into the Purgunnah and village schools. In short, the means of every description for establishing a system of national instruction, will be accumulated at these central points; and our future operations are likely to be unembarrassed and efficacious in proportion as this foundation is well and securely laid. We have, at present, only to do with outlines, but they should be drawn with a strict reference to the details which will hereafter have to be filled in.
A great deal has been said about the importance of preparing books in the vernacular languages; and it has been even urged as a proof that there is something unsound in our plan of operations, that there is a greater demand for English books than for books in the vernacular languages.[1]This objection seems to me to arise from a disposition to anticipate the natural course of events. There
- ↑ It appears from the following contrasted statement, taken from the two last biennial reports of the School-book Society, that the demand for books in the vernacular languages is increasing, although not as yet in so great a degree as that for English books:
1832 and 1833. 1834 and 1835. Hindusthanee 1,077 3,384 Hinduee 1,514 4,171 Bengalee 4,896 5,754 Orissa 815 834 7,302 14,143
i 3
