training, still involve a separate and complete act of the mind; and, therefore, be a task of difficulty. Few words can be caught up, as by the ordinary child, by imitation; still fewer formed by analogy or comparison, but at the seasons of direct instruction. And if it be so with the acquisition of single, individual words, how vast must be the labour and arduous the task of acquiring but a fair knowledge of an ordinary modern language is at once apparent. The whole process of educating the deaf-mute is a slow and lengthy one. The teacher who succeeds in it, attains success only after years of diligent and patient toil. The blind boy may learn his letters in a week, and be a basket-maker in a month; but with the deafmute no such immediate fruit can be expected. The harvest is not reaped until perhaps more than one cold and barren winter has dragged its slow length away. Spring comes with little sign of life; and summer with but scanty blossom. Yet, autumn comes at last, and the fruit is worth waiting for. But a class before us is about to have a lesson in dictation, and we are asked to choose a sentence from an ordinary reading book. We select this short one, I met a lad with a hawk,' for a lesson in signs to be translated into words written on the slate. A hand held up by the teacher at once commands silence and attention. Every eye is instantly fixed on him to see what he will say. The first word I is at once understood, as the teacher touches his own breast with his fore-finger. Met is expressed by the two fists being extended, held for a moment apart, and then suddenly brought together. The first finger of the right hand held up, represents a, while lad is symbolized by the teacher's pointing to himself with outstretched retroverted finger, and then suddenly bringing the hand to a dead stop below the chin, showing that a human being is meant, not exceeding that certain definite height. (At this sign several of the boys wrote down boy, or youth, but by far the greater number vocalised and wrote down lad.) The preposition with is simply expressed by two fingers of the right hand, close together, extended horizontally in the air, and then moved to and fro, as if being used in some operation of cutting or scraping, and instantly written down. A is despatched as before. Hawk is now the sole remaining word, and clearly the most difficult. We watch, therefore, with some interest to see how it will be expressed and understood. The teacher's first step is to give an idea of the curved beak of a bird of prey by placing the forefinger in a bent position by the side of his own nose. This appears to be realised at once. He then raises both his hands, extended horizontally with open palms downwards, in front of him, to about his own height, and after moving them in a tremulous way, as a hawk would her wings in moving over her prey, suddenly brings them swiftly down on the desk before him, as if clutching at some small object beneath. Many at once exclaim, more suo,' the word eagle, which is rejected; then a solitary voice whispers kite, and at last several conclude it must be hawk.* Thus ended the lesson, and our readers can now in a measure judge for themselves of one chief mode in which instruction of all kinds may be conveyed even to deaf-mutes. The writing was good, and the spelling in most cases sufficiently accurate; affording plain proof that the lesson was received and fairly understood. Before we leave the room we will look at one other slate in another more advanced class. The boy has begun the study of grammar, and is now writing on his slate an exercise set for him as the test of a previous lesson. Thus it runs. The teacher in setting the exercise has made use of four conventional signs, Indef. Article; = Noun; v = Verb; arranged at the head of four columns on the slate before us to be filled up by the pupil in the following manner. This doubtless is a useful exercise, and being easily varied in many ways, will gradually lead the pupil into the mysterious land of grammar by a most intelligible road. But we are free to confess that we do not see the precise reason for adopting conventional signs in a case where (to derive any benefit from their adoption) the pupil must have previously mastered the meaning of such words as Verb, Article, Noun, &c., for which they stand; and must be able to select from his own vocabulary appropriate examples of each under their respective headings. The above exercise stands, as we have said, in its original uncorrected state; and thus may give our readers a fair idea of the progress of an ordinary deaf-mute after but a few years' instruction. From a general consideration of the whole question we have * We afterwards heard the whole fable of the Fox and the Grapes' conveyed by signs into written language, with equal readiness and accuracy. good ground for believing that the scheme of education marked out in this institution is completely fulfilled. We believe also that this education is not surpassed throughout Great Britain, in similar schools; and that the attainments of deaf-mutes cannot be expected, under the ordinary time training, to exceed this standard. Individual cases of higher cultivation no doubt are to be found. We are ourselves aware of more than one,a barrister who at this very time is in active practice as a chamber counsel; a merchant who conducts a large business with skill and efficiency; and a gentleman who has rendered important services in the department of the Admiralty. But we regard these as exceptional cases of real genius in men, who, in spite of all difficulties, and in almost any station of life, would, by sheer industry and power of mind, have made themselves a name. So far, therefore, the educational state of the deaf and dumb may be regarded as satisfactory. the But there still remains one point to be noticed in this and other similar Institutions, which we cannot understand, entire absence of active industrial work. In spite of all existing differences of opinion among the teachers of deaf-mutes as to the precise period for beginning to learn a trade, whether before or after leaving the school,-it is incontrovertibly true that where the body and the mind are together exercised and refreshed by due change of employment, both mental and bodily toil are crowned with more frequent and sure success. The healthy tone and activity of mind is closely and vitally connected with tone and vigour of body. We would not for a moment depreciate the value of the 'mens sana,' but we would desire it for all practical purposes, in corpore sano.' To this it may be replied, how would such sedentary occupations as shoemaking, basket'making, &c., furnish the requisite degree of stimulus and ' activity?' But change of work from eternal slates, pencils, spelling books and grammar lessons, if but to the tapping of a shoe, the weaving of a door-mat, or the elaboration of a withy basket, must act healthily and beneficially on the tone and The needle-work of the girls occupies, we believe, but a small portion of each day. Our opinion on this point has been much strengthened by having recently learned that the deaf and dumb children in Donaldson's Hospital, in Edinburgh, are actually engaged for several hours of each day in out-of-door work together with ordinary children; the mixture of the two classes being found most beneficial. The prosperity of this excellent Institution is, doubtless, in a measure owing to this very practice. VOL. CH. NO. CCVII. L vigour of the body. It may involve no great amount of exercise to comb three square feet of oakum, but the change of room, the changes of faces about the worker, and of substance before his eyes, will at least bring change of thought. And at any rate, fingers, hands, arms, and legs must be more or less in motion; and mere motion must tend somewhat to life and briskness of blood and spirits. The deaf-mute who works eight hours per diem at the school-room desk, would work with double spirit and equal success if he devoted three out of the eight to mending his Sunday shoes, or the fabrication of an osier basket. We can see no just reason why his education as a craftsman should not at least begin ere he leave the school; why he should be too clumsy to use a saw, or too awkward to hammer on a lapstone. In the list of pupils sent out from the Doncaster schools there are many who have practised trades and occupations of various kinds with success; such as shoemakers, gardeners, bookbinders, labourers, printers, joiners, and tailors. We urge it on four grounds,-health of body, vigour of mind, profit to the Institution, and pleasure to the pupil. The deafmute has few means of actual amusement. Monotony pervades most of his daily tasks. Industrial work, if well managed, will afford him both entertainment and instruction. * In conclusion, we have but to remark that much yet remains to be accomplished for the deaf and dumb in Great Britain; not so much in the extent to which their education is to be carried, as in the means of instruction actually placed within their reach. Of the few schools which now exist, many need enlargement, increase of funds, and more perfect operation. New schools are greatly needed in several parts of the country. It is supposed that upwards of 17,000 deaf-mutes are now to be found in Great Britain and Ireland; a large proportion of whom are still uneducated.† Our present schools will accommodate at most but 1400, not much more than one-twelfth part of a *We regret to find such a noble institution as that at Doncaster not so well supported as it might be; and are convinced that its claims on public support need only to be more widely known, to be more fully satisfied. We can only wish for it as full a treasury as that of the kindred foundation in London. † Mr. Baker tells us that at least one-eighth of the whole number are within the age, and possessed of other qualifications, generally prescribed for education. Schools are wanted at Newcastle for the densely populated country between the Tees and the Cheviot Hills; at Norwich, for the Eastern Counties; at Carmarthen, for the whole of Wales, and especially for the populous counties of Monmouth and Glamorgan. class of unfortunate beings whose need of education is most urgent, and whose claims upon our pity are strong and just. That this necessity may be relieved, and the claims allowed and satisfied, there must be not only larger contributions on the part of the public, but fuller co-operation among the founders and managers of existing schools. Great and broad principles of method must be laid down, fairly and heartily adhered to by all, and so by common experience and judgment moulded and expanded into a scheme as catholic in its nature as its success. ART. VI.-1. The Life and Correspondence of Charles Lord Governor of 2 vols. By 2. Selections from the Papers of Lord Metcalfe, &c. &c. &c. Edited by J. W. KAYE. London: 1855. 3. The Life and Correspondence of Henry St. George Tucker, late Accountant-General of Bengal, and Chairman of the East India Company. By JOHN WILLIAM KAYE. London: 1854. MR. JOHN WILLIAM KAYE, already very favourably known to the public as the author of The History of the War in 'Afghanistan,' has more recently published the biographies of two Indian Statesmen, - Mr. Henry St. George Tucker and Lord Metcalfe;-eminent in different lines of the public service, and in very unequal degrees; but the less distinguished of whom was a man of remarkable capacity and energy, and one whose example is well worthy to be proposed for the study and imitation of all those before whom a career of public life, whether in India or elsewhere, is about to open. To them, and to all, it will, we think, be both interesting and instructive to observe the entirely different starting posts from which these two brave and wise men (for such they were from the outset to the end of their respective careers), severally began the race which each so successfully ran. The one was the son of a Director of the East India Company, a retired officer of the Indian army, who had manifestly left behind him many and warm friends in that country; who was a fervent admirer of Lord Wellesley, then the Governor-General; and who is represented to have lost, on account of the strenuous support which he gave in the Court to the policy of that statesman, the votes of the majority of his colleagues for the Deputy Chairmanship. The other |