructors, were all that were required to
establish a normal training school; and as the office.
of schoolmaster was considered more honourable than
others involving manual labour, there was no difficulty
in obtaining candidates, and the schools are now well
supplied with native teachers.
But with regard to female teachers the case is totally
different. It is evident that as the children leave
school at so early an age, and then usually are too much
POONA.
123
occupied in household affairs to improve their minds,
very few could be trained to be teachers except by a
long course of instruction. But their position as wives,
either by betrothal or in reality, prevents them from being
able, if they were willing, to prepare to become teachers;
this is also prevented by the social habits of the higher
classes. Widows who cannot be easily maintained by
their families are at present, unless in very exceptional
cases, the only natives who can be enlisted as students.
We must, then, look for others now in India--whether
English, Eurasians, or any others who may supply this
want, to train as teachers. There may also be many of
the superfluous governesses in England who will be
glad to come out, learn the vernacular, and be trained,
if there are proper arrangements; thus a commence-
ment will be made, and several of these, being already
educated women, would be very soon able to throw
their influence into the schools now existing, and im-
prove them considerably. But what is to be the
position of these Christian students? A proper house
must be provided for them, with all needful appliances
in this foreign country. They cannot have the pro-
tection of the missionaries; they must have that of the
Government. It is also necessary that this school should
be a Government institution, not only to give the ne-
cessary feeling of permanency, but as a guarantee to the
natives that it is not a proselytising institution. It must
be an essential condition that no one while in the insti-
tution should, under any circumstances, be allowed in
religious interference of any kind. These being the
conclusions fully accepted by all with whom I conferred,
I drew out, in accordance with them, the following sketch.
of such an institution, as would supply the want felt by
all the enlightened natives:-
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SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
First.-A house should be procured, adapted to fur-
nish a comfortable residence for about a dozen Christian
students, with a lady superintendent. Arrangements
should be made for the separate boarding of non-
Christian native students, when required. Arrange-
ments for necessary furniture, board, and attendance, to
be made by the Inspector of Schools.
Secondly.-A lady superintendent, who should be
responsible to Government for the entire management
of the institution, should be obtained from England;
also a superior mistress for training. In each case the
passage-money to be paid under certain conditions.
Thirdly.—Persons who wish to become students in
training must apply to the inspector, and must satisfy
him that it is their intention to study and faithfully to
prepare to be teachers. They will receive board and
instruction while in the institution. All English stu-
dents must learn the vernacular, and all native students.
English.
Fourthly.—Any girls' schools existing in the neigh-
bourhood may be employed for the training of teachers,
and the students may thus be exercising a beneficial
influence in the schools now taught by men, before they
are prepared to take charge of schools themselves.
Such a plan would, it seemed to the intelligent
natives, as well as to myself, be likely, if well worked
out, to meet a great and general want.
I found, however, to my sorrow, that this important
plan, and the improvement in prison discipline which
was so greatly needed, could not, as I had then hoped,
be effected by the Presidential Government. I resolved.
therefore to remain no longer in Bombay, but to proceed
at once to Calcutta, to lay the whole before the Supreme
Government.
POONA.
125
The next day the grand ceremonial took place-the
durbar, which had so long excited the expectations of
so many. The native princes had been during the
preceding week flocking into Poona. On one occasion
we saw a considerable crowd in the street; it appeared
to be caused by a procession, headed by native guards in
very grotesque attire, which was partly native and partly
English. Then followed an elephant, gorgeously decked
out, on which was seated a native prince, and beside him
we were amazed to recognise an English gentleman, who
had probably been appointed to do him the honours of
the occasion. To the great regret of all, this was the
last durbar which would be held by the present Go-
vernor, Sir Bartle Frere, who was universally beloved;
and many therefore made a special point of attending
to do him honour. It is unfortunate that there is no
suitable building for such an occasion, and some ordinary
tents placed lengthwise formed by no means a place
of reception befitting the dignity of the British nation.
Thus, though one end of the tent was specially reserved
for English ladies, immediately behind the Governor,
we were greatly disappointed at not having an oppor-
tunity of surveying the dignified persons and their be-
jewelled dresses, who came to pay their homage to the
representative of British power. The accounts given
in the local papers convey, therefore, more idea of what
took place than what we saw.
126
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
CHAPTER IV.
MADRAS.
Ox arriving at Bombay, I found that the Ahmedabad
party had preceded me there. Shortly after my de-
parture, Mr. Tagore had been prostrated with fever;
and as this did not appear likely to yield to medical
treatment there, he had obtained a three months leave
of absence, and was proceeding, with his lady and friends,
to Calcutta.
During our voyage out we had endeavoured to ascer-
tain, from various experienced travellers, some infor-
mation respecting the different routes. One official
gentleman, resident in Calcutta, informed us that he
was then returning from a journey to England on a
three months' leave of absence. He had travelled from
Calcutta to Bombay by land viâ Lahore, the mail route,
with a view to save time, as the railway was not com-
pleted; this was, however, a very difficult and unpleasant
journey, and he assured me that the fact of his having
accomplished it, led him to warn me not to attempt it.
Subsequent testimony was to the same effect. Every
one who had practical knowledge on the subject in-
formed us that the best, and indeed the only satisfactory
route, was by steamer to Calicut, by rail across the
country from Beypoor to Madras, and thence by steamer
MADRAS.
127
to Calcutta. A gentleman who was about to proceed
with his family to Lahore from Bombay, considered the
direct course to be fraught with so much difficulty, that
he meant to travel viâ Madras and Calcutta. A glance at
the map of India will show how very circuitous a course
this is, and how enormous a saving of time, money, and
fatigue will be effected, when the railway is completed
which will connect the two most important Presidency
capitals, Calcutta and Bombay.
My friends and I determined again to join parties, and
to proceed by the 1st of November coasting steamer.
Before our departure, however, our Parsee friend, Mr.
Manockjee Cursetjee, insisted on our all dining at his
house à l'Anglaise. This gentleman's father had been
a reformer among his people; to his memory a beautiful
drinking-fountain has been erected in Bombay by his
son. About thirty years ago Mr. Cursetjee first visited
England, and he was warmly received and hospitably
welcomed by distinguished persons in our country. He
has in his own family led the way to the elevation of
the female sex, by giving his daughters a superior educa-
tion, bringing them to England, and leading to the estab-
lishment in Bombay of a superior Parsee ladies' school.
In every possible way, Judge Manockjee Cursetjee en-
deavours to promote, both by precept and by example,
the social improvement of his people and of society at
large, especially by the elevation of the female sex. It
was no small triumph over conventional customs, that
an English lady was invited to dine with Parsee and also
with Hindoo gentlemen and ladies, and the fact of such
an entertainment having been actually given is worthy
of a distinct record.
The sail from Bombay is very beautiful. It is only
necessary to fancy oneself on a pleasure excursion in-
128
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
stead of a business voyage, thoroughly to enjoy the
glorious harbour, the receding city, the distant moun-
tains, the ever-shifting islands, the blue sea, and the
cloudless azure of the sky. Our invalid seemed to im-
prove with the sea-air, and the days passed quickly by,
till on the 4th Nov. (Sunday), after morning service
performed by the captain, we found ourselves off Calicut.
Numerous boats soon surrounded the ship, and we
gladly engaged two to convey us straight to Beypoor,
as soon as the midday heat was somewhat abated, thus
saving our invalid a carriage journey of about ten
miles.
It was a glorious afternoon-the Sabbath sheds a
brightness over nature even here. For some distance
we had observed the coast covered up to the hills with
forests, which, by the aid of a glass, we discovered to
consist of cocoanut palms.
We were now completely in the region of this valu-
able and interesting tree, and rowing along near the
shore, we saw the graceful forms of these feathery palms,
which almost encroached on the sea-sands; the little
native cottages under them, and the half-savage in-
habitants, occasionally strolling along. Our boatmen
were strange, uncouth, half-clad beings, who made con-
siderable display of their rows of regular white teeth,
as they kept some degree of time by the aid of a rude
song, in the chorus of which all joined. Never had I
been so completely cut off from all civilised life, the
only traces of which now were my companions and the
ship, which was gradually disappearing in the distance.
It was one of those wonderful scenes which inspire the
mind with thoughts that cannot be uttered.
At length, as the sun was setting, our boatmen landed
us safely near the large new hotel at Beypoor, which is
MADRAS.
129
kept by a Parsee. This place was a wonderful contrast
to that we had just quitted. We were able to get some
of the comforts of civilised life, which were very refresh-
ing after our voyage, and necessary to prepare us for
our long journey. Beypoor appears likely to become
an important place, and we were told that this large
and well-situated hotel is often the resort of pleasure
parties.
We started early in the morning. We were now in
the Madras Presidency; the whole face of the coun-
try, and the manners of the inhabitants, were greatly
changed. When we had with some difficulty secured
our luggage, and established ourselves and our belong-
ings in the comfortable saloon railway-carriage, we
found ourselves surrounded by numbers of boys pressing
us to buy cocoanuts. These were in a soft milky state,
very different from what we ever see them in England.
So we obtained some, that we might quench our thirst
with the pleasant milk, and be reminded of Mrs. Bar-
bauld's hyrans, beloved in childhood. The notices at
the railway stations were in new languages, which were
unintelligible to my Hindoo friends. I could perceive
a great difference between the square forms of the
written tongues derived from Sanscrit, and the rounded
letters with flourishes of the languages of the tribes wer
were now among. All the groups of natives we saw at
the stations had, however, so very low and barbarie an
aspect, that I wondered what could be the utility of
writing railway notices and the names of the stations
in two distinct characters besides English, such uncivil-
ised-looking beings not being likely to be able to read.
My native friends informed me, however, that many of
those we saw were Brahmins--that all Brahmins are
educated, and therefore could read the notices.
VOL. I
K
130
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
The country was in most parts rich and well culti-
vated. It appeared to consist principally of rice-fields;
these were carefully irrigated, and were then generally
under water. As we proceeded, the hills which bounded
the horizon gradually increased in height, until they
assumed the form of precipitous mountain ranges,
apparently the outcrop of the high table-land which
forms the Deccan. Rolling clouds threw shadows over
them, and the mist rising revealed new beauties. On
each side the view was splendid. We were approaching
the Neilgherries, a fine mountain range, where is a
climate perfectly English in temperature. Many resort
there when oppressed with the heat, and at different
heights the productions of both tropical and temperate
climates are found in great perfection. The Neilgher-
ries were continually spoken of to me during the whole
of my stay in India as a sort of land of promise, where
might be found the most splendid scenery, wild moun-
tains, wooded dells, cascades rivalling those of Tivoli,
creepers with gorgeous flowers hanging from the trees in
graceful festoons, an unrivalled climate, English com-
forts and society. These, however, I was not destined
to enjoy, except in imagination and in distant vision.
Night journeys in India are often preferred to day
travelling, as they are cooler, and the carriages are so
arranged, like the berths in a ship, as to afford some
comfortable rest. We lost some grand scenery during
the night, but enjoyed repose, and found ourselves in the
morning approaching Madras. Again there was a con-
siderable change, and it was curious to observe, in the
fields we passed, the primitive modes of procedure among
the people, in drawing water and in agricultural work.
Labour here is of little value--the cost of living is very
small to the uneducated peasant, and it seems as if the
MADRAS.
131
trouble of learning new and better plans is so great, that
it more than counterbalances any advantage that would
arise from the introduction of them.
The city of Madras at once impressed us with its size
and imposing appearance, and it had evidently made
rapid progress during the last twenty years. It ap-
peared at first sight worthy to be a Presidency capital.
Formerly travellers were obliged chiefly to depend on
the hospitality of the residents, but now there are
numerous large hotels, both in the city and in the
environs. We therefore drove along the beautiful bay
surrounded with large official buildings, and then a
broad well-made road, superior to anything we had
before seen in India. Indeed, we thought the way very
long before we reached the large hotel which had been
recommended to us, and then found to our dismay that
it was full. Being anxious to obtain rest and refresh-
ment for our invalid, who, though he had borne the
journey wonderfully well, was becoming quite exhausted,
we availed ourselves of the accommodation of the next
that offered, as we were perfect strangers in the place.
Unfortunately for us, this hotel was not complete in its
arrangements, and the head of the establishment not
residing on the premises, being a Hindoo, the varied
miseries we had to endure may be better imagined than
described, left, as we were, to the mercy of a number of
male native servants. The steamer was, however, daily
expected from Ceylon, which would convey us to Cal-
cutta; we therefore determined to practise, as best we
might, the virtue of endurance, since no remonstrances
appeared likely to better our condition, or to procure
for us a proper supply of well-cooked food at the ap-
pointed hours.
Though I had no intention before leaving England of
K 2
132
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
visiting Madras, yet, having been favoured by the Secre-
tary of State for India with an introduction to the Direc-
tor of Public Instruction there, as well as elsewhere, I
was thankful to feel that there was some one in Madras
who might show us a little sympathy. The delivery of
my note was promptly followed by a kind visit from
that gentleman, Mr. Eyre Powell, who arranged at once
to show me as many of the lions as could be seen the
next day. These proved so interesting and attractive,
that I gladly accepted the kind invitation of Mrs. Powell
to take up my residence at her house, until another
steamer should touch here. My friends proceeded.
without me to their homes in Calcutta.
Madras is a striking and interesting city, perfectly
different indeed from any others which I had hitherto
seen. It has always been a stronghold of the mission-
aries, who have probably done more here, in the estab-
lishment of good schools and in general work, than in
most other places. There is a large number of pro-
fessed Christians among the lower orders, many being
Roman Catholics; but it is a general complaint that
these are even less principled than the avowed heathens;
they have thrown off the restraints imposed by the faith
of their fathers, without being imbued with the prin-
ciples of Christianity, or the ordinary morality taught in
civilised life. English is more commonly understood
here than elsewhere by the native servants, a very great
convenience to strangers. I had far less difficulty in
consequence here, for the servants whom I met with
were obliging and civil. The general costume some-
what differs from what I had seen in other parts of the
country, being generally a simple white dress without
shoes and stockings, and a turban folded in a peculiar
manner. The head is usually shaved, leaving a long
MADRAS.
133
tuft of hair on the top or back of the head. There is
sufficient difference in the ordinary air and deportment
of the natives from that of the inhabitants of Bombay,
to enable them to be easily recognised when in the
public schools. Madras is everywhere called the
"benighted Presidency.' I cannot speak of the exact
amount of education in general in it, though that ap-
peared very satisfactory; but I can say that I saw more
advancement in female improvement than I witnessed in
Calcutta and many other parts, while the general tone of
native society appears educated and intelligent. Madras
certainly no longer deserves this epithet, if it ever did.
The work of the missionaries has been particularly
vigorous and successful in Madras in the promotion of
education. My attention was first directed to the
schools of the Free Scotch Church Mission. That for
boys is situated near the sea, and appeared very exten-
sive and complete; it shows most strikingly what can
be effected by one man, who, with devoted heart and
single aim, devotes himself to the welfare of his fellow-
creatures. In 1837, the Rev. John Anderson founded
this school. On occasion of the distribution of prizes.
to the scholars in the Evangelistic Hall (Dec. 22, 1864),
the chairman, Col. Rowlandson, said: When this school
was first founded, it was soon recognised and spoken of
as a remarkable era in the history of missions in
Madras, destined to exercise a mighty influence upon
the future of this Presidency; and well I remember the
sensation awakened throughout all classes of society by
the bold, uncompromising, undisguised, and till then
unheard-of declaration, upon which Mr. Anderson
based all his hopes and plans, of one supreme aim and
object, viz., to win souls to Christ! And truly one had
only to enter their schools, and following on from class
C
134
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
to class, listen to the way in which they taught and
opened out the Book of Life, not merely in the letter
to the understanding, but closely applying its truths to
the hearts and consciences of their pupils, to feel per-
suaded that as their eye was single, and their aim true
to God's glory, so assuredly would God own and bless
their labours. And not long had we to wait for proofs;
for soon the whole society of Madras was heaving with
excitement and profound interest in the great battle,
then for the first time in this school unflinchingly
fought with caste exclusiveness, in which they nobly
triumphed; followed soon with the thorough heart-
conversion and baptism, in the face of the extremest
opposition, of first one, and then another, and many
others in quick succession amongst their pupils, given
to them by God thus early to encourage their faith and
perseverance, and to become living witnesses to their
labour and devotion, as faithful, zealous, and efficient
fellow-labourers in the work, long after their first.
teachers and spiritual fathers were called to their rest.
• To ascertain the precise extent to which these schools
have influenced native society, is not so easy; but it
may help us to form some adequate idea of how great
and how real that influence for good must have been,
to consider the many thousands of the sons and daughters
of India whose minds, hearts, and characters, during the
most impressible years of life, for the long period of
now nearly twenty-eight years, have been brought
under the teaching of these schools, to carry back
with them into the private and familiar intercourse of
family and social life the daily lessons of light and
truth here learnt, in vivid and irresistible contrast with
the prevailing ignorance and error around them! Nor
must we overlook the powerful impulse for good com-
MADRAS.
135
municated to other feebler schemes of education previ-
ously existing, in the faithful and open avowal of the
one only true principle of a Christian mission, as also
in the admirable system of instruction here first intro-
duced, and soon after taken up and adopted by many
others.'
Mr. Anderson has passed away from his sphere of
labour here, but his spirit and influence remain. He
is remembered with much interest, and the school is
still called among the natives Anderson's School.'
C
On going through the various classes of the school
with the worthy superintendent, the Rev. Mr. Miller, I
quite agreed with him that the boys are attracted to
the school, not only because the fees are lower, but
because they feel the happy influence of the Christian
sympathy and kindness they here receive. When
hearing a Scripture lesson given by Mr. Miller, and
seeing the lively interest which was felt in the lesson
by both teacher and scholars, it was evident that a
permanent influence was established of the most valu-
able kind, and indeed one which I was informed did
not cease with school-days. Such agency does more
than any other to remove the barrier which exists
between the races. It is much to be regretted that
personal records of such schools as these are not given
to the public at home, instead of the somewhat dry and
brief statements too often found in official reports.
In 1843, Mr. Anderson established the first girls'
school in Madras, into which he with difficulty col-
lected four or five little girls, by the promise of a
reward. Many girls' schools have since then been es-
tablished by this mission, as well as by other agencies,
and by the natives themselves. For some time it was
found necessary to give the children a small daily
136
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
payment for attendance; then this ceased, and now
the anxiety for education has become so great that the
scholars pay a trifling fee. These payments are of
course small, but they testify to the value attached to
the schools by the parents. The last report mentions
that they amounted in the year, from all the girls'
schools, to 320 rupees. One of the schools which I
visited was in excellent order, and was presided over
by a native minister--Rev. R. M. Bamboo. He de-
votes much time and effort to make the school known
and understood by the educated natives, and edits a
magazine for the benefit of the young girls who have
left the school, and who desire to keep up the educa-
tion they have received. It is an interesting circum-
stance that the writers in this periodical are chiefly
native Christians, many of whom were educated in the
schools of the mission. The school in Blacktown is
taught by a native Christian woman, and on Sunday
the classes meet for purely religious instruction. It is
a remarkable fact that the attendance then is not
greatly below that of other days. In all the mission
schools, caste is of course entirely disregarded, as Chris-
tians recognise no such distinctions. Scripture instruc-
tion is also given at one part of every day. Though
there may be some objection shown at first, yet this
soon wears away: as the attendance is voluntary, one
of the great difficulties arising from caste is thus over-
come without a struggle. There are many young ladies
of Brahmin caste in these schools. Some of the little
girls struck me as remarkably bright and intelligent,
and there can be no doubt that Hindoo girls would
generally be so, if properly educated.
The widow of the excellent Mr. Anderson conducts
a girls' boarding-school, in which there are now be-
i
MADRAS.
137
tween fifty and sixty scholars. These young persons,
remaining longer under tuition than non-Christian
girls would do, show greater results. This school is.
also pleasantly situated near the sea, and a home spirit
is infused into it. The excellent lady at the head of
the establishment, makes it her great aim to prepare
the girls for their future duties in life. They do the
greater part of the domestic work, and much of the
practical management of the house is entrusted to the
elder of them. The economy practised in the house-
hold makes the expenditure very moderate, the cost of
the support of each girl being only 5 rupees a month,
or 6l. per annum.
The Wesleyan Methodists have also excellent mis-
sion schools here, which I visited with much pleasure.
It was gratifying to hear one who had laboured in this
field for thirty years, state his happy conviction of the
very great changes which he was permitted to witness.
in the state of feeling in the natives towards Christians.
If the conversions are not numerous, still there is no
longer the hostility towards missionaries which once
existed, and the ground is being prepared for future
harvests. There is an excellent boarding-school con-
nected with this mission also. It was very interesting
to observe the demeanour and intelligence of the girls,
and peculiarly so to find here young native girls em-
ployed as monitors, to instruct the younger classes.
One teacher, a native Christian, is the wife of one of
the masters in the boys' school.
One Hindoo girls' school deserves special mention, as
it is carried on in the house of the native gentleman
who is the chief patron. His own daughters assist in
teaching, but on the occasion of our visit they with-
drew from the presence of gentlemen. Here, as else-
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SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
where, there were only male teachers, and the children
are withdrawn when between ten and eleven years of
age, if not earlier.
A system of a 'grant-in-aid' from Government has
been laid down in the Madras Presidency, with a view to
help the mission schools. This requires that all teachers
in the schools receiving it shall have obtained a certifi-
cate of competency. This regulation is very possible
and advisable in the school for boys, but with the girls'
schools this cannot be accomplished; and instead of
receiving nearly half the outlay, as is contemplated by
Government, the grant is necessarily small for the girls'
schools--not exceeding one-tenth. If a good normal
female training-school were established, teachers might
obtain a certificate from it which would enable the
schools to receive a larger grant.
The Government schools appear much the same as
elsewhere. They have the peculiar advantage of being
under the special observation of the Director, who was
himself for fifteen years principal of the Presidency
College. He gained the love and gratitude of his
students by the warm sympathy he showed them, and
the sacrifice of time and strength he voluntarily made
to advance their intellectual culture, not only in the
regular hours allotted to study, but early and late be-
yond them. Being himself enthusiastically fond of
astronomy, he admitted the students to his observatory,
and revealed to them the glories of the heavens. No
one can tell what influences he has thus diffused. The
native gentlemen in Madras, with whom I conversed,
repeatedly assured me that they still regarded him as a
father, and they so fully confided in him that they
never hesitated to express their opinions frankly to
him, even though differing from him. A native gentle-
MADRAS.
139
man on the other side of the peninsula, who had re-
ceived his instruction, assured me that, as students
resorted to the college from every part of the Presi-
dency, there is no district in it where his influence is
not still felt. On being obliged to resign his post in
consequence of the new appointment, an address was
presented to him by the students, and money was raised
by them to establish a scholarship in his name.
It is
probable that the Director does not value this warm
spontaneous tribute of gratitude from those among
whom he has so long worked, less than the well-merited
imperial recognition of his services which he has re-
cently received from his Excellency the Governor. On
the occasion of the visit of the Maharajah of Travan-
core to Madras, Lord Napier conferred on Mr. Powell
the Order of Companion of the Star of India.
A visit to the Presidency College was interesting, even
though the time at which I went was unseasonable. It was
very striking to see in the hands of these young Hindoos,
the works of the highest minds which were formed and
fostered under the influence of our Western culture.
The acuteness, metaphysical subtlety, and patient re-
search of the Hindoo are well known. The union of
these with the vigorous intellect of the Saxon, the rich
imagination and deep philosophy of the ancient Greek,
and the combination of all in our first-rate English
classics, which bring the highest thoughts, embued with
Christian ethics, to bear on the present phase of the
world's life-all this culture, wisely given, with due
regard to the actual wants of the Hindoo race, cannot
but be of the highest value. Here, as elsewhere, I was
struck with observing the large number of young men
under tuition; many of whom, in England, would be
in the counting-house, or otherwise entering on the
140
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
real business of life. A considerable portion of the
students were also evidently more anxious to obtain uni-
versity honours and Government employment than to
improve their minds; and to grasp a certain amount of
book knowledge, than really to master the thoughts of
the author they studied. Still, the sight of this and
similar institutions was gratifying, and made me feel
proud of my country. Finding one class engaged on a
Shakspeare lesson, I had the opportunity of hearing a
scene of Hamlet analysed by the students. It was
rather strange to hear our grand English classic treated
as we unmercifully treat in our schools the noble tra-
gedies of the ancients, and subjected to verbal criticism
after the fashion in which our schoolboys construe,
scan, and parse Homer or Euripides; yet it was in-
teresting to perceive how thorough a knowledge of our
very difficult language is imparted to the natives, and
how they are consequently prepared to share our
thoughts, and somewhat understand our actions.
A Mahometan school presented very different fea-
tures. This is established by Government in a quarter
of the city chiefly inhabited by these people, of whom
there are many here. They are chiefly very low and
ignorant, and live an idle life, in consequence of many
of them being pensioners. When any rich Mahometan
is unable or unwilling to perform the pilgrimage re-
quired by his religion to the shrine of the prophet, he
may be absolved, by giving a sum in charity, somewhat
equivalent to the expense he would have incurred in
the expedition, to poor persons. Many cases of this
kind occurring, in the course of time a pauperised race
is created, in the pensioners thus selected to atone for
the omission of their superiors. Nothing more de-
grades a man than thus subsisting on charity, and
MADRAS.
141
yielding to the inertness of body and mind, which takes
possession of those who have no stimulus to exertion.
The Director wisely thought that the only mode of
cutting off the entail of degradation, so to speak, would
be to educate the rising generation; and he therefore
established a large school here, putting at the head of
it a superior and intelligent Englishman. It was at
first very difficult work for the superintendent to obtain
anything like regular attendance. We, who have had
twenty years of ragged school experience, can quite
understand how little can be done with even quick and
intelligent children, if the habits of the families are
low, and there is consequently a want of appreciation of
the importance of education. But with energy and
perseverance, a determination to raise the scholars,
even at the risk of losing a few, and setting a high
standard before them and himself, he has succeeded
in making attendance at the school regarded as a
privilege as well as a duty, and has now a tolerably
regular set of boys there. The youths in the highest
class did not equal those whom I had seen elsewhere,
and it was doubtful to our unds whether any of them
would succeed in matriculating. The boys of the lower
classes were of an inferior-looking type to those whom I
had observed in other schools. Still the enterprise must
be regarded as a great success, and the progress of the
scholars had evidently produced an effect on their
families. One portion of the school routine appeared
to present a great barrier to improvement-the number
of different languages taught in it. There were actu-
ally six masters of different languages engaged in
different rooms instructing their respective classes.
Hindostani is considered the vernacular of the Maho-
metans, and all have to learn that grammatically.
142
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
English is the lingua franca in all parts of the country
for professions and clerkships-that is, of course, every-
where an essential. The vernaculars of the natives of
Madras are Tamil and Telugu; one of these must be
acquired for communication with their fellow-citizens.
The Mahometan parents wish their children to learn
either Persian or Arabic; every boy is expected to
acquire one of these two languages. These boys come
usually quite ignorant, and with untrained minds;
every language has its own peculiar genius and mode
of thought; it would certainly appear, then, that for
each boy to be learning four languages at a time
must not only prevent his acquiring any one cor-
rectly, but must engender a confusion of thought,
which is very injurious to the moral as well as to the
intellectual development. At home, in our British
and National Schools, a second language is never at-
tempted, in the lower middle-class schools it is rarely
taught, and in our public schools it is beginning to be
understood that the almost exclusive study of two
dead languages, however valuable themselves, is inju-
rious to the general development of the mind, and to
due preparation for the work of life. What, then,
must be the effect on these ignorant lads of the enforced
study of four languages?
There is a large boys' school for Hindoos managed
by themselves only. Some time ago a rich native
bequeathed on his decease a large sum of money for
benevolent purposes. The executors let it remain many
years unappropriated, and it was at last suggested that
it might be employed for educational purposes. Legal
proceedings were necessary to put it on a sure founda-
tion; but, with the help of some influential English
gentlemen, this was accomplished, and very extensive
MADRAS.
143
premises are devoted to an excellent Hindoo school.
Patcheappah Hall, so named after the native gentleman
through whose benevolence it was established, stands
as a monument of what the natives can do for them-
selves when once they have a real desire to accomplish
anything.
There is another portion of the community which
has a strong claim on the English, and this is fully
acknowledged-orphans who, on one side at least, are
of English descent. In Madras are very many families
of mixed race-half-castes, generally termed East In-
lians, or, as they prefer being called, Eurasians. A
large proportion of the orphans are of this race, though
others are the children of English soldiers or artisans
who have died in the country. There are at Madras
two sets of asylums. That for civil orphans, both boys
and girls, I had not an opportunity of studying, as the
day on which I visited it happened to be a holiday.
To the Military Male Orphan Asylum I paid an inte-
resting visit. We arrived just as dinner was ended.
It had been laid in a pleasant verandah, and the crows
were busily performing the part of scavengers, devour-
ing all the fragments that remained. The institution
is pleasantly situated, with large airy rooms, and con-
siderable space around. The three hundred boys
marched to the schoolroom in excellent order, and
formed in classes. They appeared very attentive and
fairly advanced in their lessons, answering well any
questions put to them. Much apathy and dependent
spirit seemed to pervade these boys, however, as to
their work in life, and preparation for it; none of
those whom we asked respecting their wishes for the
future, seemed to have entertained any desire to exert
themselves, or thought beyond the present. In this
144
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
6
respect they formed a striking contrast to our industrial
school boys at home, who are full of energy and vigour;
many there are ready to hold up their hands when the
question is put, What boys wish to go to sea?'-an
enquiry which elicits no response in these regions.
This kind of listlessness and apathy may be traceable
in part to the inherent inaptitude for exertion existing
in the East Indians, and partly to the natural tendency
of institutions to engender such a spirit, unless it is
counteracted by the system adopted. Everything ap-
pears to be here done which is possible to promote a
healthy physical and mental development. Active
recreations are provided for the boys, who practise
gymnastic exercises; the elder ones give consider-
able attention to cricket. They are besides taught to
do part of the housework, and to make their clothes.
The last report thus speaks on this point: One point
requires further notice. A very large portion of the
ordinary school-work was formerly performed by native
This in itself was a great evil, since it was
too frequently found that these servants were dishonest,
untruthful, and generally of a character whose influence
and example could not but have an injurious effect
upon the boys. On the other hand, their employment.
prevented the lads from learning the great lesson of
self-help, while a further evil was the resulting idea
that manual labour was degrading and suitable only for
natives. Notwithstanding a considerable increase of
work, caused by improved sanitary and other arrange-
ments, the services of ten servants have been dispensed
with, their work being performed by the boys at a
saving of 75 rupees per mensem. In addition to this,
the introduction of sewing-machines, worked by selected
boys, permitted the whole work of preparing the cloth-
servants.
MADRAS.
145
ing of the orphans to be done within the walls, at a
saving of at least 25 rupees per mensem.' The expense
of ten servants was saved by this management, the health
of the boys was improved by the exercise, and the 100
rupees per month thus economised were added to the
dietary, and produced a perceptible improvement in
the physique of the boys. As the children are often
received very young, there is an infant or nursery de-
partment, presided over by a matron and her daughter,
where the infant system is developed. Perhaps the
presence of strangers prevented the sports of these
little ones from being quite as spontaneous as could be
desired. Still, everything appeared to be arranged to
make this institution, what it may certainly be regarded,
a model one.
The Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in
Foreign Parts has here a station, which diffuses its in-
fluence in the country round; and has, besides the
common schools which it has established, an institution
to train young native converts for the ministry. This
seminary is presided over by the secretary of the So-
ciety, the Rev. Alfred Symonds, who exercises a truly
paternal influence over the students. I had a sort of
ancestral claim on his kind attentions; his father and
mine were friends in childhood, and to his brother,
an eminent physician of Clifton, I owe, under God,
restoration from a dangerous illness some years ago.
This was one of the strange and unexpected meet-
ings, of which I had many in that country. He
therefore invited me to come and hear the young
men receive a Greek Testament lesson before their
morning meal. About sixteen native students sur-
rounded the study-table, with the reverend secretary,
their instructor. The sight of a number of young
VOL. I.
L
146
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
men, who have seriously devoted themselves to go
out, heart and soul, to preach the Gospel, and to
help on their fellow-creatures to travel heavenward, is
always an interesting one: in the present case it was
peculiarly so, as facts declared, more clearly than words
could do, that they courageously abjured the idolatry of
their nation, that they loved Christ better than country
or kindred, and that they earnestly desired to lead
their people in the same blessed way. It may of course
be attributed to prejudice on my part, but there always
appeared to me a peculiar openness of expression in
genuine native converts; they rejoiced in the liberty
with which Christ has made His servants free, and
felt that a sympathy existed between them and other
followers of the same Master, of a totally different
kind from what can be shared by such as have not the
same glorious hopes. Such were certainly my feelings
as I sat amongst those students at Vepery College.
Though no peculiar dress is assumed by Christian
converts who do not desire to denationalise themselves,
and who do not forget, or wish to do so, that they are
Hindoos by race, yet they are careful generally to
adopt a simple and neat attire, and wear on the head
nature's beautiful covering instead of the turban: this
alone imparts a different expression to the countenance.
The subject selected for the lesson was the first
chapter of the Epistle to the Galatians. They had
previously studied it with their instructor, and now
showed the accuracy and care with which they had been
taught, and had learnt; scarcely a single correction
required to be made, though they were expected not
only to translate accurately, but to explain the meaning
and bearing of each verse, and to show that they
thoroughly understood the various inflections of the
MADRAS.
147
Greek verbs, and their value. It was a lesson full of
the deepest interest to the listener, who was carried
back, not only to days long past, when a beloved teacher
and father gave such lessons to those who have been
for many years ministers of the Word, and have even
passed their prime, but to the early period of the
Christian Church, when, in the peculiar circumstances
of the new converts, many exhortations were given
which are probably now very imperfectly understood in
their true bearing. These students were not new con-
verts, I was informed, but from childhood had been
taught to know those Scriptures which are able to make
us wise unto salvation, and having been selected from
many others in the southern Christian districts of the
Presidency, were preparing to go out and teach. I
gladly availed myself of permission to say a few words
of encouragement to them, expressing the deep interest
I felt in their future welfare. We then all adjourned
to family worship, a refreshment and privilege in this
heathen land. It was indeed delightful to see these
young men join a real family circle at prayer, where
they were received as brethren, and saw what a true
English family really is. They then retired to their
domiciles, small houses in the compound, where those
who had families of their own lived separately with
them, and after the morning meal returned to their
daily studies. I was happy to be able to leave some
books for their library, which would be a memorial of
my visit, and to receive from them afterwards a friendly
acknowledgment of them.
Sunday, Nov. 11.—I attended a native church ser-
vice. The edifice is well constructed and attractive-
looking, but it seemed to stand quite isolated in the
midst of the population. The passers-by looked askance
L 2
148
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
at it, as a thing with which they had no concern, and
which they regarded with something worse than apathy.
But one listener after another dropped in, and looked
reverent as they quietly took their places. The church
music was well performed, and though the service was in
Tamil, yet the earnestness and feeling with which it was.
conducted by the native clergyman made it interesting.
C
In the afternoon Mr. Powell, my host, had kindly
assembled a number of the most enlightened native
gentlemen at his house, to consider the subject of the
Normal School. There was little difficulty in making
them understand the object and bearing of the proposed
institution, because a few of them had already been
planning something of the kind; they had, however,
perceived that the scheme was beyond their powers, as
the co-operation and aid of English ladies were essential
to it. They all spoke warmly of the kindness and sym-
pathy Mr. Powell had shown them, but lamented the
general want of friendly intercourse between them and
the English. A great gulf,' they remarked, was be-
tween the two races, and nothing would be so calculated
to bridge it over as such visits as mine.' I had often
been puzzled by the great unwillingness evinced to the
girls learning English; at first I presumed that the lan-
guage was considered too difficult, but this could not be
the reason, as in the mission schools the elder girls can
speak it, and the young native ladies who greeted me
on my first arrival at Bombay were familiar with it.
At last, on investigating from these gentlemen the
cause of their evident objection, one answered, 'We
do not want our ladies to be made humble Christians."
It is indeed much to be regretted that there should be
any ground for fear that the possession of our language,
which would so much facilitate friendly intercourse,
MADRAS.
149
should be connected in the minds of these gentlemen
with a fear of improper interference in their homes!
It is to be hoped that this fear will soon cease. These
gentlemen were much interested in hearing of the work
going on in England, and the knowledge of my engage-
ment in it appeared to inspire them with confidence in
my present intentions. They all readily signed the
following statement, written by one of them in my
manuscript book:-
6
We, the undersigned, being deeply interested in the
cause of female education, feel it absolutely necessary
for its promotion to have an institution established for
the training of female teachers."
I told them that the next step to be taken, if they
were anxious to obtain such an institution, was to
memorialise the Government, praying that it might be
established. I clearly perceived that under the exist-
ing condition of India, this work, to be permanent and
effective, must be undertaken by Government, with
the sympathy and co-operation of the natives.
There were other institutions in Madras besides those
directly educational, which I was anxious to see and
understand.
I visited the hospital, which appeared an admirable
one, and the result of much skill and effort on the part
of the official gentlemen who had the direction of it.
There is a very striking difference between such insti-
tutions here and in England. The wards we are ac-
customed to at home are well warmed and full of
comfortable beds, with patients carefully covered up,
and attended on by respectable trained nurses; they
are changed in this hot climate into dormitories as open.
and airy as possible, with punkahs to give the sufferers
some refreshing movement of the atmosphere; the
150
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
patients lie on hard mattresses in their ordinary dress,
generally without any other covering over them, and
there is a sad dearth of any suitable attendance on the
sufferers. Trained nurses are almost unknown in India.
How can this want be supplied? The services of trained
officials from England it would be impossible to pro-
cure in sufficient numbers; and, unfortunately, the many
Englishwomen who must exist in the country as the
widows or other relatives of soldiers or mechanics,
appear to lose all desire to exert themselves, or to
undertake any service which has the least appearance
of being menial. The East Indians manifest little
desire to make efforts, and generally exhibit a species of
pride which is most unbecoming, and which prevents
their endeavouring to gain an honest livelihood. The
native women, the class of persons who ought to supply
this want, are perfectly ignorant in their ideas, and
uncultivated in their manners: a long training would be
necessary to prepare them for what ought to be their
special avocation, and for which they would be probably
well fitted. Two patients in this hospital particularly
attracted my attention-one was a young Christian
Brahmin, who appeared to be in a decline, and who,
through attending the mission schools, had his attention
drawn to the truths of Christianity, which had deeply
affected his mind. Without any solicitation on their
part, he determined to join the Christians, and left his
home in the country to come to Madras. His parents
followed him, and instituted legal proceedings against
the missionaries, under whose protection he had placed
himself, in order forcibly to take him back. As, how-
ever, he was above sixteen, and gave evidence that he
had acted solely on his own free choice, the verdict was
given against the parents. He seemed very happy. I
MADRAS.
151
afterwards sent him some books, and was glad to learn
that he was better, and able to leave the hospital. The
other was a poor Christian woman, not a Hindoo. She
was in a melancholy state, having lost her relatives, and
feeling solitary and deserted as well as ill; she was so
desponding and depressed in spirit, that she was sup-
posed by the officials to be deranged in mind. I
believed that it was Christian sympathy which she re-
quired; the poor woman appeared thankful to receive
a few words of this, and I promised her to endeavour
to procure for her the visits of some Christian lady.
This was afterwards done. There is a wide sphere of
Christian work open in India for all who will devote
themselves to it, quite independently of that which
now appears too exclusively to absorb the attention of
English ladies-the conversion of the heathen. This
work, somewhat beyond the pale of the Church, can be
carried on without distinction of sect; it has not been
entirely neglected in Madras. The ladies here have
formed a society for giving work to poor destitute
women, as there is no workhouse. It is very necessary
that Christians should exert themselves to care for the
poor connected with them, and not in this respect
be behind the natives, who are not deficient in kind
charity towards their own poor. Many English ladies
appeared to be giving much time and effort to this insti-
tution, and had established there a small girls' school,
for the children of their poor applicants.
one.
A large museum bids fair to become a very admirable
Time did not permit me to examine carefully the
different departments, which were all arranged with
remarkable care and neatness; the institution appeared
to excite some attention and interest in the town, as
the entrance is free, and there are sufficient officials to
152
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
protect the specimens. The most remarkable object-
indeed it is probably a unique one-is a collection of
the bones of the gigantic dinornis, which had been
brought from New Zealand, and presented to the insti-
tution. Madras appears to possess, from its maritime
position, peculiar facilities for obtaining rich and
curious specimens of natural history; such a museum
ought also to be the depository of objects illustrating
the productions of the country, and the habits and skill
of the natives throughout the Presidency. Such will
doubtless be formed here, whenever an interest in natural
science, and a thirst for knowledge for its own sake,
are excited among the natives.
On Monday, Nov. 12, precisely at 7 A.M., the carriage
was at the door to convey me to the School of Industrial
Arts. This institution owes its very existence, as well
as its present flourishing condition, to the zeal and
energy of Dr. Alexander Hunter, M.D., a surgeon of
the Madras Army. This gentleman was stationed in
the Black Town, or that part of Madras occupied by
the native population. Being himself a great lover of
art as well as of nature, and of a benevolent disposition,
he offered to give young native boys some instruction
in drawing in their leisure hours. They seized the
opportunity eagerly, and improved so rapidly, that it
was evident that natural genius exists in the native
mind, which only wants development. For some years
the kind-hearted doctor devoted his leisure hours to
the gratuitous instruction of these young boys. The
Government eventually perceived the importance of
fostering native genius, and of availing itself of the
services of so enthusiastic and able a gentleman as
Dr. Hunter. He was permitted to change his duties,
into those of superintendent of a School of Industrial
MADRAS.
153
Arts. Some valuable information, derived from the
reports, will be found in a subsequent part of this work;
it will be interesting to trace the process by which
Dr. Hunter, at first himself the sole instructor, gradu-
ally transformed students into masters, and thus, at
comparatively little cost, perpetuated his great work,
and developed native powers. I was introduced into a
large room, where the drawing and engraving on copper
were being carried on. At one end were a number of
native students, copying under the direction of a native
master; at the other a class of thirty or forty boys, who
had come under the escort of an official from the Mili-
tary Orphan School, to receive drawing lessons. They
looked much more animated and interested than when
I saw them in the institution. Outlines of beautiful
natural objects are usually the studies from which they
copy; the more advanced take the objects themselves,
and form designs from them for various useful things,
such as lamps, vases, knife-handles, picture-frames, &c.
Though these designs are very beautiful, and most deli-
cately executed, indicating patient work and a well-
trained hand, yet I did not observe the indications of
much original genius. The students did not appear to
commune with nature for herself, and to catch the in-
spiration which she only can impart; they only copy
what may be turned to some practical use.
pressed surprise that they did not make studies of the
various picturesque objects which they might see every-
where around them. A mere shed adorned with some
luxuriant creeper, with the bright lights and dark
defined shadows cast by a tropical sun, such as might
be seen from the window of that very room, would
make a sketch that an English artist would search for in
vain in our dull climate; while the human figure in its
I ex-
154
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
natural state is always at hand for study. Dr. Hunter
informed me, however, that these youths care for nothing
which cannot be turned to pecuniary account: there is
as yet in India no love of pure art, or demand for its
production. In colour, however, some original genius
developes itself. The natives have not yet attempted to
colour landscapes or other natural objects, but in orna-
menting their houses, and making designs for textile
fabrics, they exhibit a peculiar and beautiful taste. Some
specimens of their arrangement of colours I saw in an
adjoining room, where there were beautiful specimens of
varied art. The women in Madras are in the habit of
drawing coloured patterns on their floors and before
their doors, with great skill and care in the selection of
colours: copies of some of these were in this museum.
Various workshops to teach special trades and arts have
been gradually added; these are in some degree re-
munerative, and many youths are here instructed, and
enabled to gain an honest livelihood. A kindly feel-
ing pervades the whole institution, inspired almost
insensibly by the benevolent spirit of the superin-
tendent. Europeans, Eurasians, and Hindoos of every
caste, are here on precisely the same footing. At first
youths of high caste objected to the introduction of
those of low caste; but on the intimation that this
school was intended for the benefit of all equally, and
that those who objected need not enter it, the desire of
obtaining instruction overcame prejudice, and there is
now no distinction of colour or caste in the institution.
The dignity of labour' makes all equal, and teaches
the grand doctrine of universal brotherhood.
6
The next day I received a visit from one of the native
gentlemen who had come to the conference, and who
had written the day before, requesting permission to
MADRAS.
155
bring his wife to call on me, as she took a warm interest
in my work.
It was indeed a most interesting visit, and
the first of the kind I had received since my first even-
ing in Bombay. On entering, the lady asked her
husband 'whether I were a descendant of Sarah Martin?'
He repeated the question to me, and informed me that
he always communicated to her any accounts of excel-
lent women which he met with; that she was well
educated, and herself wrote articles in a magazine for
ladies. It was a touching thought, that the unobtrusive.
work of the pious humble sempstress of Norwich had
produced an influence in this remote and heathen
country, and touched the heart of this gentle young
Hindoo lady! She showed the fruits of the kind and
sympathising influence she had been under, and her
deportment was not only refined and modest, but con-
fiding and open. She manifested a warmth of affection
which was quite refreshing to my spirit here among
strangers, and called forth a true response. Her hus-
band informed me that he and some others had made
a decided move away from idolatry. They had received
a visit from Keshub Chunder Sen, the leader of the
most advanced party of the Brahmins at Calcutta,
whose recent lecture, Jesus Christ, Europe, and Asia,'
had excited warm discussion among both Christians
and natives. His eloquence and glowing words had
kindled among them the religious enthusiasm, which
had been previously pent up in their hearts.
6
They
had determined to open a place for the worship of the
one and only true God, and an opulent native gentle-
man had placed his large drawing-room at their dis-
posal; there they held regular religious meetings every
Wednesday at six o'clock. While thus abandoning
idolatry, they did not desire to give offence to their
ม
156
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
!
countrymen by relinquishing customs which were not.
directly immoral, while they set their faces decidedly
against what they deemed absolutely wrong. As they
still held to their ancient sacred books, while departing
from idol-worship, they called their congregation the
Veda Somaj, or the assembly of those holding the Vedas.
Perceiving the religious tone of my visitor, I placed
before him a small volume of my own. On glancing
at it, he said that it would be very useful to him in the
preparation of a volume of prayers which he was com-
piling, and requested permission to carry it away with
him. This gentleman was the secretary of the Veda
Somaj, and he promised to communicate to the presi-
dent my
desire to be present at their service.
*
Wednesday, Nov. 14.-I received a kind invitation
from the president of the Veda Somaj, with the rules
which they had drawn up for the guidance of the
society. These present a singular combination of en-
lightened moral feeling, and a high religious view of the
absolute unity of the Deity, with a clinging to old
national customs, and a desire, if possible, not to offend
their countrymen, or to separate from them. I believe
that they are attempting what is impossible, for the
Master has said, 'Ye cannot serve God and mammon,'
and The Son only can make us truly free.' The at-
tempt, however, to obtain religious freedom, and to
bring back Hindoos from idolatry to a true faith, is
worthy of honour, and deserves our warmest sympathy.
None can tell what this first attempt, such as it is, has
cost those who made it-how much moral torture, how
much loss of friendship, how much persecution from
* Morning and Evening Meditations, with Prayers. By Mary
Carpenter: 1 vol. 12mo. price 4s. Longmans: Paternoster Row,
London.
MADRAS.
157
their native friends. Indeed,' said one of them to
me, they think us worse than Christians,' a remark
painfully significant. The rules of the Veda Somaj are
as follows:
COVENANTS OF THE VEDA SOMAJ.
1. I shall worship, through love of Him and the performance
of the work He loveth, the Supreme Being, the Creator, the
Preserver, the Destroyer, the Giver of Salvation, the Omni-
scient, the Omnipotent, the Blissful, the Good, the Formless,
the one only without a second; and none of the created
objects, subject to the following conditions.
2. I shall labour to compose and gradually bring into
practice a Ritual agreeable to the spirit of pure Theism, and
free from the superstitions and absurdities which at present
characterise Hindoo ceremonies.
3. In the meantime I shall observe the ceremonies now in
use, but only in cases where ceremonies are indispensable, as
in marriages and funerals; or where their omission will do
more violence to the feelings of the Hindoo community than is
consistent with the proper interests of the Veda Somaj, as in
Sradhas. And I shall go through such ceremonies, where
they are not conformable to pure Theism, as mere matters of
routine, destitute of all religious significance--as the lifeless
remains of a superstition which has passed away.
4. This sacrifice, and this only, shall I make to existing
prejudices. But I shall never endeavour to deceive anyone
as to my religious opinions, and never stoop to equivocation
or hypocrisy, in order to avoid unpopularity.
5. I shall discard all sectarian views and animosities, and
never offer any encouragement to them.
6. I shall, as a first step, gradually give up all distinctions,
and amalgamate the different branches of the same caste.
7. Rigidly as I shall adhere to all these rules, I shall be
perfectly tolerant to the views of strangers, and never in-
tentionally give offence to their feelings.
158
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
1
8. I shall never violate the duties and virtues of humanity,
justice, veracity, temperance, and chastity.
9. I shall never hold, or attend, or pay for nautches, or
otherwise hold out encouragement for prostitution.
10. I shall encourage and promote to the best of my power
the remarriage of widows, and discourage early marriages.
11. I shall never be guilty of bigamy or polygamy.
12. I shall grant my aid towards the issue, in the ver-
naculars, of elementary prayer-books and religious tracts; and
also of a monthly journal, whose chief object shall be to
improve the social and moral condition of the community.
13. I shall advance the cause of general and female educa-
tion and enlightenment, and particularly in my own family
circle.
14. I shall study the Sanscrit language and its literature
(especially theological), and promote the cultivation of it by
means not calculated to promote superstition.
of the
To-day being the day of the month of
Kalyabda
I hereby embrace the faith of the
Veda Somaj, and in witness whereof set my hand to this.
My host accompanied me to this native worship, and
his presence was gladly welcomed. The place of meet-
ing was well filled with native gentlemen, the president
occupying the chair; near him was my friend, the
secretary of the society. To my great surprise and
confusion, he commenced by reading an address intro-
ducing me to the meeting, expressing the warmest
sympathy with my work in England, and high appreci-
ation of the motives which prompted my friendly visit.
to my fellow-subjects in India, and my desire to pro-
mote female education there. It thus concluded.
'Our sister does not understand our language, but we
do hers. Let us therefore for her satisfaction, and to
the satisfaction of our Common Father, offer up in His
!
MADRAS.
159
holy presence our heartfelt prayer in our sister's own
language, before we commence our usual service.' Then
he offered with deep reverence one of the prayers in my
'Meditations,' omitting only the allusions to Our Saviour.
Their ordinary service followed, with a discourse from
the president. In conclusion, that same prayer of mine,
which had been translated into Tamil and printed, was
handed round to the audience, aud offered up in the
vernacular. Need I say that this evening was one of
the most treasured ones of my whole delightful sojourn
in the country? It was then laid among my sacred
memories; it is now enshrined with holy and sorrowful
thoughts of the departed, for he who uttered that prayer
has since been called to the Father's house above.
Nov. 15.-Symptoms had appeared of the approaching
monsoon, which on this side of India is at a different
time from the rains on the western coast. This probably
delayed the expected steamer which was to convey me
to Calcutta. Two objects of interest were near at hand,
and these I visited, for once, on foot! These were the
Horticultural Garden, and the Cathedral. The present
time was not the season of the year to expect many
flowers, but the tropical trees and plants were most
interesting. The chief object of attraction in the cathe-
dral is a beautiful monument to the lamented Reginald
Heber, one of those whose names will not die in India.
I received also a farewell visit from the secretary and
his sweet young wife, who brought me some of her
needlework as a remembrance. I requested her to
write a few words in my book. Without hesitation she
sat down at the table, and inscribed the following pas-
sage in Telugu, neatly and evenly written. It is
translated by her husband: I am extremely delighted
to see you. All our females should feel extremely
6
160
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
obliged to you for the pains you take in their behalf.
I believe that education, and intercourse with English
ladies like yourself will be of the greatest possible ad-
vantage to my countrywomen. I do further hope very
much that everyone coming in contact with you will
acquire some of that excellent wisdom of yours which
has been the result of your good education.
(Signed)
THAYARAMMAL.
'P. SUBROYALU CHETTY,
'Secretary to the Veda Somaj, Madras.'
November 15, 1866.
During the following night I was awakened by a
tremendous sound, as of abundance of rain, as well as of
a rushing furious wind. I hastened to the open win-
dows and the venetian shutters; with difficulty could I
close, in the violence of the storm, the eight large
windows on three sides of my spacious room. Even
when they were firmly fastened the sound of the storm
was overpowering; the thought of the raging of the sea
could not be dispelled from my mind, and sleep was
effectually banished. The monsoon was now beginning
in right earnest, and the trenches and reservoirs which
my hostess had been making in anticipation of it as a
future supply for her garden, to which she devoted
much attention, were becoming rapidly filled. There
was no longer for us the delightful drive through the
government park and along the beach, which every
evening had so refreshed both body and spirit. Nothing
but necessity induced anyone to expose carriage, horses,
and driver to such incessant torrents; and had it not
been for the long verandah, we should in vain have
desired to enjoy any of the outer air.
MADRAS.
161
The steamer happily did not arrive that day, but
there was an announcement by telegram of her approach
from Ceylon. The next morning the weather was
somewhat calmer, and the distant booming of cannon,
before the day dawned, informed us of its approach on
the morning of the 17th. Had I not secured and paid
for my berth, I should have been unable to proceed, for
this was the time of the year when Calcutta gentlemen
were returning with their families from their much-
needed annual excursions, and this French vessel was
very crowded. In Madras roadstead, ships cannot ap-
proach near the shore, or even the pier. Passengers
have to be lowered from it into a boat to be conveyed
to the steamer. The sight of these apparently slight
native conveyances, guided over the rolling waves by
the half-clad, strange-looking beings, gabbling a foreign
language, to one unaccustomed to the sea was not a
very pleasing spectacle, and somewhat calculated to
excite alarm; but my course was onward, my present
goal Calcutta. Without contemplating the danger,
therefore, I boldly trusted myself to them, and after a
little difficulty, caused by the constant lurching of the
boat, found myself safe in my new abode. The con-
siderate office-keeper had told me that he had secured
'a good home for me;' the steward had arranged for
me to share the cabin of a young English lady, who was
going out to join her fortunes to those of a missionary
who had been long settled at Delhi; and she proved
a very kind friend to me during a most disagreeable.
voyage through the Bay of Bengal.
The shores of the beautiful bay, and the distant hills
surrounding Madras, soon receded from view; I had
begun to love the city, for there was much to interest
in its various institutions, and I perceived a wide field
VOL. I.
M
162
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
of usefulness prepared for any who would work it; I
had found there kind hearts, and had been received
not as a stranger, but as one with whom true sympathy
already existed. It was with sorrow, therefore, that I
bade farewell to its shores, and for the first time pre-
pared to go forth alone among strangers!
163
CHAPTER V.
CALCUTTA,
THE banks of the Ganges greeted our longing sight on
the morning of November 20.
It is a very strange feeling to find oneself for the first
time actually in the very spot which one has looked at
on the map from one's earliest childhood, and of which
one has heard so much and talked so much all one's
life. I had not been long enough a traveller to lose
the vividness of novelty; and though still very weak,
and somewhat miserable after the tossing of the vessel
in the Bay of Bengal, yet it was impossible to be in-
sensible to the fact that we were now floating on the
waters which for thousands and thousands of years had
been held sacred by countless millions of the inhabitants
of this marvellous land. This broad majestic stream
does not require any historic memories to invest it with
intense interest. These very waters, which we were
cutting through as unconcernedly as if they belonged
to any ordinary estuary, had taken a marvellous course
ere they reached us. Their first origin on the snow-
clad Himalayas is grand and mysterious; to penetrate
to the very source of the sacred river is worthy of a life
pilgrimage. When the weary devotee, or the ardent
lover of nature, has painfully attained a height which
would seem the highest point he is to reach, peak
M 2
164
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
beyond peak appears beyond him. At length he dis-
covers in the midst of wild and grand displays of nature's
most rugged and majestic wonders, the young stream
dashing fearlessly down, joyous, pure, and free, which
is to become the sacred stream of an empire! Who
can describe, who has ever attempted to tell the course
of those waters? Who could venture to enumerate the
scenes of sorow and of death which they have witnessed,
-how many mourners they have soothed by imparting
not only a refreshing coolness, but a holy calm? In
its course onward to the ocean, what noble cities it has
passed, bearing onward their merchandise, purifying
their atmosphere; what fine tributaries it has received
to swell its flood; and now, after dividing its waters
into the numerous streams which form the delta, it is
still grand and beautiful, terminating its course in a
way worthy of its progress to the ocean!
The banks are low, presenting no peculiar features;
but as we approached the capital, those acquainted with
it recognised and pointed out to the other passengers
many well-known residences or institutions. The ex-
citement of anticipation began to spread among all the
passengers. I was probably the only one in the vessel
who had no great expectation of meeting anyone, or
even of finding a home on landing. On the departure
of my party from Madras, I had expressed the intention
of proceeding by the next steamer; but they might not
be aware that a French vessel would be the first arrival,
and not being one of the regular British steamers, its
approach was heralded by no cannon; my friends would
therefore probably not be aware of my actual arrival.
I had of course written to them as soon as I had arranged
my plans, but letters take a slow and weary course of
about thirteen days in their transit from Madras to
CALCUTTA.
165
Calcutta, and my unfortunate missive did not reach its
destination until long after my own arrival. The tele-
graph of course would be deemed the natural and
certain mode of speedy communication, but I was in-
formed that it was out of order, and consequently use-
less. This is not a very unusual condition of things.
When at Ahmedabad the wire snapped over our heads
as we were taking a morning excursion, and some days
after, a missionary, riding quickly along, was seriously
injured by a stroke from the still hanging wire against
his chest. A gentleman told me that he once received
a telegram after a letter which was despatched at the
same time;—I had therefore thought it useless to tele-
graph. I did not know the address of the friend who
would receive me, having trusted my letter to the
general direction of Calcutta. Experience had inspired
me with a dread of Indian hotels. In this rather dis-
agreeable emergency, I found kind friends in my fellow-
passengers, Mr. and Mrs. G., who were returning home
with their little girl. This lovely child was one of the
very few I saw in India who had not suffered morally
from the surrounding influences of the country; her
parents had taken care that she should have no com-
munication with native servants, but if not actually
with her mother, was under the charge of a respectable
young Englishwoman, who was what we should call a
nursery governess. My new friends expected to meet
their carriage on shore, and did not hurry from the vessel
on her arrival, but waited until the crowd had some-
what dispersed. What was our dismay, when we at last
effected a landing with our luggage, on finding, not
only that there were no servants and carriage waiting,
but that no conveyance of any sort was within sight or
hearing! The landing-place was at some distance from
166
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
the city itself. Everyone had gone his or her own
way, and there was nothing we could do but sit by the
wayside on our boxes, while Mr. G. went to procure
carriages; this we expected would involve a walk of
nearly three miles, and an absence of at least two hours.
Such was my first introduction to the capital of all
India! I certainly was not much impressed with the
excellence of its arrangements, or with the approach it
had made to the common conveniences of civilised life!
The sun was not far from its decline, and we were
anxiously calculating the flight of time, and fearing the
night dews for the little darling; we watched the few
passers-by, hoping that some one might act the part of
a good Samaritan to us, and succour us in our dis-
tress; the few who did go that way passed by on the
other side, evidently bent, very naturally, on securing
accommodation for themselves, or enjoying some festi-
vity after their long voyage. At length Mr. G. arrived,
just as the shades were beginning to close in around us,
his early return having been facilitated by having met
a friend who had given him a lift. He insisted on my
accompanying them to their home, and I thankfully
yielded to his hospitable sway.
The road from thence to Alipore, a pleasant suburb
of Calcutta, was not very prepossessing. It had for-
merly given promise of being an agreeable residence for
those who desired to escape from the close air of the
city; but the property had been purchased within a few
years by a native prince, whose retainers and surround-
ings were not in accordance with English ideas, and the
district was left in his hands. Hence there were none
of those indications of affluence and refinement which
we always see in the vicinity of large and important
cities of Europe. Native huts, intended simply for
CALCUTTA.
167
protection from the elements, not as residences, take
the place of our well-built comfortable homes; and a
cottage garden filled with useful vegetables and gay
flowers is here unknown. Indications of the ravages of
the long-remembered cyclone still remain, in trees be-
reft of their branches, and bending, as if in terror, to
escape from its fury. Many parts have a devastated
air; no renovating spirit appeared to animate the resi-
dents. At length, after what seemed a long and tedious
ride, we reached a commodious villa, built in the style
which Anglo-Indians find so well adapted to the country,
and surrounded by beautiful grounds and a well-arranged
garden. The kind attentions of my host and hostess dis-
pelled the thought of past troubles, and at a very early
hour the next morning my friend, Dr. Chuckerbutty,
arrived to convey me to his house, which for the present
he begged me to consider my home.
The part of the city (Chowringhee) where I was now
located is in the immediate vicinity of Government
House. This is a fine mass of buildings, presenting an
imposing effect, and is worthy of being the viceregal
residence; a large open space surrounds it, and near it
are the chief business streets, with the handsome-looking
square now called after Lord Dalhousie. The regular
evening drive is on the strand. Passing by Government
House, with the adjutant birds standing in quiet dignity
on its lofty roof, or taking their posts as sentinels on
the pillars of the entrance-gates, we soon reach the
banks of the Ganges, which is in that part crowded
with vessels from all nations. The scene is very ani-
mated at the time of the usual evening promenade:
carriages of every description, from that of the Gover-
nor-General with his brilliant equipage, to the humble.
gharry; English gentlemen and ladies in light and
168
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
gay attire; East Indians, and native gentlemen of dif-
ferent ranks, and of a great variety of costumes. The
carriages of these last contained no ladies. It was im-
possible to repress a painful consciousness that while
we were enjoying the cool air, and admiring the setting
of a tropical sun, reflecting his dazzling rays of gold
and crimson in the glorious stream of the Ganges, they
were sitting within dreary walls, deprived of the society
of those who might have called out their highest powers,
and to whose pure enjoyments they might have im-
parted the highest zest.
My earliest visitor on that first day was the very one
with whom I most desired to make acquaintance. Before
we had risen from our evening meal, Baboo Keshub
Chunder Sen was announced. Before leaving England
I had formed a high opinion of this Hindoo reformer,
from various religious writings of his which had reached
friends and correspondents there; and a testimony was
borne by those personally acquainted with him to his
private character as being quite in accordance with his
public teachings. In India I had frequently heard him
spoken of as the chief religious leader of the age,
indeed the only one whose zeal led him to make public
efforts to rouse his countrymen from idolatry. The
party of the Brahmos, or pure theists, had been roused
to take a distinct position some years ago by Debender-
nath Tagore, the son of Dwarkanath Tagore, who was the
intimate friend of Rammohun Roy. Mr. Sen had, how-
ever, seceded from them, and headed a party of his own.
This gave rise to much controversy and acrimonious
writing in the party papers, and I had determined to
suspend all judgment until I should be on the spot,
and see and hear for myself. The result of a long and
interesting conversation that evening was, that I felt
CALCUTTA.
169
greatly impressed with the candour, spirituality, and
religious feeling of my new friend; he gladly carried
away with him several religious books which I brought
for him, together with an engraving of Rubens's affect-
ing picture of the Descent from the Cross,' which he
hung in his study.
The religious movement among the educated Hindoos
of Bengal is so closely connected with their social pro-
gress, and through them that of the population gene-
rally, that it is necessary here to take a brief review of
its origin and present position. It is a remarkable
fact, and one of deep significance, that the origin of
this reformation was from within, not from without;-
that it was commenced by no excited enthusiast, no de-
votee absorbed in spiritual contemplation;-that there
was no attempt, or even desire in its author, to form a
sect or to lead a movement; and that it is only after the
slumber of a quarter of a century that the spirit of one
of the noblest men whom India or the world has ever
seen, is beginning to rouse his benighted countrymen.
The Rajah Rammohun Roy was born more than
twenty years before the close of the last century, The
enlightenment and civilisation which are now insepar-
able attendants on the British rule, had then scarcely
dawned on India. English education, opening the way
to literature fraught with Christian feeling and founded
on Christian priniciples, had not then been introduced
into every Presidency, preparing the natives for posts
of emolument and honour, and penetrating to regions
at that time sunk in barbarism. Rammohun Roy does
not appear to have learnt the English language until
he was advanced in life, and then he acquired it rather
through intercourse with official gentlemen than with a
view to the study of literature. He was the son of an
170
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
influential Brahmin, and consequently well instructed in
the national sacred literature; his foreign education and
early influences were derived from Mahometans. His
biographer and friend, the late Rev. Dr. Lant Carpen-
ter, the father of the present writer, thus speaks* of his
early life-
'Under his father's roof he received the elements of
native education, and also acquired the Persian lan-
guage. He was afterwards sent to Patna to learn
Arabic; and lastly to Benares to obtain a knowledge of
the Sanscrit, the sacred language of the Hindoos. His
masters at Patna set him to study Arabic translations of
some of the writings of Aristotle and Euclid, and it is
probable that the training thus given to his mind in
acuteness and close reasoning, and the knowledge which
he acquired of the Mahometan religion from Mussul-
men whom he esteemed, contributed to cause that
searching examination of the faith in which he was
educated, which led him eventually to the important
efforts he made to restore it to its simplicity.
'His family was Brahminical, of high respectability,
and of course he was a Brahmin by birth. After his
death the thread of his caste was seen round him, pass-
ing over his left shoulder and under his right. His
father trained him in the doctrine of his sect, but he
very early observed the diversities of opinion existing
even among the idolaters; and that while some exalted
Brahma, the creator, others gave the ascendancy to
Vishnu, the preserver, and others again to Shiva, the
destroyer. It is scarcely possible, too, but that his
mind must have been struck by the simplicity of the
Mahometan faith and worship; and, at any rate, it
* Fide 'The Last Days in England of the Rajah Rammohun Roy,' by
Mary Carpenter. London: Trübner, 1 vol. 8vo.; price, 7s. 6d.
CALCUTTA.
171
early revolted from the frivolous or disgusting rites.
and ceremonies of the Hindoo idolatry. Without dis-
puting the authority of his father, he often sought from
him information as to the reasons of his faith. He
obtained no satisfaction, and he at last determined, at
the early age of fifteen, to leave the paternal home, and
to sojourn for a time in Thibet, that he might see
another form of religious faith. He spent two or three
years in that country, and often excited the anger of
the worshippers of the Llama by his rejection of their
doctrine that this pretended deity-a living man-was
the creator and preserver of the world.'
When Rammohun Roy was between twenty and
thirty years of age, he became a collector at Burdwan,
in the East India Company's civil service, and in that
position acquired fluency both in speaking and writing
the English language. By the death of his father and
brothers early in the century, he became possessed of
considerable property, which enabled him to carry out
the plan he had conceived of reforming the religion of
his countrymen. He removed to Moorshedabad, where
he published in Persian, with a preface in Arabic, a
work entitled 'Against the Idolatry of all Nations.'
The book raised against him a host of enemies, though
no one undertook to refute it. In 1814 he retired to
Calcutta, and gradually gathered around him, as early
as 1818, some intelligent and influential Hindoos, who
united with him in a species of monotheistic worship.
Very small progress has this small band of worshippers
made in these fifty years! Not many of the rich and
influential of his people are yet prepared courageously
to emancipate themselves from the bondage which still
holds them.
It is evident that at this period Rammohun Roy not
172
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
only laid no claim to being an inspired teacher—indeed
he never did—but he did not base his teachings on any
existing revelation; he had also no sympathy with Hin-
dooism itself. The light of his own grand mind, which
had come in contact through literature with the finest
minds of antiquity, distinctly revealed to him one only
God, one sole spirituality, as the object of religious wor-
ship. The best mode of converting his countrymen, he
conceived, was to prove to them that 'the most celebrated
and revered work of Brahminical theology,' as he him-
self expresses it, 'establishes the unity of the Supreme
Being, and that He alone is the object of propitiation
and worship.' These writings (the Vedas) are in Sanscrit,
a language which is still jealously guarded from the
study or even the simple hearing of the lower castes.
He brought the Vedanta, or resolution of the Vedas,
within the reach of all castes of his countrymen by
translating it into Bengali and Hindostani, and after-
wards publishing an abridgment of it with an English
translation. Towards the close of his paper he says:
'My constant reflection on the inconvenient or rather
injurious rites introduced by the peculiar practice of
Hindoo idolatry, which more than any other pagan
worship destroys the texture of society, together with
compassion for my countrymen, have compelled me to
use every possible effort to awaken them from their
dream of error. Whatever men may say, I cannot
be deprived of this consolation-my motives are accept-
able to that Being who beholds in secret and compen-
sates openly.'
The publication of this and other similar works of
course attracted the attention of the English, especially
of missionaries. The first notice we find of him is
in 1814, when he is spoken of as 'acquainted with the
CALCUTTA.
173
New Testament, and disposed to hear anything which
can be enforced by the authority of Christ.' He was
willing to converse with missionaries and even visit
them, and offered Eustace Carey a piece of ground for a
school. In 1817 he wrote to an English gentleman:
The consequence of my long and uninterrupted re-
searches into religious truth has been that I have found
the doctrines of Christ more conducive to moral prin-
ciples, and better adapted for the use of rational beings,
than any other which have come to my knowledge; and
have also found Hindoos in general more superstitious
and miserable, both in performance of their religious
rites and in their domestic concerns, than the rest of
the known nations of the earth.'*
In order to satisfy his mind as to the teaching of the
Old and New Testament respecting the absolute unity of
the Deity, he devoted himself to the critical study of the
original languages in which they were written; and in
1820 published a series of selections from the Gospels
in English, Sanscrit, and Bengali, which he entitled
The Precepts of Jesus, the Guide to Peace and Happi-
ness.' At that time the impression he produced is thus
spoken of by a writer in the Calcutta Review':-
'Here we observe an individual, born and bred in a
country benighted under the most gross idolatry and
superstition, who, by a just use of that understanding
which our gracious Creator has given to mankind to
guide them to all truths, having discovered the false-
hood of that system of idolatry, and the absurdity of
those superstitions, conscientiously abandoned both;
and thereby subjected himself to inconveniences and
dangers of which persons living in more enlightened
* Vide 'Last Days,' &c. pp. 46–47.
174
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
societies can hardly form an idea. Next he directed
his attention to the Christian religion, and that same
just and honest use of his understanding, which dis-
covered the falsehood and absurdity of idolatry and
superstition, satisfied him that Jesus was the Messiah-
that He was employed by God to reveal His will to men,
and to make known to them the only true religion.
He observed the internal and historical evidence of
Christianity to be such as demonstrated its truth.
Blessed with the light of Christianity, he dedicates hist
time and his money, not only to release his country-
men from the state of degradation in which they exist,
but also to diffuse among the European masters of
his country the sole true religion, as it was promulgated
by Christ, His apostles, and His disciples.
Calcutta, July 12, 1821.
A FIRM BELIEVER IN CHRIST.'
Unfortunately, the missionaries did not welcome the
steady advance which the noble Brahmin reformer was
thus making towards Christianity. They attacked his
book, and he was drawn into a controversy with them,
while at the same time his countrymen opposed him.
in every possible way. He pursued his onward course,
however, earnestly and steadily, established a Unitarian
Christian place of worship, in co-operation with the Rev.
William Adams and other friends; and having vin-
dicated his right to retain his social position as a
Brahmin, he undertook a voyage to England, hoping
thereby to promote many social reforms, and to return
to his country enriched with the treasures of Western
civilisation, and more prepared to improve his country-
men. This was not permitted him. After remaining
little more than two years in our country, and gaining
CALCUTTA.
175
the high esteem of all who knew him, he was removed
from this world by rapid disease, in September 1833.
The reader is referred, for what information could be
collected respecting the Rajah's residence in England,
to the work already referred to-the 'Last Days.' It
will there be evident that his value for Christianity
continually increased, that he distinctly declared his
belief in the divine mission of Christ, in the miracles,
and the resurrection, and that though he never was
baptised, he was in the habit of attending Christian
worship, and he was regarded at the time as being
in full sympathy with the Christian religion.
Though the personal influence of Rammohun Roy
had drawn many intelligent Hindoos round him while he
was living in their midst, yet it does not appear that he
so greatly inspired others with his own elevated views
as to induce them to make any sacrifices, or any great
efforts to promulgate them. He had not presented to
them an absolute religious faith, obedience to which
would remove the grand obstacles in the way of the
progress of his countrymen: their hearts were not
touched, and their moral nature was not sufficiently
elevated, to make them accept, from an intuitive sense
of fitness, a code of morality which was entirely se-
parated from the living spirit of the author of it. He
had exposed the national vices, and the horrible prac-
tices which had received the sanction of religion; he
had denounced caste as the root of innumerable evils;
and yet he had presented to them no higher authority
for the abolition of their cruel and wicked practices
than arguments drawn from their own sacred books,
which, their priests pretended, taught them; and mo-
tives of expediency led him to preserve his own caste,
while perceiving the evils which the institution caused.
176
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
He was greatly before his age, and though his teaching
and example laid the foundation of a movement against
idolatry which ought to einbrace all its attendant social
evils, his countrymen were not sufficiently advanced to
comprehend him, or to second his efforts. For a time,
then, his influence and teaching appeared to have pro-
duced little effect.
Various indications, which had recently reached us in
the West, had excited a hope that the period was now
come when the spirit of the Hindoo reformer was lead-
ing on his countrymen to a purer religion and a higher
civilisation. My present visit to the scene of his
labours, however, did not enable me to realise these
hopes. One place of worship only-that which he had
himself founded and dedicated to the worship of one
true God-was pointed out to me as the house where
the Brahmos assembled for worship once a week, on
Wednesday evenings. This had been recently renovated
by Debendernath Tagore, the leader of the sect, the son
of his personal friend. There I joined in their Bengalee
worship, in memory of him whom I so highly vene-
rated; but I did not see the leader of the sect, nor even
had I a personal interview with him, as he left the
city shortly after my arrival. No interest appeared to
exist in hearing anything respecting a man who had
conferred such honour on his country. I could not
even learn where was his house in the Circular Road,
formerly the resort of enlightened Hindoos and friendly
Europeans; nor where was the site of that printing-
press which he had established in Dhurmtollah, to
defend himself to the public against the attacks of his
opponents. The absence of any cenotaph, record on
marble tablet of his very existence, or statue, as an
enduring memento of his grand and noble presence,
CALCUTTA.
177
was rendered more remarkable by the fact that a finely
executed bust of his friend Dwarkanath stands in the
public library to testify to the respect of his fellow-
citizens. Nor did I discover any trace of his spirit
among his professed followers. Instead of that earnest
and candid search after truth which was so charac-
teristic of Rammohun Roy-that devoted study of the
Christian Scriptures, because he perceived that they
were 'a universal guide to truth and happiness'-I found
among the Brahmos an extreme prejudice against
Christianity, combined with ignorance of the contents
of the New Testament, which they were unwilling
to study, having satisfied their minds, by a perusal
of deistical works, of the antecedent impossibility of
revelation or miracles. Even the Precepts of Jesus'
with its various translations, is out of print, and its
very existence appears generally unknown. In social
progress they were in many respects beyond what are
called the 'orthodox Hindoos,' or those who most tena-
ciously adhere to their religious rites and ancient
idolatrous social customs; but at the same time further
progress is discountenanced by them, and it was on this
ground particularly that Keshub Chunder Sen and the
advance party had separated from them.
6
Yet with all these discouraging facts before me, I
gradually discovered that the character of the great
reformer had produced a deep impression on many
hearts, and one which is slowly but surely preparing
for future improvement. One Hindoo gentleman, and
one only, did I meet with who had personally known
Rammohun Roy, and he dwelt with intense interest on
everything connected with him. The following passage,
in which he wrote for me some of his reminiscences,
will be interesting to the reader :-
VOL. I.
N
:
178
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
'My father and Rajah Rammohun Roy were friends. The
friendship arose from the circumstance of their mofussil
residence being in the same part of the district of Hooghly.
My father was an orthodox Brahmin, but this did not interrupt
his friendship with the Rajah, when his heterodoxy came to
light; for, though of the old class, my father was liberal, and
had a great respect for the Rajah. So great was his attach-
ment to his noble friend that he wellnigh suffered excom-
munication for it, when the abolition of suttee brought upon
the Rajah, as the author of this outrage, that social mis-
fortune.
'I was introduced to the Rajah at a very early age by my
father, and the friendship of the fathers soon led to the
establishment of a friendship between the sons. The Rajah's
youngest son, the late Rana Persaud Roy, and I being nearly
of the same age, and being constantly thrown into each other's
society, we soon began to find a pleasure in being together,
and our intimacy grew up with our years. We lived like
brothers, and the friendly relations between our families were
generally firmly cemented.
'Not long after I had been established in the family of the
Rajah, the Rev. Dr. Duff, whose memory I cannot recall
without a thrill of gratitude passing through my frame, came
to India, and formed a project in concert with the Rajah of
establishing a school for giving English education to native
children. At that time missionaries and missionary institu-
tions were regarded by natives with great mistrust, and the
Doctor and the Rajah with great difficulty could obtain but
five pupils for their projected new school. I was one of these
five, and I am now the only survivor out of this lot. The
good Doctor has mentioned this fact with great complacency
in many of his recent discourses, both here and in Edinburgh.
'My friend Rana Persaud and I formed, as far back as
1860, a scheme for giving instruction to the females of re-
spectable Hindoo families. The system of zenana teaching,
which then came into existence, was to our minds not suited
to this end; and we arranged for instructing our females in
CALCUTTA.
179
some respectable school, to be established in the heart of the
native town, and presided over and managed by some re-
spectable mistress-respectable not only in attainments, but
also in social position. We broached our scheme to Dr. Duff,
who approved of it fully, and engaged the services of a clergy-
man's wife for this purpose in Scotland. But before we could
carry our scheme into operation, I was deputed by Govern-
ment to Lahore on public duty, and during my absence there
my friend was gathered to his fathers, and our cherished
scheme fell to the ground.
"The untimely death of my lamented friend rendered
abortive several other schemes that we fondly cherished.
Among other things we had an idea of going to England
together, there to visit the place where his illustrious father
sojourned and breathed his last, and ultimately to erect a
marble statue on the spot to preserve his memory. But the
hand of death anticipated us, and the regret is that we fell
short of our duty to the illustrious deceased; not that his
memory will be lost, for it requires no artificial monument to
preserve it; and even if it does, there is a more substantial
monument which will last so long as the English literature
endureth.
(Signed)
W. M. CHATTERJEE.'
The new religious movement of Keshub Chunder Sen
excited my warm interest, especially as it is carried out
with much zeal by those who have associated themselves
with him, and is accompanied with decided advance in
the social position of women. They have no recognised
religious teacher, and though Mr. Sen is confessedly
their head, yet any who feel a desire to preach, or con-
duct religious worship, are allowed to do so; and they
also go out as missionaries with their leader, to en-
deavour to arouse the spiritual nature of their country-
men. Women have not yet been admitted to join in
worship with their husbands, but a separate prayer-
N 2
180
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
meeting has been established for them, and this I was.
allowed to attend.
On Saturday evening, November 24, I was conducted
to a small house, which was rented for the purpose, in
the native part of the town. The rooms surround a
small court, over which on special occasions a canopy
may be drawn. This had been done on a recent occa-
sion, when a marriage had been performed there by
the Brahmos without idolatrous rites. On entering
the central room with a lady who understood Bengali,
and served as interpreter, I was agreeably surprised at
being at once most affectionately greeted by the
assembled ladies, who warmly expressed to me their
pleasure at my thus visiting them. After some friendly
communication, they seated themselves on the carpet,
and reverently covered their faces to engage in prayer.
Mr. Sen then entered with his assistant, and placing
himself on the dais, solemnly offered up prayer in their
native tongue; the ladies at times joined in a kind of
chant in a low melodious tone. I was afterwards in-
formed by my friend, that they had been supplicating
for blessings to be bestowed on her who had come from
a distant land to greet her Eastern sisters. How many
whispered blessings may be near us, how many hearts
may be beating in unison with us, of which we are little
conscious! The service concluded, the ladies invited
me into an inner room, where refreshment was pro-
vided, consisting of sweets, fruits, &c. They seemed
particularly pleased by my assisting in handing them
round, and we all partook; with Eastern hospitality, they
insisted on my carrying some of these delicacies with
me to my home. The husbands of the ladies had
brought them in palanquins or carriages to the place
of meeting, and remained waiting outside. The Hindoo
CALCUTTA.
181
customs forbid a married couple from holding any
communication in the presence of others; it is even
regarded as improper for a husband in any way to
notice his wife. A father ought not even to see his
daughter-in-law, or an older brother a sister-in-law.
These rules are not always strictly enforced, but all
who profess to be orthodox must obey them; the extent
to which they are disregarded may be considered as a
pretty correct indication of the degree in which any
family is liberal or the contrary. It was then a matter
of great surprise to the lady who accompanied me, and
who was fully conversant with the Hindoo customs,
when an invitation was gladly accepted by both ladies
and gentlemen to meet together at tea at Dr. Chucker-
butty's house on the following Monday. Mr. Sen kindly
undertook the office of sending special invitations,
himself accompanying them.
The house of our meeting is situated in one of the
least agreeable native districts of the city-Mirzapore
Street. A stranger to India cannot imagine the con-
dition of these low streets, inhabited by natives pursuing
various humble callings, and apparently in a state of
entire isolation from the superior grades. This part of
the city seemed a perfect network of streets, and on
a subsequent occasion, when I required to wend my
way in a carriage alone to this place, with a native
driver who could not speak English, my situation was
perplexing in the extreme;-after traversing in vain
street after street, I should have given myself up for
lost, had I not fortunately discerned some passers-by,
whose dress indicated that they probably understood
English, and who directed the driver. Yet in the
midst of such a district we find the residence of a
millionaire; turning up a narrow lane with an open
182
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
sewer on each side, I saw an opulent native gentleman
alight at his home from a genteel carriage; and our
driver took us on to a dirty courtyard, leading to the
large family mansion of a gentleman of position.
Shortly after my arrival, I drove through the busiest
part of the native town, Chidpore Road. It was dirty
and narrow; indeed, the low shops seemed placed one
before another to make the most of the room. The
naked salesmen here wear their long black hair instead
of the turban. A variety of races may be seen, many
having come from distant parts to dispose of their pro-
duce. The odours arising from this district are inde-
scribable; it would appear that the native gentry who
reside in this locality, must have had their sense of
smell blunted by long habitude, and thus are not aware
of the exteme unhealthiness of such a condition. Here,
to my surprise, I found that the Brahmo Somaj is
situated, and that in a lane turning out of it is the once.
sumptuous mansion which still bears the name of
Dwarkanath Tagore. There he gave splendid entertain-
ments to distinguished English guests. On the occasion
above alluded to, there was a stoppage in the way; we
soon perceived that this proceeded from an idol pro-
cession. A number of trumpery-looking stands were
being carried along, on which were hung a great
variety of broken toys, flags, or anything that came to
hand to make a display-such as one might fancy our
ragged-school children might have collected together
for a procession; these stands were carried by the most
grotesque-looking men and boys, generally in a state of
nudity, but in many cases adorned with some one article
of clothing, which might have been procured from a rag-
shop. One wore a cocked hat, with nothing else upon
his body; another, a soldier's jacket; these articles
CALCUTTA.
183
wearers.
were evidently regarded with considerable pride by the
As the procession moved along, no entertain-
ment or enthusiasm was excited in the spectators; rever-
ence there was none, and solemnity was evidently not
the intention of the procession. A few women were at
the windows, or at any opening where they could see
what was going on, but there was no excitement or
joyous shouts, which show the exuberance of life in our
English boys. At all times I saw the same apathy
pervading the population. I was told that the Hindoos.
were the most contented of people; what I saw of the
lower orders led me to think their existence a joyless
one, devoid of any desire to ameliorate their condition.
On Monday evening, our party of Hindoo ladies.
and gentlemen arrived at 7, punctual to the appointed
hour. Two English ladies only had been invited as
interpreters. Our host himself would not have appeared,
had it not been the wish of all present. The dress of
the ladies, while in native style, was close and neat,
perfectly suitable to this their first entrance into a
mixed company. Dr. C. had kindly wished that re-
freshments should be provided in accordance with the
tastes of his guests, but they desired that no departure
should be made from ordinary English customs; they
partook of tea and coffee with evident pleasure, much
gratified with what they considered the great condescen-
sion of their English friends, in assisting to hand these
refreshments to them. The entertainment of the ladies
during the evening was a greater difficulty. I had relied
on various albums and scrap-books which I had brought
with me; but when I observed a lady look at one upside
down, without any possibility on my part to make her
understand its meaning, a different mode of proceeding
was evidently necessary. I therefore explained a port-
184
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
folio of prints and drawings to a circle of gentlemen,
and then requested one of them to do the same to the
ladies. This was accomplished satisfactorily. Music
varied the evening; and Dr. C.'s daughter gave them
much pleasure by playing and singing to her guests.
The evening passed thus agreeably; there was no painful
shyness or reserve, and yet at the same time there was
throughout a propriety of demeanour which was very
remarkable, when it is remembered that such an
assembly was probably the first of the kind ever held.
At 9, we saw our guests safely into their carriages, each
lady under the care of her own protector, all having
been greatly gratified with the evening. We little
realised at the time how important a step was thus being
made in social progress, and how much steady effort at
emancipation from prejudices must have been previously
accomplished, to enable these native gentlemen to take
it. This evening awakened in the minds of many of
those present higher aspirations, which led to further
improvements. The importance of the step was shown
by the indignant comments of some of the native papers,
which were opposed to progress.
The Court had not yet returned to Calcutta, having
been detained in the North by the great durbar. I
could not therefore deliver my introductions to various
official gentlemen, and determined to avail myself of
the present leisure to take an early opportunity of visit-
ing the schools. The first I saw was an excellent speci-
men of the Calcutta schools, being those belonging to
the Free Scotch Presbyterians, originally established
by the Rev. Dr. Duff. This gentleman may indeed be
considered the founder of the mission school system in
India. I was informed that there was at first consider-
able opposition, especially from home committees, to
CALCUTTA.
185
this direction of missionary effort. The excellent Doctor,
however, persevered, being fully convinced of the im-
portance of early directing in a right course the minds
of the rising generation, and his example has been
generally followed. The series of schools which are
usually associated with his name will ever be a monu-
ment to his enlightened benevolence. In addition
to excellent schools, there is a college and a large
library. Several of the teachers are native converts;
it appeared to me, indeed, that I could generally detect
which were so by a more open and happy expression of
countenance. Whenever I had an opportunity of con-
versing with such, they expressed to me their true.
satisfaction at having obtained, at any cost, the blessed-
ness which those only can feel who have received the
heavenly message from the Saviour Himself. They
had practically learnt the duty of leaving even father
and mother at the call of their Master, and they had
experienced a rich reward in giving all up for Him.
There was nothing peculiar in the management of this
or other schools which I saw in Calcutta and the
neighbourhood; the necessity of preparing the young
men for a degree guided everywhere the course of in-
struction. Dr. Duff's girls' school is the best I saw in
this city except the Bethune School, which possesses
peculiar advantages removing it from comparison with
any other. Dr. Duff's is indeed the only good day-
school for girls that I saw or heard of, and in this re-
spect Calcutta fell very far behind Madras, Bombay, or
even Ahmedabad. Though the premises are not as
good as might be desired, the school seemed well filled
and in excellent order. In one class a female native
convert, a widow, was teaching with evident success;
in another class, a young Hindoo widow was receiving
186
•
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
•
instruction with a view to train as a teacher; she received
a small gratuity weekly to provide her food, being thus
debarred from obtaining a livelihood. The Mission
Orphan Boarding School is an excellent one. There
are from 50 to 60 girls, their ages varying from 6 years
old to 16. Here, as elsewhere, the missionary and his
wife reside on the premises, and give a tone to the
school. For the first time since I had been in India, I
saw a gallery lesson given to the younger department
of the school by a young woman, who had been trained
in the Church Female Normal School. She had married,
and was now a widow. The animation and interest
displayed by the children, and the agreeable and lively
manner in which the lesson was given, formed a striking
contrast to the ordinary teaching of the younger classes
in the ordinary Hindoo girls' school. I was requested
to examine the older class, and somewhat hesitated to
do so, knowing how easily young people are perplexed
by the questions of a stranger. I found, however, that
they were perfectly at home; though the examination
was conducted in English, they answered admirably,
both on geography and on Scripture subjects. In com-
paring these girls with those in the native day-schools,
it is necessary to bear in mind not only that these are
the whole day under care and influence, but that they
remain at school later than is possible, according to
existing customs among the Hindoos. Yet with these.
deductions, it is evident that young native girls are
quite equal in intelligence and quickness in learning to
their Western sisters, if properly instructed and trained.
The same fact is particularly striking also in the small
boarding-school of Hindoo girls in connection with the
Normal School. Not only did the little girls show
much animation when receiving a lesson from one of
CALCUTTA.
187
the female teachers, but when work was over, and they
were permitted to go to play, they had as active and
joyous a game in the midday heat, as our children at
home would indulge in on a bracing October morning.
The Female Normal School is supported by the Indian
Society for Promoting Female Instruction, and is in
connection with the Church of England. There are (as
stated in the Report for 1866, which is the fourteenth)
ten students, who are most carefully instructed in
Bengali, as well as Scripture, the ordinary branches of
female education, singing, drawing, and fancy work-
these last being found useful and attractive in the
zenana-visiting. They are expected to remain three
years in the institution, and afterwards to engage in
teaching, for at least two years, in schools or zenanas.
The students appeared interested in their work, and gave
promise of being intelligent and earnest in their future
duties. Every arrangement was made conducive to
their health and comfort, and a comfortable home is
also provided for zenana teachers. This society has
also branch schools in various parts of the country in
connection with the central one in Calcutta; these con-
tain about 350 children. I visited also a benevolent
institution for poor boys and girls, of whom, by a funda-
mental rule, three-fourths must be Christians. There
are about 140 boys and 80 girls, chiefly East Indians.
A school for Jewish girls, chiefly Armenians, is taught
by an English certificated teacher, the only one I met
with in India.
The instruction given in zenanas by private teachers
forms an important feature in the female education of
Calcutta.
Some years ago there was extreme reluc-
tance to admit these teachers into families; at present
there is a great demand for them, and it is difficult for
183
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
sufficient funds to be raised to supply the demand. It
is obvious that in the case of young married ladies this
is the only means by which education can be given. It
certainly appears extraordinary that native gentlemen
of affluence do not show a willingness to pay liberally
for such advantages; as in England suitable payment
would be made for the services of daily governesses.
Hence the difficulty of obtaining funds, though the
Government contributes to these in lieu of schools.
The zenana teachers speak encouragingly of the effects
of their instructions. Having accompanied a lady who
takes an active part in this work, it was interesting to
observe the warm and affectionate greeting given to the
visitors by the Hindoo ladies; in the seclusion of the
female apartments, which are frequently very dull and
devoid of any object of interest, it must indeed be very
gratifying to these native ladies to receive kind in-
struction, and to have intercourse with sympathising
strangers.
However valuable the zenana-visiting is in cases
where it is impossible under existing circumstances to
attend a school, yet it is obviously far preferable for
young girls to have their minds expanded by seeing
something beyond the walls in which they are after-
wards to be immured. The excellent Mr. Bethune,
who will ever be remembered as baving given the first
great stimulus to female education, left a large sum to
be devoted especially to the promotion of that of the
higher classes. A splendid and commodious building
has been erected bearing his name, and placed under
the care of Government, which also contributed largely
to the support of the school which is carried on there
for the daughters of native gentlemen;-in order to
meet their wishes as far as possible, it is placed under
CALCUTTA.
189
the care of a native committee. It has the advantage
of a trained female teacher as superintendent, and all
the appointments are calculated to meet the wants of
a large institution. Unfortunately, the school is at
present small in comparison with the number which it
might accommodate. It is much to be regretted that
the excellent instruction provided is not made available
for private classes of married ladies who are permitted
by their husbands to have such advantages, and for the
training of teachers on the Government system. With
but a small addition to the present staff, the presence
of male officials might thus be entirely dispensed with,
and a good training institution established at very little
additional expense, and to the great advantage of the
young ladies who attend the schools. It is to be hoped
that the earnest desires of the advanced party may ere
long be fulfilled, and that enlightened native gentlemen
may have the happiness of obtaining for their wives,
the mothers of their children, such instruction as may
enable them better to discharge their duties.
A day spent in a country missionary excursion was a
pleasant variety, after devoting so much attention to the
institutions of the city. The name of the Rev. Mr.
Long is well known throughout all India; among the
enlightened natives he is regarded as a martyr to his
anxiety to protect the weak in the indigo troubles, which
led to his imprisonment for libel. Whether his course
was wise or not on that particular occasion it would be
useless here to enquire; but no one can hesitate to
esteem the devoted earnestness with which he has for
twenty-five years directed his energies to the improve-
ment of the lower class of natives, and endeavour to
draw public attention to their real wants. I gladly
accepted his invitation to accompany him to a station
190
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
some miles from the city, which would give me an
insight into the mofussil mode of life. The regular
residents in Calcutta seldom go beyond the sight of
streets and houses. It was delightful to change these
for wild jungle and the long graceful bamboo. After
a time a little hedge-school appeared, of a very primi-
tive nature, being held in an open shed with the ordi-
nary surroundings of cottage life. The children were
sitting with palm-leaves in their hands, inscribing un-
known characters on them with bits of stick, dipped in
some sooty composition to serve as a pen. This primi-
tive mode of writing is in great favour in these parts,
having the advantage of cheapness, and also of obliging
the scholar to write his lesson correctly at once, as no
erasure is possible. A specimen of this writing I
carried away with me. I was much surprised at the
advance in learning which was indicated by the questions
put to them by Mr. Long; their answers showed much
intelligence and mastery of ideas. Among other sub-
jects he questioned them on natural history, with the
leading divisions of the animal kingdom and many
scientific terms; they answered admirably, and proved,
by the illustrations they gave from familiar animals,
that they thoroughly understood what they were saying,
and that this was no word-knowledge. Mr. Long has
adopted the excellent plan of dividing the time of one
thoroughly trained teacher among a number of these
village schools, giving a day to each; he thus instructs
the teacher, and introduces a higher standard into the
schools, especially as he himself not unfrequently visits
them. He cannot adopt the same plan in a small girls'
school which we afterwards visited, because there is
extreme fear among the Hindoos of their daughters
being converted; they would consent to sewing only
CALCUTTA.
191
being taught by a native convert teacher. Mr. Long
justly thought that it was doing good to the young
scholars to have the silent and softening influence of a
young woman who is a convert, and I was struck with
the evident effect of her presence on the school, while
the master conducted the education.
A zemindar had expressed his desire for a visit, and
I was happy to embrace the opportunity of visiting a
native gentleman's mofussil residence. He appeared to
occupy the position of a country squire in England,
residing on an extensive estate. There was a large
tank before the mansion, with steps leading down to
the water; but the general aspect of the outer premises
indicated some degree of dilapidation. My companion,
Mr. Long, could not go further than the entrance court;
but a young gentleman of the family introduced me to
the interior, where I was received very courteously by
the host, who summoned the ladies to the drawing-
room. One after another they appeared; his mother,
wife, daughters, and innumerable aunts, nieces, and
ladies of every degree of female relationship, numbering
altogether nearly forty. The younger ladies brought
their books in their hands, and seemed pleased to show
their advancement in education by reading some Ben-
gali lessons to me. The ladies are fully occupied with
domestic employments, of which the size of the estab-
lishment must furnish an ample supply. The young
gentleman held a Government office, but otherwise the
burden of the maintenance of the family appeared to
fall chiefly on the head of the house, as some of the
ladies were married to Kulin Brahmins, who consider
themselves merely visitors in any family they honour by
their alliance, leaving the maintenance of the wife and
children on the father of the lady. They hospitably
192
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
invited me to partake of some refreshment; but as Mr.
Long could not be admitted, they kindly offered to
place some fruit in the carriage that I might share it
with him. I thankfully accepted some fine Cabul
grapes (packed carefully in small boxes embedded in
cotton), pomegranates, and other tropical fruits. Mr.
Long was no stranger there; he had on a former occa-
sion exhibited the magic lantern to the delight of the
neighbourhood, the court being thronged, and the ladies
of the family enjoying the spectacle from the house-
top. I found him negotiating for a repetition of the
entertainment, to the great pleasure of the family. How
marvellously are means now multiplied of instruction
and recreation combined, and how friendly a feeling
must be excited in such a district towards a gentleman
who would thus devote himself to promote the pleasure
of native families! As we were walking down a woody
lane to our conveyance, I observed with admiration
some fine living specimens of a large tropical bulimus,
a land shell of the snail kind, and was informed that
they had appeared in that district since the famine.
No explanation was given of the connection between
the famine and the advent of the bulimus, the differ-
ence between post hoc and propter hoc not appearing
to be understood. I was promised that a few specimens
should be prepared for me, and on our return in the
evening we found some obliging youths watching for
our carriage to give me several fine shells, which they
had collected; unlike English boys, they regarded
thanks a sufficient return for their courtesy, and de-
clined to accept a few silver coins. This visit to the
zemindar left a most agreeable impression on the
mind, and showed what friendly intercourse might take
place between the two races, when it is animated by so
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193
truly Christian a spirit as Mr. Long's. At length we
reached the mission station, which is in the midst of an
extensive rural district. A pretty country house sur-
rounded by a well-arranged garden, was well calculated
to give the natives an idea of English comfort and
simple elegance. The missionary's wife delights to
come here and stay a few days, diffusing around that
influence which a true Christian woman can always
give. Near it are various native cottages and the
school-house. Mr. Long is a firm believer, as I am
myself, in the possibility of elevating young children of
apparently the most degraded nature, by the adoption
of proper means; he also does not appear to be con-
vinced, as most people are, of the great natural superi-
ority of the Brahmin caste. My own experience was
not sufficiently great to entitle me to give a decided
opinion on the subject, though I was certainly inclined.
to agree with him; and never during my stay in India.
could I intuitively discriminate different castes, or dis-
tinguish Brahmins. On the present occasion, Mr. Long
examined the classes in which different castes were
mingled without distinction, and afterwards, on telling
the Brahmin boys to rise, we were struck with observing
that some of the most refined and intelligent-looking
boys were of an inferior caste, thus confirming his theory.
In order to give some idea of the surrounding country,
Mr. Long had arranged for a row along a canal which
was a useful medium of communication for the produce
of the district. We entered a most primitive canoe-like
boat, with an awning so low that a seat on a hassock
was almost too high; in some parts we could occasion-
ally pick the flowers on the banks, and in others we
could hardly make our way between the sedges. At
length, when I was beginning to fear that we were so
TOL. I.
194
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
far from our starting-point that we ran a risk of being
benighted on our return, we reached a little homestead
looking very much like England with its cattle and
children at play, and found that we had made a circuit,
and had returned to the cottage of the native Christian
family who resided at the station. It was pleasant to
be greeted by them with that feeling of fraternity which
springs up spontaneously between Christians in this
heathen land, and strange to enter an ordinary-looking
little Hindoo house, and find familiar English books,
and hear uttered with loving respect the name of a
devoted Christian lady which I knew well. I bade adieu
to this peaceful hamlet with regret, and with a strong
feeling of the good which was here being done so un-
ostentatiously. The missionary gains much influence.
by these quiet visitations to the homes of the natives,
where he is received with openness and confidence, and
he is thus preparing for more extensive and effective
action in future.
Before arriving at my Calcutta home, I paid another
visit of a less agreeable nature. I had not been in an
idol temple during their so-called worship, and, re-
pugnant as it was to my feelings, this was an ex-
perience I ought to have; and Mr. Long kindly agreed
to conduct me to one, a temple of the goddess Kali,
which was much frequented. We drove through a
thickly populated suburb, and alighted at the entrance
of a narrow lane, lined on each side with low shops or
stalls, which were hung with quantities of garlands of
yellow chrysanthemums or African marigolds, for the
votaries of the goddess. I had often seen some semi-
nude labourer wearing such a garland, and was informed
that this was in token of the wearer having been per-
forming his devotions. The pictures which are sold in
CALCUTTA.
195
ľ
such places are of the most hideous kind, not calculated
to inspire any emotions of virtue or reverence. On
arriving at the temple, an educated young man volun-
teered to escort us, and led us to a gloomy courtyard,
where he showed us the block on which the victims are
immolated to the goddess, who rejoices in the shedding
of blood; we then entered the inner temple, where the
priests and others were making a dreadful din-music
it could not be called--and a number of natives were
standing with bent heads, but without any appearance
of solemnity. All was noise and confusion. I begged
my friend to withdraw from this scene. The young man
followed us, asking for something for Kali, and assuring
us that Europeans did not generally object to make an
offering. We were of course inexorable, and pursued
our way to the carriage, followed by the young man.
At last, thinking apparently that he was making an
irresistible appeal, he exclaimed, 'I have read Mat-
thew, Mark, Luke, and John, and the Revelations !
--You found nothing about Kali there,' rejoined
Mr. Long. Good afternoon.'-'Good afternoon,' he
civilly answered, and departed, perceiving, doubtless,
that we were shocked, rather than otherwise, with what
sounded to us somewhat like blasphemy.
There is much that is distressing to meet one at every
turn in this city of Calcutta, and everywhere in India.
We see heathenism assuming a daring front in the
midst of Christian civilisation-instruction affording
only subject to the scorner-determined opposition to
improvement, and blind submission to the tyranny of
custom. Then, again, we meet with the most delightful
proofs that the Word is penetrating quietly but surely
where we little expect to find traces of its power, and
that the Christian spirit is working its way among
0 2
196
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
those who have not yet accepted the Christian name.
"The kingdom of God cometh not with observation'
in our day, any more than when the words were first
uttered. Such thoughts as these were peculiarly sug-
gested by a Sunday in the city of Rammohun Roy's
labours, which was especially dedicated in my mind
to the great reformer. I found, in a suburb of Calcutta,
the young Brahmin convert, who had visited with me in
Bristol the spot consecrated by having been the Rajah's
last earthly residence, and the tomb erected to his
memory. He had been intended for the ministry, but
circumstances had been very adverse to him, and kept
him somewhat isolated; he was, however, acquainted with
some of the Brahmos, and I requested him to bring two
or three of them, that we might hold a simple worship
together, reading that grand fortieth chapter of Isaiah,
which had been selected for reading at the Rajah's
funeral service. He came accompanied by three Brah-
mos, each of whom I requested to take a part by read-
ing a portion of Scripture. To one I assigned the
fourteenth chapter of the Gospel of St. John, though
with some fear lest it might not be read with much
feeling. I then discovered that not one of the three
had any idea of the circumstances under which that
touching address was delivered. These I simply ex-
plained to them, and was listened to with evident.
interest. After a very touching prayer by my young
Brahmin friend, the reading commenced. Anyone
who has heard that grand portion of Isaiah's writings
read in the pulpit with deep feeling and expression,
will enter into my surprise, when one of these young
Hindoos read it with a force and pathos which I have
seldom heard at all exceeded. Another read a Psalm.
He who was to read the Gospel, before commencing,
CALCUTTA.
197
เ
solemnly prayed for a blessing on the holy chapter '
before him, and then read it as one who deeply felt the
solemn and affecting words he was uttering; this in-
deed be did, for he informed us afterwards that he
had frequently perused with deep interest the words of
Our Lord. Keshub Chunder Sen would have been with us
on this very interesting occasion, but he was preparing
for a service which he was about to hold that evening,
in kind compliance with my earnest wish to hear him
state his religious views. He usually conducts a ser-
vice in Bengali on Sunday mornings, in his own large
drawing-room; on this occasion he arranged to have
also a special evening service in English, to which he
invited the attendance of a few English friends, in
addition to his ordinary congregation. On arriving
after the service had commenced, I found that some
one was engaged in prayer; and from the manner and
the matter-full of deep penitential utterances-I should
have thought myself in a Methodist chapel, and was
quite perplexed who could be officiating, until a touch-
ing supplication for our mother country' and for
perfect harmony between the conquered and the con-
quering races,' convinced me that he must be a Hindoo.
He was indeed the same native gentleman who had
read in the afternoon the fourteenth chapter of St.
John. Mr. Sen read portions of the Hindoo Scriptures
and of the New Testament, and an English gentleman
engaged in prayer, while another conducted the sing-
ing of a hymn. Mr. Sen afterwards began his dis-
course, taking for his text, Except a man be born
again, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.' He
most powerfully demonstrated the necessity of a change
of heart, and in a deeply spiritual discourse developed
his subject, in a manner truly astonishing to those who
6
C
198
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
were not aware what progress he had made towards
Christianity. On two other occasions I heard him give
those remarkable extempore discourses, which rivet the
attention of his hearers, and carry them with him in
his spiritual flight.
English appears as familiar to Mr. Sen as his native
language; indeed on these subjects it is probably more
so, as his views have been formed by communion with
minds who have expressed their views in our language.
He is equally capable, however, of descending to the
level of the capacities of the most ignorant. No one
ever spoke to us in this way,' said the inhabitants of a
mofussil town to him when he addressed them, in lan-
guage which they could understand, respecting their
duties one to another; he told them that they must
be just and true in their dealings, avoid false weights.
and measures, and, in fine, do to others as they would
have others do to them. They desired that those words
should be spoken to them another day. Such teachings
must come to the Hindoos with great power from one
of their own nation; and, indeed, wherever Keshub
Chunder Sen goes on his missionary tours, he is listened.
to by thousands. 'I never retrace my steps,' he has
said. May he go onwards, until he becomes an apostle
to call his people to accept Christ as their only
Master!
On Saturday, Dec. 1, the Governor-General arrived.
On the Monday following I was summoned to his
presence. The interview was followed by a kind in-
vitation from Lady Lawrence to take up my abode at
Government House. This I thankfully accepted, with
a grateful feeling for so much condescension; and on
the following Monday was installed in my new quar-
ters, where I was most obligingly treated as a guest
CALCUTTA.
199
during the remainder of my stay in Calcutta. I may be
permitted here respectfully to offer my warm acknow-
ledgments to his Excellency and his estimable lady, for
thus showing their sympathy with the object of my
visit, and affording me advantages which I could not
otherwise have enjoyed. It was also regarded by my
native friends as a token of sympathy with them-
selves; and they had as much facility for conferring
with me, and visiting me in the rooms assigned me
in Government House, as if I had been in a private
residence.
Before taking leave of my friend Dr. Chuckerbutty,
to whom I was so much indebted for his kind recep-
tion, I was anxious to see the Medical College, which
was the scene of his daily official labours. This in-
stitution was founded by Dr. Henry Goodeve. Great
anxiety was felt at the time lest the opposition it would
excite in the minds of uninformed natives should
defeat its objects; but science and enlightenment
triumphed, and this institution has led the way to the
diffusion of sound medical knowledge over the empire.
The fact of Dr. Chuckerbutty being himself a native,
and therefore acquainted with the habits and customs
of the country, as none but a Hindoo by birth can be,
is of great importance; it enables him in a variety of
ways to adapt his teachings to the wants of his students,
and to overcome their prejudices judiciously. The
hospital wards presented considerable contrast to what
I had seen elsewhere; they were provided with re-
spectable nurses, chiefly East Indians, neatly and simply
dressed; these were under the direction of a com-
mittee of ladies, with whom the surgeons communi-
cated. The matron in charge appeared intelligent, and
all seemed to be under good regulation. I afterwards
200
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
learnt that this admirable state of the nursing
department was probably due to the exertions of a
society for training nurses, which was established some
years ago in honour of the late Lady Canning. These
results are very suggestive of the best mode of pro-
viding a supply of nurses elsewhere in India.
I had not yet visited the jails, and was especially
desirous of doing so, having heard of the remarkable.
perfection of the skilled industrial work in that at
Alipore. The printing, which has been introduced
into that jail, has been developed in a very remarkable
manner by Mr. Jones, now assistant-secretary to the
Government; indeed, what I heard had been accom-
plished seemed hardly credible.
Through the kindness of the Lieutenant-Governor, Sir
Cecil Beadon, his aide-de-camp obligingly called for me
punctually at 6 A.M., on two mornings, to accompany me
to this and some other institutions. The Director-Gene-
ral of Prisons, Dr. Mouat, was then absent in England;
Dr. Francis, as superintendent of the jail, accompanied
us, and gave us every information. There are from
800 to 1,000 prisoners in Alipore Jail. Some of them
are employed in the rougher works, but the bulk of
the prisoners are engaged in departments connected
with printing, lithography, &c. Men, totally low and
ignorant on their first admission, are taught the English
letters in a month. I saw one, who had been there less
than that time, select the different types quite accu-
rately from a number, as they were called for. They
are carried on, step by step, through the different
stages, until they have arrived at as great perfection as
if they were English printers. The very finest fancy
printing is executed here, as well as Government des-
patches; and in the various workshops there is so much
CALCUTTA.
201
apparent freedom, that I should not have imagined
myself in a prison, were it not for the presence of the
guard who attended us round. All the prisoners were
working with as much apparent goodwill as if they
were free men; indeed, Mr. Jones assured us that he
had ascertained that they performed more than a third
more work per diem than ordinary workmen. This
is the more remarkable, as there is no payment or
reward allowed for industrial work; nor indeed have the
prisoners any incentive, except the satisfaction arising
from doing skilled work well. The healthy moral feeling
and good tone thus engendered has the effect of lessen-
ing the need of officers, the incredibly small number of
ten paid officials being found sufficient to maintain order,
in addition to prisoners themselves, who are selected for
good conduct to serve as warders. There is no provision
for separate sleeping here, any more than in the other
jails I had seen; but the injurious effects of association
are diminished by the fact that the prisoners are fatigued
by their work, and sleep soundly without giving any
cause for complaint of disorder. This jail does more
than support itself by the product of industrial work,
and is in that respect perfect. It is to be doubted,
however, whether the object of prison discipline does
not require a more penal stage at the commencement
of a sentence. I was indeed informed that the natives
are so little deterred from doing wrong by fear of such
a jail, where they have abundance of the necessaries of
life, and no painful control, that they are in the habit
of calling it 'My father-in-law's house;' this I heard
respecting jails in various parts of the empire. Ali-
pore Jail is, however, unique in its way, and well
demonstrates many important problems in prison dis-
cipline. It would serve admirably as a second stage.
202
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
for long-sentenced prisoners, if the Irish or Crofton
system were carried out in India.
We then visited the Female Prison, which is a com-
pletely distinct building, and the prisoners have far
better premises than in any other that I had seen.
The place was not originally intended for its present
purpose, nor is it adapted to it. There is association
without separate sleeping-cells. The jailer and his
wife live on the premises, but there are male warders.
A little instruction is given, though there did not ap-
pear to be any systematic attempt to improve the
prisoners. Still, the place was such, that it would be
very possible for ladies to come and visit these un-
happy women, with every hope of conferring a real
benefit on them. It appeared to me remarkable, that
among the many benevolent works carried on in Cal-
cutta by ladies, prison-visiting has not yet been in-
cluded. Surely the want needs only to be known for
it to be supplied. A woman approached me with hands.
folded in earnest supplication; the subject of her en-
treaty I could not of course comprehend, but was in-
formed that she was soliciting my influence on her
behalf, for her to be sent to the Andamans. These
islands are a penal settlement for life-sentenced native
male convicts. In the latter stage of their punishment,
if they have obtained some degree of privilege by their
good conduct, they are allowed to live in comparative
liberty on one island. Having been separated from
their families, it would generally be impossible for their
wives to be brought to them, and yet domestic comfort
was needed. A very large number of murderesses-
I was told 150—were under life sentences. Many of
these women did not appear to have acted form pre-
meditated wickedness, but rather from sudden impulse
CALCUTTA.
203
caused by great provocation. Their condition was most
deplorable, without hope of amelioration. The offer
was made to them of going to this penal settlement
with a view to marriage with these men; it was gladly
accepted, and they were sent. To obtain a similar
boon was the petition of this poor woman. Some of
the prisoners had young children with them, which
must indeed be a blessing to the parents. One small
creature was lying in its mother's lap, stretching its
well-formed little limbs in the sun with evident delight,
and a ray striking on its dark eagle eye was so reflected
back that it looked like a brilliant diamond. • What a
glorious spirit may be enshrined in the form that holds.
this young immortal!' I thought, as I kissed that tiny
face. How unconscious is it of the degradation around
it! What is to be the future of that little child? Whose
duty is it to shape its destiny? The State has deprived
it of its natural guardian-who is take her place?'
An answer would involve many grave considerations.
6
After the jails, I visited a lunatic asylum, under the
superintendence of Dr. Payne, which had some features
so interesting and instructive, that another reference
to such an institution will be pardoned.
There are two distinct establishments-one intended
for Europeans and Eurasians, the other for natives. In
the former, residence is usually a temporary one, as the
English patients are generally sent home when proper
arrangements are made. The object is therefore, in
most cases, rather to promote the comfort of the patient
during a short sojourn, than to attempt to carry out a
system which would require a long period of discipline
and care.
A master and matron reside here, who have
the care respectively of the male and female patients
in separate departments. The premises are well ar-
204
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
ranged, with a nicely-kept garden. Every comfort
and convenience is provided: there is a pleasant
verandah, with a table on which are entertaining books
and papers.
All the sleeping-rooms are neat and
cheerful. The matron threw all her energies and sym-
pathy into the work, and treated the patients with the
greatest kindness. They, however, had a most repulsive
aspect. They were full of the most ridiculous self-
sufficiency, and exhibited their peculiarities in a very
disagreeable manner. The master endeavoured by his
own example to induce the lunatics under his care to
work in the garden as a pleasant occupation, but
nothing effective appeared to be done; and the chief
impression produced on me was, that great effort and
kindness were being bestowed without more than a
temporary result. The native asylum was very dif
ferent. Here the same principle was developed as in
that at Ahmedabad, with the addition of more skilled
labour, which appeared a very important element.
Extracting oil from the castor-nut was the manufacture
adopted, as it involved a variety of processes, and was a
kind of work with which many were previously familiar.
Dr. Payne selected at all times the occupation which
appeared best to fall in with the character and tastes of
the patient, and to put him into as natural a condition as
possible, the superintendent of the work carefully watch-
ing any symptom which indicated a need for change.
The manner in which all this was being done was, to
a passing observer like myself, so natural, that if the
principles had not been explained to me, I should not
have imagined that I was observing anything but an
ordinary factory. Dr. Payne speaks most favourably
of the result of his system, which indeed appears
worthy of close study and imitation.
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205
It is unnecessary to occupy the time of the reader
with descriptions of the institutions which are well
known to all who visit India. A passing reference
only is needed to several of these, though all were
very interesting.
The Museum of the Asiatic Society, with its rich
stores of natural history, valuable manuscripts, relics
illustrating Hindoo mythology, memorial busts of those.
who have recorded in their works their interest in
India—all these recall especially to the mind its noble
founder, Sir William Jones, whose virtues and learning
embalm his memory in this country.
The Metcalfe Hall is a noble monument to the
memory
of the excellent Governor-General whose name
it bears. Here are treasures of literature, which are
highly appreciated and freely used, both by the English
and by the native gentry; and a large saloon is filled
with interesting natural productions adapted for use in
manufactures, as well as valuable models of machines,
and various works of art.
The Museum of Comparative Anatomy connected
with the Medical College is an admirable one, and
reflects the highest honour on its curator.
The School of Art is as yet young, but promises to be
very valuable in developing native talent.
In the Sanscrit College is a wonderful collection of
most valuable manuscripts. This institution carries
the student through a highly-advanced course of study,
as indicated by the examination-papers, with which the
principal kindly presented me.
The Hindoo College, the school still called by the
name of its excellent founder, David Hare, the large
Martiniere School for Christian boys and girls, and
other institutions of the kind, I could only see ex-
206
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
ternally, as the vacation had commenced when I visited
them.
The School for European Orphan Girls appears a
well-managed institution, which has the merit of
proving that, with a judicious system of education-
mental, moral, and physical-English girls may be
brought up in a healthy condition in India. I saw
some respectable young married women, with their
infants, visiting the school where they had been edu-
cated, and of which they retained a grateful remem-
brance.
The School of Useful Arts in Dhurmtollah, under
the superintendence of the American missionary, the
Rev. C. H. Dall, deserves especial mention. While
combining with an ordinary Anglo-vernacular school a
collegiate class, instruction is given in engrossing,
lithography, and various other branches of manual
skill, which may enable youths to gain a liveli-
hood; and even fancy work, knitting, &c. are taught,
which the boys in their turn teach to their sisters at
home. I carried away maps beautifully drawn by the
pupils, with specimens of well-executed lithography.
There is also a girls' school on the same premises,
which is regularly visited by an English lady who
understands Bengali, who speaks highly of the docility
and quickness of the little girls.
There are many other institutions in Calcutta which
time did not permit me to visit. Most of them are
intended to promote the welfare of the educated
classes. It was most gratifying to an Englishwoman to
find how much had been done, both by our Government
and by private individuals, to promote the welfare of this
great country; yet I could not but feel that the lower
classes had not in any way shared these benefits. This
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207
i
is not entirely the fault of the English. The inferior
portion of the population-in fact, the great mass of the
inhabitants are in a state of dense ignorance, which
can hardly be conceived by those whose lot is cast in
a civilised and Christian country. Most distressing as
is the ignorance which still exists in our own country,
and which must be regarded as a standing disgrace to
it, until some active measures are taken by the educa-
tional department of the Government to grapple with
it-yet in England none are in a state of absolute iso-
lation from the educated part of the community. The
institutions, organisations, voluntary efforts, Christian
sympathy, which are in active existence and operation
in our country, need only to be properly strengthened,
aided, and wisely directed by the Government, to pene-
trate at once to the most remote and ignorant rural
district, to the darkest corner of the most wretched
court and alley in our great cities. It is otherwise in
India. The educated natives, not having embraced
Christianity, do not feel the impulse which animates
us to seek and to save the lost; on the contrary, their
religion, as far as it still influences them, would rather
keep them aloof from inferior castes, than lead them to
attempt to raise them by education to their own level.
Even if they should theoretically accept the doctrine
that 'God has made of one blood all nations of the earth,'
and that all are children of one common Father, yet
the despotic rule of custom compels them practically
to ignore this great truth. There is no desire, then, on
the part of the educated Hindoos to elevate the lowest
grades; but, on the contrary, I have heard a native
gentleman argue strongly against any attempt of the
kind being made. These masses are, besides, separated
by their language from imbibing any indirect civilising
208
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
influence, still less any direct knowledge, from the Eng-
lish who dwell in their midst. Though official gentlemen
master the vernacular of the district in which they are
settled, and the English in general acquire such few
words or phrases as may enable them to express their
wants, yet there seldom exists a power of really com-
municating with persons speaking the very various
languages existing in the country. Hence the masses
remain quite isolated from all influences which might
elevate them, and the rapid advance of education
among the higher classes has not yet reached the
lower. The educational arrangements for India do
not appear to have as yet contemplated any effort to
educate such children, nor indeed, under existing re-
gulations, can any but very small pecuniary aid be
given by Government.
I had been working at home now for twenty years,
in practical efforts to raise the very lowest class, and
had found these followed by far greater results than I
could have anticipated; I had also learnt from experi-
ence that a very small seed sown in faith may grow to
be a much larger tree than could have been possibly
imagined, and that practical demonstration is more
convincing than any reasoning. I therefore determined
to commence a small school for such children as could
not, by reason of their actual condition, be admitted,
even if payment were made for them, into the ordinary
existing schools. The Brahmin convert, who had
studied my schools in Bristol, during his residence in
that city, gladly accepted the office of schoolmaster.
He considered that this would place him and his young
wife in such a position, as not only to maintain himself
comfortably, but to benefit his fellow-creatures. The
house which had been consecrated in my heart by the
1
CALCUTTA.
209
Brahmin prayer-meeting was then to be let, and I gladly
secured it for a year. In that house, which proved to
be most convenient, both for situation and accommoda-
tion, a few little boys were soon gathered, and were
quickly brought under the influence of the master. As
the school would not at present be opened on Sundays,
I there met, on December 9, any natives who liked to
join my young friend and myself in a simple service.
On every subsequent Sabbath, during my stay in
Calcutta, the afternoons were thus spent, and friendly
conversations followed our Scripture readings. On one
occasion Mr. Sen gave us an evening discourse on, The
kingdom of God is within you.'
Tuesday, December 25, was a day ever to be re-
membered. The Court had retired, for the Christmas.
week, to the delightful country residence of Barrack-
pore. My arrangements did not permit me to accom-
pany them. The day always recals to the exile the
thought of many home joys, and of loving hearts far
away. It is therefore a sad day, when strange at-
tempts at merriment, and the substitution of heathen
garlands for Christian holly, only remind one how
many thousand miles are between us and our home.
To draw off the mind from loneliness and painful
thoughts, full occupation of a congenial kind had been
planned by me for that day; it is especially sacred to
me, because it is the anniversary of the union which
was celebrated, more than sixty years before, of those
honoured parents to whom the writer owes existence.
The first event of the day was the baptism of our
schoolmaster's two children, with that of his young
wife, who, being the child of a Baptist, had not been
christened. Familiar English names were blended
with those of their country, and it was a touching
VOL. I.
P
210
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
service-performed by the father's own former pre-
ceptor, the Rev. C. Dall, in the library of the Mission.
School-house. Next was the festival of our school
children. We could not give them the beef and plum-
pudding which some 400 rescued boys and girls of our
schools were then enjoying at Bristol, in their gaily-
decorated schoolrooms; but the master provided such
dainties as he knew would please them, and a few
friends, native and English, assembled to see their
enjoyment. Some poor natives also came, and they
appeared thoroughly to appreciate the kind intentions
which prompted the effort. The boys went through
their exercises very creditably, proving that their wild-
ness had been somewhat controlled; they showed a
very fair progress in learning during the few weeks
that they had been under instruction. A schoolmaster
who was present was somewhat sceptical—as are many
of greater experience than himself in England—as to
the fact of these boys being unable to attend the ordi-
nary schools; but a close enquiry, and observation of
them, convinced him that he certainly should not wish
to have them among his own scholars; and that even
if he did, and free admission were obtained for them,
they would not be likely to desire admission there if
offered, still less would they seek it voluntarily them-
selves. Such children require here, as in England, a
special school adapted to their wants; they also must
be sought from the highways and byways, and induced
by friendly influence to come under instruction. Our
master was informed, however, that it would be his
highest proof of success, to raise his scholars so much
as to render them admissible to a higher school. With
a view to improve their personal appearance, and to
CALCUTTA.
211
give them a little training to industry, a tailor was to
be engaged to give lessons during part of the day.
This little school went on satisfactorily after my
departure, and was pronounced a decided success by
those who kindly visited it; it also gave satisfaction to
the educational inspector. In the spring, however, the
master was appointed to a Government post, and my
responsibility in it ceased, further than the promised
year's rent of the premises. The friends who had
visited it were, however, so satisfied with its success,
that they determined to continue it, with a 'grant in
aid.'
6
After our children had left the premises, much
pleased with their Christmas treat, we found that
other visitors had arrived-the Brahmin ladies, with
their husbands and a few friends. A short Bengali
service in commemoration of the event of the day—the
birth of the Saviour-was conducted by our Brahmin
master, and then a copy of Rammohun Roy's Precepts
of Jesus' in Bengali, kindly given for the occasion by
the Rev. C. Dall, was presented to each. Friendly con-
versation followed, and the interchange of Christmas
gifts, until it was time to separate; for our friend Dr.
Chuckerbutty summoned Mr. Sen, the master, and
myself to his hospitable board.
I hoped that the events of that day would leave on
the minds of some present a lasting feeling of love to
Him whose birth we so lovingly celebrated. I little
knew how deep an impression had been made on the
heart of one, at least, until the last post brought me
the following most gratifying letter from one of those
present a gentleman who had been under Christian
teaching, but had not become a professed Christian :-
P 2
212
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA,
'Ever since that memorable day, I mean that happy
Christmas gathering in the outer verandah of the Ragged
School, we have met every Sunday, five or six of us, with
occasionally a visitor or two, for the purpose of worshipping
"the Father, in spirit and in truth." To induce a devotional
feeling, we generally read portions from the Works of Channing,
Tayler, Clarke, &c., and after a few moments' social converse
we have the service. Last Sunday we read from the New
Testament that chapter which begins "Let not your heart be
troubled," &c., and from the Old Testament that beautiful and
refreshing Psalm, "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not
want," &c., a portion from your little book, and a sermon from
Freeman Clarke's latest work, "The hour that cometh and
now is." I can very well enter into the spirit of the prayer,
a copy of which you have sent in your last. For if India is
at all to be regenerated, it must be by the benign influence of
Christ's teachings. We don't want speculation, we don't want
wordy discussions about creeds and doctrines, but what is most
urgently needed is a spirit of Christian philanthropy, brought
to bear upon the everyday duties of life. I hope and despair
not; for I verily believe that the day will come when every
knee shall bend, and every tongue confess to the glory of that
Name whose mission is peace on earth and good will towards
men!'
During the whole period of my stay in Calcutta, it will
be easily imagined that I lost no opportunity, either of
becoming acquainted with native families, or of dis-
cussing the great subject of Female Education, advance
in which entirely depends on obtaining a steady supply
of trained female teachers. I had the pleasure of
visiting many native ladies who impressed me very
favourably. I could not, however, become reconciled
to the fact of entering houses, the best rooms of which
were not graced by the presence of the ladies who
should preside over the household. I should gladly
CALCUTTA.
213
give some pleasing details of many of my visits to the
zenanas, were I not withheld by feelings of respect to
domestic privacy. It will be sufficient to state, that I
was at all times most kindly received, the ladies evi-
dently being gratified by the idea that sufficient interest
was felt in them to have led to my journey. Many had
made some progress in learning, and a great pleasure
was evidently felt in fancy work; various kinds of this,
especially worsted work, had been learnt from English
ladies. It is to be regretted that their own taste and
ingenuity were not more exercised in these matters,
the patterns being always English. The desire to im-
prove, even in fancy work, might be turned to good
account.
C
With respect to the Female Normal Training School,
a plan for which I took an early opportunity of laying
before the advanced party, I found that by these it was
earnestly desired, and a memorial to that effect was
speedily prepared, and laid before the Lieutenant-
Governor. But, on the other hand, a number of those
influential gentlemen who are styled orthodox Hin-
doos' are decidedly opposed to anything which, they
imagine, may eventually lead to some degree of change
in the seclusion of the zenana, or the enlightenment of
the female sex. 'I do not believe in Hindooism,' one of
them was heard to say, 'nor does any educated man; but
my ladies do, and it makes them virtuous and obedient
to me. If they were instructed, they would see the
folly of it, and I therefore do not wish them to be
taught.' Reasoning is evidently useless with persons
who avowedly hold such opinions, and it would be
futile, as well as wrong, to attempt domestic inter-
ference. Such gentlemen do not appear to understand,
however, that the proposed preparation of female
214
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
1.
teachers for these schools, only when managers wish
them, can in no way interfere with their own social
habits, and it is much to be regretted that they have as
yet thrown obstacles in the way of those who earnestly
desire improvement for the sake of their own female
relations, as well as of the community. Native gentle-
men of the advanced party assured me that they could
at once find a number of respectable ladies who would
gladly be trained as teachers. Others expressed a strong
wish that arrangements could be made for their young
wives to continue to attend school, by the provision of
rooms in the Bethune School for private classes, since the
education of native ladies is necessarily very imperfect,
owing to the early marriages. It is to be hoped that
these gentlemen will never cease their praiseworthy
efforts, until they have obtained for the female part of
the community all the advantages they require. The
subject largely occupies the educated native mind, and
has been always a special object of the Bethune Society.
At a meeting of this institution, I was requested to give
an address on Female Education, combining with this.
the treatment of criminal children. I had consider-
able hesitation in doing this, because in England I had
been in the habit of reading papers only in the sections.
of the Social Science Association, and I had now no
time for the preparation of any written address. Being,
however, urged to give my views on a subject which
was indeed my life-work, I ventured to deliver my ex-
perience to a meeting of the society.* At the conclu-
sion, the following important statement was made by
Baboo Kissory Chand Mittra, a native gentleman of
great influence and experience:
* Vide 'Addresses to the Hindoos,' pp. 1–11.
CALCUTTA.
215
'Miss Carpenter has already brought her influence
to bear on the Government for the purpose of estab-
lishing a Central Normal Female School. In order to
strengthen her hands, a representation urging the
necessity of such an institution has been submitted to
the Lieutenant-Governor by several Hindoo gentlemen.
Exception has been taken to this movement by some
persons who profess to believe that trained female
teachers to take charge of female schools are not
wanted, inasmuch as school instruction is not now
practicable. I am not ashamed to avow that I am a
party to the memorial to the Government, and my
friend on my left (Baboo Keshub Chunder Sen) is
another. I have bestowed some thought on the sub-
ject, and have had ample opportunities of watching the
operations of both school instruction and domestic in-
struction, and I have no hesitation in declaring my
conviction, that the former is an immeasurably superior
system to the latter. Those who underrate school in-
struction and overrate zenana instruction, are grievously
mistaken. The zenana system may, in the beginning,
be necessary in many cases-I do not depreciate it, I
rejoice in its intention—but I can advocate it only as a
tentative and a transitory measure, not as a finality
and an ultimatum. It is dull and lifeless, whereas the
other is instinct with life and animation. Fancy, sir, a
governess teaching one or two girls within the four
walls of a dark and perhaps ill-ventilated room! Why,
it is very dull work, and both the teacher and the
taught participate in the dulness. They cannot resist,
so to speak, catching the torpidity of the thing. The
efficiency of school instruction depends, on the other
hand, on the living contact of spirit with spirit. It is
to be ascribed to the sympathy of numbers, which has
216
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
an electric effect, leading to the formation and develop
ment of right impressions and feelings, breaking up the
old ground, and letting in new light. But, sir, what-
ever system may be best adapted to promote the en-
lightenment of our females, I earnestly beg my educated
fellow-countrymen to remember that the social and
mental status held by the women of a country is the
true test of its civilisation. I would fervently impress
on them the truth of what Tennyson has said—
The woman's cause is man's-they rise or sink
Together, dwarfed or godlike, bond or free.
Impressed with this view, I regard the mission which
has brought out Miss Carpenter here as one of the noblest
one the fulfilment of which is fraught with results of
the last importance to our country. In the interests of
civilisation and humanity she should be honoured.”
The following expressions of opinion, inscribed in my
book, is a brief but true record of what was frequently
and strongly expressed to me by many:
'Dear Madam,-Your visit to this great country, at a
time when your valuable services are most needed here,
seems to me to be providential, and I heartily thank God
for it. The Hindoo female mind is just awaking from the
deathlike sleep of ages, and has already shown in many
quarters remarkable eagerness to receive the blessings
of enlightenment. The means hitherto employed to
promote native female education do not appear to
me to meet all existing wants, and are not likely to
achieve a desirable amount of success. The one thing
needed, under present circumstanes, is a normal school
for training up governesses for girls' schools, and also
for the zenana. I feel highly gratified, therefore, that
CALCUTTA,
217
you have at once directed your attention and energies
towards the removal of this want. May God bless your
efforts, and may you become an humble instrument in
His hands of promoting the true welfare-intellectual,
social, and moral-of my unfortunate countrywomen!
'KESHUB CHUNDER SEN.'
Calcutta, Dec. 21, 1866,
To promote female education in Bengal we must
have good books and good teachers. The idea of
educating females by pundits must be abandoned. I
cordially subscribe to Miss Carpenter's sentiment that
trained females must educate the females, and I should
say that any education of a superficial nature is of
little use-it is the soul which must be educated and
elevated.
*
Dec. 21, 1866.
'PEART CHAND MITTRA,"
Female education was not, however, the only subject
which closely occupied my attention. In my intercourse
with the native community, indeed, that was of course
the one absorbing topic. It had long engaged the anxious
attention of the more advanced among them every-
where: pamphlets had been written, discussions beld,
the puplic press had taken up the question, and, better
still, many had steadily worked and made pecuniary
sacrifices to promote the welfare of the weaker sex, who
could not help themselves. All that was now required
was to direct the movement into a channel which would
secure its permanence and efficient working.
To subjects, however, which do not directly concern
the interest of the educated portion of the native com-
munity, no attention appears to have been paid by
them. English official gentlemen are usually so closely
218
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
engaged in their own duties that they have no time
or strength for anything which does not immediately
concern them. One of these subjects was prison dis-
cipline, the condition of the jails, and the want of
reformatories. How any attention could be excited to
these and other social questions which have been re-
ferred to in the course of the narrative, was a perplex-
ing matter of consideration. It was, then, with great
satisfaction, that I learnt from the Rev. Mr. Long that
he had been endeavouring to excite attention to these
and other topics, and had even endeavoured to awaken
attention to them among the natives by instituting
discussion societies, both in Calcutta and in the Mo-
fussil. Having become acquainted with the proceed-
ings of our Social Science Association in England,
he was anxious that such an agency should be estab-
lished in Calcutta. This appeared a very desirable
though almost a hopeless undertaking; for there are not
in India, as in England, a number of gentlemen of both
influence and leisure, who would make it no less a duty
than a pleasure to promote the objects of such an in-
stitution, by taking the labouring oar in the manage-
ment. Mr. Long was not, however, to be easily daunted
by difficulties. Many highly intelligent and influential
native gentlemen warmly seconded the idea, and pro-
mised to exert themselves in such an association, if some
English gentlemen of position and influence would take
the lead. The number of those interested rapidly in-
creased, until the dozen English and native gentlemen
who were to meet in the Asiatic Society's rooms to con-
sider the matter, seemed likely to amount to fifty or
more. His Excellency the Governor-General, with Lady
Lawrence, and some other ladies, kindly attended; the
Lieutenant-Governor presided, and the result of the
CALCUTTA,
219
meeting was, that a provisional committee was formed, to
consider the practicability of forming a branch society, to
be affiliated to the National Social Science Association
of Great Britain.* This committee met at my rooms at
Government House, and a sub-committee was formed,
who were requested to draft a scheme for the constitu-
tion and organisation of the proposed society. The
importance of this movement was becoming very ap-
parent. It now appeared to me that Bengal required
no support from a parent society, but was quite capable
of standing alone. When, by request, I met the sub-
committee at Metcalfe Hall, I was happy to find that
this was also their view; and before leaving Calcutta, I
had the great pleasure of being present when the pro-
visional committee again met at my rooms, and a con-
stitution was finally adopted. These proceedings were
afterwards confirmed at a general meeting of the mem-
bers at Metcalfe Hall, on January 22, 1867, at which
the Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal presided.
The first session of the Society has been completed,
and the volume of 'Transactions,' with the address of the
President-the Hon. Mr. Justice Phear-has reached us
now, in October. The constitution and working of the
society may, then, be regarded as established. The papers
are chiefly by native gentlemen, and give promise of
great utility as well as interest. The cordial co-opera-
tion of Englishmen and Hindoos in the promotion of
the social progress of India cannot but be attended
with high results.
It will not be supposed that these grave subjects
occupied the whole of my time at Government House.
Cares of state so absorbed his Excellency that he
* Vide 'Addresses to the Hindoos,' pp. 19-24.
220
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
could rarely withdraw himself from them; but at the
hours of meals there were constantly visitors, not only
from the Court and official circles, but from every part
of the world. Sometimes an American captain and
officers received his hospitality; at others, an exiled
French prince, with his suite. The Bishop of Bombay
and his lady were at one time visitors—at another
an English admiral. There was a constant succession
of visitors, all receiving a cordial welcome from the
Viceroy.
The drawing-room, which opened the festivities of
the season, was an occasion of special interest. Native
gentlemen, who have previously paid their respects to
his Excellency at the levée, are privileged to attend,
and many were expected. No native lady had, of
course, been seen on such an occasion, but there was
one who greatly desired to appear. Mr. Satyendra
Nath Tagore was not yet sufficiently recovered to
attend, as his position in the Civil Service would en-
title him to do, but he desired that his lady should take
the position to which she was also entitled. The lady
of Mr. Justice Phear, who is always ready to show her
sympathy with the native community, offered to present
her in due form to Lady Lawrence; and the young lady
went through the somewhat trying ordeal with great
self-possession. With much good taste, she had re-
tained the graceful features of the Hindoo dress, while
she adopted only such portions of English costume as
were essential to a public appearance. Her demeanour
and appearance were the objects of much admiration,
and the event was considered an important one in
social progress. The assemblage was altogether unique
of its kind. Some native princes were there in gorgeous.
attire; Keshub Chunder Sen, in his simple semi-clerical-
CALCUTTA,
221
looking dress. The learned professor Bannerjee, a
Christian convert, introduced me to another native
minister, who had married an English lady, and was
there with her. There was a great variety of native
costume, mingled with the court-dress of official gentle-
men, and ladies in their gayest attire.
The open
verandah at the end of the great hall made the suite of
rooms pleasantly cool, and there was no inconvenient
crowding. Best of all, the truly kind and courteous
demeanour of the Viceroy himself diffused an agreeable
ease among the assembly, and made me almost fancy
myself in one of the delightful soirées of the Social
Science Association. This, Sir John Lawrence politely
said, he considered a very great compliment on my
part, but modestly disclaimed the large share of the
pleasure of the entertainment, which everyone felt
was due to his Excellency himself.
Many other matters of much interest arose from my
sojourn at Government House, but space forbids fur-
ther details respecting them. The visits I paid to the
different suburbs of Calcutta presented so many distinct
features that they cannot be passed by, and an account
of these must be reserved for a separate chapter.
222
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
CHAPTER VI.
THE SUBURBS OF CALCUTTA.
BISHOP'S COLLEGE-HOWRAH-BHOWANIPORE-SERAMPORE-KONNEGUR-
OOTERPARRAH-BURRANAGORE-RANAGHAT-KISHNAGHUR.
My first suburban visit was to Bishop's College, on
Monday, Dec. 3. This splendid institution is on the
other side of the Ganges, a few miles from the city;
and I went there for a few days at the kind invitation
of Mr. and Mrs. Woodrow, the former being the in-
spector of schools for the district.
A pleasant drive, through a rural wooded district,
was an agreeable change after the confinement of the
city, where custom forbade a lady to take a walk even
to a short distance from her home. Crossing the grand
and beautiful river had always a great charm for me,
even though it had to be preceded and followed by a
somewhat unpleasant transit over the muddy banks,
which had to be effected by being carried in a unique
way to and from the boat. It was delightful to find
myself again, for the first time since my arrival in
India, in what might be really called country, and in
the midst of friends who have a warm and practical
interest in the education of the native community.
My hostess, indeed, takes a considerable share in zenana-
visiting, and in other institutions connected with fe-
male improvement. My attention was particularly
THE SUBURBS OF CALCUTTA.
223
drawn by another lady whom I met there, and who is
engaged in the same good work, to the miserable con-
dition of the poor East Indians or Eurasians, as they
have been called, who exist in large numbers in Cal-
cutta. As these are half-castes and profess Christianity,
they do not fall within the sphere of missionary labour;
and since no special agencies are directed towards
them, they remain in a helpless state, which they can-
not hope to improve. I had not myself an opportunity
of becoming personally acquainted with their condi-
tion; but the little I accidentally saw, both in Madras
and in Calcutta, led me fully to believe in the correct-
ness of the general impression, that they inherit many
of the faults of the two races from which they spring,
and that they have the sympathy of neither. Their
position is one deserving of much commiseration, and
it is to be hoped that some of the many Christian
efforts which are made in these two cities will be
directed towards them. It is not actual charity they
so much require, as kind sympathy, and a judicious
stimulus to exertion. The Rev. Mr. Bannerjee is a
professor of the College, and with him I had much
pleasure in making acquaintance. The students I did
not see, as they were at Calcutta passing through the
university examination. The education given in this
institution is of a very high character, the need being
strongly felt, by those who manage it, of giving candi-
dates for the ministry such mental training as may
make them, at any rate, equal the educational position
attained by the native community. The library, staff,
building, and general arrangements are calculated
thus to train a large number of young men for the
ministry. But, unfortunately, the institution does not
appear to meet a generally existing want. There are
224
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
not at present above twenty students, of whom most
are East Indians, with one German. I could not but
feel that the simpler and more domestic institution at
Madras, was better calculated to prepare native Chris-
tian pastors for the people.
The great object of attraction in the neighbourhood
of Bishop's College is the Horticultural Garden, which
is an extensive and beautiful spot, filled with interest-
ing tropical plants and trees. As it is situated along
the river, it was the scene of terrible devastations at
the time of the dreadful cyclone, which has left its
traces far and wide in the province. One large and
unique tree was entirely destroyed, as well as many
smaller ones, and most were disfigured by the loss of
some of their finest branches. Such was the case with
two magnificent banyan-trees-the glory of the garden,
-whose tall heads had succumbed to the fury of the
hurricane. As I saw them, however, they were mar-
vellous specimens of that remarkable tree, such as I
had not before seen in India. When the banyan is
within reach of animals, or in public places, as in the
fine grove at Ahmedabad, the long fibres sent down by
the branches become eaten or destroyed before they
can take root in the ground; hence it is not common
to meet with these trees of such extent as we read of,
or see figured in books of travels. These, however,
had been carefully protected, so as to shoot forth freely
and to have their natural growth. That, indeed, had
been aided by the careful gardener, who had frequently
placed a hollow split bamboo for the root to drop
through, that it may eventually become a fine straight
stem, the parent of a large progeny of young trees.
The ground being carefully kept clear and free from
other vegetation, there was no cause to dread snakes
THE SUBURBS OF CALCUTTA.
225
or other reptiles; and we could wander at leisure among
the varied trunks, which descended from some gigantic
branchlike pillars supporting it, and then sprang out in
a fresh direction, remaining as the grand parent of a new
family group. One might write a long history of that
old banyan-tree, illustrated with a number of pictu-
resque engravings. I was told, however, that even this
yields in extent and size to some that are met with in
the district. Another object of great interest was a
tree, believed to be identical with the fossil trunks
found in the coal-measures. The grass was very wet
with heavy dew in our early morning ramble, but a visit.
to such a rarity was indispensable. The cinchona or
Peruvian-bark plants, which are very carefully culti-
vated here, are the subject of anxious speculation, ast
the production of so valuable a medicine as quinine in
India will be very important. The little buds appeared
very healthy, and gave promise of success.
I was still destined to be disappointed in flowers.
The gardener informed me that this was the wrong time
to expect them; they would not come out till February.
Even that month did not satisfy my expectations of the
floral riches of the country, and I gradually came to
the conclusion that the want of care and interest in
gardening makes it almost inferior in this respect to
our ungenial climate.
Little did I imagine, while quietly enjoying this
beautiful spot, to what a different scene it would ere
long be witness, and what a catastrophe would shortly
follow! On New Year's Day, a grand fête was held at
the Horticultural Gardens, to which thousands crowded
by steamers from Calcutta. The scene was animat-
ing, and his Excellency the Viceroy showed his sym-
pathy with the general rejoicing by his presence there.
VOL. I.
Q
226
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
He returned by land-the bulk of the visitors were re-
turning by water. A steamer was greatly overcrowded,
and it struck against a sunken vessel, which had long
been remaining in the river. With due presence of
mind, all the passengers might have been saved, as the
water was there very shallow; but those whose duty
it was to direct did not appear in a condition to do
so, and were quite powerless. A cry of fire was raised,
and the passengers became quite frantic, many throw-
ing themselves overboard in wild despair. For some
time the scene was inconceivably frightful. Some gentle-
men endeavoured to restore such order as might have
saved life, but in vain. Even when the vessel began
to sink, experienced persons knew that, even when it
reached the bottom, those on deck might still keep
above water. Many were rescued by boats, but num-
bers, in the confusion, sank to rise no more.
To many
families the year thus opened in deep sorrow.
scenes of distress may be imagined, as bodies were
brought to shore of those who had gone forth that
morning full of joy and hope. The loss of some forty
or fifty lives at least was the more distressing, as it was
generally believed to be the result of carelessness that
the vessel struck, and to the want of proper control
that the disorder ensued which caused the fatal ter-
mination of a day's pleasure.
The
Before leaving Bishop's College, my friend the In-
spector took me a pleasant morning drive, through
pretty country scenery, to visit a Hindoo boys' school.
The entrance was not inviting, everything having a
dilapidated air. We were surprised, at 11 A.M., to find
the master not arrived, and the scholars amusing them-
selves. The house was not very airy, or well adapted
for its purpose, in size or good order; and it was a
THE SUBURBS OF CALCUTTA.
227
t
matter of regret that boys so intelligent and docile as
these appeared to be should not have greater advantages
afforded them. A number of young boys were crowded
into a separate bungalow, under the care of a master.
The poor little fellows looked very dull, as they were
poring over the perplexing mysteries of Bengali gram-
mar, which appeared to be too abstruse for their juvenile
capacities. I much wished that they could have been
sent to one of our good infant-schools, and treated to
an active game of romps! Children whose physical
powers are so cramped, as they necessarily are in such
schools as these, cannot grow up hardy youths or strong
men.
HOWRAH.
We paid a visit to Howrah on our way back to the
city, and there saw a school which presented a striking
contrast to that which we had just visited.
This was
a large Government school, in fine buildings, with
abundant room and excellent masters, all in perfect
order. The school seemed much valued, as it was
well frequented. Howrah is situated on the west bank
of the River Hooghly, opposite Calcutta, and con-
tains a vast heathen population, which may be fairly
estimated at 70,000 souls, within three miles of the
church. Here is situated the Calcutta terminus of the
great East Indian Railway, which is now open for traffic
to the distance of nearly 1,000 miles, and reaches
almost to Delhi. Here are found nearly all the docks,
in which the numerous ships in the port are received
and repaired; and here, too, are several other large
industrial establishments-such as ironfoundries, flour-
mills, rope manufactories, distilleries, cotton screws,
coal depôts, and salt warehouses, in addition to the
Q 2
228
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
extensive workshops for the erection of railway locomo-
tive engines and carriages-which all give employment
to an immense number of native artisans and workmen.
Howrah has risen to importance through the traffic
brought by the railway. The families of the officials
employed in it are not neglected, and there is an ex-
cellent school for the children, which I visited with
the Inspector. It was striking to observe that the girls
in this school appeared of a superior grade to those whose
parents would be of the same rank in England. They
were being well taught, and had an air of refinement.
The clergyman of this place (the Rev. F. Spencer) is
active in his efforts for the social improvement of the
inhabitants, and has instituted a 'Young Men's Debating
Society,' where, from time to time, lectures and read-
ings are given to the young Hindoos, and those of the
English inhabitants who may like to be present. In
the preceding August, the public papers gave an ac-
count of a lecture on Education in Bengal, given in St.
Thomas's Schoolroom, by the Rev. Professor R. M.
Bannerjee. At its termination,' the report says, a
unanimous vote of thanks was presented to the learned
professor by the Rev. Chairman; and the hearty ap-
plause which followed must have assured him, in spite
of the difference of opinion expressed in the brief dis-
cussion which followed, how highly the audience ap-
preciated his kindness in delivering the lecture.' Such
gatherings on a common ground, without allowing
difference of opinion to interfere with kindly feeling,
must greatly tend to bind together in harmony the
different races whom circumstances have thus brought
together to form one community.
Having received a pressing invitation from the
native secretary of the Howrah Young Men's Debating
THE SUBURBS OF CALCUTTA.
229
Society, seconded by the chaplain, to give them my
views on female education, I consented to cross the
river for the purpose. I did so the more willingly, as
an English gentleman from the Treasury had pro-
mised on the same evening (December 26) to give them
some readings from Tennyson and other English poets.
He kindly offered me his escort; and, as he was well
acquainted with the locality, I was not afraid to cross.
the broad river by starlight. Yet it was a strange
feeling to find myself on the surface of that mighty
stream, little raised by the small ferry-boat above the
level of the water, which reflected the many lights of
the city of Calcutta, of world-wide renown! Vessels.
filled with many strange figures were everywhere around;
the accents of foreign tongues were those that chiefly
met the ear; but there was a home-feeling in the clear
sense of an all-pervading, protecting Presence near,
and I could yield myself to the marvellous beauty of
the scene. The muddy banks ascended, we soon
reached our destination, and were welcomed by the
chaplain to a large well-filled hall. About half the
audience were English, the ladies of course taking their
proper place in such an assemblage. At first I thought
that, among the native part of the audience, I saw
several of the gentler portion of society. This was
indeed an unexpected pleasure, and I began silently to
moralise on the force of example which had conquered
even Hindoo custom. I was, however, doomed to dis-
appointment, as I soon perceived that those whom,
from their style of dress, I had supposed to be women,
were really persons of the other sex, closely wrapped
in shawls, which enveloped their heads, in order to
protect themselves from what is here considered cold
weather! The readings were admirably given, with
230
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
I
6
6
great animation and expression, but they failed to elicit
much apparent interest in the native part of the audi-
ence. Even the May Queen' did not touch them.
This surprised me, having supposed the Hindoos to be
not only sensitive in feeling and fond of poetry, but
sufficiently acquainted with our language to listen to
it with as much facility as to their own. It soon
occurred to me, however, that all the customs and
emotions which are so exquisitely delineated in that
touching piece, must be not only foreign to such an
audience, but absolutely incomprehensible to them.
May is not a charming month' where every one is
suffering from intense heat, and anxiously anticipating
the rains; no such joyous festival among innocent
boys and girls as 'crowning the Queen of the May'
could possibly be conceived by any one who has not.
been in England, or who has not become thoroughly
familiar with its rural customs. The gradual change
in the sweet little sufferer's feelings-the softening
and purifying of her earthly affections-the gleam of
glory from the other world hallowing this, and ren-
dering its beauty more entrancing ere it disappears--
all this cannot be comprehended by the Hindoo mind
in its present social and religious condition; and if in
such a poem any meaning is perceived, it must be of a
vague mysterious nature, which they cannot grasp, and
which only bewilders. Such thoughts brought into
vivid contrast in my mind the condition of woman in
England and in India, and her painful seclusion in
this country from sharing the intellectual and social
happiness of those bound to her by the closest family
ties. I addressed my audience, therefore, in terms in-
tended to awaken them to a sense of the needs of her
THE SUBURBS OF CALCUTTA.
231
intellectual life, and of the manner in which these
should be supplied.*
BHOWANIPORE.
My visit to this extensive suburb was short, but
deserves a record. Here is a Christian village,' as it
is termed, existing as a record of missionary zeal in the
midst of heathenism. The handsome large chapel and
schoolroom are in constant use to benefit the sur-
rounding population. I was invited here to meet a
number of native Christians, with the families of the
missionaries, in friendy socal intercourse; this was in-
deed most interesting, when we reflected on the amazing
change which had been made in the lives of those who
had thus abandoned heathenism. One of these was
the minister whom I saw at the drawing-room, who
appeared to be overtasking his strength in his zeal to
help on his brethren. Only on one other occasion,
and that in an evening party at Calcutta, at the house
of the cathedral missionary (himself a Hindoọ), had
I an opportunity of associating with native converts.
On this second occasion, one English gentleman alone,
and myself, represented our country, and there were a
few Brahmos; otherwise all were native converts, some
of them gentlemen of education and position, with the
ladies of their families. I heard very great regret
expressed, then and at other times, that though native
gentlemen are brought, by business connection and in
educational institutions, into contact with Europeans,
and thus acquire their manners and modes of thought,
yet that the ladies of the family have not similar ad-
vantages; they have not those opportunities of friendly
intercourse with our countrywomen which is peculiarly
* Vide 'Addresses,' pp. 30-35.
232
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
important to the younger members of it. The com-
plaint is made, and doubtless with just cause, that
efforts to proselytise direct the attention of English
ladies to non-Christians, while those who have been
converted do not share the same friendly sympathy, or
receive the privilege of that social intercourse which
would be to them of the greatest advantage. Hence
these Christian Hindoo ladies, as well in general as the
East Indians, have no opportunity afforded them of
becoming suitable companions for cultivated and refined
English ladies. So much work has to be done by our
countrywomen in India, who desire to raise their
Eastern sisters, that this important branch of it has
probably hitherto escaped their notice. This work is not
a difficult one, and only requires a sympathising spirit.
We must return from this digression to the evening
at Bhowanipore. Many of the native non-Christian in-
habitants of this suburb were much interested in the cause
of female education, and regretted that the distance
of the Bethune School prevented them from sending
their daughters there. They assembled in the Mission
Schoolroom to hear something on the subject, and a
distinguished native gentleman presided, a judge in
the High Court. It was my great endeavour, on this
and on other occasions, to make it clearly understood
that education does not mean simply learning to read
and write, but the development of all the faculties
graciously bestowed on us by the Creator, and the
cultivation of the heart as well as the mind. I showed
them that the customary inactive life of Hindoo women
rendered it particularly desirable that they should
have early as much physical development as possible,
and that especially a garden should always be attached
to a school. In reply to the ordinary plea of great
THE SUBURBS OF CALCUTTA.
233
poverty, and the need of Government help in every-
thing, I assured them of my belief that they had ample
means to do all they wish themselves, and that the
desire only was wanting for the education of their
daughters. The chairman stated his conviction that
the ignorance and superstition of the female part of the
family is a great drain on the pecuniary resources of the
head of it. Hindoos are willing to educate their sons,
because money so spent is regarded as an investment of
capital; he had known an instance in which a man, whose
income did not exceed 100 rupees per annum, spent
30 rupees in the education of his sons, for this reason.
This was considered by those present far from being an
unusual case. They all seemed at the time anxious to
begin a school. Whether they have carried their wishes
into effect I have not heard.
There is a kind of agency much required in this and
other suburbs, which does not fall within the scope of
the missionaries, and which cannot be accomplished by
the natives unaided. There are not here, as in England,
places of instruction and entertainment, where young
men can go and spend an evening; or even public
libraries, to afford them recreation at home. My native
friend, who had commenced the little Sunday service.
above alluded to, resides at Bhowanipore, and felt most
strongly the need of providing some such place of meet-
ing as our Athenæums and Working Men's Clubs, adapted
to the requirements of the Hindoos. Through the want
of such institutions, or even a good popular library, I
have been informed that great immorality prevails.
among young men engaged in offices after their day's
work is over. Missionaries to whom the subject has been
mentioned, all state that their already full engagements
prevent them from undertaking what is not strictly a
234
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
part of their work, being secular. The same feeling is
probably universal. This is, indeed, a kind of work
which properly falls within the province of the laity,
though nothing can be foreign to religion which is
calculated to advance social progress. The want being
known, many gentlemen might supply it, even if closely
engaged in business, by a little friendly sympathy or
advice, or by gifts of books, or other means of intel-
lectual improvement, which they could well supply.
The mention in these pages of so simple a means of
benefiting the rising generation of our Hindoo fellow-
subjects, may lead some to proffer their help where
needed; and the humble worker at Bhowanipore may
thus be the means of commencing a movement very
important to his countrymen.
SERAMPORE.
6
This is a very celebrated spot in the history of
missionary enterprise. The name of Dr. Carey, one of
the founders of the Baptist College in that place, will
ever be remembered in that part of the world, not only
for his piety and zeal, but for his scientific attain-
ments. It was then with much pleasure that I ac-
cepted a kind invitation from the editor of the Friend
of India,' and his lady, to pay them a visit. A railway
ride of about an hour ought to have brought us to our
journey's end; but an accident (not a very unusual
occurrence in these parts) detained us so long on the
road, that our arrival by this train was nearly given
up. Serampore is not more than a village, beside the
English residences and the college. There are some
rich zemindars in the neighbourhood, but, these not
being enterprising or friendly to progress, the buildings
around are generally in a dilapidated condition: the
THE SUBURBS OF CALCUTTA.
235
country then does not lose the charms of wild nature
by being traversed by well-made roads, or divided into
fields by well-trimmed hedgerows. As our time was
not limited, a ride through it in a somewhat primitive
style was very pleasant. A little girls' school in an
open bungalow is under my hostess's kind supervision ;
many of the girls looked intelligent, but it was sad to
observe the significant red spot on the foreheads of the
little creatures six or seven years old, and to know that
the poor children were considered as married, and would
shortly be removed from their homes, and placed in
the zenana of their husbands' family! We saw another
little girls' school under the patronage of a rich zemindar,
but he did not honour us with his presence on the
occasion. Probably, as he was far from being of the
party of progress, he did not wish to encounter those
who might be in favour of innovations which he did not
desire. Serampore is indeed situated in the midst of
a very unenlightened population. We used to suppose
that the car of Juggernaut was a thing of the past.
Here, however, I actually beheld it in all its native
clumsy hideousness-a dreadful reality! On certain
festivals the idol is conveyed in this car to visit his
sister, in the midst of the greatest excitement of all the
surrounding population; not many years ago, a man,
wearied of life, actually threw himself under the pon-
derous wheels, and was crushed to death! Such an
example is very contagious among these people, and it
is found necessary to set the police on guard, at these
festivals, in order to prevent similar catastrophes. It
was a marvellous contrast to visit a little country
church in the neighbourhood, very sacred from many
old associations, and in a quiet rural spot.
A sunset walk on the banks of the Ganges was a
236
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
refreshment to the spirit. Only a tropical region can
display such gorgeous tints, during the very short time.
before darkness closes in; these, reflected in the calm
broad stream, are inexpressibly beautiful. The effect
must be greatly heightened when the court is at
Barrackpore, on the opposite side, and the music of
the band reaches Serampore, softened by distance.
The next morning all the relics in the college were
duly examined, and with great intrest; time, however,
forbade me to linger in this honoured building as long
as I should have desired. A venerable pundit paid me
a visit, who was regarded as a wonder, having reached
an age which in this country is seldom attained-
seventy-four years. He inscribed some Sanscrit in my
book, of which the following is a translation-
'Of all things in the world, education is the best, for no thief
can steal it away. Though it has no fixed value, yet it is very
valuable, because it cannot be spoiled by rust. Therefore
nothing in the world is as good as education. A man who is
For the above-
not blessed with education is very like a beast.
mentioned reasons education is very necessary for men, women,
and children, irrespective of caste or creed.-Written by a
Pundit of the College of Fort William, established by Lord
Wellesley, and afterwards by Dr. Carey.'
The sentiment expressed by this aged pundit is more
liberal than is usual to Hindoos of his generation.
KONNEGUR.
On my return I had been requested to visit the
girls' school of the little town of Konnegur. It was
evidently the object of much interest and care on the
part of the native gentlemen of the neighbourhood, and
did great credit to them, as well as to the young scholars,
in the proficiency they had made. Then one of these
}
THE SUBURBS OF CALCUTTA.
237
gentlemen invited me to visit his family, which I did
with pleasure. His was a large house, as usual built
round a courtyard, and many of his friends were
assembled there. The master of the house introduced
me to the ladies of his household, who here occupied
cheerful apartments, with access to a pleasant garden.
It was an interesting family group, and the lady at the
head of it is very intelligent and kind-hearted. She
appeared to have infused those qualities into her
daughters and granddaughters, in the latter of whom
I recognised some of the most advanced scholars in the
girls' school. The father showed me, with parental
pride, in a Bengali ladies' journal, some poetry com-
posed by one of his daughters, and he evidently took a
warm interest in their improvement. I was much
gratified by taking some refreshment provided for me
in this pleasant room-those present themselves sharing
it with me. 'You do not find zenanas so gloomy and
disagreeable as is generally supposed?' asked my host.
'This indeed is not so,' I replied, but I fear there are
not many like it.' The great secret of the advanced
state of the ladies of this family is, that the head of it
has completely thrown off idolatry and superstition; and
instead of a Brahmin being retained, in the house or
elsewhere, to direct the religious ceremonials of the
household, and bind them down to the superstitions of
bygone ages, this gentleman leads family worship him-
self. He showed me a Poojah hall, dedicated to the
One True God, and every morning he conducts a simple
religious service with his family. They were glad to
learn that I could thus sympathise with them, as far as
they went. Some of the Brahmo missionaries come
here at times, and hold service, in his hall, for such as
choose to attend; these, however, are not many.
238
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
The assembled friends had inscribed, during my
absence in the zenana, an expression of their satisfac-
tion with my visit to the school, and their approval of
my suggestions. My host added the following:
'My wife is very anxious that cultivated English
mistresses should come from England to teach the
females of this country, and she approves of the plan
of establishing a Female Normal School in Calcutta.'
(Signed) W. CHUNDER DEB.
December 20, 1866.
My return to Government House was not quite as
easy and agreeable as might have been expected. I
have heard, in some distant countries, of a railway
accident being common on alternate days; I therefore
thought that it was fair to expect none to-day, as we
had had an accident on the preceding morning. I was,
however, too sanguine. Being now quite alone, one of
my native friends accompanied me to the station, to
see me safely off. No train had arrived-it had broken
down at a considerable distance. At these stations
there is rarely any accommodation for ladies, and I was
obliged to sit under a shed as a protection from the sun
for about two hours, waiting for the arrival of another
train. It was a strange feeling to be thus isolated;
but I was beginning to feel quite at home with the
natives, though I could not speak their language.
It was a matter of regret to me to learn that I had
been expected that day at Rishrat, a village two miles
from Serampore, and that considerable disappointment
had been felt at my non-appearance by the managing
commitee of the girls' school there. This was ine-
vitable, as I had received no invitation, and was not
aware of the existence of the place! It is, however,
THE SUBURBS OF CALCUTTA.
239
6
an interesting fact, that so many schools are springing
up for the instruction of young girls, and that native
gentlemen are taking so much interest in their manage-
ment. This school,' the secretary writes, is of little
more than three years' standing, during which period
some of the girls were taught as far as Sanscrit, and
double rule-of-three in arithmetic.' This is remarkable
progress.
Another school I also much regretted not being able
to visit at Kurdah, about nine miles north of Cal-
cutta. It consists of four separate schools-one, the
secretary writes, for boys who desire to learn both
English and Sanscrit; a second for peasants of our
country, whose characteristic features (as you will learn
after a short stay in the land) are ignorance and super-
stition; a third for those who wish to learn Bengali
exclusively; and, lastly, one for those who have at-
tracted the attention of your compassionate heart, and
upon whose welfare depends the welfare of their country.'
The writer of this deserves especial sympathy, as his is
the only case I met with in which there is a distinct
recognition of the duty of attempting to raise the
lower classes, by giving them education. May the
schools at Kurdah prosper, under the management of
their benevolent secretary! I have established them,'
he writes, by my humble and stinted efforts, and-
what is far more essential in such matters-the blessing
of Him who mysteriously and permanently presides
about and above us.
OOTERPARRAH.
On the morning of December 14, I set off to visit
the institutions connected with the Hitokorry Shova,
or Benevolent Society of Ooterparrah. Our party con-
240
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
6
sisted of Mr. Atkinson, the Director of Public Education,
Mr. Woodrow the Inspector, and the celebrated pundit,
Isher Chunder Vidyasager. Ooterparrah is a native town
a few miles above Barrackpore, on the Hooghly; and
was but a small place when, in days long past, the Duke
of Wellington (then Sir Arthur Wellesley) and the late
Lord Combermere visited the spot. The heroes of
Waterloo and Bhurtpore,' we are informed by a native
journal, were delighted to see the infant village of
Ooterparrah, and accepted milk and plantain, the
simplest articles of a simple luncheon, offered them by
their honest host, Baboo Ram Hurry Roy Chowdry.
The moral effect of these visits was not lost upon the
ancestors of the existing inhabitants of Ooterparrah,
and the present prosperous state of the town may
be attributed to the edifying and healthy example
of men who were honoured by military men and
civilians illustrious for their wisdom and probity.'
The present very remarkable condition of this town
is chiefly due to the enlightened munificence of two
rich zemindars, Baboos Joy Kissen and Raj Kissen
Mookerjee, who have for several years been directing
their energies to the establishment of various institu-
tions calculated to raise the native community. In
December 1865, his Excellency the Governor-General
paid a visit to this town, accompanied by Lady Law-
rence, and several other ladies and gentlemen. This
visit excited the greatest enthusiasm in the town and
neighbourhood. Every possible mark of respect was
shown him; and, though the announcement of the visit.
was made only the day before, two most appropriate
addresses were presented to him. The Viceroy's re-
plies to them, as well as his other remarks on the state
of the town, were remarkable,' says the native journal,
THE SUBURBS OF CALCUTTA.
241
" for their sententious brevity, and for the uncommon
condescension which was testified in almost his every
word.' 'The effect of this visit,' says the 'Bengali,'
'will long survive. Already Baboo Joy Kissen Moo-
kerjee stands pledged to Sir John to found an agri-
cultural school, on the plan advocated in his well-
known letter to Government. The Baboo is prepared
to lay out 30,000 rupees for that object; and the
money cannot be more usefully or reproductively, as
regards the country, spent. A vivifying spirit of emu-
lation will be infused into the surrounding districts, by
a condescension which has unequivocally proved, that
if any town or village be ambitious of attracting the
applause of the representative of the Majesty of Great
Britain in India, who is greater than even the Em-
peror of Delhi was in his palmiest day of glory, it must
first deserve, by the same means by which Ooterparrah
has been reclaimed from a mud village into a smiling
garden, the splendid honour.'
These anticipations were not disappointed. In a
pamphlet published afterwards on the subject, we find
the following statement, which shows how gratefully
kind sympathy is received by the Hindoos, and how
great a stimulus is imparted by it:-The moral effect
of Sir John's visit upon the town itself has been so
great, that a remarkable quickness in its growth is
already perceptible. All classes have felt the vivify-
ing influence of the inquiry and interest of the man
first in the realm, and are striving to exhibit and put
forth higher energies against the next viceregal visit,
whenever that may be. An honest pride in the ap-
pearance of the town, both physical and moral, has
been infused into every householder; and if patriotism
means such a condition of the public mind in any
VOL. I.
R
242
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
place, it may be confidently asserted that it is a virtue,
the value whereof is now practically appreciated in
Ooterparrah, and is undergoing a speedy development
in it.'
The gentlemen who are carrying on the good work
in Ooterparrah are Brahmos, and it is observable that
an open relinquishment of idolatry appears, in all cases,
to be the first step towards enlightened benevolence;
in fact, I may venture to assert that, except in the re-
lief of the hungry and starving, I have never found this
virtue manifest itself practically among the Hindoos,
unless where idolatry was abandoned. The recent
dreadful Orissa famine proves that native liberality
may then be relied on.
The great objects of the
The Hitokorry Shova (or Sabha), a benevolent insti-
tution whose operations we were invited to inspect,
was founded in April 1864. Its intention is thus de-
scribed in the first Report:
Hitokorry Shova are to educate the poor, to help the
needy, to clothe the naked, to give medicines to the
indigent sick, to support poor widows and orphans, to
promote the cause of temperance as a branch of the
Bengal Temperance Society, and to ameliorate the
social, moral, and intellectual condition of the mem-
bers themselves, and of their fellow-inhabitants of
Ooterparrah and its vicinity.'
The efforts of the society have been chiefly directed
to female education, which especially required their
attention; and in the promotion of this, great zeal has
been displayed by a body of young men interested in
the training of their sisters and daughters. They
have laid,' the last Report states, 'the foundation of the
system of female education, upon which, it is hoped,
Government would raise the superstructure. It is
C
THE SUBURBS OF CALCUTTA.
243
time for the State to give its utmost attention to the
education of girls-to offer them as much encourage-
ment as is bestowed upon their more fortunate brethren.'
Attention to the poor and sick has continued to be a
prominent object of the society. The literary branch
has made efforts for the improvement of the moral and
intellectual condition of the members themselves, and
of the population generally, and lectures have been
delivered to the society by English gentlemen as well
as by natives.
The following reasons for publication, given in the
preface to the Report published in the present year,
strikingly show the difficulties under which the sup-
porters of this society labour:-Experience has taught
the Hitokorry Sabha to bring to light at once even its
most trivial proceeding, lest Bengal darkness, which
has eternally swallowed up many a useful institution,
should destroy the Sabha also. The fear of exposure at
the bar of public opinion may be one of the considera-
tions that actuate the originators of societies that have
seen the light to improve gradually their vital powers;
but such is not the case with those who, having nursed
in secret the objects of their care, are little troubled
about their fate, and apprehend reproaches at their
dissolution neither from their own hearts, nor from the
voice of public opinion.'
We first proceeded to the girls' school, where we
found the secretary of the society-Baboo Peary Mo-
hun Bannerjee-with its most distinguished supporters.
The young ladies looked bright and intelligent, and we
went from class to class, which was being examined by
the pundit. All the girls answered well. A consider-
able stimulus is given by a general examination of all
the schools affiliated to the Hitokorry Shova, in the
R. 2
244
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
month of March every year. Scholarships of one rupee
and two rupees per month are awarded: this continues
for one year, on condition that the holder prosecutes
her studies during that time. The examinations are
in writing, and the answers indicate good mental
powers and considerable proficiency.
A
Young ladies who are obliged to leave the school on
account of marriage, are permitted to continue their
studies in the zenana, and to hold scholarships.
native convert female teacher, who is employed in the
school, visits them at their homes, and conducts the
necessary examinations. Specimens of good needlework
were shown to us; and here, as in many other schools,
I was strongly impressed with the great capabilities of
Hindoo girls, and with regret that these have no ade-
quate means of development. The younger classes here,
as elsewhere, suffered from the want of proper teachers.
My expectations were highly raised by my friend
the Inspector respecting my next visit, which was to
the library; the reality, however, greatly exceeded my
anticipations. A large and commodious building, of
which two spacious rooms were filled with a complete
and well-chosen library at the entire cost of one indi-
vidual-a native gentleman-was indeed a subject of
admiration. There were also suites of pleasant airy
rooms, looking out on a garden and the river, which
were intended for social entertainments or club-rooms.
These were not, however, yet fully occupied; their
existence will doubtless in future be a stimulus to the
young men of the town to engage in intellectual re-
creations, for which they are so well adapted. An ac-
count of this remarkable institution, kindly drawn up.
for me by the librarian, Baboo Koilas Chunder Moo-
kerjee, will be interesting to the reader :-
THE SUBURBS OF CALCUTTA.
245
'Some twenty years ago, Baboo Joy Kissen Mookerjee, hav-
ing got an English school and dispensary endowed in the town
of Ooterparrah, perceived the growing want of a library, with a
reading-room attached to it, for the benefit of his countrymen.
In order to supply this desideratum, the Baboo applied to
Government, through the Commissioner of Revenue, Burdwan
Division, to establish one on similar terms with those of the
English school and the dispensary; but not succeeding in his
attempts, he undertook the work without any extraneous aid
from the State. With this view, he caused a suitable building to
be constructed upon the river-bank, at a cost of 85,000 rupees;
and when the same was completed, he commenced the inaugu-
ration of the library, by collecting books and pamphlets from
different places. At the time when this public library began,
the books of the old Hurkaru Library were advertised for sale,
and the Baboo availed himself of the opportunity to buy some.
of the oldest works from the same for his own library. These,
added with those bought from the Calcutta China Bazaar book-
sellers, amounted to 5,000 volumes only. The Baboo, not being
satisfied with such a meagre collection, resolved to extend the
institution by purchase of additional books from hawkers,
whom he invited over from Calcutta, to supply him with rare
and valuable books and magazines, &c. at fair prices. Thus,
when the books were purchased in the manner narrated above,
to the number of 12,000 volumes, he set about working the
library in the year 1859, by appointing a librarian, an assistant
librarian, one duffturee, one forash or sweeper, one durwar, and
two mallees or gardeners. These formed the constitution of the
library establishment, for the management of its duties in the
beginning of the institution, and the same is continuing un-
altered up to the present day. To ensure proper supervision
over the library, and to secure its permanency, the Baboo has
appointed a body of native gentlemen as curators of his library,
to whom he has made over a landed estate, yielding 1,800 rupees
a year; but as more works in English and Sanscrit are yet to
be added, he has made a separate provision for the purchase of
the same.
It is endowed in perpetuity, the proprietorship being
246
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
vested in the eldest male issue: accordingly his eldest son,
Baboo Horrow Mohun Mookerjee, is at present the proprietor.
'It will not be out of place to mention it here, that the lower
story of the building contains the library, and the upper rooms
are reserved to accommodate respectable visitors, as well as to
hold public meetings and deliver lectures-in fact, to serve the
purpose of a Town Hall. A garden of choice fruits and flowers
is attached to the institution, for the resort and recreation of
the community, which is largely availed of by them.
'The library subscribes to the leading journals of the day, and
also new publications from England to the value of 1,000 rupees,
which the proprietor of the library pays from a separate fund
annually.
'Besides the 12,000 volumes of English books above referred
to, the library has a separate department of Bengali and Sans-
crit works, containing 2,500 volumes, which being considered
as insufficient, Baboo Joy Kissen Mookerjee has resolved upon
adding as many of the latter as he can collect, and with that
view has got himself enrolled as a member of the society formed
under the patronage of the Prince of Wales.
'In order to extend and diffuse a taste for reading among the
educated people of Ooterparrah and its neighbourhood, the
Baboo has offered a gold medal, as a prize to any one who
would pass an examination in the reading of the best books of
the library.
'In conclusion, permit me to state that the library is largely
availed of by the educated natives of the place, and by English-
men residing on the railway line and in the Ballee papermill;
and its circulation of books is calculated, on an average, to be
350 volumes in a month."
The Government boys' schools were excellent, and
we were much pleased with the thorough knowledge of
the English language displayed by the first classes of
the High School. They analysed Gray's Elegy in a
Country Churchyard' admirably, and were fully ac-
quainted with the meaning of the passages respecting
THE SUBURBS OF CALCUTTA.
247
the mute inglorious Milton,' and the greatness of the
human soul, independently of external condition. The
zemindars did not neglect the opportunity of urging
the official gentlemen present to grant their request to
found a college for them, they themselves taking half
the cost. I could not forbear expressing my surprise
that gentlemen of affluence and liberality should wish
to be dependent on Government for the higher educa-
tion of their own sons, since the Government had
already done more for them in this respect than for
British subjects; and millions of their countrymen were
still remaining in gross ignorance, without the blessing
of education, and perfectly unable to procure it, even
if they desired it. These remarks did not meet with a
response from these gentlemen, who did not appear to
like the practical application of the poetical sentiments.
they had admired.
We then repaired to the residence of Raj Kissen
Mookerjee, who had kindly prepared refreshments for
us. I was afterwards invited to the zenana, where a
number of ladies had assembled in large cheerful
rooms. They received me in the kindest way, with the
reinark, ‘We are very glad you spent your own money
to come to see us;' and were evidently gratified by my
assurance that many English ladies took a warm in-
terest in them, as well as myself, but had not had an
opportunity of showing it. I promised them, however,
that on my return home I would endeavour to excite
the sympathy of my countrywomen for them.
After warm thanks to our hosts, we proceeded to Bally,
a primitive-looking native village at no great distance.
After wending our way through some narrow lanes, we
came to a girls' school, carried on in a small bungalow.
This had been founded chiefly through the efforts of a
248
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
very intelligent young gentleman, whom we had re-
marked as one of the most advanced students in the
Ooterparrah High School. This is another instance,
among the many we witnessed, in which young men,
who have themselves felt the value of education, are
anxious to impart it to the other sex.
BURRANAGORE.
On Sunday morning, September 10, 1866, occurred
an examination and prize-giving at a small girls' school
in the suburban town of Burranagore. This place does
not present any peculiar attraction to the stranger, but
is now rising into some importance through the estab-
lishment there, by an English house, of a large gunny-
bag factory, which is giving employment to 4,000 men,
women, and children. The school itself contained 75
girls, of ages varying from six to ten, who are taught,
in addition to grammatical instruction in their own lan-
guage, geography, arithmetic, and needlework. It is
superintended by two pundits and a mistress, 17 rupees
per mensem being contributed by Government towards
the whole expense. Though this school does not pre-
sent any peculiar feature, yet to trace the steps which
led to its present condition will be instructive. The
following passage, from the pen of an Englishman,' is
therefore extracted from the Indian Mirror' (a native
paper) of that month:-
'The Burranagore Girls' School traces its origin to the
family of the founder, who commenced it by teaching his wife
and one or two relations in his own house. It was then in-
creased by the addition of some girls who were desirous of
obtaining instruction; and so great was its success, that it was
removed from the sacred precincts of the zenana—or, to speak
THE SUBURBS OF CALCUTTA.
249
more correctly, zenana education was given to grown-up per-
sons, and a school for girls was opened under the superintend-
ence of a pundit. The movement received much encourage-
ment from the inhabitants, and the school increased rapidly.
But a sudden stop was put to its progress, by the fact of the
founder having embraced Brahmoism. A revulsion of feeling
took place; all the pupils of the zenana, and many from the
school, were withdrawn, and all were warned from further con-
tact with the heretic who had forsaken his ancient religion.
The heart of the young reformer was not to be discouraged by
persecution, and he manfully stood his ground, kept open his
school, and has lived down the tyranny of his persecutors.
The result of his perseverance was last Sunday's gratifying
ceremony, which was attended by a large number of his neigh-
bours, and a few English gentlemen.
The chair was
taken by Professor Lobb, of the Presidency College; and the
Report, which I hope we may see printed, was read by the
founder of the school, who is also the secretary to the managing
committee. The prizes (which consisted of books, slates,
clothing, &c.) were distributed to the youthful, intelligent,
and, I must add, in many cases comely recipients, who received
them with evident satisfaction and glee. The chairman, and
one or two of the European gentlemen, addressed a few words
to the meeting; but it was left to Baboo Bacharam Chatterjee,
the celebrated Brahmo Somaj preacher, to make the speech of
the day. I am really sorry, owing to its having been spoken
in Bengali, and my ignorance of the language, that I cannot
give its substance to your readers. It was very fluent, and
repeatedly elicited the applause of the audience, and, I am told,
chiefly related to the importance of female education in many
of its most prominent aspects.'
On Wednesday, December 12, I set off to visit the
school, under the escort of the secretary, Baboo
Soshe Pudo Bannerjee, a Brahmo, and one of those
who had accompanied his wife to the tea-party at
Dr. Chuckerbutty's. He informed me that, when he
250
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
openly renounced idolatry, he was excommunicated,
and exiled from his ancestral home, receiving only a
portion of his patrimony; this, however, gave him a
degree of freedom in which he rejoiced. His is the
only case I met with, throughout India, in which ex-
communication was not regarded with the greatest
dread by the Hindoos. This first step having been
courageously taken, he secured a small separate house
for himself and wife, and then devoted all the leisure
he could command to movements connected with social
progress. The diffusion of the knowledge of One True
God was his first concern, in connection with the
Brahmo Somaj. He devoted himself also to the tem-
perance movement, for which he had to suffer much
persecution, being once imprisoned on a charge of
murder by a publican whom he had offended. The
murdered man having been produced, alive and well,
the next morning by his friends, he was released, but
not without much expense and annoyance. This
peculiar mode of revenge is not, I am informed, un-
common in India.
The girls' school, as well as that for boys, is in small
and inconvenient premises, being the only ones that
could be procured with the very limited means at com-
mand. It does indeed seem extraordinary, that while
so much money is bestowed on boys' schools-while no
expense is spared which is necessary to obtain them
suitable buildings such real efforts as these are
cramped for want of means. The natives are thus led
to infer that the Government does not value the
education of girls as much as that of boys.
After visiting the schools, I was anxious to see the
factory. It was near the hour of closing, so that there
was not time to inspect all the works; but the natives
THE SUBURBS OF CALCUTTA.
251
-men, women and boys—were all working in a regu-
lar and orderly manner, as in a factory at home. There
is no school at present attached to it, but the managers
have secured a piece of land, where it is intended to
build one. This will be very important. Education
will be secured to those who are at present entirely
without it, if the regulations of our Factory Act are
introduced.
The influx of money into this town is very great,
numbers thus obtaining good regular wages who were
previously in receipt of small precarious earnings only.
But this increase of the resources of the inhabitants
has not hitherto been productive solely of good effects.
These people are quite content with what we should
deem a low, miserable way of living, in poor huts; they
are without any education, nor have they the wants of
civilised life; they spend their money, therefore, in
vicious indulgences. An evening school, to give some
instruction to these young men, appeared likely to be
very useful, and this was commenced in the little room of
the girls' school. My next visit was to this, and it was
very gratifying to observe how much the scholars valued
the unbought services of their teachers. The following
address, here presented to me, from some of the inhabi-
tants of the town, indicates their spirit:-
'We, the undersigned inhabitants of this place, have the
sincerest pleasure in adding our share to the cordial welcome
which has been universally accorded to you by the liberals of
every denomination of all places you have visited in our great
country. We had intended to dispense with the ceremony of
this address, as a thing which in itself could neither augment
your pleasure, nor tend to our honour. Considering, however,
that even the local ventilation of the address may be the cause
of the contemplation of a career such as yours by many of our
252
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
brethren and sisters, who would not else hear of it, and there-
fore an indirect aid to your mission, we determined otherwise.
We wish we could rather give a welcome of deeds. We regret
our inability for female improvement here, and even male has
hardly yet begun. And this is more urgent reason of our wel-
come of you. No town, suburban or provincial, this side of India,
offers a more inviting-we do not mean a more promising-field
for the exercise of your mission than Burranagore. Here in-
deed, of all places of equal importance, can you exercise your
double genius for influencing both the male and female heart.
This is not the medium for an exposé of our weak points, else
we should have gladly expressed to you in detail the wants of
our town, and of course received your valuable suggestions.
'The reasons for shyness, however, which exist in a public
document, do not exist in private intercourse. We therefore
give you a general hearty welcome to spy the nakedness of our
place, and we entertain the hope that your visit may be of a
more than formal character.
• And may
God prosper you and your mission !'
'(Signed) NOHAKRISH MASKERJEE and others.
*December, 1866.'
Though it was becoming late, my young friend would
not allow me to depart without a visit to his abode, as
his lady was expecting me there. And well indeed was
I rewarded for any trouble I may have taken to come
here. For the first, and for the last time, during my
whole visit, had I the happiness of being in a simple
native dwelling, which had the domestic charms of an
English home. The young wife came forward grace-
fully to welcome us to her pretty sitting-room, where
well-chosen prints covered the otherwise bare walls,
and a simple repast had been prepared for us. Her
little boy, a fine child, was quite happy to see his
father, and be noticed by him; and the only drawback
to the pleasure of the visit, was my inability to con-
THE SUBURBS OF CALCUTTA,
253
verse with my hostess, through her ignorance of English.
Now that the Hindoo ladies are beginning to under-
stand that we have a real interest in them, they will, I
trust, overcome this obstacle to friendly intercourse, by
acquiring our language, and becoming thus acquainted
with our habits and thoughts, as expressed in our
literature. In the meantime it is pleasant to know
that she, and doubtless many others, are able to divine
feelings without the aid of words. She talked to me
so kindly by pressing my hand,' was said by one, but
perhaps felt by many.
Burranagore does indeed present, as stated in the
address, a very wide field for the labours of those who
desire to advance social progress. The fact of even one
inhabitant of a place being zealously bent on promoting
improvement, prepares the way, and renders efforts
made by others productive of good results. This
suburb is fortunate in having such a factory established
in it, with managers who are willing to co-operate.
Before my final departure, therefore, I requested my
young friend to give me an opportunity of making the
inhabitants of his town acquainted with some of the
movements in England, which have in view the eleva-
tion of the working-classes. An evening was agreed
on, and when I arrived at the place of meeting, I found
the only room which could be procured densely filled
with intelligent natives, and several English. The
doctor of the town kindly presided. The scene pre-
sented a strangely different aspect from a meeting of
English operatives assembled to hear an address on
subjects connected with their social condition. Our
operatives comprehend what is meant by the dignity of
labour, and do not think that their social position is
lowered by engaging in it. Here, on the contrary, I
254
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
found that I had unwittingly offended some of my
turbaned audience, by addressing them as those who
were engaged in factory-work, that being performed,
they considered, solely by persons who were ignorant
and illiterate; the fact of their being able to understand
me proved the contrary with regard to themselves. I
apologised for my error, requesting them to explain to
their less favoured fellow-citizens what I had said. The
time will come, I earnestly hope, when Hindoo factory-
workers may be an educated class of society, as well as
English operatives; and when a knowledge of our
language may enable them, as well as the higher classes
of the native community, to receive the benefit of a
knowledge of our civilisation and institutions.*
The meeting did not conclude without passing a
resolution, proposed by my friend the secretary, Baboo
Soshe Pudo Bannerjee, that a committee should be
formed, of English and native gentlemen, to consider
the formation of a society for the improvement of the
working-classes. This was not a mere formal resolution,
barren of results. The disinterested zeal of this young
man, who had already given so much practical proof of
his earnestness and perseverance, enlisted the warm
co-operation of some enlightened and benevolent gentle-
men'; and in the Indian Daily News' of July 24, 1867,
we find a report of the first half-yearly meeting of
the Burranagore Social Improvement Society,'-Dr.
Waldee, president, in the chair. A committee was
organised, a public library commenced, and arrange-
ments made to obtain a room for the proceedings. A
valuable address was made by the chairman, and he
showed how much might be done by even one true-
6
* Vide Addresses to the Hindoos' pp. 40-45.
THE SUBURBS OF CALCUTTA.
255
6
hearted individual, by remarking: A girls' school has
been in progress for some time, and with as much
success as in the circumstances can be expected. For
the institution of this, and also for the night-school for
men and boys, and mainly also for carrying them on,
we are indebted to the highly praiseworthy labours of
the secretary, Baboo Soshe Pudo Bannerjee. But in
my view it is unfair to leave such institutions so entirely
under his care, and the society ought to make it their
business to assist him.'
May this grain of mustard-seed, so carefully planted
and watered, grow up to be a large tree at Burranagore,
overshadowing and blessing the whole population!
RANAGHAT.
Early in December, three students of the Presidency
College addressed to me an earnest request that I would
visit a small girls' school they had commenced in this
place, hoping by this means that some interest may be
excited in it, and additional help obtained for it. Feel-
ing always a special interest in unobtrusive efforts of
this kind, and sympathising greatly with young men who
are thus struggling nobly to emancipate from the
thraldom of ignorance the weaker sex, I was desirous of
giving them, if possible, any small help which my visit
might afford them. I was therefore glad to find that
Ranaghat was a station on the way to Kishnaghur, a
place I proposed to visit. A friend, acquainted with a
zemindar of that neighbourhood, wrote to request a
kind reception for me; and as Baboo Keshub Chunder
Sen intended to visit Kishnaghur before commencing
his missionary tour in the North-west Provinces, he
kindly gave me his escort, together with an English
friend.
256
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
We set off early in the morning of December 27, and,
on our arrival at Ranaghat, were received in great state
by the zemindar, attended by a large elephant with
suitable trappings, and a number of retainers, one of
whom carried a large gilt umbrella. We formed quite
a procession, of which the noble animal formed a dis-
tinguished part, not being employed as a beast of
burden, but taking a position as one of the household.
We proceeded to the little school. There, as at Ooter-
parrah, the movement had been commenced by the
establishment of a benevolent society, for the proceed-
ings of which a room was provided. Female education
was here, as there, the most important object of their
efforts. They were not able to raise funds to pay a
teacher, and some of the members devoted their spare
time to the instruction of little girls. They had im-
proved wonderfully, to the satisfaction of the parents;
and on the present occasion their performances were
exhibited, and prizes were distributed-the zemindar
presiding, and apparently taking a warm interest in the
proceedings. The young gentlemen who had invited
me were members of his family or their friends, and
their exertions were most praiseworthy. The zemindar
then requested us to proceed to his residence. We
passed by many somewhat dilapidated buildings, and
arrived at his abode-a large mansion round a quad-
rangle, capable of accommodating at least a hundred
persons. A number of guests were assembled kindly
to welcome us; the younger members of the family
were gorgeously dressed in the rich brocade so pecu-
liar to India. The students expressed the warmest
anxiety for the support of the school; they cannot ob-
tain any help from Government in procuring a teacher,
unless they raise half the salary, and this they had
THE SUBURBS OF CALCUTTA.
257
found impossible under the impoverished circumstances
of the district. It need hardly be stated that I ex-
pressed my hopes, as strongly as politeness would permit
me, that my wealthy host would use his powerful in-
fluence to accomplish so desirable an object. The young
students themselves had no means at their command,
having no allowance of money from their parents, as in
England, for their private expenditure. A liberal
repast was provided for our party by the hospitality of
our host; it lost its charm, however, to me, here as
elsewhere, by not being shared by those with whom we
had just before been enjoying agreeable intercourse.
The beautiful drawing-room, too, looked sadly desolate
without the presence of the ladies of the family. I had
not, indeed, the pleasure of seeing them at all. Their
apartments were in a remote part of the building, and
we were informed that the chief lady was subject to
hysterics, which would render her unable to receive
me. This malady, I was informed by a medical gentle-
man, in large practice among native ladies, is not un-
common among them. Nor is this a matter for surprise,
condemned as these poor ladies are to a seclusion in
which they have no healthy occupation for the mind,
no physical stimulus for the body. The doctor, being
well aware of their mode of life, and of the probable
cause of the hysterical affection of one of his patients,
prescribed for her a jumping-board! His advice was
adopted, and on his next visit, he saw his patient
laughing instead of crying!
KISHNAGHUR.
After thanking our polite host for his hospitality, and
wishing my young student friends success in their
undertaking, we proceeded by rail to the nearest station
VOL. I.
S
258
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
on the way to Kishnaghur; my English friend returned,
since my first fellow-traveller, Mr. Ghose, had come to
escort me to Kishnaghur, where his family reside.
We had to cross a river and take a carriage, the driver
of which continued to importune us most vociferously
for some time, demanding an exorbitant payment,
because, though there were two native gentlemen, there
was an English lady, and it was always the custom to
make an extra charge for the English! This hint may
be useful, if any of my fellow-countrymen or women
travel this way. The country was not devoid of beauty,
exhibiting many trees that I had not seen before; among
others, that producing the india-rubber. Occasionally,
even here, we saw some of the effects of the cyclone.
But what was most painful was the number of deserted
buildings, and these evidently belonging not to the
lowest class, where whole families had been swept away
by pestilence. The town itself, from the side on which
we entered it, was anything but attractive; streets with
low native houses on each side, bad drainage, and, in
harmony with these, a heathen temple with wide open
doors, displaying a most hideous idol to the gaze of all
passers-by. The minds which could accept this as an
emblem of deity, could not be expected to rise high in
social progress. Mr. Ghose had spoken to us with
pleasure of Kishnaghur as his home, but evidently felt
ashamed of it, now that his English education had
raised his standard. At the other side of the town,
however, were pleasant English residences and institu-
tions; and I was soon most comfortably installed in one,
the residence of the Church missionary, the Rev. Mr.
Blumhardt, and his family. It was very pleasant to find
myself here quite as much at home as altered circum-
stances would permit, with morning and evening wor-
THE SUBURBS OF CALCUTTA.
259
ship, and the sweetest possible sacred music from the
young ladies every evening; such domestic privileges
are very precious in this heathen land, and help to keep
oil in the lamp. Morning revealed fresh sources of
pleasure. Around the compound were erected a chaste
and simple village church, a school-house for the
children, taught by native converts, and superintended
by the ladies of the family; also a college for native
students, superintended by the worthy pastor himself.
Cottages there were besides, neat little Indian dwellings
for a few native converts holding some office; one I
entered, to give my good wishes to a catechist and his
family, as well as the girls' school; the students were
absent, enjoying their Christmas holidays. On the
other side of the house was a pleasant garden, carefully
laid out and attended to, with flowers in bloom, or soon
to burst from their buds. The lady of the house was,
as in England, the unobtrusive director of all the move-
ments of the household, the source of all its comfort
and order; she must have diffused an influence around,
on those who otherwise would not have known the
nature of an English home.
When the good missionary came here some five-
and-twenty years ago, this place was comparatively a
wilderness; the converts being in the lowest depths of
ignorance, being, as such are called, 'rice-Christians,"
i.e. they accepted the religion of those who showed them
mercy, without much comprehension of its nature. The
change effected by persevering work is most en-
couraging. Mr. Blumhardt devotes himself also to city
improvements, and during the famine, which to some
extent reached this place, exerted himself to provide
some public work for the starving families, who were
thus saved from being pauperised. I saw them ranged
s 2
260
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
in his compound to receive from him their small daily
stipend.
The proceedings of the next few days were so well
delineated by a native pen in the columns of the ‘Indian
Daily News' of January 2, 1867, that I shall beg permis-
sion to transcribe the passage, as it will give considerable
insight into the Hindoo mode of viewing things:-
'December 30, 1866.-The arrival of Miss Carpenter has
created a great sensation in the Kishnaghur community. She
reached the station on the evening of the 27th, and is a guest
of the Rev. Mr. Blumhardt. The object of her visit to India
is too well known to need a particular notice. In her way
hither, she paid a visit to Ranaghat, whither she was attracted
by the existence of a female school. The rich baboos of the
place received her with all the honour due to her, and her
philanthropic endeavours for the regeneration of her sisters in
India. They, however, seem to have disappointed her in a
most material point. She did not expect to be dazzled with
the kinkhaff dresses and ashaghotas of her hosts, while at the
same time there was no care for the support of the school, the
better condition of which would have given her real satisfac-
tion. What must have been her surprise to find that those
among her hosts, who vied with each other in the display of
their wealth before her, did not pay a pice towards its support?
The school has come into existence, and is being maintained
by the zeal of the young students, and some young educated
men of the place, but receives little attention that deserves the
name from the baboos. The benevolent lady exhorted them
in her most persuasive way, and I hope they will take to heart
what she said. It is really to be regretted that while the
zemindars elsewhere are daily changing character under the
influence of the enlightened age, those of Ranaghat should lag
so far behind it in every social improvement.
'On the 28th, Miss Carpenter, accompanied by Miss Blum-
hardt, the Maharajah Suttish Chundra Roy Bahadoor, and
Baboo Monomohun Ghose, paid a visit to the Belliadanga
THE SUBURBS OF CALCUTTA.
261
female school. She was evidently pleased with all she saw
there. The arrangements made for her reception were excel-
lent, and the courtesy with which both the Rajah and his cousin
Baboo Judoonath Roy treated her did them credit.
This school was established four years ago, and has hitherto
been enabled to maintain itself in fair progress, mainly by the
unflagging zeal and fostering care of Baboo Judoonath. Owing
to the vicissitudes it has undergone, by the prevalence of the
epidemic fever, its numerical strength does not appear to be so
satisfactory as could be wished. On the day of Miss Carpenter's
visit, the number on the rolls was thirty-four. The girls are
all of respectable families, some of them being the connections.
of the Maharajah, who took a particular delight in pointing
them out to the lady. The first-class girls read Charoopat,
No. 1 Byacoran, and were examined in geography and arith-
metic. Mrs. Blumhardt, the Maharajah, and Baboo Mon-
mohun, examined them in several branches of their study, and
the readiness with which they read, explained, and answered
the questions put to them, reflected great credit on them.
'Miss Carpenter was next taken into the zenana of Baboo
Judoonath Roy. Before noting down what passed there, I
would give you some idea of the sort of family into which our
visitor was introduced.
'Baboo Judoonath is a cousin of the Maharajah, and is of a
most respectable family. He has a widowed elder sister, a
most intelligent lady, and, as Miss Carpenter styled her, a
superior woman." The Baboo took an early opportunity
to teach her reading and writing, as well as to communicate
to her the most valuable information on various subjects. Be-
sides this, her natural good sense has rendered her a model of
domestic economy. Amiable to a degree, she has not been
wanting in a stout heart, in purging her mind of some of the
most pernicious prejudices that fetter our women in general.
Yet she is not fond of violent and indiscriminate innovation,
and would not for the world give up one old idea or habit in
which may be found the faintest trace of good. Her influence
over her brother's family has been marked, inasmuch as there
262
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
is scarcely a female in the family who does not know her book,
and cannot talk sensibly. Among the many good things
resultant of this happy state of affairs, may be pointed out one
in particular, that the children of the family, unlike those of
the other rich families, in which the women are ignorant, are
taken better care of in all matters by their own mothers, instead
of being consigned to the baneful influence of the ignorant, and
not unfrequently vicious, servants and maidservants. The
above points a moral which we should do well to study—that
in each family, if we take care to pick up one or two intelligent
women, and train them up carefully, a considerable amount of
good might be effected in female education, and with it a
thorough reformation in our domestic economy. Such fami-
lies are rare, indeed, in which there cannot be found out at
least one worthy female, who, when properly trained, could
not fail to exert her influence over the rest. At Kishnaghur
may be named several other families in which the same satis-
factory results have been arrived at by the same means. Miss
Carpenter's Commonplace Book will show the signatures of
several Kishnaghur ladies, given her at her particular request,
none of whom ever went to school. Female schools must be
for the girls, but no method could be better adapted to the
education of the grown-up women.
'To return to my subject. Into such a family, then, Miss
Carpenter was introduced; they gave her a hearty greeting.
Miss Carpenter must have seen how unostentatious were her
female welcomers. Entering so rich a family, she perhaps
expected to see women covered with gold and silver; but to
her delight, she saw no such thing. A clean perhan, a neat
sharry gracefully worn, a pair of white stockings and soft shoes,
with a pair of earrings to give effect to the face, were all that
the women had on them.
'After the interchange of civilities between the parties,
Miss Carpenter went on explaining the object of her visit to
India. She said there were several other ladies at home who
were as much interested in, and anxious about, the ameliora-
tion of the condition of their sisters in India as her own self,
THE SUBURBS OF CALCUTTA.
263
and that it would give them an infinite delight to receive a
cheering account of them on her return home. The Baboo's
sister then read an address, which she had composed before-
hand, in which she cordially thanked the noble lady in the
name of her sex in India, for whose welfare she had left home
and friends, undergoing all the inconvenience and hardships
of so long a journey, and at such time of life. The Maharajah
and the Baboo acted as interpreters on the occasion. Miss
Carpenter was next taken to another female school in the
Laheeree Paralı, with which also she was well pleased. On
her return, she attended a lecture on "Faith" at the Kishnagur
Brahmo Somaj Hall, delivered by Baboo Keshub Chunder
Sen. This closed the business of the day.
The next day the native ladies of most of the respectable
families gathered at the Maharajah's to receive her. When
Miss Blumhardt had done playing one or two dulcet tunes
at the pianoforte, Miss Carpenter rose to express her satisfac-
tion at meeting so many intelligent and clever women. Among
other things, she said that should it please God to prolong her
life, she would in all probability take another opportunity of
visiting India, and enjoy their company and conversation, when
she hoped their number would be vastly increased. Baboo
Judoonath Roy's sister then rose, and in some very appropriate
terms returned thanks for Miss Carpenter's kind wishes. This
lady spoke so well and fluently on the occasion, as to elicit
Miss Carpenter's praise. The Maharajah's nephew acted as
interpreter at the meeting.
'At 7.30 P.M. Baboo Monomohun Ghose invited the élite of
the Kishnaghur Society to a soirée at his house, to meet Miss
Carpenter. About thirty-five of the most influential and edu-
cated men of the place were present, and Miss Carpenter talked
to them in her usual lucid and fascinating manner.
The con-
versation, however, proved to be of a desultory character.
Two or three subjects were proposed by the lady, but none
were discussed to a satisfactory issue. Social science was, of
course, the chief topic of the evening, in talking of which she
repeated what had passed in the meeting held in the rooms of
264
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
the Asiatic Society the other day. She was surprised to find
that the subject was nothing new to the company, they having
taken the initiative some months before, to form a Social Science
Association at Kishnaghur, and having already produced two
papers, one in English, and another in Bengali, on two of Mr.
Long's five hundred questions. She expressed her satisfaction
pretty much in the following terms:-"Mr. Ghose," she said,
addressing Baboo Monomohun, "these gentlemen already know
and appreciate the importance of social science, and are quite.
willing to undertake to produce valuable papers. I see the
Kishnaghur community is in advance of the Calcutta one. I
never saw so large an assemblage of respectable and clever
native women, as I had the pleasure of meeting in the afternoon
at the Maharajah's, and here again is a most agreeable and
sensible company around me. You are on the Calcutta com-
mittee, and you will tell them on your return all that you hear
just now."
The Rajah thanked her for the compliment she
paid to Kishnaghur, and Baboo Monomohun said he had always
been of the same opinion, though he might be partial.
'Baboo Monomohun having requested her to speak a few
words for the edification of the company, expressive of the
interest that the people of England feel in the welfare of India,
she said it was one of the most cherished objects of the English
at home. They were at all times very kind to the natives
who visited England, received them in their families, and tried
everything in their power to make their stay as comfortable
and agreeable as possible. They were the best friends of the
natives, and would do anything and everything that lay in them
to advance their interest. But, she continued, the English
at home were in profound ignorance as respected the wants of
India. If the natives could only furnish them with information
about themselves, the English at home would at no time be
found lacking in zeal and earnestness to turn such infor-
mation to good account. She said she had been pained to
hear that some of the English in India, had brought a stain on
the character of the nation by their unkind treatment of the
natives. All she would say of such Englishmen was, that they
THE SUBURBS OF CALCUTTA.
265
were "low-bred and vulgar-minded," and were no more repre-
sentative of the nation, than the same class of the natives in
England would represent them! Some one of the company
happening to say how the natives were called "niggers" by
some of the whites, she added, "Don't name it—it is vulgar,
and the language of the vulgar-minded. Why, Mr. Ghose,"
she continued, "you can tell your friends how you were
treated in England. Your testimony will be of far more.
weight than all I could say in favour of my countrymen."
Baboo Monomoliun expressed his acknowledgments of the kind-
ness of the English at home in very handsome terms. Here
is the testimony of one of the best of England, in corrobora-
tion of what we have heard from time to time from others of
the same class, both in England and India. Her "low-bred
and vulgar-minded " means nothing less than Baboo Rajendro
Lall Mitter's "sweepings of Europe." Yet what measures were
not resorted to some years back, to heap disgrace on the head
of the Baboo for his expression! Let the "nigger "-hating
Europeans take note of this.
'It is not in my power to speak sufficiently of Miss Car-
penter. The earnestness and the suavity of her manners have
already won her the golden opinion of the Indian public, and
her talents have called forth their admiration. She has nearly
realised the expectation entertained of her, in her mission of
peace and progress. Her manners and conversation are well
worth the study of our mofussil rulers, or of all our rulers in
general. They would do well to attend one of those social
gatherings in which, in a foreign land, she is surrounded by
all who have the best power of appreciating worth, and listened
to with a degree of fondness which nothing less than genuine
goodness can excite. If they shared in the tenth of the amount
of kind feeling and sympathy of the noble lady, and of her class
in England, for the good of India, what might not have been
achieved by this time?
'I have digressed rather a little too far. Night advancing
(it was nearly 11 P.M. when the company dispersed), it was
proposed and agreed that a public meeting, including both the
266
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
European and native gentlemen of the place, should be con-
vened on Monday next, to hear Miss Carpenter on the subject
of social science. I will take an early opportunity to let you
know what transpires at the meeting.'
6
The address alluded to was delivered on the last day
of the year; a brief account of it is contained in
Addresses to the Hindoos,' pp. 26-39.
An early morning visit was paid to the jail, where I
found the same very bad features as in other jails-
association in dormitories, women of the worst charac-
ter locked up together under male warders, and no
provision for instructing or reforming either male or
female prisoners. There were at that time about 350
in the jail, and the place was calculated for 400. On
one occasion, however, 600 were crowded into it, and
100 died! It is astonishing that such mortality does
not lead to an investigation of the cause, and a preven-
tion of its recurrence by a reconstruction of the
premises. This would not be expensive, for there is
abundance of ground, and the labour of the prisoners
could be used. The poor fellows seemed wonderfully
docile, for we saw them working, apparently quite
freely, in fields beyond the boundaries, just as do our
own reformatory boys. Under such a system of prison
discipline as was developed in Ireland under Sir Walter
Crofton, and is now being introduced into England,
how much might be done for Hindoo culprits, in pre-
paring them to be useful members of society!
What I heard from the gentleman who accompanied
me, as well as from the very intelligent native physi-
cian of the place, perfectly appalled me, as to the want
of provision for the disposal of the filth of the city. It
was too shocking to be here recorded, and elicited from
me the remark that, instead of wondering why I had
THE SUBURBS OF CALCUTTA.
267
seen the desolated village, and why so many died, I
marvelled only how any human beings lived in an
atmosphere so poisoned. Surely every means should
be tried to rouse public attention to so important a
subject. The fact that a branch Social Science Associa-
tion already exists here, leads to the hope that the en-
lightened and scientific men of Kishnaghur will never
let the subject drop, until they have provided at least
pure air for the inhabitants.
The hospital and various public offices appeared
here, as elsewhere, to be well cared for. The educa-
tional institutions of this city I had heard spoken of
highly; but, unfortunately, I had no opportunity of
judging of them, as this was holiday time. The college
buildings are, however, admirable in the accommodation
they contain, as well as in their external appearance.
They are an ornament to the town, and must be a con-
vincing proof to the inhabitants of the interest of the
British Government in their improvement. May the
time come when it shall feel prepared equally to make
efforts to aid in the elevation of the other sex! The
progress which has already been made in female educa-
tion in Kishnaghur indicates a strong aspiration after
better things. The managers of the schools gladly ac-
cepted the offer of visits to them from the accomplished
daughters of my host, and several families expressed a
desire to receive instruction at home from them. The
want of female teachers here, as elsewhere, is strongly
felt by the natives, and one excellent mother of a
family expressed her wish to be the first subscriber to
such an institution as would provide them. All things.
are ready for an onward movement: if it is guided by
wisdom, patience, and the dictates of experience, it
will surely succeed.
268
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
An afternoon ride in a very extensive park in the
neighbourhood which is secured to the public, was a
pleasant change after some of the scenes of the morn-
ing. There are splendid groves of teak-trees, with
their majestic trunks and large leaves. Occasionally I
saw a bare white trunk and branches of a tree which
appeared dead: it was the cotton-tree-still alive, only
slumbering to refresh its energies, and enable it to
throw out in some two months splendid scarlet blos-
soms, which precede the leaves. Monkeys abound in
these parts; I saw very large ones gambolling over the
fields. They have, in fact, at times committed such
ravages on the crops intended for the food of the in-
habitants, that, notwithstanding the strong objection
to destroy animal life in general, and monkeys in par-
ticular, it has been found necessary to put a price on
the heads of the devastators, and encourage wholesale
slaughter.
The country in this district appeared to present
numerous objects of attraction, which I regretted being
unable to visit.
And now the moments of the departing year were
numbered; the last day of its existence was drawing
to a close! It had been a very eventful one to me: it
had bestowed on me the crowning privilege of my life.
After our very interesting evening meeting, above re-
ferred to, I rejoiced to close it in prayer and thanks-
giving to the Giver of all good, with my kind missionary
friend and his family.
FAREWELL TO CALCUTTA.
269
CHAPTER VII.
FAREWELL TO CALCUTTA- RETURN TO MADRAS-CALICUT.
CALCUTTA, Jan. 1, 1867.-The dawn of the new year
rose brightly upon me. Every morning is generally a
glorious one in India-it is expected as an ordinary
occurrence, and does not usually elicit the mutual con-
gratulations which are common in our duller climate.
This morning-the first of the opening year-was full
of joy and gratitude in all our hearts, but it was some-
what shaded with the thought that it was to be our last
together. The good pastor inscribed in my book some
treasured words, together with a verse in Anharic, the
dialect of Abyssinia. He had been a missionary in that
country, but now had given his heart to India; he and
his whole family had devoted their lives to this land of
his adoption.
It was a pleasant surprise, after taking farewell of
these friends, to find that the doctor had paid early visits
to his patients, with the kind intention of accompany-
ing me to the station, and that Mr. Sen was prepared
to do so too. This was, then, a very happy morning;
for each had much to say about future progress, and
we parted with the mutual promise to mark perma-
nently this New Year's day in the note-book of our
memories.
Farewell to Calcutta itself was to be the next
270
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
parting, and for this much preparation was to be
made.
My first care was to complete the work for which I
had traversed the empire-to lay before the highest
authority in it that result of my observations, which
had been asked for by the Government of Bombay, but
which, I perceived, concerned not one presidency, but
the whole of India. I requested permission, therefore,
to present to his Excellency the Viceroy the observa-
tions which my experience had enabled me to make,
aided by the facilities which had been so kindly afforded
to me, on female education, reformatories, jails, female
convicts, and prison discipline generally. These were
graciously accepted, with the promise that they should
be laid before the different departments. These ob-
servations and suggestions will appear in a subsequent
part of this volume.
The provisional committee of the Social Science
Association held its final meeting at my rooms, and I
had the pleasure of believing the Society now an abso-
lute fact, and of paying the first subscription to its
funds.
One more school had to be visited, for it was sup-
ported and managed by native gentlemen, who desired
my presence there. It did great credit to their zeal.
I had also a pleasant interview with the ladies of their
families, all anxious to show me their progress in
learning.
Another proof was given me of the efforts which are
being made by one section of the native community. A
deputation from an existing society presented to me a
beautiful volume, consisting of the numbers of a
journal printed in Bengali, for ladies, and containing
many contributions by them. Diagrams illustrating
FAREWELL TO CALCUTTA.
271
subjects connected with astronomy, natural history in
its various branches, and botany, indicate the instruc-
tive nature of the contents. The following address,
presented with it, shows the views of the Society and
its methods of action:-
Madam,-We, the undersigned members of the "Bamabod-
hini Shova," a society established in 1863, for the improvement
of the women of Bengal, heartily welcome your arrival in India.
We cannot sufficiently express our gratitude and admiration
to you for having exposed yourself to countless dangers and
sacrifices only for the good of India, and especially for the good
of Indian females. We feel we are bound to you in deep
obligation, and therefore venture to hope that our humble
expressions of thankfulness may not be unacceptable to
you.
'The suffering women of this land do, indeed, deserve your
sisterly sympathy and care, and we expect much benefit to
them through the exertions of a lady of your rank, experience,
and exemplary character. We do sincerely believe that you
have been sent by Providence on a sacred mission, and doubt
not but your labours will be successful. You can look for
little encouragement indeed from the quarter you have come to
enlighten; perhaps, on the contrary, you should expect some
opposition. But we are aware your wishes are too hard, and
your affections too deep, to be affected by the influence of any
external obstacles. We observe with great delight and aston-
ishment the warmth and enthusiasm of youth in a life loaded
with years, and the labours and energies you have shown
during your short stay in this country, inspire our hearts with
sanguine hopes for the regeneration of the females of India.
May the all-merciful Father sustain your health and strength,
and enable us to receive all the good that we expect from you!
We humbly beg to present you with a set of our monthly
journal, called the "Bamabodhini Putriku," published in
Bengali by the Bamabodhini Society for the Improvement of
the Women of Bengal. We hope you will be delighted to
272
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
learn there some signs of progress, both intellectual and moral,
which are now manifested by the women of our country. The
measures we have adopted to contribute to their progress, are
noted below.
'We will receive with thanks any suggestion, advice or assist-
ance, that
you may be disposed to offer for the better execution
of our objects and plans.
'We beg to state, for your information, that the project of
instituting a female normal school, for which, at your sug-
gestion, several respectable members of the native community
of this town have, we understand, memorialised Government,
was laid before the public by us some time ago, and it was
only for want of co-operation and encouragement that we
were obliged to drop it. We shall be extremely glad, there-
fore, to see the success of this project, so that a sufficient
number of female teachers may be made ready for our girls'
schools.
"The following measures have been adopted by the “Bama-
bodhini Shova" for the improvement of native females:
1. By publication of papers and periodicals to improve the
intellect of native females.
2. Establishment of a system of prize essays for the encourage-
ment of educated native females.
3. Establishment of schools for the education of adult females
belonging to gentle families, of an approved system of
zenana training, as well as that of conferring prizes for
encouragement.
4. Offering every assistance that may be in our power for the
promotion of girls' schools.
'We have the honour to remain, Madam,
'Your most obedient servants,
'KHETTER MOHUN DUTT, and others.'
'Calcutta December 26, 1866.'
Finally, on the last evening, a number of those who
had shown the most practical interest in female edu-
cation met at my rooms; and there, after long dis-
FAREWELL TO CALCUTTA.
273
cussion on the important subject, appended their
names to the following statement :—
'Our acquaintance with Miss Carpenter, and the views which
she has expressed on the subject of female education, and on
other subjects, have intensified our ideas as to the excellency of
female education, for it has not been our lot to meet with a
lady so large-minded, able, earnest, and practically devout.
She carries with herself our best and most sincere wishes for
her health, happiness, and success to her noble mission. We
now form a society to carry out her plans of female education.'
It was now necessary to take farewell of my noble hosts,
with sincere gratitude for their great kindness to me, and
thanks for that of each one of their staff. My recep-
tion in Government House had certainly been not only
very agreeable and gratifying to me, but had shown to
those with whom I was more especially concerned the
sympathy in my work of the head of the Government.
Again I beg to tender respectfully to them my sincere
acknowledgments.
Many of my native friends accompanied me to the
ship for a last farewell. With much regret I saw re-
cede the harbour of Calcutta, where I had found among
many a warm sympathy, and had learnt from experi-
ence that the higher feellings of our nature are not
dependent on clime or colour.
The following parting address I left among my
friends:
(
Being about to leave Calcutta, after a residence of six weeks
in your city, I beg to express to you, and to all the Hindoo
gentlemen who have given me a kind and friendly reception,
the gratification I have experienced in having been so fully
assured of their confidence in me, and in the motives which
prompted me to visit your country. The results of my visit
VOL. I.
T
274
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
to you will not be temporary, for, on my return to my native
land, I shall always retain India in my inmost thoughts, and
shall ever esteem it no less a pleasure than a duty to do
anything that lies in my power to promote her true welfare.
You will, I trust, remember this, as you cannot gratify me
more than by freely informing me of anything I can do for
you.
'The subject of Female Education was the leading motive
which prompted my visit to this country. I discovered in the
first Girls' School I entered in India, the grand obstacle to its
advancement, in the want of Female Teachers, and I saw the
absolute necessity for measures being promptly taken to ensure
a permanent supply of them. From that time, till now, I
have been labouring, both publicly and privately, to effect that
object. I am happy to say that the views of enlightened
Hindoo gentlemen are in full accordance with my own.
I am
aware of all the difficulties which exist in the way of the
accomplishment of this great object, but I know by past
experience that strong faith, untiring perseverance, and a
zeal undaunted by apparent failures, can and will surmount
them!
'The time is now, I believe, fully come when we must make
a united effort to obtain the adoption of such measures as will
inaugurate this great work. While I honour and highly
appreciate every effort which is being made by individuals or
religious bodies to aid in Female Education, and while I am
aware that the Government has always been ready to second
these by grants-in-aid, yet we all know that the education of
the male portion of the community could never have attained
its present condition if Government had not taken the initiative,
in founding schools and in training teachers. It did so, as
soon as it was evident, from private efforts which had been
made, and from the reception which those had received from
enlightened Hindoos, that the time was come when these were
required. The country was not then prepared to ask the same
thing for the other sex, whose wants are yet more pressing.
The enlightened portion of your countrymen do desire it now,
!
MADRAS.
275
and should never rest until equal justice is done to both sexes,
to which our Heavenly Father has given powers to be culti-
vated to His glory, and for the welfare of each one immortal
being, as well as of society in general. The work will require
the greatest wisdom, judgment, and freedom from low and
narrow prejudices, but it must be done; and woman must be
raised to her true sphere, before India can rise to the position
for which I trust she is destined.
เ
I beg then, as my parting request, that you will form a
small society of true-hearted persons who desire to effect this
great object, and that you will do me the favour to keep me
informed of your proceedings, and to let me know how I can
help you in England. Should God see fit to spare my health
and strength, I shall hope again to come among you, to witness,
I doubt not, the fruits of your exertions.'
The morning of Sunday, January 13, found our vessel
off Madras. A government boat conveyed me to the pier,
and a pleasant drive brought me to the beautiful country
residence of his Excellency the Governor, to which I
had been invited by telegram while at Calcutta. After
a kind reception from Lord and Lady Napier, I was
installed in a room such as only an Anglo-Indian house
can furnish: a shady verandah on three sides enabled
me at all times to enjoy the air, and the sight of a
luxuriant tropical garden; gorgeous flowers were in
profusion on my table, and chief of all was the charm
of seeing a beautiful blossom of the Victoria Regia,
gathered for me from a pond in the garden. The
members of the household having attended the cathedral
in the morning, an evening drive took us to the little
church of St. Thomé, which is almost on the seashore.
A small refuge for young orphans, chiefly East Indians,
is near the church, delightfuly situated, so as to give
these poor little weakly creatures the benefit of good
T 2
276
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
An
physical, as well as moral influences. This receives the
kind notice of her ladyship, and we paid it a visit.
evening ride home by moonlight, along roads shaded
by palm-trees and other tropical foliage, is one of the
great pleasures of Eastern life. A morning ramble in
the garden was also delightful, before the sun was too
powerful to allow an umbrella to be a sufficient protec-
tion. The various kinds of trees were a never-ending
source of gratification. Sometimes we came to one we
had often heard of but never seen, even in a hothouse,
such as a fine old cinnamon-tree; and again, were
amused at finding that some plant, carefully cherished
by us, was only a weed here; the gardener complained
that he could hardly clear the ground of the sensitive
plant, which I saw crawling over some neglected spot.
Vines, of course, required to be shaded rather than
protected from cold; and near these, which reminded me
of Europe, were beautiful plantains, with their graceful
long leaves and heavy bunches of fruit. Cabbages
here receive a degree of attention which is not bestowed
on them in England, being cultivated in pots, that they
may be removed from the scorching heat of the sun,
and kept sufficiently moist. The Anglo-Indians greatly
prize anything which reminds them of home. A gentle-
man once remarked to me, when looking at a neat
Chinese vegetable garden, that he never thought he
should delight to see cabbages growing-they reminded
him of Old England! My favourite walk, however, was
to the large pond devoted to the Victoria Regia; it was
extremely interesting to watch its growth, and see its
splendid large leaves floating on the water. In Madras
most of the servants can talk a little English. It was
very pleasant to hold needed conversation in one's own
language. On remarking to one of the under-gardeners
MADRAS.
277
on the beauty of a flower, he immediately told me its
Latin name! To hear our learned language from a
native in the semi-nude condition common in these
parts, had a very strange effect. My first anxiety was
to learn what progress had been made in preparing a
memorial to Government, praying for a Female Normal
School, as had been proposed. Some of the leading
native gentlemen had called a public meeting on the
subject; but considerable discussion had arisen, through
the apprehension felt by some, that this was a covert
attempt to force the English language into their girls'
schools, and the meeting was dissolved without coming
to any resolution. I therefore asked my friend, the
Director of Public Instruction, again to call a meeting
of native gentlemen to his house to discuss the matter.
This he kindly did, assembling all those who appre-
hended difficulties and objections, as well as those who
entered warmly into the matter. A memorial had
already been prepared, and they were all quite satisfied
when they understood that the training of teachers did
not in any way involve these teachers being employed
in their schools, unless desired by the managers, and
that, when so employed, they would teach nothing but
what the managers wished. The fear entertained by
these and other natives, not of the progressive party,
appears to be, lest the introduction of the English
language into their girls' schools should lead the way
to a change in their religion and customs, which they
do not desire. We do not wish our ladies to be made
humble Christians,' a native gentleman once said to me.
This is, I believe, the underlying feeling which causes
hesitation as to accepting help from the English. It is
to be regretted that they should have any cause to
dread interference which they do not desire. The adop-
278
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
tion of the Government principle of non-interference
with religion or social customs, is, therefore, essential to
the success of any effort to introduce an improved
system of female education, which is now so much
desired by the enlightened portion of the native com-
munity. The memorial was soon completed by them,
and having been signed by most of the influential
Hindoos, was presented to his Excellency the Governor.
It was as follows:
To the Right Honorable Francis Lord Napier, K.T.,
Governor in Council, Fort St. George.
The humble memorial of the undersigned Hindoo inhabi-
tants of Madras, respectfully showeth :
"That your memorialists crave permission to address your
Lordship in Council on the subject of Female Education, a
subject so important, and so closely connected with the future.
welfare of their country, that they cannot but feel that it will
meet with the warmest support of your Lordship's govern-
ment. That your memorialists are convinced that the absence
of intellectual culture at present characterising the Hindoo
female, is one of the main causes of the tardy progress of
Hindoo society; and that, though many are anxious to do all
in their power to remove this evil, yet, with the limited
resources at their command, they feel that they would fail to
achieve success without the help of Government.
'That in the vernacular schools now existing in Madras for
the education of Hindoo girls, it has been found impossible,
save in exceptional cases, to procure other than male teachers;
that this drawback has placed the schools under serious dis-
advantages, and rendered them less attractive in the eyes of
native parents than they otherwise would be; and that, there-
fore, good female teachers are amongst the foremost wants of
the native community.
'Your memorialists therefore pray that a Normal School may
MADRAS.
279
be established for the training of respectable female teachers,
to supply the want complained of.
'And your memorialists, as in duty bound, shall ever pray.
'C. RUNGANADA SHASTRY, and others.
'Madras, January 17, 1867.'
My native friends, being anxious to hear particulars
of what had been done in Calcutta on this and other
subjects, requested me to meet them at the beautiful
country residence of one of the leading citizens, Mr.
Veccatasawrung Naidoo, which I did with pleasure.
Friday, January 18, was the day fixed, and I gladly
accepted an invitation to visit first the families of my
friends, Rajagopal Charlu the president, and Subroy-
alu Chetty the secretary, of the Veda Somaj. It was
most gratifying to observe how much these gentle-
men were doing to elevate and educate the ladies of
their families; the only drawback was the want of a
common language, which prevented any communication
of thought. All that I saw at Madras of these and other
native ladies, convinced me that they only want suit-
able education to render them intellectual and culti-
vated in manners. On arriving at the house of meeting,
I was agreeably surprised by being presented with the
following address. I hope I shall not be thought guilty
of egotism in copying this and other documents, my
object being to show the reader how susceptible this
nation is of grateful feeling for kindly sympathy, and
how ready they are to give their confidence when they
are sure that there are no concealed motives :-
• To Miss Mary Carpenter.
'Madam,-We, the undersigned inhabitants of Madras, beg
permission to present you with an address, in token of the
respect and esteem we feel for you.
280
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
Long before your arrival in India, the reputation of your
goodness and benevolence had reached us. Now, after having
had the pleasure of making your personal acquaintance, we
see how fully that reputation is supported by your feelings
and acts. We will not offend your modesty by enumerating all
those acts of pure philanthropy which have distinguished you,
whose whole life has been devoted to the cause of humanity.
But we cannot let you leave these shores without offering to
you our sincere and heartfelt thanks for the benevolent solici-
tude you have displayed for the welfare of the inhabitants of
this land, by coming over here, at the risk of health and with
the sacrifice of comfort, to promote female education. We
assure you, Madam, your visit has stimulated us to fresh
exertions in this noble cause, and hope Providence will
crown our efforts in this direction with success.
'Again, we humbly beg that you will accept our thanks for
your benevolent intentions toward us. We feel that to dwell
more upon your undoubted claims to our gratitude is un-
necessary, when we remember we are addressing a lady whose
heart, love, and griefs have always been given to her fellow-
beings, while to say less would not merely be a positive derelic-
tion of duty, but would deprive us of what we regard as a
high gratification.
'Fervently praying that Almighty God will pour his choicest
blessings on you, and prolong your life—so valuable to the
cause of humanity and progress-to the fullest period allotted
to mortals,
'We beg to subscribe ourselves,
'Your sincere friends and well-wishers,
'C. RENGANADASHASHY, and others.
Madras, January 18, 1867.'
The next day a party was assembled at Guindy, con-
sisting of a number of the leading native gentlemen, as
well as English, with several ladies, to have an oppor-
tunity of free conversation respecting the great question
of female education. This kind consideration of his
MADRAS.
281
Excellency was highly appreciated, as such friendly
intercourse between the two races had not been common
hitherto the native gentlemen not having been in the
habit of attending receptions at Madras, as at Calcutta.
On Wednesday, January 22, I paid a visit to the Veda
Somaj, and once more had the pleasure of joining with
my Hindoo friends in an English prayer. I little then
anticipated that only a few months would pass before
he who led our devotions-one of the most estimable
and earnest of those present-P. Subroyalu Chetty,
should be called away from this world, after a painful
illness, leaving his sweet young wife to lifelong widow-
hood, his religious society to mourn the loss of their
excellent secretary, and his friends (myself among the
number) to lament the departure of one from whom we
hoped much in the work of progress! We must trust
in the wisdom and love of the Heavenly Father where
the reasons which guide Him are inscrutable. May
those that remain feel only an increased stimulus to
carry on the work to which he so earnestly devoted
himself!
Whenever it was possible, during my stay in India, I
devoted one portion of the Sunday to worshipping with
the natives, either in a mission chapel, or (as in Calcutta),
with the more advanced in their own worship in English.
It was then with peculiar pleasure that on the morning
of January 20, I set forth to find a little native church,
of which I had already heard much. Its history is
remarkable. More than fifty years ago, a native ser-
vant of an English gentleman, who attended his master
to England, became converted to Christianity by the
study of the Scriptures; he fell in with the works of
Rammohun Roy and of Dr. Channing, and the perusal
of them led him to embrace the doctrines of Unitarian
282
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
}
Christianity. He adopted and took the name of
William Roberts. He was strong in his convictions,
and, on his return to Madras, endeavoured to convert
the poorer natives. Being anxious to establish a place
of worship, he took other voyages to England, in order
to raise funds by his own personal efforts; having
saved his earnings, he bought a piece of ground and
built a chapel, where he formed a congregation and
preached. He obtained books and tracts from England,
and himself published tracts, which he distributed. On
his death, his second son, who bears his name, deeply
reverencing his father, and sympathising in his work,
determined to qualify himself for preaching, by studying
his father's writings, and his various English books,
which now formed a good library. The congregation
were too poor to raise any salary for him; he therefore
engaged in secular occupation, devoting himself on
Sunday to his little church. I had visited his abode
during the preceding week; it was an ordinary Indian
bungalow, but neat and respectable, as were his wife
and children. His superior in business gave him a
high character, and expressed to me the hope that
means would be found to give him a salary, and thus
enable him to devote himself entirely to the ministry.
My Hindoo friends of the Veda Somaj spoke favourably
of him, and aided him in the printing of a little maga-
zine. Some Mahometan gentlemen also, with whom I
became acquainted, were on friendly terms with him.
He had been ordained as a minister, had registered his
chapel for the performance of marriages, and kept as
neat and careful a family register of births, deaths,
marriages, and baptisms, with full particulars of name,
age, &c., as can be found in an English church. He
has not, of course, many converts; but some are occa-
MADRAS.
283
sionally added, besides those springing from the natural
increase of the families of his flock. He has assumed
the dress of an English minister, not the style generally
adopted by Christian converts. These particulars are
mentioned, because it is instructive to observe how a
little church has sprung up and established itself without
connection with the English missions around.
An English lady accompanied me, and it was some-
what difficult to find the way, through an obscure part
of the city. The approach to it was swarming with
uncivilised-looking heathen children. It was an agree-
able surprise to see a very neat chapel, with a portico
and a flight of steps. It was shaded by palm-trees,
and a church-bell summoned the worshippers. The
service was serious and earnest, the congregation very
attentive. It was a happy sight to see husbands and
wives sitting together with their children. There were
also several of the scholars from Mr. Roberts's little
schools, who presented, by their dress and deportment,
a striking contrast to the untaught creatures whom I
had noticed outside. A servant belonging to the
Governor's household was there, being a member of
Mr. Roberts's congregation. Though the Madras
Government livery does not greatly differ from the
ordinary native dress, yet I remarked that he had
changed it before taking his place as an independent
member of a congregation. He bore a good character
in the discharge of his duties, and, though Christian
servants do not always do credit to their profession, it
was pleasant in his case to be reminded of the text,
6 Even in the household are some obedient to the faith."
At the conclusion of the service, a woman came for-
ward, with an infant in her arms, and knelt down to be
churched; she was the wife of the Governor's servant,
284
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
and they had their other children with them. A very
aged woman, older than any one I had seen in India,
was near her. She had never married, but had lived
with a brother, who was now dead. She was kindly
received into this truly Christian family, and resided
with them.
The interior of the chapel was very neat, the congre-
gation at times raising a small sum for its repair; they
had also purchased a handsome altar-cloth, and some.
of them had presented the bell. There is a small
cemetery which had been purchased and presented to
the chapel by the founder.
This place seemed an oasis in the midst of a moral
desert. May it prosper under the Divine blessing!
Not far from Mr. Roberts's residence is a large
mosque, with many buildings around; it is, indeed, the
centre of a district inhabited by many Mahometans. I
went to visit this, but the Mahometan servant who
accompanied me having intimated that this was a par-
ticularly sacred period, I did not of course make any
inspection of it. Not far off is a famous Hindoo
temple, in the district of Triplicane. There are exten-
sive premises round the temple, which is a large and
picturesque one. An air of dilapidation prevails, as
usual in such enclosures. One could not wish it other-
wise, in a place devoted to superstition and degrading
ceremonies. A great lumbering ceremonial car is kept
under one shed, and under another, an unfortunate
elephant, whose lean appearance indicated a scanty
supply of food; he seemed to me sadly degraded by
an idolatrous mark of the presiding goddess painted on
his forehead! Looking into the temple, I observed
several priests, and a number of fine Brahmin boys;
it was dreadful to think of their being brought up
MADRAS.
285
6
under such influences. Attracted by curiosity, they
came out to take a closer view of a stranger; I told
them I had travelled from a great distance-from
Bristol, in England. They immediately said, That is
in Gloucestershire, on the River Avon.' Knowledge de-
rived from English education sounded strangely in this
heathen place.
There is a large tank near, with a building in the
middle for ceremonials. Nature adorns everything
alike, with her beauties of light and shadow profusely
shed on all. This temple, with the tank reflecting the
architecture around, makes lovely photographs, which
I brought away with me, endeavouring to forget the
scenes that take place within these buildings. May
the time come when the knowledge of the Lord shall
cover even these dark places of the earth!
The sanitary condition of Madras occupied much of
the attention of the Governor, Lord Napier. As he
wisely considered that good air and water are essentials,
he desired, as a first step, to procure these for the in-
habitants, by improving the present bad, unhealthy
state of many parts of the city. Desiring to see things
as they really were, he proposed to pay a visit to some
of the worst parts of the city, if possible incognito,
but, at any rate, without preparation being made for
his Excellency's inspection. I gladly accepted an invita-
tion to accompany him, and we started at 5.30 a.м. on
the morning of January 23; at that hour there was a
degree of coolness in the air, which made a shawl
agreeable. On arriving, we found a most suspicious
state of extra-cleanliness; there were, however, indica-
tions of the want of any arrangements for ordinary
decency. We went into several parts of that district of
the Native Town known as Triplicane. Some streets.
286
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
were very picturesque, terminated by a palm-tree; but
when I penetrated into small courts, and found mise-
rable abodes without any current of air through them,
and scarcely any hole for a window, one house opening
into another,—I did indeed wonder that dreadful pesti-
lences did not more frequently devastate the city-
unsparing avengers of the neglect of nature's laws.
An interesting institution which we afterwards visited,
was the Monegar Choultry, or Pauper Asylum for
Natives. It appeared under admirable management,
and kept in an excellent sanitary condition. The least
satisfactory features were the hospital, and the house
for stray children. The want of trained nurses, here
as everywhere, is painfully evident; and the impossi-
bility of finding any native women who understand the
duties of matron, resulted in the poor orphans being
left in a state very different from what they are in our
institutions at home. They did not appear to have any
instruction, difficulties arising from the fear of prose-
lytising. This is to be regretted, for there are many
educated native masters everywhere, who would doubt-
less be able to give these children not only intel-
lectual but moral instruction, with some general prin-
ciples of religion. The report of this institution for
the year 1865 states, that the average daily number of
paupers, including foundling and stray children, was
306. The total expense of the whole establishment,
including clothing and diet for the year, was 2,1961.
An idiot asylum is connected with the Choultry, the
expense of which for the year is 509l. This annual
expense is chiefly met by voluntary contributions, of
which about one-sixth in amount is from natives.
was the only institution of the kind I saw in India.
At this time, considerable preparations were being
This
MADRAS.
287
At
made for the reception of the Maharajah of Travancore,
who was coming to pay a ceremonial visit to the
Governor of Madras. The Government House was
being arranged for his reception. This is a handsome
and very commodious residence, situated in a beautiful
park, through which the public are permitted to drive.
There is a large detached building, which can be used
for public ceremonies, or as a ballroom. This is a
great advantage, preventing the necessity of disarranging
the household on occasions of public festivities.
Guindy Park no such convenience existed, but it was
marvellous how rapidly transformations were made in
the saloons, to prepare them for a government ball. One
would suppose that India was too hot a country for
dancing, but it appeared to be a recreation highly
appreciated by the resident English gentry; and, cer-
tainly, large airy ballrooms opening on verandahs
appeared pleasanter than crowded hot rooms at home.
These amusements are not shared by the natives in
Madras, nor would it, indeed, seem congruous for them
to come as spectators only, until they are accompanied
by their wives and daughters. The receptions were
highly agreeable and informal, being held in the grounds.
under the shade of beautiful trees. One evening, when
the company was assembling for a party, a native
gentleman brought three young ladies, members of his
family, to call upon me. They were beautifully dressed,
decorated with jewels, and very intelligent: one of
them had written some sentences in Tamil in my book.
They were desirous of the honour of an interview with
the Governor's lady also, which was kindly granted, and
several of the ladies of the company also came in to
visit these novel guests. No gentleman was of course
admitted, except his Excellency, though several showed
288
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
considerable anxiety for a similar honour. It was an
amusing scene to see these ladies of different nationali-
ties surveying each other with admiring curiosity, but
unable to interchange sentiments. The young Hindoo
damsels were compared to birds of paradise, which they
certainly rivalled in the brilliancy of their ornaments;
they retired much gratified with their reception. I
returned the call with an English friend, and was intro-
duced also to the lady of the house. This gentleman.
is so anxious for the education of his daughters, that he
takes them to his town-house several times a week, to
receive lessons from an East Indian teacher. We visited
also another family, where similar efforts are being
made to promote female education practically.
A Mahometan gentleman of rank likewise requested.
a visit, and we went to his house with considerable
ceremony, where we were introduced to a large number
of ladies of the family, of at least three generations; an
East Indian lady gave instruction in this family, and
served us as interpreter. The ladies appeared disap-
pointed at not seeing us adorned with rich jewellery,
and intimated that we were reserving the display of
them for some more distinguished occasion, not imagin-
ing that we had not as valuable a collection of jewellery
as themselves. Rich scents were poured on us from
handsome chased silver bottles, used for such occasions.
Then, and very often, I was reminded of the 'alabaster
box' and fragrant offerings, when the house was filled
with the odour of the ointment.'
(
Among the charms of Guindy Park, I must not
forget to mention the pretty little school-house for the
servants of the household; this is under the special
supervision of the noble lady at the head of the estab-
lishment. The orderly intelligent look of both boys and
MADRAS.
289
girls proved the benefit of such influences, and they
showed with pride the books and silver medals they
had received from her. Surely such kind interest in
the children of those of humble station, exhibited by
persons holding the highest rank in the Presidency,
must shed around the most beneficial influence!
My pleasant time at Guindy was drawing to a close,
and I could not accept the kind invitation of my noble
hostess to prolong it; as I had not paid my promised
visit to the institutions of Bombay, and the time fixed
for my return home could not conveniently be altered.
I was also obliged to decline a very tempting offer to
accompany a party to the much-desired Neilgherries,
proceeding straight thence to Beypore.
I had no
strength or time for anything but the objects of my
journey.
Fully to explain the nature of the proposed Female
Normal School to those who had been working in the
great cause of female education, I gave on Monday,
Jan. 21, an address on the subject at the Evangelistic
Hall, chiefly to English, though with some natives
present; and on Thursday, Jan. 24, I gave a public
address to the native community in Patcheappah's
Hall, presided over by Mr. Ranganada Shastry, Judge
of the Small Cause Court.* After this I reluctantly
bade my native friends farewell, fully satisfied with the
anxiety they then manifested to carry out, as far as laid in
their power, the great object--a Female Normal School.
After taking leave of the many agreeable English
acquaintances whom I had met at Madras, especially of
my noble hosts, to whom I felt so much indebted, I
again set forth on my solitary journey, very early on
Saturday morning, January 26.
VOL. I.
* Tide Addresses,' pp. 47-52.
IT
290
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
It is sometimes good to be alone for a time, after
weeks and months crowded with new and deeply inter-
esting incidents, with important work opening out
before one, and with treasured memories of intercourse
with those now numbered among my valued friends. A
quiet journey through beautiful scenery, such as met
the view on each side of the carriage, was a true re-
freshment to the spirit; and having before passed
through it during the night, it had all the charm of
novelty. The day, therefore, did not appear long; but
on reaching Coimbatore, at ten o'clock at night, the very
unpleasant announcement was made that, as the next
day was Sunday, the train would not proceed until
one o'clock on the morrow. This delay would probably
cause my losing the vessel by which I was to proceed.
to Bombay; there was, however, no help for it, and I was
now very thankful for the kind consideration of Lord
Napier, in sending his Christian servant to see me safe
to my journey's end, so that I was not without pro-
tection. The accommodation was indeed miserable;
nothing could be obtained but a half-furnished waiting-
room with a cane sofa, with food very bad in quality,
and difficult to be procured at all. Travellers must
learn contentment under all circumstances. A brilliant
morning was gratefully welcomed after the troubles of
the night; here, far from the conventionalities of city
life, which in India prevent ladies from taking even a
short walk, I was able to ramble along the road towards
the glorious mountains, in the midst of a country where
all but the spirit of man is divine.' A year after that
day I chanced to be detained on a Sunday morning at
Holyhead. What a contrast! A somewhat bleak rocky
coast, and bare landscape, but neat well-built houses,
orderly streets, many chapels and churches, and none
CALICUT.
291
in the streets but people decently dressed, proceeding to
their places of worship. May the Hindoo people rise
from idolatry, and make their country what nature in-
tended it to be! I was glad to find from the Christian
servant, who could speak some English, that he was
much attached to his little chapel at Madras, and
understood the grounds of his faith; that he highly
esteemed his pastor, and wished much that he could
devote himself entirely to the ministry; and that he
and two others, one of them his brother-in-law, united
to support one of the little schools; he was not, then,
one of those merely nominal Christians, who bring so
much discredit on the cause they profess.
After proceeding some stages from Coimbatore, we
came again into the region frequented by the Moplabs;
half-naked, but armed with a knife, they were some of
the most savage-looking beings I saw in India. The
stations were all in some degree of extra excitement,
owing to the approaching visit of the Maharajah of
Travancore. I was agreeably surprised by being accosted
by a native gentleman from Calicut, who expressed the
hope that I should wait for the next vessel, and see the
lions of his town, whither he would shortly return.
As the day declined, we were passing near the coast,
and crossed some of the backwaters, as they are termed
a more lovely view I never beheld! The deep rich red
of the sky was reflected in the water, and along the
near horizon was here and there a palm-tree, calmly
rising towards the heavens, and doubly revealing its
loveliness in the water. Little jutting peninsulas,
covered with darker masses of foliage also reflected,
enhanced the brilliant beauty of the sky, and invited
the eye to penetrate into their secret recesses. We
were swiftly borne away from these beauties, and others
U 2
292
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
succeeded, until we reached the end of our journey-
Beypoor, where a gentleman brought me a kind invita-
tion from the Collector of Calicut, to take up my abode
at his house, which I thankfully accepted. I did not feel
quite sufficient courage to proceed some miles in an open
boat, after ten o'clock at night, to the steamer, which
had not yet proceeded from Calicut. I was therefore
soon in the ferry-boat, to which my escort, David John,
waded through the water to bid me farewell, and I
sent by him my thanks to my late kind hosts.
It was a long drive to my new abode, but very
beautiful; we passed along a road bordered with palm-
trees, forming a canopy through which the bright rays
of the diamond-looking stars could hardly penetrate.
The residence of Mr. Ballard, the collector, is on a hill,
three miles beyond the town. From thence the morning
rays revealed a splendid view over extensive woods of
cocoanuts and richly cultivated land, to the grand
range of the Western Ghauts. Tropical trees were in
rich luxuriance around the house--the stately mango
with its masses of foliage, the plantain, the slight
elegant bamboo, and hanging creepers, with trees of
greater variety of tint than I had yet seen. Various
pretty animals were rambling tamely about, the pets of
the lovely little twin daughters of my host. It was,
indeed, delightful to sit under the shade of the verandah,
in such scenery, and preserve the vivid picture of it by
the pencil.
Calicut was the first port visited by Vasco de Gama
in 1498. He then found here a very powerful race of
warriors, named Nairs. These at present constitute a
large portion of the population, but have turned their
energy into better channels. My first introduction
here was to a gentleman of this race, who called on the
CALICUT.
298
Collector to bid him farewell before his departure to a
town at a little distance, to fill the office of magistrate, to
which he had been appointed. Many peculiar customs
prevail among them-among others, inheritance by the
female side only. This custom was adopted when the
rights of marriage were little understood or respected,
and when this was considered the only means of trans-
mitting property by a certain lineal descent. At
present, great difficulties arise from this practice, and
many would be glad to relinquish the custom. The
British Government, however, on this as in other matters
relating to the social habits and customs of the people,
very wisely declines to interfere, and the Nairs them-
selves are not sufficiently united in their wish to make
the change. Though Calicut has the elements of British
civilisation introduced into it by the presence of the
various official gentlemen connected with the Govern-
ment-a collector's office, various institutions, an ex-
cellent High School, a factory, &c.-yet these do not
appear to have produced as much effect on the general
habits of the educated portion of the community, as in
the Presidential capitals; but, on the other hand, there
is not that air of dirt and dilapidation, which was so
painfully depressing and repulsive in many parts of the
empire which I had already seen. The country realised
one's ideal of a rich tropical region, in the luxuriance of
the foliage, and the evident fertility of the soil. This is
probably due to the fact that here there is rain, to a
greater or less extent, during about six months of the
year.
The native gentleman whom I had met on my
journey, kindly offered to accompany me on some visits
in the neighbourhood. It was striking to observe that
the roads, and even the lanes, between different proper-
294
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
ties, were well-made and neatly bordered; every six
inches of land, he remarked, was so valuable, that they
wished to make the most of it, and to lose nothing by
want of care. My escort had been a great traveller.
He had spent some years in Calcutta, which he contrasted
very unfavourably with this part of the country. He had
been educated at the Presidency College of Madras, and,
like all others who had studied there, when the present
director was principal of it, spoke of him in the highest
terms. After riding through many pleasant lanes, we
reached his abode, which was shaded with trees, and
with a garden and tank near. It was neat and well
arranged, in purely native style. In his own study I was
surprised and pleased to see lying on a table a volume
of the works of my brother, the physiologist; my friend
had evidently devoted some time to the study of it, and
said he proposed making a popular abstract of it, to
give his countrymen some idea of the laws of health.
The lady of the house, with her daughters, soon entered,
and gave me a kind reception; they appeared to be
well educated. We next visited the house of a Nair
gentleman. Though no intimation had been given of
my probable visit, the house was beautifully neat and
clean, and an air of finish pervaded the whole premises.
He was considered an elderly man, being about 60, and
told us with pride of ancient deeds of prowess which he
had performed, in favour of the British, showing us
many presents he had received from persons of dis-
tinction, in token of approbation. A little boy of six
years of age, the child of his old age, appeared to ap-
propriate all this glory to himself, and to claim the
privilege of a favourite. The ladies entered after some
time, carefully dressed, and highly decorated; they also
had been educated at home. The superior families of
CALICUT.
295
this neighbourhood seem to attend to the education of
the ladies, and not to keep them in that painful seclu-
sion and constraint which I observed in Calcutta. I
did not, however, hear of any girls' school here. Both
these families appeared to reside alone, not in associa-
tion with relations. In the case of this Nair gentleman,
family difficulties were arising, from the strange custom
of inheritance above alluded to. His sister claimed
the family property for her own daughters, and was
displeased, because he had built this house for his wife,
and wished his little son to have some benefit from it.
Owing to the retention of antiquated and sometimes.
barbaric customs, complications exist in these parts,
which we, at a distance, can hardly realise. I had
noticed that a servant who had been sent to fetch some-
thing for me from the carriage, instead of handing it to
me, put it down at a little distance, and quickly re-
treated; the customs of his tribe made him cautiously
avoid incurring the danger of touching me. Persons
of different castes are here so careful not to come within
a certain distance of each other, that when one sees
another approaching in the road, the superior cries
aloud, 'Aha-aha!' i.e. "Avaunt-avaunt!' The inferior
must then retreat into the paddy or rice-field, until the
other has passed by. On one occasion, a woman saw a
man of inferior grade approaching, and warned him,
after her fashion, to go aside. He was by no means
disposed to do so, and saying, 'This highway belongs to
the English, not to you,' walked on, without troubling
himself at her indignation, and she was obliged to go
aside if she wished to sustain her dignity. So these
prejudices will gradually disappear, with more inter-
course with a civilised nation.
Little progress has, however, been made in one
296
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
respect, which appears to me essential to proper self-
respect-viz., suitable covering to the person. The
native costume is here, simply, a piece of cloth tied
round the loins. Those natives who are connected with
government offices, of course wear neat white clothing,
such as I had seen elsewhere, when they are on duty,
or visiting the English; on other occasions, however,
they indulge themselves in native freedom from the
restraints of clothing.
My friend now conducted me to the High School,
which is a commodious building for 400 scholars, and
well provided with teachers; what was my amazement
at being introduced to this large body of young
gentlemen with only this scanty costume! They were
well educated, and polite in their manners, though their
appearance was so uncivilised. I could not but think
that a little kind influence, on the part of their in-
structors, might lead them all to take that first step, so
necessary to civilised social intercourse, before proceed-
ing to book-learning. Some words, kindly inscribed by
some of them in my book, showed that their education
had not in other respects been neglected.
On Wednesday morning, Jan. 30, I visited the Calicut
Jail. This building is stated (in the Government Report
for 1865-66), to be unsuitable for its purpose, and to have
been already condemned. It is to be hoped that one
will shortly be built on an entirely new principle, and
adapted to carry out the grand ends of punishment,
which it certainly cannot do in its present state; it is
calculated to contain 260 prisoners. During the previous
year there was considerable overcrowding, and the mor-
tality was very great, amounting to 165; of these, 48 died
of cholera in less than a month. This jail has always,
the Report states, been considered unhealthy, and twelve
CALICUT.
297
others are mentioned with it as increasing the rate of
mortality in the Presidency, which is 12.944 per cent.,
or nearly 130 in every 1,000 prisoners. Surely such a
state of things calls for speedy reform!
On arriving at the jail, I was surprised to see a large
number of men crouching on the ground, half-naked
and manacled, outside the walls; these were the prison-
ers, who were waiting to be taken, by labour-warders and
the police, to work on the roads or elsewhere. As this
jail is condemned as unfit, it is unnecessary to describe.
it; but here, as elsewhere, women were locked up
together, of whom one was a murderess, and one a
criminal lunatic; they had no instruction, and were
under male warders. One spectacle of unrivalled horror
struck me, and I have never since been able to banish
it from my mind. Passing a grated cell, I observed
five men, in a state of extreme excitement, wildly crying
out, and piteously holding up their hands in supplica-
tion. These wretched creatures were under a death
sentence! While capital punishment remains on our
Statute Book, a remnant of a barbaric code, are unhappy
beings, ignorant and helpless as these are, to be treated
with so little consideration of their condition by our
nation? In several othe jails there had been men
under sentence of death; they seemed dull and apathetic,
and I did not look at them, as I could do them no
good; here the spectacle was so full of horror, that it
forced my unwilling attention.
It was indeed a pleasant change to turn from this to
a large coffee-factory. There all the processes are
performed, from the first state in which they are brought
by the bullock-carts from the Mysore Hills, to the final
packing for exportation. The history of the growth
and preparation for use of this valuable berry, with an
298
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
account of the individuals who are employed, might fill an
interesting volume. It was very gratifying to see about
400 strong-looking women and children employed in
what was by no means hard work-winnowing, sizing in
cylinders, and sorting-under the kind superintendence
of the manager. He spoke in very friendly terms of
them, and evidently took a warm interest in the people
under his charge. On enquiring from him whether any
attempt had yet been made to instruct the girls employed
in the factory, he said that they had no desire to learn,
and that this had not yet been attempted; he appeared
to feel, with me, that this would be an excellent oppor-
tunity of endeavouring to improve them.
C
On the return home we passed a building intended
for an industrial exhibition. The undertaking excited
warm interest, being mainly carried out by the Collector
and his friends. It seemed a wonderful move in this
part of the country. It caused a great sensation, and
the photographer prepared to perpetuate the memory of
it. Since my return, the post has brought me a packet
of very interesting views, two of the exterior, six repre-
senting the different departments-(Woods and Ma-
chinery,'' Jewellery, &c.' Grains and Pottery,'' Textile
Fabrics,' Embroidery,' 'Miscellaneous'); also a group,
consisting of the Collector of Malabar, assistants, depu-
ties, and tahseldars. The exhibition took place in the
spring, and the Collector writes:- On the whole, the
thing was a success. I am sure many of the visitors,
who numbered upwards of 30,000 (you must remember
I speak of Calicut, not Paris-of the population whose
scanty clothing you so objected to, and whose ideas are
about on a par, and not of an intelligent European
community)--many of the visitors, I say, went away
with ideas that they had not when they came. Some
CALICUT.
299
ten years ago an exhibition was attempted, and it was
currently reported among the rural population, that
the scheme was to cover a sort of Tippoo-like design, of
deporting the whole assemblage en masse.
We are a
little beyond that now, but I believe a sort of phantom
of taxation pervaded the very pretty show. In an out-
of-the-way place, the other day, I was told that some of
the rajahs rather inclined to father the exhibition with
the licence-tax (the great staple of controversy and repro-
bation of late), and it was not without some difficulty
that they were induced to yield to the chronological
argument. But it was a great thing to get so many
visitors, all of whom went away surprised and pleased;
and, indeed, the universal remark was, that had people
known there was to be so gallant a show, both
contributors and visitors would have been far more
numerous.'
The subject of the Female Normal Training School
was not of course forgotten, and the Collector kindly
asked a number of Calicut native gentlemen to meet at
his house to discuss it. I explained the whole plan to
them, and they appeared to enter as fully into the idea
as could be expected.
My visit here was short, but very delightful, and
without it I should have lost an agreeable experience
of tropical life. I bade it adieu with regret.
END OF THE FIRST VOLUME.
LONDON: PRINTED BY
SPOTTISWOODE AND CO., NEW-STREET SQUARE
AND PARLIAMENT STREET
J
INDIA.
VOL. II.
}
}
1
LONDON: PRINTED BY
SPOTTISWOODE AND CO., NEW-STREET SQUARE
AND PARLIAMENT STREET

Guds by b Law.
A
CLOSE SHAVE
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
BY
MARY CARPENTER,
AUTHOR OF
'OUR CONVICTS,' 'LAST DAYS OF RAMMOHUN ROY,' ETC.
IN TWO VOLUMES.
VOL. II.
LONDON:
LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO.
1868.
CONTENTS
OF
THE SECOND VOLUME.
Arrival .
Festivities
Elephanta
Girls' Schools
CHAPTER I.
BOMBAY FAREWELL TO INDIA.
PAGE
1 Social Science Association
3 Visit to Ahmedabad
5
10 00
Weddings
8 Female Normal School
Visit to a Ranee
16 Visit to Surat
Dr. Wilson's School
18
Heathen Temple
21
Cotton Factory
Institutions at Bombay
Mechanics' Institution
22
Visit to Matheran .
•
Students' Society
26
Farewell to India
Framjee Cowasjee.
29
·
CHAPTER II.
GENERAL OBSERVATIONS-RELIGIOUS MOVEMENT-
POSITION OF WOMEN.
PAGE
33
35
37
40
•
42
43
44
*
49
51
General Remarks
55
•
•
Native Opinions
59
Native View of Christianity
Hindoo Women
70
75
212
Native Habits
61 Female Education.
79
CHAPTER III.
THE INHABITANTS OF INDIA.
Variety of Races.
81 The Hindoos .
102
The Parsees
86
Criminal Tribes
108
Bene-Israel and Mixed Races
97
vi
CONTENTS OF THE SECOND VOLUME.
CHAPTER IV.
EDUCATION.
PAGE
Advance of Education
Official Reports
Want of Physical Education . 121
114
.
Education of the Lower Classes
117
The English Language
Factory Schools
Mental Stimulus
126
•
Schools of Art
PAGE
129
131
133
135
CHAPTER V.
FEMALE
EDUCATION.
Condition of Female Education
Female Normal School
141
Bombay Female Education
150
143
Need of Normal School .
156
Dacca Normal School
149
Scheme for Normal School
158
CHAPTER VI.
REFORMATORY SCHOOLS.
170
•
177
Artificial Villages of Criminals 193
Proposed Scheme of a Hindoo
Reformatory
198
192
•
No Government Reformatories 166
Juvenile Jails not desired
David Sassoon Reformatory
Reformatory in the Punjab
Indian Jails.
Suggestions
CONCLUSION.
CHAPTER VII.
PRISON DISCIPLINE.
205 Female Prisoners
208
211
•
215
A. Address to the Bethune
Society at Calcutta.
221
APPENDIX.
Proposed Albert Hall at Bom-
bay
249
B. Presentation to Dr. Wyllie.
C. Presentation to the Author
239
243
E. Memorial on Prison Disci-
D. Parsees' Memorial and Letter
on Normal School .
pline.
252
•
245
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
CHAPTER I.
BOMBAY FAREWELL TO INDIA.
ON Friday morning, Feb. 1, the steamer appeared
in sight, and I was soon on my voyage to Bombay. On
Sunday morning we were pleasantly greeted with the
sound of church-bells. We were near Cawa, a new
station, and the Bishop of Bombay, who was on board,
was summoned on shore to consecrate a burying-ground.
It is intended to be a depôt for cotton; the natives,
however, are averse to change, and are not as yet dis-
posed to bring it here. The bay is a glorious one, and
for some time we had the surrounding mountains in
sight, bright in the morning sun.
Tuesday morning, Feb. 5, found us in Bombay
Harbour, after a voyage lengthened by contrary winds.
The first aspect of the city from the water is very
striking, and very different from that of the other
capitals I had visited. The houses are higher, and
have a more foreign aspect; they are lofty, as land is
valuable, and there is an air of businesslike activity
pervading every street. A kind welcome awaited me
in my Indian home, as well as abundance of despatches.
from England, very welcome in a foreign land.
VOL. II.
B
2
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
I found Bombay society in a state of considerable
excitement, in consequence of the approaching de-
parture of Sir Bartle Frere and his family, on account
of the expiration of his term of office. Every one was
wishing to do him honour. Two remarkable events
had taken place during the preceding week. One was
a bazaar for the benefit of the Alexandra Girls' School,
in which Lady Frere had taken a warm interest; it was
managed chiefly by the Parsees, and the young ladies of
the Parsee schools executed beautiful needlework for it.
This was a novel attempt, and succeeded well. The
other was a party given by a native chief in honour of
his Excellency the Governor; he had come to Bombay
with his lady, whom he was desirous of initiating into
English civilisation, while she retained her native dress
and habits. She had even begun to learn English, and
had been a visitor at Government House. It was inti-
mated to her that it would be very gratifying to her
European friends if she would herself receive her
visitors; she so far overcame her native reserve that,
supported by an English lady, she joined her husband
in doing the honours of the party, with as much dignity
and grace as if she had been born to a court life. This
Brahmin chief and his lady have led the way. May
their example be soon followed by many of their country-
men and women! The Chief of Jumkhundee and his
wife purpose visiting our island ere long, and will then
give us an opportunity of showing our appreciation of
so great a triumph over ancient thraldom.
Another brilliant entertainment had been given in
honour of Sir Bartle and Lady Frere by a native
gentleman, a member of the Legislative Council, the
Hon. Munguldass Nuthoobhoy, at his magnificent man-
sion. This also I lost by my delay.
BOMBAY.
3
02
A good share of festivities remained for me, however,
more than I had ever entered into during the whole
course of my life; and as these gave me opportunities of
becoming acquainted with both English and native
gentry, whom I might not otherwise have had an
opportunity of meeting, I did not consider the time
lost.
The English resident gentlemen who were members
of the Byculla Club gave a beautiful ball, in their
splendid lofty room, in honour of the departing
Governor and his lady, which was universally regarded
as eminently successful. There was also a public
dinner held there, which brought official gentlemen
from distant parts of the Presidency, to show their
respect to Sir Bartle Frere. The report of the dinner,
in the papers of the day, showed that the speeches
possessed no common interest, and that the eulogiums
on the Governor they were losing were not mere com-
pliments, but sprang from the heart. What he himself
said showed that no common tie existed between him
and the Presidency which had been under his care.
Nor was Lady Frere forgotten on the occasion, but was
gratefully mentioned, as one who, in her own peculiar
sphere, had done a most important work for the natives,
in co-operation with her husband.
The most splendid entertainment of all was, however,
given by Mr. Sassoon, the worthy son of that David
Sassoon whose name will be immortalised in this part
of the world, by the many munificent gifts he made
to this country of his adoption, by the establishment of
valuable institutions. This ball surpassed anything I
had seen or heard of. Looking down from an upper
verandah on the garden, illuminated everywhere with
jets of gas, one could fancy oneself in a scene described
B 2
4
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
in the Arabian Nights' Entertainments.' The illusion.
was heightened by the presence there of the honoured
mother of the host, in queenly attire, looking with
proud delight on the scene, and receiving the guests
with native dignity, though (as Arabic was her mother
tongue, and she had never acquired English) many
could not converse with her.
The receptions, and a ball at Pareil, the Government
House, were also very agreeable, especially as there
were many native ladies at every one, as well as gentle-
men. Mr. Venayek Wassoodew, the sheriff of the year,
brought his intelligent young daughter, that she might
learn betimes the customs of English society. On
another occasion I met a Hindoo gentleman calling at
Government House by appointment, with the ladies of
his family.
Nor were the festivities of Bombay prompted solely
by desire to do honour to the Governor whose departure
all so much regretted. Much has always been said of
Anglo-Indian hospitality, and I can certainly bear a
grateful testimony that Bombay sustains the ancient
character. Not only was a home kindly proffered to
myself by many, when my friends were about to depart
for England, but I had ample opportunities of perceiv-
ing that friendly interchange of courtesies was the habit
of the place among the English residents; and were I
to indulge myself in recording them, they would alone
fill a chapter. That would, however, be no more in
accordance with their wishes than with the object of
this work.
One of these acts of hospitality must, however, be
mentioned. Before coming to India, a visit to Ele-
phanta was the object of my special desire, the wonders
of that marvellous place having been familiar to me by
BOMBAY.
5
It
description from early youth. It is on an island a few
hours' sail from Bombay, and is a day's excursion.
was, therefore, with much pleasure that I accepted an
invitation from Sir Charles Sargeant, to join a picnic.
party to that place. Though the Sarkej day at Ab-
medabad had shown that Indian picnics are very dif-
ferent from English ones, yet I was not prepared for
the grandeur of this. At 2 o'clock P.M. on Saturday,
Feb. 16, we were to assemble at the Apollo Bund, or
wharf, where a steamer had been chartered for the
occasion. It sounded somewhat strange to hear the
name of the elegant Greek deity in this country; one
would think that there were a sufficient number already
of gods and goddesses of a very different description,
from the poetical mythology with which we have been
familiar from childhood. I learnt, however, that a
Hindoo name of somewhat similar sound has been
metamorphosed into this.
A large and pleasant party was assembled, among
whom was the gallant Admiral I had met at Calcutta,
who was at present stationed with his ship at Bombay;
he brought with him boats for landing at the island,
manned by British sailors, splendid specimens of their
race, who formed a wonderful contrast to the slight
forms of native sailors. A pleasant voyage, varied with
the changing views of the mountains on the retiring
coast, and the islands near, brought us to the low flat
shore of Elephanta, from which rises the gigantic mass
of rock, reminding us somewhat of the huge beast whose
name it bears. The low part of the island, down to
the shore, is covered with bushy trees of the mangrove
kind, which are believed to cause an unhealthy exhala-
tion. A very long flight of well-made steps up the face
of the rock was constructed by some devout Hindoo
6
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
lady, for the convenience of the pilgrims to the sacred
shrine, and is a great help to excursionists. On arriving
at the top, we see a large rock covered with small trees
and brushwood, and a wide entrance to the sculptured
recesses of the temple underneath its brow, which is
supported by massive pillars. Modern railings do not
add to the beauty or congruity of the place, but may
be necessary for protection to the interior. The first
glance on entering is most imposing, and fills the mind
with astonishment at the marvellous perseverance,
talent and power, requisite to have hollowed such a
place from the solid rock, and with a somewhat painful
awe at the glimpse into the superstitions of remote
ages which it reveals. The lowness of the roof, in
comparison with the thickness and size of the columns,
gives a feeling of oppression; but one is irresistibly led
on to the grand central sculptured group fronting the
entrance, which stands alone as an alto-relief from the
rock, enframed, as it were, with grotesque symbolic
figures, not quite worthy to be compared with the
cherubic hosts of many of our ancient paintings. This
is the famous triune deity of the Hindoos. The gigantic
figure whose head supports the roof stands against a
column near, with calm but downcast countenance.
The learned and celebrated Dr. Wilson, in a lecture on
the Religious Excavations of Western India, gives the
following explanation of this famous group :-
6
Fronting the entrance of the large temple, but at its
extremity, is the great trimúrti, or image with three
heads combined together, about nineteen feet in height,
though it extends only from the shoulder, upwards.
This is Shiva, possessed of the three functions of crea-
tion, preservation, and destruction, and personified with
the active attributes ascribed respectively to Brahmá,
BOMBAY.
Vishnu, and Shiva.
The front face is that of Shiva as
Brahma, the god of prayer, or the word, in whom the
creative energy is thought to centre. The face to the
right of the spectator is that of Shiva as Vishnu, the
god of preservation, recognised by his purer appearance
and his symbol, the lotus. The face to the left of the
spectator is that of Shiva, as the destroyer, recognised
by his fiercer aspect, the feline moustache, the slabber-
ing lip, the terrific serpents in his band and forming
his hair, his prominent brow, and the skull near his
temples. This composite bust, which is unique in
point of size and execution, is remarkable for its head-
dresses (royal mukats or diadems), with pearl pendants
and precious stones set in gold or silver, and necklaces
and ear-rings and other ornaments, which throw light
on the capital and thoracic adornments of the kingly
natives before the introduction of the turban. It was
almost perfect till a few months ago, when some
thoughtless or mischievous visitors broke off a portion
of the noses of two of the figures. Though it repre-
sents a triad of comparatively modern invention, it is
in unison with such a triad of deities as the Hindoos,
like other ancient peoples, have been familiar with from
the earliest times.'
We will not here follow the Doctor in his learned
explanations of the groups and figures which may be
seen in the side aisles, so to speak, of this temple. All
the figures have some painful significance; nothing is
to be found anywhere calculated to elevate or purify
the mind. Beyond these on the left, we saw some
small chambers with a stone in the centre, either for
sacrificial purposes, or as the pedestal of a figure now
gone. Here very sacred ceremonies were performed,
but the temple appears to be now deserted by pilgrims
8
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
or devotees. On the left it was pleasant to get a
glimpse of heaven's light, and see some of the exterior
of the rock. Leading to a gloomy chapel hollowed out
of it was a flight of steps, on each side of which was
the sculptured figure of a lion. These noble beasts
were of a somewhat distorted form, for the Hindoos in
their sculpture and carving never appear to copy nature,
yet they were more agreeable objects than some which
I had seen in this place.
Preparations were made for dinner outside the
entrance, where it was refreshing again to be in the
open air, and a sumptuous banquet was laid before us,
which inspired us with feelings forming a striking con-
trast with what we had just experienced. The sight of
the sun setting on the water from a solitary elevation
was most grand and elevating. Nature has throughout
all ages borne her own unvarying testimony to the
holiness and greatness of the Creator, who is ever the
same, though men forget Him in their many inventions.
When darkness closed in, blue torches were lighted
in the temple, which produced wonderful effects of
light and shade on the large columns and sculptured
figures. In due time we descended to the shore, and a
brilliant moon lighted us over the waters to our homes.
The schools were, of course, an early object of my
attention, after my return to Bombay. I was invited
to see three, for girls, on the morning of February 7;
from that time until my departure, visits to the schools,
and conversation with the managers, so as to understand
their real wants and wishes, occupied a very large share
of my time and attention.
The movement to promote female education in
Bombay differs from that in the other Presidency
capitals, in having been originated by the native in-
BOMBAY.
9
habitants themselves. More than fifteen years ago, a
number of intelligent young men, who had been edu-
cated at the Elphinstone College, had formed themselves
into a body called the Students' Society. They strongly
felt the great importance of educating the female por-
tion of the population, whose ignorance was a constant
clog on their own advancement. But the prejudice
against the education of girls was then very great,
sufficient to have daunted any but the most determined
and persevering. Several native gentlemen, however,
undertook the matter, proceeding with the caution
which they saw would be necessary, to overcome the
opposition made by the ignorant. The very smallest
aid from Government would have excited suspicion
of intended interference with social institutions. At
first, they taught the little girls themselves, support-
ing the schools at their own expense, and after they
had succeeded in inducing a few to come, and had
established a small school, they were obliged to employ
pundits in default of native female teachers. A native
gentleman, one of those who originated the schools,
told me that he was hooted in the streets for what he
was doing, and especially by women, as it was supposed
that this was a plot to prevent the marriage of their
daughters. The Students' Society has retained the
management of most of the girls' schools. Some are
small, as it is not uncommon for a single individual
to undertake the chief support of a school of which he
is regarded as the patron; such were those which I saw
on that first day, when I had the pleasure of meeting
the president, Dr. Bhau Daji, who presented me, from
the Society, with a copy of its proceedings, beautifully
bound. These little schools were evidently well taught,
as were indeed all which I visited. The Hon. Mr.
10
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
Munguldass patronises a large school, to which he
conducted me, and at another time I visited one con-
taining 200 young ladies, arranged in classes in various
rooms. Perfect order prevailed, and evident care had
been taken in organising the whole; a female sewing-
mistress was here employed, and the specimens of
worsted work were beautifully executed; some of it now
graces my drawing-room at home. These schools were,
as I stated to the native gentlemen who accompanied
me, as good as they could be made, without female
teachers; the same defects were, however, observable
here as elsewhere, inseparable from the existing circum-
stances. These my native friends were as much alive
to as myself, and as anxious to have corrected. Indeed,
they requested me to induce some English ladies to
visit their schools, as this would inspire the parents
with confidence. It was very gratifying to observe
such a change in public opinion, and such confidence
in the friendly intentions of the ladies of the city.
Subsequently, arrangements were made with some to
visit the schools, for it was felt that, if unable to speak
to the children, through ignorance of their language,
the influence of their presence would be beneficial.
After some interviews on the subject, with leading
Hindoo gentlemen, they perceived that the first step
towards an advanced state of female education would
be the establishment of Female Normal Schools, on the
plan I had elsewhere proposed, where superior, well-
educated teachers should be engaged to give such
training to others as should qualify them to carry on
efficiently the great work of education. It was resolved
at once to prepare a memorial to the Government, of
which the following is a copy.
BOMBAY.
11
To His Excellency the Honourable Sir H. B. E. Frere,
K.C.B., G.C.S.I., Governor of Bombay.
The humble Memorial of the undersigned inhabitants of
Bombay most respectfully showeth,—
That there are at present in Bombay about thirteen Native
Girls' Schools, maintained entirely by private donations, and
that the number of pupils attending these schools is about
1,600.
That, owing to the impossibility of obtaining trained female
teachers, male teachers are necessarily employed in these
schools—a state of things which is evidently undesirable in
itself, and which, besides, prevents the true development of
female education.
That as there are only male teachers available at present,
the girls are not allowed to remain in the schools after they
are about twelve years of age, and their education consequently
remains quite incomplete.
That the want of regularly trained female teachers is felt not
only in Bombay, but throughout the Presidency; nay, through-
cut India.
That as female education is, if not the most, at least one of
the most important measures connected with the future welfare
of India, and as the Imperial Treasury has not yet been taxed.
in the cause of female education in this Presidency, your
memorialists earnestly solicit that your Government will be
pleased to establish at once a Normal School for the training
of respectable female teachers to supply the most serious
want.
And your Memorialists, as in duty bound, shall ever pray.
MUNGULDASS NUтHOOвHOY (and others).
Bombay February 27, 1867.
It was gratifying to observe that the Hindoo gentle-
men of Bombay not only devoted considerable attention
to making their schools as good as circumstances would
permit, but took opportunities of giving encouragement
12
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
to the little scholars, and exciting an extended interest
in the cause of female education. The visit to Bombay
of the Thakoor of Bhownuggur on occasion of the
Durbah, to present to him the Order of the Star of
India, presented an excellent opening for this; it was
felt to be very important that a prince of so much influ-
ence should be enlisted in the cause, and preparations
were hastily made for a prize-giving to a girls' school,
held in the residence of a native gentleman. I was also
invited. The little girls in their holiday trim, ranged
in a large balcony, presented a very pleasing spectacle.
The Thakoor arrived in some state with his prime
minister, and considerable impression appeared to be
made, as the little girls came forward to receive their
prizes from him. He returned to his province much
struck with what he had seen, and left, I understood,
substantial tokens of his approbation.
On the next day, February 23, another native gentle-
man, the patron of a girls' school, invited a number of
friends to be present at a festival for his scholars. A
large company was assembled by special invitation, and
the little maidens looked much elated with the scene.
After receiving the prizes, or rather presents, they were
conducted to the balcony, where a splendid display of
pyrotechnics delighted both old and young. I withdrew
from them to visit the ladies of the family in their
seclusion, greatly regretting that those who would most
have enjoyed the exhibition could obtain only a furtive
glance at it. It is not a matter of wonder that those
Hindoos who oppose the emancipation of women object
to allow their daughters to go to school, and prefer that
they should be educated in the seclusion of the zenana.
It cannot be expected that young girls who have enjoyed
such festivities as these, freely mingling in society,
BOMBAY.
13
should afterwards remain satisfied with the present
condition of female life in India.
The Parsee girls' schools are distinct from those of
the Hindoos, but similar; they also have been estab-
lished by native zeal, and carried on under native
management; they are similar to each other in their
general features. I visited a large and excellent one.
Most of the scholars in this, as in others, appeared to
be, and I believe were, of the higher orders of society,
though the dress of some indicated straightened circum-
stances; they were, however, all treated with equal
consideration. It was striking to observe how much
more nearly the dress of the Parsee girls approaches
European costume than that of the Hindoos. They
almost uniformly wear an English-looking jacket and
skirt, often very highly ornamented, with shoes and
stockings, a small embroidered skull cap being their
only peculiarity; this dress has a remarkably neat and
pleasing appearance. There are, besides, some large
and well-managed girls' schools connected with Sir
Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy's Parsee Benevolent Institution.
These I visited under the escort of the superintendent,
an English gentleman, thoroughly acquainted with the
systems of school training adopted in our country. He
has long earnestly desired to have the services of English
female teachers enlisted in these schools. The needle-
work here was excellent, being taught by a tailor, plain
sewing being done, as well as worsted-work and em-
broidery. The elder class read in the vernacular, with
evident propriety and correctness. On being informed
by a gentleman present that they were reading the
history of an American girl, Laura Bridgeman, who was
blind and deaf and dumb, I told them several anecdotes.
of that young person, who is so wonderful a trophy of
14
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
the victory of enlightened benevolence over the obstacles
which would have seemed insurmountable; added that
I had seen the remarkable man who had taught her,
and had myself received a letter from her. The young
ladies appeared deeply interested when this was inter-
preted to them, and, at my request, several wrote an
account of it; one was selected to be sent to the blind
sister in the other hemisphere, accompanied by a trans-
lation made by one of the scholars of the boys' school.
It is as follows:-
Laura Bridgeman,-Miss Mary Carpenter came to our school.
She made us read a lesson about you from our book, hearing
which Miss Carpenter told us that you were still living; and
the lady also told us that at one time, when there was a famine
in Ireland, though you had no eyes, by making good specimens.
of embroidering with your own hands, you sold them and con-
tributed the proceeds to the famine fund. Hearing this, we
were greatly pleased. Reading this account of you, we were
greatly surprised to know that, though those who can see with
their eyes do not in the course of a year and a half learn to
read, to write, to sew, and knit, yet you learnt all this. There
are many such unfortunate people in India as you, but we are
sorry to say they are not educated this way, and many of the
blind among them support themselves by begging. A very
learned man of the name of Dr. Howe educated you, and if
there were such men in India much benefit would result.
am your ever well wisher,
Bombay March 18, 1867.
(Signed)
I
I transmitted this to Boston, U. S., and the remarks
in the paper in which it is there inserted show that it
is appreciated.
The class then commenced chanting, in a far more.
melodious manner than I had heard before; I was in-
formed that they were singing some complimentary
BOMBAY.
15
verses to myself, composed by the master; this was
very gratifying. On receiving a poetical translation of
them, I found that they were too laudatory to be here
transcribed!
The most remarkable institution for female education
existing in India is the Alexandra School, established by
the Parsees for their daughters. It owes its existence
chiefly to the persevering efforts of Judge Maunockjee
Cursetjee, who, having first given his own daughters
the benefit of a liberal education, and acquaintance
with English literature, desired that others should
receive the same advantages. A quarter of a century
passed by before the seed he had sown sprang up, and
came sufficiently to maturity to enable him to accom-
plish this most important step. The school is now
established on a firm basis. Young Parsee girls, and a
few Hindoos, receive an English education from lady
teachers, and the short examination I gave them in
various branches of knowledge, sufficiently proved their
capabilities for instruction, as do also the neatly written
English notes, which I have received from them. This
school is the first of its kind in the empire, and its
actual success will doubtless lead to more extended
efforts of the same kind. Some account of these
schools, derived from the reports, will be found in a
subsequent part of this work.
The Church Mission Schools, especially the Robert
Money Institution, I did not neglect to visit; among
others was a girls' school taught by an East Indian
female teacher, and a school for Jewish boys and girls.
Not only native princes, but independent Ranees,
came to Bombay to see for the last time the departing
Governor they so much regretted. One of them sent
me a present of a bunch of plantains from her own
16
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
garden, in token of sympathy with the object of my
visit. It was, indeed, a splendid specimen of tropical
fruits-above sixty bananas on one stem, requiring to
bring it a large basket borne in state by several ser-
vants. It reminded one of the grapes of Eschol and
the faithful spies. I regretted much that the ripe,
luscious condition of the fruit prevented the possibility
of carrying it home to Europe.
She
One morning a missive reached me, stating that the
widowed Ranee of the former chief of Colaba was par-
ticularly anxious to see me, and had delayed her journey
home to give her an opportunity of doing so.
requested that I would be ready the next morning,
Monday, Feb. 18, when she would send her secretary
in a carriage to fetch me, at 7.30 A.M. I was, of course,
ready at the appointed time, and on the way learnt
from my escort that this lady greatly felt her dependent
position, her husband's territories having been absorbed
by the British, from whom she received an income.
Her present town residence was a former palace. I was
shown into a reception-room hung round with portraits,
evidently of native execution. One was pointed out to
me as the likeness of a prince, very delicate in aspect.
The picture by him I presumed to be his queen, but
was informed, on inquiring, that it was his prime
minister!
The lady soon entered with her attendants, the
gentlemen retiring behind a somewhat transparent
screen. She appeared to be a woman of determination,
energy, and power, as well as intelligence; one of those
Hindoo women of whom I had heard, but a specimen
of whom I had not seen, who show that the capabilities
of Hindoo women are not inferior, under proper de-
velopment, to their western sisters. She informed me
BOMBAY.
17
!
that she took a deep interest in female education;
that she had watched my course from my first landing,
and that she earnestly desired to establish a school,
which should perpetuate her name; but that the in-
come allowed her barely sufficed to maintain her court,
and that she had not the means. She was pleased
to hear that Englishwomen take an interest in their
Indian sisters, but the interview was chiefly occupied
with discussing the possibility of founding a girls' school.
It would be a very gratifying mark of sympathy with
a dethroned Ranee, if English ladies would give her
the means of fulfilling so laudable a desire, thus showing
their sympathy, and doing good in the district. Are
there not some in our island who have the ability and
the will to do so? The lady looked with interest at my
portrait album, and I left with her the last likeness I
possessed of our beloved widowed Queen. She threw
over me a garland of the golden blossoms of the chry-
santhemum, which I still preserve; and I respectfully
saluted her on departing, with promises to do anything
in my power to further her wishes.
A visit to the Boys' Reformatory, established by
David Sassoon many years ago, will be noticed in a
subsequent chapter; this school is the only one of the
kind in India, and requires especial notice.
The education of young native gentlemen is carefully
attended to in Bombay, of which the various schools,
some of which I visited, bear witness. The students of
the Elphinstone College were at that time preparing
for an exhibition of their powers in dramatic recitation,
by acting the Taming of the Shrew,' before his Excel-
lency the Governor and a select party. I was present
at one of the rehearsals, and was astonished at the
spirit with which those young Hindoos entered into the
TOL. II.
6
C
18
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
meaning of the original, and at their mastery of
correct language and manner. I much regretted being
unable to attend the public peformance, when the play
was acted most successfully. At its conclusion, one of
the actors delivered a suitable epilogue, in which Sir
Bartle Frere's approaching departure was alluded to
with regret, and a fitting tribute paid to the zeal
and kindness with which he had always watched over
the interests of the college, and promoted its pros-
perity.
Dr. Wilson's school and college, in connection with
the Free Scotch Presbyterians, does the highest credit
to the admirable superintendence it receives from that
benevolent and learned man. In this institution there
is really no distinction of caste, creed, or nationality.
I saw in one class Brahmin boys and the son of a
sweeper, one of the very lowest grades; there were
many Portuguese (or Goanese, as they would be more
correctly termed)-these are particularly anxious to
learn English, being much employed in domestic
service- Eurasians, Armenians, and Persians. The
Parsees have left the school, since two of their boys
embraced Christianity many years ago. Among the
teachers, however, was a Parsee, as also a Hungarian;
and I observed one blind master, who was teaching
with great intelligence. In every class the instruction
appeared calculated to awaken the mind and exercise
the powers, more than I have observed in any other
school. The collegiate classes were highly advanced
and intelligent; the young men appeared to delight in
knowledge for its own sake. Though I was, of course,
incapable of understanding a Sanscrit examination
given by Dr. Wilson, yet it was quite evident that the
students had entered most deeply into the subject, and
BOMBAY.
19
had completely mastered it. Photographs of two classes,
with which I was favoured by Dr. Wilson, give a
favourable impression of their intelligence. The Scrip-
ture instruction appeared to be appreciated by the
scholars; one class answered very well questions on the
Ten Commandments, and others gave evidence of a very
fair acquaintance with the practical teaching of the
Bible.
Space will not permit me to give an account of the
Byculla boarding-school for European and Eurasian
orphans, as it presents similar features to those else-
where of the same kind. A day-school for the children
of Europeans and others engaged in work at Colaba,
near Bombay, deserves, however, special mention. A
camp is situated there, and there is a beautiful memorial
church, which has been completed by the exertions of
the Rev. Ward Maule. He established the admirable
school here, which he kindly conducted me to see.
The intelligence and superior deportment of both boys
and girls, in the same hall (the girls under female
teachers); show how much may be accomplished by
judicious efforts under proper instruction.
No distinct religious movement has yet been com-
menced among the educated natives of Bombay. Though
there does not appear to be that strong prejudice against
Christianity which exists in some other parts, and there
is very friendly intercourse between the native com-
munity and some of the missionaries, yet I did not learn
that much progress was being made in conversion. On
each Sunday morning, during my stay here, I attended
with great pleasure the English early service of the
Rev. Dhanjibhai Naoroji, which is frequented by many
who evidently are not Christians, but who listen with
most serious attention. This gentleman, desiring after
C 2
20
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
his conversion to enter the ministry, accompanied Dr.
Wilson on his tour through the Lands of the Bible;
and having already received a superior education, he is
now occupying a most useful and influential position.
He has even lived down the prejudices of those of his
countrymen who, at first, felt annoyed by his desertion
of the religion of his ancestors. On one occasion,
having accepted an invitation to spend an evening at
his house, I was much gratified to find assembled, not
only several Christians and native converts, but Hindoo
gentlemen who were not converted, and Parsees, one of
whom brought his wife, who had travelled with him to
England: on a subsequent occasion, on the eve of my
departure, several of these came to join in a little fare-
well service, which he conducted in his house.
On several occasions, Dr. Atmaram Pandurang as-
sembled at his residence a number of native gentlemen-
his wife and daughters, with some other ladies, being
occasionally present-to hold friendly conference on the
topics which had chiefly occupied my attention. What
I heard from them confirmed the opinion which I had
already formed, that the educated Hindoos have no
belief in the idolatry and superstitious ceremonies, to
which the uneducated so stongly adhere; but that
these are so interwoven with all their domestic and
social habits, that they cannot at present emancipate
themselves from them. The enlightened appear to be
pure theists, and many are of a very religious and
devotional spirit, though they feel unable to embrace
Christianity. As they appeared willing to converse on
the subject, and pleased to find that I recognised with
them the great truth that we have all one common
Father in Heaven, I ventured to urge upon them to act
up to their own convictions, and to unite together in a
BOMBAY.
21
!
pure social worship of their own. On the Sunday after
my departure this was commenced. At the house of
the doctor, all who desire assemble on Sunday evenings
for a prayer-meeting, without distinction of sex or age-
the first attempt of the kind in India. These meetings
are found to meet their wants, and are increasingly
valued by them, so that the place of assembly scarcely
suffices for the numbers who desire to attend.
A painful contrast to the quiet holy Sunday morning
service in the upper room, where my Parsee friend led
the worship, was presented by a scene we witnessed the
same evening. A drive near the sea brought us to the
entrance of a village, built around the temple of Valu-
keshwar, near Malabar Point. The descent to this is
down the face of a rock, almost perpendicular; houses
being built along the zigzag path, in many parts of which
are steps, as in our picturesque village of Clovelly, in
North Devon. The place is associated in the minds of
the Hindoos with marvellous legends, and is much
frequented by them; we met in our descent many who
had been paying their respects at the shrine. At the
bottom is a beautiful well-made tank, with noble flights.
of steps, called the Arrow Tank, from the legend with
which it is connected; having, it is said, being brought
into existence by the arrow of Rama, who, thirsting and
finding no water, shot it into the ground, and the tank
appeared! Our Scriptures do not represent those en-
dowed with miraculous powers as using them for their
own benefit. On the sides of the tank are erected pagodas,
which we did not enter; but went through narrow
streets inhabited by Brahmins, who are supposed to be
particularly holy, through their ascetic practices. A
more degraded-looking set of men I have rarely beheld,
and all the human beings we saw in that village
22
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
i.
appeared to be sunk in squalor and filth. A sacred cow
was the least repulsive creature we beheld; it had not
abandoned the destiny appointed for it by the Creator.
Such a spectacle as was presented by that village
should rouse one, if stimulus were needed, to shed
some light on this benighted land!
Other scenes stimulate and encourage the mind with
the feeling that rapid progress is, in many circles of
Hindoo society, being actually made. To one of these.
I was invited on Thursday, February 21. The late
Mr. David Sassoon, among other substantial benefits
which he conferred on this Presidency, left a sum of
money to erect a building for the Mechanics' Institu-
tion. The large space opened in the city, by the de-
struction of the old fort, seemed an excellent site; all
preparatory arrangements having been made, and the
plans prepared and accepted, the foundation-stone was
now to be laid, that the inhabitants of Bombay might
once more obtain the services of the Governor they so
much esteemed, to perform the ceremonial.
It was a most imposing and interesting sight, whether
we observed the rich and picturesque dresses of the
various ladies present-Parsees, Jewesses, and English
-the guards of honour and mixed assemblage of official
gentlemen, the native crowds round the enclosure, with
the bright blue sky above; or whether we thought of the
influence of the past upon the present, of the present
on the future, and rejoiced that the benevolent Hebrew
gentleman was thus, though passed away from among
us, preparing the way for an improved condition of his
adopted country. When the stone was actually laid,
some gentlemen raised a good British hurrah in honour
of the occasion, and indeed, within the railings, a fairly
hearty one arose it was, however, strange to one not
BOMBAY.
23
yet accustomed to the country to see the multitudes
around stand silent and unmoved, without any attempt
to join in the acclamation. Such demonstrations are
not in harmony with Hindoo habits.
The new building will, it is anticipated, greatly
extend the operations of the Bombay Mechanics' Insti-
tution, which has been in existence for some time, and
stimulate the educated natives to take the share in its
direction and support which they are so well qualified
to do. The Report for 1867 gives the following account
of the institute during the past official year, which
shows how much work is being done:-
Library.-Under this head it is shown that 133 works, in
229 volumes, exclusive of periodicals, have been purchased,
against 135 works, in 207 volumes, bought in the previous
year-thus showing an increase of 22 volumes in the year
under report.
The number of volumes of specifications of patents (including
indices) in the Library, up to date, is 1,469.
The number of books, periodicals, and newspapers issued
during the year was as follows:-
11,152 books or volumes.
5,045 periodicals.
1,450 newspapers.
The periodicals and newspapers added during the year
were the 'Review of Fine Arts,' Engineering,' the 'Hindoo
Reformer,' and the 'Guzerat Times.' The periodicals and
newspapers have been continued as for the previous year.
The President and Directors tender their best thanks to
Government and the Director of Public Instruction, as well as
to the Rev. W. Brown Keer, Harbour Chaplain, S.P.G., Messrs.
E. Chapple, W. J. Addis, C.E., J. M. O'Callahan, G. S.
Gardiner, Messrs. Peel, Cassels & Co., the Smithsonian Insti-
tution, and other public societies, for their several gratuitous
supplies of books, newspapers, and periodicals.
24
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
Among the list of books presented to the Library will be
seen 25 volumes of the 'Proceedings of the Institute of Civil
Engineers,' being a complete set up to date; these have been
brought out to us by Mr. George Berkley, brother of our
former distinguished President, Mr. James J. Berkley, C.E.
The sessions were opened in the middle of January, and the
Committee were enabled, by the kind co-operation of the
following gentlemen, to secure the delivery of public lectures
upon the subjects named below :—
The Rev. John Paton, Junior Chaplain, St. Andrew's
Church,' on 'The Teachers of the Age.'
The Rev. John Wilson, D.D., F.R.S., on 'The Oriental
Mercantile Classes of Bombay.'
The Rev. W. Brown Keer, Harbour Chaplain, S.P.G., on
'Paris, Past and Present.'
Two other gentlemen had kindly promised to deliver lec-
tures, but they were, unfortunately, unable to fulfil their pro-
mises.
These lectures were well attended, and are to be published
and circulated among the members, in accordance with the
following resolution, passed at the last Annual General Meet-
ing:
'That each lecture delivered in connection with the institute
be printed, and a copy issued to each member, for which he
will be charged four annas.'
The most gratifying item of the present Report is the
realisation of funds, say to the extent of 14 lac of rupees,* for
the purpose of a building especially for the institute.
The munificent donation of the late David Sassoon (60,000
rupees), and a contribution from the Sassoon Memorial Fund
of 25,000 rupees, have been placed in the Government
Treasury to the credit of the Sassoon Mechanics' Institute.
These sums will be supplemented by a donation of 43,000
rupees or more in cash from Government, who have also
granted a site. The total amount, it is hoped, will be sufficient
to build the chief portion as designed, leaving a balance
* 12,500l. sterling.
BOMBAY.
25
towards the erection of the Lecture Hall, for which it is hoped
subscriptions may be obtained at a future date.
Members will remember with satisfaction the kindness of
Sir Bartle Frere, G. C.S.I., K.C.B., one of our patrons, in laying
the foundation-stone of our new institute on the 21st of Febru-
ary of this year. His presence and eloquent speech on the
occasion caused the ceremony to pass off with great éclat.
The list of members gives a total of 326 of all classes up to
31st March, 1867 :-
1865-66.
1866-67.

Europeans. Natives. Europeans. Natives.
Life members.
11
14
11
15
Senior members
245
21
252
23
Junior members
10
1
10
0
Associates
1
16
1
14
267
52
274
52
The Secretary, Hurrychund Sudasewjee, Esq., will
gladly receive donations of books, reports, engravings,
&c. for the institution.
The Mechanics' Institute has hitherto (as would
appear from the preceding statement of the number
of members), been chiefly fostered by the English
residents; but there is another body, of purely native
growth, which deserves especial mention--The Students'
Literary and Scientific Society.'
On January 13, 1848, a meeting was held by the ad-
vanced students of the Elphinstone Institution, Mr.
Dadabhai Naoroji in the chair, Professors Patton and
Reid attending, at the request of the students. The
following resolutions were adopted:
6
That a society be formed for the purpose of afford-
26
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
ing its members an opportunity of improving in reason-
ing and composition, and as a means of extending their
information in literary, scientific, and general subjects.
'That this society be called, "The Students' Literary
and Scientific Society."
The society was then duly organised, Professor Patton
being elected president, and Professor Reid secretary;
Mr. Dadabhai Naoroji was appointed treasurer. On
closing the first session, the Secretary was able to
report, that the Committee feel great satisfaction in
stating that its success has far exceeded their most
sanguine expectations.' The Third Report of the society
(read on Feb. 10, 1852) shows the practical character
and extent of its operations:-
1. Since the opening of the session, on the 3rd of February,
1851, ten monthly meetings have been held, of which the last
was devoted exclusively to the election of officers for the
present year. Twenty-two resident members have been en-
rolled within the session. Of these the great majority are bonâ
fide students, but among them also are young men whose con-
nection with the college has ceased for some years.
2. We shall notice the proceedings of the society under the
following heads:-
I. Reading and discussion of English essays.
II. Marathi and Gujarati book-committees.
III. Publication of school-books.
IV. Girls' Schools: (1) Parsi, (2) Marathi-Hindu, (3)
Gujarati-Hindu.
V. Boys' Infant-Schools: (1) Parsi, (2) Marathi-Hindu,
(3) Gujarati-Hindu.
VI. Branch Societies: (1) Gujarati Dnyan-prasarak Man-
dali, (2) Marathi Dnyan-prasarak Sabha, (3) Buddhi-vardhak
Hindu Sabha.
VII. Library and Musen.
3. Besides two papers by the Secretary on the History of
BOMBAY.
27
the Elphinstone Institution,' seventeen essays were read and dis-
cussed during the term. Of these, seven treated of educational
and social subjects, three were historical, three scientific, and
four literary and miscellaneous. Among those which excited
the greatest interest we may specify the following:-' A
short History of the Newspapers in Bombay, English and
Native, together with Remarks on the Spirit in which the latter
are Conducted,' by Dosabhai Framji (editor of the Jam-i-
Jamshid); 'On the State of Education among the Parsis of
Bombay, before and since the Establishment of the Elphinstone
Institution,' by Bomanji Pestanji (Gujarati vice-president
for 1852); On the Present State of the Banians, with Sugges-
tions for improving their Moral and Social Condition,' by
Mohanlal Ranchoddas (now President of the B. H. Sabha);
and the first of a series of papers 'On the Metallurgy of India,'
by Ardeshir Framji, of whose Lectures on Chemistry, in the
Gujarati Dnyan-prasarak Society, favourable notice has more
than once been taken by the English press.
{
4. These discussions, in addition to the obvious advantage
which they afford the students, in the way of mutual improve-
ment, by inviting them to consider and to argue questions of
immediate interest, and of great practical importance, have also
the useful effect of bringing and keeping together the former
and the present students of the college; thus inducing the
juniors to measure swords with their seniors, and to acquire
skill by frequent encounters with experienced opponents; and
affording the seniors many opportunities of trying their strength
in the field, lest they may some day suddenly find themselves
unable to cope with the manoeuvres of improved science. We
are convinced that many are now of our band-some of them
gentlemen holding important public posts-who never would
have joined us had we, instead of entering the arena of actual
life, and oiling our limbs to struggle with stubborn obstinate
facts, held formal meetings to discuss some obscure point in
the International Law of Europe, or to consider the comparative
merits of two or three dead men of ancient times.*
*At the commencement of this society, in June 1848, many pre-
23
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
It is to the untiring and enlightened efforts of the
Students' Society, that the present state of female educa-
tion in Bombay is chiefly due, as will be shown in a
subsequent chapter. These schools are as good as they
can be without trained female teachers. These cannot
be obtained in India. It is evident that Parsee and
Hindoo gentlemen, however enlightened, cannot estab-
lish a Normal Training School for English teachers:
the recent monetary crisis at Bombay prevents them
from contributing funds for such an object, though
their past munificence proves how gladly they would do
so, if they could. They earnestly ask the Government
to found an institution for training teachers for their
girls schools, as they formerly did for their boys'
schools. Surely the Supreme Indian Government does
not know what they have already done, if it asks for
further pecuniary contributions in proof of their desire
to co-operate. The opinion of the Government of the
Bombay Presidency, respecting the influence and opera-
tions of this society, was thus stated:
The voluntary association of the educated youth of Bom-
bay, for the purpose of instructing their countrymen, and of
bringing all within their influence to justly appreciate the ad-
vantages of education, is very gratifying to Government, as it
is honourable to the parties concerned.
‘In particular, the spontaneous institution, by the same
young men, of female schools, which they also entirely sup-
port, must be regarded as an epoch in the history of education
at this Presidency, from which it is to be hoped will, in due
dicted that, as in former societies of a similar kind, our time would be
wasted in such idle discussions as whether Brutus was justified in
killing Cesar ?'—a subject which excited keen debate in the old society,
on the ruins of which the present society was founded.-President's
address, 1851.
-a
BOMBAY.
29
time, be traced the commencement of a rapid, marked, and con-
stant progress.'
A brief account of the well-known exertions of the late
Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy in the cause of female educa-
tion, and in other ways, will be found in a subsequent
chapter. In connection, however, with the Students'
Society, must be mentioned the important aid given to it
by the late venerable Framjee Cowasjee. On Sept. 22,
1855, a meeting was held to consider the subject of
raising a testimonial to his memory. The following is
a sketch of his career:-
'The late Framjee Cowrasjee, Esq., whose recent decease has
been a subject of regret with the European and native com-
munity of Bombay, belonged to the family of Banajee, which,
with that of Wadia and Dadysett, have been long distinguished
for their wealth and commercial enterprise; and in works of
charity and benevolence have been second only to that very
remarkable man, Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy, Knt., whose mag-
nificent fortune has been created by an individual acute-
ness surpassed only by a munificence which has prompted the
erection and endowment of spacious receptacles for the sick
and indigent, and the performance through a long life of secret
alms-the extent of which is known only to Him before whom
they have gone up as a memorial.
"Although Framjee Cowasjee Banajee never had the wealth
with which so to provide for the physical comfort of his coun-
trymen, he was very constantly foremost in energy for their
mental culture and moral improvement.
From the time when the genius of Mr. Elphinstone sought
to incite the upper class of natives to measures for the intro-
duction of national education, Framjee Cowasjee has been dis-
tinguished as the most active promoter of this object. He
was an original member of the Elphinstone Institution; and,
until advancing years and increasing infirmities induced him
to retire, was year after year elected by his countrymen to
30
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
represent them at the Board of Education. He was the first
Parsee gentleman who educated the females of his family.
Framjee Cowasjee was one of the twelve natives who first
held the Commission of the Peace, and those who have sat on
the bench with him, remember the independence and impar-
tiality with which he administered justice.
'He was likewise a member of the Parsee Punchayet, which,
so long as the state of society admitted, exercised so beneficial
an influence over the morals of the Parsee community, and the
records of that institution are stamped with many tokens of
his strong sense and excellent judgment.
The Fire Temple, raised by Framjee Cowasjee and his
brothers to facilitate the worship of God after the manner of
their fathers, and the Tower of Silence, constructed for the
reception of the body after death, at a cost of two lacs of
rupees, are permanent memorials of his piety and his respect
for the usages of his ancient reli ion; while the Dhobees'
Tank, and the reservoir on the Obelisk Road-to which water
is conducted from an estate in Girgaum, the produce of which
he set apart to secure this supply of water to the public-be-
tokens that his benevolence was not limited to the fraternity of
which he was a member.
(
To perpetuate the memory of a man of whose character and
deeds the foregoing is a very hasty and imperfect sketch, the
Englishman, Mussulman, and the Hindoo, as well as the Parsee,
have expressed a desire; and the students, the representatives,
at the moment, of those to whose intellectual and moral ad-
vancement his life was devoted, have taken the lead of all in
commencing this work; and it is with the view of giving each
an opportunity of contributing to this object, that this paper is
circulated, the particular mode of effecting such being left for
future consideration.'
It was a beautiful and natural effect of so much
genuine goodness, that, for the first time, persons of
all classes and denominations, natives and Europeans,
united together to pay respect to his memory. On
BOMBAY.
31
Sept. 22, 1852, some English and many native gentle-
men, with a large number of the scholars of the
Elphinstone Institution, headed by the Assistant Pro-
fessor, Dadabhai Naoroji, met to consider the most
fitting way of testifying their admiration and esteem.
The following resolution was carried, having been
moved by Professor Patton :-
'That the funds which have been already collected, and such
others as may be subsequently added, be appropriated to the
formation of a museum in connection with the Students'
Literary and Scientific Society; and that this meeting unite.
with them in requesting Government to erect a building, to
contain a lecture-room, a laboratory, museum of arts and
industry, and library, and to permit the building to be called
the Framjee Cowasjee Institute.'
In moving the above resolution, Professor Patton
observed:
"This mode of commemorating the name of Framjee Cowasjee
seems to be peculiarly appropriate. When the Students'
Literary and Scientific Society was in its infancy, and when
many friends of education were either cold or unfavourable to
it, Framjee Cowasjee came forward, and showed his approval of
their plans and objects, by presenting a number of lamps,
which he heard they required for their meetings. This first
gift to the society was the commencement of many others, and
to the day of his death he took a warm interest in all their
proceedings. During his long career (as you have heard de-
tailed to-day), he was always foremost in every effort to extend
education in this country, and his views of what education
ought to be were characterised by an elevation, and at the same
time a practicality, that could scarcely have been expected from
the imperfect education he himself had received. He was one
of the chief contributors to the erection of the building in which
we are now assembled, and which has, as was anticipated,
risen to the rank of a college. Nearly a quarter of a century
32
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
ago, when the native community of Bombay met to consider
the most appropriate method of attesting their affectionate and
respectful sentiments towards the Honourable Mountstuart
Elphinstone, Framjee Cowasjee, in a speech replete with good
sense and sound views, which in our testimonial-giving age
might be worthy of attention, proposed that the most satis-
factory and durable plan of carrying their wishes into effect,
was to found one or two professorships for teaching the English
language, the arts, science, and literature of Europe. The
Students' Literary and Scientific Society is the direct result of
that education, and a proof of the wisdom and foresight that
suggested it.'
The value of the influence of this admirable man
is well manifested in the following extract from the
speech of Mr. Dadabhai Naoroji :-
man,
'I cannot refrain myself from expressing my sentiments
towards this worthy man. I have had but once for all a talk
with him, but the impression that that single visit made upon
me, and my friend Ardaseer, shall never wear off. It was for
the purpose of asking support to our female schools, and how
could I now describe a scene that could only be seen? Yet I
shall try. We approached with great trepidation-we knew
not what should be the result of the visit; for we knew not the
and it was our first visit. But Framjee showed that he
was always prepared to receive even a child with pleasure
that brought good tidings of any kind. Many were the sound
advices he gave us as to our conduct in the undertaking-many
hopes did he raise in us, and showed great concern that he
could not stretch out as good an helping hand as he was
wont to do before. His advices, however, were more worth
than anything else, and we have now the opportunity of ex-
pressing our obligations for the benefit with which we followed
those advices: trifling as they might often appear, they are
the forerunners of great things to come. Trifling as the table-
lamp present made to the society might appear, it was the
BOMBAY.
33
kindler of the first spark of hope, that an earnest desire and
endeavour to do an useful thing shall never fail to be properly
appreciated.'
Many difficulties occurred before the completion of
the plan, but on February 22, 1864, the foundation-
stone of the projected memorial building was laid by
his friend, the Hon. Juggonath Sunkersett.
The establishment of the Bengal Social Science
Association at Calcutta, and the anticipations of its
usefulness which were there entertained, had been
frequently the subject of conversation at Bombay,
with many enlightened native as well as English
gentlemen. My increased observation of the country
led me to perceive more clearly the many ways in
which such a society, carried on with spirit and energy,
would be of very great importance. A number of
gentlemen who felt an interest in the subject met, on
February 23, in the rooms of the Bombay Branch of the
Royal Asiatic Society, in the Town Hall. The Hon.
Mr. Justice Gibbs having been called to the chair, I
gave some account of the nature, objects, and working of
the British Social Science Association. After remarks
from some gentlemen, it was proposed by Sir A. Grant,
Bart., and seconded by Mr. Manockjee Cursetjee:
That it is desirable that a Social Science Association
should be established for the Presidency of Bombay, to
be styled the Bombay Social Science Association, on
the same principles and plans as have been adopted in
the Social Science Association of Great Britain, and
subsequently in the United States and the continent
of Europe, and more recently in Calcutta.'
The formation of a sub-committee of English and
native gentlemen, to draw up rules and regulations, and
take steps towards the establishment of the association,
VOL. II.
D
34
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
was proposed by Dr. Bhau Daji, and seconded by the
Hon. B. H. Ellis. The association was thus regarded
as virtually established.
me.
I had promised my friends at Ahmedabad to pay
them a farewell visit; and on Tuesday, February 26, at
7 A.M., I set out on my long journey. The country was
not so fresh and green as when we saw it in October,
after the rains; it was not marked by any object of
special interest, except meeting some native friends
at Surat, and my former hosts, with a bridal party,
at the previous station; not until 10 P.M. did the train
reach Ahmedabad. My friends the Tagores had not
returned from Calcutta, Mr. Tagore having been obliged
to request an extension of his sick leave. The collector
(Mr. Oliphant) and his lady had kindly invited me to
make their house my home, and were waiting to receive.
The collector's office, or cutcherry, over which is
his residence, occupies the site of an old Mahometan
palace, and is surrounded by a large compound, bounded
on one side by the ancient royal garden, which still
produces excellent vegetables; of these I had agree-
able experience. A dish of green peas in February
reminded one of being in a tropical climate. The
weather was indeed beginning to be very hot, and we
were not refreshed by the sea-breezes, as in Bombay.
The foliage in the garden was, however, of the most
exquisite and varied colour in the morning sun, and
invited a sketch of it from the balcony. It was bounded
by part of the city wall, and what appeared to be a
minaret; but I was informed that this was the chimney
of a factory, of which my hostess had recently laid the
foundation-stone. Such objects are not in themselves
good in a picture, nor do they awaken very poetical
ideas; but this marked a grand step in civilisation, and
AHMEDABAD.
35
was well worthy of commemoration. Other improve-
ments had taken place in the few months which had
elapsed since my last visit.
last visit. Some of the native ladies,
who had before hesitated to call on Mrs. Oliphant, as
her residence was over the public office, had been to
see her, and had walked with her in the garden; on
my present visit, between twenty and thirty native ladies
spent an afternoon with me, on Mrs. Oliphant's invita-
tion, and expressed themselves as much gratified-
indeed, they showed no haste to depart. A new diffi-
culty occurred at this party; some of the ladies spoke
only Marathi, others only Guzerathi. Fortunately,
two young gentlemen, relatives of some of the visitors,
came as interpreters; we therefore ranged the ladies
on different sides of the room, each party with its own
interpreter. The difficulties arising from the existence
of so many languages are very great. Here the native
ladies are beginning to realise the value that the acqui-
sition of English would be to them, and gladly accepted
the offer of Mrs. Oliphant to give them instruction in
it, on her return from her approaching journey in the
district. All such plans, however, are doomed to dis-
appointment in India. The collector was soon after
transferred to another station, and the projected work
in Ahmedabad for the present fell to the ground! Dr.
Wyllie, too, has been since called away to join the
Abyssinian army! The value felt by the natives for
his services was shown in a farewell meeting.*
Some drives through the native streets were full of
interest, both in indicating much skill and some taste
in the decorations of the houses, and as giving us an
opportunity of seeing many beautiful remains of Ma-
hometan edifices; we observed also, in many parts, marks
* Tide Appendix B.
D 2
36
SIX MONTIIS IN INDIA.
of improvement, old dilapidated buildings having given
place to well-arranged streets and houses. One morning
drive was particularly striking. Having seen splendid
specimens of the gorgeous gold brocade, or kincob, several
pieces of which were sent to the Paris Exhibition, I was
desirous of seeing the factory where it is produced; and
the collector kindly made arrangements with the proprie-
tor for an early visit the next morning. After passing
through the better streets, we threaded our way through
narrow lanes, in vain looking for anything like a factory ;
at last we stopped at a common poor-looking house, and
with difficulty ascended some stairs to a miserable loft;
this was the factory! Four looms were at work there, of
so primitive a construction, and clumsy a make, that if
one could have been transported to Paris with its work-
ers, it would have been among the greatest curiosities of
the Exhibition. The men and lads who were employed.
as draw-boys, in their semi-nude and uncivilised con-
dition, totally ignorant, seemed beings of another
sphere from those for whom their manufacture was
intended. The merchants buy the gold thread and
silk, and pay these men very trifling wages, on which
they can barely subsist. One clever bright little fellow,
with shaven head, laughed with intense glee at the
sight of so strange a sight as English ladies in that
secluded loft; another boy of fourteen was so clever,
that he had already mastered the whole art, and could
weave as well as a man. These bright lads were grow-
ing up immured in this loft, without any education, or
opportunity of improvement.
An oil-factory was at the next door, where the seed
was crushed in a gigantic cumbersome press, requiring
far more labour than our machinery. We ventured
into the interior of the house, where a woman, removing
AHMEDABAD.
37
a quantity of clothing from a sort of hammock, dis-
closed a young baby to us; the cramped position it was
in, explained to me why most of the children I see in
the schools have such narrow chests. We had that
morning a most instructive glimpse of the native in the
lower circles of society.
February is the great month for weddings, and many
festivities were going on. One day we were invited to
two. Of the first, a Brahmin's wedding, I will say
nothing, having heard that the native gentleman who
took us there, incurred blame from his people on that
account. The afternoon wedding was to be celebrated
at the house of the Hon. Premabhai Hemabhai. He
is a Jain, but the Government requires all Hindoos to
conform to their national law respecting marriage, and
therefore he was obliged to have the aid of a Brahmin
in certain parts of the ceremony. This was to be a
very grand affair, and about 2,000 persons were ex-
pected. We first went to see the bridegroom's proces-
sion pass, from the balcony of a friend's house. It was
very long, and somewhat straggling, extending more
than the whole length of the street, and the attempt at
music was nothing more than loud noise. One would
suppose that Hindoos have no music in their souls',
which is certainly not the case, though it may be un-
developed. Here and there in the procession was a
richly-caparisoned horse, covered with gorgeous brocade,
on which was seated a small boy, likewise splendidly
decorated; he was doubtless the son and heir of a
family, the male members of which walked beside him.
At length came the bridegroom, gaily dressed, and sup-
ported by his friends; he was closely covered with a
golden veil. We then hurried on to the place of
meeting, and found the house crowded with male
38
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
guests, who, to my surprise, were being driven out into
the garden somewhat unceremoniously. This was to
clear the reception-rooms for the bride's procession,
which was approaching. They speedily filled the large
hall, seated themselves in native fashion on the floor,
as close together as possible, and availed themselves of
the rare opportunity to indulge in social converse
simultaneously, producing a volume of discordant
sound, which was somewhat overpowering to my un-
accustomed ears. Our host being perfectly unable to
silence the assembly-which, indeed, would have been
almost cruel under the circumstances-kindly withdrew
us to an upper room, where we had a full opportunity
of observing the busy scene which was passing around,
in the illuminated garden. After a time, the special
ceremonies of the occasion began. The bridegroom
and his friends knocked at the door and claimed his
bride, a young girl closely covered with a sari, but
without ornaments: she was herself the jewel. A
number of ceremonies were performed, when he had
overcome feigned opposition, and effected an entrance.
A Brahmin took a leading part in these; he was an
unprepossessing old man, and took care to secure
rupees, in the midst of each critical part, before he would
complete it. There was nothing in anyone indicating
to our minds reverence or devotion: they were intended
to symbolise the part which was to be taken by each in
their domestic duties. The bridegroom placed presents.
of clothing on the bride, and secured a return from her
family, by holding firmly the robe of the mother until she
bestowed something on him; that not being considered
sufficiently costly, he refused it with an expression of
contempt. After more than two hours, most of the com-
pany withdrew; but each expected to receive, on depart-
AHMEDABAD.
39
ing, a cocoanut from the bride's father, and one from the
bridegroom's; 4,000 of this fruit were thus distributed.
The next day, the same native gentleman gave a
large party at his house, in honour of his English
friends, when we saw the young bride unveiled, as she
had not yet been removed from her paternal home.
There was some excellent native music on this occasion,
performed by hired male musicians on stringed instru-
ments, which they accompanied with the voice; we, of
course, withdrew at about eleven o'clock, before the
nautch dancing commenced.
On Friday, March 1, a public meeting was held, to
receive some account of the progress of my work, and
the success of my journey in the other parts of India.
Here, as elsewhere, a deep and evident interest was felt,
and expressed to me publicly and privately, in the
establishment of a Female Normal School. The Judge
of the Small Cause Court, Mr. Gopal Row, was in the
chair; and as he was anxious to obtain further informa-
tion from me, on this and on other subjects, I requested
him to bring his friends to confer with me; and at
midday, on March 3, a large number assembled in the
Collector's drawing-room, headed by the Judge and the
Hon. Member of the Legislative Council, who presented
me the following address, which had been planned after
we withdrew from the meeting, and then rapidly and
beautifully executed. It is a remarkable and very
significant circumstance, that it is signed by eleven
native ladies, as well as the principal native gentlemen
of the town. It is as follows:
To Miss Mary Carpenter.
Madam,-We, the undersigned inhabitants of Ahmedabad,
cannot permit you to leave this town without expressing our
40
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
warmest acknowledgments for your disinterested, praise-
worthy, and benevolent exertions for the welfare of your sex
in India. Your visit to India particularly for the furtherance
of native female education, your travel to several Presidencies
for the purpose of learning the causes which keep it back, and
determining some remedies for its advancement, and your free
intercourse with us, happily evince an uncommon interest in
the welfare of the natives of this country-namely, such interest
as has scarcely been hitherto taken by any European gentleman
or lady. We admit that want of education and proper training
has placed our females, in certain respects, in a disagreeable
position, which we most earnestly wish to improve; and we
are extremely rejoiced to see that this most important subject
has drawn your best attention, the result of which will, we
have every reason to hope, be soon attended with success.
We therefore feel in no small degree obliged for the self-
sacrifice which your aim and labours involve, and beg publicly
to convey to you this expression of gratitude on behalf of this
city, and even of the province in which it is situated; earnestly
trusting that the same Providence, who has given you strength
to exert for the welfare of our women, may spare you to see
your exertions coming to a successful issue. May you live to
see the system of female education completely carried out
throughout the length and breadth of this great country! With
earnest wishes for your long life, and safe return to your own
country, we beg to remain, Madam,
Ahmedabad: March 2, 1867.
་་
· Yours ever sincerely,
GOPAL Row, and others.
We then discussed the subject of the Female Normal
School, for the establishment of which they had sent in
a memorial to Government; they were anxious to
understand some particulars of my plan in connection
with the residence of the English teachers, which had
perplexed them, as they are unable as yet to compre-
AHMEDABAD.
41
hend the real intellectual as well as domestic position
which women hold in our country. They accepted the
idea, though with some difficulty, that I myself, without
the help of any gentleman, keep all the accounts of the
Red Lodge Reformatory for more than 60 girls under
sentence, as well as prepare all the necessary Govern-
ment returns and despatches; they evidently considered
me an exceptional case, of whom, after such a journey,
almost anything might be predicted. But how could
these girls be kept safely without police or guard?
How could the cooking be managed without menser-
vants? The bare idea that two or three girls could
cook and even bake for the establishment, was amazing
to them. The washing, surely, must be put out to be
done by men? The astonishment of the worthy gentle-
man was extreme, when I informed him that the girls
not only did all their own washing, but helped the in-
come of the school by taking it in to execute. The Judge
still seemed to think that there must be some weak
point which he had not discerned, and exclaimed, How
about the bullock-cart?' That we should condescend
to walk about, was a thing which had not entered his
imagination.
•
After I had explained everything fully, the Judge thus
wrote in my book :- Miss Carpenter's plan of a female
training-school and social reform I highly approve. I
hope the plans will shortly be carried out, and the
community of Ahmedabad will not only highly appre-
ciate, but support them. Miss Carpenter twice visited
this place, for the purpose of considering the means of
promoting female education and social reform. I have
had great pleasure in hearing the plans explained fully
by Miss Carpenter. I think that the whole community
approves of the plans entirely.'
42
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
The assembled party was anxious to hear something
respecting the proposed Social Science Association in
Bombay, and entered warmly into the idea of forming
in their city a branch, which might materially help on
the work. They were indeed fully able to co-operate,
having among them native gentlemen of various pro-
fessions and influential positions. One of them in-
scribed in my book the following statement of his
opinion, to which the others appended their names:
'I beg also to state that I sympathise very much with
the plan of a Social Science Association suggested by
Miss Carpenter. I think it will do good to our country
to have these associations formed in India. It is
hoped that an association will soon be set on foot in
Ahmedabad.'
On the next day, March 4, I was again to take leave.
I had desired to visit Baroda, to observe the condition
of a city under native rule. But learning that the
English family who might have given me a home were
out of town, I not unwillingly abandoned the idea; and
on March 4 proceeded to Surat, where the Mission
House was kindly opened to receive me, by Mr. and
Mrs. Wallace. It was truly delightful to observe how
much this Christian family is valued by the native com-
munity. Without having received his faith, they feel
the missionary to be their friend, and come to him with
confidence whenever they desire his advice and aid.
C
The same evening, a meeting was held in the Public
Library, at which I gave a full explanation of my pro-
ceedings; an abstract of this is contained in my
published Addresses.'* On the following day, a few of
the most influential natives met at the Mission House,
to consider the importance of forming a branch of the
* Pp. 53-56.
SURAT.
43
projected Bombay Social Science Association, and
formed themselves into a committee for the purpose.
On Tuesday, March 5, I had the pleasure of seeing
the first cotton-factory I had met with in India, and I
hailed it as an attempt to establish an important manu-
facture of what may be made a grand native staple
production. The manager of this factory is one of
those men whom one may proudly recognise as a true
Englishman, in whatever part of the world one may
find him. He had brought the iron framework of the
factory from England, and had himself erected the
whole building with native labour. When the masons
were afraid of going up the high chimney in the course
of erection, he went up himself, and they confidingly
followed him. In fact, he bore the same testimony
that I had received from many, that the natives work
well under the English, if treated with kindness; they
fully recognise the superiority of the British character,
and yield to its guidance with willingness. But his
feelings were much shocked by the treatment of low-
caste women, who were employed as masons' labourers ;
they had to mount ladders carrying hods, and were vio-
lently abused if they happened to touch the men.
'What would be thought of such treatment of women
in England?' I exclaimed, indignantly. People at
home know nothing of this poor country,' was his reply,
a remark full of deep and painful truth. The factory
appeared to be worked like those in England, as far as
it is completed, and has, besides, a preliminary stage
for cleaning the cotton from any seeds which may re-
main, and which might become very injurious, by
breeding maggots. In this, and in many other parts
of the work, a number of women and children of low
condition were employed, who thus obtained valuable
41
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
training, as well as the means of improving their con-
dition. It required very great patience and forbear-
ance to bring them into any degree of order, and to
induce them to attend with regularity, as all of us can
understand who have been accustomed to work with a
similar class at home. Yet it was astonishing what an
improvement they made after a time, and this was a
sufficient recompense to the worthy manager. He
much regretted that a Factory Act is not in operation
in India, that the children may be taught to read as
well as to work.
There are now six cotton-factories working at Broach:
had I been aware of this, I should not have passed
through without visiting them, and observing the effects
of them on the community.
Before leaving Surat, I was invited to visit some
native ladies in their homes: my friend and I returned
gaily decked with garlands of flowers, and I was en-
riched by the ladies with beautiful specimens of native
work. The fragrant sandalwood reminds me now, most
agreeably, that I have never been privileged to witness
more grateful feeling, than among my Hindoo friends.
On my return to Bombay, on March 6, I found that
Sir Bartle Frere and family had departed, amidst the
greatest marks of respect and regard from all the
inhabitants; my former hosts also had left for England.
Other friends kindly received me.
There were still several objects of interest to visit, of
which space compels only a brief mention.
The School of Art presents many peculiar features,
different from similar institutions in the other Presi-
dencies. A reference will be made to it in a future
chapter.
The House of Correction received a visit, which left
BOMBAY.
45
nothing but a most painful in pression. It had been
condemned several years ago, but was still standing,
though in a state which seemed to defy all improve-
ment. In this-which is, we may hope, the worst and
most insecure jail in the Presidency—are English life-
prisoners, apparently in a state which could not but
spread insubordination through the whole premises.
An Eye Hospital was well calculated to excite admira-
tion of British skill and benevolence; it was brought
into its present admirable condition by Dr. Hunter.
Here, as everywhere, was evident a great want of trained
nurses, which was much felt by the medical officers.
A Parsee gentleman conducted me over an institution
established by members of that body for the benefit of
emigrants of their own race from Persia; these are
encouraged to come to Bombay, where they soon obtain
remunerative employment. The establishment appears
very well managed. Near it is a Parsee poor-house,
established also by themselves, that none of their people
may be without the means of living. It was, however,
a very painful spectacle to see women, suffering and
helpless from physical misfortune, without any female
attendant. On inquiring why some Parsee ladies did.
not come to read to them, and minister kindly to them,
I was informed that the regulations of the place do not.
allow of the visits of ladies; these were made at a time
when Parsee ladies would not have ventured thus into
public, and were intended to prevent English ladies.
from attempting to proselytise. It is to be hoped that
a change of circumstances in both these respects will
lead to a change of the rule.
A Parsee place of worship was near, but this visitors.
are not permitted to enter. It appeared to be a plain
building, with windows protected by iron bars; a fire
46
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
of sandalwood is kept always burning, and round it
worshippers stand when engaged in prayer. The Tower
of Silence I did not wish to inspect. The sight of the
carrion-birds perched at the top, waiting for their prey,
was sufficiently repulsive.
The cotton-factories of Bombay I was, unfortunately,
prevented from visiting as I desired, though prepara-
tions had been kindly made for my doing so.
On Sunday afternoon, March 10, my kind hosts, Mr.
and Mrs. L, took me a delightful drive to Bandora,
where are some Roman Catholic mission boarding-
schools. That for boys is at present under repair and
enlargement, and cannot therefore be fairly spoken of.
That for girls is under the care of ladies, who are Ger-
man nuns. It was very striking to observe the effects
of the refining influence they exercise on coarse rough
natures, as evidenced in the sweetness of their singing.
The greater part of the washing was performed on the
premises, the good nuns inducing the girls to do this
useful work by their own personal example. I regret-
ted that this was the only opportunity that was afforded
me, while in India, of seeing a Roman Catholic school.
On Wednesday, March 13, I was requested to attend
a meeting of the Students' Literary and Scientific
Society, which was held in the hall of the Elphinstone
Institution, to receive an address. It was as follows:-
To Miss Mary Carpenter.
'Madam,-In the name of the Students' Literary and Scien-
tific Society, the Committee of Management bid you heartily
welcome to Bombay. The record of your fame as a sincere,
zealous, and disinterested friend and active well wisher of
mankind, had travelled to this land long before your arrival
amongst us. To the truly noble and self-sacrificing order of
ΒΟΜΒΑΣ,
47
British womanhood, to which you belong, India owes a deep
debt of gratitude; but your claims on our respect, admiration,
and gratitude are enhanced by their hereditary character--by
the fact of your being the philanthropic daughter of a philan-
thropic father, who was at once a friend and admirer, colleague
and biographer, of the greatest of India's modern sons, and one
of the worthiest of her reformers. The names of Rajah Ram-
mohun Roy and Dr. Carpenter are indissolubly united in our
grateful memory; and it is no small happiness to us to have
this opportunity of conveying an expression of our heartfelt
regard to one who has so nobly emulated the spirit of her
father in his earnest desire for the welfare of the people of this
land. But, Madam, there is another and more special circum-
stance, in the occasion which has called us together this day,
that imparts a peculiar character to your claims on our respect
and attention. This society, as you are aware, was founded
by students and alumni of the Elphinstone College for self-
improvement, under the direction of zealous and respected
professors and teachers, seventeen years ago. Their discussions
on social and other matters relating to their countrymen soon
bore one excellent fruit. The students were led by an irre-
sistible enthusiasm-the result of their English education-to
do something practically for the good of their country; and,
encouraged by their worthy teachers, they resolved on com-
mencing the task of female education amongst the higher classes
in Bombay. This they attempted in a truly self-sacrificing
spirit, having undertaken to act as gratuitous teachers during
their leisure hours. These disinterested efforts speedily opened
the way to female education, and the prejudices against it
rapidly disappeared amongst almost every section of native
society. Sympathy for the cause, and support in the shape of
funds, soon followed, and the management of female schools
has since been the society's chief care. We do not flatter
ourselves to have done much in a cause in which our best
interests are so intimately connected. On the contrary, we
are sensible that the work has only begun, and that renewed
efforts will have to be made by us at every step, to overcome
43
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
the barriers which ignorance, joined to the prevailing apathy
for improvement, opposes to its progress. Our pupils are
girls, who, owing to a want of qualified female teachers, to the
custom of early marriages, to social prejudices, and to a variety
of other circumstances, leave the school early. Our task thus
remains only partially accomplished; but, by the Divine bles-
sing, we intend to persevere in our humble efforts, and cannot
but feel that such devoted friends of our sacred cause as your-
self, by their love and sympathy, zeal, knowledge, and experi-
ence, in pointing out such remedies as the comparison of our
condition with that of other countries might suggest, affords us
a sure ground of hope for the success of our labours. And
with this conviction, it would have been unpardonable on the
part of the Students' Literary and Scientific Society, were we
not to take the opportunity of freely disclosing to you our
hopes and fears, in advancing a cause which you have so near
at heart. Before concluding, we would request your accept-
ance, along with this address, of a copy of the Society's Reports,
and your permission to endow a scholarship, in your name, in
connection with our schools. The members of this society
have, in accordance with your suggestions (in which they
heartily concur), forwarded, in conjunction with others, a
memorial to Government, for the establisment of training
normal schools for female teachers; and they will not rest
till this great want in the educational scheme is supplied, with
or without the assistance of Government. With profound
respect, we beg to subscribe ourselves,
Yours faithfully,
BHAU DAJI, President,
VISHWANATH NARAYEN MUNDLIK, Secretary,
and others.'
In my reply,* while thanking them for their kindness,
and touching on several points suggested by the address,
I endeavoured still more fully to explain my views of a
Female Normal School.
* Vide 'Addresses,' pp. 59-64.
MATHERAN.
49
On the following day, I gave a long address on
female education to a large company, chiefly composed
of native gentlemen, at the residence of the Hon.
Munguldass Nuthoobhoy. It is evident, then, that every
one had ample opportunity of being acquainted with
my views on this important subject.*
After so much physical and mental exertion, I
accepted with great pleasure an invitation from my
hosts, to accompany them, for a couple of days' refresh-
ment before sailing, to their agreeable country seat at
Matheran. This place is situated on the top of one part
of a grand mountain-chain on the way to Poona, and is
2,000 feet above the level of the sea. On Friday,
March 15, we arrived, at about eight o'clock in the
evening, at Narell, the nearest railway-station; there,
for the first time, I was obliged to enter a palanquin, to
ascend the steep zigzag road, which leads to the summit
of the mountain. This experience was very far from
being an agreeable one-the position, as well as the jolt-
ing, being most unpleasant. At length, after above
two hours, on emerging from a wood, fragrant with
jasmine, into the clear moonlight, we found ourselves
before a pleasant villa, where dinner was spread for us
in a style nearly as complete as if we had been at home.
The servants had been sent before, to prepare everything
for our reception. Opposite our windows was a dim
vision of a mountain range across a deep ravine, which
inspired me with high anticipations for the morrow.
did not waste an hour of morning light, but went early
into the garden, where flowers cultivated in England-
geraniums, petunias, heliotropes, &c.-diffused their
fragrance through the balmy air; a refreshing breeze,
the singing of birds, and the glorious view of the moun-
* Tide Addresses,' pp. 65-82.
VOL. II.
E
I
50
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
tains, rising like gigantic castles in front, bathed in the
golden hue of the morning sun, made this a most fasci-
nating spot. An attempt to portray some of these
glories with the pencil, made me a willing captive under
the verandah, till the tempered heat of the sun per-
mitted us to go forth to explore this wonderful place.
We made Panorama Point our goal, where indeed a
marvellous view burst upon us on every side, over the
parched expanse of a burnt-up plain, bounded by
mountains.
Sunday, March 17, was the last Sabbath I spent in
India: far from temples made by human hands, we
could worship in this glorious oratory of the moun-
tains and the wooded valley, and offer the incense of a
grateful heart to Him from whom all blessings flow!
Another lovely evening ride through the woods.
brought us to the little Chinese settlement of dis-
charged convicts, where nature and art combined to
make exquisitely neat and well-stocked vegetable gar-
dens, with the produce of which these people maintain
themselves, and have formed a little civilised com-
munity. And then we emerged from the thick foliage,
and again beheld the extensive plains and the precipi-
tous outcrops of the mountain ranges.
It was very
strange to see a telegraphic wire threading its way
through the trees in this remote spot, to carry its
messages to and from the Government stations.
We had to start betimes, at five o'clock the next
morning; and our bearers, who are very independent
of what we consider the necessaries of life, were ready
and waiting for us, as they had merely lain down in the
garden overnight. I begged for an open chair instead
of a palanquin, to enjoy the grand and lovely views,
varying at every moment; some bare trunks in the
FAREWELL ADDRESS.
51
woods, and tinted leaves, reminded me almost of a fine
autumnal morning in England. The bearers were gay
and happy, singing as they went. I much wished, but
in vain, to speak to them, and exchange words of sym-
pathy in the beauty of the morning, which was greeting
us all with fresh tokens of the Father's love.
Again the train swiftly carried us into the midst of
busy Bombay! And now I had to bid a last adieu to
scenes of deep and varied interest, and also to my kind
friends. Many of them accompanied me to the steamer
on the morning of the 20th of March.
On the eve of my departure, I was invited to the Town
Hall, where the following address was presented to
me:-
To Miss Mary Carpenter.
'Madam,-We, the undersigned native inhabitants of Bom-
bay, beg leave to approach you, on the eve of your departure
from these shores, with an expression of our sincere respect
and admiration for your noble and self-denying exertions in
the cause of enlightenment and humanity, and of our high
sense of gratitude for your earnest wishes and endeavours for
the welfare of our country and countrywomen, of which your
presence among us, away from your distant home, is not the
least remarkable instance.
'But, Madam, your name and fame for disinterested and
merciful philanthropy, and labours in the interests of the un-
fortunate and the ignorant, especially of the helpless of your
own sex, were known long before your esteemed person was
seen in these parts; and your arrival was heralded by your
touching account of the "Last Days of Rajah Rammohun Roy,"
which recalls the history of that great reformer of ours, of his
friendship with distinguished Englishmen of the last generation
(and, among others, with your own philanthropic father), and
reminds us of the times, principles, and circumstances which
gave rise to the beginning of what promises to be the great
R 2
52
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
socio-religious movement of modern India under the enlightened
rule of Britain.
'Since your landing in this country, you have illustrated
your interest both in the education of our females, and in our
social and religious condition. Your movements, while
among us, have given us an idea of the energy and activity
which have characterised your life for the last quarter of a
century. In a short space of time, you have made a tour of
all the Presidency towns, and also seen other places; you have
conferred with our highest Government authorities, and im-
parted a definiteness to their interest in the subject of native
female education. You have also personally spoken and
lectured to us, and have brought your experience in the matter
of female education in England to bear on the same task before
us, by submitting suggestions for our approval and adoption.
We have not had much cause to differ from you in your views
on any question. We regret, however, that the state of our
society has not been such as to enable us to take advantage of
your experience and of your suggestions. The present depressed
condition of this city has also debarred its merchants from
benefiting, with their wonted liberality and support, the objects.
so earnestly advocated by you. In this regret you will, doubt-
less, participate with us. But it is not the amount of actual
results achieved that we have to consider in dealing with your
claims on our respect, admiration, and gratitude. These
claims, measured by the excellence and disinterestedness of
your motives towards us, and the amount of trouble and sacri-
fice you have borne on our behalf, are indeed great. And we
feel we should be wanting in common duty to a benefactress
of the country, were we to permit you to leave these shores
without receiving some recognition from us. We, therefore,
request you will be pleased to accept this address, as an ex-
pression of our grateful appreciation of your kind wishes and
persevering exertions on behalf of our wellbeing in general,
and the enlightenment of our females in particular, and also of
our sincere esteem and admiration for your life and character
generally. We have no doubt our country and its welfare will
PARTING WORDS.
53
always occupy a share of your attention, and we trust we shall
never forget the name and the philanthropic labours of Miss
Mary Carpenter! With great respect, we subscribe ourselves
to be, Madam, your humble servants and admirers.'
It was then announced that a silver tea-service would
be presented to me as a memorial of my visit.*
Thus concluded my parting words †:-
'And now I must say farewell to my friends, for the time is
come when I must return to my own home. I have been
asked to stay longer here, and many have said that I ought to
remain, and carry out the work which I have begun. But I
have said-No. If I have been successful in rousing any per-
sons, they will be able to carry on the undertaking I have
commenced. I do not think it necessary to stay, when there
is so highly intellectual and enlightened a native population to
go on with the work.
(
· Your address has lamented that you have not, at present,
pecuniary means to carry out my plans as you desire. Now,
I did not come here expecting that you would, and I do not
ask you for pecuniary help; all I request is your co-operation.
I am sure, from what I know of you, that you do not wish
England to assist you in a pecuniary way, but that what you
do hope is, that England will give you its sympathy in your
work. I am glad to be able to state that which will stimulate
England in its sympathy, and to bring before members of the
English Government, with whom I have the honour to be
acquainted, the wants of, and the means for improving, female
education in India. I hope, too, that I may be the means of
inducing ladies of superior minds and education to come out
to India, and help you in the training of your ladies. I shall
then be carrying on at home the work which has been begun
here.
'In conclusion, I hope that if any native gentlemen feel that
there is any way in which I can assist them, they will com-
+ Tide Addresses,' pp. 85-91.
* Tide Appendix C.
54
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
municate it to me; and, on the other hand, if there is any
information which you think will be useful in England, you
will forward it to me.
'I must now say farewell! I leave your shores with deep re-
gret, but with many agreeable recollections of the kindness
with which I have been received; these will always be
treasured by me! I hope you will not forget me!'
55
CHAPTER II.
GENERAL OBSERVATIONS-RELIGIOUS MOVEMENT-SOCIAL
POSITION OF WOMEN.
A THOUGHTFUL perusal of the foregoing brief narrative
of the most striking features of my eventful six months
spent in India, will probably have led the reader to
the following conclusions:-
1st.—That the British public is, generally, very little
informed of the actual condition and wants of that
great country and its inhabitants, beyond what may be
gathered from official or from missionary reports.
2ndly. That a more familiar knowledge of India is
most important to both countries, not only as leading
the way to that social intercourse which ought to exist.
between the two races, but as preparing for improve-
ments which can be made only through the medium of
friendly confidence.
3rdly.--That the time is come when the Hindoos gladly
welcome such friendly intercourse with Europeans,
provided this is conducted with the care which true
courtesy suggests, not to wound the feelings of others,
or to interfere with social customs.
4thly. That there are many ways in which the English
can give very important help to their Hindoo fellow-
subjects, and especially in which Englishwomen can
help to raise those of their own sex in India.
56
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
5thly. That the progress of events renders improve-
ments in some branches of legislation greatly needed,
and that those who cannot directly promote these, may,
indirectly, do good by drawing public attention to
them.
With respect to the two first of these positions, a few
general remarks may be offered.
The impression which prevails in England of the
unhealthiness of India, and of the dangers and diffi-
culties of the route, I have found to be much exagge-
rated. Such impressions led to great apprehensions
being entertained by my friends respecting my own
undertaking the journey; yet I not only did not suffer
any serious inconvenience on the voyage, or during my
stay in the country, but found my health permanently
benefited by the relaxation and change. Instead of
finding the English resident gentlemen and ladies look-
ing sallow, as it is usually supposed they are, there was
among them, generally, as great an appearance of health
as at home. I found many who had been twenty or
thirty years in the country without any injury to their
health, and several preferred the climate of India, as well
as the way of living, to that in England. I made specific
inquiries, from both gentlemen and ladies, respecting the
course they pursued thus to preserve their health. Their
replies were always to the same effect-viz., they adopted
regular and moderate diet, gave proper attention to
sanitary precautions, and, above all, had full occupation
of both body and mind. Ladies who enjoyed excellent
health, after a residence of a dozen years in India, spoke
strongly on the importance of sustaining mental action,
and avoiding the indulgence of sitting in dark rooms,
and regular midday siestas. I did not hear of a single
death of an English resident while I was in India.
HINDRANCE TO ENGLISH SETTLEMENT.
57
There are, of course, many to whose constitutions the
country proves injurious, and there are still more whose
health has suffered from over-exertion; such cases only
prove the necessity of caution. With respect to young
children, it certainly does appear that, under the present
conditions of Indian society, they can very rarely be
brought up with safety in that country; the climate
appears generally injurious to the young of our race;
and, besides, they are exposed to great and almost ine-
vitable evil, in consequence of the very injudicious.
treatment, both moral and physical, which they receive
from the native ayahs. The wilfulness and deceit which
children thus learn, induce a state of fretfulness which
is most injurious to the health, as well as to the cha-
racter. The necessity existing for sending children
home for education, and thus dividing families, is the
grand hindrance to the settlement of the English in
India. No change in this respect can be anticipated
while the present social condition of domestic service in
that country remains. It is not, then, a matter for sur-
prise, that very few of the English residents, if any,
except a few missionaries, look forward to make in
India a permanent home, or a residence any longer than
their business or official position renders necessary.
While there, a change of locality may at any time be
appointed, and a passage to England is continually
occurring, whenever necessity compels, or official leave
permits; all these things are great hindrances to im-
provement in the country. Such changes I frequently
observed during my short stay, and the number of
English friends whom I met in India, and have seen or
heard of in England since my return, is very great.
This, from the circumstances of the case, is likely to
be a permanent, not an accidental condition.
No
58
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
probability then existing of a settled stationary interest
being excited in Indian social progress-tending to the
creation of an enlightened public opinion, which may
stimulate and aid improvement, and co-operate with
the native community as they may desire-it becomes
very necessary that the British public at home should
become, generally, so much acquainted with India and
the Hindoos, as to be able to lend the help of their sym-
pathy when required, and give support and encourage-
ment to social progress in India, by an informed public
opinion at home.
That the Hindoos warmly appreciate friendly treat-
ment from Europeans, was very evident to me from all
I saw and heard while in the country. The tone of society
in the Bombay Presidency, and their feeling towards the
late Governor (Sir Bartle Frere), who has done so much to
promote it, sufficiently confirms this. Indeed, wherever I
travelled, I found English residents whose official position
led them into cordial relations with the natives, and who
spoke most kindly of them. Especially did the Hindoos
appear to value friendly intercourse where it evidently
sprang from kind personal feeling towards themselves
as a nation, from a genuine regard for them as fellow-
subjects, and as the children of our common Father.
The contrary is, however, but too often the case. I was
shielded, by my position and circumstances, from the
mortification of witnessing in my countrymen unworthy
conduct towards those whom common humanity should
lead them to treat with compassion, and as weaker breth-
ren; but I was painfully aware on many occasions, and
from what I heard around me, that such is too often the
case. The natives are naturally very sensitive to this,
and the sense of being disliked by those who are wiser
and stronger than themselves, increases the suspicious-
ENGLISH TREATMENT OF NATIVES.
59
ness of their nature, and makes them insensible to the
real benefits which the British Government is constantly
conferring on them. It is, indeed, greatly to be re-
gretted, that the eloquent Keshub Chunder Sen should
have ground to speak as follows, in his celebrated lecture,
'Jesus Christ, Europe and Asia':—
'As one deeply interested in the social and spiritual welfare
of my country, I cannot but be aggrieved to see that, owing to
unjustifiable conduct on both sides, there is a most injurious
isolation between us and that nation, with whose aid we are
destined to rise in the scale of nations, and from whom we
have to learn the inestimable riches of Christ's sublime morality.
Among the European community in India, there is a class who
not only hate the natives with their whole heart, but seem to
take a pleasure in doing so. The existence of such a class of
men cannot possibly be disputed. They regard the natives as
one of the vilest nations on earth, hopelessly immersed in all
the vices which can degrade humanity, and bring it to the
level of the brutes. They think it mean even to associate
with the natives.' (P. 12.)
Again he says, in the same discourse:
'Many a European adventurer in this country seems to
believe, that he has a right to trample on every unfortunate
nigger" with whom he comes in contact. This he believes
CC
to be heroism, and in this he seeks glory! But he forgets that
to kick and trample upon one who is inferior in strength is
not heroism, but base cowardice. What glory is there in
abusing and maltreating a poor native? What glory is there.
in whipping and scourging a helpless native to death, under
the infatuating influence of brutal anger? Is this military
prowess?—or is it Christian zeal? Evidently it is neither. If
the European is at all anxious for the glory of his country and
his God, he ought to seek it in a better and more generous
treatment of the natives. If he is conscious of his superiority,
60
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
a native should be all the more an object of his compassion
and tender regards, and surely pity from a Christian heart he
has every reason to expect!'-(P. 16.)
We should blush indeed for our country, that such
utterances from a Hindoo remain uncontradicted.
Surely everyone who has the means ought to do some-
thing, each in his own special way, to wipe off so great
a reproach from his country!
It is satisfactory that the English in England pro-
duce a different impression on the Hindoos. Mr.
Kursandass Mulji, in the Introduction to his Travels in
England' (written for his countrymen in Guzerathi,
but translated by him into English) thus states his
impression:-
'You will ask me, what sort of men the people of England
are, and in what way they love foreigners? I answer that they
are very affable and kind, and are known for their love and
kindness towards strangers. This observation does not hold
equally good of all Englishmen, for there are some among
them so bad and deceitful, that they will surpass the low and
deceitful in our own country. But their higher classes, gene-
rally, will be found to be of a good and a kind disposition. If
you miss your way, and inquire it of an English gentleman, he
will lay aside his own business, and put you in the right way.
If you ride in the same carriage with Englishmen, the talkative
portion will ask you your country, caste, &c., and amuse them-
selves. But those who are reserved, and not talkatively dis-
posed, will be found to be the more numerous. You will be
mistaken in forming an unfavourable opinion of these, if, when
not acquainted, they do not speak with you.
'When once you are acquainted with a polite and influential
Englishman, and especially when the acquaintance is formed
through a respectable man like himself, then you will feel the
force of the kindness and goodness of an English gentleman.
He will introduce you to his family and friends, and you will
STYLE OF NATIVE LIVING.
61
then come to know how they all love and are attached to you,
and how much they wish well to you and to your country. If
you form your estimate of the Englishmen in England from
those you meet in India, you will deceive yourself much.
The missionaries, and Englishmen of respectability and of
noble families, who come to this country, love it, and labour for
its welfare. But others there are who confine their thoughts
solely to their own interests, and look on the natives with no
friendly eye. The warm climate of this country acts on them,
and heats their pride. Hence it would be a mistake to form
an opinion of Englishmen in England from one's experience of
them in India. An affable Englishman here is perceived to
grow in his affability there, and, knowing us to be strangers,
loves us the more, and affords us fitting aid and advice.'-
(P. 67.)
Such friendly intercourse will almost insensibly, and
without any direct effort on our part, effect great im-
provement in native manners and habits. Some native
houses where I had the pleasure of visiting in Bombay,
had quite the air and appearance of English residences,
the families living alone, the lady of the house being
the central spring of all, and no more secluded than
suited her own taste; in one, at least, the master of the
house took his evening meal with his wife and daughters.
While others talked more than he did about social im-
provement, he, on these and other very important
points, was carrying out quietly a great reform. Con-
trast such residences with the picture which is drawn
of a Hindoo abode by a Calcutta Baboo, Kanny Loll
Dey, sub-assistant surgeon, in an address delivered to
the Bengal Branch of the British Medical Association,
in March 1866:
'A native house has generally two divisions-namely, the
outer and the inner apartments: the former occupy the greater
space of the two, consisting of sitting and reception-rooms,
62
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
ness.
exclusively for the male members of the household; a hall, or
dalan, for the celebration of poojahs and festivals; and an open
courtyard, for nautches and other entertainments. These
apartments are more or less commodious, are more or less airy,
according to the means, taste, and inclinations of the owner of
the household. But farther on from these apartments, and
situated on the back of the dalan, are the inner apartments,
the untuppoor, or the zenana, into which are consigned the
females of a Bengalee household-our mothers and our wives,
our daughters and our sisters-in fact, all the dearest partners
and associates of our social existence. The construction of
these apartments is always the subject of jealous scrupulous-
There must be as few windows as possible, and, where
they cannot be altogether avoided, care is taken that they do
not open on a public street, or on a neighbeur's house-thereby
keeping out the sunshine and the wind of heaven as much as
possible. Cooking-rooms without proper chimneys, and smoky
outlets generally, form part of these dwelling apartments; in
addition to which source of mischief is the aûs takoor, or
place for throwing the refuse of the cooking-house. It may
be easy to imagine the noxious quality imparted to the atmo-
sphere by stagnant water and decaying vegetable and animal
matter. It is now generally acknowledged, that this noxious.
quality is in reality a subtle poison, which acts on the human
system through the medium of the lungs, producing fevers and
other epidemics. The miasmata, or exhalations from the cess-
pools, mixed with intolerable odours, nauseate the most healthy
stomach, and derange the most perfect constitution. There
are also the odious privy-houses, one sufficing for a whole
family. They are seldom or never cleared, and are a perennial
source of disease and unhealthiness. Some, with a view to
economy, sink wells underneath their privies, which transmit
the filth of one generation to another, like an heirloom. It is
now also generally known, that tanks, and collections of water
of every kind, are dangerous beneath or near a house, because,
unless their contents be constantly in a state of change, which
is rarely the case, their tendency is to send up exhalations of a
POLYGAMY AMONG THE NATIVES.
63
noxious kind. But to a native house, contiguous to the female
apartments, is generally attached a tank, in which the women
perform their ablutions, wash their cooking utensils, and the
water of which they use for culinary and domestic purposes.
It is, however, nothing better than a kind of millpond, into
which every kind of refuse is thrown, or is allowed to discharge
itself; the putrid matter thus collected not being cleared out
once for a long series of years, no one dreaming of any harm
from it.'
Surely intercourse with Europeans will lead to a
desire to change the condition of such unhealthy abodes,
and to feel the justice of no longer secluding the most
delicate part of the species, to whom home is everything,
in the worst part of the mansion.
The practice of polygamy, of which we have been in
the habit of entertaining so intense a horror, as common
in India, seems to have nearly disappeared from the
educated part of Hindoo society, except among the
Kulin Brahmins. I never heard of its actual existence
in any case but one, during my stay in India; happily,
I did not knowingly meet the individual who committed
it. A petition was sent to Government, I was informed,
signed by 20,000 of the most respectable natives, for
its abolition. The Government declines, however, to
interfere in social customs. Among the lower grades
of society, I learnt that it often exists to a great extent;
a washerman will marry a number of wives to do the
work. One case was mentioned to me, on good autho-
rity, of a man who had taken a large piece of land in
the island of Salsette, and married thirty wives to culti-
vate it, as the cheapest way of obtaining labour!
The practice of members of a family living together
in one establishment, is another Hindoo custom which
had its origin in earlier ages, when circumstances may
64
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
have rendered it important to strengthen and support
themselves by a very close family tie. The following
description of this custom and its effects, is thus de-
scribed in an article in the Indu Prakash,' as quoted
in Allen's Indian Mail' of Nov. 16, 1867:-
In each family there is one chief man, on whose character
the happiness or unhappiness of all depends. He becomes, as
it were, a king, and his wife the queen, and they carry on the
government. It is a "Moglai raj.”
Moglai raj." The rest of the family
are not consulted, especially if they are unemployed; they are
looked upon as mere nobodies. The chief work of the wife of
the family is to cause quarrels. She feels unhappy because
the money expended on the family is that earned by her hus-
band. Her feelings of self-interest force her to commit im-
proper acts. If there be any hereditary property, all fight for
their shares, and at last suits are instituted in the courts. Thus
the owners of the property lose it, and are reduced to poverty;
they become insolvents, and are miserable. The manager, if
he is selfish, looks to his own interest, and cheats his brothers.
If he is honest, probably the rest of the family suspect him
without cause, and are always quarrelling with him; so that,
whether he is a rogue or honest, he is sure to be always
accused.
Look now at the position of the wife; but it is difficult to
find anything to compare this with. There is no freedom for
a man even in our families; how can there be, then, for a
helpless woman? Her condition is, simply, that of a slave.
As soon as she is married she begins to be tormented. In
some families, when the daughters go to their father-in-law's
house, they may be considered to be entering on the torments
of hell (yumyatana). She must rise the first in the morning,
and go to bed the last at night. She must do the most work,
and eat the worst food in the house; but she must be properly
dressed, and must not appear in rags.
As a reward for her
labour, she gets abuse, and sometimes blows; but she must
bear all this in silence, else what more will she not get? She
POSITION OF A HINDOO WIFE.
65
Is
has also to hear vile abuse of her parents and forefathers.
she the servant of one person only? No; all in the house,
great and small, exercise an iron rule over her. Until she
is grown-up she may not speak to her husband; who, then,
will protect her? When she is grown up, if her husband is
good, and earns his living, she may begin to have a little com-
fort; but even then, she and her husband may not speak in
public together. If they do so speak, they get the reputation
of being immodest and babblers, besides which, her husband's
relations will begin to suspect her, and be envious of her. If
she have children, it is not proper for her husband and her to
show even ordinary affection or pleasure; but we cannot de-
scribe the strife, envy, and grumblings of the other women.
In short, the houses of our people are often, from this cause,
like the fireplaces of hell!
'But if these are the sad effects of this custom on individuals
and families, they do not end there, but tend to the ruin of the
country. By families living all together, the proper income
of the house does not suffice for all. The whole weight of life
is on the shoulders of one, and the rest are lazy and careless.
All obey the orders of one, and so the independence which is
natural to man is not even seen to be natural and fitting.
From perpetual bickerings the spirit is broken, and the proper
pride which is essential to every man is among our people de-
stroyed. Besides this, from perpetual quarrels at home,
interest in the affairs of the outer world is destroyed. There
is a perpetual growth of inferiority and meanness. From all
these causes there is but litle work done. Independent energy
and courage also cease among our people, and, from their
having no proper pride, we do not even know the name of
pride in our country as a virtue.'
The effect of this state of society, and the manner in
which religion and social usage are combined by the
so-called 'orthodox Hindoos,' is thus described by
Baboo Koilas Chundra Bose, in a paper read before the
Bengal Social Science Association :
VOL. II.
F
66
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
'To a Hindoo father, a son is an object of religious value..
He is not only the light and comfort of his eye in this world,
but the instrument of his salvation in the next. In the Daya
Bhága it is said, "since a son delivers his father from the hell
called put, therefore he is named puttra by the Self-existent
Himself." A childless man cannot escape perdition. To die,
therefore, without issue, is regarded as one of the greatest of
all calamities. It is for this reason that the birth of a male
child is attended with greater rejoicing and merriment in a
Hindoo household than the birth of a daughter. In addition,
therefore, to natural affection, religion lends its weight in in-
creasing the value of male children. They are, therefore,
reared up in the midst of tenderness, affection, and caresses,
which are carried to such an extravagant length, that they
sometimes do more harm than good to the objects upon which
they are lavished. Hindoo parents do not love their children;
they caress and spoil them. In them they love the trophies of
their vanity, the pastime of their idleness, the fancied instru-
ments of a mistaken salvation. Bedecked with pearls and
gold, the Hindoo child in its infancy contracts habits of pomp
and show, which in manhood cannot be useful either to him-
self or to society. The fondness of Hindoo parents for adorn-
ing their children with gold and jewels is so inordinate, that a
person occupying a very humble position in society, doing no
more honourable business than that of collecting sircar, and
carning only 16 rupees a month, is obliged, by social tyranny
and convention, to buy at his son's annaphrashan (or the
ceremony of initiating the child in rice-eating) at least 20 sicca
weight of gold (value 320 rupees), which the neighbouring
goldsmith is ready to convert into trinkets for the occasion.
It is known of a man who actually raised money to celebrate
this pleasing rite by mortgaging his ancestral domicile, the
only one he had on earth to put his head under.'-(P. 124.)
How such a system is calculated to stifle all individual
energy, and to bind the ignorance and superstition of
a past generation, as a dead burden on the living
DEPENDENT POSITION OF YOUNG HINDOOS.
67
present, is proved by a subsequent passage in the same
paper:-
'Under the present régime, Hindoo parents are not only
required to maintain their sons and families, but a moral obli-
gation is almost imposed upon them, by the tacit consent of
society, to find adequate provision for them in life, accord-
ing to their own rank and dignity. Thus, all sense of inde-
pendence and self-exertion is snapped asunder; and we find
in many Hindoo families of wealth and rank, grown-up young
men, who might have been the pride and ornament of their
families and their country, withering in sensualism and inanity.
The gross dependence of children on their parents, their com-
plete helplessness and incapacity to make their own way, is
chiefly characteristic of the Hindoos of this country, whose ener-
gies are paralysed, whose enterprise is cramped, by nothing so
much as parental fondness and parental government.'-(P.125.)
The position of young men of intelligence and edu-
cation, with a mind awakened to desire and aim at
progress, both for themselves and their country, is
greatly to be pitied. Whatever their desire to throw
aside all that must be absolutely soul-sickening to their
enlightened mental vision; with the most ardent wishes
to work out for themselves a nobler future-with an
intense yearning after social sympathy with those to
whom they have linked their earthly existence, and a
longing to awaken their intellectual nature-with all
this, they are dragged down to absolute dependence
by their pecuniary needs, and retained in a state of
bondage, from which religion and filial piety alike
forbid them to emancipate themselves. Honour, then,
to everyone whose moral courage and goodness of
heart enable him to free himself from thraldom, to
put away the gods of the heathen, and worship the
one living and true God--to leave father and mother
F 2
68
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
at the call of conscience, and cleave unto his wife '-
thus bringing on himself the dreaded penalty of excom-
munication! Honour to such an one! And if he proves,
by the consistency of his subsequent conduct, that he is
actuated by no motive but what is noble and manly-
that he desires to please no one but the Father of his
inner spirit—then it is both a privilege and a duty for
every truehearted Englishman to encourage him, by
sympathy in the work which he is doing for his country.
It has been my good fortune, during my six months in
India, to become acquainted with a few such, of whom
the world knows little, for they are not seeking the
praise of men;-I have been happy to feel that my
sympathy has helped them.
It is evident from the foregoing extracts, as well as
from the testimony of all Hindoos, that their religion
and social habits are indissolubly connected. The
immoralities which exist under the name of religion,
and are still practised in India, were brought before the
public in the famous Maharaj case in January 1862.
The Maharajas exercised the highest spiritual authority
over their adherents. A Hindoo gentleman of Bombay,
Kursandass Mulji, had for some time courageously ex-
posed various immoral habits practised by them, and
taken his stand against many social evils. For this he
was sued for libel by one of these priests, and the trial
occupied many weeks, in the course of which witnesses
unveiled horrors inconceivable to the English mind.
The defendant was exposed to the rage of a bigoted
mob, and only the strong intervention of the police
saved his life, as he went each day to the court. Truth
and justice finally prevailed; a verdict was given for
the defendant. Sir Joseph Arnould thus concluded his
elaborate and learned judgment:
THE MAHARAJ CASE AT BOMBAY.
69
'It is not a question of theology that has been before us; it
is a question of morality. The principle for which the defend-
ant and his witnesses have been contending, is simply this-
that what is morally wrong, cannot be theologically right;
that when practices which sap the very foundations of morality,
which involve a violation of the eternal and immutable laws
of right, are established in the name and under the sanction of
religion, they ought, for the common welfare of society, and in
the interest of humanity itself, to be publicly denounced and
exposed. They have denounced-they have exposed them.
At a risk and at a cost which we cannot adequately measure,
these men have done determined battle against a foul and
powerful delusion. They have dared to look custom and error
boldly in the face, and proclaim before the world of their
votaries, that their evil is not good, that their lie is not the
truth. In thus doing they have done bravely and well.'
High public testimonies, by both influential natives and
Englishmen, were given to the defendant, Mr. Kursandass
Mulji, who had so courageously attacked immorality, and
supported purity of religion. It was, however, thought
best that he should take a journey to England after the
exertions and trials he had borne. Though he endea-
voured while abroad to preserve the regulations of caste
as far as lay in his power, yet he was excommunicated on
his return, only two of his friends having the courage to
receive him with kindness. He published a work on his
travels in Europe, in Guzerathi, which has been very
highly appreciated, both by the Government and by his
countrymen. Now, when we find that, after so long a
period of education and intercourse with Europeans,
idolatry, associated with the worst immorality, still
holds such tyrannic sway in an enlightened city, that
anyone who ventures to unveil it shall be exposed to
such cruel persecution, and that his nearest relatives cast
ΤΟ
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
him off, surely it is the duty of all to countenance those
who manfully bear a testimony to truth!
It is sometimes imagined, that all who are not
Christians are heathens. This is far from being the
case. I never met with any educated men who believed
in idolatry, though they have not the courage, like this
gentleman, openly to renounce connection with idola-
trous practices. I did what I thought was good,' he
says, ' and leave the results to God.' Educated Hindoos
acknowledge one God, our Heavenly Father, and I
always found them respond to an appeal to Him.
While the caste system still binds them, they yet have
broken away from the actual worship of idols.
The following extract from a letter from a Brahmo
gentleman, would probably meet the views of most of
his sect:-
'You were pleased to ask me to state what my religious
persuasion is. I am happy to say that I belong to no sect, as
I know of no sect the creed of which takes an unlimited—or, in
other words, the spiritual-view of the Universal Father, the
Great Spirit; and if such a sect exists, I shall be happy to
belong to it. But my idea is, that sectarianism and religion
are incompatible. The true state of religion-or, in other
words, the spiritual state-rises above every sect and every
creed, which must look upon God in a limited form more or
less, and no one can realise God unless he or she be super-
sensuous or spiritual. I grant that the object of every creed
is to make us spiritual. But does it do so? Does it not
circumscribe instead of enlarging the soul? An elevated soul
takes an elevated view of God, both as regards His attributes
and providence. The prayers of an elevated soul are very
different from those of a narrow and ritualistic soul. In ad-
versity and prosperity an elevated soul sees God equally-it
sees "good in everything." But not so the soul chained to a
particular creed. This is a vast question, and a great deal
NATIVE VIEW OF CHRISTIANITY.
71
can be said upon it. Instead of looking up to soul, and through
the soul to God, or, in other words, instead of being subjective,
we are objective. There is, therefore, no wonder that we learn
religion objectively.'
The Bombay Hindoo Reformer,' when commenting
on the conversion of some natives to Christianity, does
not defend Hindooism, but what he terms Prathanaism,
or the worship of one God, and says: The religion of
the Prathana Somaj can count its adherents by thou-
sands, not only among the Hindoos, but among all other
nations on the surface of the globe. In fact, it is des-
tined to be the religion of the whole world. And
though the day is still very distant from us when such
a glorious result would be consummated, that it will
come cannot admit of a doubt.'
To many it may appear incomprehensible, yet it is
nevertheless a painful fact, that while holding views so
enlightened, a strong prejudice exists against Chris-
tianity, and that native converts are regarded with great
dislike. Hindoos respect the precepts of Christianity,
and the morality of the Bible they hold in high esteem,
but to the reception of Christianity they feel insuper-
able difficulties. This is, in the first place, probably
owing to the fact of its being the religion of a foreign
nationality, and subversive of the social distinctions of
caste, which, however inconvenient and injurious, are
yet those which they hold from their forefathers. They
consequently appear to regard a Christian convert as a
traitor and a renegade. This feeling is strengthened
by the fact, that converts are, with some few exceptions,
from low castes, and thus additionally an object of
contempt in their estimation. Then, again, their faith
in their own sacred writings having been shaken, they
do not willingly accept any other revelation. A
72
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
Brahmo gentleman wrote to me, 'We do not wish to
change one form of superstition for another.' They
feel it impossible for them to accept miracles under any
circumstances, and thus difficulty occurs at the very
commencement.
C
The very small number of converts annually made,
notwithstanding the great and indefatigable efforts of
the missionaries, and their warm devotion to the work,
of which many instances have been given in the course
of this narrative, seem to indicate that difficulties must
exist, which have not yet been generally understood.
Forty years ago, Rammohun Roy pointed out strongly,
that the system of bringing abstruse and difficult doc-
trines before his people, was not the most judicious course.
He himself anxiously desired to lead his countrymen,
in the first place, to accept the Precepts of Jesus' as
their guide, persuaded (as he states in his preface) that
the adoption of them would lead to truth and happiness.
His efforts do not appear to have been seconded by
Christians, nor has his work-which, coming from a dis-
tinguished Brahmin, would surely have weight with his
countrymen-been translated into any Indian tongue,
except his native Bengali. Surely it would be well to
encourage all advances towards pure theism, and all
efforts to escape from the debasing system which pre-
vents the elevation of the Hindoo nation! Such sym-
pathy from Europeans I always found gladly welcomed
by the natives, when given with proper respect for their
individual freedom of thought; they also received kindly
the expression of the testimony I always bore to them,
that to Christianity I owe everything, and that I
earnestly desire that they should possess the inesti-
mable blessing I myself enjoy.
Everyone who lives out his religion in the spirit of
NATIVE VIEW OF CHRISTIANITY.
73
his Divine Master, is preparing the way for the coming
of His kingdom; and surely everyone who has any idea
of the thraldom and unspeakable horrors of idolatry,
should omit nothing by which, directly or indirectly, as
best his own conscience may direct, to prepare the way
for its abandonment!
In the meantime, all must rejoice that one of so
great an influence among his countrymen as Keshub
Chunder Sen, should, without having embraced Chris-
tianity, have so lofty a conception of it as is contained in
the following passage, in his celebrated discourse, 'Jesus
Christ, Europe and Asia,' to a crowded audience of
Hindoos:
'It cannot be said that we in India have nothing to do with
Christ or Christianity. Have the natives of this country alto-
gether escaped the influence of Christianity, and do they owe
nothing to Christ? Shall I be told by my educated country-
men, that they can feel nothing but a mere remote historic
interest in the grand movement I have described? You have
already seen how, in the gradual extension of the Church of
Christ, Christian missions came to be established in this distant
land, and what results these missions have achieved. The
many noble deeds of philanthropy and self-denying benevo-
lence which Christian missionaries have performed in India,
and the various intellectual, social, and moral improvements
which they have effected, need no flattering comment; they are
treasured in the gratitude of the nation, and can never be for-
gotten or denied. (Applause.) That India is highly indebted
to these disinterested and large-hearted followers of Christ, for
her present prosperity, I have no doubt the entire nation will
gratefully acknowledge. Fortunately for India, she was not
forgotten by the Christian missionaries when they went about
to preach the Gospel. (Cheers.) While, through missionary
agency, our country has thus been connected with the en-
lightened nations of the West, politically, an all-wise and all-
74
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
merciful Providence has entrusted its interests to the hands of
a Christian sovereign. In this significant event worldly men
can see nothing but an ordinary political phenomenon; but
those of you who can discern the finger of Providence in indi-
vidual and national history, will doubtless see here His wise
and merciful interposition. (Hear, hear.) I cannot but reflect
with grateful interest on the day when the British nation first
planted their feet on the plains of India, and the successive
steps by which the British Empire has been established and
consolidated in this country. It is to the British Government
that we owe our deliverance from oppression and misrule, from
darkness and distress, from ignorance and superstition. Those
enlightened ideas which have changed the very life of the
nation, and have gradually brought about such wondrous im-
provement in native society, are the gifts of that Government,
and so, likewise, the inestimable boon of freedom of thought
and action, which we so justly prize. Are not such considera-
tions calculated to rouse our deepest gratitude and loyalty to
the British nation, and Her Most Gracious Majesty Queen
Victoria? (Cheers.) Her beneficent Christian administration
has proved to us not only a political, but a social and moral
blessing, and laid the foundation of our national prosperity and
greatness; and it is but natural that we should cherish towards
her no other feeling except that of devoted loyalty.'
May such sentiments be widely spread among the
people of India !
To no part of the community is the possession of a
purer faith of more importance than to the women of
India. While their educated husbands and male rela-
tives are gradually making efforts to escape from thral-
dom, they themselves are still strongly bound by it.
From the first to the last day of a residence in India,
the point which most painfully strikes the mind is the
position of Hindoo women. This seems to affect every
part of society, both native and English. The mere
THE POSITION OF HINDOO WOMEN.
75
10
fact of women being uneducated, is one which may be
remedied by the introduction of schools, and the afford-
ing proper instruction. This, though important, does
not remove the evil. The injustice done to woman,
by treating her who is created equal, though dif-
ferent, as an inferior-by depriving her of the possi-
bility of developing the powers which God has given
her, and of discharging ber duties and fulfilling her
destiny-meets one at every turn. None can be more
alive to the evils of woman's present position, than en-
lightened Hindoos themselves, who perceive in it, not
only the loss of that high domestic happiness which
they have learnt to aspire to as their own natures have
become more elevated by education, but also the grand
barrier to the improvement of their race, and their
own emancipation from the thraldom of superstition.
It is my firm conviction,' writes one of these, that
India can scarcely take a high position in the scale of
civilisation, without raising the social condition of
women in general. Women, as a class, are uneducated,
and are treated little better than slaves in India.' A
native poet sings of 'female serfdom,' as the only term
which can express their present condition. And yet,
by a remarkable kind of retribution, while woman is
thus debarred from the exercise of the powers given her
by the Creator, and from taking her place in society,
she exercises a remarkable sway over those who are en-
thralling her, and binds them down with the very chains
of superstition with which she is herself enthralled.
It is everywhere felt among the enlightened, that the
stronghold of idolatry, and all its attendant evils, is in
the home; that the guardians of the rites and usages
which are associated with the utmost degradation, are
those whose claims to influence no tyranny can annihi-
76
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
late. Whether we read the description given by the
collegian of the degrading manner in which the young
Bengali, whose mind has been inmbued with the
highest and purest sentiments of English literature, is
compelled by his female relatives to pay his morning
homage before a senseless image, and present rich
offerings to a hideous idol, before he ventures to
take his morning meal, and go to his official duties;
or whether we listen with astonishment to a native
judge, who publicly confesses that he had been com-
pelled, by the ladies of his household, to do what
he knows to be wrong, and to see his child sacri-
ficed to the folly of witchcraft, exclaiming helplessly,
'Some men may boast that they have moral courage,
I have not; who can curb a woman?'-every view
of the subject directs to the same point; all acknow-
ledge that the present condition of woman, and her
utter ignorance of everything that should exalt her
nature, is the great barrier to the elevation of the
natives. What can be hoped from her softening in-
fluence on society when the following is her social
position, as described by a native writer?—
'These dark spots occur in the shape of certain restraints
on free social intercourse between man and wife. They might
be the institutions of a barbarous age-they might have had
their origin in certain local peculiarities and customs; but their
continuance on the statute-book, and their practice up to the
present day, are scarcely creditable to those who, holding their
women in the highest esteem, suffer themselves to be led by
force of habit to outrage their own understanding. Take, for
instance, such an ordinance as this-
"Let no man either eat with his wife, or look at her eat-
ing, or sneezing, or yawning, or sitting carelessly."
Now, one of the greatest promoters of domestic happiness
THE POSITION OF HINDOO WOMEN.
77
is the family board, at the head of which the mistress of the
house has a right to sit, to quicken the glow of social enjoy-
ment by her presence. Her exclusion from it by Hindoo law
may, to some extent, be explained by the share which Hindoo
women originally had in the cooking of the food, and in the
serving of it to all the members, including the servants of the
house. The law also declares that "a husband is to be revered
as a god by a virtuous wife," and their eating together may
justly militate against that law. But in the present advanced
state of our society-when the women of the house, generally,
neither cook their own food, nor serve it with their own hands,
and when the godship of the husband is generally understood
to be a mere figure of speech-the introduction into every
respectable native house of a family board, where a man and
his wife, with their sons and daughters, and daughters-in-law,
may eat together, cannot fail to develope those social amenities
in which we are now so particularly deficient. Female com-
panionship is a desideratum in Hindoo society, the want of
which every educated Bengali, in his heart, cannot but deeply
regret. As long, therefore, as we do not succeed in removing
the existing restraints, which prevent women from mixing in
the society of men, so long do we not only give a handle to
our traducers to charge us with cruelty and unkindness to the
weaker sex, but we lend ourselves to the continuance of a
system, which is at once pernicious, and opposed to our truest
aspirations after happiness.'*
All enlightened natives know, also, that their race is
becoming physically deteriorated by the social customs.
to which they are bound. Mothers at twelve, and
grandmothers at five-and-twenty, cannot be the parents
of a strong and hardy race; nor can those who are
confined to the sunless apartments to which we have
been introduced by our native professor, inspire their
children with the genial influences of God's beautiful
world. Those who are acquainted with native customs
* Vide ‘Transactions of the Bengal Social Science Association,' p. 136.
78
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
with regard to women, are well aware why these are
too often old and shrivelled when they might be in
the full beauty of womanhood-why their minds are
dwarfed to the measure of childhood, when they should
be able to draw out the faculties of their children, and
inspire them with thoughts and principles which should
guide their minds through life.
None better than the Hindoos themselves understand
all these things. They know, practically, the influence
on society of the great perversion of right principles
which pervades their social existence, and which brings
with it the fearful consequences which attend all devi-
'ations from the laws which govern the universe. The
social condition of woman is the frequent subject of
their writing and their speaking. Numerous are the
pamphlets on female education; constant are the
lamentations over early marriages, as the root of all
social evils, as indeed it is; great is the agitation in
favour of the remarriage of widows, the prohibition of
which is the cause of immense misery and immorality.
And yet those who speak the most loudly on the sub-
ject, who express the most enlightened views, who will
spend whole fortunes in endeavouring to promote a
grand and radical reform in others, in their own fami-
lies, perpetuate by deeds the evils which they oppose
in words. So truly did the native poet again sing-
'Long have we groaned 'neath custom's iron chain,'
so difficult do they find it to break from the thraldom.
It is, however, the Hindoos who must emancipate
themselves. The work is actually beginning, as will
be evident from a perusal of the foregoing pages.
Quietly but surely, here and there, without noise or
ostentation, an important step is being taken, which is of
NATIVE EFFORTS FOR FEMALE EDUCATION.
*9
more value in leading the way to a great change in
society, than any amount of declamation or argument.
The Government most wisely pursues a steady course.
of non-interference, satisfied that emancipation must
come at no remote period, from the natural progress of
events. In all my own intercourse with the native
community, I pursued a similar course. Feeling that
it would be most ill-advised, as well as improper, in a
visitor, who came to offer friendly sympathy, to obtrude
plans or attempt reforms for which the inhabitants were
not prepared, I rather followed their leading in the way
in which improvement should be made, and showed
them the result of the course I advised, in my own
country. The native gentlemen had long felt that, as
education had elevated them, so would it their ladies;
and while the Government had educated them, they
felt that it was their place to undertake female educa-
tion. When they first attempted this, they had no
educated females who could become teachers; they feared
the influence of Englishwomen in their social customs,
and the religion they held from their fathers; and not
only would not employ them as teachers, but did not
allow the introduction of the English language in their
schools: they employed pundits as instructors, this
being their only resource at the time. Even this im-
perfect education prepared the way for something better;
the instruction given in the mission schools by female
teachers, showed how greatly young Hindoo girls might
be improved by suitable instructors, and a desire had
begun to spring up, more or less in each Presidency,
among enlightened Hindoos, for female teachers.
Their great dread of conversion, which is associated in
their minds with denationalization, prevented their
availing themselves, generally, of the help which the
80
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
missionaries might have given, and they did not see
the way to progress. Such was the state of female
education, when circumstances led me to learn the want
existing, from enlightened natives, who were themselves
experienced in education. They wanted to secure a
supply of female teachers; they desired English help
and civilisation, if this could be obtained without the
danger of religious or social interference. The experi-
ence which many years had given them of Government
education, made them feel satisfied that they might trust
to the sincerity of its avowed intentions, while the in-
creased intercourse they had had with European ladies,
as well as gentlemen, inspired them with confidence in
their friendly intentions. The time was thus now
arrived when an organised scheme may be prepared
permanently to supply the want. How earnestly the
natives entered into this, has been already seen; the
proposed method of working it will be set forth in
another chapter.
We have hitherto spoken of the higher classes of
women in India, and of the efforts which are being
made, by the educated Hindoos, to enable them to
share the educational benefits they have themselves
received. There has as yet, however, been no or-
ganised attempt made to educate the girls of the in-
ferior castes, though missionary schools are open to
them. A great gulf exists between those who are
secluded in the zenana, and those who are rather the
drudges of the other sex than their helpmates. The
sight of women employed as ordinary labourers--as
porters toiling under heavy burdens--is most repulsive.
The features which nature intended to be soft and
refined, are worn with hardship, and the degrading
employments they are compelled to undertake seems to
WANT OF FEMALE WORKERS.
81
destroy the sense of feminine propriety. Thus com-
pelled to do the work of men, they are debarred from
employments regarded by us as properly belonging to
women, while men are engaged to do the feminine tasks
of needlework, washing, and numberless other light
works. Extreme ignorance, and the vices connected
with idolatry, render woman in India very unfit to
perform the duty nature intended for her-the care of
children; for, even if she can take proper care of their
little bodies (which is doubtful), she infuses into their
opening minds a degree of deception and wilfulness
which years may not be able to eradicate. In the
course of the foregoing narrative, we have everywhere
seen the evil caused by the present position of things:
the hospitals are without proper nurses, because the
natives are not fit to discharge the office; the jails are
without female warders for the women's department.
These evils cannot be remedied at once, but there
should be serious consideration of the best way to begin
the work. That was pointed out to us by the native
gentry themselves in the case of the higher classes.
Let us watch for indications how to act in the best way
for those in the lower classes of society.
The factory system, now spreading in India, affords
an admirable opening. The female workers will not
themselves desire education, not having yet learned to
comprehend its value; but, if given to them as a part
of the condition of their work, they will be improved
by it, and the managers will feel the benefit, by their
becoming better workers. It will be one step in the
right direction.
Another most important way of improving native
women of the lower classes, would be by founding
institutions for training nurses. At present there are,
VOL. II.
G
82
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
probably, no native women in India capable of dis-
charging such duties. Some years ago, there were no
properly-educated native medical practitioners. The
Calcutta Medical College has led the way in giving
a good medical education to the natives, and now, in
every part of the empire, are those who can give to their
countrymen sound medical advice, which they will,
probably, receive from native practitioners with more
confidence than from foreigners. But the doctor can
do little if he is not seconded by the nurse.
The igno-
rant woman, putting her faith in charms, and entirely
disregarding the most ordinary laws of health in her
treatment of the sick, entirely defeats all the efforts of
the physician to save his patient. The father remains
powerless, and sees his beloved child sacrificed to the
infatuated superstition of the females of his family,
which defy medical skill. The husband beholds his wife
sink, in her suffering and weakness, under the ignorant.
treatment she receives from those who have never learnt
how to do better. The hospitals we have already spoken
of as suffering from want of proper attendance on the
patients, or indeed, frequently, from entire absence of
any proper care. Now, there cannot be a doubt that
Hindoo women would be peculiarly well-fitted for
nurses, if they had received proper training. The per-
sonal Hindoo servants of gentlemen, who have in-
sensibly learnt the habits and wants of Europeans,
prove most faithful and devoted nurses in time of sick-
ness, as I have often heard Anglo-Indians gratefully
acknowledge. Surely the women then possess, even in
a greater degree, qualities which would, if developed,
enable them to supply a great and widely-felt want!
We have seen the excellent results of the society for
training nurses at Calcutta, in connection with the
WHAT ENGLISHWOMEN MAY DO.
83
Medical College Hospital. Let institutions of a similar
kind be commenced at Bombay and Madras, and in
other grand centres of civilisation in India, and a great
work will be inaugurated, which cannot fail to benefit.
the country.
There is, too, a work to do for every lady who em-
ploys native women in her service in India, and one
which need not remove her from home; many are doing
this by endeavouring to improve their female atten-
dants, and superintending the education of the chil-
dren of the servants of their households. The direct,
as well as indirect, influence of every Englishwoman, as
well as every Englishman in India, for good or for evil,
can hardly be estimated. What has been already done
reveals what great wants exist, and how they may be
supplied. The devoted work of multitudes of English-
women in that great continent, shows what our sex can
do: new light, the rapid progress of civilisation, the
wants created by it, reveal increasing need of women's
work in India. May many more Englishwomen arise,
who shall devote themselves to the glorious and blessed
work of raising their Eastern sisters, to fill that place in
society for which the Creator has destined them!
G 2
84
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
CHAPTER III.
THE INHABITANTS OF INDIA.
THOSE in our country who know as little of India as I
did myself before my visit to the East, are perhaps
hardly aware of the number of races and tribes inhabit-
ing that vast peninsula. To say that the inhabitants
of Hindostan differ from each other as much as those
of the whole of Europe, would present a very inade-
quate idea to the mind. Much as the ice-bound plains.
of Lapland, the rugged grandeur of the Scandinavian
peninsula, the varied marvels of nature which astonish
the traveller even within a comparatively small space
in the central countries of our Western continent, differ
from the soft and beautiful South, with its vine-covered
hills, its orange-perfumed groves, the tender beauty of
its woodlands and lakes, the grandeur of its cascades.
and mountains-there is an infinitely greater diversity
of climate, country, productions, and marvellous features
of nature, contained between the heaven-piercing sum-
mits and eternal snow of the Himalayas, and the spicy
woods and palm-bound shores of the tropical island of
Ceylon. In like manner is there far greater variety in
the human species inhabiting our Indian Empire, than
in the subjects of all the monarchies of Europe. The
Laps, the Icelanders, the Russians, the Germans, do
indeed differ from the Spaniards, the Italians, the
THE VARIETY OF INDIAN RACES.
85
Greeks, the semi-Oriental Turks-and all these differ
essentially from the inhabitants of our own British Isles ;
even within our own small sphere, there are to be found
different races, and those of the same race so unlike
each other, that the vigorous energetic population of
the manufacturing district can hardly understand, in
character or speech, the inhabitants of the rich agri-
cultural South of England, washed by the blue trans-
parent waves of our Channel, with hills and valleys
redolent with myrtle and fragrant herbs:-yet these
different nations and varieties sink into nothing in
comparison with those that people Hindostan. In
Europe there is (excepting in Turkey) the common ac-
ceptance of the Christian religion, and, notwithstanding
the great variety of forms under which this is received,
yet the simple acknowledgment of it as a Divine reve-
lation, gives some degree of unity of social institutions,
thought, and feeling; while the Jews and Mahometans,
who do not so receive it, holding as a fundamental doc-
trine the absolute unity of the Great First Cause of all,
have not imbibed those idolatrous practices which are,
in India, so fatal a hindrance to improvement. Euro-
peans have, more or less, common ideas of civilisation
and social intercourse, and they can travel from one
part of the continent to the other without any great
shock to their conventional notions; though there is
no lingua franca of the whole continent, yet frequent
travel, and constantly increasing facilities of intercourse,
renders intercommunication easy. In India, on the
contrary, there are not only differing but hostile re-
ligions, so closely connected with social habits, as to
render it impossible for different races to have friendly
domestic intercourse with each other, for each is sur-
rounded with barriers which must not be broken down.
86
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
Until the recent introduction of railways, communica-
tion between these different parts was most difficult and
rare, and this isolation led to the perpetuation of the
most extraordinary and (in the opinion of the educated),
most absurd customs. Some of these have been already
indicated; many are disappearing before the march of
civilisation, and, still more, before the progress of educa-
tion and enlightenment.
To attempt to give any complete account of the
races of India, would be obviously impossible in a single
chapter. Not having, while in that country, any in-
tention of writing a book, I did not collect information
on this subject, which would then have been accessible
to me, while the impossibility of intercourse with the
uneducated native races limited my acquaintance to
those who spoke English. I am, therefore, not in a
position to give even a brief account of all the races
and tribes, and various subdivisions of the inhabitants
of India, or even of any part of it. Yet even the few
remarks which I can offer, my own impressions, and
still more some reliable information not generally
accessible, may throw light on subjects to which I
am anxious to invite the serious consideration of the
reader.
On arriving at Bombay, the nearest port to England,
and that which is especially the great commercial em-
porium of the Empire, one is immediately struck by a
great diversity existing among the inhabitants. The
Hindoos, with their many tribes and castes, being for a
time disregarded, those that occupy the most prominent
position are the Parsees. These are well known to be
descendants of the ancient Persians or fire-worshippers,
the followers of Zurthosht or Zoroaster. They are at
present so remarkable for their intelligence and com-
THE PARSEES.
87
mercial activity, that of late years they have taken a
lead in the city, and have sometimes obscured the real
merits and progress of the Hindoos themselves, in the
opinion of English writers. Their sacred writings and
prayers are in Zend, an obsolete language; they are
said to have been destroyed by Alexander the Great.
Traces of them have been discovered in Germany, and
the learned among them are occupied in collecting,
restoring, and translating them. Zoroaster is regarded
by the common people as divinely inspired: a highly
educated Parsee gentleman informed me, however, that
he and others did not consider that their great legis-
lator claimed inspiration for himself, though his writings
are received as the highest authority. It is wonderful
how much sway one mind may hold for thousands of
years!
The Parsees appear likely to exercise so great an
influence in the portion of Western India where they
have settled, that it will be interesting to read the
following statement respecting them, made by Dr.
Wilson at the annual meeting of the Sir Jamsetjee
Jejeebhoy Parsee Benevolent Institution (on April 9,
1867):-
The institution, it will have been observed, was founded by
the late venerated Parsee baronet, Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy,
and his benevolent consort, still surviving. The large sum
(of about four lacs of rupees) forming its foundational
endowment, it is to be borne in mind, for the credit of that
distinguished family, forms only about a tithe of the contribu-
tions made by it to the cause of philanthropy in the West of
India. One magnificent specimen of this liberality appears
in the extensive hospitals surrounding the Grant Medical
College, at which the numerous native residents and visitors
of the island of Bombay principally obtain their medical and
88
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
surgical relief.
Numerous other exhibitions of its action
This
appear at all the towns and villages of the Northern Konkan
and Guzerat in which any Parsees are to be found.
munificent liberality, too, has produced various commendable
imitations in the Parsee community, so much so that the
Parsees stand pre-eminent, among the natives of Western India,
for the extent and good direction of their charities. For this
they are the more to be commended, that they are only a
fraction of the native society by which we are surrounded.
About thirty years ago their numbers were estimated at about
50,000, and their population may now be reckoned at double
this amount. How pregnant with social good has been their
benevolence! That they have been able to do so much for
the cause of charity is the consequence of their success in
business, particularly connected with mercantile life This
success, it is worthy of notice, began first to appear under the
British Government; for by the predecessors of that Govern-
ment, both Hindoo and Mahometan, they were long kept in
a state of great depression. Had they not had great internal
energy, however, it would not have yet appeared. Though
they are the descendants of a small body of poor Persian
refugees, who fled first into the deserts of Iran from the
intolerant armies of the Saracens, and (afterwards) came to
the shores of Western India about the eighth century of the
Christian era, they belong to a most vigorous and energetic stock.
. . The Parsees, though few in numbers, have undoubtedly
a good deal of the vigour of their ancestors; and, free from
the social manacles by which many around them are bound,
they have done wonders, especially in the development of the
commerce of Western India. True, many of them, from
causes known to all, are at present wellnigh prostrate; but
it is fully to be expected that, profiting by the lessons of
experience, which others have to learn as well as themselves,
they will soon rise again and resume their place in fair
business, and liberal ministration to the wants of their fellow-
men. The continuance of their educational efforts, and es-
pecially of those devoted to the training of their daughters (in
THE PARSEES.
89
which efforts they are excelled by none of the natives of India
now bestirring themselves in this good cause), is a happy
omen in their favour. This much I venture to say as an old
British resident in Bombay, who feels encouraged by what he
knows of the Parsees in general, and what he has witnessed this
evening in this place.'
The Parsees have always firmly adhered to the
worship of one Great First Cause of all, as represented
in His works, the four elements; and toward the sun,
as the most glorious eniblem of His power, they turn
while praying. In special acts of worship, in their
Fire Temple, they stand round a fire kept constantly
burning, and fed with fragrant sandalwood. Though
the ignorant among them may worship the creature
rather than the Creator, and bow down before the seen
and temporal, rather than lift their hearts to the unseen
and eternal, yet enlightened Parsees have repeatedly
assured me that their adoration is directed exclusively
to the One Great Spirit. They believe in an evil spirit,
and in numerous agencies of his power, and adopt many
extraordinary means of guarding themselves against
them. When the Parsees emigrated to India many cen-
turies ago from Persia, where they suffered great persecu-
tion from the Mahometans, they settled in the province
of Guzerat, the language of which they adopted. They
retain strong attachment to their race and faith; and
though their religion has been overlaid with many
superstitions and ceremonies, they still firmly preserve
among them the worship of One True God. In this
respect, and in their freedom from caste, which is the
great barrier to social reform, they possess an advan-
tage over the Hindoos. They also surpass them in
efforts for the benefit of their people: of these we have
already had an example, in the institutions for the
90
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
support of the emigrants from Persia, and the poor-
house, as well as in their schools, of which more will be
said in a subsequent chapter. The special mark of a
Parsee is a sacred cord called the kusti, which is a
tubular, hollow, woollen cord, woven by women of the
priest caste only, and consisting of seventy-two threads.
in the warp. This cord is tied and untied round the
waist, during the recitation of certain prescribed prayers,
in the old Zend language; these are called kusti prayers.
Some fifty years ago, the Parsees were not much ad-
vanced in civilisation; but the efforts of a few en-
lightened individuals, and the progress of education, has
effected a remarkable and rapid change among them.
There are among them, as among the Hindoos, two
distinct classes-one, the staunch, orthodox, unchanged
Parsee, designated the Old Class,' in contradistinction
to the Young Class,' to which the educated and the
reformers belong. One of the foremost of these, Pro-
fessor Dadabhai Naoroji, gave a graphic description
of both, in a lecture delivered before the Liverpool
Philomathie Society, in March 1861. A few extracts
from this will give an authentic account of some of the
Parsee customs, and the present interesting process of
reform which is going on among them, through the
general spread of enlightenment:—
C
'There is, at present, nearly as great a difference between
one portion of them and another, as there was between English-
men and Parsees twenty years ago. The English education of
the last twenty years has worked a great change. That change,
however, is not general, nor is it looked upon with satisfaction
and approval by one portion. The educated, not having
arrived at their present knowledge by the gradual process of
self-made progress, with struggles and amidst difficulties,
and by efforts watched and sympathised with by the whole
THE PARSEES.
91
community-not having earned, but inherited the treasure-a
large and sudden chasm separates them from the uneducated
in their sentiments, ideas, habits of thought, opinions, and
This difference is so wide and marked that, in de-
scribing the present condition and customs of the Parsees,
statements about one portion will sometimes be altogether in-
applicable to another.
customs.
'Between these two extremes is a middle class, who, dis-
tracted by the double pull of strong prejudices and deep-rooted
beliefs on the one side, and of the apparent reasonableness of
the arguments addressed to them by the educated on the other,
are in a condition of mind difficult to describe. They may,
and sometimes do, lay equal claim to belong to the reformers,
as well as to be true to their "good old ways" and to their wise
ancestors.'
The influence of English education has led the ad-
vanced class to the adoption of English manners, so
that great diversity of social habits is now found among
them. In one house, the professor says, may be seen
a dining-table furnished with all the English appliances
for the meal; while in the next house, the master of it
is perfectly satisfied with his primitive good old mode
of squatting on a piece of mat, with a large brass or
copper plate-round, and of the size of an ordinary
tray-before him, containing all the dishes of his dinner,
spread on it in small heaps; this is placed upon a stool
about two or three inches high, with a small tinned
copper cup at his side for his drinks, and his fingers
for his knives and forks.
The professor gives the following daily routine of a
Parsee of the Old Class'
'On getting out of his bed in the morning, he first says
his kusti prayers. He then rubs a little nirang (the urine
of the cow or goat) on his face, hands, and feet, reciting
92
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
during the operation the nirang prayer, wishing (without
understanding the language, however) destruction to all the
evil spirits in the universe. He next washes out the nirang
with water, takes a bath if so inclined, and says his kusti
prayers again. If he get his head shaved, or have had a nightly
issue, he must bathe, or he cannot touch anything. He cleans
his teeth, says his kusti prayers the third time, and ends
his morning's ablutions by reciting the usual morning prayers.
These over, he is free to attend to his creature wants and
worldly avocations.'
He then describes the peculiar mode of washing
and bathing, and thus continues :—
6
Resuming now the daily observances in their order: after
he has performed his first ablutions, and said his morning
prayers, he takes his breakfast. I say he takes his breakfast,
because the lady of the house does not join him. Other male
members of the house, and little girls, may take their break-
fast at the same time with him; but the ladies, as a matter of
course, and from what to them is a sense of duty, attend to
their own wants after the gratification of those of the lord of
the house. This is the case at all the meals of the day.
6
Suppose two or three were taking their breakfast, or any
other meal, at the same time (I purposely do not say "taking
together"), each has his separate piece of mat, or any box or
chest for seat, and each has a copper or brass plate, like a good-
sized tray, put before him, with the dishes spread over sepa-
rately, on it; just as if an English gentleman, instead of taking
one thing at a time in his plate, took from all the dishes at
once before setting to work. They often have the dishes, in-
stead of being put into the large plate in heaps, served in
small copper plates put side by side into the large one, like a
number of small plates in a tray. They use no
forks, their fingers supplying the place of both. They some-
times do take their meals together from the same plates, but
then they have to take care not to put the fingers in the mouth,
or bite anything, but fling the morsel into the mouth from a
knives and
THE PARSEES.
93
little distance.
Anyone that did not manage to let the morsel
go from his hand before the mouth caught it, must wash his
hands before touching the plate again, or no one else would
eat out of that polluted plate. While thus taking their meals
together, the water also should be drunk without allowing
the copper pot to touch the lips. It is poured into the mouth
from a little beight from the lips. At all times, whether at
meals or not, the Parsee cannot touch the moist inner part of
his mouth. The thing touched is defiled, and must be washed.
If he has to drink out of a glass, and finds it would be incon-
venient to wash his hands where he is, he holds the glass with
his handkerchief. After the lord of the house is thus spiritu-
ally and physically prepared, he goes out for his day's work.
At noon he takes his second meal, preceded by the noon prayers,
or at least by his kusti prayers. In the afternoon, after he
is released from his day's avocation, he goes either to the sea-
shore, or to the Fire Temple, or to both, to say his usual
evening prayers. He has again to say his night prayers, before
taking his night meal and going to bed.
'It is not that every Parsee of the class I am describing does
say all the prayers at the various times mentioned, but that an
orthodox religious Parsee does, as much as his opportunities
permit, or would do all if he could. The daily religious
duties of the ladies are of the same kind, but, being generally
ignorant, both of reading and writing, they do not, nor are they
expected to, trouble themselves with saying all prayers, except
the indispensable kusti prayers.'
The professor next gives a detailed account of the
ceremonies connected with betrothal and marriage.
The customs are very minute and curious, in many
respects similar to those in use among the Hindoos.
The priests recite the marriage blessing in Zend and
Sanscrit, of which neither the couple, nor the priests,
nor the ladies around, understand anything. Hun-
dreds, or even thousands, are often feasted at these
94
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
weddings. The expense of them is very great.
What
with presents of dress and ornaments, with feasting and
ceremonies, the poorest man can harly celebrate his
son's wedding under 80l. The rich often spend im-
mense sums.
The ceremonies connected with the disposal of the
dead need not be enlarged on. On the third day,
offerings are often made for charitable purposes, by
the nearest friends or relatives, in remembrance of the
deceased.
There is an order of priesthood, and, though all the
members of it are not compelled to be priests, yet none
but them are permitted to hold the sacred office. The
Parsees do not eat anything cooked by a person of
another religion. All prayers, on every occasion, are
recited in the old original Zend language, neither the
speaker nor the hearer understanding a word of it.
The Parsees always keep their head and feet covered.
Women were formerly entirely uneducated among
the Parsees, and great opposition was made when girls'
schools were first opened by a few voluntary teachers.
Now the feeling is almost universal among them, that
it is both right and beneficial that women should be
educated, and her position raised from the mere drudge
of the house, to the partnership of the domestic sove-
reignty and social enjoyments. Early marriages still
present a great obstacle to improvement, as among the
Hindoos, but even this is beginning to yield to the
power of education. Intercourse with the English,
likewise, has great influence, and especially residence
in our country. Progress is being steadily made, but
not without great effort.' The professor thus concludes.
his lecture:
THE PARSEES.
95
'I will now state to you, as faithfully as I can, the opinion
of the "Young Class" about the same.
About the sudra and kusti no question has been openly
raised, though doubts have sometimes been expressed, whether
one could not be a true Zurthoshtee without the sudra and
kusti.
'The nirang has been the subject of a long and somewhat
bitter controversy. The reformers maintain that there is no
authority whatever in the original books of Zurthosht for the
observance of this dirty practice, but that it is altogether a
later introduction. The old adduce the authority of the works
of some of the priests of former days, and say the practice
ought to be observed. They quote one passage from the " Zend
Avesta" corroborative of their opinion, which their opponents.
deny as at all bearing upon the point. The consequence of
this controversy seems to have been that the young have almost
all given up the practice, and many of the old have their faith
shaken in the efficacy of nirang to drive away Satan and
purify themselves.
The frequent saying of the kusti prayers, and the neces-
sity of bathing after being shaved, are in a great degree being
done away with by the Young Class, as unnecessary and not
enjoined. The question, however, has not been openly mooted.
The institution of early betrothal and marriage has been much
discussed, and seems likely to be abolished in time. The
association of ladies at the domestic family dinner-table is
gradually becoming more general. But when, two years ago,
the first attempt was made to admit ladies to the drawing and
dinner-room, to associate with other friends, loud clamour was
raised against the "dangerous innovation."
Chairs, tables, crockery, glass and plate, are rapidly dis
placing the old mat or bench, the copper tray and dishes and
pots, and the fingers. The custom of necessarily washing the
hands after taking a meal, should the lips or the inner part of
the mouth be touched either by the hand or by the spoon, is not
much observed by the Young Class; they wash only when
the hands are actually soiled. When they use knives, forks,
96
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
or spoons, they say it is not at all necessary to wash their
hands, of course to the very great displeasure and disgust of
the old gentlemen.
'Many of the customs and ceremonies in connection with
marriages, say the Young Class, are ruinously expensive, and
altogether unnecessary, and not at all Parsee; they are almost
all of them taken from the Hindoos. To abolish them, and
bring the Parsees to their old good and simple ways, an asso-
ciation has been formed, to discuss and show the reasons why
Parsees should have nothing whatever to do with them, as
being neither enjoined by their religious books, nor authorised
by the practice of their Persian ancestors. This association is
named "The Rahanumaee Mazdiashna." Rahanumaee means
"the guide," and Mazdiashnans means "worshippers of God."
They hold public meetings, read papers, and allow anybody pre-
sent to discuss. They afterwards publish these papers, and dis-
tribute them gratis in large numbers. This society endeavours
to reduce weddings to the simple ceremony of the marriage
vow and blessing; the feasting to moderate limits; the cere-
monies connected with the dead to simple prayers, doing away
entirely with the expensive practice of making sweetmeats, &c.
for the offerings to the departed.
'The opposition to these reformers has not only been very
strong and bitter, but active and organised. An anti-Raha-
numaee Society was at last formed, by the advocates of the
old customs. This society calls itself "Raherastnumaee Maz-
diashna," meaning the true guides, in contradistinction to the
other body, who, they say, are false guides to the Mazdiash-
nans. The promoters of these two bodies met together for
public discussion on several occasions, published pamphlets
to refute each other's views; and the result has been, that the
reformers found themselves the more strengthened by the in-
tolerant bigotry and weakness of the arguments of their
opponents.
'Most of the Hindoo and expensive ceremonies and customs
are now in a fair way of being swept away. A generation
hence, the wedding and funeral ceremonies of the Parsees will,
THE BENE-ISRAEL OF BOMBAY.
97
I hope, be as simple and rational as those of any other people.
The third-day ceremony and the fourth-day feast, after the
death of a person, and several other ceremonies not truly
Zurthoshtee, bid fair to become, soon, things of the past. At
this very moment, there are several customs and ceremonies
prevalent among one portion, which are partially or wholly
unknown to another. The schoolmaster is abroad, and "re-
form and progress" is the order of the day. God speed them!
is the hearty prayer of one who is proud of his race, and hope-
ful of its destiny.'
Another remarkable foreign race are the Bene-Israel-
ites of Bombay. To the unpractised eye, these do not
differ from ordinary natives, though they are at once
recognised by the experienced. It is somewhat remark-
able that, though the Jews of our own country are so ex-
emplary in providing excellent schools for their people,
these are entirely neglected, except by the Christians.
The following account of them is given by Dr. Wilson,
in a pamphlet making an appeal for them in 1865:--
'In the island of Bombay, and on the adjoining coast of
the continent, from the Poona road to the Bankot river, there
is a population of Bene-Israel, amounting to about 8,000 or
10,000 souls. In worldly affairs, they occupy but a com-
paratively humble position. In Bombay, with the exception
of a few shopkeepers and others, they are principally artisans,
particularly masons and carpenters. On the continent they
are generally engaged in agriculture, or in the manufacture or
sale of oil. Some of them (often bearing an excellent cha-
racter as soldiers) are to be found in most of the regiments of
native infantry in this Presidency. They can easily be recog-
nised. They are a little fairer than the other natives of India
of the same rank of life with themselves; and their physio-
gnomy seems to indicate a union, in their case, of both the
Abrahamic and Arabic blood. Their dress is a modification
of that of the Hindoos and Mussulmans among whom they
VOL. II.
H
98
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
dwell. They do not eat with persons belonging to other com-
munities, though they drink from their vessels without any
scruple of caste. They have, generally, two names-one of
which is derived from the more ancient Israelitish personages
mentioned in the Bible, and the other from Hindoo usage.
Their social and religious discipline is administered by their
elders, the chief of whom, in the principal villages in which
they reside, are denominated Kádhis, or judges. They are all
circumcised according to the Law of Moses; and, though till
lately they had no manuscript copy of the Pentateuch, or of
other books of the Bible, they receive the whole of the Old
Testament as of Divine authority. When they began, about
fifty years ago, particularly to attract the attention of our
countrymen, they were found combining the worship of
Jehovah with divination and idolatry, serving other gods,
whom neither they nor their fathers had known, even wood
and stone. From the Arabian Jews visiting Bombay, they
had received portions of the Hebrew Liturgy of the Sephardim
for use in their humble synagogues, or places of assembly.
They denominate themselves BENE-ISRAEL, or Sons of Israel;
and till lately they viewed the designation of Iehudi (or Jew)
as one of reproach. They have been settled in India for many
centuries. The Jews of Cochin state, according to the authority
of Dr. Claudius Buchanan, in his "Christian Researches," that
they found the Bene-Israel on their arrival at Rájapurí, in the
Konkan, where many of them still reside. The Bene-Israel
themselves say that their forefathers came to India from the
west or north by sea- -that is, either from Arabia or the Persian
Gulf. For long we were accustomed to consider them the
descendants of a portion of the Israelites who were removed
from their homes and carried captive to Halah, and Habor, and
Hara, and Nahar-Gozan, and other places in the neighbour-
hood of Mesopotamia, by the Assyrian kings Pul, Tiglath-
pilneser, and Shalmaneser (see 1 Chron. v. 26; 2 Kings xvi. 6).
But the communication of those Israelites with the tribes of
Judah and Benjamin after their captivity under Nebuchad-
nezzar, as certified by Josephus, and with the body of the
THE BENE-ISRAEL OF BOMBAY.
99
Jews residing on the banks of the Euphrates and Tigris, and in
Persia, as implied in the Book of Esther, and as intimated by
the historians of Alexander the Great and his Seleucidan suc-
cessors, and later narratives, seems almost to forbid the use of
such language as the "Lost Ten Tribes," and the expectation
that any bodies of Israelites, isolated from them in general re-
ligious communion, are still to be found. The observance by
our Bene-Israel of Jewish festivals and fasts commemorating
events connected with the later Jewish history, and even the
destruction of Jerusalem, have at the same time appeared to
us hostile to the theory of their being a distinctive portion of
these ten tribes. We are now disposed to believe that they
came to India from Yemen, or Arabia Felix, with the Jews or
Israelites of which province-for they have both designations
-they have from time immemorial had much intercourse, and
whom they much resemble in their bodily structure and ap-
pearance.'
'When the Bene-Israel' Dr. Wilson continues, were first
brought to the notice of our countrymen, they were found, as
already hinted, in a very low and degraded state, both religious
and moral. For a long period they were treated-like many
other classes of the natives-with absolute neglect. About
twenty-nine years ago, the American missionaries in Bombay
took a few of them into their employment as Marathi teachers;
and from 100 to 140 of their pupils, till 1836, were derived from
their community. Mr. Sargon, a converted Cochin Jew, insti-
tuted, in 1826, for the Madras Jews' Society, six schools for
their benefit, which were attended by about 165 scholars for
about four years, when they were dissolved, with the exception
of one, which was transferred to the Church Missionary Society,
by which it is still supported.'
There are six Free Church mission schools in differ-
ent places, containing 220 boys and 80 girls.
It thus appears that the educational efforts made for
this remarkable people are few in comparison with
their needs. Surely, in the midst of such a vast heathen
H 2
100
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
population, every effort should be made to improve and
raise intellectually these descendants of the remarkable
people who have so wonderfully preserved among them
the knowledge of the One True God, and hold themselves
distinct from the idolatrous nations around them!
is hoped that this brief notice of them may attract the
attention of some of their people in our own country,
and lead to the establishment of good schools for them.
It
The Portuguese or (more correctly speaking) Goanese
are another very distinct race. They were originally
some of the Portuguese settlers in Goa, who inter-
married with the natives, but retained their own religion.
and freedom from caste. They are Roman Catholics,
and their vernacular is a kind of mongrel language;
but they are frequently educated by the priests, and
are taught Latin. They are very numerous in Bom-
bay, and are much employed in gentlemen's service,
particularly as cooks. Those that I met with were
intelligent and active, retaining some of the energy of
their European extraction. They are anxious to learn
English, and I saw several attending the mission
schools for that purpose. Their adoption of European
dress gives them a different appearance from the
Hindoos; but they are equally dark, and I should not
have easily discriminated them. On the whole, they
seemed an improvement on the Hindoo race, blending
with it some of the better features of the European,
and not sinking into idolatry.
Eurasians, or East Indians, are half-castes, being
European (chiefly English) and Hindoo. They are
very numerous in Madras and Calcutta. Being Chris-
tians, they are quite separated from the
but do not generally appear to inherit all the good
qualities of either race, and are represented as often
Hindoo races,
THE MOPLAHS OF MADRAS.
101
extremely wanting in energy, and unwilling to work.
Many are employed in public offices, but others are fre-
quently found in a very distressed condition, especially
in Calcutta, not being considered fit objects for mission-
ary effort, and not generally exciting the sympathy of
Europeans. There are, however, schools intended for
their especial benefit, and there can be no doubt that,
under proper management, and with suitable openings,
they may be made a valuable portion of the community.
We have seen them good nurses in the Medical College
Hospital at Calcutta; they may doubtless be trained to
supply this great want more extensively. Surely these
native inhabitants of the country, who are not separated
from us by a different religion, have a peculiar claim on
our sympathy, and require special efforts for their
improvement!
Of the Mahometans I saw very little. They probably
did not sympathise with the object of my visit, not
having yet taken any interest in female education.
Very few of their daughters are in the schools.
The Moplahs have been mentioned in the course of
this narrative as a savage-looking tribe in the Madras
Presidency, seen at the railway stations. They are a
very peculiar race, being believed to be the descendants
of Mahometans who had intermarried with the natives.
They retain their ancient religion, with some modifica-
tions. They are energetic, and succeed in trade, but
are extremely fierce. At times they seem animated by
a fanatical zeal, and determined to give themselves up to
martyrdom, by the commission of some dreadful crime
for which they will suffer death. Special laws have
been made respecting them for the protection of the
community. Some sixteen years ago a collector was
murdered by them, who had offended them by his
102
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
efforts to check them. The jailer at Calicut told me
that he was afraid of his life from them, both in and
out of jail.
With respect to the native Hindoo population them-
selves, my own experience brought me, of course, into
contact with the educated thousands and tens of thou-
sands, not with the ignorant millions and hundreds of
millions. Between those two lies a deep gulf, appa-
rently in some respects more impassable than between
Europeans and educated Hindoos. The study of the
English language has brought them, through our
literature and the intercourse of life, within the possi-
bility of common sympathies, and we can interchange
ideas with them. I often almost forgot that I was in a
foreign land, so entirely was I able to make my mean-
ing understood by the enlightened natives, with whom
I had so much friendly conversation. But in propor-
tion as they become more raised by education, they are
further removed from sympathy with those who are still
sunk in debasing superstition and ignorance. The
remark of Professor Dadabhai Naoroji, respecting the
old and the new school of Parsees, holds true with even
greater force respecting the orthodox and the new school
of Hindoos, and the separation of both from the low
castes of natives. They are more separated from each
other than both from the English. Baboo Koilas
Chundra Bose, in his paper on the domestic economy
of the Hindoos, speaks of the contemptuous language
used by Hindoos toward servants, such as one could
scarcely use towards another without causing an imme-
diate breach of the peace. Thanking a servant for the
performance of a duty is unknown in Hindoo society."'
The uneducated multitudes seem beyond the sphere
of kindly sympathy, or of efforts for their improvement.
VARIOUS OPINIONS AS TO CASTE.
103
It will have been already observed that considerable
difference exists in the Presidential capitals among
the educated Hindoos, both in the matter of religion,
and in the strictness with which they observe the rules
of caste. There is also a great diversity even in the
same Presidency. Enlightened men appear already to
have perceived that the essence of religion does not
consist in outward ceremonials. The following remark-
able passage on this subject occurs in the Introduc-
tion to the Travels in England,' by Mr. Kursandass
Mulji:-
6
'People only affect an outward purity, and talk a great
deal, but they do not observe the distinction of caste, even
according to their own conception of it. I will close the
chapter by a few illustrations of this statement:—
1. The worshippers of the idol of Jagannath in Orissa are
mostly flesh-eaters, and yet food cooked by them is readily
accepted by Hindoos of all denominations, including the Maha-
rajas, the descendants of Vallabh. But this would not be
done in any other place. Again, at Jagannath, Hindoos of
various castes take their meals even after touching each other;
but if this were practised elsewhere, caste would be regarded
as broken.
2. Telangi and Dravid Brahmins still practise the Soma
Yadnya, in which they sacrifice beasts and eat their flesh, and
no objection is taken to the practice. But such a thing cannot
take place elsewhere.
'3. Throughout the whole of the province of Gujarat there
are Shakta Brahmins, who worship Devi, offer the goddess
flesh and wine, and consume the offering themselves. Thou-
sands of Nagar and other high-caste Brahmins in Gujarat, who
are worshippers of Devi, outwardly despise meat and drink,
and seem as if they are disgusted at the very sight of those
things; but they secretly consume them, and no objection is
taken to their conduct.
4. In Bombay the Meshri Banias, who are worshippers of
104
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
Vishnu, dine at, and in the same line with, Shrawak Banias,
who follow the Jain faith. But in Gujarat the former would
not so much as drink water from the hands of the latter, and
if they did it, they would be considered to have given up
caste.
5. In Kattyawar the Banias take their meals with their
ordinary clothes on, and in their caste-dinners food is served
to them by persons dressed in the same manner; but if such a
thing were done in Bombay, it would be thought that the
rules of caste were violated.
'6. In Bombay, Banias and Brahmins draw water from the
same well with Mussulmans and others, and they do not object
to use it (the water), even if it be touched by anybody while
it is being carried through the streets. But such a practice
would, in the interior, be considered as tantamount to break-
ing the rules of caste.
7. In Ahmedabad, Banias can drink water brought in
leather bags. In the same way, at Aden, there is no objection
to use water which Mussulmans bring in leather bags on the
backs of asses. But to do either of these things in Bombay is
equivalent to giving up caste.
'8. In Forebunder and Mangrol, in Kattyawar, Banias drink
coffee or water on the same cushion with Mussulmans. They
also freely accept of kusumba (an inebriating drink) from the
hands of the latter. But to do this elsewhere would be a
grave offence against caste.
caste.
'From these few instances it is evident that there are no
definite rules regarding such observances in their bearing on
These depend on time, place, &c. Nor do people of
the same caste, or the same place, observe the injunctions
regarding caste in the same manner. In Bombay, for in-
stance, different men of the same caste observe it in different
ways:-
'1. A, of a certain caste, bathes as many times as he dines;
but B, of the same caste, does not do so. This is regarded as
of no consequence.
'2. C has no objection to sweetmeats from D; but E, of
VARIOUS OPINIONS AS TO CASTE.
105
the same caste with C, thinks that course polluting and de-
structive of religion.
3. F freely drinks medicine prepared by Christians; but
G thinks it inconsistent with the preservation of his own
faith.
4. H has no objection to inviting Europeans to his house,
and entertaining them with wine and other articles; but I
thinks this destroys religion.
5. J thinks it harmless to order and drink soda-water and
lemonade from Rogers's and Treacher's; but K considers him
to be sacrificing his religion in so doing.
6. L takes with him in the railway-carriage provisions.
prepared at home, and eats them, even when touched by
Mussulmans or Dheds (sweepers); but M says that thereby
religion is undone.
'7. N, while on a voyage to Zanzibar, can cook and take
his meals in a Mussulman vessel; but P, of the same caste,
thinks this destructive of religion.
'8. Q takes his meal even after touching a man in mourn-
ing; but R, of the same caste, considers it destructive of
religion to take a meal, after touching a person in mourning,
without bathing.
Besides this, there are certain forbidden practices, which
are carried on secretly. Some pollute themselves by visiting.
the houses of prostitutes; some by smoking ganga and chandul
(certain inebriating articles) at Mahomedan shops; some by
secretly drinking spirituous liquors; others, again, eat and
drink, and join with people of the lower castes (whom the
acquisition of money has rendered important), in pleasure-
parties held at gardens and other places. Some, who are
transported beyond the sea to the "black waters," return in a
state of pollution. Of persons with practices like these, how-
ever, no one asks a question. With regard to them it is
generally observed, "They are aware of, and responsible for,
their own actions."
To this stage has the institution of caste arrived, and
yet it has been considered as the root of religion! The most
106
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
surprising circumstance connected with the subject is, that no
one questions or takes any notice of those Hindoos who commit
robberies, and such other great crimes; who are, on that ac-
count, exiled beyond the country, and who return from the
"black waters" really polluted. It is thus evident the people.
of every caste employ their strength in the defence of that
institution only where they find it convenient to do so.'
Among the bulk of the native inhabitants of the
country, the greatest variety exists both of race and of
language. It is unfortunate that, hitherto, no attempt
has been made to teach them English, or even to edu-
cate them. As long as the barriers of an unknown
language exist between them and the ruling race, it is
impossible that there should be any cordiality between
the two. Our countrymen and countrywomen live in
India, and, perhaps, after many years' residence, know
little of the native population around them: what they
have learnt of their language is no further than is
needed for the simple expression of their wants. Though
official gentlemen may make themselves thoroughly
acquainted with the vernacular of the district, yet that
is not generally the case with temporary residents.
Constantly did I perceive the result of this difficulty of
communication. Judging from my own experience
only, I perceived how much refining influence is lost by
this difficulty of communication, and how often kindly
feeling in the English, which would inspire confidence
in the natives, is left unexpressed from want of words.
So I constantly felt. Where some knowledge of English
was possessed by natives, as at Madras, there was a
different look and manner among servants. I never
received a more hearty God bless you!' than on taking
leave of the Mahometan servant who had been my
special attendant, and who knew some English. The
C
SLOW PROGRESS OF EDUCATION.
107
same difficulty occurs in the intercourse of natives of
different parts of the country with each other. When
such a man as Keshub Chunder Sen takes a four days'
sail to Madras, and desires to rouse his countrymen to
higher views of religion, his native Bengali is useless
to him: but English is a lingua franca to the educated
there, and in every part of the empire, in which, far
better than in any of the vernaculars, he can pour
forth the highest spiritual thoughts of his soul.
The uneducated, cut off from the power of communi-
cating with higher minds in English, are debarred from
the most important means of improvement. Professor
Dadabhai Naoroji, in a lecture on 'European and Asiatic
Races,' points out strongly the barrier to mutual under-
standing existing between the ruling and the ruled,
through ignorance of each other's language, and the
obstacle to improvement existing in the variety of
tongues. There are several peculiar difficulties in India,'
he says, 'in the way of rapid progress. Education per-
meates the mass very slowly on account of many different
languages; the efforts of the educated to improve their
countrymen remain confined within small limits; while
in this country an idea in "The Times" is known over
the whole length and breadth of the land within
twenty-four hours, and the whole nation can act as one
man.'
It is remarkable how little Hindoos of one part of
the country know of those of another: the character and
habits of some of the natives of the Madras Presidency
were as surprising to those of the northern division of
Bombay as they would be to an Englishman. There
are many wild tribes in the hills in a completely savage
state (as evidenced by some strange photographs in my
possession), almost entirely unclothed, and looking as
108
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
if a civilised idea never entered their heads. In another
part of the same Presidency is a tribe, equally unac-
customed to the habits of civilised life, but clothed and
possessed of a native dignity well befitting the lords of
the soil, as they regard themselves. Nothing less
dignified than the care of buffaloes is worthy of the
attention of the Todas. These wild tribes are not ready
to accept advances from strangers. Even in the midst.
of the more civilised parts of the country, districts may
be found inhabited by wild tribes. The Collector of
the ancient city of Surat informed me that, within a
hundred miles from that place, he had travelled through
a part of the country where the very sight of a man
clothed inspired terror; and when he required to ask his
way, the natives fled from him in alarm. It is evident
that until we make every effort in our power to educate
those who are more within our reach than these wild
tribes-those who have come in contact with the culti-
vated and superior portion of society, or who are some-
what connected with it by ministering to its wants in
exchange for daily food-and until we have taught them
a language which will bring them into sympathy, not
only with their rulers, but with the educated portion of
their countrymen, we shall have little hope of reaching
the barbaric life existing in our midst.
We have hitherto spoken simply of barbarism. In
the Punjab and the North-Western Provinces there
are many tribes whose sole avocation is crime, and
who make themselves known in the south by pre-
datory raids and wandering habits. An account of
these criminal tribes is given by Major Hutchinson, in
his valuable work on Reformatory Measures connected
with the Treatment of Criminals in India.' At the
latter part of his volume is a painfully interesting
<
PRACTICES OF THE THUGS.
109
history of some of these. The Thugs are not yet re-
formed or extinct, but continue their scientific murder
of the victims they can ensnare; the poisoners, next
in order, carry out the most insidious murders with
great ease the Dacoits-the Sansees, or chief caste
and multitudes like them, and many others. What
can be done for all these?-what? This is a question.
which will be partially answered in a subsequent
chapter.
Major Hutchinson thus speaks of the Thugs in the
same work:-
Particular tracts were chosen in every part of India, where
they could murder their victims with the greatest convenience
and security; much-frequented roads, passing through exten-
sive jungles, where the ground was soft for the grave, or the
jungle thick to cover them, and the local authorities took no
notice of the bodies. The Thugs speak of such places with.
affection and enthusiasm, as other men would of the most de-
lightful scenes of their early life. The most noted places were
among the Thugs of Hindostan. There is not among them
one who doubts the divine origin of Thuggee; not one who
doubts that he, and all who have followed the trade of murder,
with the prescribed rites and observances, were acting under
the immediate orders and auspices of the goddess Davee,
Durga, Kalee, or Bhowanee, as she is indifferently called;
and, consequently, there is not one who feels the slightest re-
morse for the murders which he may, in the course of his
vocation, have perpetrated, or assisted in perpetrating. A
Thug considers the persons murdered precisely in the light of
victims offered up to the goddess, and he remembers them as a
priest of Jupiter remembered the oxen, and a priest of Saturn
the children sacrificed upon the altars. He meditates his
murders without any misgivings, he perpetrates them with-
out any emotions of pity, and he remembers them without
any feelings of remorse. They trouble not his dreams, nor
110
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
does their recollection ever cause him inquietude in darkness,
in solitude, or in the hour of death." (P. 180.)
1
The Thuggee Department, which has been formed for
the extinction of this horrible practice, has had consider-
able success; but the Major gives many instances, which
show how insatiable in these wretched beings is the furore
for this fearful pursuit. A notorious Thug told the jail
officials, when last captured, 'You had better hang me,
for I must go on killing!' Systematic poisoning is also
a scientific art among many. The Major says again :-
'From the Police Report for 1861, we learn: "The facility
with which vegetable poisons are obtained, the ease with
which they can be mixed with the ordinary food without
causing suspicion, and the sudden insensibility of the victims,
tend to make the detection and conviction of the offenders a
matter of considerable difficulty. In particular cases, it has
been detected amongst men calling themselves either prophets
or Brahmins, and who profess to arrange marriages: the
victim is induced to accompany them to the residence of the
party desirous of making the marriage, and is poisoned and
robbed on the road. Death does not always ensue."
(P. 190.)
The Major informs us that plundering by 'datura'
was practised by the regular Thugs as far back as 1810,
as a preliminary to strangling their victims. The
pursuit after poisoners did not commence till 1855; but
little was done until 1858, when it was reported by
Major M'Andrew, then in charge of the Thuggee
Office,' that 64 persons had been arrested on charges of
poisoning.
The Dacoits are another remarkable tribe of scientific
plunderers of houses and villages: these, if possible,
avoid bloodshed, and do not illtreat their victims, un-
SCIENTIFIC PLUNDERERS.
111
less excited to do so in self-defence. Major Tighe,
Deputy Commissioner of Umballa, gives in his reports
a curious account of their mode of working. He also
shows, by genealogical tables, how the gangs are con-
nected with the old 'stock,' and how the members of
each gang are connected with each other by marriage,
&c., proving indisputably that the crime is hereditary,
and followed as a profession from father to son.
Of these, and of various other professional criminals-
swindlers, coiners, cattle-stealers-and of the means.
adopted to free the country from their ravages, the
Major gives a most curious and interesting account, for
which we must refer to his volume. In a future chapter,
some notice will be taken of a very remarkable and
successful attempt to reclaim to a settled mode of life
some wandering thievish tribes.
From a notice by A. B. Court, Esq., C.S., and Inspec-
tor-General of Police, North-Western Provinces, Major
Hutchinson also makes interesting extracts. One tribe
has adopted the special profession of stealing from tents;
they wander over all India in small gangs, attaching
themselves to the camps of regiments, officers, and native
chiefs, returning with their plunder in April and May.'
The Major continues:-
<
Scarcely less troublesome are the Sunoriahs, a tribe in-
habiting several parts of the Lullutpore district, and the Duttia
territory. From time immemorial they have followed the sole
profession of thieving, but, in the course of years (probably
from the fact of their always marrying in and in, and ex-
clusively in their own tribe), their numbers diminished, and
they recruited themselves by the purchase of children of other
castes-" Thakoors," "Ahects," "Kunjars," "Telees," "Ka-
chees," and "Chumars "-indiscriminately. These children
were in their youth taught the particular branch of the pro-
fession of their adopted fathers, in which their assistance was
112
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
·
necessary, and were made use of by the Sunoriahs to effect
their projected thefts. When they outgrew the age in which
they could be useful as apprentices, they in their turn became
master-thieves. They choose some large city, not less than
100 miles distant from their homes, as their field of operations,
and set out for it in gangs of about 60. When they get near
it, they separate into smaller gangs, dress up the children as
beggars, and others as rich and respectable men. The latter
go to some well-known "sahookar," and begin bargaining,
and looking at his valuable things; in the meantime the
beggar comes up, and manages to abstract some of the things.
If he is found out, the "rich man " often persuades the shop-
keeper to let him off with a flogging, on account of his extreme
youth and apparent poverty. .. The wandering tribes of
professional criminals are large in number. The Sanseeahs,
Kunjurahs, and Harboorahs are the most notorious. The
men scatter about in search of plunder. The
The younger women
attach themselves to village proprietors and others, who give.
shelter and assistance to the tribe; and though search of the
camp will seldom fail to recover stolen property, the only
offenders to be found are decrepid old women and children,
with whom it is impossible to deal, and the seizure of whom
necessitates the care and keep of numerous donkeys, goats,
and dogs, which they invariably possess in considerable num-
bers. The Sanseeahs are addicted to the manufacture of
counterfeit coin, in addition to thieving. The only way of
dealing with criminal tribes seemed to be, by detaching a
police constable or officer to accompany and keep watch over
their camps.'-(P. 207.)
More need hardly be said to bear out the assertion at
the commencement of the chapter, respecting the
marvellous variety existing among the inhabitants of
this one country. The contrast between the enlightened
and educated Hindoos and Parsees on the one hand,
and such savage tribes as these on the other, needs no
comment; the British nation may well rejoice, if it
OUR MISSION IN THE EAST.
113
has in part accomplished its grand mission in the East,
by helping the former in their efforts for self-im-
provement, and bringing the latter within the pale of
civilisation, while protecting the country from their
ravages!
VOL. II.
I
114
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
2
CHAPTER IV.
EDUCATION.
GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS-FACTORY SCHOOLS-SCHOOLS OF ART.
HAVING, in the two preceding chapters, briefly glanced
at some of the features of Hindoo society which most
prominently forced themselves on my notice, and men-
tioned some of the various agencies which are now
being carried into operation by voluntary effort, or by
individuals in the ordinary intercourse of society-I now
proceed to speak of the subjects which most occupied
my attention, in connection with the action of the
Government.
The first of these is Education. No one interested
in this important subject can visit India without being
struck with surprise and admiration at the number and
excellent management of the schools, which attract the
attention in every part of the country. The English
are accustomed to associate the idea of heathenism with
barbarism. The amount of education the traveller dis-
covers in all those with whom he can converse
lent schools, filled with attentive scholars, and conducted
by well-trained masters-the handsome colleges, fre-
quented by students from various parts of the country-
the universities, open to all, without distinction of creed
or colour, and thronged with aspirants to academical
honours ;-all these things impress the mind with aston-
-the excel-
BEGINNING OF THE EDUCATION MOVEMENT.
115
i
ishment. They at first give the impression that the state
of general education in India is superior to that in Great
Britain, and that the Government concerns itself far
more with the education of its distant subjects than with
those at home. The former of these impressions will be
modified considerably by a deeper insight into the work-
ing and results of the system; the latter is certainly
true, and ought, for many reasons, to be so, in the
infant state of the educational movement in Hindostan.
A mere glance at the elaborate official reports of the
Directors of Public Instruction for the three Presi-
dencies, shows that, to give any adequate account of
what is being done in India by Great Britain to in-
struct the natives of that country, would require a
volume rather than a few pages. Having, then, in
the course of this narrative, given some general idea
of the working, both of Government and of Missionary
Schools, a brief sketch only will be here made, intro-
ductory to some observations, for which I beg to ask the
serious consideration of the reader.
We learn from a valuable paper on 'The Progress of
Education in Bengal,' read before the Bengal Social
Science Association, by Baboo Kissory Chand Mittra,
that the first important move towards the establishment
of English education was made by David Hare, in co-
operation with the most influential natives, in May
1816, when a meeting was held at the residence of
Sir E. H. East, then Chief Justice of the Supreme Court,
which led to the establishment of the Hindoo College.
How important was this first step, and how great were
the difficulties which had to be overcome, is learned
from the following passage in Mr. Mittra's paper:-
"Though he did not attend this preliminary meeting, there
was one who, nevertheless, shared with David Hare the credit
I 2
1:6
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
of originating the idea of the institution of the Hindoo College,
almost from its inception, and whose name will be therefore
inseparably associated with its foundation. As a moral and
religious reformer, Rammohun Roy had, from a very early
period, felt the imperative necessity of imparting a superior
English education to his countrymen, as the best and most
efficacious means of achieving his end. He had established
an English school at his own expense. He had heartily entered
into the plans of David Hare, and zealously aided in their
development. But as an uncompromising enemy of Hindoo
idolatry, he had incurred the hostility of his orthodox country-
men, and he apprehended that his presence at the meeting
might embarrass its deliberations, and probably defeat its
object. And he was not mistaken. Some of the native
gentlemen, the representatives of Hindooism, actually told
Sir Hyde East that they would gladly accord their support
to the proposed college, if Rammohun Roy were not connected
with it. Rammohun Roy willingly allowed himself to be set
aside, rather than that, by his active co-operation, the project
should fail of its accomplishment.'
Fifty years have passed; a great work has been done
----an immense change has been effected. The writer
thus concludes his paper :-
'I do not regard education as a panacea for all the evils
with which this country is afflicted; but I am convinced it
will prove the most mighty instrument for improving and
elevating her. I look forward to a mind-illuminating and
soul-quickening education as the most efficient means for
effecting such a regeneration in my countrymen as will make.
them, under the guidance of an enlightened Government,
willing and able instruments to work out their prosperity and
happiness. I do not despair of this result. When we con-
sider what was the state of the Hindoo mind half a century
ago, and contrast it with what we now see-when we recollect
the once dead level of ignorance, and its first breaking-up;
how the entire national mind was dwarfed by superstition, and
STATE OF EDUCATION IN BENGAL.
117
fettered by prejudices; how it has since begun to throw off
those fetters, has risen above Brahminical domination, and
asserted its independence-I am disposed to be sanguine, and
fervently feel that there is ample ground for thankfulness to
the Almighty Disposer of events.'
The Director of Public Instruction in Bengal informs
us, in his Report for the year ending April 30, 1866,
that the colleges and schools maintained with aid
from the State amount to 2,561, being attended by
113,862 pupils. In addition to these, there are 197
private schools, attended by 7,443 students, receiving
no aid from Government, which have sent in re-
turns. Besides these, are a large number of small in-
digenous patshallas, or village-schools, carried on in
a shed, or under a verandah, of which there is no
account. That a high education is given in the
Government-aided schools is shown by the fact that,
in the same year, the number of candidates for the
entrance university examination was 1,500; of these,
1,321 were from Bengal, and the remaining 179 from
the North-Western Provinces. Of the candidates from
Bengal, 533 were successful. There were 122 candidates
for the B.A. examination, of whom 116 were from Ben-
gal; 75 of these were successful. For the M.A. degree
there were 18 candidates, of whom 15 passed success-
fully. At the Law examination there were 22 candi-
dates, of whom 11 passed for the degree of B.L.; 13
candidates, at the same time, received diplomas as Licen-
tiates in Law. In the medical examination, there were
5 candidates, all of whom obtained the degree of B.M.
For the first examination for the licence in Medicine
and Surgery, there were 35 candidates, of whom 10
passed; for the second examination there were 26
candidates, of whom 20 passed successfully.
113
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
Y
The Director of Public Instruction in Madras re-
ports that, on April 30, 1866, there were 1,261 institu-
tions receiving aid from Government, attended by
45,056 scholars-showing an increase of 278 schools in
the year. These were chiefly private schools, a great
stimulus having been given to voluntary effort by the
grant-in-aid system. In the Madras Presidency, grants
are given in augmentation of the salaries of such teachers
as have received a certificate, and in aid of all the
necessary expenses; these grants are of course depend-
ent on the satisfactory state of the respective schools,
and afford great stimulus to their improvement. The
system appears to work well, for not only has it led to
the establishment of several new schools, but many
institutions, formerly unqualified to claim aid from the
State, have worked up to such a point as to allow of
their obtaining it.
Each Presidency has its own special educational de-
velopment. In Bombay, we learn, from the Report for
1866-67, that considerable benefit has arisen from the
system of payment by results, which has been introduced
by the Director of Public Instruction, Sir A. Grant, into
the aided schools. This is not shackled by the necessity
of having certificated masters, as at present in England,
the results being considered as sufficiently indicating the
skill of the teacher. Here we find 1,632 Government
colleges and schools, 56 aided schools, and 66 schools not
receiving aid, but only inspection. The system of pay-
ment by results in schools is not confined, as in ours, to
elementary instruction, but embraces the higher branches
of knowledge; this involves such enormous labour, that,
without an extension of the staff, it appears impossible
to continue it. A system of local assessment for educa-
tion has been very beneficial. The Director says:-
STATE OF EDUCATION IN BOMBAY.
119
'The operations of the local cess, as administered, under
certain rules, by independent local committees, has done great
things in the way of providing funds for vernacular schools;
and at the same time has created a remarkable interest in edu-
cation throughout the country districts, wherever the cess is
levied.'
The Report of W. A. Russell, Esq., Educational In-
spector of the Southern Division of the Bombay Presi-
dency, confirms this view. He says:—
cern.
'The cess operations have already begun to bring the sub-
ject of popular education before the masses and their rulers, in
a somewhat different and clearer light than before. The people
are beginning to look on schools as necessary popular institu-
tions, not merely as a part of the administrative machinery of
a foreign Government, with which they have little or no con-
The ratepayers now want something in return for
their money, and the school attendance of the agricultural
classes is increasing. . . . Another good effect of the cess is
the good example it sets to inamdars, jagheerdars, &c., and
their people, who see its operations-however humble at pre-
sent-in the neighbouring British territory. For instance,
I and my deputies have been asked, by the people of non-
Government villages, to get the school cess levied for them.'—
(P. 51.)
Thus to excite, in even a small part of India, a dis-
tinct desire in the community to obtain education, not
only for the higher classes, but for the people generally,
and to be ready to tax themselves to supply a felt want,
is indeed a great triumph to those who have wisely and
perseveringly devised and executed so complete a sys-
tem. When, also, it is found that neighbouring dis-
tricts, not under British control, so perceive the great
value of the system adopted, as to request British co-
operation in carrying out a similar one, we may indeed
120
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
feel satisfaction in the work we have done in the
country under our care.
Since we have now reached the very important point.
we aimed at, and have so widely established educational
institutions in India, and excited a desire in the superior
classes of its inhabitants to avail themselves of these, it
becomes us to consider if the natures and wants of those
whom we are educating, would lead us to make any
improvement or modifications in the system which is
being adopted. I trust that I shall not be considered
guilty of presumption in making the following remarks,
suggested by my observations in my travels. I make
them with more confidence, and with the hope that
they will be kindly considered by those in whose care
is placed this great charge, because I found the views I
am about to state in harmony with those of official and
other gentlemen experiencd in education in India.
The education given in India is solely directed to the
exercise of the intellectual faculties, and to the acquire-
ment of particular branches of knowledge, which will
enable the student to discharge certain duties in life,
whereby he may obtain a maintenance—or university
honours, which may lead the way to preferment. The
examinations leading to these are probably similar to
those undergone in England to obtain the same dis-
tinctions. The general intellectual status of the schools
appeared to be superior to what we usually see in
England, and the youths more devoted to their studies.
than is common among us. It is not, however, easy to
make a comparison in this respect, since the youths
attending them are probably of a very different
grade of society from those found in our National and
British Schools. The circumstance, however, of the
Hindoos requiring to master a foreign language, as the
WANT OF PHYSICAL TRAINING.
121
basis of their future attainments-not only to study in
it various branches of knowledge, but also to acquire
the modes of thought of a quarter of the globe in every
way different from their own-necessarily compels an
amount of application in those particular branches of
study which are needed for the examinations. It is
evident that this must require an immense amount of
mental labour; and, indeed, I learned that it was not
unusual for boys to be at school eight or nine years in
preparation for college. Now, in our own country,
school learning forms but a small part of the real edu-
cation of our youth. The home influences begin this;
we know well in England what these may be, and
generally are. In our public schools, the actual prepa-
ration and saying of lessons form but a portion of the
education, physical and moral as well as intellectual,
which the boys receive. Even in this last, public
attention has of late years been drawn to the necessity
of imparting a more varied culture, and of developing
the mental powers more fully than can be done by an
exclusive study of one kind, however excellent in itself.
Various testimonies have likewise been borne to the
truth of the apparently paradoxical assertion, that as
much may be learnt in three hours as in six. If three
of the six hours devoted to education are employed in
varied development of the powers, whether physical,
æsthetic, or moral, the mental faculties are in a more
healthy and vigorous state, and more capable of action
and of the reception of knowledge. This is well known
to those who understand education. The importance
also, to the young, of due relaxation after mental appli-
cation, is practically acknowledged, by the allowance of
two hours (in the public schools), after the morning
lessons, before resuming them in the afternoon.
122
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
In the Hindoo schools, on the contrary, the ordinary
school-hours are from 10 A.M. to 4 P.M., with only half
an hour, or an hour, of interval. The hottest and most
oppressive hours of the day are thus entirely devoted
to intellectual culture. There is, then, no cause for
wonder, that the exhausted mental state induces extreme
physical inactivity, and that not the slightest desire
exists to take bodily exercise after school-hours. Now,
it is of course well known, that the national tendencies
and the climate alike cause an indisposition to active
exercise. This physical inaction is greatly lamented by
Mr. Woodrow, the Educational Inspector of the Lower
Division of Bengal, in his Report for 1864–65. After
speaking of the dreadful effects of the cyclone, the de-
struction of houses, and the fatal effects of exposure
to the women and children, he thus continues:
'Then, again, trees were blown down into tanks, and there
were no men to pull them out, for labourers had to attend to
themselves and their families. Brahmins and Kayasths were
too proud themselves to pull the trees out from their own
tanks. Hence the leaves rotted, the water was spoiled and
became putrid, the fish died, and what had been a source of
health and cleanliness became a chief cause of disease. Europe,
as far as I know, tells the story of only one man too proud and
too foolish to use sufficient exertion to save himself from death ;
Bengal can show thousands of such instances in this very year.
If these men only had fallen victims to their pride, common
sense might have returned a verdict of" served them right;
but their children and families, and the whole neighbourhood,
suffered. I regret that I have found teachers who see nothing
unusual, or wrong, or contemptible in the idiotic helplessness
of such unhappy pride. There is some defect in our system
of education, since educated Hindoo gentlemen, of good caste,
still continue to regard physical exertion as beneath their
dignity. Because it never has been their custom to pull at
ropes or bear burdens, they object to do so, even on an emer-
WANT OF PHYSICAL TRAINING.
123
gency like the cyclone. Many had the knowledge to foresee
the bad consequences of allowing trees to rot in in their tanks,
but few had the will to remedy the evil. In their case know-
ledge was not power. It gives a mournful prospect for this
country, that men of influence allow their sons to consider
feebleness of body an indication of high social rank. The
young gentlemen of Ooterparrah persecuted a master of the
school, and complained to me of him, because he very properly
ridiculed their absurd notion, that none but a coolie would
walk three miles in a day, and that no gentleman would be
guilty of such a servile act! These young people, instead of
taking as ensamples the great and noble men who here and
there stand out as worthy of all imitation in the recorded line
of their distant ancestors, seem to imitate the Hindoo queen,
whose nerves were so sensitive, that she fainted from agony
when a flower fell on her foot! Such young gentlemen as
these are India's worst enemies. Englishmen, acting from
without, may deplore, but they cannot change, these perverse
notions. The influential people of the country alone can work
the reformation. Physical education was tried some years
ago in our colleges, and Government spent a large sum on
gymnasia at Hooghly and Calcutta ; but the plan failed, because
those who ought to have had sufficient patriotism to encourage
it, were too wedded to custom to give any countenance to the
innovation. Cricket has been tried at several places, and
sometimes a decent eleven has been trained; but the whole
thing depends on the energy of some one European teacher,
and when he leaves the cricket club collapses. Cricket is not
indigenous in India, and exists among Bengali boys as an exo-
tic plant, which shrivels up on the first adverse wind.'-
(Pp. 4 and 5 of Appendix.)
Sir A. Grant, Director of Public Instruction at
Bombay, draws attention to the same subject in his
Report for the year 1867. He says:-
(
Among the points brought to the notice of Government by
Miss Carpenter during her visit to Bombay, was the want of
124
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
provision for the physical development of pupils in Govern-
ment schools. Viewed as a general question, in reference to
the different classes of schools, to local circumstances through-
out the Presidency, to arrangements of school-hours, to sites.
for playgrounds or gymnasia, to the provision of gymnastic
teachers, and, above all, to the mode of meeting the necessary
expenses, this subject is a large one. I have collected reports
upon it, and hope, after due consultation with the educational
officers, to submit proposals to Government. I may say here,
however, that among the Deccan population, there is a con-
siderable fondness for active and athletic games, which might
well be recognised in connection with our schools.'-(P. 51.)
The erection of gymnastic apparatus in connection
with the schools would be, of itself, useless. Yet the
existing evil does not appear to be one which it is
essentially impossible to overcome. Native school-
masters told me that, under other circumstances, Hindoo
boys were active and lively, and greatly lamented the
present state of things, as permanently injurious to the
physical development of the race. In the Martiniere
School at Calcutta, for Christian boys, whether English,
Eurasians, or Hindoos, I was informed that the natives
are equally active in their games with the English
boys, and take as much pleasure in them. If gym-
nastic exercises were to occupy two half-hours of the
school-time, under the superintendence of a master,
with incentives held out to success, it cannot be doubted
that an important step would thus be taken in the real
education of the Hindoo youth, without diminishing
their intellectual progress.
Again, while I was astonished at the progress made in
the various schools, yet it was evident that the answers
given were rather the result of a well-trained memory,
than of actual thought; that the students rather aimed
ABSENCE OF ESTHETIC INSTRUCTION.
125
at a word-knowledge, which would enable them to pass
examinations, than at really improving their minds.
Excellent libraries appeared generally unused, and
there seemed no desire to read books which did not
form part of their curriculum. Some instruction in
physical science and in natural history, given in the
common schools, illustrated by the admirable diagrams
in use at home, and by natural objects of interest, would
doubtless awaken and enlarge the mind. At present,
the scholars must have a very vague idea connected with
numerous words and allusions in their school-books,
which such lessons might remove; they would then learn
things as well as words. Another hour daily devoted
to such instruction, illustrated by experiments, and
also to some instruction in the æsthetic sciences, music
and drawing, would be most important.
In all schemes of education now being followed out,'
says Baboo Koilas Chundra Bose, in his paper read
before the Bengal Social Science Association, the
teaching of music should have a prominent place; and
when our daughters and our wives are able to sing to
us with their charming voices, or to play upon some of
our favourite instruments, we shall have a home made
sweet, for the want of which we are now only full of
vain regrets.' He tells us that, in ancient India, music
and dancing were considered as the most necessary
accomplishments of women, and is so now among
almost all the Indian races, the Mahrattas and the
Hindoos of the upper provinces especially; it is, how-
ever, forbidden among the ladies of the lower provinces
of Bengal, in consequene of its association with persons
of low character. In the boys' schools in India, I never
heard even an attempt to sing in chorus; and yet
the Hindoos are fond of music, and possess a highly
126
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
scientific system of their own. A music lesson may be
made a high exercise of the mind as well as of the taste.
With respect to drawing, there cannot be a doubt that
the Hindoos have very considerable capability of excel-
lence in colour and form, which wants only proper de-
velopment. If instruction in this were made a part of
the regular school routine, it would be a great relief
from severer studies, and call out the talent of youths
who may afterwards devote themselves more fully to it.
The expense need not be serious, as the services of
one master of each of these departments might be
divided among a number of schools, making the cost
to each very small. But if it were large, is not the
work a great and most important one, of educating a
nation?-should we not devote to it all the resources
which our own long experience has shown to be the best,
to attain the end desired? We have done very much in
exciting native effort to co-operate in the work; let us
now go on to a higher position. We must not forget that,
at present, there are not, in India, all those means of
improvement surrounding the young which we have at
home. In England, working-men, and even schoolboys,
have excellent lectures addressed to them on different
subjects; superior minds are brought, in various ways,
in contact with them. In India, a long time must
elapse ere this can be the case, though the enlightened
are now beginning to desire such opportunities of im-
provement. In the meantime, we can do much by
opening, to the youth of the present generation, sources
of knowledge which they may, in their turn, impart to
others.
The view I have here expressed with respect to the
injurious tendency of the present great and somewhat
exclusive strain on the intellectual powers of the
THE EVILS OF CRAMMING.'
127
C
natives, has been felt and pointed out by themselves.
In the address on Education' by Baboo Kissory Chand
Mittra, already quoted, he states that he does not be-
lieve that the Calcutta University has given that power-
ful and valuable stimulus to our colleges and schools,
which could reasonably be expected, and thus points
out what he considers the cause of this:
(C
The system of education adopted by the university is
deficient in several elements for ensuring success. It is based
on cramming," and is, I conceive, calculated to turn out
intellectual machines, and not intellectual men. The sub-
jects of examination are, in my judgment, far too numerous to
be mastered, or even to be studied to any purpose, by any but
the ablest candidate. The mind is overlaid with such an im-
mense quantity of undigested learning, that little or no room is
left for its unfettered action. It must be slowly and perfectly
digested before it can be assimilated with the mental system.
There is a point of saturation in the mind, as Dr. Abernethy
says; and if a man takes something more into it than it can
hold, it can only have the effect of pushing something else
out." The royal road to knowledge has not yet been dis-
covered. I hold craniming to be an evil. . . . I could point
to the cases of several alumni of the university, with whom
I have been brought into contact, as conclusive evidence of
the truth of my contention. These young men have laboured
very hard, as they must labour, for the academic distinctions
they have obtained; but, in conversing with them, I have
found that they have not retained their knowledge, because
they had no time to master it, or to make it their own. In
this respect I am able to declare, from a pretty extensive
observation, that the mental training imparted by the old
Hindoo College was more healthy than that of the University,
and was better calculated to train the students to habits of
vigorous and independent thought.”—(P. 15.)
At the conclusion of Baboo Kanny Loll Dey's paper
128
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
on 'Health,' also quoted in the last chapter, he gives a
similar opinion respecting the physical effect of the
present system:-
'It is not necessary for me to repeat a well-known established
fact, that, from the dependence which the mental faculties have
upon the brain (which is itself a portion of the animal system),
a moderate exercise of these faculties is necessary to insure to
it a healthy action, and that undue exertion of any one of these
faculties has as much a pernicious effect upon the system as
the disuse of the whole. But I must notice the state of health
of the youth of this country competing for scholastic and
academic honours. The rules under which these honours may
be gained make it imperative upon them to undergo a degree
of mental exertion, which in some cases wholly undermines
the system, or extinguishes its vitality, and in others sows the
germs of those diseases from which they suffer in after-life.
The great defect in the present system of awarding academic
honours, lies in the fact that, as the condition of gaining these
honours is proficiency in certain branches of knowledge, im-
plying a ripeness of the intellect, the absence or want of that
maturity is made up by putting to the stretch one or two
faculties, of which memory performs a prominent part. We all
know that, for securing an adequate proportion of intellectual
health, all the faculties of the mind must be equally exercised,
and that overtaxing one perniciously acts upon the whole
man, physical and intellectual.'—(P. 116.)
It has been already remarked, that the educational
institutions of the country are adapted to meet the
wants of the higher classes, rather than the lower.
It was considered best by the Government first to
awaken the superior grades of society to the impor-
tance of education for themselves, and the hope was
entertained that, through them, the inferior part of the
population would be reached. That hope does not, at
present, appear likely to be realised. I never met with
EDUCATION OF THE LOWER CLASSES.
129
any educated Hindoo who showed the smallest anxiety
respecting the educational condition of the 'hewers of
wood and drawers of water '-those who do the work of
beasts of burden, without being treated with the con-
sideration which the lower animals would receive from
those whose religion strongly inculcates humanity.
• We have so much to do with our own education,' urged
in extenuation a highly educated gentleman, that we
have no time to think of that of the lower orders.'
The myriads remain in a state of gross ignorance and
superstition, inconceivable to those who live in a
Christian country. We have still, indeed, in our own.
country, a substratum of ignorance and degradation,
whence springs an ever-abundant crop of pauperism
and crime; we lament that twenty long years of ex-
postulation and entreaty, for those who cannot help
themselves, have not yet moved our rulers to provide
education for those who cannot obtain it unaided,
even if they had learned to desire it. But Christian
workers abound in England, who are ready to take up
the cause of the neglected and destitute children—who
recognise the grand truth taught by our holy religion,
of the personal equality of all before God, and of the
right inherent in every human being to have the means
of learning his duty to himself, as well as to his own.
country. Hence there can be no spot in our islands so
benighted and neglected, as not to be brought into
contact with some higher agency. But it is otherwise
in India. It was shown, in the last chapter, that a deep
gulf there separates the higher and educated from the
lower portion of society; and the very civilising influ-
ences with which the superior classes have been for
some time in contact, through acquaintance with our
literature, and considerable official intercourse with
VOL. II.
K
130
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
Europeans, serves only to make the gulf more impas-
sable. There are no common thoughts and sympathies
between them, except in a common love of country.
Surely it is fitting that the Educational Department of
the Government should now undertake the work of
extending its efforts to those who cannot, and will not
without stimulus, attempt to obtain it for themselves!
The evil of allowing the present state of things to con-
tinue without remedy, will be increasingly felt. The
enormous mass of dense ignorance existing in the
country, is already weighing down those who are wish-
ing to break from the shackles of custom and super-
stition. Those whose personal interest leads them to
desire to perpetuate the present state of things, avail
themselves of the debasing ignorance of the masses to
strengthen their own power, and to persecute any en-
lightened men who attempt to disenthral themselves or
others. The native prince, or Maharajah, who is himself
an enlightened man, and in sympathy with Christianity,
might lead with him thousands, who regard him almost
as a deified person, capable of absolving from sin, were
they also sufficiently educated to comprehend the
reasonableness of his arguments; as it is, he feels him-
self powerless, and succumbs to the necessity laid upon
him, by the masses around, to yield to their idola-
trous practices, rather than to lead them to something
better.
In all extension of educational effort, in every portion
of the community, whether high or low, it appears to
me of the highest importance that the study of English
should be encouraged in every possible way. It has
been already shown how great a barrier is raised by the
want of it, between races among whom the greatest
cordiality should exist. Not only so, but our language
THE STUDY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE,
131
6
is the great medium for opening the mind to civilised in-
fluences and higher thoughts, which cannot be conveyed
through the vernacular. Why should we three be con-
versing together in English,' said a young native gentle-
man to his brother-in-law, rather than in our own native
language, but because we can better convey in it the
thoughts of civilised life?' The vernacular need not be
lost because English is introduced. The natives have
peculiar facility in the acquisition of language. We
have seen that, in a Madras common school, each boy
was expected to study at least four languages. There
need be no compulsory effort, gradually to accomplish
this. All youths trained in Government normal schools
should be required thoroughly to master the English
language, before being permitted to be authorised
teachers; they will thus have their minds enlightened,
even if they are not required to teach the language. I
met with many masters in schools who could not speak
English. Many gentlemen of experience stated to me.
their opinion, that the proceedings in courts of justice
should always be in English, as a means, more efficacious
than any other, of stimulating to the acquisition of the
language. An interpreter then, as now, could act as a
medium of intercommunication.
Enormous labour and expense have been devoted to
the translation of English works into the vernacular.
It is quite impossible that the real spirit of them can
be thus preserved. Each language has its own peculiar
genius, which cannot be infused into another. No trans-
lation of the Greek and Latin classics can do justice
to the original. Our own language is not moulded
on a scientific model, like those ancient classics; but
absorbing into itself various other tongues, made up
of idioms and metaphysical expressions fused into one
K 2
132
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
marvellous whole--which expresses, better than any
other, the highest thoughts of which the human mind
is capable-is, above all others, ill adapted for transla-
tion. Who would recognise Milton or Shakspeare in
the most perfect French? On meeting with a passage
from my own writings translated into French, I could
hardly believe that the original was my own composi-
tion. A native gentleman had an elaborate scientific
work translated into his own tongue; on being asked
the meaning of some passages, he was obliged to re-
translate it into English before he could himself under-
stand it. Our devotional poetry is full of metaphors,
which are founded on our own peculiar ideas. I have
been told that, when these are translated into the
vernacular, they often present passages most incompre-
hensible to the native mind.
Taking every means in our power to give correct
instruction in English, need not involve the loss of
any native works which are worth preserving; but the
ordinary vernacular literature-as I have been fre-
quently informed by both Hindoo and English gentle-
men-is so replete with superstition and idolatry, not
to say impurity, and so calculated to debase rather
than to elevate, and the ordinary language of the lower
classes is so full of what is essentially coarse and
low, that it does seem unwise to perpetuate it by any
special efforts of our own. Why should we not adopt.
the same course which was carried out successfully in
our own islands? The barriers which formerly existed,
from diversity of language, are melting away, while the
people follow entirely their own inclinations; the Welsh
carefully preserve the grand literature of their ancient
language, while the educated now adopt our own as a
vernacular.
APPLICATION OF THE ENGLISH FACTORY ACT.
133
I
The possession of a common language and literature
has in it an enormous power of fusing into harmony
different nations. The African race in the United States
cannot be considered, originally, superior to the tribes
of India. Yet, after centuries of illusage, slavery, and
ignorance, now that their fetters are removed, they
show a power of improving, and a comprehension of the
laws of moral and social usages in our country, to
which those have warmly testified who have worked
among them, and which must be attributed chiefly to
the possession of a common language as a medium of
thought, as well as sympathy in a common religion.
6
An important agency for educating the lower portion
of the population, will be by connecting schools with
all factories. In England it was found necessary to
make this compulsory, for the protection of the children.
The Factory Act' was confined to one class of factories;
recent inquiries have shown that, in our country, it is
generally needed in all. The factory system is only
now beginning to be established in India, and claims
attention as what may become a most important agency.
We have already spoken of the jute factory at Burrana-
gore, near Calcutta. When the famine was raging
around, that town did not suffer, as did others, the
inhabitants being able to meet the high price of pro-
visions by receiving good and regular wages. The
establishment of schools in connection with it is the next
desideratum. An elaborate work has just appeared,
entitled, "How to Develope Productive Industry in India
and the East', by Mr. R. P. P. R. Cola, himself the late
sole proprietor of the Arkwright Cotton Mills, near
Bombay. This native gentleman strongly states his
opinion of the importance, to the factory itself, of educa-
tion being connected with its operations. He says:-
134
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
'Every factory where boys and girls are employed, ought
to have a schoolroom attached; and half an hour, mornings
and evenings, should be devoted to giving lessons to the
children in reading, writing, and simple sums. It will be
found that, after receiving this elementary instruction, order
will prevail in the factory; they will be enabled to distinguish.
their numbers on the roll-call, which will save time, and avoid
confusion on the pay-day; and they will attend to their work
much better. It will impress their character and intelligence ;
by its influence their whole spirit will be moulded, if properly
directed; and they will enjoy the blessings of reading and
writing, as long as they live.'-(P. 317.)
This gentleman likewise shows a benevolent and
enlightened interest in the personal convenience and
improvement of the operatives, and has become practi-
cally acquainted with what has been done by several
large manufacturers in England. If his suggestions
are carried out, each factory will be a centre of civilisa-
tion and self-improvement, and a blessing to India.
The development of artistic powers in the young
Hindoo is closely connected with the progress of in-
dustry, and is essential to its satisfactory development.
Whoever looks at the exquisitely beautiful wood-carving,
as well as the silver-work, executed in the Bombay Presi-
dency, and learns that the workman himself has derived
the pattern (as he expresses it) from his own heart,'
can doubt that much natural genius must exist in the
race, as well as a wonderful delicacy of touch, and
patience in the execution of what is actually con-
ceived. The same features are observable in the
carvings on the Hindoo temples. Their textile manu-
factures are also remarkable for much taste in the
arrangement of patterns, and a beautiful, though very
peculiar, arrangement of colour. Combined with these
ARTISTIC POWERS OF THE HINDOOS,
135
excellences, is a most remarkable deficiency in the
drawing or sculpturing of the human figure, or even of
animals. This seems very extraordinary, as they have
excellent studies always before them, and it is difficult.
to discover why they show this peculiar deficiency.
The fact itself struck me very forcibly. Everywhere
did I search for some trace of a true, beautiful, or
elevated conception of the human figure, in their orna-
ments, or the representations of their deities. Nor
did the noblest animals fare better. The lions guarding
the inner temple at Elephanta, are quite libels on the
King of the Beasts, and a photograph of a colossal sacred
bull, adorned with jewellery, makes him look somewhat
like a gigantic sheep. They do not even appear to
comprehend accurate pictorial representations of living
objects. I heard some amusing stories of the mistakes
of native servants, who wished to compliment the per-
formances of their masters. To teach the real forms of
natural objects, is in itself alone excellent moral train-
ing, as well as artistically valuable, and every well-
developed school of art is an important agency in the
education of the country. A great difficulty presents
itself, at the very outset, in the deficiency of any good
works of art, ancient or modern, to guide the studies
of learners. Very few specimens of the works of the
great masters in painting or sculpture are to be found
in India; it may be questioned whether any exist in
the country. No Europeans of opulence go to India
intending to make it a permanent abode, and those
who are there for a temporary sojourn, would not wish
to expose valuable works of art to the dangers of a
tropical climate. Casts from fine antiques, and copies
of paintings, are all that can be expected to be sent to
India, and these are rarely to be found. It becomes,
136
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA,
therefore, very necessary to develope a native school
of art, founded on scientific principles. A 'School of
Industrial Art' was established several years ago in
Calcutta, and enriched with many valuable copies of an-
tiques, through the kindness of Hodgson Pratt, Esq., C.S.
This school was remodelled, with the name of the
'Government School of Art,' and placed under the
control of Mr. H. H. Locke, as Principal, in June
1865. Its progress in this short period gives promise
of future success.
The Bombay School of Art has in it the elements of
much excellence; and in sculpture, ornamental paint-
ing, and other departments, appears likely to call forth
native genius; no suitable premises are, however, yet
provided for it.
The School of Industrial Arts at Madras includes,
as its name implies, various branches of industrial in-
struction. Dr. Hunter thus speaks of it in the Third
Annual Report:-
Four hundred and seventy-two East Indian and
native pupils have already received instruction in the
Madras School of Arts, and many of them are now able
to earn a livelihood, or to contribute towards the sup-
port of their families, by their proficiency in drawing.
A number of teachers and monitors have been carefully
trained, to superintend the rudimentary instructions in
drawing, painting, lithography, and engraving. A few
are also qualified to impart instruction in pottery, the
manufacture of good building materials, and the uses
of plaster of Paris for house decorations. Should more
instructors be required, they will be selected from the
most proficient of the pupils. A large artistic library,
and a progressive series of studies in the different
branches of art and manufacture, have already been
THE MADRAS SCHOOL OF INDUSTRIAL ARTS.
137
purchased for the school; funds are, however, requisite
for renting or erecting an appropriate building, and it
is proposed to commence a subscription in Madras, and
throughout the Presidency, for this object. Parties
have already shown a willingness to contribute, and the
smallest sums will be most thankfully received. In-
structions will be given in the following branches of art
and industry—drawing, painting, lithography, wood-
engraving, and (if possible) printing, pottery, and the
manufacture of the building materials required for the
school, and the uses of plaster of Paris in decoration.'
The Government then included it among educational
institutions, and its operations were greatly extended,
embracing instruction in various industrial arts. The
Report for 1862 states: A number of rival drawing-
schools bave started into existence, and have met with
very fair encouragement. Drawing has also been intro-
duced into several public institutions in Madras, and
other parts of India, as a branch of general education.'
The Report is illustrated with beautiful specimens of
wood and copperplate engraving, with designs of a
useful and ornamental character. A later Report
mentions photography as one of the arts successfully
taught in the school, and contains reports of a large
quantity of work executed. The success of the school
is shown by the fact, that numerous applications have
been received, from different parts of India, for advice.
in starting, and assistance in improving, Schools of Art.
Important aid would be given to this institution, by the
presentation to it of works of art, especially good water-
colour drawings.
How much interest these schools are exciting in the
country, may be gathered from the following extracts
from letters I have received from the superintendent of
138
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
the Madras School, Dr. Hunter, whose enthusiasm in
his work kindles that of others. Though private letters,
I trust that he will excuse my here copying them, in
the hope that my doing so may lead to his obtaining the
help he desires :—
'Madras: August 14, 1867.
'I had a most delightful tour of inspection of Schools of Art
and Exhibitions in different parts of the country, commencing
at Bombay, Surat, Poona, Nagpore, Jubbulpore, Agra, Jey-
pore, &c., and ending in Calcutta. (I will send
will send you a copy of
the printed report). I saw a great deal that was of interest,
and I hope that I shall be able to turn my travels to useful
account, on behalf of art and industry. We have now 25
Schools of Art to assist, and we are busy sending drawing-
lessons, etchings, woodcuts, engravings, teachers, and tools
all over the country. We have assisted schools at Surat,
Raipore, Jeypore in Rajpootana, and Jubbulpore, and I am
now busy preparing to render further assistance to other
schools. I have just returned from our usual holiday trip,
and we have added largely to our store of sketches, photos,
and casts from nature. We got seventy-seven large photos
of hill-tribes, scenery, and plants in the Salem district. I
will send you copies of some of the best, as soon as I can print
them. I also spent a great deal of time in sketching from
nature, and was out almost all day, from daylight till dark,
taking careful outline sketches, which I afterwards coloured
on the spot. I also tried your method of painting at once
from nature with the brush in colours, and got some good
effects with bold drawing, which will be of use.
Will you
kindly let me know if Mrs. will undertake to do coloured
drawings for use in Schools of Art, for remuneration, and at
what price? If not, perhaps you could recommend us to some
one who would do so. I should like the drawings sent to my
agents, Messrs. Coulthard & Co., 12 Abchurch Lane, London,
who will forward them.'
THE BOMBAY EDUCATION SOCIETY'S SCHOOLS.
139
Madras: December 16, 1867.
'I am looking out anxiously for the watercolour draw-
ings from your sister, and hope they will prove of use to us.
We have now 29 Schools of Art looking to us for advice,
assistance, tools, and lessons. Most of these, however, are in
the Industrial Art line. I hope the fine arts will spread after-
wards. We must first try to teach the poorer classes to earn
a livelihood, and then introduce higher walks of art.'
There, surely, are many in our country who will gladly
aid in so easy and yet useful a way, by sending good
coloured drawing and specimens of art, which may
serve as models in these schools.
It is not the object of this work to enter into details
respecting the various excellent institutions which exist
in India. While the Government has made it an
especial care to attend to the educational wants of the
native inhabitants, the English residents do not neglect
those of the young of their own race, but natives of the
country. Mention has been made already of many
excellent institutions for them in each Presidency.
In Bombay, an Education Society for English children.
was established as early as 1815. The society maintains
two schools at Byculla, within the island of Bombay,
and an infant school at Poona, containing in all about
400 children. Much sympathy is very properly felt, by
Anglo-Indians, with the children of European parents
in this foreign country, and it is evidently of great im-
portance that they should be well brought up. If they
are stimulated to active exertion and independent
sprit, they may become very valuable members of the
community. The girls, especially, should be prepared to
discharge well the duties which would devolve on them
in their own country; and having received from early
years a good education, might eventually, as at home,
140
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
be trained as teachers. I could not, however, but be
struck with the fact that, while in all the Mission Board-
ing Schools for girls the strictest economy prevailed,
and the young persons were well trained for their future
domestic position; yet in the English Boarding Schools,
generally, there was much greater expenditure, and the
young persons did not appear to feel an anxiety to pre-
pare themselves for their future duties in life.
On the whole, however, we may well feel encouraged
by what has already been done in India to promote
education. What we have accomplished may well
stimulate us to yet further progress, being well aware,
that to give a really sound education to the young, is the
best means we can adopt to improve the next generation.
141
CHAPTER V.
FEMALE EDUCATION.
No doubt can now exist, in the minds of those who are
acquainted with the actual condition of India, that a
desire for female education is rapidly spreading among
enlightened Hindoos. It is equally certain that, wher-
ever any real progress has been made, with the co-
operation of native gentlemen, in the establishment of
good native girls' schools, the want is strongly felt of
trained female teachers.
From the materials now before me-including the
written opinions on this subject of native gentlemen,
elaborate essays, leaders in native newspapers, proceed-
ings of native societies, as well as the Reports of the
Directors of Public Instruction, all animated by the
same earnest feeling, and concurring in the same
general views—a volume might be far more easily
prepared than one brief chapter.
The reader will, however, it is hoped, have gained a
correct impression of the general state of the subject,
from the perusal of the foregoing narrative, and from
the accounts of my visits to various schools. It is pro-
posed, then, here to give some account of the position
of the question from official documents.
A brief sketch of what appeared to me the great want
for the improvement of female education, is contained
142
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
in the statement on the subject which I requested per-
mission to lay before his Excellency the Viceroy at
Calcutta. As my increased experience has not led me
to modify it, I beg leave to present it to the reader in
its original state:
• Female Education.
This was the special object of my visit to India. I was
fully aware, before I left England, of the little progress which
had been made in the education of the females of this country,
and of the difficulties which stand in its way. I was also
aware that a great change is taking place in the views of
Hindoo gentlemen on this subject, and that a strong desire
exists, in the minds of the most enlightened among them, that
the future wives and mothers of their nation should be ena-
bled, by sound education, better to fulfil the duties of their
important spheres. I came here without any preconceived
theories, but desirous of learning the wants of the natives, and
of ascertaining how these can be supplied.
The first place I visited was Ahmedabad, in Guzerat; this
place is considerably advanced in the superior position of
women, and in appreciation of the importance of female edu-
cation. Female schools have been established there for above
fifteen years, and the results of these are evident in the families
of those who attend them. The views I formed, from obser-
vation of one of the best of these schools, have been confirmed
by subsequent visits to Surat, Bombay, Poona, Madras, and
Calcutta, and have been in harmony with those of enlightened
native gentlemen, as well as ladies, with whom I have con-
versed.
'The grand obstacle to the improvement of female schools,
and to the extension of them, is the universal want of female
teachers. Nowhere,* except in Mission Schools, are any trained
female teachers to be found; and even in them, the supply
*It would be more correct to say 'very rarely,' as I afterwards saw
one occasionally-an Eurasian or a native convert.
CONDITION OF FEMALE EDUCATION.
143
created by the training of teachers in the institutions them-
selves, is not sufficient to meet the demand. The girls' schools
are taught entirely by male teachers! This has been long felt
to be a great evil by the inspectors, the intelligent native gentle-
men, and the mothers of the children; but there has been no
possibility, in the existing state of things, of remedying the
evil.
'The results of such a system are evident. Not only are
the little girls withdrawn from school earlier than they other-
wise would be, but they are entirely without that proper in-
fluence on their manners and character which a female teacher
alone can give. The training to habits of neatness and order,
and instruction in needlework, which are so essential to a
woman, in whatever position in life she may be placed, are
necessarily neglected; and the bulk of the children, for whom
the instruction and entertaining system of infant-training
adopted in England would be so valuable, sit listless under
lessons which are not adapted to their childish comprehension.
I should indeed, from observation of these schools only, have
been led to doubt whether Hindoo girls were capable of the
same development as English girls; but the very different
condition of the girls in all the Mission Boarding Schools, which
were under female teachers, fully convinced me that Hindoo
girls wanted only proper instruction to make them in every
way equal, and in some respects superior, to those of our own
country.
The present condition of female education in India can be
improved solely by the introduction of female teachers, and
these can be supplied only by the establishment of a Female
Normal Training School.
'The Government of India has long adopted this course to
supply male teachers to boys' schools. The boys' schools are
provided with good and efficient teachers, and are producing
excellent results. If the same course is pursued for the girls'
schools, there can be no doubt that similar results will follow
after the system has had time to work. Isolated efforts have
been made, in some parts of Bengal, to supply teachers by the
144
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
establishment of Normal Schools; but these only prove the
necessity of a more complete system.
Feeling assured that the Government has hitherto held
back from taking this course, not through any apathy respect-
ing female education, but from a desire to be assured that the
want is actually felt by enlightened natives, before taking any
initiatory steps in the matter, I have, in the Madras and Bom-
bay Presidencies, ascertained that enlightened native gentlemen
are most anxious for the establishment of such schools, as
they have testified to me in writing; in Ahmedabad and
Madras steps have been already taken by them in memorial-
ising their respective Governments. In Calcutta I have ascer-
tained that many respectable persons are desirous of the estab-
lishment of such schools, and have memorialised Government
on the subject that the want of them is very strongly felt also
in many important places in the Mofussil.
'I am well aware that the difficulties to be encountered in
establishing a Training School for Female Teachers are much
greater than those attending Male Normal Training Schools.
The ignorance of Hindoo women of a suitable age is one great
impediment, and the difficulty of finding any such, except
widows, who would be able and willing to train for teachers,
is another. I have fully considered these and many other
obstacles; and having done this, and consulted persons of con-
siderable experience in different parts of the country, I ain
persuaded that they may be surmounted.
'The following are suggestions which I would beg to offer,
as to the general features of such a school as I desire to see
established. It will, of course, be clearly understood that in
these proposed institutions the Government principle of non-
interference in religious matters is to be strictly adhered to.
While the personal religious liberty of every inmate of the
institution is to be respected, no one, while in it, is to attempt
any religious proselytism. Different localities will have differ-
ent requirements, and adaptation to special circumstances. It
will, therefore, be better in every case to commence on a small
scale, and with as much attention to economy as is consistent
with the proper development of the institution :-
PROPOSED FEMALE NORMAL TRAINING SCHOOL. 145
'Suggestions for the Establishment of a Female
Normal Training School.
'1st.-A house should be procured, adapted to furnish a
comfortable residence for about a dozen Christian students,
with a Lady Superintendent. Arrangements should be made
for the separate boarding of non-Christian native students
when required. Arrangements for necessary furniture, board,
and attendance to be made by the Inspector of Schools.
2ndly.-A Lady Superintendent, who should be responsible
to Government for the entire management of the institution,
should be obtained from England (at a salary, probably, of
about 200 rupees a month, in addition to board and lodging);
and a superior mistress for training (at about 150 rupees a
month, in addition to board and lodging). In each case the
passage-money to be paid, under certain conditions.
'3rdly.-Persons who wish to become students in training,
must apply to the inspector, and must satisfy him that it is
their intention to study, and faithfully to prepare to be teach-
ers. They will receive board and instruction while in the
institution. All English students must learn the vernacular,
and all native students, English.
(
4thly. Any girls' schools existing in the neighbourhood
may be employed for the training of teachers, and the students.
may thus be exercising a beneficial influence in the schools
now taught by men, before they are prepared to take charge
of schools themselves.
'I have not here entered into details, wishing not to trouble
you with more than the general plan; I have, however, carefully
considered everything, and shall be most happy to enter into
further particulars should any be desired.'
I will now take a brief general review of the state
of female education, as derived from the Government
Reports. Having already spoken with some detail of
the Mission Schools, it will be unnecessary again to
allude to them, especially as the published reports of
VOL. II.
L
146
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
them are before the public; I have already strongly
expressed my opinion of the great good they have
done to native girls, by developing their powers under
female instruction. Nor shall I allude to European
orphanages for girls, but confine myself to native girls'
schools.
It is evident that the position of female education
differs greatly in each of the three Presidencies. The
North-Western Provinces would have presented new as-
pects. I much regretted being unable to visit them, and
shall therefore not enter on their educational position.
In Lower Bengal, the Government gives gratuitous aid
to girls' schools, and also to zenana-teaching in Calcutta.
This is under the direction of voluntary societies.
About 150 houses are visited by female teachers, who
have between 400 or 500 young ladies under instruction.
About 200 girls' schools are aided in Bengal, but many
of them are very small, not containing twenty scholars;
several have not been long established, dating their
existence only one or two years back. Mr Martin, the
Inspector of the South-eastern Division, gives, in his
Report for the preceding year, a table of the girls'
schools in his district on April 30, 1865. He says:—
'It will appear that each of the grant-in-aid schools is
attended, on an average, by 19 girls, each of the schools other-
wise aided by 12 girls, and each of the private schools by 11
girls. The objection to girls' schools is not now anything like
what it was three years ago. On April 30, 1863, there were
26 such schools, attended by 496 pupils; on April 30, 1864,
the number of schools and of pupils in attendance were, re-
spectively, 44 and 767. On the same day of this year (1865),
there were 77 schools, attended by 1,208 girls. When I took
charge of this division, in June 1861, there were but 4 girls'
schools; I think I am therefore justified in saying that, as far
TRAINING-SCHOOL FOR NATIVE MISTRESSES.
147
as the opening of schools with the assistance of the people is
concerned, we have been most successful.'
The necessity of obtaining female teachers for these
schools struck Mr. Martin so forcibly, that, with the
sanction of Government, he established a training-
school for mistresses. The small sum allowed did not
permit the employment of trained female teachers as
instructresses, and the women selected, though known to
be modest and virtuous persons, were very ignorant, and
were not of a high class. There were 25 in the school
at the time of report, 8 of whom were Christians, and
15 Jat Byraginees of good character. The native
Deputy Inspector takes a warm interest in their pro-
gress, and reports that, at the end of two years, three
mistresses were ready to go out, and at once obtained
situations: demands were made for mistresses from
Burrisal, Bogra, and Sylhet, but they will have to wait
another year.
The problem whether these trained
mistresses will be accepted in schools seems, therefore,
to be pretty well solved.' The Deputy Inspector thus
writes:
6
'The school has undergone some material changes during
the course of the session just closed. On the 23rd of June
last, Government sanctioned a monthly expenditure of 150
rupees for its support. The number of students on its rolls,
on the 30th of April last, was 25, against 17 on the same date
of the last year. Of these, 5 hold stipends of the highest
grade, or of 4 rupees each. There are in the school 8 Christians,
1 Brahmonee, and 15 Jat Byraginees, against whose character
nothing is known, and who are all believed to be modest and
virtuous women. The age of the oldest woman is 51, and
that of the youngest 22, with an average of 35: 16 of them
are mothers, which peculiarly qualifies them to take charge of
young children; 13 have husbands, 10 are widows, while a
L 2
143
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
Christian woman, aged about 36, has never been married.
The greatest care and the utmost attention is invariably paid
to their character. There have been 10 admissions during
the
year, and 3 dismissals. The names of 2 were struck off
for disobedience and negligence, while the name of 1 only has
been struck off for supposed misconduct.
'In the middle of the session, the Bangla Bazaar Girls'
School was converted into a Model School, where the mis-
tresses are trained in the practical part of the art of teaching,
while instructions on the subject are imparted to them from
Bhoodeb and Gopal Chundra's "Art of Teaching." I have
imparted to them a series of lectures on the subject, drawn up
by myself, from the works of the most approved authors in
Europe, with such modifications and alterations as experience.
has suggested, for its adaptability to this part of the country.'
With respect to the origin of this school, Mr. Martin
states, in his report for the year ending April 30, 1864,
that during the first year of his inspectorship, he was
generally informed that the great obstacle in the way
of opening girls' schools, was the impossibility of ob-
taining female teachers. There were, in that district, a
number of women called Byraginees, many of whom,
descended from Byragees, are persons of virtuous cha-
racter, and much respected. It is a fact, that they are
gladly received as teachers in native families, when
trained. Mr. Martin considers the school, therefore, a
great success, and so it is, for it shows that something
much better may now be safely attempted. The status
of the female education of the neighbourhood is very
low. It is evidently impossible that women advanced
in life (for the average of their ages is 35), can do
much, if anything, to effect any change in the intel-
lectual condition of their scholars. Still, it is a most
important thing that this first step has been taken, and
it is to be hoped that it will lead the way to such an
GIRLS' SCHOOLS AT DACCA.
149
establishment, as may infuse new life into the position
of female education.
Mr. R. R. Mookerjee, an Inspector of Indigenous.
Schools, thus writes in my Commonplace Book :-
'In the district of Dacca, where I have served as a Deputy
Inspector of Schools for nearly five years, there are about 30
girls' schools, 2 adult female schools, and a normal school for
training mistresses. The want of educated mistresses was
long felt in that quarter, to remove which the training semi-
nary was founded. The circumstance that native girls are
married while yet in their infancy, stands greatly in the way
to prevent much progress in these institutions; yet it is grati-
fying to find that that practice is gradually giving way, and
that many married girls are nowadays to be seen in our
girls' schools. The establishment of adult female schools is
another means of removing the difficulty. All these desirable
ends, however, require the entertainment of mistresses properly
educated, and capable of discharging their delicate and onerous.
duties. A normal school, such as is established at Dacca, is
therefore an important step; but such normal schools them-
selves stand in need of trained mistresses, such as are not to
be had in this country at present. I sincerely sympathise
with Miss Mary Carpenter, and have to tender the best thanks
of my countrymen and myself, for her philanthropic and
charitable views with regard to the improvement of our
females, sunken and neglected as they are at present.'
December 11, 1866.
I had the pleasure, also, of receiving the following
address from the Dacca Normal School:-
'Madam, The enlightened part of the native community
have beheld your arrival in Calcutta with great joy. They
look upon this as an event that will give a new turn to the state
of the native society. It is told in our Shastras, that the fair
sex forms the better part of humanity; but the want of a
150
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
proper education has made the native ladies otherwise. They
have now an example before them, by which, I have not the
least doubt, they will be much profited. I have a female
normal school under my charge: it consists of three classes,
and there are 24 students of all ages on the roll. There is
also a girls' school attached to this institution, which has nearly
75 girls on the roll, some of whom belong to the highest families.
I, on the part of the teachers and students, have the honour
most respectfully to request you to honour our schools with a
visit. I further beg to send herewith an address in Bengali
from the students of this school.
'I have to remain, your most obedient servant,
'MOHESH CHUNDER GUNGOlee,
Head Master of the Dacca Female Normal School.
Dacca: December 14, 1866.
Having entered into some details respecting the pro-
gress of female education in Madras, it is unnecessary
to say more, except that its advanced condition has
only led to great anxiety for the adoption of suitable
measures to obtain well-trained female teachers, as
shown in the chapters on Madras.
The history of female education in Bombay indicates
a very different state of society from what exists in the
other Presidencies, and one which reflects the highest
credit on the educated portion of the native population.
The establishment of schools for the instruction of girls,
originated with the Students' Literary and Scientific
Society. The report of this society, dated February
1852, thus speaks :
'In our last Report, we had the pleasure to chronicle the
establishment of 6 girls' schools, which were then attended by
308 children. We have since had the satisfaction to learn,
that the Bombay Government regarded the spontaneous insti-
tution of these seminaries as an epoch in the history of educa-
THE PARSEE GIRLS' SCHOols.
151
tion in this Presidency, from which, it is to be hoped, will, in
due time, be traced the commencement of a rapid, marked, and
constant progress. These schools were Parsee, Marathi, Hindoo,
and Gujarati-Hindoo. Many prejudices had to be overcome
before this first step could be taken, and sound knowledge was
introduced in the schools. Geography, astronomy, and the
higher branches of arithmetic were taught there. Moral
teaching was also given. The numbers increased by 237 in
the first year.'
The Parsees, however, undertook the work of edu-
cation independently of this society. In November
1848, a society (already alluded to) was founded, through
the munificence of Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy, called the
Parsee Benevolent Institution; a part of the agency of
this consisted in the establishment of girls' schools. The
Parsee girls' schools were first called into existence
through the exertions of Mr. Dadabhai Naoroji and a few
friends, aided by his excellent mother. The schools re-
mained under the management of the Students' Literary
and Scientific Society until the year 1856, when, the
society's funds becoming low, and the Parsee community,
being now fully sensible of the importance of education,
the leading Parsees formed themselves into a Girls'
School Association, exclusively for the benefit of those
who hold the religion of Zoroaster. The parents who can
afford it pay a rupee, monthly, to the school funds, for
each child; none are, however, debarred from education
by being unable to pay, and all are treated alike.
There are several scholarships attached to the schools,
to stimulate the scholars to excellence, and especially
to induce them to undertake to become assistant teach-
ers. These are founded by benevolent Parsee gentle-
men and ladies. These four schools contain 483 girls,
of whom 233 pay the fee. The girls are taught reading,
152
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
writing, arithmetic, geography, Persian history, morality,
useful knowledge, needle and berlin-work, and singing.
These schools are placed under Government inspection,
without receiving Government help. Both they, and
those belonging to the Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy Parsee
Benevolent Institution, are admirably conducted, and
are as good as they can be without female teachers.
About 1,600 girls are thus receiving a good education
in the Hindoo and Parsee Girls' Schools.
The effort to educate girls is not confined to the city of
Bombay. We have already seen what admirable girls'
schools are carried on by native effort in Ahmedabad
and in Surat. Those cities are not isolated in their
exertions. The following facts are derived from official
returns of schools in the North-eastern Division of
the Bombay Presidency, up to January 30, 1866, pre-
pared by Mr. T. B. Curtis, the educational inspector of
that district:-
In the Dholka subdivision are 10 schools, containing 420 girls.
Kaira
Surat
7
222
22
17
921
""
""
Rewa Kanta agency
Kattiawar subdivision
2
11
""
11
332
">
Total in the division
47 schools, containing 1,906 girls.
The Government Report gives, as under instruction
in this division, 2,301 girls during the year.
These schools are supported as follows:-
By Chiefs
Endowed
By Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy Benevolent Institution .
By Local Educational Funds .
By Local Funds with Government help
4
< ∞ ∞
13
14
Total.
47
FEMALE EDUCATION IN BOMBAY.
153
This table, supplementing the noble efforts of the
natives of Bombay to give education to the other sex,
needs no comment. It declares, more forcibly than
any words can do, that they strongly feel the impor-
tance of female education; that they have made, and
are still making, personal and pecuniary sacrifices to
obtain it; and if they now say, as they have said to the
Government, that they cannot do more if they would-
that real progress is arrested by the want of proper
teachers—that they cannot, by the use of any means at
their disposal, obtain such teachers-that the course
adopted by Government to supply teachers for them-
selves, they now ask for the girls' schools, with such
changes as different circumstances require :—when they
say all this, and lay their actual position before their
rulers, will they not be listened to, and their just re-
quest find a ready response?
Throughout the Central and Southern Divisions, the
Director states, in his report, that education has not made
the same advance, and only small and inferior schools
are to be found there. But the prejudice against the
education of girls appears to have died away. The
impression,' he says, 'which I have generally received
in travelling, has been, that all through the Marathi,
Guzerathi, and Canarese countries (for of Sind I am
not able to speak), it will be perfectly possible to in-
troduce, with the full consent of the people, primary
female schools, to be attended by girls up to ten or
eleven years of age. For this purpose I applied, some
months ago, to Government, for an annual grant of
30,000 rupees, to be expended in various ways, according
to the differences of local circumstances, but always with
the view of establishing, in every town and large village,
a primary female school. As yet, no answer on the
154
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
subject has been given by the Supreme Government.'
It may be well that there should be a delay in this; for
it would surely be best for the Government first to
establish normal schools, to prepare proper female
teachers for girls' schools, rather than to perpetuate,
and thus sanction, so undesirable a system as the in-
struction of young girls by male teachers.
A distinct and formal request having been made by
the natives of Bombay and Madras, to their respective
Governments, for the establishment of Female Normal
Training Schools, these were in due course forwarded
to the Supreme Government for approval, and an
answer was anxiously expected.
The following printed communication has been offi-
cially forwarded to me; it shows the anxiety of the
Governor-General to promote an object so important
to the female portion of the native community, as
providing them with suitable instructors:-
Government document from E. C. Bayley, Esq.,
Secretary to the Government of India.
Simla July 20, 1867.
Sir, I am directed to forward herewith, for the considera-
tion of
and for such further action as may be thought
desirable, a memorandum, recently written by Miss Carpenter,
containing her views on the subject of Female Education in
India, and her suggestions for the establishment of Female
Normal Schools.
2. The primary object in view, it will be seen, is to obtain a
larger and more constant supply of female teachers, capable of
imparting a higher order of education to native females than
has as yet been attempted. The Governor-General in Council
is anxious to further this object, but there are many and
obvious reasons why it would be inexpedient for the Govern-
ment to assume the entire responsibility of such a scheme as
VIEWS OF THE SUPREME GOVERNMENT.
155
is proposed, which would start with a surer prospect of
success if it could be based on the efforts of the native com-
munity itself, under the guidance and advice, and with the
assistance, of each local Government or administration. Such
assistance might be shown, among other ways, by recognising
and suitably rewarding those who may actively interest them-
selves in the cause of Female Education; and as regards the
establishment of Female Normal Schools, I am authorised to
state that, whenever any earnest and genuine effort is made
by the local community, the Government of India will be
prepared to co-operate, by a liberal interpretation of the
Grant-in-aid Rules, and by assistance in procuring teachers
from England, and by guaranteeing to them a continuance of
their salaries and emoluments for a certain stated period, subject
to such reasonable conditions as may be determined upon.
The Governor-General in Council does not wish to bind the
local Government to any particular scheme, but would wish it
to be understood that, whenever any experiment may be tried
with this particular object in view, the co-operation of the
native community must be insisted upon as an essential
condition of Government support.
I have the honour to be, &c.,
(Signed)
J. T. WHEELER,
For Secretary to the Government of India.
The Government of India acts on the principle of
non-interference with the religion and the social
customs of the natives. So much importance having
been formerly attached by them to the absolute seclu-
sion and the non-education of the female sex, it of
course required of them, as expressed in the last para-
graph, that in the event of the local Government think-
ing proper to inaugurate any scheme of the kind, the
co-operation of the native community must be insisted
upon as an essential condition of Government support.'
C
A scheme drawn out by Sir A. Grant, for the estab-
lishment of a Normal Training School, was forwarded
156
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
from Bombay Castle to the Government of India. In
reply, the Government of India sanctions half the outlay
for five years, the natives taking the other half.
This condition for the present defers indefinitely, at
Bombay, any possibility of a commencement being
made of supplying the grand want of India, the means
of preparing her daughters to fill the position to which
they are destined through the medium of a sound edu-
cation. That education does not consist merely in the
acquisition of a knowledge of reading and writing, but
in such a development of their physical and moral
nature, as can be given only by trained female teachers.
They have already done all in their power to accom-
plish these. What has been done by enlightened
natives to raise the other sex, shows them only what
they cannot do. Such superior training they now desire
ardently to obtain for them. Until a sufficient number
of years have elapsed to enable such of their own ladies
as may desire it to train for the purpose of becoming
efficient teachers-a period which cannot shortly arrive
-this preparation must be made through the medium
of English ladies, who will give themselves heart and
soul to the great work. It is evident that the educated
natives of Bombay, both Parsees and Hindoos, have
already taken the initiative, as required by the Supreme
Government, in the development of female education.
The state of society among them is also very different
from what it was some years ago, as regards the seclu-
sion of their ladies. The foregoing narrative has shown
how many remarkable proofs of this they have given.
More they cannot do; and surely they have fulfilled the
condition imposed, of native co-operation.' Since the
training of female teachers can be effected only by
Englishwomen, it is evident that, even if they had un-
limited funds at their command, it would be impossible
C
NECESSITY OF GOVERNMENTAL ACTION.
157
for them to establish, and then to conduct, such an in-
stitution. Besides, it is under the protection of the
British Government only, that Englishwomen, not under
the guidance of their friends, and unconnected with
missionaries, ought to expose themselves to the diffi-
culties and dangers they would have to encounter in a
distant and tropical country, under such conditions as
may secure their permanency.
Should proper arrangements be made, and the
Government sanction the scheme, there can be no doubt.
that a sufficient number of educated women could be
found who would willingly go and enter themselves as
students in training, until they had obtained sufficient
knowledge of the vernacular to engage as teachers.
Many are already anxious to commence the under-
taking. There will be no difficulty in enlisting as
many educated women as may be required. Effectively
to carry out the object intended, the institution must
receive the protection and support of Government. But,
in the meantime, it is necessary that every arrangement
should be previously made before the plan is com-
menced. Not having fully developed the scheme which I
laid before the Viceroy, and knowing what difficulties.
English ladies would find in India-difficulties which
might defeat the plan at its outset, if not properly
guarded against-I have detailed it in the following
letter, which I requested permission to lay before the
Secretary of State for India :—
'To the Right Hon. Sir Stafford Northcote, Bart., M.P.,
Secretary of State for India.
Bristol: October 8, 1867.
'Sir,-In the letter which I had the honour of addressing,
while in India, to his Excellency the Governor-General, on
Female Education, I laid before him the actual position of the
158
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
question, and gave a general outline of a scheme for the estab-
lishment of a Female Normal School.
'I have since closely directed my attention to the subject,
in order thoroughly to understand the wishes and wants of
the enlightened natives who desire such an institution-the
position it would occupy in the country-the possibility of
affording to the English or other students engaged in it such
domestic comfort and protection as would be essential to them
in a foreign country, the habits and manners of which widely
differ from our own and the probability of obtaining an
adequate supply of students eventually, to supply the general
demand for female teachers.
'In the consideration of these topics, I availed myself, while
in India, of opportunities of visiting various institutions, of
learning the domestic habits of Europeans in that country,
and of obtaining what appeared to me reliable information
from enlightened natives in each Presidency, as well as from
English gentlemen and ladies well acquainted with the country.
'Since my return to England, I have had various oppor-
tunities of learning the views of experienced ladies respecting
the probability of finding educated persons in this country
suited for the purpose, and of discussing with them the position
which will be best for them, in view of their going to India to
train as teachers.
‘In all I have availed myself of the experience I had pre-
viously gained, both in the management of an institution
myself, and in the study of other boarding institutions. I
now, therefore, feel prepared to enter into the details of a
Female Normal School, which I respectfully beg to lay before
you. The plan is based on the following positions:-
'1st.-Female education is now generally accepted by the
enlightened part of the native community as very desirable,
and Girls' Schools are already established in various parts of
the country, frequently by native gentlemen themselves.
'2ndly. There are no female teachers for these schools, and
they are at present taught by male teachers.
'3rdly. Both native gentlemen and ladies are dissatisfied
DEVELOPMENT OF THE PLAN.
159
with this state of things, but cannot remedy it, female teachers
not being procurable.
' 4thly.—It would be, of course, preferred by them to obtain
a regular supply of native female teachers, and this should be
the ultimate object to be aimed at.
' 5thly.—But both the educational and the social condition of
Hindoo ladies present difficulties, which at present preclude
the possibility of their becoming teachers, without long train-
ing, and until many existing prejudices are overcome.
'6thly. This training can be given only by European or
other Christian teachers who have themselves been trained;
and the natives request the help of these, if given on the
Government principle of non-interference with religion.
'7thly. Such trained teachers are very rarely to be met with
in India, and it is necessary to bring them in the commence-
ment from England.
'Sthly. These teachers will all require special training for
their future work, by the acquisition of the vernacular, and
the study of the wants and habits of the children in the native
schools.
'9thly. The position of a teacher is not at present deemed
in general honourable, or one to be desired by native ladies:
it will, therefore, be very important to the success of the work
that the teachers and students should be carefully selected ;
that their position in the Normal School should be good, and
that a guarantee should be given by Government for suitable
salaries to accredited female teachers in native schools.
10thly.-Special provision should be made for the instruc-
tion of native students, besides that training in the art of
teaching which they may receive in common with the English
students, so as to supply the want of previous education equal
to that received in our country by pupil-teachers.
'Accepting these positions as the basis of the Normal School
contemplated, it is obvious that the special object of the insti-
tution at its commencement will be the preparation of the
future teachers of native schools; it will be desirable, there-
fore, to obtain, if possible, a number of educated persons who
160
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
have already mastered the ordinary branches of education, but
who require to learn the art of teaching, and to acquire the
vernacular. Young native ladies who may eventually become
teachers, must first obtain the preparatory education, either in
the schools now existing, or by special classes formed for
them. They should also be learning English, while the
English students are studying the vernacular.
'The institution should be arranged as follows:
'The House provided must contain not only suitable class-
rooms, but comfortable accommodation for the Lady Superin-
tendent, Training Mistress, and students (any non-Christian
native students, who may require to board in the institution,
must have separate arrangements made for them); servants,
conveyance, and whatever else is needed for a respectable
household, to be provided also.
"The Lady Superintendent will have the general manage-
ment of the institution, provide the board, and in every way
be the head of the household. She will make all arrange-
ments necessary for developing the objects of the institution;
confer with the managers of schools desirous of obtaining the
assistance of the mistress and students; conduct all corre-
spondence; and in all respects be responsible for the due
carrying out of the intentions of Government, to which only
she will be responsible.
'The Training Mistress, who is to be an English certificated
teacher, will have the entire responsibility of training the
students. She will spend a portion of each day with them in
the schools; give them such separate instruction as may be
needed; and with them receive daily lessons of a master in
the vernacular, to the acquisition of which she shall give care-
ful attention. While teaching in any school, she shall in
no respect interfere with the regulations or wishes of the
managers.
'The Servants are to be selected by the Lady Superintend-
ent, and to be under her direction. She should have, if pos-
sible, one good English servant, and may employ, under her
direction, young women brought up in the English schools of
LETTER RESPECTING FEMALE NORMAL SCHOOLS. 161
the country, or others. It will be desirable to exclude men-
servants from the household.
'Persons desirous of entering the Normal School as students,
must satisfy the Lady Superintendent that their character and.
general qualifications are such as to render them suitable for
teachers, and also undergo an examination fixed by the
Government. They must conform in all respects to the regu-
lations while in the institution, and must receive a certificate
of qualification from the Lady Superintendent, signed by the
Inspector, before leaving the school to take an engagement as
a teacher.
The annual expense of such an institution cannot be at
present estimated. The following is the nearest approxima-
tion I can offer, exclusive of the rent and furnishing:
Salary of Lady Superintendent
Training Mistress
Board of two Ladies
Board of twelve Students
•
Daily lessons from two Masters
Wages and board of Servants
Conveyance
Miscellaneous household expenses
200 rupees per mensem.
100
60
240
•
100
•
150
•
100
50
1,000 rupees per mensem.
'Exclusive of rent, the institution would cost, on this esti-
mate, 12,000 rupees per annum, or 1,2001. sterling.
The passage out of the Superintendent and Training
Mistress would be paid by Government. At the commence-
ment of the institution, it might be advisable to send out also
some students, whose education and position would enable
them to become teachers without long training. A guarantee
must be given for the return of the passage-money, or other
expenses, if the work is abandoned by them within a given
time.
This, Sir, is a general sketch of the institution I propose.
It is evident that experience only can show what modifications.
VOL. II.
M
162
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
it may be necessary, but I believe that the principles on
which it is based will be found correct.
(
Hoping for your kind consideration of these remarks,
'I remain, Sir, respectfully yours,
'MARY CARPENTER.'
It is evident that a scheme such as this can in no
way possibly interfere with any of the prejudices or social
customs of the natives, since none need avail them-
selves of its advantages but those who desire it. No
native ladies would be required to train as boarders in
the school. Even if, for some years, none should desire
to enter it as students, the time would not be lost, as
Englishwomen could be training themselves for en-
gagement in the female schools. These once estab-
lished as teachers in schools, would be able to train
native young ladies, who may desire it, as pupil-teachers
in English schools. The introduction of English ladies
direct from our country is much desired in Bombay,
where there are numerous flourishing schools, in which
their services would be gladly secured. In other parts
of the country, it might be deemed preferable to secure
the services of those who are on the spot. Many women
are to be found in India, whose respectable character
and previous education would fit them for the office,
and who would gladly avail themselves of such an
opening; the numerous schools for European orphans,
and the daughters of officials, would surely furnish
many well-educated young women, if their attention
were directed to the work. Among the Eurasians on
the eastern side of the Empire, are numbers to whom
it would be the greatest boon to have a means of liveli-
hood afforded to them. There will be much to be done
in preparation of these for teachers, in the acquirement
of the vernacular, as well as in actual training, before
DEMAND FOR FEMALE TEACHERS.
163
they would be prepared to enter on their duties, and
there will be ample time to gain experience of the views
and wants of the natives. Any number of female
teachers would readily find employment, if properly
qualified, especially if the Government should itself
establish primary girls' schools, as proposed by Sir A.
Grant. It has been supposed by some, that the natives.
would not employ such teachers in their schools. The
students trained in the Church of England Normal
School at Calcutta have no difficulty in obtaining em-
ployment, and are gladly received as teachers in the
zenanas of Hindoo gentlemen in that city; the Byraginees
of the Dacca Normal School are sought after for en-
gagement in the schools, though they are not of a class.
who would be preferred, and cannot have acquired, in
two or three years, such education and training as would
make them superior instructresses. Gladly, then,
would they employ European or Eurasian mistresses
trained on the Government system, to whom they would
not have any of the objections which might attach in
their minds to these other students. There can, there-
fore, be no doubt that if these Normal Training Schools
were established by Government, the native community
would co-operate in what they so greatly desire, and
have so earnestly asked for. That no doubt may exist
in the mind of the Government on this subject, the
native inhabitants of Bombay, now resident in London,
have sent a strong memorial on the subject to the
Secretary of State for India. It is supplemented by
some remarkable statistics.*
There is, however, a certainty that native students, in
some parts of India, would at once apply for admission
to a Normal Training School so established by the
* Vide Appendix D.
M 2
164
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
Government. Several of the Brahmica ladies of Calcutta
are most desirous of such an opening for improvement,
and Brahmo gentlemen of respectable position have
repeatedly assured me, that they knew of many who
would at once apply. They are now greatly disap-
pointed at the delay of their wishes. In Madras,
gentlemen of distinction assured me, that such an
opportunity of training to obtain a livelibood, would be
gladly accepted by widows of excellent character. In
Bombay, for some time, young Parsee ladies have been
encouraged to qualify themselves as assistants in the
schools, and many are anxiously desiring the establish-
ment of the Normal School. The actual success of the
plan can be ascertained only by making the experi-
ment, and that it should be made is earnestly desired
by the Parsees and Hindoos of Bombay, for without it
all further progress is impossible. They can appeal to
more than fifteen years of zealous work and pecuniary
sacrifice, as a proof of their sincerity, and the earnest-
ness of their co-operation in the object they have so much
at heart. They would do more if they could; but the
great commercial crisis has deprived them of the means
of doing so, and after the many pecuniary sacrifices
they have already made in the cause of female educa-
tion, they may reasonably ask why they should be
called on to sustain, in addition, half the burden of the
work of training teachers for girls' schools. For the
male sex, the Government has always taken the whole
work of training teachers in its own hands. The work
succeeded. The schools have been supplied with trained
teachers of their own nation. The natives perceive
the value of the system, and wish it extended to the
other sex. Why,' they may still ask, 'does the Govern-
ment do less for girls than for boys?
They will be the
NEED OF A FEMALE NORMAL SCHOOL.
165
mothers of the next generation, and it is to their influ-
ence on society that we look as an important means of
elevating our nation. Is the Government indifferent
to this? Does it begrudge the expenditure of money
on what would be of such vital importance to us?"
The time is come when the Hindoos feel confidence
in the sincerity of our Government in its efforts to raise
them, intellectually and morally, without interference
with their religious or social customs; they invite the
aid of Englishwomen to do the work, so essentially their
own, of raising their Eastern sisters. Our country-
women are ready to respond to the call. May the
Government enable us to do so!
166
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA
CHAPTER VI.
REFORMATORY SCHOOLS.
THERE are no Reformatory Schools in India to which
juvenile criminals can be sent by judges and magis-
trates, under a legal sentence of detention after impri-
sonment; there are no Certified Industrial Schools, to
which young vagrants, and others in a state of proclivity
to crime, can be committed for a term of years, without
imprisonment, to enable them to learn to gain an honest
livelihood.
Nor, under existing circumstances, can voluntary
effort be invoked to endeavour to save young Hindoo
boys from a life of crime, as multitudes of English boys
and girls have been rescued; for it has been proved
that not only for the permanency, but also for the effi-
ciency, of such institutions, is pecuniary aid from Gov-
ernment, but legal detention also, absolutely necessary.
In India there is no Reformatory Schools' Act for
juvenile offenders; there is no Certified Industrial
Schools' Act for young vagrants; nor any equivalent to
these English Acts in legislative action.
That such schools are greatly needed in India, was
forced on my unwilling notice during the first few days
of my residence in that country.
It will be remembered that almost my first close con-
tact with Hindoo life was in the Court of Justice at
Ahmedabad, where I saw before me one of those very
REMEDY FOR JUVENILE CRIME.
167
gangs of wandering depredators, of whom I afterwards
heard so much, as infesting many parts of the country.
I saw among them old men experienced in crime, and
young boys whose training had excited in them their
unnatural precocity. I afterwards saw all these pent up
together in Ahmedabad Jail, where they were detained,
uncondemned, without work or anything to occupy their
minds, except the recollection of their exploits and
their projects for the future. There they had been for
several months. I was informed by the superintendent
of that jail, Dr. Wyllie, that boys were not unfrequently
under his charge in a similar condition; and that one
such imprisonment almost inevitably condemned a boy
to a life of crime, association of the worst kind with
adult criminals being unavoidable under the existing
condition of jails. This being the well-known effect of
imprisonment on boys, a law has been passed authoris-
ing whipping for young offenders to save them from it,
and to this reference was frequently made to me as a
supposed panacea for juvenile crime. Inquiries from
experienced officials and magistrates elicited, how-
ever, the conviction, that whipping no more deters or
reforms Hindoo boys than long ago it was proved to
do English ones; on the contrary, credible witnesses
assured me that they had seen boys writhing and crying
in apparent agony under the infliction, and very shortly
expose themselves to it again. Similar testimonies were
borne to me elsewhere in the Bombay Presidency and
in Madras, a strong desire being expressed everywhere
for the establishment of reformatories.
Under these circumstances, I felt fully authorised in
respectfully laying the following statement before his
Excellency the Viceroy :-
168
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
6
Reformatory Schools and Certified Industrial Schools.
'Schools of these two kinds have now been established for
many years in England, and the success with which they are
attended is generally acknowledged.
"They are founded on the principle that jails are not adapted.
to youthful criminals, who ought rather to receive moral and
industrial training.
'There appears a very great need of the establishment of
similar schools in India-Reformatory Schools for older and
hardened offenders who have been in prison; Industrial Schools
for younger children, and juvenile vagrants who are likely to
fall into crime.
1
'Many of both these classes may be found in the prisons of
India, or are wandering over the country. They are certain
to perpetuate a criminal class, unless timely steps are taken to
reclaim them. Many of these boys have been several times in
prison, and are already desperate characters, contaminating all
who come within their sphere.
<
The Reformatories and Industrial Schools in England are
established by private benevolence, and are supported by pay-
ments made by the Treasury to the managers, towards the
maintenance of each offender, payments from county rates by
special agreement, and voluntary contributions. A consolidated
Act for each class of schools was passed last session.
'It is probable that India would require a somewhat different
system, for local reasons, and that here the initiative must be
taken by the Government. At the same time it is probable,
that if encouragement is now given by the Government, by
the passing of a law authorising and partly providing for such
schools, municipalities may be able to take their share of the
needful expenditure and management. A general feeling ap-
pears to prevail, among both European and native gentlemen
who are in any way connected with the criminal classes, as to
the importance of such establishments in India. They need
not, for many reasons, be as costly in India as in England, and
THE SASSOON REFORMATORY AT BOMBAY.
169
it is probable that the labour of the boys may be made nearly
to cover the expense of their maintenance.
'I would therefore respectfully but strongly urge on the
Legislature the importance of taking steps as soon as possible
to establish such schools.
'Will you permit me to forward herewith my “Suggestions
on the Management of Reformatories and Certified Industrial
Schools," which contain an account of the system generally
adopted in England?'
Subsequent experience, during my residence in India,
fully confirmed my first impressions; and the statements
of experienced gentlemen, as well as my own personal
observations, fully showed that such establishments
might be conducted in India at far less expense than
in England, since the cost of the clothing of the in-
mates would be very small, and the boys might easily
earn, by agricultural labour, a large proportion of
the cost of their food. In Bombay I had an oppor-
tunity of inspecting closely the valuable institution
which bears the name of its founder, the late Mr. David
Sassoon; I learnt that, though it has not had the advan-
tage of legal detention of the inmates (apprenticing the
young offenders to learn a trade at the school being the
substitute employed), and though the manager had not
had the benefit of European experience, which might
have led to the adoption of some improvements, yet that
the institution is considered a decided success-that
it receives some assistance from the Educational Depart-
ment of the Government, and that magistrates avail
themselves of it in the disposal of juvenile offenders.
The David Sassoon Reformatory has been in operation
for more than a dozen years, and has therefore estab-
lished three important facts: first, that juvenile crimi-
nals exist in India; secondly, that they are susceptible
170
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
of reformation, and can be taught to earn an honest
livelihood; and thirdly, that the principle is considered
a sound one in Bombay, and is acted on by magistrates.
An account of this institution will appear in a subse-
quent part of this chapter.
The subject of reformatories not having yet, however,
generally engaged public attention in India, as it has in
England, the nature and working of such institutions, as
they exist in England, France, and Germany, does not
appear to be understood there. Hence, in reply to the
suggestions of some of the local Governments, as well as
myself, of the importance of establishing reformatories,
a circular was issued from the Governor-General in
Council (dated July 16, 1867), stating that conclusive
objections exist against the institution of 'Central
Juvenile Reformatories in India,' and 'that it would be
difficult to collect boys who would fill a central jail in
any province.' Then it is stated, 'The cost of construc-
ting a new set of expensive buildings, which would be
required, and the entertainment of guards, &c., would
be very considerable, while, on the score of health, it
would be objectionable to remove boys to central jails
at a distance from their homes.'
It is evident that this objection is based on the sup-
position that central juvenile jails are intended by those
who advocate reformatories. This is a misapprehension
of the term, as it is generally received in England; in-
deed, every reformatory manager would probably object
as strongly as is here set forth, and even more so,
not only on financial but on moral grounds, to es-
tablishing juvenile jails, especially large central ones.
They would not ask to have large expensive buildings,
still less the protection of guards. Nor would it be
necessary to remove boys to a great distance from their
OBJECTION TO CENTRAL JUVENILE JAILS.
171
homes, since it has always been considered better to
have a number of small reformatories in different parts
of the country than one large central one. The juvenile
jail at Parkhurst, in the Isle of Wight, was originally
intended by the Government to carry out the reforma-
tory principle; it gradually became essentially, as well as
in name, a jail, in which were confined 600 young men.
Since then, reformatories, under voluntary manage-
ment, containing generally from thirty to sixty youths,
have been established in various parts of the country.
Parkhurst Juvenile Prison has been abandoned by the
Government, and the buildings turned to another pur-
pose.
Besides the objection, in which all reformatory mana-
gers would fully sympathise, to the erection in India of
central juvenile jails, a belief is expressed, in the same
minute of Government, that reformatories are always
liable to gross abuses in that country, from the com-
pelled absence of that moral and religious teaching to
which reformatories in England owe their success, but
which would assume a proselytising form here.
It is indeed quite true that Christian instruction
could not be introduced into reformatories, as they
would, of course, be established on the general system
adopted of non-interference with religion. Proselytising
would be a most improper use of such an institution;
this is carefully guarded against in our own country,
and it would be directly opposed to the principles on
which the Indian Government invariably acts. None
ought to be attempted, under any circumstances.
But the fact of the absence of instruction in the Chris-
tian religion, by no means implies the absence also of
moral and religious teaching. The sacred books of the
Hindoos inculcate principles of morality, nor have the
172
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
natives any objection to the moral precepts of Chris-
tianity, while they do not accept its doctrines. It has
already been shown that educated natives generally
accept pure theism, and many are very religious men,
though they have not embraced the Christian religion.
We know well how high a position is held, morally and
religiously, by our Jewish fellow-subjects. Native
teachers trained in the male Normal Schools discharge
their duties admirably under the direction of Govern-
ment Inspectors, and are at present engaged in
the instruction of tens of thousands of young Hindoos,
from the better portion of society. They would surely
be well fitted to instruct, in the. simple principles of
morals and religion, young criminals in reformatories,
especially if at the head of the establishment were an
Englishman who understood the nature of such in-
stitutions.
Perceiving that I had not sufficiently explained the
nature of such institutions in the suggestions which I
had laid before the Indian Government, I addressed
the following brief letter to the Right Honourable the
Secretary of State for India :—
'I beg permission also to add a few words respecting Re-
formatory Schools.
6
The founders of these institutions in England have, from
the commencement of the movement, always strongly objected
to large juvenile jails, advocating rather schools of from
about 30 to 60 boys, who might live in a simple domestic
way, under the care of proper persons: these, while giving
them moral and religious, as well as intellectual-training,
should also teach them to work for their living. Good per-
sonal influence supersedes the necessity of prison-guards. A
number of small schools in different parts of the country have
been practically found to succeed much better than one large
establishment.
LETTER ON REFORMATORY SCHOOLS.
173
To schools such as these I referred, when suggesting re-
formatories for the Hindoo boys, who are now associated in
jails with adult prisoners, or who, after chastisement, rove
the country in a vagrant and predatory manner.
'From information I obtained in different parts of the coun-
try, it appeared that such schools, established in various dis-
tricts where most needed, might be carried on at no great cost.
A piece of land granted for the purpose by the Government,
might, by the well-directed labour of the boys, be made to pro-
duce nearly enough for their food; their clothing would not be
half the expense which it is in England; and from what I have
seen of native teachers, many of whom are highly intelligent
and well-disposed persons, I do not doubt that some could be
found capable of taking the management of these schools,
under the direction of the Educational Board, or other gentle-
men employed by the Government. Most educated natives
are believers in One True God, and would be capable of giving
moral and even religious instruction to the boys.
'I visited, while in Bombay, the Reformatory School estab-
lished many years ago by David Sassoon. It was commenced
before the agricultural system was adopted in our reform-
atories, and is confined to in-door trades: it is not, therefore,
in this and some other respects, to be taken as a model. It is,
however, considered in the city a great success; as there is no
legal detention, magistrates apprentice young delinquents to
the school to learn trades. It receives aid from the Educational
Department of Government.
'Hoping for your kind consideration of these remarks,
'I remain, Sir, respectfully yours,
'MARY CARPENTER.'
The following account of instruction actually given in
a jail by a native teacher, is contained in the General
Report on Public Instruction in the Lower Provinces of
Bengal for 1864-5*; it shows the possibility of giving
instruction in a reformatory:-
* Mr. Martin's Report, pp. 185-187.
174
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
'The Dacca Jail School.-This school was opened in the
month of August last. It has up to this time been taught by a
circle pundit. As the only hour which the magistrates could allow
convicts for school was at night, the expense of lighting (which
has amounted to about five rupees a month) has been defrayed
from the Circle School Fund. Respecting the success of the
school, I sent the following letter to your address on the
27th March last :—“ I have the honour to report, for
"I your infor-
mation, that in the commencement of this official year a school
was opened in the jail at Dacca, with the permission of the
magistrate. A circle pundit, whose patshallas were in the
neighbourhood, was directed to go there every evening, and
teach from six till eight o'clock, the expense of lighting (about
five rupees a month) being defrayed out of the Circle School
Fund. At first it was feared that the prisoners would not like
to learn, and that, even if they did so, they might treat their
teacher with indignity. Experience has shown, however, that
about one hundred (or one-fourth of the prisoners in the jail)
have voluntarily come forward to learn, and nowhere is there
a school where the pupils treat the teacher with so much
respect. I visited the school on Saturday evening last, and
found those under instruction in all stages of education, from
those writing on palm-leaves to those reading charupat. Very
few of them had ever learned to read before joining the school;
but they themselves stated that, whilst they were in jail, they
had no occupation which could benefit them, whereas if they
learnt to read and write now, it might be of use to them when
the term of their imprisonment was over. From what I saw
myself, I am inclined to think that a school might be estab-
lished in every jail with advantage. At present, however, I
would recommend that two teachers be appointed for the Dacca
Jail. Ten rupees will be sufficient for each; for, as the hours
when the prisoners can be spared from labour is in the evening
only, it will be possible to get, for ten rupees a month, men who
have other occupations during the day. The whole expenditure
which I advocate is, two teachers, on ten rupees each per mensem,
and five rupees a month for lighting." In reply you wrote to
me as follows :—"By the rules for the regulation of jails the
THE ENGLISH REFORMATORY ACT.
175
school instruction of convicts is permitted, but it is dis-
tinctly declared that such instruction is to be considered a
matter of jail discipline. The Director is, therefore, of opi-
nion, that any expense occasioned by the instruction of pri-
soners should be borne by the jail funds, and not by the funds
of the Education Department. This should be represented to
the magistrate, and through him to the Inspector-General of
Jails, whose advice and co-operation should be solicited." I
immediately wrote to the magistrate on the subject, but have
not as yet received any reply.'
While at Calcutta, I had the pleasure of conversing
with a native teacher who had given instruction in a
jail school-probably in this. He evinced the deepest
interest in his work, though, as I understood, it was
purely voluntary, and expressed great regret that he
was compelled to discontinue it, as the jail regulations
prevented any but prisoners themselves from giving
instruction to other prisoners. He expressed con-
siderable surprise at such a system, remarking: Edu-
cation does not consist merely in teaching to read and
write; its most important part is to elevate the mind
and moral nature. To set thieves to teach thieves
would defeat this great object.' I need not say that I
fully concurred in his views.
.
I was informed, also, that a number of the prisoners
in Alipore Jail availed themselves of the opportunity
afforded them of instruction. It would appear, then,
that with due caution, instruction might be safely
given in Hindoo reformatories by native teachers.
This is not the place to enter into the principles of
Reformatories, or to answer objections made by persons.
who have not studied their object or their working,
and who are not aware of their actual results.
England, the subject has been long before the public.
In
176
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
The Blue Books of the House of Commons contain the
evidence which was brought before the Select Committee
which sat in 1852 and 1853, on criminal and destitute
juveniles. Before that Committee I was permitted
to give detailed evidence on this subject. The pro-
ceedings of two important conferences in Birming-
ham, in 1851 and 1853, enlightened the public mind.
Books were written by experienced persons; all pre-
pared the way for the passing of the first short Act, in
August 1854, giving the permission (which had been so
long desired) for young delinquents to be trained
and educated rather than punished in jail, and granting
the authority and pecuniary help required. The first
reformatories were experimental, but experiment has
resulted in demonstration. Parliament has shown, by
successive acts of legislation, its acceptance of the
principles, and its satisfaction with the results. The
summer of 1866 gave us a complete Reformatory Act,
a consolidation of the previous ones, and also one
for Certified Industrial Schools, embodying all that
past experience had proved to be necessary. All diffi-
culties have been surmounted, all theoretical objections.
have been answered by facts. The public, at first
sceptical, has fully accepted our work, and each county
now does something towards supporting a reformatory
through the medium of a rate.
To say that reformatories may be good for Europe
and America, where they have been long established,
but are not adapted to India, would be to deny that
human nature is the same in all parts of the world, and
that principles remain unchanged in every zone. We
used, indeed, to be told that Mettray Reformatory might
do very well for French boys, but would not suit Eng-
lish boys; we did not copy that admirable institution
THE DAVID SASSOON REFORMATORY.
177
servilely, but studied its principles, and adapted them
to English habits and character. So in India, without
attempting to introduce every plan which is good in
England, we may adapt the reformatory principles to
the inhabitants of that country. Assuming that this is
understood and accepted, and hoping that those who have
not studied the subject will make themselves acquainted
with it, before they oppose it, or theorise against it,
we will now give some account of the experiment made
in the David Sassoon Reformatory of Bombay, derived
from official sources.
The report for the years between 1862 and 1867
gives the following account of the origin of the institu-
tion:-
'The Bombay School of Industry, established in the year
1850, chiefly through the exertions of the late Dr. Buist, had
for its object the reformation of the many juvenile delinquents
arrested by the police; the encouragement of apprenticeship
amongst the working-classes; and the introduction of better
implements than are common in India.
'For several years the maintenance of the institution was
provided for chiefly by public subscriptions.
'Much difficulty, however, had been experienced in raising
funds for the support of the school, which difficulty, added to
the want of a suitable building, had greatly impeded the success
of its operations.
'In 1857, the sons of the late Mr. David Sassoon came
forward with the following very liberal offer of their assistance,
conditionally on the grant of certain concessions by Govern-
ment :-
"They offered—
First. To convey to Government, for the purposes of
the school, a house and premises situated near Grant
Road, in every way suitable for the institution, making
VOL. II.
N
178
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
any repairs and alterations thereto that might be
necessary.
Secondly. To make over to Government a
sum of
Rs. 30,000, on which the highest Government rate of
interest was to be allowed, and appropriated towards
the support of the school.
'The conditions on which the Messrs. Sassoon made the
above offer were-
First.—That Government either grant the services of an
engineer permanently to the school, or pay the salary
of such engineer;
Secondly.-That Government contribute towards the
school an annual amount equal to the interest allowed
on their deposit of Rs. 30,000;
Thirdly. That the school be inspected by Government;
Fourthly.—That Government permit the school to be
called after Mr. David Sassoon; and
Fifthly. That the workshops of the school be closed on
Saturdays.
'The munificent offer of the Messrs. Sassoon was accepted on
the conditions specified, and with the further stipulation, that
the money to be granted from the public revenues should be
drawn only when actually required for the current expenditure
of the school.
'The School of Industry was thus reorganised as a Govern-
ment institution, and designated the DAVID SASSOON INDUS-
TRIAL AND REFORMATORY INSTITUTION.
"The following is a list of the office-bearers on 1st April,
1867:-
President.-A. D. SASSOON, Esq., C.S.I.
Vice-President.-The Honourable B. H. ELLIS.
THE DAVID SASSOON REFORMATORY.
179
Managing Committee.
R. B. BARTON, Esq., Chairman.
F. SOUTER, Esq., Commissioner of Police.
Major T. WADDINGTON, Educational Inspector, C. D.
E. D. SASSOON, Esq.
A. M. GUBBAY, Esq.
VENAYEKROW WASSOODEWJEE, Esq.
NARAYEN DINANATHJEE, Esq.
E. PRATT, Esq., Secretary.'
We learn from the Reports that many juvenile delin-
quents were known to exist in Bombay, and that since
the year 1850 efforts had been made to reclaim them. It
must be remembered that no law existed giving to such
institutions the power of legal detention, and that ap-
prenticeship was the only means of detaining them. It is
also to be borne in mind that, under the circumstances,
there could not be the domestic comforts which render
many of our reformatories a home, as well as a school
for the young persons committed to them. The follow-
ing report (for 1859-60) must, therefore, be considered
very satisfactory:-
'The number of boys under instruction at the close of the
last official year was 43. The admissions of new boys during
the year under review numbered 34. During the same period,
12 boys were withdrawn or discharged, 1 died in hospital, and
8 absconded; so that the number of boys at present in the in-
stitution is 55. The deserters are, generally, boys who have just
joined the institution. Those who have been in it for a few
weeks readily recognise the advantages which a continued resi-
dence on the premises is likely to confer on them, and conse-
quently prefer to remain. The number of desertions during
the past year includes one of our most advanced apprentices,
an excellent workman, whose desertion is a serious loss to the
institution. It is to be hoped, however, that he will soon be
N 2
180
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
recaptured, as he has been traced to Poona by the police. It
is deserving of notice that, in many cases, our own appren-
tices are mainly instrumental in effecting the recapture of
deserters. This was particularly remarkable in the case of a
deserter, who was, during the past year, brought back to the
institution by means of information and assistance afforded by
one of our boys, who had been three years previously his ac-
complice in crime, and was consequently well acquainted with
his haunts.
'For the maintenance of four of the boys, allowances
varying from 3 to 2 rupees each, per mensem, are paid by
their parents and guardians. For six others, criminal boys
sent to us from the Mofussil, Government grant an allowance
of 3 rupees each per mensum. The remainder are destitute or
criminal boys, apprenticed chiefly by magistrates in Bombay,
and are fed, clothed, and taught wholly at the expense of the
institution.
'An accession of boys from the Mofussil would be a great
advantage to the institution, looking to the allowance which
the Government grant for the maintenance of such boys.
The six Mofussil boys, above alluded to, have been received
since the publication of our last Annual Report—a fact which,
it is hoped, may be regarded as evidence of a recognition, to
some extent, of the utility of the suggestions offered in that
report. As the Legal Remembrancer has stated that boys
convicted in the Mofussil may be legally apprenticed to us by
any magistrate in Bombay, those magistrates in the Mofussil
who may be desirous of placing boys at this institution need
only trouble themselves about arranging for the transport of
the boys to Bombay. The execution of the necessary contract
of apprenticeship is usually arranged by the managers of the
institution, by whom also application is made to Government
for the maintenance of the apprentice during his residence at
the institution.'
The 55 boys in the school in the year 1859 were of
various castes and religions; 27 being Hindoos of fifteen
THE DAVID SASSOON REFORMATORY.
181
different castes, 25 Mahometans, and three Christians.
In no report does it appear that any difficulty arose
from these. The boys were taught a variety of trades;
and gradually improved so much, both in habits of
application and in skill, that orders were obtained for
work, in aid of the funds of the institution. In doing
this, they were encouraged by the Government. The
Commissary-General of the Army arranged to obtain
certain descriptions of clothing from the school, and
the Government recommended Heads of Departments
to send such job-work to the school as could be executed
on reasonable terms. Advertisements were also inserted
free of charge in the official Gazette.'
6
The anxiety of the Committee to improve the boys
placed under their charge is shown by the following
extracts:
At the date of the last report, the Committee had
under consideration the expediency of permitting the more
advanced young artisans to visit occasionally public establish-
ments in Bombay, where the arts, to which they are appren-
ticed, are exercised on an extensive scale. To give effect to
the object in view, the following arrangements have been
adopted during the period under review:-Saturday in each
week, when our workshops are closed, is the day set apart for
visiting other workshops. The only workshops to which our
boys are as yet permitted access, are those at Byculla, under
the Locomotive Superintendent of the Great Indian Peninsula
Railway, whither the boys have been conducted every week.
These visits, which are made by the boys under adequate
guidance and supervision, must necessarily extend their prac-
tical knowledge, and are attended also with an important col-
lateral advantage. The regular attendance of our carpenters,
turners, smiths, and brass-moulders, at the Byculla Work-
shops, has the effect of making known their qualifications, and
thus facilitates our obtaining employment for them at the end
182
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
of their terms of apprenticeship. This is proved by the short
experience already acquired.
'The attention of the Committee has been lately turned to
the desirableness of some systematic effort for improving the
tastes of the boys. Dr. Birdwood has most kindly offered,
with the sanction of the President of the Horticultural Society,
to attach to the Industrial Institution, as a temporary measure,
some of the mallees (gardeners) in the service of the Horticul-
tural Society, for the purpose of ornamenting our grounds. It
is proposed to take advantage of this liberal offer, as soon as
the whole compound shall be raised to a higher level, which is
one of the works at present lying over for want of funds. It is
intended also to erect a large aviary on the premises. This
is at present under construction. A small collection of birds
for the aviary has been already made, and further occasional
contributions from the public will be very acceptable.'
Mr. Pratt, the secretary, is able to give the follow-
ing testimony to the conduct of the boys during the
year ending June 1860-
'Looking to the previous characters of the boys received into
this institution, the conduct of the great bulk of them may be
described as remarkably good. Of those who have been long
resident at the institution, and are near the close of their ternis
of apprenticeship, the conduct of the generality may be said to
be even exemplary.
'During the year under review, four thefts were committed
on the premises by some of the boys.
'Experience has established, that judicious management and
prompt inquiry seldom fail to lead to the discovery of the
guilty parties on the occurrence of any misconduct.'
The reformatory appears to have become increasingly
valued, for, at a special meeting held on the premises
on February 20, 1861, it appeared that the number of
boys had increased to 85; but it was found that this
involved an expenditure which exceeded, by more than
THE DAVID SASSOON REFORMATORY.
183
100 rupees (10.) per mensem, the income of the insti-
tution. It was therefore resolved :—
Resolved. That the existing state of the finances will not
admit of the maintenance, entirely at the expense of the in-
stitution, of a larger number than 40 boys; that, for the pre-
sent, that number be regarded as the maximum number to be
admitted free of charge; and that the secretary be requested
to place himself in communication with the magistrates of
police, for the purpose of obtaining suitable provision for the
maintenance of the boys recently admitted into the institution,
in excess of the above number, or of arranging for the cancel-
ment of their contracts of apprenticeship.'
In consequence of this resolution, eleven boys were
sent back to the Commissioner of Police, whom he had
sent on magisterial order to the institution, but who
had not yet been apprenticed. Considerable difficulty
arose respecting the disposal of the boys, Act XIX. of
1850 permitting magistrates to send boys to the insti-
tution, to be apprenticed, instead of being punished,
but not making any provision for the maintenance of
the boys, or for obtaining the consent of the managers
to receive them. An official correspondence on this
subject sufficiently proved the necessity of a legal
provision for such cases, as in our Industrial Schools'
Act. Eventually the Chief Secretary to the Govern-
ment communicated the decision of the Honourable
the Governor in Council, that he considered the pro-
posal of the Sassoon Committee to be a reasonable
one, and that henceforth All lads sent to the refor-
matory by police magistrates should be clothed and
fed at the expense of Government, as would be the
case if they were sent to jail.'
The Government, being evidently desirous of extend-
ing the usefulness of such institutions, introduced a
184
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
section into Act XXI. of 1861. The substance of it is
as follows:-
'Sentences of imprisonment passed on such offenders may,
under that enactment, be carried out in any reformatory
which fulfils certain specified conditions, these conditions
being-
1. That the reformatory afford means of suitable discipline,
and of training in some branch of useful industry.
2. That it be kept by some person willing to obey Govern-
ment orders.
3. That it be recognised by Government as a fit place of
confinement.'
Now, it is well known to managers of reformatories,
that a short period of time spent in their institutions
would be of little value, the object being to influence
the character, and to enable young persons to earn an
honest livelihood. The reformatory is not to be re-
garded as a private jail, where a term of imprisonment
may be passed-still less as a place where penal inflictions.
may be carried into execution. The Managing Com-
mittee of the David Sassoon Reformatory came to the
conclusion, soon after the passing of that Act, that no
steps should be taken to obtain a recognition of it by
the Government as a fit place of confinement for the
purposes of the new law, considering it more conducive
to the object for which the school was established, that
the inmates should be apprenticed under indentures for
a term of years, than that they should be prisoners
under sentence of a few weeks' or a few months' con-
finement. Their reasons are given in the following
passages in the Report for 1864 to 1867:-
'Of the cases connected with young delinquents which
come before the magistrates, there are but few which call
for sentences of imprisonment beyond a few weeks or months.
THE DAVID SASSOON REFORMATORY.
185
And of course no magistrate, who, acting under Section
433 of the Act of 1861, has inflicted a suitable sentence of
imprisonment on a boy convicted before him of some petty
offence, can direct that the lad shall be confined in a refor-
matory beyond the term of the sentence, in order to admit of
his being trained to some branch of useful industry. Yet,
unless a vicious boy has the advantage of subjection, for at
least three or four years, to the discipline, to the industrial
training, and to the generally wholesome influences of a re-
formatory, how can it be hoped that he will ever learn to work
for a livelihood in any branch of useful industry, or that he
will ever be reclaimed?
The immediate consequence of the new Act was, that
very few boys were apprenticed to the institution
during the next three or four years by the magistrates,
probably owing to a belief, on their part, that the new
Act superseded the former one, under which boys were
apprenticed. During the year 1866, however, 37 boys
were sentenced to the school by the Senior Magistrate
and his colleagues.
The boys are frequently employed to do work be-
yond the institution. A number of boys who were too
young for apprenticeship were sent for some years to
work at a cotton-factory. At times, experienced hands
are hired out to do carpentry. Efforts are made by
the managers to obtain work for competent inmates.
On Sir Bartle Frere's late visit to the institution, when
it was represented to him that, in consequence of the
large reduction in establishments which were continually
taking place, difficulty was experienced in obtaining
employment for discharged apprentices, his Excellency
desired Major Kendall to take into consideration (says
Mr. Pratt, the secretary, in the same report) :-
The practicability of arranging for the admission to the
Dockyard, Barrack Department, and other Government Estab-
186
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
lishments, of qualified artisans from the institution. At his
Excellency's suggestion, an advertisement has been inserted
in the “Government Gazette," inviting Heads of Departments
to apply to the institution for the services of qualified artisans.
It is particularly desirable to find employment for discharged.
apprentices in the Mofussil, where they would be less exposed
to temptation than in Bombay, and would be completely
weaned from their old haunts and associates.. A circular
from Government to Executive Engineers in the Mofussil,
recommending that application be made to us when artisans
are required, would I think be useful to the institution. Dr.
McKenzie, the Superintendent of the Dharwar Jail, in a letter
which I received from him several months ago, expressed his
willingness to entertain one or two of our advanced appren-
tices for the purpose of teaching prisoners in jail. I have
been unable, however, to avail myself of this offer, for I fear
that to place our apprentices, immediately on their discharge,
in close contact with the inmates of a criminal jail, would be
to entirely undo the work of the reformatory. Nevertheless,
Dr. McKenzie is entitled to our best acknowledgments for the
interest evinced by him in this institution, and for his offer
to aid it as far as lay in his power.'
There is great difficulty in tracing out the inmates after
their discharge from the reformatory; and the managers
are desirous of introducing a system of patronage,' such
as is carried out with so much advantage in some Euro-
pean reformatories. Of the importance of such a plan,
and of the kind interest taken in the boys by the
managers, Mr. Pratt adduces the following instance :-
'The police sent to the reformatory last year a lad named
Girdhur, whose father was known to the Honourable Mr.
Munguldass Nuthoobhoy and to Mr. Lukmidass Khimjee.
These gentlemen, from the interest they occasionally evinced
in Girdhur, came at length to be virtually recognised as the
boy's
's patrons. The effect of "patronage," even in this isolated
case, has been remarkably useful to the institution. Girdhur
THE DAVID SASSOON REFORMATORY.
187
is one of the best of boys. It is true that he ran away once.
But even this exceptional misconduct served to illustrate how
advantageous would be a general system of patronage. When
Girdhur ran away, the aid of his patrons was requested
towards his recovery. This assistance was promptly afforded,
and the fugitive was soon brought back.
If it be difficult, under existing circumstances, to get
information as to what becomes of our discharged apprentices
after they leave the institution, it must, of course, be still
more so to obtain such information as regards the deserters;
nevertheless, we do what we can with the means at our com-
mand, and are sometimes successful in discovering the habits
and mode of life of those who have effected their escape
from the institution. A boy named Sonoo-bin-Essoo—who,
having been much trusted by the superintendent, absconded
from the institution several years ago, making away with a few
rupees which had been entrusted to him-was lately arrested
and taken up to the Police Office. A technical difficulty there
arose, however, which rendered it necessary to abandon the
prosecution. A petition has since been received from him,
begging for renewed confidence and support, which of course,
in the interests of the institution, must be refused. When it
is brought to my notice that any boy who, having absconded
from the institution under circumstances which involved no
breach of trust or other misconduct, is many months after-
wards earning an honest livelihood by the exercise of skill in
handicraft acquired in the institution, I think it generally the
wisest plan, in the interests of the community, to waive the
right of the institution to its apprentice's services, and to
invite the youth over to the institution, for the purpose of
encouraging him to continue in the right course.
By these
means I have succeeded, I think, in inducing several deserters,
for their own protection from arrest, to take to an honest course
of life in Bombay. It is gratifying also to learn, from a letter
from a magistrate at Broach, that two boys from that town,
who were apprenticed to the reformatory, and afterwards
absconded, are now living respectably at Broach.'
188
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA,
Mr. Pratt adds:
'It is satisfactory to be able to state, that the value of
the reformatory seems now to be better appreciated than it
used to be by those classes of the community for whose benefit
it is intended. If our finances would permit of our admit-
ting apprentices gratuitously, I think it probable that many
private apprentices would be sent to us by their parents and
guardians. The following case is cited, as affording strong
evidence in support of my belief as to the growth, among the
lower classes of the community, of something like a just.
recognition of the advantages offered by this institution.
Moroo Hurree, an apprentice, received in 1864 from the Police
Office, was allowed, by my locum tenens at the reformatory, a
short leave of absence to visit his friends. He never returned
from this leave, and he had not been long absent, when his
mother reported that he had died of cholera. A few months
ago this youth voluntarily surrendered himself to the super-
intendent, expressing with evident sincerity contrition for hist
folly, and he is now one of the most promising boys in the
institution.'
The gratification of the boys is not lost sight of. The
report mentions an excursion to Elephanta, through the
kindness of Sir Bartle Frere, soon after his farewell visit
to the reformatory. Mr. A. D. Sassoon and Mr. Godjie
Bertram each sent a donation of twenty-five rupees for
sweetmeats for the boys, on the last New Year's Day,
and the Custom-house clerks sent them a large basket
of dates and cocoanuts during the holidays.
It is satisfactory to observe that the secretary, Mr.
Pratt, to whose unwearied efforts the institution is so
greatly indebted, planned and developed a system,
whereby the boys may be gradually prepared for
liberty, very similar to our licence system in refor-
matories. Experience leads to the same general sys-
tem in India as in England. He says:
THE DAVID SASSOON REFORMATORY.
189
'I respectfully recommend that, for the future, the system
which has been heretofore pursued with boys, of adhering to
the strict letter of our bonds, be abandoned, and that the se-
cretary be authorised, at his discretion, to obtain employment
for deserving boys, before the terms of their apprenticeship
expire, on the following conditions:-
1. That the boys to whom the privilege of going out
daily to work may be granted, shall be required to
reside on the school premises until the expiration of
their terms of apprenticeship.
2.—That the privilege may be withdrawn from any boy
on his being convicted of misconduct in or out of
school.
3. That out of the monthly salary earned by each boy
put out to service, the cost of his food and clothing
shall be defrayed, and one rupee assigned to him as
pocket-money; and that of the remainder, a moiety
shall be credited to the institution, and the other
half deposited in the Government Savings Bank, for
use by the boy on his quitting the institution.
By the measure which I recommend, the loss to the institu-
tion, in a financial point of view, would, I think, be inconsi-
derable, and would be amply compensated by many direct and
collateral advantages which may reasonably be anticipated,
among which not the least important is this advantage-that
the boys who may be put out to service before the end of their
terms of apprenticeship, would be thus, under the guardian-
ship of the superintendent of the institution, gradually trained
to habits of self-command and self-reliance, and would conse-
quently be less likely, on the severance of their connection
with the institution, to fall away from steady and industrious
habits, than if they were retained, as is the present practice, in
strict confinement until the end of their apprenticeship, and
then received all at once their full measure of freedom.'
This institution is a very important one, and will lead
190
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
the way, it is hoped, to the establishment of many such
in India, and, still more, to the passing of legislative
measures which will render them effective. The greatest
credit is due to the gentlemen who established and
carried it on under great difficulties, confiding in the
soundness of the principle that erring youths should
be taught to earn an honest living, rather than be
punished in jail.
That such an institution as the Sassoon Reformatory,
or rather one similar to the English reformatories or
Certified Industrial Schools, would be much valued by
the native inhabitants, were suitable legislative provision
made, was strongly impressed on my mind in the various
parts of the country which I visited. The subject was
especially discussed at Ahmedabad, in consequence of
public attention being drawn to the condition of the
young boys who formed part of the vagrant gang there
brought up for judgment. The following are the views
of a native assistant-magistrate of great experience,
which he kindly wrote for me :—
'According to your wishes, I beg to submit the following
information and suggestions in regard to juvenile offenders.
'Section 433 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (or Act
XXV. of 1861) provides that, "When any person under the age
of sixteen years shall be sentenced by any magistrate or court
of session to imprisonment for any offence, it shall be lawful for
such magistrate or court to direct that such offender, instead
of being imprisoned in the criminal jail, shall be confined in
any reformatory which may be recognised by the local Go-
vernment as a fit place of confinement, in which there may be
means of suitable discipline and of training in some branch of
useful industry, and which shall be kept by a person willing
to obey such rules as the Government may direct with regard
to the discipline and training of persons confined therein. All
SUGGESTED REFORMATORY AT AHMEDABAD.
191
persons confined under this section shall be subject to the
rules as laid down by the Government."
'There being, however, no reformatory, of the kind referred
to above, at this station, all juvenile offenders sentenced to
imprisonment, before Act VI. of 1864 came into force, were
confined in the criminal jail, where they had of course to live
and associate with those who generally spend a wicked life.
Section 5 of the aforesaid Act provides, that "any juvenile
offender who commits any offence which is not by the Indian
Penal Code punishable with death, may, whether for a first or
any other offence, be punished with whipping, in lieu of any
other punishment to which he may, for such offence, be liable
under the said Code." Accordingly, as the law now stands in
this country, juvenile male offenders are punishable only with
whipping to the extent of thirty stripes with a light rattan
(vide Section 10 of the aforesaid Act), with certain exceptions,
as laid down in the foregoing paragraph; and juvenile female
offenders with imprisonment or fine, as is provided for every
offence in the Indian Penal Code.
'I can, however, freely say, from what I have seen with my
own eyes, that robust or wicked-minded juvenile male of-
fenders can scarcely feel the above mode of punishment as a
check for the future; while female juvenile offenders, in case
of their inability to pay fine, or if the offence with which they
are charged is not punishable only with fine, are confined in
the criminal jail, where they have to pass their time with a
majority of females of bad and immoral character.
'Independent of the above, in a large city like this, orphan
or helpless children are frequently to be found as fit objects of
support and improvement in an industrial institution.
'I am, therefore, strongly in favour of the establishment of
a School of Industry at this station, as is contemplated by Sec-
tion 433 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, for the confine-
ment of juvenile offenders of both sexes, and the accommoda-
tion of children, who, not having proper modes of livelihood,
are chiefly induced to support themselves by mixing with dis-
reputable characters, or resorting to every sort of evil.
192
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
'The above school can, I believe, be conducted and main-
tained partly at the expense of Government, and partly at that
of the Municipality and the Local Fund, which already assist.
the Educational Department to a certain extent, as Government
have been pleased to arrange.
'The lowest cost of building a School of Industry I would
estimate at 8,000 rupees, and that of the establishment at 150
rupees per mensem, for which sum an investment of 36,000
rupees appears to be necessary. The total sum thus amounts
to 44,000 rupees, which can hardly be now raised by subscrip-
tions in this country, owing to the existing crisis among the
mercantile classes. I have been, therefore, inclined to suggest
the above plan for carrying out, at once, the most laudable
object you are kind enough to have in view for the good of
the people of this country; and requesting you to accept my
best thanks for the trouble you are taking in this and other
matters tending to improve the condition of India, and wishing
you every success, I beg to conclude this.'
Ahmedabad: October 14, 1866.
Such reformatories are intended for the comparatively
civilised population of Bombay. It will be questioned
whether they can be adapted to the reclamation of
the children of the wild criminal tribes, of whom Major
Hutchinson gave some account in his work, which was
quoted in the third chapter of this volume. He affords
us information on this point also. That numbers of
those wild untaught boys actually do fall into the grasp
of the law, and afford ample scope for reformatory treat-
ment, we learn from a paper laid by him before the
meeting of the Social Science Association, which as-
sembled last September at Belfast. He says:-
'We are still worse off as regards juveniles, for we have ab-
solutely no place of any kind suitable for their treatment. As
a rule, magistrates (I think very wisely) abstain from sending
them to jail; but I observe that in the Punjab Criminal
NEED OF JUVENILE REFORMATORIES.
193
Report for 1864, 718 juveniles were convicted of offences, of
whom about 100 under the age of sixteen were imprisoned,
and 318 whipped. In the North-West, in 1865-66, 846 were
imprisoned, and 611 whipped. This shows that we have quite
enough boys who are thus forced on our hands, and whom we
are obliged to punish, to call for the establishment of suitable
reformatories. I am sure that, if suitable reformatories existed,
many of the boys now dismissed by magistrates, because no
suitable reformatories exist, and who continue in criminal
pursuits until they are old enough and daring enough to oblige
the law to incarcerate them in our jails, would be saved from
ultimate ruin by timely detention in a reformatory.
'The Government wished me to report on what is called a
reformatory in the Punjab, but which is merely a ward inside
a jail. I found about twenty boys, of all degrees of guilt,
including murder, all associated together, and with no training
or teaching such as seemed to me likely to be beneficial to the
weak, depressed, miserable-locking creatures.'
A similar spectacle I witnessed in Madras Jail; in
that a little attempt at teaching was given, but not such
as could counteract the evil arising from the association
of experienced thieves, coming there after a second or
third conviction, and young boys not as yet adepts in
crime. We have already seen that the professional
thieves bring up their children to their own calling.
What must be the effect of the association of young
Sansees and others of the same kind, full of the exploits
of their worse than Arab life, with each other, and with
such as may not yet have entered on a similar career!
We all know well the effect of such intercourse in a
prison, where there is nothing to call off the mind from
the atmosphere of vice around. What is to cut off the
entail of crime thus handed down in perpetuity from
father to son? Still more, what is to arrest the practice
of Thuggee, except by utter extermination, unless some
VOL. II.
0
194
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
means are adopted to take off the young boys before
they have learned the horrible art ?—
(
Thugs bring up all their male children (says Major
Hutchinson) to the profession, unless bodily defects prevent
them from following it. The method observed in initiating a
boy is very gradual. At the age of ten or twelve years, he is
first permitted to accompany a party of Thugs. One of the
gang, generally a near relation, becomes his tutor, whom the
child is taught to regard with great respect, and whom he
usually serves in a menial capacity, carrying a bundle and
dressing food for him. Frequently the father acts as preceptor
to the son. In the event of being questioned by travellers
whom he may meet, the boy is enjoined to give no informa-
tion, further than that they are proceeding from some one
place to another. He is instructed to consider his interest as
opposed to that of society in general; and to deprive a human
being of life is represented as an act merely analogous to that.
of killing a fowl or a sheep. At first, while a murder is com-
mitting, the boy is sent to some distance from the scene along
with one of the watchers; then allowed to see only the dead
body; afterwards more and more of the secret is imparted to
him, and at length the whole is disclosed. In the meantime,
a share in the booty is usually assigned to him. He is allowed
afterwards to assist in matters of minor importance, while the
murder is perpetrating; but it is not until he attains the age
of 18, 20, or 22 years-according to the bodily strength he
may have acquired, and the prudence and resolution he may
have evinced that he is deemed capable of applying the
"dhote," nor is he allowed to do so until he has been formally
presented with one by his tutor. Such is the effect of the
cause of education, strengthened by habit, that Thugs become
strongly attached to their detestable occupation, and rarely, if
ever, abandon it.'-(Pp. 183, 186.)
Now, it may be supposed that it would be impossible
to reform these boys, or the children of the professional
thieving and begging tribes, the Sansees and others,
ARTIFICIAL VILLAGES OF CRIMINALS.
195
even before they have been thoroughly trained by their
parents. A valuable experiment was, however, made
by order of the Government. Measures, at the same
time reformatory and repressive, were put in force
against them. Major Hutchinson thus states what was
done, in his official report, dated July 28, 1865 :—
'I. The tribe, being collected from each part of the district,
is located within a walled enclosure, or village, called a kof,
on ground suited for agriculture, or which is absolutely under
cultivation.
'II. Sufficient assistance is intended to be given by the Go-
vernment, and by private parties, to enable the tribe to exist,
until the fruits of its own labour are adequate for its support.
'III. The members of the kof are not allowed, without
permission, to be absent from the kof at night, and any
member who absconds is liable to punishment. During the
day they may go where they like.'
Major Hutchinson thus speaks of the system adopted,
in his address at Belfast:
'Under the order of Sir Robert Montgomery, K.C.B., G.C.S.I..
these outcasts—men, women, and children—were collected from
the villages, near which they lived in scattered hovels, and
placed in low mud-walled enclosures containing houses for
their accommodation. Land was given them by Government.
The people of the country gladly and nobly helped; some
gave grain, some ploughs, some dug wells for them. The
land was good, and these tribes were told to cultivate it, and
given the means of so doing, and food to support them. Of
course, at first, there was much murmuring. How could they
abandon their vagabond, begging, sporting career, and take to
the uninteresting occupation of digging? However, in time,
and by little and little, though they suffered much by their
own imprudence and wasteful and filthy habits, they did bring
this land under cultivation, and the experiment on the whole
has succeeded.
'The Government asked me to report on it, and, in com-
0 2
196
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
pany with Mr. Prinsep, I did so in 1865. We visited each
of these artificial villages, and ascertained that, under the
constant care of various civil officers-amongst whom the
names of Mr. James MacNabb, Majors Urmston and Mercer,
justly merit most honourable mention-these criminals by pro-
fession were, to a very great extent, earning an honest liveli-
hood. Of course they were still addicted to begging and
other pursuits natural to the gipsy class, but they had made
an immense advance in civilisation. They had learnt the
rights of property, and acquired an interest and right in the
land they cultivated. Clean clothes were to be seen on their
leading men, and generally that scarcity of clothes and pas-
sionate love for jewellery, so common amongst such people all
over the world, was not quite so conspicuous. Their children.
were attending schools in these villages-girls and boys-and
had made great progress in reading and writing. Simple ma-
nufactures (such as those of ropes, mats, baskets, &c.) were
going on, and generally the community showed signs and
capabilities of increasing prosperity.
'No doubt, at present, the arrangements for these artificial
villages are, owing to a want of funds, very incomplete; but
this very serious evil will, I trust, be overcome, and this really
grand experiment not allowed to languish for want of that
timely aid all such works require in their early years. As
matters now stand, the fact has been incontrovertibly estab-
lished, that criminal tribes, whose members from generation to
generation have subsisted chiefly by thieving, can be raised
up into the position of useful members of the community, and
be made in a very great degree to abandon their former cri-
minal pursuits and degraded habits, by merely using the means
at our disposal, and without any direct teaching of the
Christian religion.'
(
Major Hutchinson thus speaks in his official report:
The attempt, the original design, has by no means been a
failure. The fact remains that, in spite of many difficulties, in
spite of great sickness, scarcity of food, and land requiring
ARTIFICIAL VILLAGES OF CRIMINALS.
197
hard labour to get a crop from it, the possibility of getting
thieving tribes to attempt their own support by agricultural
instead of criminal pursuits, has been placed beyond a doubt;
it is for us to perfect and carry on what has been attempted,
that success may be rendered sure and continuous. Their
character is decidedly improved, and in some kofs they
have really adopted clothes in addition to a mere loin-cloth;
and, as I myself saw with agreeable surprise, these clothes, in
the case of two or three of the head-men, were positively
clean. Crimes are stated, by the Deputy Commissioner, to have
decreased since these tribes were thus collected in reformatory
villages. Schools are in full work amongst them; the scholars
-boys and girls-examined before me, showed quite suf-
ficient ability to give very great encouragement to this most
important part of the reformatory treatment. I do not ad-
vocate the attempting towards these tribes such a reformatory
system of control as I should certainly strongly recommend to
be enforced in all juvenile reformatories; but I consider we
owe it to ourselves, to them, and to the community amongst
whom we have located these criminal tribes, to establish over
them such supervision as shall, to the best of our judgment,
lead to their reformation, and to the peace and security of the
country. It is no slight responsibility which the Government
has undertaken; but I may note, as worthy of attention, that
the Government commences its labours with the great ad-
vantage of having all these people in families, the very system
which at Mettray is found to be so absolutely necessary.'-
(Pp. 205, 206.)
Mr. MacNabb, Deputy Commissioner of Sealkote, in
his report of 1862, speaks of the effect of this plan.
Since the agricultural portion of the Sansees have been
brought under its action, he states that the police re-
turns of three months greatly diminished. 'The
country people,' he says, are delighted with the new
arrangement.' The commissioner was told, when lately
in the district, that now professional thieving was being
6
198
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
put a stop to.' If there were any waste land in the dis-
trict, I would most earnestly urge that arrangements
might be made for the remaining Pukhewars, also for
all Chooras of doubtful character.'
Such an experiment places beyond doubt the possi-
bility of controlling and reforming even adults by the
adoption of judicious means, and reclaiming them from
their wild and lawless life. Still more easy would it
be to act on the youthful population, before settled
habits of crime are formed. It is evident that a very
different kind of juvenile reformatory would be required
for a rural district from that suitable for a city, where
trades would be a valuable means of livelihood. The
following is a sketch of a proposed reformatory for boys.
in such a district, if the Government should authorise
the experiment with boys under a long sentence of im-
prisonment. It was written in answer to a request for
suggestions on the subject by an official gentleman.
The writer is evidently imbued with the principles
adopted by our best European reformatories; and being
practically acquainted with Indian life, he has developed
the scheme so admirably, that I make no apology for
introducing it here, except to him, for doing so without
his permission:-
'Now for my suggestions on the subject of your letter. You
have apparently twenty "Senorias," criminals from infancy so
to speak, 16 of whom are under 12, and all under 17. You
have also some boys in jail; you wish to establish some kind
of reformatory treatment for the young delinquents, and NOT
to keep them in jail.
'As you have not, at first starting, any properly prepared
establishment to receive the lads-no buildings, no teachers;
and as the lads are for the most part, by your account, of a very
wild untameable nature, vagrant, and thieves by blood, so to
speak, I think they must (though for others I hope it may not
PROPOSED RURAL REFORMATORY FOR JUVENILES. 199
be needed) have at first to taste of what is sharp and severe
treatment in jail, only let it not be unkind treatment.
'I. To do this I would at once place them entirely separate
from the adult prisoners.
'II. Carefully explain to each child that your object is to do
him good; to teach him to overcome his bad habits, which do
him harm, and acquire good habits which shall be for his good.
Explain to each child the system under which he can work,
and earn his way to a mitigation of position, and eventual dis-
charge. Archbishop Whately and Captain Maconochie, on this
point, laid down this great principle, thus stated by the Re-
corder of Birmingham (late of Bristol), Mr. Davenport Hill:
'That while no motive which can furnish a wholesome stimulus
to the offender to enter on a course of self-improvement, and
persevere therein, should be withheld, on the other hand, that
no advantage, whether in the shape of relaxation of stringent
discipline, or in facilities for working himself out of detention,
should be conferred unless they have been earned by his sedu-
lous and untiring industry and good behaviour; and that he
should forfeit his privileges, some or all, if guilty of misconduct."
If you can promise the lad that, if he does well, you will put
him in a much better place, a reformatory outside, then tell
him so; but we must be most careful to promise nothing to
any prisoner, old or young, which we cannot grant, and the
non-receipt of which would be by them looked on as a breach
of faith, and destroy our moral influence.
'III. Each lad must, at night, sleep by himself. You have
no teacher who as yet could control them at night if they all
slept in one ward, and the teacher with them.
'IV. Let as few signs of imprisonment be visible as possible;
no irons, and do not put them on a prison dress, but a nice
suitable boy's dress of one uniform pattern.
'V. On no possible pretence let any adult prisoner have any
communication with the lads.
..
'I suggest the following division of the day, so long as you
must keep the lads inside the jail-until your reformatory
buildings are ready, and teachers; also until you have gained
200
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
some knowledge of and influence over the boys. I consider the
treatment in jail the boys should recollect as irksome, painful,
penal, and feel the change to your reformatory a privilege.
Bearing this in mind my proposals are—
1. Boys to rise at daylight.
2. Each boy at once to fold up his bedding in the way he
will be instructed, and clean out his cell.
'3. Half an hour to be allowed for each boy to eat some
food before commencing work.
'4. Labour to commence after this, and to be continued
till it is deemed necessary again to give food; probably this
would be twelve o'clock.
5. After this meal, boys to be marched up and down; taught
to walk steadily in twos or fours, or any simple movement taught
them; at this time they may advantageously be put through
extensive motions, or any movement which will bring their
muscles into play, and stretch their limbs. The meal and the
exercise should not occupy more than one hour and a half.
'6. Labour should commence again, and should continue to
within one hour and a half of the close of daylight, when food
should be again given, and half an hour allowed for it.
'7. School should occupy the last hour of daylight. Such
is a rough sketch, giving a general idea. You will observe
I allow no absolute play; that is a privilege for your reforma-
tory. I hope none of your boys will be more than three
months in this jail; and once your reformatory is started, and
has a good moral tone in it, then no boy should ever go inside
a jail, but straight to your reformatory. He, however, would
always be liable to be sent to jail if he behaved badly; and
some persons think boys should always have a taste of jail,
to make them value a reformatory. Certainly in India I
would spare them a taste of our jails, which I look on as sinks
of iniquity.
'8. Now as regards labour. I consider that, while the first
batch are in jail, that it must be severe and penal. I would
divide it into two kinds : 1st, severe, penal; 2nd, lighter, less
penal. The boys should have to pass, as regards labour, through
PROPOSED RURAL REFORMATORY FOR JUVENILES.
201
three classes: 1st class-6 hours' hard labour, remaining hours
lighter and pleasanter; 2nd class-4 hours a day hard labour, re-
maining hours as above; 3rd class-2 hours a day hard labour,
remaining hours as above. Duration in each class to depend,
to some extent, on a lad's own conduct and exertions; the
minimum period to be-1st class, 15 days; 2nd class, 30 days;
3rd class, remainder of time in jail. The amount of hard labour
may appear to you small, but remember you are dealing with
boys—with young creatures who do not understand that they
are really offenders against the laws of God or man; also a
child's nature easily rises and falls, and we must be careful of
depressing them—of driving them to deceit and lying by unwise
severity. Hard labour you can inflict in various ways; if pos-
sible, never let it be aimless. Let the lad see some result in his
labour; you can make him grind corn, or raise water, &c. Light
labour-gardening, learning any trade, &c.; all these are light
in one sense, and should be conferred as a privilege.
9. School.-One hour a day, the last of daylight. Teach,
assuredly, what will do them good morally: the existence of
one God-of good and evil-what is right and what is wrong-
knowledge of the world, of the heavens, of agriculture, of
trade; in fact, everything that may be useful to them in their
positions in life after they leave you.
· 10. Punishments and Rewards.-You cannot do better than
be guided by the experience of Mettray. I copy it out for your
convenience, for its principles are purer than gold, and should
be written on the hearts of all who would reform the young.
Much greater use is made of rewards than of punishments; of
stimulants to do right, than of deterrents from doing wrong.
'11. The rules regarding honorary pay, which I found in
force in England at a boys' reformatory, are worthy of your
consideration. A boy must keep himself free from marks for
one calendar month to be entitled to a position on the Good
Conduct List. Three months' position on the Good Conduct List
entitles him to a penny a week honorary pay; six months.
entitles to ditto and a single badge; eight months to 1d. and a
single badge; ten months to 1d. and a double badge; twelve
202
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
months to 2d. and a double badge. A badge is a necessary
qualification for permission to go beyond the limits of the
farm reformatory. A single badge entitles the wearer to one
extra holiday, and a double badge to two, in certain fixed
periods.
12. I have roughly sketched the way your lads might be
treated whilst in jail. No doubt you have the very wildest
material to work on, but you say sixteen are under twelve;
this is much in our favour, only a "Senoria" above twelve is
an old man in iniquity. Treat them in jail so that they shall
feel you mean to be kind to them-to do them good; at the
same time, the treatment must be so penal that they will not
like to be sent back there. During the period they are in
jail your master should get to know each boy, and should
obtain influence over him, so that, when you move all to your
reformatory, his influence will tend to keep him there. Teach
each boy thoroughly, and see that he understands what is
before him. If he does well, he should know that, as soon as
you are satisfied he is reformed, you will do your best to
place him out in life where he can earn an honest livelihood.
If he does badly, he must know what penalties lie before him-
severe jail discipline at the least. Impress on each boy you
remove to a reformatory the privilege of the move-that he is
not confined by walls but to limits. If he goes beyond those
limits, on any pretence, he must be severely punished; let him
thoroughly understand that if one boy runs away, all the boys
will be fined out of the money they have earned, to pay for
his recapture. Arrange so that the boys can make little
purchases of sweetmeats and useful things from their earnings;
boys like immediate returns. The dress of the boys on the
farm should in no way resemble prison costume, but be
uniform, and such that, if a boy was seen beyond limits, the
peasantry should notice him.
13. To start with, you should select a piece of good ground
for your reformatory-ground that, with ordinary toil, will
yield good crops. Children like to see the results of their
labours. It should, I think, be near
so that the
PROPOSED RURAL REFORMATORY FOR JUVENILES. 203
farm-produce of all kinds may be readily sold, and officers.
available to visit it now and then. Be careful to explain its
object thoroughly to all the influential natives around-to all
head-men of villages, and enlist their sympathies and aid
before you start it; make some of them honorary visitors,
encourage them to take an interest in it. Ensure the aid of
all villagers to catch a boy if he runs away. Having your
ground, lay out a house capable of holding (say) thirty boys,
not more. It should be of no better material than those of the
peasantry of the country; and as far as possible, when once you
have provided shelter, the boys should finish and complete it.
Allot to it as much ground as you think the boys will be able
to cultivate, allowing for those classes against whose caste you
say it would be to work in the fields. I would try and get
over this impediment, and make all work in the fields for at
least one year. After that, as a privilege, they may take to
lighter labour, such as trades, &c. Let your dormitory be so
arranged that at night it can be locked up, and certainly, at
first starting, you had better lock up the boys at night. Ar-
range for workshops. Each boy should have his own bed
(charpoy) and a box, but no key; explain to them that each
is responsible for his neighbour's box. Enforce great tidiness,
and, as far as is consistent with labour, great personal clean-
liness; with many a lad, self-respect dates from the time he
commenced keeping his hands and face clean. As in England,
so in India, there can be a lavatory with tubs of water, and one
or two "endless towels" or rollers allowed for all the boys
daily. The boys should be superintended by a master, an
agricultural teacher, a schoolmaster, and a trade teacher to
each house. As your number increases build another house,
and allot it a piece of ground. No house to contain more
than thirty at first. As you get on, perhaps you will only
require one agricultural master and trade teacher to two houses
or more, but at first starting the staff of superintendents must.
be strong. Recollect that, at first, you have no moral tone or
feeling amongst the boys to help you. At first do not appoint
one boy monitor over the others: when a boy has shown he
204
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
ני
is to be trusted, then he may have certain powers and privileges.
As a rule, I would never set one criminal boy to teach another
anything except manual work. You need high-toned, high-
principled men to teach them. There are many details which
I cannot notice here. Write to me on every possible occasion
that you feel inclined; be assured of my warmest sympathy
and anxiety to help. For five years I have studied this subject,
and had advantages in seeing work in France, England, and
Ireland, which few have had-so I can give you pretty fairly
the experience of those countries. Send for Miss Carpenter's
"Juvenile Delinquents," published by Newman & Co., Dal-
housie Square, Calcutta; it contains a world of instruction
and information. Pray let me know what you do, and may
God bless and prosper the efforts of all in your province who
take up this noble cause!
Nothing better can be desired for the juvenile
criminals and vagrants of India, than that they should
be subjected to some such treatment as this. Two or
three such reformatories, established in different parts
of the country, where the greatest facilities present
themselves, and where they can be under the superin-
tendence of some gentlemen interested in the object,
would serve as model schools. The actual experience
already cited leaves no doubt that, if properly sup-
ported, enlightened and benevolent natives would gladly
second such an undertaking.
We trust that a long period will not elapse before the
Government has placed reformatories on a satisfactory
legislative basis.
205
CHAPTER VII.
PRISON DISCIPLINE.
THE condition of the prisons of India must painfully
startle the most casual observer. A general absence of
buildings suitable for the purpose is evident everywhere.
In some places, dilapidated walls and insecure fences
forcibly strike the eye; in others, heavy inconvenient
buildings, intended for a very different purpose. Rarely,
if ever, are any jail buildings to be seen, adapted to
carry out the principles of prison discipline, which are
now generally acknowledged to be sound, and of great
importance to the well-being of society. That such a
condition of jail buildings exists in India, is not to be
considered as the result of culpable negligence in the
ruling authorities, past or present. The enormous press
of business which has to be transacted in that vast em-
pire, the comparatively small number of official gentle-
men on whom these duties fall, the immense variety of
departments requiring attention, each one of which is
sufficient to be all-absorbing to those engaged in it,
the immense distances which have to be traversed in
going from one part of the empire to the other, and the
difficulties of communication between the great centres.
of civilisation,-all these considerations rather lead to
astonishment that so much has been done, rather than
that some departments lag behind the general progress.
Of all subjects, prison discipline is one of the least
likely to attract public attention in India. From the
206
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
very circumstances of the case this must necessarily be
so. The enlightened native community do not feel
called upon to take any concern in a subject which they
have not studied, and which does not directly concern
them, especially while they are so deeply interested in,
and occupied with, its advancement. The English resi-
dents have already too much on their hands, and there
are no gentlemen of leisure who can devote them-
selves exclusively, as in our own country, to philan-
thropic subjects. All these considerations lead us to feel
only more strongly the necessity of enlisting the atten-
tion of those who can devote themselves to the work,
and who will remember the strong moral claims which
the Hindoo prisoners have upon us.
If the prisoners in England and their condition in
other countries of Europe were worth the life-devotion
of a Howard, and needed it to awaken public attention
to the subject; if nothing less than the spiritual power,
the genius, the devotion of a Mrs. Fry, was a worthy
offering to this great work, surely some should arise
with no less devotion to the cause of humanity, which
has so much greater claim on us from the utter helpless-
ness of the wretched subjects of it to help themselves,
since they are under the sway of a foreign power with
which they have no kindred or sympathy.
That first era of the dawn of light on the principles
which should govern prison discipline, was rather one of
Christian benevolence, but the minds of enlightened
men became more and more drawn to the subject in our
country, and many years ago it became an accepted idea
that the reformation of the prisoner should be one great
object of prison discipline. The right mode of harmo-
nising that with punishment for crime and the deterrent
element of penal discipline, was, in our own country, the
PRISON DISCIPLINE.
207
continual and earnest subject of thought and practical
effort among the most enlightened and experienced
public men. No money was considered by the Govern-
ment ill-spent which appeared necessary to carry out a
sound system. The whole subject is a most difficult one,
and nothing but actual experience can demonstrate the
soundness of systems. Still, the repression of crime and
the protection of society were deemed by our Legislature
matters of so much importance as to require a special
Royal Commission in 1865, to investigate the working
of different systems, and to correct errors at present
existing. Our convicts force themselves, whether we
desire it or not, on the attention of society. It is now
acknowledged in both hemispheres to be our solemn
duty to ascertain and to adopt such a system as has been
proved to be both corrective and reformatory.
No general system of prison, still less of reformatory
discipline, has yet been adopted in India, and the efforts
which have been made in Great Britain and Ireland to
reform our own criminals, have not yet been extended
to our great dependency.
Yet, has she not a paramount claim on our attention
in this particular respect? Sunk in the deepest igno-
rance, and with the criminal habits of many generations
strangely rooted in them, are we to deprive them of
liberty, grasping them with the strong hand of the law,
solely to punish them, and obtain as much labour as
possible from them, without attention to their mental or
physical condition, and without an attempt to send them
forth into the world better able to do their duty to God
and to man, and raised in the scale of existence? Yet
such appears to be generally the condition of things in
India! I never once heard anyone express the faintest
expectation that the present state of Indian prisons
208
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
could do anything but perpetuate the degradation of
the criminal population; while the many excellent
and enlightened men, who earnestly desire to amelio-
rate the condition of Hindoo prisoners, both male and
female, were unable to do so through the present state
of the prisons, and of the jail regulations, which often
arise out of their condition.
Such were my own impressions from the visits re-
corded briefly in the foregoing narrative, and such will
probably be those of the thoughtful reader. I therefore
respectfully laid before His Excellency the Viceroy, be-
fore leaving Calcutta, the following brief remarks and
suggestions, hoping that he might condescend to draw
the attention of the proper department to them.
Common Jails.
In all the jails I visited, great attention appeared to be paid
to the industrial work, which, in many cases, was admirably
carried on; the prisoners were thus being prepared to procure
an honest livelihood for themselves on their discharge, and
considerable proceeds were realised towards their expenses.
A salutary influence appeared to be exercised over the pri-
soners, who in general were working with diligence and good-
will, under proper superintendence.
The good effects which might be anticipated from this
system were, however, greatly diminished by the want of
separate cells.
It is evident that when, for twelve hours out
of twenty-four, men are locked up in cells without light-some-
times three or four together, sometimes even from forty to
fifty-nothing but the worst results can be expected. It is
quite impossible that even common order or propriety can be
preserved. Immoral, communication must neutralise any
good influence which the prisoners may have received during
the day. The greatest contamination must be the result of
such an arrangement, and, at the same time, the deterrent
effect of punishment is much lost, as solitude is greatly
REMARKS ON COMMON JAILS.
209
dreaded by this class of prisoners. Not only are the moral
effects of the existing system very injurious, but also the
physical. The various prison reports frequently speak of a
dreadful mortality decimating the jails, or even carrying off
one-fourth of the whole number of prisoners. This must be
chiefly due to the sleeping arrangements, which bring persons.
of poor or even of bad constitutions into injurious proximity
with each other. Overcrowding the jails appears to be the
usual cause of any great mortality, as in other respects sanitary
arrangements are carefully attended to in other jails I visited.
The construction of separate sleeping-cells in all the jails
would of course involve considerable expense, but this would
be, in most cases, greatly lessened by employing the labour of
the prisoners. In many of the jails which I visited, a suf-
ficient number of cells could be erected without any other
cost but that of material. Still, whatever may be the outlay
needed, it is evident that it should not be any impediment in
the way of doing what is so important both for the moral and
the physical welfare of the prisoners.
The want of any arrangements for securing instruction to
the prisoners is also a great evil. It is now an acknowledged
principle in the treatment of prisoners, that every means
practicable should be afforded them of leaving the jails better
members of society than when they entered it; instruction is
evidently a most important means of securing this, especially
in the case of these prisoners. We cannot give them re-
ligious instruction, but we can give them that teaching and
that moral influence which may enable them both to know and
to do their duty. In no jails that I visited was there any
place provided for instruction, nor was there any schoolmaster
on the staff. The jail regulations did not make any provision
for these, or for any time when instruction could be given to
the prisoners. The teaching given in Alipore Jail cannot be
regarded as an exception, because this is not universal, and is
chiefly with a view to enable the prisoners to do such work as
requires a knowledge of reading and writing.
I would beg respectfully to suggest that regular instruction
VOL. II.
Р
210
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
should be made an essential part of the prison discipline of
every jail. To effect this, the hours of labour need not be
shortened, as three hours could advantageously be deducted
from those spent in sleep; a proper schoolroom and apparatus
would require to be provided for, and especially a suitable.
number of teachers.
The removal of the long-sentenced prisoners from the
common jails, which is, I am informed, under contemplation,
will doubtless facilitate the adoption of both of these changes,
and in many ways be a considerable advantage.
Central Jails or Convict Prisons.
The erection of these for long-sentenced prisoners will be a
very important measure, and will not only remove a great
difficulty which now exists in the management of the common
jails, but will also afford an opportunity of carrying out the
admirable system of convict treatment which proved so suc-
cessful in Ireland under the management of Sir Walter
Crofton. The principles of this system are now being uni-
versally accepted by distinguished persons in every part of the
world who have studied the subject, as well as by the Royal
Commission on Prison Discipline in 1863. For a full statement
of those principles, and of their practical application, I beg
to refer to the second volume of my work, entitled 'Our
Convicts.'
India appears in many ways to present peculiar facilities for
carrying out this system, and the remarkable results of the
industrial system developed in Alipore Jail prove that it might
be done at comparatively little expense. The success with
which the licence system is carried out in Poona by the Acting
Superintendent demonstrates that, under careful manage-
ment, prisoners trained under a good system may be easily
absorbed into society as self-supporting and honest members
of it. In the erection of the central jails, therefore (convict
prisons as they are termed in England), it appears particularly
important that regard should be had to adapting them to
REMARKS ON FEMALE PRISONERS.
211
develope this system. It is especially necessary that there
should be separate sleeping-cells for all the prisoners, except
for those who have arrived at the third or intermediate stages,
which is the final preparation for discharge.
Female Prisoners.
In all the jails which I have visited, except in Calcutta,
the female prisoners occupied a portion of the ordinary jail.
This was usually the worst portion of the place, and there was
no provision for separation, either by night or by day. They
were under the care of male warders. The work provided for
them was of a nature not to improve them, and no instruction
was given them. In one jail I saw five women, one a murderess,
locked up together! No lady visitors ever go near them;
indeed, I was informed in one case that the habits of the pri-
soners are so filthy that it would be impossible for ladies to
approach them, and sit down among them.
It may easily be imagined what is the result of this. Not
only is it impossible for any improvement to take place, but
the women become deteriorated. In one jail I was informed
that the good dietary and the freedom from strict discipline
so completely removed all dread of imprisonment, that the
women repeatedly returned after discharge.
It is evident that this is an enormous evil.
I would beg respectfully to urge—
First. That all the female prisoners should be in separate
cells, unless working under suitable supervision.
Secondly. That female warders only should have charge of
the prisoners. It is probable that the chief of these at least
must be a European, to secure proper discipline.
Thirdly. That the work should be of a kind to fit the
women to earn their livelihood on their discharge.
Fourthly. That regular instruction should be provided for
them.
Fifthly. That European ladies should be invited to visit
them, as in England, with a view to impart to them a kind
and good influence.
P 2
212
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
Though my visits to jails were short, and may be
presumed to be somewhat superficial, yet I have found
official reports speak still more strongly than I did on
the evils arising from the want of proper jail accom-
modation, involving both great mortality and increase
of crime. Gentlemen of high experience have often
expressed their opinions to me, both orally and in
writing, respecting the evils caused by night associa-
tion. Dr. Mouat thus speaks, as quoted by the Pall
Mall Gazette' of December 17, 1867:
'Dr. Mouat, the Inspector-General of Jails for the Lower
Provinces of Bengal, in his report for 1866-67, calls attention
to certain defects in the Indian prison system. The Bengal
jails appear to be very faulty in construction, and this is not
only directly injurious to the health of the inmates, but in-
directly also to their morals, by preventing a proper classifica-
tion of prisoners. Collective imprisonment, as at present
carried out in India, converts the jails into "training schools of
vice and crime." "The demoralising effect of this association,"
says Dr. Mouat, "is so great that I cannot venture to do more
than refer to it; it is a scandal and a reproach that would not
be tolerated in Great Britain for a day beyond the time neces-
sary to remove it, by a proper construction of prisons, no
matter at what cost. In France, the change from the
collective to the cellular system of imprisonment was fol-
lowed by a great reduction of mortality; and a careful
study of English prisons and prison discipline, during a
recent visit to this country, confirmed Dr. Mouat's preference
for the separate system. "From want of cell accommodation,"
(in Bengal), says Dr. Mouat, "judicial sentences of solitary con-
finement cannot at present be carried out at all, and whipping
is resorted to in a very large number of cases, for which I do
not consider it to be a fit or proper punishment. Fetters are,
for the same reasons, applied much too frequently—and in one
jail were most improperly imposed on females." In other
words, the punishments are regulated by expediency instead
""
DEFECTS IN PRISON DISCIPLINE.
213
of law; when the prescribed punishment cannot be enforced,
for lack of the modus operandi, an irregular penalty is sub-
stituted. Then the guarding of the prisons of Bengel is de-
clared to be in a very unsatisfactory state. "Nearly every
jail in the Lower Provinces is so extremely insecure, and so
deficient in all the essentials of a prison, that the paucity of
escapes-2.06 per cent. of average strength in 1866—rather
than their number, is a matter of surprise to me."
There are
at present 2,007 escaped convicts from the prisons of the
Lower Provinces at large.'
A study of the Reports of the Directors of prison
discipline in the different Presidencies, would strengthen
the convictions here expressed, and would show a
frightful degree of mortality caused by the present state
of the prisons.
The subject is a vast one, for it is said that there are,
in different parts of the empire, as many as 600,000
prisoners, while very few of the jails in which they are
confined are such as to render possible an effective
system of prison discipline. The consequences of this
deficiency are most costly as well as injurious. The
insecurity of the boundary-walls necessitates the em-
ployment of a large body of guards, in some cases as
many as one to five prisoners-an enormous standing
expenditure. The non-deterrent or reformatory nature
of the jails prevents the possibility of diminution of
crime, and this perpetuates the cost. The dilapidated
and objectionable nature of some jails, which have been
for several years condemned, causes great and constant
difficulty in the management of them; and doubtless
leads to severity of discipline, which must be very re-
pugnant to the feelings of humane and enlightened
men. Such statements as were made by the super-
intendent of the Calcutta Jail, at a recent inquest,
214
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
sufficiently prove this. It would, of course, be impos-
sible to remedy at once so gigantic an evil, but this
should not be a hindrance to doing something. If
all new central jails for long-sentenced prisoners
were built on a plan calculated for carrying out an
improved system of prison discipline, with separate
sleeping accommodation; and if all condemned jails
were at once rebuilt on a similar plan, other improve-
ments would doubtless follow, under the management
of the many able and enlightened gentlemen who are
to be found in India. Such a recommendation was made
in a memorial addressed by the British Social Science
Association to the Right Honourable the Secretary of
State for India, Sir Stafford Northcote.* The subject
is occupying the attention of the Indian Government;
it is, therefore, unnecessary to dwell further on it here.
I would only earnestly entreat for those of my own
sex, for the convicted women of India, that no time
should be lost in providing for them at least suitable
accommodation, instructive and industrial training, and,
above all, proper female supervision, at whatever cost,
so that every sentenced woman may have the oppor-
tunity afforded to her of going again into the world better
able to discharge her duties to her family and to society.
* Vide Appendix E.
215
CONCLUSION.
THE aspirations with which I entered on my Eastern.
travels were more than fulfilled by my 'Six Months'
Residence in India.'
My first grand object, was to give to our fellow-sub-
jects in that great empire a token of true sympathy with
them, and interest in their welfare; I believed that they
may thus be assured, that not one, but many of England's
daughters--especially those who have, like myself, had
their love for the children of the same Father strength-
ened by long years of trial and discipline—have a
deep and true feeling for their race, which they only
desire an opportunity of testifying. This object would
have been accomplished if my health had failed, and I
had never returned from those distant shores, or if I
had been compelled to depart home from Bombay by the
next mail after my arrival, to save my life. I humbly
offer the incense of a grateful heart to Him who renewed
my strength, and preserved me in journeying, by sea
and by land, for thousands of miles over that vast conti-
nent. Everywhere my intention was comprehended
and responded to by those to whom my friendly visit
was directed; and it was earnestly sought for in
numberless places, where I was compelled by circum-
stances to forego the pleasure of accepting the invita-
tion. One more bond of sympathy is thus added
216
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
to unite the East and the West-an enduring one,
which time will not sever!
The next object I had in view, was to learn the actual
position of female education in India; to discover the
real obstacles to its progress, and the cause of the inade-
quate returns for the devoted zeal of my countrymen
and countrywomen, and their large expenditure of
money. I wished also to ascertain whether my past
experience would be in any way available in the pro-
motion of this great object. My friendly intercourse
with enlightened native gentlemen, and the confidence
with which they regarded my intentions, enabled me to
gain a clearer insight into this most important subject,
in a few months, than I otherwise might have obtained
in many years. I have thus been enabled to devise a
scheme which meets their wants, and which, carried
out in its entirety, and in the spirit in which it is con-
ceived, will, I firmly believe, prove a great blessing to
the country, and meet the wants of the enlightened
native population, by enabling them to obtain the help
of educated English women in the elevation of their wives
and daughters, without dread of interference with their
religion or social customs; we may thus prepare them to
help themselves, which at present they are unable to do.
Other results, however, have arisen from my Indian
tour, beyond those which I directly contemplated.
I did not go out as a religious missionary. I was, as I
constantly assured my native friends (in answer to their
enquiries), unconnected with any society or organisa-
tion, and was quite alone. Though, as I publicly stated
in every place I visited, I value Christianity above all
things, as the guide of my life and the spring of my
actions-though it is to me the pearl of unspeakable
price, and I desire that all should share the privilege
CONCLUSION.
217
I hold so dear-though I believe that the sway of our
Divine Master is destined to extend over all the nations
of the earth, and that the acceptance of it would prove
an inestimable boon to the people of Hindostan—yet,
respecting the individual freedom of every immortal
being, as I value my own, I would not, if I could, ob-
trude my own religion upon them. Christianity is a
purely spiritual religion, and must be accepted freely,
by each individual, from the conviction of his own
inner spirit, or it is of little value. I believe, in-
deed, that injudicious or obtrusive efforts at the con-
version of others, however praiseworthy the zeal which
prompts them, hinder the very object they are intended
to promote, and often arouse a spirit of antagonism,
which is most unfavourable to it. The great Hindoo
reformer, whose portrait forms the frontispiece of these
volumes, expressed himself very strongly to the same.
effect. He accepted the Christian religion as the most
perfect revelation of the Divine Will that has ever been
made, and desired that the 'Precepts of Jesus' should
be followed by his countrymen throughout the length
and breadth of the land, as the 'guide to peace and happi-
ness.' The present leader of the religious movement
among the Hindoos, Keshub Chunder Sen, shares with
him these desires, sympathising fully, as he has said,
with the spirit of Christianity. He has truly and
beautifully declared, that every Christian who visits the
country should be a missionary, by living out the spirit
of his religion before the native population, and thus
helping to remove the prejudices which hinder their
acceptance of it. In this way, I humbly hope that my
visit may have left an impression favourable to the
Gospel of Christ, and may have helped on some in their
own religous life and work.
218
SIX MONTHS IN INDIA.
Having discovered in myself a power of which I was
not before conscious, of giving extemporary addresses
in public, whenever I felt a distinct call to do so, in
the explanation of my views and objects, an unexpected
means was opened to me of disseminating what appeared
to me important truths. Couched in simple language,
they appeared to be readily comprehended by the gene-
ral audience; and being reported in the public papers,
frequently by natives themselves, an impulse appeared
to be given to the minds of my hearers, and to others
in different parts of the country. The seed was sown
by the wayside, but in some places it fell on rich
ground already prepared. I was not sanguine enough
to expect to see the fruits ripen during my short
stay. We have been taught that first the blade must
spring up, then the ear, then the full corn in the ear.
I have been accustomed to devote myself to the labour
of love, in the patience of hope. Yet some of the seed
has already sprung up with full tropical luxuriance,
and, sustaining vigorously the full burden and heat of
the day, has already borne rich fruit.
The most proud and happy result of my journey, to
my own mind, was, however, to see for myself the wise
and noble manner in which the Government of my
native country, and her many sons and daughters who
have gone out to that distant land, have laboured most
successfully to promote her true interest, and her
elevation to a high position among the nations. I had
the satisfaction, also, of finding that this is most fully
appreciated by the intelligent Hindoos. If I have, in
the course of this work, freely used the privilege of an
Englishwoman, in pointing out any deficiencies which
struck me, and offering some of the suggestions, which
occur to a stranger more readily than to a resident, it
CONCLUSION.
219
will be easily believed that I have been actuated by no
feeling, but that all who are working for India have
one common object-her true welfare. There are
enormous difficulties to be surmounted; those entrusted
with the government of a country must feel them far
more than private individuals can often comprehend,
and cannot at once remedy evils, however much they may
desire to do so. This I frequently stated to my native
friends; and when I heard them earnestly express the
wish that all the differences should be removed which
separate the two races, I rejoiced to be able truly to
say, from personal knowledge, 'No one in the Empire
desires this more than his Excellency the Viceroy.'
I have felt it my duty to India to come thus person-
ally before the public, for the first time in my life. I
could not otherwise convey the impression I formed
from my visit, and, by doing so, awaken the interest I
desire. I hope for kind indulgence to the many im-
perfections of my work, and trust that those for whose
sake it is written will accept it in the spirit in which
it is offered. May the blessing of our Common Father
rest upon it!
Red Lodge House, Bristol: Feb. 13, 1868.
221
APPENDIX A.
Address to the Educational Section of the Bethune
Society: Calcutta, December, 1866.*
A SPECIAL MEETING of the members of the Bethune Society was
held in the theatre of the Medical College, on Tuesday, the
18th December, at 5 P.M., to listen to an address from Miss
Carpenter. The subject chosen was, 'The Reformatory School
System with reference to Female Crime.'
The address was
intended more particularly for that section of the society which
is devoted to the consideration of female education.
Many were desirous to hear her upon that one department
of social science, which for so many years she had made her
specialty, and to which she had personally given her chief
attention. This is the protection and redemption of the young
from degradation and moral neglect in large cities. It includes
the reformation of juvenile offenders, and the saving treatment
of neglected children of both sexes; but particularly the off-
spring of parents abandoned to drunkenness and crime, who
are too willing to initiate their children into the same courses-
¿.e., to lead lives most costly to the State and ruinous to them-
selves. This subject, so essentially interesting and attractive
to all philanthropists, from the sternest judge in our courts to
the tenderest heart of woman, was treated with a directness
and practicality, a richness of illustration, and a fulness of
statistical and personal experience, which made the hour a
rare treat to a crowded audience, embracing a large variety of
sympathies. Europeans and Eurasians filled the circle nearest
* From the Times of India' and the Englishman.'
222
APPENDIX A.
the chairman; and there was a fair representation of both sexes,
notwithstanding the fact that nearly all the Sunday-schools
in Calcutta were, at that hour, thronging to anniversary fêtes
in the churches, and many gentlemen and ladies, Sabbath-
school teachers, were thus prevented from attending. The
native students of the Medical and Presidency Colleges, located
in that neighbourhood, were out in large numbers, and the
teachers and older pupils of the School of Useful Arts were
there by Miss Carpenter's invitation; besides many native
gentlemen, both Christian, Brahmo, and Hindoo, who are promi-
nent in educational and other reforms in this part of India.
The Hon. J. B. Phear, who occupied the chair, made a few
introductory remarks, after which Miss Carpenter rose and
spoke as follows:
'It had been my wish to dwell this evening entirely on the
education of what are termed the perishing and dangerous
classes; but finding that this section of the Bethune Society is
devoted to female education, I will commence by giving my
views on that subject especially, and will then proceed to con-
sider education as affecting the criminal classes.
'All of you are aware that in England women hold a very
different position from that which they occupy in India. In
England they are regarded as fellow-workers with and helpers
of men. By giving them a liberal education, it is not intended
that they should take the place of the other sex, but that they
should be better qualified than they would otherwise be, for
discharging their own peculiar duties: I can testify that my
own education, which was carried on under my father's super-
intendence, and which included a training in such subjects as
classics and mathematics, never unfitted me for domestic duties,
but, on the contrary, rendered me in all respects more fully
qualified to accomplish a woman's mission.
After completing my own education in my father's home,
being anxious to improve the female mind, I commenced the
practical work of education, and spent twenty years in training
young ladies belonging to the higher classes of society. In the
school which I carried on with my mother and sisters, not
ADDRESS TO THE BETHUNE SOCIETY.
223
only female accomplishments but the classics were taught, as
also needlework and other things useful in a family. Among
the ladies thus educated, some made it their business in after-
life to instruct the poor and ignorant; others became admirable
wives, and, while conscientiously fulfilling the duties which
they owed to their families, entered upon extended spheres of
usefulness.
'This higher education does not, then, as is sometimes sup-
posed, unfit women for their special duties, but, on the con-
trary, enables them to become better wives, better mothers,
and more useful members of society. By women, the infant
minds of both sexes are trained. Not a few illustrious men have
ascribed their pre-eminence to the influence of their mothers.
Sir William Jones, with whose name you must all be familiar,
affords a remarkable instance of the effect which a mother's
teaching and example can produce upon a youthful mind.
'Having matured and developed my plans for the education
of the higher classes, I now felt anxious to do something for
the poorer and more degraded portion of society. I would
here observe that you have not in India young children of
eight or ten years of age who come within the grasp of the
law: I am ashamed to say that in England such has been the
These children (I here refer especially to the girls),
after being subjected to punishment, become outcasts from
society; respectable people do not like to engage them for
domestic servants, and they are quite cut off from all amelio-
rating influences.
case.
'Now, I asked myself, was it the fault of these girls that
they were thus condemned to a life of degradation and crime?
The answer that presented itself to me was, It is not their fault ;
they are placed by God in this world, and they are His children,
for He is the common Father of us all; and surely God would
not destine any of His creatures to an existence of irremediable
crime and misery! Was it, I asked myself, by an innate de-
pravity that these children were condemned for their lifetime
to be felons and outcasts? The answer suggested to me was,
that their depravity was not innate, but was owing to neglect
224
APPENDIX A.
and bad education to their having worthless parents, or to
their having no parents at all. It was the duty of society, then,
I argued, to give these children such an education as would
preserve them from all temptation to break the law, and would
supply that moral training of which, by adverse circumstances,
they had been deprived.
'I am aware that, as in England so in India, the objection
has been urged, that to give a good education to these classes
will be a premium on crime. But such is really not the case.
There is in the human mind an instinctive love of liberty, and
this feeling is remarkably developed in these young criminals,
who lead a wild and reckless life. By them it is not considered
an advantage to be deprived of their freedom, and to be con-
fined in any institution, however comfortable. Although in
India you may know little about girls as a criminal class, still
you do know about boys; and must be aware that no boys who
have been accustomed for several years to the freedom of a
criminal life, would like to be taken and placed under confine-
ment; if they knew that this would be the result of their
actions, they would be tempted to abandon their crimes, rather
than incur the punishment of restraint.
'Now, it appeared to me that society owed a duty to these
girls, and that it ought to enable them to have a fair chance of
redeeming their characters, and of becoming useful members of
the State. This is a principle easily arrived at by Christians ;
for did not Christ come to seek and to save those which are
lost? But with a Government it is different, for a Govern-
ment, though Christian, does not profess to be guided solely
by Christian principles; its actions must be regulated in a
great measure by political expediency.
It must be shown, therefore, that such a training of the
juvenile criminal population is for the general good of society
as well as in accordance with strictly Christian principles.
This can easily be done. These young persons, besides the
on society, are doing incalculable
harm by their influence, and form in each case around them
a circle of crime: if girls, they will probably become the
injury they directly inflict
A
ADDRESS TO THE BETHUNE SOCIETY.
225
mothers of wicked children, and thus perpetuate their misdeeds
for many generations. It was shown, therefore, that for the
good of the country, the Government should arrest the progress
of crime; this would not be done by sending the children to
jail, where many had been as often as six or eight times, but
by some different line of treatment.
'I will now go back to a period twenty years ago, when I
first began the work which led to the establishment of my
Girls' Reformatory School, in which I developed my principles
of the education of the criminal class. The idea was then
just springing up, that it was the duty of society to educate the
lowest and most degraded class of children. As the highest
classes of society had all along been fully aware of the benefits
of education, they had willingly made sacrifices to secure these
benefits for their children, so that in their case there was no
necessity for the aid of Government. But for the middle
classes the Government had supplemented the contributions
of private benevolence, in order to educate these, or rather the
lower middle or mechanic class, who were not able to secure
a good education for their children without assistance. The
schools established for these classes correspond to your branch.
schools, and some of them to your higher schools.
'But the education thus afforded did not reach the lower
classes of the population, nor does it in your country. When
I came to India I was quite ignorant of what was being done
in the way of education. In the first town I visited, I was
grieved to see tribes of children wandering about the streets
totally uncared for. This is not now the case in England; for
though we have great poverty, yet there are always persons to
be found anxious to do some good, and to ameliorate the con-
dition of the poor and the distressed. In India there is much
liberality, no doubt, as has been lately evinced during the
famine which has ravaged Bengal and Orissa, but as yet there
has been no attempt to educate the lowest classes. Twenty
years ago we in England were in the same state, and then, for
the first time, a number of benevolent persons tried to educate
some of these forlorn children, not in order to raise them out
VOL. II.
Q
226
APPENDIX A.
of their proper sphere, but to enable them to work honestly
and fitly in their appointed vocations. We took the very
lowest. I have watched the progress of not a few of these, and
seen the gradual conversion of young savages into respectable
men and women. I am speaking from the experience of twenty
years. I wish I could impart to you the joy I have had in
hundreds of cases of reformation.'
Miss Carpenter here presented a number of photographs for
the
eager examination of many, who passed them on from hand
to hand. There you see,' she continued, 'the intelligent faces.
and refined bearings of some of those whom, under God's bless-
ing, we have saved from apparent destruction, if not from
certain ruin. This man,' showing his picture, 'is now in
Canada, and a promising farmer. This one is an English
mechanic, with a young and happy family growing up around.
him.' Others were similarly presented, and as briefly described.
These had been gathered from the streets years ago, into what
were at first denominated, in keeping with the extreme poverty
of the pupils, Ragged Schools. Once given in derision, the
success which had glorified them now wore that name as a
crown. Their chief glory and lever of success was the Christian
spirit in which they were originated, and had been conducted.
By Christian she meant the loving and wise and self-sacrificing
spirit.
Miss Carpenter continued:—
I have now spoken of a class of young people who were
willing to be taken by the hand, and who for our love gave us
their gratitude. But we find a class lower than these,-un-
happy street-rovers, who prefer to lead a roving precarious
life; and whom gentle means can rarely win, or persuade to
enter a school, or stay as inmates of a well-ordered reformatory
home. This
This is a class far more difficult to deal with and to
help. The unhappy condition, and almost certain fate as
criminals, of this Arab class-in Christian cities, and in your
cities here no less,-have exercised the best and deepest think-
ers, and the students of political economy, as well as of religion
and human duty. How shall these wilful wanderers be reached,
ADDRESS TO THE BETHUNE SOCIETY.
227
brought home, and saved to society and themselves? Devoted
men and our wisest philanthropists-as you probably know-
have opened refuges for such in the most civilised countries of
Europe, like the establishment of Mettray in France and the
Rauhe Haus in Germany-reformatories whose known success
have brought them visitors and enquirers from all parts of the
world. The object here is not so much to enforce discipline
as to change the heart and will from evil to good. The one
aim is to inspire these special subjects of discipline with the
feeling that they can be good, and, being worthy of love and
honour, obtain it. They are more and more comforted and
trusted as they are able to bear it. And it has been found
that there is no extent of wickedness, at least in the young,
which may not be conquered, if we have enough of hope,
wisdom, and patience. I have seen enough to convince me,
little as I know of this country, that you also have roving here
boys of this wild-liberty sort, who prefer to run away from all
the restraints of home, and to sleep abroad in outhouses and dark
corners, and who live by pilfering and incipient crime. When I
was at Ahmedabad, the superintendent of the jail informed me
that there were hordes of boys in that city and neighbourhood
who roved over the country living solely by plunder; these
were often recruited from such as had been in jail for short
terms. I saw there a number of boys brought out of jail for
trial, having been confined four months; and these had to be
dismissed, as there was not sufficient evidence to convict them.
What is to be done with such as these?
'We then found that it would be necessary for us, in order
to take effectively the place of parents to those wild children,
to secure a legal power over them, by inducing the State to
regard us as standing in loco parentis with respect to our
youthful wards. We asked the State, therefore, as soon as it
was convinced of the wisdom of our measures, to abandon the
practice of imprisonment and whipping, and to give us the
power of legal detention over the children. We consented, if
the State would make some payment for their maintenance, to
defray the rest of the expenditure ourselves.
Q 2
228
APPENDIX A.
'After long exertion our efforts were rewarded with success,
and the Legislature passed an Act for the better care and
reformation of youthful offenders in Great Britain. By this
Act, when any person under sixteen years of age shall be con-
victed of any offence punishable by law, in addition to the
sentence passed as a punishment for the offence, he may be
sent, at the expiration of the sentence, to some one of the
reformatory schools, and there detained for not less than two
nor more than five years, provided his sentence has not been
for less than fourteen days' imprisonment. Thus our Reforma-
tory Schools were established! Steady discipline was observed
in these schools, kind teachers were provided, and useful work
was taught. The scholars, after giving sufficient evidence of
improvement, were allowed to enter into society, at first on
trial, but if they did well they obtained their discharge. The
Act was passed in 1854, and since that time, school after school
has been set up. At first the supply was altogether inadequate
to meet the wants of the country; the increase of crime out-
stripped the means adopted for its suppression. But this is not
longer the case, for it is found that by taking off the ring-
leaders the gangs of offenders disperse, while those that remain
become more amenable to discipline, and a very sensible dimi-
nution of juvenile crime is thus effected. At the beginning of
the reformatory system numbers of young persons had been six,
seven, or even eight times in prison; now few can be found who
have been previously twice confined. At first the majority of our
fellow-countrymen did not believe that we should succeed; but
experience has proved that these young offenders may become
respectable members of society, and many instances could be
adduced of boys who have abandoned their former vicious
practices, and have afterwards led useful and worthy lives.
'You in India are doubtless more interested about girls than
about boys; I will therefore now proceed to tell you my plans
for the reformation of girls. And here I must remark that
there are greater difficulties to be met with in the case of girls
than in that of boys. In the first place, people are extremely
unwilling to take into their houses girls who have once come
ADDRESS TO THE BETHUNE SOCIETY.
229
under the grasp of the law; and, secondly, as girls are not ex-
posed to the same temptations as boys, it is probable that, when
they are guilty, their offences will be of a more serious nature.
Also, the mind of woman being naturally more delicate and
sensitive than that of man, when it does become corrupt the
work of reform is peculiarly difficult. For such reasons it was
our imperative duty to pay special attention to the girls, and
to found a reformatory school for improving their condition.
And here I must acknowledge the services of that admirable
woman Lady Noel Byron, who, sympathising with me in my
plans, requested me to buy a house, which she agreed to let to
the school for a small sum. The house selected was the well-
known Red Lodge, a place possessing a certain historical inter-
est. It had been built in ancient times as a monastery, and
had been fitted up in the reign of Queen Elizabeth as the resi-
dence of a knight. Afterwards it became a young ladies'
school, and subsequently the celebrated Dr. Pritchard, author
of the "Physical History of Man," purchased it for his own
residence. This was now to become the home of our children.
'The girls whom we were led to train were not, like your
girls here in India, timid gentle creatures, but young persons
with perverted natures, strong wills, and daring spirits. In
educating them we had a difficult task to perform; they had
to be treated with indulgence, and at the same time kept under
proper control; evil had to be overcome by good; it was
essential that living examples of purity and excellence should
be presented to them; and, above all, a loving and religious
spirit was required. Religion, in my opinion, is an essential
element of such an education, and nothing can be done without
it. By religion I do not mean sectarian dogmas, but the simple
teaching of the rules of duty as the will of God-the love of
our Heavenly Father and the life of Christ being taught and
practised. Most of those with whom I have been engaged in
this work have held different religious opinions from mine, yet
this difference has never given rise to disputes; and we have
all laboured together in love and sympathy.
'One great object was to train the physical as well as the
230
APPENDIX A.
mental powers of these girls, so that they might get their living
as domestic servants, or take care of their own little homes, if
they should be married. For this purpose they were employed
in active work, such as washing, baking, &c.; they were also
taught needlework, and in their hours of relaxation they took
walks, indulged in innocent recreations, and frequented the
society of good persons. Music was also taught, on account of
its peculiarly refining influence, and the coarse songs which
the girls had formerly been in the habit of singing, were ex-
changed for hymns and songs of an innocent and elevated cha-
racter. They also learned to read and write; their reading
was not extensive, but what little they did read was well under-
stood. By such means excellent results were obtained; the
girls were no longer outcasts, but were received into the service
of respectable people. Some have turned out badly, but the
experience of the last four years enables me to say that out of
seventy, sixty have turned out well, and one only has been a
second time in prison. These principles might, when adapted
to the circumstances of this country, be extended to India; for
the same general principles apply, with slight modifications, to
different classes and communities—to young girls in all con-
ditions of life.
'I want, if possible, that your little girls should acquire a
taste for knowledge. They are quite capable of doing so. I
was much pleased, on visiting one of your girls' schools lately,
to observe the ready answers given to the questions of the
Inspector. One child, on being asked what silk was, described
it accurately, and then ran for a book in which she pointed
out to us the picture of a silkworm. She had thought about
her lessons. All girls should learn needlework, and it is also
important that their physical powers should be trained. India
is decidedly deficient in physical training with regard both to
boys and to girls.
'The object of all education is so to develope the mental
powers that the young mind may delight in learning. I have
been sorry to notice, in some of the boys' schools which I have
visited in India, splendid libraries in which the books looked
ADDRESS TO THE BETHUNE SOCIETY.
231
suspiciously neat and clean. On enquiring the cause of this,
I have been told that the students are so occupied in working
for degrees, that they have no time for general reading. Now,
learning should be sought for its own sake, and not merely for
the sake of professional success in after-life.
'I have been pleased to observe, in the large schools of this
country, the diligence of the scholars and the zeal and attention
of the masters, but I have been sorry to find that the young
men take no walks, and indulge in no games or athletic sports.
They may depend upon it that such a course is injurious to
the mind, as well as to the body, and that if their bodily powers
were well developed, their minds would be strengthened also.
As with boys so it is with girls, who, although they do not
require the same kind of physical training as boys, should yet
be encouraged to take exercise adapted to them. If they com-
mence this when young, they will feel inclined for it after-
wards. As a rule, the little girls in this country seem quite
listless, but in two boarding-schools which I visited, the girls,
when let out to play, were as active and lively as any English
girls, and displayed great life and animation. It is evident,
therefore, that if little Hindoo girls had their physical powers
properly developed, they would be lively and active. In
addition to all this, it is necessary that there should be a good
wholesome moral influence at work, so as to secure that healthy
habit and tone of mind, without which there can be no well-
being in life. No lessons in morality, however good, can pro-
duce any permanent benefit, unless the surrounding influences
keep up the effect of them—unless the pupils are placed under
those whe are loving and good. All depends on the teacher,
and I can myself testify that my own exertions would have
been useless, if the teachers had not thrown themselves heart
and soul into the work, and if they had not been imbued with
right moral principles. Several Hindoo gentlemen have visited
my reformatory at the Red Lodge. I may mention, especially,
the late lamented Ramchunder Balkrishna, of Bombay, who
came purposely from London to Bristol to see it. Every
Hindoo who has been there, has gone away most favourably
232
APPENDIX A.
impressed with the results produced. If such an influence,
they have said, can be produced on low and coarse girls, what
will be the result when such a system is carried out among
Hindoo girls, gentle and loving, and who have not the bad
principles which are found in these young women ? '
At the conclusion of the address, the chairman informed the
members of the society that Miss Carpenter was willing to
answer any questions on the subject of education which they
might be anxious to propose. Accordingly, the Rev. Mr. Long
enquired if natural history was not taught in the schools in
England, and if Miss Carpenter did not consider natural history
to be well worthy of occupying a prominent place among the
studies of the young.
Miss Carpenter, in reply, said: 'I regard natural history as
a most valuable subject, and one that should be taught, if pos-
sible, in all schools. My teaching has been carried on in a
large city, yet even there opportunities for acquiring such
knowledge were not altogether wanting. A study of the works
of the Creator is most beneficial and important, not only scien-
tifically, for encouraging habits of arrangement and cultivating
the powers of observation, but also for the sake of the reverent
spirit which it instils, and, in the case of the female mind, for
the softening influence which it produces.'
The Rev. Mr. Long then put another question, asking if it
was not the custom in England to have gardens attached to
the schools.
Miss Carpenter, in reply, said: 'It is impossible in England
to have gardens in the ordinary day-schools which are situated
in populous towns, where every available spot of ground is
built upon. In England we are dreadfully crowded. Here,
on the contrary, you have ample room, and it has surprised
me to find that you do not avail yourselves more extensively
of the resources thus afforded for adorning with shrubs and
flowers the compounds which surround your dwellings, and
even your schools. In England the people delight in flowers.
In London, and other large towns, the windows of the houses,
even in the poorest neighbourhoods, are generally adorned
ADDRESS TO THE BETHUNE SOCIETY.
233
with little pots containing plants, which bear beautiful and
fragrant flowers. I had expected, in a tropical country like.
this, where nature is so lavish in her gifts, to have found in all
your houses a rich profusion of flowers; you may judge, then,
how great my disappointment has been, on perceiving that,
neither among the working-people in your towns, nor among
the peasantry in your villages, are there any indications of a
taste for flowers or gardening. Agricultural work and garden-
ing are taught in our English reformatory schools, and the
results obtained are most beneficial.'
Baboo Kissory Chand Mittra then addressed the meeting to
the following effect :-
I have been requested, sir, to move the resolution which I
hold in my hand, conveying the grateful acknowledgments of
this meeting to Miss Carpenter. Although I could wish it had
been entrusted to other and abler hands, yet I should not shrink
from expressing my admiration for the very lucid and ex-
haustive address with which she has favoured us.
It is re-
plete with interesting details, which have a peculiar claim on
our attention. Miss Carpenter has laboured zealously and
successfully, in England, to educate the ignorant and reclaim
the vicious. Her benevolence being fettered by no distinctions
of race or religion, she has come out to India to do what she
can for the education of the Hindoo females. She has already
brought her influence to bear on the Government for the pur-
pose of establishing a Central Normal Female School. In
order to strengthen her hands, a representation, urging the
necessity of such an institution, has been submitted to the
Lieutenant-Governor by several Hindoo gentlemen. Excep-
tion has been taken to this movement by some persons, who
profess to believe that trained female teachers to take charge of
female schools are not wanted, inasmuch as school instruction
is not now practicable. I am not ashamed to avow that I am
a party to the memorial to the Government, and my friend on
my left (Baboo Keshub Chunder Sen) is another. I have
bestowed some thought on the subject, and have had ample
opportunities of watching the operations of both school in-
234
APPENDIX A.
struction and domestic instruction, and I have no hesitation in
declaring my conviction that the former is an immeasurably
superior system to the latter. Those who underrate school
instruction, and overrate zenana instruction, are grievously
mistaken. The zenana system may, in the beginning, be
necessary in many cases. I do not depreciate it. I rejoice
in its intention, but I can advocate it only as a tentative and
a transitional measure, but not as a finality and ultimatum.
It is dull and lifeless, whereas the other is instinct with life
and animation. Fancy, sir, a governess teaching one or
two girls within the four walls of a dark and, perhaps, ill-
ventilated room. Why, it is very dull work, and both the
teacher and the taught participate in the dulness. They
cannot resist, so to speak, catching the torpidity of the thing.
The efficiency of school instruction depends, on the other
hand, on the living contact of spirit with spirit. It is to be
ascribed to the sympathy of numbers, which has an electric
effect, leading to the formation and development of right im-
pressions and feelings, breaking up the old ground, and let-
ting in new light. But, sir, whatever system may be best
adapted to promote the enlightenment of our females, I
earnestly beg my educated fellow-countrymen to remember,
that the social and mental status held by the women of a
country is the true test of its civilisation. I would fervently
impress on them the truth of what Tennyson has said,——
The woman's cause is man's: they rise or sink
Together, dwarfed or godlike, bond or free.
Impressed with this view, I regard the mission which has
brought out Miss Carpenter here, as one of the noblest-one,
the fulfilment of which is fraught with results of the last im-
portance to our country. In the interests of civilisation and
humanity she should be honoured. I have, therefore, no doubt
that the resolution will meet with your cordial acceptance:
'Resolution. That this meeting has listened with great
interest and satisfaction to the highly eloquent and instructive
address of Miss Carpenter, on female education in general, and
ADDRESS TO THE BETHUNE SOCIETY.
235
on the reformatory school system with reference to female
crime; and desires to place on record its cordial acknowledg-
ments to her for the trouble she has taken in edifying the
society with her views on the subject.'
The resolution, having been warmly seconded by Mr. Tudor
Trevor, was put to the vote, and carried by acclamation.
The Rev. K. M. Bannerjea then moved the following resolu-
tion, namely:- "That the Female Education section of the
Bethune Society be requested to consider and report on the
plan or scheme of Female Education propounded by Miss
Carpenter.'
The reverend gentleman said that female education was no
novelty in this country, as both tradition and history testified.
to the existence of female learning in ancient India. Lilavati
was a reputed mathematician, and the wife of Kaledasa, a
woman well read in literature and the Shastras. The latter had
taken a vow that she would not marry anyone but the man
who would have completely proved the superiority of his own
attainments to those of her own in an open literary debate. One
by one she vanquished all the learned men of her time, who,
to have their revenge upon her, produced before her Kaledasa,
a reputed blockhead, as a literary giant at whose feet they
would be proud to learn. She was duped by some contrivance
on the part of these men, and she accepted Kaledasa for her
husband, but it was not long before she found her mistake.
The gods took compassion upon Kaledasa, and made him the
poet of all poets. After adverting to similar instances of
female learning, the eloquent speaker exhorted his countrymen,
who claimed such an antiquity, to rouse themselves to action,
and ameliorate the present degraded condition of their women.
He hoped that they will soon give Miss Carpenter an opportu-
nity of hearing that her mission to India has borne good fruit.
The motion, having been seconded by Dr. Chuckerbutty,
was carried unanimously.
•
The President then rose and addressed the meeting as
follows:-
It has now become my duty-most pleasant to discharge-
236
APPENDIX A.
to convey to Miss Carpenter the thanks which you have
embodied in the resolution just passed. But, before I do this
in formal terms, I will, with your permission, make some very
short observations upon one or two of the points which Miss
Carpenter has presented to our notice in her lecture. She has
spoken with satisfaction of the small show which young girls
apparently make in the criminal class of this country. I think,
as far as my limited experience enables me to judge, that her
remark might with almost equal force be applied to boys.
During the short time that I have been engaged in the admi-
nistration of justice in this Presidency, I have been struck with
the paucity of juvenile offenders brought before our criminal
courts, as compared with the numbers of children who fall
under the notice of the criminal tribunals in England. In say-
ing this, I speak of the general impressions left on my memory
by my own personal experience, and not upon the authority of
any sort of statistics. If, however, I am right in this, and that
children really do come less within the grasp of the police here
than in England, I would look for the cause not merely in the
intrinsic character of the race, as Miss Carpenter does, but also
in the joint family system of the people, and the domestic
habits which it engenders. One of the great merits of that
system—and I will not conceal my opinion that it also exhibits
great demerits-is that the old and feeble, the young and
thoughtless, are almost always preserved from absolute want,
and are thus protected from the temptation to those offences
which are the special offspring of pauperism. Still boys do, no
doubt, often appear in our police courts and even at our ses-
sions, and for these a reformatory is urgently wanted. I believe
that imprisonment works unmitigated harm upon them. With
children, considered as a class of the community, imprisonment
operates in scarcely any perceptible degree as a deterrent from
crime. I conceive that this must necessarily be the case every-
where, but I believe it to be more true here than in England.
It follows, then, from the comparative uselessness of impri-
sonment in the sense of a preventive cause, that it ought to
be made the most of in the way of reformation. In England,
ADDRESS TO THE BETHUNE SOCIETY.
237
3
thanks to the persevering labours of Miss Carpenter and those
with whom she has worked, reformatories for the young have
become so entirely part of our jail system, that no magistrate
ever thinks of inflicting simple imprisonment on a child.
When first it fell to me at our criminal sessions, soon after I
came out from England, to pass sentence on a young boy, I
enquired of the jailer what would be the minimum sufficient
to carry the child to a reformatory, and you may judge of the
surprise with which I learned from him that there was no
such thing as a prison reformatory in this country! From
that day to this I have felt that the absence of a proper reforma-
tory is a crying want, and sincerely trust that Miss Car-
penter's efforts in this direction may bear speedy fruits.
'Miss Carpenter has told us of her disappointment in finding
this a flowerless country; and from what she has said, I should
almost suppose that it has escaped her to notice the particular
season of the year in which she has come to us. It is true
that during the current three months of the cold season there
is no great show of indigenous flowers. Had she, however,
arrived here at almost any time of the other nine months, she
could hardly have spoken as she now has. The profusion of
colouring and blossom which would have met her eye would,
I think, have satisfied all her expectations. It happened to me.
to land in this country in the rains, and I certainly cannot
easily exaggerate the delight which the exuberance of colour
on tree and shrub alike then caused me. But probably, had
Miss Carpenter come at such a season, she would not have
omitted to notice, amid the brilliant profusion of wild flowers,
the entire absence of all attempts at floral cultivation, which
is, as she remarks, conspicuous about the dwellings of the
lower classess all the year round, without exception. I quite
agree with her that this feature is significant of a low condi-
tion of vitality of the finer sensibilities and feelings of the
people. And the want of this kind of refinement is the more
remarkable, because our neighbours the Burmese, with a
climate and condition of life very similar to our own, are dis-
tinguished for their love of flowers, and the pleasure which
238
APPENDIX B.
they exhibit in their cultivation. You will see, universally,
little gardens about the huts, flower-pots suspended in the
verandahs, and flowers most tastefully placed in the hair of the
women.
'The importance which Miss Carpenter attributes to physical
exercise and recreation in the education of children is not, I
am convinced, in any degree exaggerated. It is often, I
believe, said that this climate is such as to render healthful
exercise very difficult of attainment in a Bengal school. For
my own part, I cannot understand how this can be. To refer
once more to Burmah: there, with a climate very similar to
our own certainly, I should say, just as enervating in its
steamy heat and saturated atmosphere-there young people of
all classes seem to take the utmost delight in outdoor games
and exercises. It quite recalled to me old scenes of my own
English university experience to witness the enthusiasm with
which high and low rushed to the river-bank as spectators of
a boat-race, and the demonstrations of sympathy with the con-
tending parties in their varying fortune.
However, I will detain you no longer, but will proceed to
offer to Miss Carpenter our united thanks in the terms of the
resolution.'
The President then thanked Miss Carpenter, on behalf of
the society, for her very excellent and instructive address, and
declared the meeting at an end.
239
APPENDIX B.*
ON December 9, 1867, a numerously attended and influential
meeting of the English and native inhabitants was held at
Ahmedabad, to bid farewell to Dr. Wyllie, on his departure
for the seat of war in Abyssinia. The hall was beautifully
decorated, and great enthusiasm prevailed. Sett Myabhai
Premabhai, having been called to the chair, requested Sett
Becherdass Ambaidass to read the following address, which
was neatly bound with a golden border, and enclosed in a
brocade cover :-
To Surgeon-Major D. Wyllie, M.D., Civil Surgeon,
Ahmedabad.
DEAR SIR,-We, the undersigned inhabitants of the city of
Ahmedabad, deeply impressed with a sense of the great and
valuable services which you have rendered to us and our city
during the eleven years you have resided among us, beg, on
the eve of your departure from Ahmedabad, to tender you
our warmest and very sincere thanks for all you have done
for us.
Much as we regret that we are to be deprived of
your valuable assistance in future, we feel that it is our duty
to congratulate you on the honour that has been conferred on
you, by your having been selected to fill an important and
responsible post in the army which is leaving the shores of
India to punish the tyrannical despot of Abyssinia. Knowing
the useful services that you rendered in the Sikh war in
1848-49, and also when attached to the force which left Ah-
medabad in 1858, under General Sir Henry Roberts, to chastise
the dastardly mutineers, we congratulate the army of Abys-
sinia and its gallant chief, Sir Robert Napier, in having with
them a medical officer of so ripe and varied professional ex-
perience, and one so well able to alleviate the distress of the
* Extracted from the Bombay Gazette, December 19, 1867.
240
APPENDIX B.
sick and wounded. At the same time, great is our sorrow at
having to part with one who is so well known to all classes of
the community in this city. It was by you that the Huttees-
sing and Premabhaee Hospitals were organised and brought
into their present state of efficiency, which render them a
blessing to thousands. We are much indebted to your ex-
ertions for the Lunatic Asylum, and the Becherdass and
Raipoor Dispensaries. The Hemabhaee Institute, of which
you have been the President for some years past, has bene-
fited much from your valuable aid and advice; and the many
public meetings held in this room, and over which you have
presided, owed much of their success to your tact, patience,
and urbanity. As one of the most active members of the
Municipal Commission in this city, your services have been
most valuable in improving its sanitary condition. In every
work of philanthropy and of improvement you have always
taken an active part. As Civil Surgeon, you have ever
responded to the call of poor and rich alike, and in a way
that has endeared you to this community, while countless
thousands have benefited by your professional skill during
your long sojourn amongst us. We beg to express our sincere
gratitude for your kind demeanour to and treatment of all
classes of your fellow-citizens. You were always ready to
assist them in every possible way in your power. Believe us,
dear sir, when we say that we part from you as from a dear
friend and benefactor whose good deeds will never be for-
gotten. We earnestly pray the Author and Giver of all good
things that He will watch over and protect you in the field,
and crown your future labours with an abundant success; that
you will return in health and strength to your native land,
and there enjoy many years of repose and happiness; and that
when there you will doubtless think of our city and its inha-
bitants, and believe that here are those who will never forget
you and your labours. In conclusion, permit us to express a
hope that you will accept, as a small token of our grateful
remembrance, a piece of plate and a diamond ring, which shall
hereafter be forwarded to your agent in Bombay or England;
and as we are all desirous of having some memento, to remind
FAREWELL ADDRESS TO DR. WYLLIE.
241
us in your absence of one we have so long known and es-
teemed, we beg you will kindly consent to sit for your likeness
on arrival in Bombay.-We remain, dear sir,
Your obedient and obliged servants,
(Signed by several respectable inhabitants).
Ahmedabad: Hemabhaee Institute, December 9, 1867.
The address, together with a handsome and costly ring, was
then presented to Dr. Wyllie amidst loud acclamations.
Dr. Wyllie responded warmly to the address, in an appro-
priate speech.
Mr. Cowasjee Muncherjee Sorabjee, in supporting the ad-
dress, made the following observations, and was repeatedly ap-
plauded by the meeting during his speech :—
Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen,-I am deputed by my father,
Mr. Muncherjee Sorabjee, to become his mouthpiece; and it
has therefore devolved upon me to give utterance to the regret
which moves him and his fellow-citizens (for whom he would
likewise speak) at the near approach of Dr. Wyllie's departure.
Dr. Wyllie, while establishing for himself, by the exercise of a
rare nobility of heart, the character of being a real friend of
this populous city and its poorer people, has, by his various
attainments and his ceaseless devotion to the claims preferred
upon him by suffering human nature, proved that he is an
ornament to society, an honour to this city, and to his pro-
fession. (Cheers.) The address just read has justly and
deservedly recorded his virtues, and his success as a medical
officer in this city. I can only supplement its expressions by
offering a tribute of my father's gratitude and mine also, in
common with that of others, for all the public and private acts
of kindness, which we are witnesses of, done by Dr. Wyllie
for the inhabitants of our birthplace. For years Dr. Wyllie
has exerted himself in the cause of improvement and enlight-
enment, and his labours for the good of the community have
been crowned with signal success. (Applause.) This, then, is
the reason of this unanimous tribute of admiration and respect
paid this hour to our friend, and which comes from every
section of society. When the natives of Hindostan spon-
VOL. II.
R
242
APPENDIX B.
די
taneously join in a public movement of this kind, it affords a
proof that they appreciate progress, and are anxious to tread
with a quick and ready step the path of civilisation. If our
countrymen would rise to a proper and an honoured political.
status, it can only be by copying the lives and emulating the
virtues of good and nobleminded men. In honouring men of
worth, it should be recollected that we do honour to ourselves,
and that we thereby show the world that we have reached that
state of refinement and culture which enables an educated man
to single out the learned and the wise, and to do honour at once
to the wisdom of his head, and to the goodness of his heart.
This city was in ancient days pre-eminent amongst those of
India for art and social advancement; I believe that had we
a few more men amongst us possessed of Dr. Wyllie's influence,
they would largely assist in restoring it to its former position.
Were his example followed, the welfare and prosperity of
Ahmedabad would be secured. (Loud applause.) I need
not remind you that in this gentleman who is about to leave.
us, we all recognise the existence of a highly-cultured mind,
a sound judgment, and a nice taste, while in all his public
undertakings we notice that he has supported impartial justice.
His sympathies and labour have been constant in the promo-
tion of good feeling between the English and the natives, and
this alone entitles him to our unqualified gratitude, and ac-
counts for his having won the hearts of the entire community.
Although he journeys from this, and will be absent, he leaves
behind him recollections of immense good memories that will
not quickly fade and die. The picture of Dr. Wyllie, which
will be placed next the founder of this institute, will be often
gazed upon with respect, and when beheld will reawaken
that admiration which his life and deeds produced, when he
was amongst us. I bid Dr. Wyllie a cordial farewell, and,
speaking for Ahmedabad, I trust that even greater success may
attend him, and that happiness and prosperity may follow his
footprints in every land where war or fortune may call him
to travel, where I am sure he will maintain the dignity of an
English gentleman, adding that charm to it-the benevolence
of a true philanthropist. (Cheers.)
243
APPENDIX C.
THE silver tea-service was presented on Friday, August 23,
1867, at 55 Parliament Street, London; a number of Hindoo
and Parsee gentlemen, and two Parsee ladies, as well as Eng-
lish, having assembled on the occasion. The following is
an extract from the report of the meeting in the 'Inquirer'
of August 31:—
Sir Bartle Frere, ex-Governor of Bombay, on being re-
quested to preside over the meeting, said he had great pleasure
in so doing. Having been present when Miss Carpenter
visited Bombay, and having seen what (and how wisely) she
had done to stir up interest in female education, he gladly
accepted the office of chairman, and he felt sure that what
would take place in that room would give pleasure to her
friends in India. He then called upon
'Mr. Nowrozji Furdonji, who, addressing Miss Carpenter,
said: Madam, I have a very pleasing duty to perform-to
present to you a silver tea-service from my friends and
countrymen in Bombay. On the eve of your departure they
presented to you an address, and, had time permitted, they
would then have asked you to accept the tea-service, which in
their name I now with great pleasure offer to you as a
memento of your visit to Bombay. That visit, we believe,
will be productive of great benefit to our country, in that it
will tend to the promotion of female education and the amelio-
ration of the people. Not only during your visit to Bombay,
but in your own country also, have you taken great interest
in educational and other philanthropic movements, of which I
and my friends here, and in our native country, desire to
record our high appreciation."
'The speaker then, again expressing the pleasure it gave him
to be the means of making the presentation, handed to Miss
R 2
214
APPENDIX C.
Carpenter a very beautiful and chaste tea-service, bearing the
inscription-" Presented to Miss Mary Carpenter, by several
of her native friends in Bombay, as a small token of esteem
and gratitude for her enlightened zeal and disinterestedness in
the cause of the education of the daughters of India, and as a me-
mento of her visit to their country. Bombay, March 18, 1867.”
'Miss Carpenter responded gratefully, stating that she received
the beautiful plate with more pleasure, from regarding it as a
token of the welcome they would give to her country women.
Interesting addresses were delivered by Dadabhai Nao-
roji, Nowrozji Furdonji, Kursandass Mulji, and Manockji
Cursetji. The principal points to which these gentlemen
directed the attention of the meeting were the following:
That the prejudice against female education in Bombay was
fast yielding to the conviction that the time was now come
for decided individual, collective, and Government action for
the education of the people of India. It was pleasing to hear
the experiences of these native gentlemen, and the incidents
touching the opposition they had encountered from some of
their friends at an early stage, and who were now thoroughly
converted to the importance of female education. The increase
of the female pupils at the Parsee schools in Bombay was no-
ticed; and the attendance of the daughters of some of the natives
who were, a few years ago, bitter opponents of female education,
augured well for the future success of this movement. They
were all agreed on the necessity of the Government making
liberal grants for female education in India, and pressed this
on the attention of the Chairman, that his influence might be
used to this end.
'Sir Bartle Frere closed the meeting by saying that the
native gentlemen present, who had spoken so well-and with
their sentiments he perfectly concurred-could not do better
for their cause than commit these sentiments to paper, and
have them presented to that department of Government in-
terested in the welfare of the people of India. He would do
his utmost to help them in this laudable work, and was glad
he had shared with them in the pleasure of the meeting, and
in the honour done to Miss Carpenter.'
245
APPENDIX D.
THE following memorial, signed by about thirty Parsees
and Hindoos now in London, has been addressed to the Right
Hon. Sir Stafford Northcote, Bart., M.P., C.B., Secretary of
State for India in Council :—
SIR,-We, the undersigned native inhabitants of the
Presidency of Bombay now resident in England, beg to sub-
mit for your favourable consideration the subject of the es-
tablishment of female normal training-schools at Bombay and
Ahmedabad. We are informed that memorials were pre-
sented by the inhabitants of these two places to the Bombay
Government. These memorials, being referred for considera-
tion and report to Sir Alexander Grant, the Director of Public
Instruction of the Bombay Presidency, he recommended to es-
tablish two normal schools. This recommendation was ap-
proved of by the Bombay Government, and submitted for
sanction to the Supreme Government. We regret to hear that
the Viceroy, while accepting the memorials, approving their
object, and wishing it carried out, has not sanctioned Sir A.
Grant's proposals, on the ground that half of the expenses has
not been offered to be contributed by the memorialists. We
beg to urge that the natives of Bombay and of the northern
division of the Bombay Presidency are now well entitled to
the aid they have asked. Female education in India—as you,
Sir, are well aware-is surrounded with great and many diffi-
culties; and it is a matter of congratulation and much credit
to the people of Bombay and the northern division, that they
have not only spontaneously accepted it as necessary and im-
portant, but have actually established and supported schools,
for the past seventeen years, so that there are now 63 schools
in the northern division, giving instruction to 2,300 girls, and 13
schools in Bombay, teaching above 1,600 girls. To these will be
246
APPENDIX D.
¡
added another school in Bombay, under the bequest of 40,000
rupees by the late Goculdass Tejpal. Considering how great
must and will be the influence of the millions of mothers of
India for the stability of the British rule, as well as for the
regeneration of the country, it is of great importance that
when spontaneous efforts are made by the natives themselves
of any part of India, Government ought to come forward to
show their high appreciation of such efforts, by giving every
encouragement in their power, so as to induce a desire in other
parts of India to do likewise. Taking into account how much
the natives of the Presidency of Bombay have already done in
the cause of education generally, as well as of female education,
and the effects of four successive commercial crises from which
they are now suffering, it is a great hardship to be at present
so exacting with them. The great obstacle at present to a
healthy development of the existing girls' schools, as well as
of others that may hereafter be opened, is the want of female
teachers; and this want, we pray, ought now to be supplied by
Government in a liberal spirit, after the natives have shown
their real earnestness by contributing largely for the support
of the existing schools, and thus well fulfilled the spirit of the
requirement of the despatch of 1854. We sincerely trust, Sir,
that you will give your kind aid in this matter, and sanction the
proposals made by Sir A. Grant, and approved of by the Bom-
bay Government, which, in a case like this, may be allowed to
be the best judges of the necessity of the application. In ex-
pressing this trust, we beg to commend your attentiou, and
solicit your support, to an important feature of the plan pro-
posed by Miss Mary Carpenter. She assures us that, till native
ladies can be educated and trained for teachers, she is in a po-
sition to supply educated English ladies, who are willing to
go out to India as students for the normal schools, and who,
while receiving lessons in training and in the vernaculars, can
also be availed of in teaching in some of the schools for a por-
tion of the day-thus introducing at once the much-needed
element of female tuition and superintendence. These Eng-
lish ladies are willing to go out, on the condition of passage,
MEMORIAL ON FEMALE NORMAL SCHOOLS.
247
board, and lodging being found for them till they are qualified
to take charge of schools as regular tutors, and are engaged
as such in any of the schools. We also think it important
that Miss Mary Carpenter may, by the adoption of the above
plan, be induced to go out to India, to work up the normal
schools under her personal superintendence; as then, from
the earnest and strong interest she has already evinced, the
large experience she has acquired in work of similar character
in this country, the success she has achieved in it, and the in-
fluence a lady of her accomplishments and position will
exercise, the prospect of success of these schools will be
very much enhanced and assured. We leave now, Sir, this
important matter in your hands, fully confiding in the kind
interest you take in the cause of the millions of India.
32 Great St. Helens, London, January 11.
The memorial was supplemented by the following letter to
the Right Hon. Sir Stafford Northcote, Bart., M.P., C.B., Sec-
retary of State for India in Council:
SIR,-In connection with the memorial of the natives of the
Bombay Presidency now resident in England, dated 11th
January 1868, I beg to be allowed to lay before you a few
figures for your kind consideration.
Government have paid from imperial funds, for schools for
native girls, for the year 1865-66, about Rs. 29,000 for the
Bengal Presidency, Rs. 35,000 for the North-West Provinces,
Rs. 33,000 for the Punjab, and Rs. 5,500 for the Madras
Presidency (1866-67); while for the Bombay Presidency, for
1866-67, Rs. 341, or almost nothing.
Now we may see what the natives of these different parts
of India have done.
In the Bengal Presidency the expenditure from other
sources for the same year is about Rs. 41,000, of which I
cannot ascertain how much is contributed from mission funds.
Of native endowments, the proceeds for the year are Rs. 132.
In the North-West Provinces, the expenditure from other
248
APPENDIX D.
sources is about Rs. 23,000, but of this nearly half appears to
be from mission funds. Of native endowments I find no-
thing. In the Punjab, the expenditure from other sources is
about Rs. 31,000, of which there seems to be a small portion
from mission funds. Of native endowments, the annual pro-
ceeds are Rs. 4,321, which is equal to endowments of about
Rs. 100,000. In the Madras Presidency, the expenditure
from other sources is about Rs. 36,500, nearly nine-tenths of
which appear to be from mission funds. Of native endow-
ments the proceeds are about Rs. 234. But in the Pre-
sidency of Bombay, the expenditure by the natives, without
aid from Government, or without any share of mission funds,
is about Rs. 40,000 for the year 1866—maybe more; and the
endowwents by the natives are, I think, above Rs. 300,000.
To this has been added one more, of Rs. 40,000, by the late
Goculdass Tejpal. Lastly, Sir, there is another feature which
deserves consideration-that the movement in Bombay was
thoroughly spontaneous and native; that the natives have es-
tablished and supported schools for the last 17 years without
aid from Government, while I think, in other parts of India,
Government aid has been more or less rendered from the very
commencement, and missionaries are doing a large portion of
the work.
With these figures and facts before Government, not to
mention anything of the immense sums given for general edu-
cation, I confidently trust that both the Viceroy and yourself
will see that the native memorialists of the Bombay Presi-
dency deserve, and are entitled to, the aid they have asked,
especially when many of the principal friends of educa-
tion are suffering from the effects of four successive com-
mercial crises, and are unable to do now what they have
always readily and willingly done, and would have, but for
their crippled means, as readily come forward to do on the
present occasion.-I remain, Sir, your obedient servant,
DADABHAI NAOROJI.
32 Great St. Helens, London:
February 5, 1868.
249
THE ALEXANDRA NATIVE GIRLS' INSTITUTION AT
BOMBAY.
THE following noble effort in promotion of the object is being
made by Judge Manockjee Cursetjee, and will, it is hoped, elicit
English help and sympathy
4 Albemarle Street, London, November 16, 1867.
1. This institution has been founded for maintaining a
school or schools, to give, for the first time, a sound education
on the English system.
2. The consequences that must result, from the success of
such an institution, are so patent that I will not enlarge upon
them further, than to premise, that it is calculated to emanci-
pate the women of India from the state of ignorance that
prevails amongst them, and from the tight grasp of supersti-
tion, by bringing about a thorough change, in their ideas and
feelings, as the surest way of ameliorating their moral, mental,
and social condition.
3. The institution was started, by contributions (added to
my mite) amounting to Rs. 60,000 (6,000l.), by a few friends,
and the first school was opened in 1863.
4. House-rent being very high, I placed a suite of apart-
ments in my own house (Villa Byculla), at the disposal of the
Managing Committee, as a temporary measure, until suitable
premises could be obtained.
5. Circumstances rendered it necessary, two years after-
wards, to remove the school to a house rented for the purpose,
in another locality, until we should be able to purchase or
build an edifice better adapted for our wants.
6. The following extract from a letter which I addressed to
the life-governors and subscribers to the institution, will
show the measures I took to secure a building suitable to our
wants:—' I have, with your co-operation, succeeded in found-
ing this institution. It promises success, and its success will
supply a great desideratum-namely, a radical change in the
250
APPENDIX D.
1
ment.
ideas of the future mothers of our families. Some of our
friends have encouraged me with the hope, that a fund, to erect
a building for our institution, could easily be raised, if I were
to exert myself for the purpose, and get a site from Govern-
I shall be happy to contribute Rs. 5,000 (5007.),
and afford any personal assistance in my power, provided those
friendly to the cause of female education, on the principle of
our institution, will co-operate with me in carrying out the
object. Those friends who feel so disposed will be good
enough to subscribe their names to the annexed list.'
7. Not more than seven individuals offered to subscribe
the sum of Rs. 40,000 (4,0007.), to be added to what I con-
tributed, and the Government of Bombay, on my application,
generously granted a site for the school.
8. Just, however, as I believed that my object was at-
tained, the late unfortunate turn of events, the monetary
convulsions, failures of banks and individuals, which oc-
curred at Bombay, &c.-not only deprived my coadjutors of
the means of fulfilling their engagements, but the original
fund, actually collected and invested, was reduced to one-
half,—or, in other words, from Rs. 60,000 (6,000l.), to Rs.
30,000 (3,000l.).
9. We waited for better times, of which, I am sorry to say,
there is no immediate prospect; and by recent accounts, re-
ceived from Bombay, it is too evident that in order to place
the institution on a more secure and permanent basis, without
some extraneous help, we may have to confess ourselves van-
quished by the opponents of female education, upon the system
I have been advocating for so many years.
10. To avert this humiliating catastrophe, I have under-
taken to provide Rs. 50,000 (5,000l.), for the purpose of pur-
chasing or erecting an edifice better adapted, not only for the
location of the day-scholars of the Alexandra Institution, but
also for the accommodation, under the same roof, of a normal
class of female teachers, and for the Lady Superintendent and
her staff of governesses.
11. The building will be called the 'Albert Hall,' in me-
THE PROPOSED ALBERT HALL AT BOMBAY.
25*
moriam of the late great and good Prince Consort; and its
principal room can be used for public meetings, lectures, &c.,
in furtherance of the object of education in general, and of
female education in particular.
12. The above Rs. 50,000 (5,000l.), if not more, will be
raised, in coin or kind, by contributions to a Grand Bazaar to
be held in Bombay next year, under the distinguished pa-
tronage of the ladies and gentlemen of Europe and India,
The deficiency I will make up from my own means.
13. I require not money so much as the sympathy of the
great and good people, particularly ladies (forming the royal
and noble circle), to manifest to the people of India how
much their unfortunate sisters are thought of and cared for
by those exalted in rank, and not only blessed with the means
of helping them, but also with benevolent hearts.
14. Any contributions in furtherance of the above-men-
tioned object, either in money or in fancy articles for the
Bazaar, especially the handiwork of the ladies, will be greatly
prized, and thankfully acknowledged, and faithfully applied
for the purposes of the institution, by
MANOCKJEE CURSETJEE, Bombay.
The Secretary of State for India having been pleased to
allow articles for the Bazaar to be transmitted by the
Government vessels, please address all contributions to
the care of Major-General Willoughby, C.B., &c., East
India Government Store Depôt, Belvedere Road, Lam-
beth. Contributions, not already packed for shipping
to Bombay, may be sent to the care of Dadabhai Naoroji,
Esq., 32 Great St. Helens, London.
252
APPENDIX E.
ON Thursday, June 6, 1867, a deputation from the Social
Science Association waited on Sir Stafford Northcote, the
Secretary of State for India, at the India Office, to present a
memorial on the subject of Jail and Prison Discipline in India.
The Hon. Arthur Kinnaird, M.P., having introduced the
deputation, Mr. G. W. Hastings (the honorary general secretary
of the association) read the memorial, as follows :—
'The Committee of the Reformatory Section of the Asso-
ciation for the Promotion of Social Science, and of the Law
Amendment Society, beg respectfully to solicit your attention
to the state of the jails and of prison discipline in India.
'You are, Sir, aware that the question of the due treatment
of criminals, with a view to the reformation of the offender
and the future prevention of crime, has long occupied the
attention of the societies represented by this Committee. It
has also been frequently considered by Parliament, and has
been reported on by Royal Commissions and Committees of
both Houses. By these means the true principles of prison
discipline have been fully elucidated: a system founded upon
those principles has for some time past been in successful ope-
ration in the convict prisons of Ireland, while a similar system
has been, to a considerable extent, adopted throughout the
United Kingdom.
'The establishment in Her Majesty's Indian Empire of a
system of prison discipline founded on the same sound principles
is the object which the Committee has in view in thus address-
ing you. Of the existing evils in the jails of India-evils
great, and even terrible-the Committee can have no doubt,
after hearing the information detailed to it by eyewitnesses.
who have recently quitted that country. This evidence is,
MEMORIAL ON INDIAN PRISON DISCIPLINE.
253
moreover, corroborated by the facts stated in printed official
reports.
'For example, it must be conceded that the separation of
criminals at night is an essential element of sound prison dis-
cipline. Now, the Committee learns that throughout the jails
of India there are but few separate sleeping-cells, sometimes as
many as forty or fifty prisoners being locked up together,
generally for twelve hours, and that without light. Under
such circumstances, it is no wonder that the prison officers
find it impossible to prevent grievous. moral contamination,
and even heinous crime.
The Committee also learns that hardly any provision.
exists for the instruction of the prisoners, either by the ap-
pointment of suitable schoolmasters, or in any other way. It
is obvious that religious teaching cannot be given to native
prisoners; but this makes it the more important that they
should have the benefit of moral training, and of the elements
of education.
'The case of the female prisoners seems to be even more
deplorable than that of the males, since they not only suffer
the same evils, but have the additional disadvantage of being
left without any warders of their own sex, and in a great
measure without care or help in their wretchedness.
'The Committee is informed that in many jails there is
enormous crowding, and other evils incident to the unsuitable
condition of the buildings, which frequently have been erected
for other purposes than that for which they are employed.
There is, consequently, a very high mortality: the Jail
Report of the Madras Presidency gives a death-rate of 12.944
per cent. per annum.
'Hardly any provision seems to have been made for the
reformatory treatment of young offenders in India; yet the
contaminating nature of the jails, and the known increase of
juvenile crime, make the establishment of reformatory schools
an urgent necessity. To you, Sir, the Committee need not
quote the beneficial results which have followed the institution
of reformatories in this kingdom, for you have been one of
254
APPENDIX E.
the most consistent, as you were one of the earliest, supporters
of that system.
The Committee is aware that the evils above described
have long been the subject of anxious consideration by the
Government of India, and that some ameliorations have been
at various times effected; but the difficulties in the way of
improvement seem to be too great to be surmounted by the
means hitherto employed. The principles of convict treatment
which have been adopted in this kingdom do not seem to
have found their way into India. At this moment several
new jails are contemplated, and central prisons for long-
sentenced prisoners are in course of erection; yet even in
these the provision of separate sleeping-cells for all the pri-
soners does not form part of the arrangements, nor is the
Committee aware that the jails, generally, are being constructed
in a manner suited to the adoption of a sound system of dis-
cipline. Immediate action seems, therefore, to be urgently
required, in order to prevent the expenditure of public money
in a way which may hereafter be deeply regretted. With
this object in view, the Committee ventures to suggest that a
Commission, constituted of some person or persons thoroughly
versed in the improved treatment of convicts, be sent to India,
to co-operate with the Government there in the establishment
of a proper system of prison discipline.
'The Committee need not point out that a salutary treat-
ment of prisoners leads, necesssrily, to the prevention of crime,
and consequently to an economical saving, both to the Go-
vernment and to the whole community. On this ground
alone the Committee might be justified in calling your at-
tention to the subject; but there are higher considerations
than this those of the welfare of the immense population of
India, and of the moral duty which devolves on our nation to
care for the interests of our Indian fellow-subjects. These,
Sir, have impelled the Committee to address you thus earnestly,
in the full conviction that its representations will receive from
you a favourable hearing.
(Signed)
'G. W. HASTINGS,
(
Honorary Secretary.'
MEMORIAL ON INDIAN PRISON DISCIPLINE.
255
Mr. Hastings spoke strongly on the importance of inquiry
into the causes of the mortality in the Indian jails, and urged
that improved treatment, such as that introduced into Ireland
by Sir Walter Crofton, should be established. He thought
that if reformatory schools were established, and the young
offenders sent there, precisely the same results would happen
as we have in this country-you would cut off the supply that
continually swells the criminal ranks, and prevent young
persons growing up into adult ones.
THE END.
LONDON: PRINTED BY
SPOTTISWOODE AND CO., NEW-STREET SQUARE
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