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-ment to meet the condition attached to the offer of
the Honourable E. R. Belilios, C.M.0., already referred
to, resulted in the withdrawal of that offer.
Meanwhile, the initial enthusias
that existed has, in consequence of the removal from
Hongkong of some of the leading spirits in the commence-
ment of the movement, notably Dr. Manson and Dr. Cantlie
the increase of personal interests in the case of others
and the death of some, been to a large extent dissipated;
and the work is being carried on with increasing strain
and struggle by the strenuous efforts of a very few.
While the mmber of students is larger than ever before
and the standard of English education higher, since the
larger number of applicants allows the refusal of all
who seem unsuitable, the resources of the College
practically stand precisely where they did twelve years
ago. Great and increasing difficulty is experienced in
the filling up of lectureships as they fall vacant, and
several are now duplicated, the same lecturers taking up
different subjects in different sessions, on account of
the impossibility of getting men to undertake the work.
There has also been in some cases a tendency to allow the
College work, gratuitous and unrecognised in any way as
it is, to be the first to give way in any time of
special pressure.
The Court are of opinion that these
difficulties and sources of weakness would to a large ex--
-tent