The course of study, I am informed, consists chiefly of the English language, together with but subordinate to which there are geography, arithmetic, history, algebra, mathematics, and astronomy. A very small proportion of the students have made any progress in algebra or mathematics, few are even fair arithmeticians, and much that they are called upon to learn of geography, history, and astronomy is soon forgotten. This arises from no want of ability, but from an utter want of encouragement on the part of the Chinese authorities for the students to trouble themselves with such studies. Without a reasonable knowledge of the language they are liable, on the motion of the foreign teacher, to be dismissed from the school, and in the acquisition of that they are to some extent buoyed up with hope, a hope that sometimes becomes lamentably faint, that the language will ultimately be of service to them; but with respect to the other branches, I am given to understand, no person in authority, except the foreign teacher, seems to know or care whether they are taught or not.
The students consist almost entirely of Tartars (including bannermen). Originally about one-third were Chinese, but it was found that, after learning English at the expense of government, these latter generally disappeared. The Tartars are much more bound to the government, and are loyal, both from training and self-interest. As young men, they are far more noble and honorable in their character than the Chinese, lacking in a great measure the low cunning which characterizes the latter, especially when they get official employment. But it is hard to say how far their natural nobility and honor would suffer if they were thrown into that vortex of corruption and dishonesty which pertains to official life.
I am informed that there has, for the past year or two, been an intention to add a German and a French department to the Canton College, and that extensive premises have been erected for this purpose, but some difficulty about funds seems to have caused further steps to be postponed.
Private schools.—There are no private schools worthy of the name in Canton for teaching foreign languages. Now and then a small school is opened, in which English is professed to be taught by a man whose knowledge of that language is too limited to fit him for other employment, and after a brief struggle these schools die out, one after another. There is no doubt that the advantages offered by the government schools in Hong Kong are too great to enable private schools in Canton to compete with them.
Missionary schools.—None of the missionaries in Canton teach English or any other foreign language to their Chinese pupils now, nor have they for some years. They found by experience that it was very difficult to teach English to their pupils because of their inaptitude to learn western languages; that the object of the majority who came to their schools (formerly) to learn English was simply to get a sufficient knowledge of that language to enable them to get some lucrative employment with foreigners, and as soon as they had acquired a little smattering of English they disappeared and passed away beyond their Christian instruction.
I shall endeavor to furnish you with some particulars in regard to the schools established at Hong Kong by the colonial government shortly.
I have the honor, &c.,
F. D. CHESHIRE.
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Mr. Scruggs to Mr. Seward.