1841-1886
137
STATE OF HER MAJESTY'S COLONIAL POSSESSIONS. 127
The total number of scholars now under instruction is 114; 71 of these being at Victoria, 17 at Stanley, and 26 at Aberdeen. The changes in the scholars have been as follows:
Number of scholars at the close of the Chinese year ending 1849 93 Number of the same scholars remaining in the schools at the close of the Chinese year ending 1850 31 Changes. Additions 21 Total 114At the beginning of the present month, the teacher of the Stanley school having voluntarily resigned, we were enabled to appoint for that place a Christian teacher, highly recommended, who, it is hoped, may be able to conduct the school on principles somewhat sounder than those upon which his predecessors acted. The teachers of the other schools remain the same as before; they are those whom we found at first engaged in education, whom the inhabitants had themselves selected before the Government grant was made, and whom it was considered undesirable to remove. Under these circumstances, all the three teachers up to the present month having been Confucians, no interference in the system of instruction has been attempted, and hearing a few of the boys read, or seeing them write, out of their own school-books, and asking them a few simple questions on the occasion of our visits, constitute all the supervision which we have been able to give. Mr. Stanton has occasionally distributed Christian books for their voluntary reading. The progress made by the scholars has, we believe, been equal to that in Chinese schools of the same class generally.
We beg again to record our conviction that the establishment of schools for the education of the Chinese population, and the exhibition otherwise of a desire to provide for their educational wants, to which they themselves justly attach so great importance, are most effectual means to conciliate the native inhabitants, and to render our Government popular among them.
The villagers of Wongneichoong have requested that a school similar to that at Victoria may be opened in their neighbourhood, as there are a number of children there growing up without any education whatever, the parents being too poor to make it worth a schoolmaster's while to take up his residence among them. The village is in a very impoverished condition, owing to the land, by the cultivation of which the inhabitants subsisted, having been converted into a race-course, the money paid as compensation for this loss having been long ago expended. We beg to recommend their petition to the favourable consideration of His Excellency the Governor, that the small monthly sum, ten dollars, required for the establishment of a school, may, if expedient, be granted.
We have, &c.,
(True copy.)
W. CAINE,
Colonial Secretary,
(Signed)
C. B. HILLIER,
V. J. STANTON,
Committee for superintending Chinese Schools.
Enclosure 10 in No. 15.
MEMORANDUM of the Number and Cargoes of Chinese Junks which have visited the Port of Victoria during the Year 1849.
Victoria, Hong Kong, Chinese Secretary's Office,
14th March, 1850.
The particulars of the following memorandum upon the junk trade at Victoria, are taken in part from notes drawn up monthly by Mr. Gutzlaff, Chinese Secretary, from the 1st January to the 31st August last. The matter of these was collected by a Chinese messenger of this office, a native of an eastern district of the Kwangtung or Canton province, and consequently the fittest person to obtain the information required from the junkmen, most of whom, it will be seen, are from the same neighbourhood as himself. He has been in the habit of making a daily report of the junks or boats which arrive here, and of the nature of their cargoes; and this, since the departure of Mr. Gutzlaff in September, has been entered each day in a journal-sheet, which has furnished the data for such parts of this memorandum as are not derived from Mr. Gutzlaff's notes.
The Chinese Secretary's Office possesses no means of ascertaining what number of junks put into Stanley, Aberdeen—where there are always several lying—or any harbour of this colony except Victoria; or of finding out what may be the value or amount of the native cargoes brought by junks to Victoria; or what portion of such cargoes may be there sold; or what goods thence exported in native vessels.
These were divided by Mr. Gutzlaff into 4 classes—1. Fast boats; 2. Marine; 3. Salt; 4. Stone boats.
1. Fast boats:—This term does not appear to mean such boats as are commonly known by this designation, viz., those employed by passengers between Hong Kong, Macao, and Canton, but those which bring supplies to the colonial markets.
Their number in January and February is stated to have been considerable. In March and
1841-1886
137
STATE OF HER MAJESTY'S COLONIAL POSSESSIONS. 127
The total number of scholars riow under instruction is 114; 71 of these being at Vistoria, - 17 at Stanley, and 26 at Aberdeen. The changes in the scholars have been as follows →→
Number of scholars at the close of the Chinese year ending 1849
Number of the same scholars remaining in the schools at the close
of the Chinese year ending 1850
Changes.
Additions
Total
93
31
21
114
;
At the beginning of the present month, the teacher of the Stanley school having voluntarily resigned, we were enabled to appoint for that place a Christian teacher, highly recommanded, who, it is hoped, may be able to conduct the school on principles somewhat sounder than those upon which his predecessors acted. The teachers of the other schools remain the same as before; they are those whom we found at first engaged, in education, whom the inhabitants had themselves selected before the Government grant was made, and whom it was considered undesirable to remove.. Under these circumstances, all the three teachers up to the prosent month having been Confucians, no interference in, the system of instruction has been attempted. and hearing a few of the boys read, or seeing them; write, out of their own school-books, and asking them a few simple questions on the occasion of our visits, constitute all the supervision which we have been able to give. Mr. Stanton has occasionally distributed Christian books for their voluntary reading. The progress made by the scholars has, we believe, been equal to that in Chinese schools of the same class generally.
We beg again to record our conviction that the establishment of schools for the education of the Clinese population, and the exhibition otherwise of a desire to provide for their educa- tional wants, to which they themselves justly attach so great au importance, are most effectual means to conciliate the native inhabitants, and to render, our Government popular, among theni.
The villagers of Wongneichoong have requested that a school.similar to that at Victoria may be opened in their neighbourhood, as there are a number of children there growing up without any
· education whatever, the parents being too poor to make it worth a schoolmaster's while to tako up his residence among them. The village is in a very impoverished condition, owing to the land, by the cultivation of which the inhabitants subsisted, having been converted into a race- course, the 'money paid as compensation for this loss having been long ago expended. We beg to recommend their petition to the favourable consideration of his Excellency the Governor, that the small monthly sum, ten dollars, required for the establishment of a school, may, if expedient, be granted.
We have, &c.,
..T
(True copy.)
W. CAINE,
Colonial Secretary,
(Signed)
· C. B. HILLIER,
V. J. STANTON,
iz
› Committee for superintending ·
Chinese Schools.
Enclosure 10 in No..15.
MEMORANDUM of the Number and Cargoes of Chinese Junks which have visited the Port of Victoria during the Year 1849.
Victoria, Hong Kong, Chinese Secretary's Office,
14th March, 1850.
Tue particulars of the following memorandum upon the junk trade at Victoria, are taken in part from notes drawn up monthly by Mr. Gutzlaff, Chinese Secretary, from the 1st January to the 31st August last. The matter of these was collected by a Chinese ̈mes- senger of this office, a native of an castern district of the Kwangtung or Canton province, and consequently the fittest person to obtain the information required from the junkmen, most of whom, it will be seen, are from the same neigbourhood as himself. He has been in the habit of making a daily report of the junks or boats which arrive here, and of the nature of their cargoes; and this, since the departure of Mr. Gutzlaff in September, has been entered each day in a journal-sheet, which has furnished the data for such parts of this memorandumi as are not derived from Mr. Gutzlaff's notes.
The Chinese Secretary's Office possesses no means of ascertaining what number of junks put into Stanley, Aberdeen-where there are always several lying-or any harbour of this colony except Victoria; or of finding out what may be the value or amount of the native cargoes brought by junks to Victoria; or what portion of such cargoes may be there sold; or what goods thence exported in native vessels.
These were divided by Mr. Gutzlaff into 4 classes-1. Fast boats; 2. Marine; 3. Salt; 4. Stone boats,
1. Fast boats :— This term does not appear to mean such boats as are commonly known by this designation, viz., those employed by passengers between Hong Kong, Macao, and Canton, but those which bring supplies to the colonial markets.
Their number in January and February is stated to have been considerable. In March and
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