Byculla) at the disposal of its managing committee to locate the first of our schools, which was opened on September 1, 1863.

6. Consequent, however, upon the prospect of my property being required for railway purposes, combined with other circumstances, it was rendered advisable to remove the school to other premises, rented as a temporary measure, until a building could be purchased or erected for its requirements.

7. A sum of money sufficient for the building was promised to be added to my mite by those friends who associated with me, and continued staunch in their sup port; whilst the government of Bombay, from a profound conviction of the feasibility of my plan and the beneficial influence it would exercise upon the native mind, generously complied with my request to grant a site for a school building.

8. At the moment when our object seemed to have been attained, the late disastrous turn of events and the monetary convulsions that ensued at Bombay, not only deprived most of my said co-operators of the means of fulfilling their engagements, but likewise, by the failure of the banks and the general depreciation of the stocks, etc., the actual fund that stood in the treasurer's book to the credit of the institution was reduced by one-half.

9. By a communication which I received by the last mail from the secretary of the institution, the difficulty stares us in the face of our not being able to maintain the institution on its original basis without resorting to extraneous aid; for the stream of native prejudice still runs, and strongly, against the introduction of anything like an approach to the European system of education; in fact, against any change in the settled habits and customs of the people of India, which have been handed down to them from their ancestors.

10. A change for the better has now fairly commenced to be wrought on the minds of a class (however insignificant in number in comparison to the mass), particularly among the young and educated, and it behoves every wellwisher of the natives of India to avail himself of the opportunity thus presented to improve upon.

II. Under these circumstances, unless we can enlist the sympathy of the British public (which in the case of enlightenment and progress has never been appealed to in vain), I fear we shall be forced to confess ourselves vanquished by the opponents of the cause of education and progress among the females of India in the right direction. What a melancholy triumph to those adverse to this hallowed cause!

12. To avert such a catastrophe (I wish I had, but not possessing the means) I submit the following proposition for the consideration of your excellency in council13. I will undertake to provide forty to fifty thousand rupees, which I will raise among my own friends and the friends of native female education on the European system, by contribution in money or articles for a fancy bazaar, to be held under distinguished patronage, and making up the deficiency from my individual means, provided the government, on the above sum being deposited in its treasury, contribute an equal amount to the building of the school.

14. I would suggest that the building be called Albert Hall, and so designed as not only to locate the day scholars of our Alexandra schools therein, but also (to supply the desiderata) to provide accommodation for a class of boarders, a class for training female teachers, for branch schools in connection with or independently of the institution, in and out of Bombay and its presidency; and for the governess and the schoolmistress to reside under the same roof. The chief hall or room can always be used for meetings and lectures, etc., in furtherance of the objects of education in general and female education in particular.

I have the honour to be,

Right Honourable Sir,

Your respectful and ever devoted to the service,
MANOCKJEE CURSETJEE.

In answer to the foregoing letter, Sir Stafford Northcote expressed his appreciation of Mr. Manockjee Cursetjee's exertions in favour of native female education, but added that the subject must in the first instance be submitted to the governor in council, in Bombay.

THE ALEXANDRA NATIVE GIRLS' INSTITUTION AT BOMBAY.-This institution, to which Mr. Manockjee Cursetjee's letter refers, was first founded, for maintaining a school to give, for the first time, a sound education on the English system, and he informs us the consequences that must result, from the success of such an institution, are so patent, that he "will not enlarge upon them further, than to premise, that it is calculated to emancipate the women of India from the state of ignorance that prevails amongst them, and from the tight grasp of superstition, by bringing about a thorough change, in their ideas and feelings, as the surest way of ameliorating their moral, mental, and social condition." The institution was started by contributions, amounting to rupees sixty thousand (£6,000), by a few friends, and the first school was opened in 1863.

House rent being very high, Mr. Manockjee Cursetjee generously placed a suite of apartments in his own house (Villa Byculla) at the disposal of the managing committee, as a temporary measure, until suitable premises could be obtained. Circumstances rendered it necessary, two years afterwards, to remove the school to a house rented for the purpose, in another locality, until he should be able to purchase or build an edifice better adapted for its wants. The following extract from a letter which Mr. Cursetjee addressed to the life governors and subscribers to the institution, will show the measures taken to secure a suitable building-"I have, with your co-operation, succeeded in founding this institution. It promises success, and its success will supply a great desideratum, namely, a radical change in the ideas of the future mothers of our families. Some of our friends have encouraged me with the hope that a fund to erect a building for our institution could easily be raised if I were to exert myself for the purpose, and get a site from government. I shall be happy to contribute rupees five thousand (Rs. 5,000), and afford any personal assistance in my power, provided those friendly to the cause of female education, on the principle of our institution, will co-operate with me in carrying out the object. Those friends who feel so disposed, will be good enough to subscribe their names to the annexed list." Not more than seven individuals offered to subscribe the sum of rupees forty thousand (£4,000), to be added to what Mr. Cursetjee contributed, and the government of Bombay, on his application, generously granted a site for the school.

Unfortunately, the monetary convulsions, failures of banks and

individuals, which occurred at Bombay, etc., not only deprived Mr. Cursetjee's coadjutors of the means of fulfilling their engagements, but the original fund, actually collected and invested, was reduced to one-half-or in other words, from rupees sixty thousand (£6,000), to rupees thirty thousand (£3,000). By recent accounts, received from Bombay, it is too evident that in order to place the institution on a more secure and permanent basis, without some extraneous help, they may have to confess themselves vanquished by the opponents of female education. To avert this humiliating catastrophe, Mr. Manockjee Cursetjee has undertaken to provide rupees fifty thousand (£5,000), for the purpose of purchasing or erecting an edifice better adapted, not only for the location of the day scholars of the Alexandra Institution, but also for the accommodation under the same roof of a normal class of female teachers, and for the lady superintendent and her staff of governesses. The building is to be called the "Albert Hall," in memory of the good Prince Consort, and its principal room can be used for public meetings, lectures, etc., in furtherance of the object of education in general, and of female education in particular.

The above rupees fifty thousand (£5,000)—if not more, will be raised in coin or kind, by contributions to a grand bazaar to be held in Bombay next year, under the distinguished patronage of the ladies and gentlemen of Europe and India. The deficiency Mr. Cursetjee offers to make up from his own means, and asks "not money so much as the sympathy of the great and good people, particularly ladies forming the royal and noble circle), to manifest to the people of India how much their unfortunate sisters are thought of and cared for by those exalted in rank, and not only blessed with the means of helping them, but also with benevolent hearts.”

Any contributions in furtherance of the above-mentioned object, either in money or in fancy articles for the bazaar, especially the handiwork of ladies, will be greatly prized, and thankfully acknowledged and faithfully applied for the purposes of the institution by Mr. Manockjee Cursetjee, and the editor of the VICTORIA MAGAZINE has undertaken, at his request, to forward any donations left at the Victoria Press, Princes Street, Hanover Square.

FRENCH WOMEN.-The Bishop of Orleans, describing the modern French woman, says :-"A woman knows all the famous actors and horses, she knows by heart the performers at the Opera and the Variétés; the stud-book is more familiar to her than Thomas-à-Kempis's 'Imitation;' last year she betted for La Touque, this year for Vermuth, and she is sure that the Bois Roussél is full of promise; she is enthusiastic about the Derby, and the triumph of Fille de l'Air she considers as a national victory. She knows the name of the most celebrated

milliners, the fashionable saddler, and the shop which has the greatest vogue. She will weigh the respective merits of the stables of the Comte de la Grange, the Duc de Morny, or of Monsieur Delamarre.

She can only entertain young women and frivolous young men. Equally incapable of talking on business, arts, politics, agriculture, or the sciences, she can neither converse with her father-in-law, her clergyman, nor with any man of a serious mind. And yet the first talent of a woman is to be able to converse with everybody."

CHARCOAL FILTERS.-From the report of the London and General Water Purifying Company, just issued, it would appear that the public are very negligent respecting the quality of the water they drink; for the system of filtering the water at the moment of drawing, by means of the cistern filter, does not spread so rapidly as we have a right to expect. We are glad, however, to learn that the profession appreciates the system. One-seventh of the filters disposed of were to medical men. The board regret that Government did not invite the company to tender for supplying the Abyssinian expedition with pocket-filters. At the Broadmoor Asylum this system is reported to give satisfaction, all the water, 60,000 gallons per day, being thus filtered. We notice with pleasure that, in spite of the general depression, the company do not any longer re-burn the charcoal after it has been in use some time, doubt having been thrown upon the value of re-burnt charcoal. They now, in all cases, supply new charcoal when the filters are recharged. We have had one of the company's filters in our own cistern for nearly two years, and are so satisfied with it that we hope their use will rapidly extend, and, consequently, that next year the report may close with a more favourable balance-sheet. It seems, however, that only in times of alarm, when some terrible epidemic is raging, do any sanitary measures find favour. How many lives are sacrificed to this apathy which refuses to employ preventive measures!-Medical Press and Circular.

PUBLIC ENTERTAINMENTS.

A READING was given last month by Mr. Carr, a reader new, we believe, to the public. The performance was good in itself, evidencing careful study, as well as natural gifts both of the power to appreciate and to interpret to others the fulness of an author's meaning; and this in several different styles. The reading also interested us as showing that our men of refinement and education are not all, as too many are, content to be bookworms, or to let slumber half the good of their scholarliness, but that they can occasionally recognise the duty

of imparting to others some of the best results of the cultivation they have had the advantage of, and that in a most pleasant and telling way. On the value of such instruction, listened to with an attention which not all valuable instruction meets with, we scarcely need dwell. Those who know how much delight and profit are to be had from an entertainment of well chosen and well performed reading—indeed from any really good reading aloud in the family or social circle-will understand that we may, nay must, enjoy critically. Mr. Carr, like every other reader almost without exception, does not give us enough of pausing. If some portion of each reading, or speech, or sermon that we hear might but be omitted, and the space of time it would have occupied be distributed among the discourse in silences, i. e., more frequent momentary resting-points, it would double the speaker's impressiveness, and add to his reputation for oratory at the cost only of greater ease to himself. The headlong eagerness to keep up people's interest, whether in painting, reading, music, or whatsoever, is apt to defeat itself by failing to impart the mood of mind to the hearer which leaves him free to enter into and enjoy. Mr. Carr has yet to gain the self-possession which takes command of the pauses, and gives the audience time to feel the effect of words before and after. But it needs but the reminding. We should imagine that as a listener Mr. Carr would be among the first to feel this; we believe it can only be duly criticised from the outside, for we have seldom known a reader who fully followed out this chief canon, even although he might be keenly conscious of the want of such rest when another was reading. Possibly it might be in some measure owing to this cause that the pieces in Mr. Carr's selection which were best rendered, were “The Good News to Ghent," and "The Charge of the Light Brigade.' Both were admirably given. We should have liked one or two graver pieces of prose instead of the facetious ones interspersed among the poetry; they might be less easy to find, but it would be worth while to seek them. We must mention Barry Cornwall's stanzas, "Within and Without" as also thoroughly well given-a verdict not easily agreed on In the case of an old familiar favourite. We hope to hear more of Mr. Carr-it is men of a refined and thoughtful stamp of which in this age of claptrap and mere assurance we stand most in need, to aid in interpreting the written thoughts of earnest thinkers, and to illustrate the "touches of finer fancy" for the intelligent amusement and interest of the overworked and underworked brains around us, at present but ill-supplied in this direction.