CO129-304 - Governor Sir Blake - 1901 [1-4] — Page 322

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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