In all countries there is a tendency for men, the breadwinners, to marry at later ages than the female sex, and in the ordinary course of nature the men die and leave widows. But there is nothing in any part of the world to be compared to the condition of British India, where at the last census there were 78,976 widows below nine years of age; 207,388 between ten and fourteen; 382,736 between fifteen and nineteen; and 751,969 between twenty and twenty-four-a total of 1,421,069 widows under the age of twenty-five!

A letter, which the editor vouches for as genuine, appeared in the Times of India (June 30th), giving a sad description of the position of Hindu women, and of the miseries consequent upon child-marriage. The writer, a Hindu lady, ends her letter with the following appeal to the leaders of her community :

"If you succeed in bringing about a salutary reform in the position of Hindu women, then the spread of education, the development of arts and sciences, the production of an ablebodied, strong-minded race of men and women-in fact, the mental and material prosperity of India-will follow as a matter of course, and India will revert to her once proud position among the nations."

We shall give a full account of this letter next month.

Some verses in Hindu, by another Hindu lady, have appeared lately in the Parsi Punch, of Bombay. The verses are addressed to Mr. Malabari, and they express the writer's appreciation of his efforts to abolish early marriages, and to promote the re-marriage of widows.

INDIAN INTELLIGENCE.

Mrs. Ilbert lately delivered, at Simla, six lectures on Practical Nursing, addressed to ladies. The attendance included Lady Dufferin, Lady Helen Blackwood, and the Hon. Miss Thynne.

A reply, in the form of a Minute, has just now appeared in the Official Gazette, to the address presented to the Government of India in 1882 by the National Mahomedan Association. The Viceroy, after expressing his great personal interest in the welfare of the Mahomedans, points out that what chiefly stood

in the way of their advancement in the past has been their inability or reluctance to take full advantage of the state of education and to enter into competition with the Hindu. Reports received from most of the Provinces show that a real advance has now been made in this respect, and that the Mahomedans have nearly, if not quite, their full share of public employment, while in some Provinces they have received exceptional favour. The institution of liberal scholarships for Mahomedans will, it is added, form part of the general education scheme.

The Government of Bombay have written to the Secretary of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, intimating that, in consequence of recent instructions from the Government of India urging economy in all departments of financial expenditure, it will be necessary to defer opening the Veterinary College, the inaugural ceremony in connection with which was performed by the Viceroy when he arrived at Bombay.

Mr. Harkisondas Narotamdas has offered a lakh of rupees to the Bombay Government for a Clinical Hospital for Women, to be built beside the Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy Hospital, and named after his father and uncle.

The Indian Spectator writes: "The Agricultural Department at Madras has long been in working order and has attained a superior stage of efficiency as compared with the same department in Bombay. The farm and the Agricultural College at Saidapet have long been models for similar institutions in other parts. The experiments in sericulture and bee-farming are very interesting, and, though not yet quite successful, are full of promise for the future. Considerable progress has been made in the way of popularizing improved implements, and the growing interest of the people in agriculture is shown by the establishment of two agricultural societies in Madura and North Arcot, and it is expected that their example will be followed in Tanjore, Coimbatore and Bellary. Attempts are also made at introducing approved appliances of agriculture.

A new monthly Magazine, called The Indian Agricultural Gazette, has been started at Calcutta. It is said to be a very useful publication, containing good suggestions and valuable information by competent writers.

The Liberal announces the selected course of studies for Bengali ladies for Examination at the Victoria College, Calcutta. The Senior Examination includes English, Bengali, Arithmetic, History, Geography, Natural History, and Laws of Health. The Junior includes English, Bengali, Arithmetic, Physical

Science, Ethics, Domestic Economy, and as optional subjects, Music and Drawing. Mr. Alex. Thompson, M.A., lately delivered a lecture to the ladies of the College, of whom about 40 were present, on the Steam Engine, with interesting illustrations.

Mr. Hormusjee Eduljee Kotwal, employed in the forest Department of the Native State of Vansda, is said to have killed over one hundred tigers in and about the native territory. A subscription has been opened for presentation of a rifle to him.

The Metropolitan College at Calcutta, established by the great Pundit Eswara Chunder Vidyasagar, is a very flourishing educational institution. It appears that a large number of candidates in the University Examinations from this College pass every year in the higher divisions. There is a Law Class attached to this institution, which is most efficiently conducted. This College has a branch institution on the north part of the town, and now it is going to establish another on the southern part.

We are glad to learn that special facilities have been granted to lady students of Medicine at the Calcutta Medical College. Those that have passed the University Entrance Examination, will have tuition and residence free.

PERSONAL INTELLIGENCE.

In the recent Open Competition for the Civil Service of India, Mr. Mohsin B. Tyabji, of Bombay, stood sixteenth among the forty-one successful candidates, obtaining 1,729 marks.

Mr. P. S. Chetti has passed the Final M.B.C.M. Examination of the University of Edinburgh.

We are glad to learn that Mr. S. Satthianadhan, M.A., LL.B. (Cambridge), lately Headmaster of the Rajamundry School, has been appointed a Professor in the Cumbaconum College, Madras Presidency.

Arrivals. Mr. Darasha Ratanjee Chichgur, from Bombay; Mr. Krishna Govinda Gupta, B.C.S., on leave; Mr. S. C. Das, from Calcutta; Nasrullah Khan, lately a student at the Rajkumar College, Rajkote; Mr. Framji Desai, with wife and two children, from Bombay; Mr. Kharsondas Chubildas, also from Bombay.

In the June number of this Journal we announced that it was intended to form a National Indian Association Court for educational exhibits from India in the Colonial and Indian Exhibition to be held in London next year, and that four Secretaries had been appointed, with the approval of H.R.H. the Prince of Wales, to carry out the arrangements. Almost simultaneously, however, with the necessary discussion between the Secretaries and the Finance Committee of the Royal Commission as to the practical measures for organising the National Indian Association Court, the report of the classification adopted and being acted upon by the Government of India had reached the hands of the Royal Commission. It was seen from that classification that very much that had been contemplated under the projected National Indian Association Court was already provided for. And the Finance Committee arrived at the conclusion that the proposed Court might to a considerable extent clash with the provisions for the representation of the results of education in India made by the Government of India. They therefore recommended that the National Indian Association Court should not be proceeded with.

The original announcement of the formation of the Court had, however, already reached India; and intimations of much cordial co-operation in rendering that

Court very complete were, in the meantime, received by the Secretaries of the Court. It was clear that very material progress had already been made towards securing for the Court very interesting specimens of educational results, and of needlework by native ladies. Whilst, therefore, acknowledging that, under the circumstances, it was best to forego further action in organising the proposed Court, it was, nevertheless, resolved that an endeavour should be made to secure space for the exhibits which were in preparation for it. The Secretaries forthwith communicated with the Finance Committee, and expressed their earnest hope that the Royal Commission might be able to arrange for the inclusion of those exhibits in the Imperial and Provincial Section of the Colonial and Indian Exhibition. The following letter, addressed to Mr. Alan Cole, one of the four Joint Secretaries for the Court, which has now been relinquished, has been received:

"Colonial and Indian Exhibition (London, 1886), "South Kensington, S.W.,

"6th August, 1885.

"Dear Sirs, I am directed to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 27th ultimo, with its enclosures, in which you announced the concurrence of your colleagues and yourself in the opinion expressed by the Finance Committee of the Royal Commission respecting the advisability of abandoning the idea of a National Indian Association Court. In order that the interesting exhibits referred to in the inclosure to your letter may, as far as possible, be shown in London, the Government of India has been asked to endeavour to find room for such objects as have been already collected in India on behalf of the National Indian Association, as far as space can be found in the Imperial and Provincial Courts Collections; and I am to express a hope that this arrangement will meet the wishes of your Association.

"Yours, &c., &c.,

"J. R. ROYLE."

The Committee of the National Indian Association, while regretting that the original scheme cannot be carried out, request the Secretaries of the Branches of the Association and others who have exerted themselves in regard to the proposed Court not to relax their efforts, but to place themselves with