Aug. 14, 1821. In the evening, we went to the house of one of our neighbours, who, we understood, was about to have a Devil's Ceremony. We found the Capooa, or Devil's Priest, returning from the adjacent jungle; where he had been placing offerings of flowers and rice, which he said the god (for they consider the Devil to be a god) would take. The object of this ceremony was to restore an old sick woman to health. The Capooa was ornamented about the head and neck with plaintain leaves cut into small pieces; and he had on an old scarlet jacket altogether he made a most Judicrous appearance. Besides the offerings placed in the jungle, they were to offer money and rice in the house. The Capooa acknowledged that he took the money and rice, and left the flowers for the god. An image had been painted by a Youth who was present: it was intended to represent one of the planets; which, as the Capooa explained it, was a man with a serpent's head, riding upon a black boar, and in the act of eating an elephant. Our reasonings about the folly and sinfulness of such practices, appeared to have little effect. The people of the house several times

Aug. 15. I have had a long conversation to-day (Mr. Ward writes), with a Budhist Priest, of the Mahabadda, or Cinnamon Caste, in the presence of our Schoolboys and several people. He was more open and candid than any of his brethren that› I have hitherto met with. We talked upon all the leading points of Budhism, with calmness and good humour.. His chief statements were such as these-That there are five principal sins; viz., killing of animals, lying, adultery, robbery, and drunkennessthat the commission of one sin, even that of telling a lie, will be followed by a punishment of millions of years in hell-that there is no Creator of the world; no one who takes cogni

is, every day, to have the quantity which he is to learn marked by the Master: and this must be heard the same as a new lesson.

Let the boys, every evening, write in the sand the words of the lesson which

minutes of his visit are also entered in the book. The Masters of the Schools meet me every Thursday Evening, to give in the report of their Schools for the past week, and receive new directions; when the Minutes of the Visitors for the past week are read before them, and if any report is unfavourable inquiries are made, this keeps up a spirit of diligence on the part of the Masters, as none like to be exposed for neglect of duty.

Rules, to be given in writing to each Master, to which he is required strictly

to conform.

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When a boy begins the alphabet, he must have only four letters given for his lesson. Till he can tell and write these four correctly, he must not have another letter given him the whole alphabet must not be kept in the boy's hand, to be taught according to the usual custom. For the second lesson, let the boy have four new letters; and when they are learnt, another four. In this way, he must learn through the alphabet; viz. he must have no more letters for a lesson than he can learn well. A sharp boy will learn several such lessons in a day. In the evening, let the boy be much exercised in writing all the letters which he has before learnt; and especially those which he has learnt that day, that he may not forget them.

Boys must be exercised in writing the alphabet an hour every evening, when they are in the next books; otherwise they will soon forget their letters.

When a boy has learnt the alphabet, he must have a short lesson in easy reading: it must not be more than four words, because the boy cannot learn more: he may learn several lessons in a day. Till another book is provided, this lesson may be in the Lord's Prayer. The boy must spell all the words himself, till he knows them well: no one must tell him either letters or words, till he has tried to find them out himself: if the boy has every thing told him, he will learn very little. Let this be strictly observed throughout the School. If the Boy is able, he must spell and pronounce every word himself to him who hears him.

The lessons which the boy commits to memory must be perfectly learnt; otherwise he must be sent back to learn them again.

When a boy is learning a book a second time, to get it more perfectly, he is not to be permitted to learn where he likes; but

they have learned in the day. For this purpose, they must be placed in classes of four or five each, with a boy before them, The Teacher capable of teaching them. must mention a word, and point to some boy to spell it. He who spells it, must pronounce the word first, and then tell the letters. All the boys of the class must then write it, and another boy be called on to read and pronounce it.

When boys enter the School, they must begin to lear: the Lord's Prayer by memory, the alphabet boys not excepted. When this is well learnt, the Ten Commandments; then, the first Catechism, Sermon on the Mount, Creation, Fall, and Deluge, Second Catechism, &c. The progress of the boys will be marked, when the School is visited: therefore, while other books are permitted to be learnt, they must learn an equal proportion of the books which I give, every day. Some time is to be employed, every evening, in repeating the old lessons, to prevent their being forgotten. The boys must stand up in classes-the Lord's Prayer Class first; then Commandments, and First Catechism; Sermon, &c. Let this be well attended to; and let the class begin on the following day, where they left off on the preceding. The Master must appoint how much is to be repeated, and see that they repeat it two or three times over.

Let the Masters try much to teach the boys to read printed books. As soon as a boy has learnt the alphabet, let him read the letters every day in printed books, till he knows them well: and boys who are able, must read in classes every day, till they can read freely and distinctly. They must not have the books in their hands, unless they are reading to a Teacher; because they will not take care of them. The Master should often hear the best class himself; but good readers may hear the other classes, under the Master's direction. That they may learn to read well, they must be taught to make proper pauses, according to the sense of the sentonce. A boy should never say a word, unless he knows it; but should look at it, and spell it, till he can pronounce it properly. They must read without singing or saying the words twice over. A boy who cannot read freely and distinctly any printed book that is put into his hand, is not a good reader. The Master who gets

the greatest number of good readers, will give the most satisfaction.

The Master must try to make the Boys understand all that they read and learn: he must, therefore, teach them the meaning of words and sentences.

The boys must learn to write as young as they can; and, when they are able, every boy must write his own lesson. Let not the Master, or any one else, write the boy's lesson, if he be able to do it himself.

The Masters must be careful to keep the accounts faithfully and regularly, both of the names of the boys and of their daily attendance; and when a boy enters or leaves the School, it should be reported at the next weekly meeting, that the name may regularly be entered, or erased from the List. If a boy absents himself from School for three weeks, without any reason being given, he ought to be dismissed; but it is better, in such case, for the Master to call on the Parents or Guardians, and talk to them. On the last Thursday in the Month, or when the Masters receive their pay, let each one bring his list of names, to be compared, corrected, &c. If any one fails in this, he will not receive his pay till the following week.

If any Master neglect to attend, or send his weekly report on the appointed evening, he will forfeit his week's pay; but if he fail to attend himself, a satisfactory reason must be given. It is necessary that all attend, to hear what plans are adopted for the Schools, what Instructions given, &c.

The Masters must not, on any account, fail to bring their Children to my house on Sunday Mornings, before nine o'clock, to hear the Word of God and receive Divine Instruction; and, if any Master be sick, or be otherwise prevented from attending himself, he must appoint a competent person to take his place. The good readers of one School will be examined every Sunday, immediately after Service, except on the first Sunday in the Month, when the lessons will be heard which the boys have committed to memory, and rewards will be distributed accordingly. When notice is given to any Master of my visiting his School, he must always exert himself to invite the people to come, that I may have a Congregation. An extra acknowledgment will be made to the Masters who are attentive to this.

No boy is allowed to be taken by any Master from another School, under any pretence whatsoever, till permission be obtained from me.

The Master is paid according to the average attendance of his School through the month; the numbers being taken morning and afternoon. Regard is also had to the diligence or neglect of the Master, in bringing his boys forward in learning; as, if any is found very deficient in his duties, his pay is reduced. The numbers of the School are ascertained, not from the Master's account alone: the Visitor always takes the number of any School which he visits; and, besides this, a boy is employed to visit the Schools, on purpose to ascertain the numbers. This constantly serves as a check on the Masters. Every School is seen six or eight times in the course of the week. A School of fifty boys will rarely have more than thirty or thirty-three, or about two-thirds of the whole number, for the average attendance.

A report is given, by the Masters, of the weekly progress of every School; viz. the aggregate number of boys in the School who have made such and such advances, learnt such portions, &c. of the different books. In the visits to the Schools, these lessons are examined and reported accordingly.

The Visitor is requested to call over the names, frequently, in his visits to the Schools, to see whether the same boys are continually absent; to inquire the reason of former absences; to reprove, if necessary; and to prevent imposition.

The boys in the different classes must be examined, to prove, whether they are able to read what they learn; because those are sometimes found, who have committed to memory a great deal, who, notwithstanding, do not know the alphabet. The lessons of the boys must be regularly marked by the Visitor, that he may see how much the boy learns between his visits, and that his progress may be easily ascertained; but, before the mark be put, let the lesson be examined to see whether it be well learnt. When a boy is found deficient in his lessons, if it should be necessary, the Visitor may appoint a certain portion of time for this to be recovered; during which no new lesson to be given by the Master.

The Visitor must observe that all the Schools are conducted with uniformity; and that, at the same hour, the same exercises are attended to in every School: and, for this purpose, the Schools should be visited at different hours in the day. He must also observe that the Rules given to the Masters are duly attended to; and when there is any deficiency, let him remind the Master of it, refer him to his rules, and make a minute of it on his return home.