communication to the government of Bengal that the government ought to give to native female education in India, its frank and cordial support, and in this we heartily concur."

How different from the state and prospect of India, when the missionaries could not find a native woman who could read, and when no man wished his wife or his daughter to learn to read, believing and frankly avowing his belief that it would be better for men and for families and for society, for all women to continue ignorant as they then were. Who can doubt that

a new era has commenced in the social, moral, and intellectual state of India. A few years have seen changes on this subject, which considering the inveterate prejudices and peculiar character of the people we could scarcely expect to see in as many generations.

There is another class of missionary schools commonly called Boarding Schools, because the scholars are generally boarded on the mission premises, or receive some allowance for their support and live in families and in circumstances approved by the missionaries. These schools consist of orphans who have none to provide for them, or are the children of native Christians who are too poor or too ignorant to educate them, and in some instances of the children of respectable Hindus and Mohammedans who are willing they should conform to the rules of the schools. In these institutions the scholars are more separated from the Hindu and Mohammedan population, are brought more directly under Christian influence, and receive more religious instruction in public and in private. In most of these schools the English language is more or less taught, and in some of them the teaching is chiefly in English. The education which some such persons obtain, is of a high character, being designed to prepare them to become teachers, catechists, and preachers. These institutions are regarded as holding an important place in missionary operations, and some who were educated in them, have been very useful in the missionary work. It has generally been found expedient to have separate schools for boys and for girls. Sometimes they are in different parts of the same premises, but generally at different stations of the same mission. In the last missionary reports and published accounts, there were then 93 Boarding Schools for boys, con

taining 2,414 scholars; and 102 Boarding Schools for girls, containing 2,779 scholars. The principal reason for so many Boarding Schools for girls is that these schools furnish the only means in the country for female education of the higher kind, whereas many young men are educated in other institutions in the English language, science, and literature.

There is yet another class of educational institutions connected with missions in India, called English Schools, High Schools, Seminaries, and Colleges. In these institutions the English language, and general science and literature are taught in connection with Christianity and its evidences, its history, its doctrines, and its duties. Some of these schools are small, with only one teacher, while others are large, containing several hundred scholars, and a number of instructors. The instruction is generally gratuitous. In some schools the scholars pay admission fees, and for the use of books, and some of these schools or colleges, as they are called, have scholarships endowed for the support of a certain number of scholars. In Calcutta, Madras, Bombay, and in most of the large cities, are institutions of this character. In these cities the scholars generally belong to the middling and higher classes. In some of these institutions are scholars and classes, who would not compare unfavorably to those in the High Schools, and even in some of the Colleges in the United States.

The whole number of these English schools and institutions, connected with the different missions in India and Ceylon at the latest accounts, was 126, and the whole number of scholars in them was 14,562. English education has made more progress in Bengal, than in any other part of India. Some of the institutions for English education in all its various branches in Calcutta contain several hundred scholars, and it was recently stated on reliable authority that the number of scholars connected with these schools in that city and its vicinity exceeded 5,000. The policy of the English government in India in excluding all religious instruction from their system of education, and the spirit of natural and wide-spreading scepticism, resulting from that system, have excited strong interest for these institutions, and obtained much support for them. Many, who were Hindus and Mohammedans when they began their education in

these institutions, became convinced of the truth of Christianity and openly professed their faith in Christ. Some such are now connected with the different missions, and are very usefully employed as ordained missionaries, licensed preachers, and catechists; some are filling important and responsible situations in the service of the government, and some are engaged in the pursuits of private business. A view of the government system of education and the results it has produced, and must naturally produce in the Hindu mind in respect to their sacred books, and a comparison of that system and its results with the system of education pursued in the different missions and the results of this system, are calculated to show the great importance of Christian education among the middle and higher classes of the native population. No one well acquainted with the native population can survey these numerous educational institutions, situated as they generally are in the great cities and large towns, containing so many students, all pursuing such a course of education without perceiving that this department of missionary operations is an agency of great influence, not only in subverting superstition and idolatry, but of diffusing sound religious knowledge and bringing very many to a saving acquaintance with divine truth.

NATIVE AGENCY.

It must be obvious to all who contemplate the magnitude of the missionary work in India-the evangelization of 150,000,000-that it can never be accomplished by the direct personal labors of men sent from Europe and America. How is the great population of that country ever to hear the Gospel? The answer to this inquiry is obvious and easy to find. This great work must be accomplished chiefly by a native agency. It is by such an agency the great body of the people of India are to be converted to Christianity, and they must then have a native ministry.

The manner in which the East India Company acquired possession of that great country, and still holds and governs it, furnishes an appropriate illustration of the means by which its inhabitants are to be brought from their present state of supersti

tion and idolatry into the kingdom and under the government of Emmanuel. The English acquired India by employing the inhabitants of the country to conquer it for them. The East India Company sent agents and officers to India, who enlisted the natives into their service, formed them into regiments, instructed them in military discipline, furnished them with weapons and showed them how to use them. These officers had then to retain the control of these regiments, support them and accompany, or rather lead them from province to province, and from one country to another. The sable regiments, thus enlisted, disciplined, and supported, have been seen following their English officers and marching under their banners not only in every part of India, but in Egypt, in Arabia, in Persia, in Afghanistan, in Mauritius, in Burma, in Java, and in China and its islands. Of the East India Company's military force probably at no time within a century past has more than one fourth, and sometimes not more than one eighth part been European, and all the rest have been natives of the country. A similar course has been pursued in the civil government of the country. Of the great number of men there employed in government business only a very small proportion, probably not 1 in 100, are sent from England. But these few employ, superintend, direct, and control the whole. To this system of policy, civil and military, wisely conceived and ably managed, England is indebted for the acquisition of her Asiatic possessions. And she could not now retain and govern her possessions in India by any civil agency and military force she could send from England. She can only retain and govern what she has acquired by continuing to employ the same agency under her control. And if the English had not pursued this course of policy, their possessions in India would now have consisted of some scattered forts here and there, and a few square miles of territory around them.

Now the Christians of America and Europe must pursue a somewhat analogous course in conquering India from the powers of darkness and bringing it under the dominion of Emmanuel. Missionaries must first be sent from Europe and America to preach the Gospel, but they should from the first have the work of preparing a native agency in view. Some missionary societies have made the preparation of such an agency a more

prominent part of their operations than others. The number of their converts may not for a while have been large, yet they have acquired more influence in the native population. Of the ordained missionaries now in India about 50 are natives of the country, while the number of licensed preachers and catechists amounts to nearly or quite 700. These facts show that in some missions a good beginning has been made. While all missionaries are agreed that a native agency is very desirable, all do not attach equal importance to labors of this class of men. And there is some difference of opinion in respect to the best means of creating such agency.

Some missions have institutions in which pious young men, selected to become missionaries, catechists, etc., are educated expressly for this work. Other missions have seminaries, in some places called colleges, for general education in English science and literature as well as in the vernacular languages in connection with Christianity. These institutions are open to all classes of people upon the same terms. There are several such institutions of a high character and containing several hundred students in the large cities. In these institutions the students who have professed Christianity are formed into a theological class, and pursue an appropriate course of reading and instruction under the missionaries.

The climate of India furnishes strong reasons for raising up a native agency as soon as practicable. Though not so unhealthy as has been generally supposed, yet the climate will always be enervating and sickly to the European and American constitution.* Not only is life shorter and health more uncertain, but

* "It is generally believed that in this country [India] owing to the deadly climate the average duration of missionary life is 7 years, and many have come out as missionaries under the idea that they would be certain to meet with a premature death. But this is a great mistake. From a careful induction of the lives or services of 250 missionaries we have found that hitherto the average duration of missionary labor in India has been 16 years and 9 months each. It was doubtless much less at first, and numerous causes can be adduced in which young missionaries were cut off after a very short term of labor. But a better knowledge of the climate and of the precautions to be used against it, the use of airy dwelling-houses and light dress with other circumstances, have tended very much to reduce the injurious influence of the climate and preserve health, so that the average duration of life and labor is improving every year. As an illustration of this fact we may state that out of 147 missionaries laboring in In