He then asked where did Christ go to from Bethlehem? A line was drawn to Jerusalem. Again, where did Christ go to then? A line was struck towards Egypt. Other lines were then successively drawn from place to place, tracing the journeys of Christ; questions being put upon every place, both as regards Old and New Testament history, through which it passed, the map in the mean time being gradually filled up, the various divisions of the tribes, the rivers, the mountains, &c., introduced; so that at the end of the lesson all the principal towns, divisions, and boundaries, in fact a regular map, of Palestine appeared.

GEOMETRY.

In proceeding to examine this class, we were glad to observe Darley's Demonstrations of Euclid lying on the desk. The boys are arranged on each side of a long narrow horizontal desk; each being provided with a 12-inch rule, a right angle, triangle, a slate 12 inches square, and a pair of iron compasses. In drawing the problems, the monitor calls out, Describe such a figure. For instance, to make a square equal to the sum of two given squares. Monitor says, Draw two squares: This having been done by all the boys, and examined by the monitor to see that they are correct; then he says, Draw a right angle; make the two lines of the angle equal to one side of each of the squares; connect the extremities of these lines; construct a square on this last line, and it will be equal to the two given squares.

Questions are then proposed in demonstration, and the application of the figure to architecture and drawing; but of this latter part little can be reported, as the demonstrations, &c., have but very recently been introduced; but as to general principle, it is in perfect union with that so abundantly manifested in the school—namely, a desire to bring every thing to the point of proof and definitiveness.

GRAMMAR.

Grammar is taught orally by the monitors: little besides absolute rules are committed to memory. In the explanation of the parts of speech, instances are given by the pupils from the sphere of their observation, and they very rapidly reach parsing. In Etymology, the derivation of words is introduced so far as relates to the Latin and Greek roots, and throughout the whole process a desire is manifested to bring into action the intellectual faculties.

PSALM I.

VER. 1. Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

What part of speech is blessed' Adjective.-Who is blessed? The man.— What is the verb agreeing with man? Is.-How must a verb agree with its nominative? In number and person.-What is the rule? What part of speech is that? Relative pronoun.-What is the antecedent to that? Man.-Give me the rule? A relative must agree with its antecedent, with its gender, number, and person.-What is antecedent? Going before.-What part of speech is walketh? A neuter verb.-Give some other neuter verbs which imply action. Run, swim, leap, jump, swing.-Why are these neuter verbs? Because the

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action does not pass to any object, it is confined to the act.-Not? Adverb. -Which is the rule for placing it after the verb? No. 23. Adverbs are for the most part placed before adjectives, after verbs active and neuter, and frequently between the auxiliary and the verb.-In? A preposition.-What is a preposition? A word that relates to a noun to show the relation between. What is the? A definite article.-Counsel? Common noun.-What case is this in? Objective. Rule 3, Prepositions govern the objective case. Ungodly? Adjective. -Where is the noun? Man is understood; the ungodly man.-What case is man in? Possessive.-What puts it in the possessive case? Man.-Why? Because it is the ungodly man's counsel, counsel governs it.-What is, nor? A conjunction.-The subject of the verb standeth? Man.-The present participle of standeth? Standing.-The infinitive mood? To stand.-The perfect tense of the potential mood? May or could have stood.—Is it a regular verb? No.-Why? Because it does not form its past tense and past participle by the addition of d or ed.-What is the past tense? Stood. The past participle? Stood. In the third verse it is said, "He shall be like a tree," what figure of speech is here used? Simile.-What is a simile? A comparison.-What figure would be made if the word “like” were omitted? A metaphor.-Mention some other figures of speech! Climax, metonymy, hyperbole, prosopopeia, antithesis, irony, paralepsis. Give an instance of irony: Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth," &c.-Another: Elijah to the worshippers of Baal. What is climax? The heightening of all the circumstances of an object or action which we wish to place in a strong light.-Give me an instance: "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation or distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, or sword?" -What is a metonymy? A figure by which we put the effect for the cause, or the cause for the effect.-Give me an instance: "If mischief befall him by the way in which ye go, then shall ye bring down my grey hairs in sorrow to the grave."-Where is the metonymy here? Grey hairs for old age.-Another instance: "God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of them, and Canaan shall be his servant."-Another: "For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath day."-Another: "I am the resurrection and the life.”—What is a Paralepsis? A figure by which the speaker pretends to conceal what he is really declaring, and strongly enforcing-An instance: "If he hath wronged thee, or oweth ought, put that on my own account: I Paul have written it with mine own hand, I will repay it, albeit I do not say to thee how thou owest unto me even thine own self besides."-What is Antithesis? A figure by which contrary objects are contrasted, to make them show one another to advantage. Instance: Solomon contrasts the timidity of the wicked with the courage of the righteous, when he says, "The wicked flee when no man pursueth, but the righteous are bold as a lion."-Another: "A wise son maketh a glad father, but a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother," &c.

ELEMENTS OF PHYSICS.

The pupils are arranged before a large black board, on which are drawn the figures to be explained in the lesson. The monitor is furnished with a book of the sciences, and a piece of chalk; having previously studied the subject, he explains the principles of the science, viva voce, not reading it from the book, but in his own language, occasionally, of course, referring to this book for fresh matter, or for illustrations; asking questions at every point, to ascertain if his pupils thoroughly apprehend his elucidations, which are further assisted by demonstrations and sketches on the black board, made as he proceeds. No dependence is ever allowed to be placed in the explanation

of the monitor, till they are tested by the boys being called upon to illustrate, define, and prove every point themselves, either by actually showing the experiments required, or giving, in clear definite language the how, the why, and the wherefore, of the information obtained.

When we entered the class we found a boy somewhat under twelve years of age, finishing the drawing of the air pump, which was very accurately delineated on the black board aforesaid, on which were also drawn, a steam engine, the air gun, convex and concave lenses, a ship, and diving bell. The monitor was explaining the air pump, and the principle on which it acts:

"First-you shut this cock, then you pump away, and the air is drawn out through this pipe (pointing), when the piston is forced down (this is the piston), the air rises through this valve upwards; but it cannot get back, because this stops it (pointing to the closed valve), when this large bell glass or receiver is exhausted, the air on the outside presses on it so that you could not get it off any how."

He then questioned in the following manner :—

"Show me the piston. (Boys put their fingers on it.)-What is the piston ? An iron rod with a valve at the end.-Show me the valve that prevents the air getting back? (Fingers on the valve.)-Why does this prevent the air getting back? Because the valve is forced down and stops it.-What is in the glass now? It is exhausted.-What do you mean by exhausted? The air is drawn out of it. Suppose a mouse was in now: It would die.-Why? Because it would have no air to breathe.-Suppose a candle was in: It would go out.Why? Because air is necessary for combustion.-Suppose a bell was in it, would it ring? Yes. Could you hear it? No.-Why not? Because air is the medium of sound.

I wished to draw the attention of the class to a few practical subjects, and asked

"What is the greatest use we make of this knowledge of the principles of exhaustion? To make pumps and get water out of the earth.-To what depth does this principle act? To 33 feet.-Why? Because the weight of a column of air is equal to the weight of a column of water.-Who discovered this? Galileo.-Tell me the principles on which the pump acts? The piston is made with a valve to open inwards, and this when the handle of the pump goes up, is plunged down into the water, which rises through the valve. Which valve? The upper valve.-What takes place then? The water rises of itself through the lower valve.-Why? Because the air is taken out with the water, and there is nothing to fill the space between the valves.-—What happens when the pump handle is again lifted? The lower valve is shut by the pressure of the water above it, which rises through the upper valve, and when the pump handle goes down, is lifted up even with the spout of the pump and runs out.-Is there any other way in which a piston is used to exhaust the air? In the air pump, in the forcing pump, and in the steam engine. [Here the construction and mode of action of the steam engine was very accurately explained by the pupils; occasionally questions were put on points where something was, through heedlessness, omitted, but which were replied to in a manner evincing that a considerable knowledge of the principles of hydraulic action were understood.]

"What mechanical principle does the handle of the pump act on? That of the lever. What is that part called on which the handle turns? The fulcrum.-Does any part of our bodies act on the principle of the lever? Yes; the arm. Where is the fulcrum? At the elbow joint.-What moves the fore arm up? The muscle.-Where is that muscle? Here: [showing the flexor

muscle.]-Which muscle straightens the arm? This one behind: [showing the extensor muscle.]-Of what kind is this lever? Of the third kind. Why? Because it has the power between the prop at one end and the weight at the other. Which is the centre of motion? The elbow.-Where is the power applied? Here: [pointing to the place where the tendon is attached to the bone.] Why? Because that is the place where the muscle is fixed.-What is the end of a muscle called? A tendon.-Which is the weight to be raised? The hand. -Tell me of some other lever? A poker, when raising the fire; a hammer, when drawing a nail.-What other mechanical powers are there? The wedge, the screw, the inclined plane, and the pulley.-Which of these most resemble the lever? The pulley.-Why? Because the axis is the fulcrum.-Which of the other two powers resemble the inclined plane? The screw.-Why? Because it is an inclined plane in a spiral form.-Does the wedge resemble it? Yes.-Why? Because it is two inclined planes joined together.-[The master here directed the pupils to draw the mechanical powers, and a wedge, a pulley, a lever, &c., were drawn in out-line almost as you might strike a letter."]

ARITHMETIC.

On proceeding to the examination of the Arithmetic, our attention was called to a set of frames, hanging round the school-room, containing a number of four-sided rods or rollers, on which figures were printed in large characters, and to which slates were also attached, about a foot square. The advantages of these frames were stated to be a power of fixing and keeping up the attention of the class, who work by them individually and collectively, with slates and without; a constant repetition of preceding rules, and a superior facility of demonstrating the principles of the rules; the ready production of an almost infinite number of examples, with three keys embodied in the sums, so ingeniously as to be kept quite secret from the boys, and only known to the general monitor or the master, by which he may check a whole morning's exercise, and detect any error it may contain at a mere glance. The boys were arranged before the frames, which were used precisely in the same way as the reading and spelling lessons. From the frames we proceeded to examine those who had passed the elementary rules, and were astonished at the number passed above them, which the master attributed to the ease with which a knowledge of the elements of arithmetical science were obtained by the frames. I found them arranged in graduated divisions, each under the care of a monitor, and each monitor having an arithmetical tutor ("the Intellectual Calculator") in his hand. The method of teaching is, for the monitor to give out a sum to the whole class, the question is not written on the slates of the boys, but the figures only. The monitor, on any boy showing the example performed, requiring reasons for every thing that is done. The master solicited me to examine the boys, to which I assented; and a few of the higher divisions were suddenly formed into one of which I found myself the centre.

How long is the slate in your hand? Ten inches.-How wide? Five inches. -How many square inches? Fifty.-How thick is it? Quarter of an inch.— How many cubic inches? What is the specific gravity of lead? 11,352.-Of gold? 19,258.-Of copper? 7,788.—What would be the solid contents of a piece of timber 30 feet long, 1 foot 6 inches broad, and 1 foot deep? Answer, 45 feet.-What would be the worth of it at 2s. 8d. per foot? £5. 12s. 6d.

-I asked the number of pence in £5 12s. 6d.

How many pair of shoes

it would buy, at 5s. a pair. What part of a pound is 12s. 6d. What part of £5. What fraction of a pound is £5. 12s. 6d.-What is the decimal of 5? 5,625.-What is 5625 pence? Ans. £23. 8s. 9d.-What 5625 shillings? What is the interest of 5625 pounds for seven years, at 3 per cent ? Answered. -What is the cube root of 5625?—What is the value of 5625 articles at 7d. each? Ans. £175. 15s. 71⁄2d.

I was surprised to find here that the boys did not use their slates: the master informed me they could calculate such matters mentally. What is the interest of £5625 at 5 per cent. for eighteen days? £14. 1s. 3d. -Square of 56? Ans. 3136.-Cube of 25? Ans. 15,625.-Add 5-6ths of a pound to 2-5ths of a shilling? Ans. 17s. 0&d.-Five ozs. at 6s. per lb.? Ans. 1s. 10d.- per cent. on £5625? Ans. £21. 1s. 10d.-Fourteen tons, at 9ąd. per lb.? Ans. £1274.—5 cwt. 3 qrs. 19lbs. at 11⁄2d. per lb.? Ans. £4. 16s. 84d. -What would be the third proportional of 562? Ans. 1-3.What would 5d. per day amount to in five years? Ans.£38. Os. 5d.

If we were astonished at the number of the children in arithmetic, we were no less astonished at the quickness and the correctness with which the answers to our questions were returned; many of them, as are seen, being of a very involved and complicated kind, others of a nature to require the employment of a large number of figures. It has been said that it is better for a man's veracity, sometimes to conceal the truth than to speak it, and we really feel that if we were to speak of the short time taken by the pupils to make these calculations, we should not be believed. We asked the master the means taken to produce these effects, and he pointed to the frames on the other side of the school-room, and to the little book in the hands of the boysThese are my means and no other; but what pleased us most was the evident delight in which the boys performed the mental operations required; it has been remarked that all mental calculators are superlatively stupid-looking people, but if exceptions prove the rule, all the children we examined were exceptions, for more cheerful, animated, and vivacious little fellows, we have seldom witnessed.

Thus ended our day's labours at the Borough-Road School, the hardest day's work we ever experienced; but, without question, one of the most delightful; the order, the unanimity, the cheerfulness that prevailed among the pupils, indicated in no small degree that feeling which is the most difficult to produce in the mind of the school-boy; but which, when produced, is of the most extraordinary power the feeling that what he is acquiring is of use to him, and that he is the better for it. The spirit of inquiry shone in every part of the school, and in none more than in the lower classes. The specimen we have afforded of the state of the school in religious matters, is not perhaps the most favourable that might have been offered: it arose, as may be seen, out of the answers returned by the boys, and not from any preconcerted design in us to question the children upon the particular points introduced. But these interrogatives do abundantly and clearly show, that although no particular doctrine is taught in the school, yet doctrine is as effectually learned as in those schools where an exclusive attention is paid to the more important part of