| Description | Has returned from tour of free schools; at the beginning of Feb came to Careical, where is a school of 163 children, all heathen, except a few Roman Catholics; went on to Tirunallaru, school of 50 heathen, schoolmaster is lazy; Tirunaleirasenpattanam, large town, school of 65, schoolmaster diligent but teaches too much heathenistic nonsense; Nagoor, English school 18 heathen, sons of merchants and other rich people; dissatisfied because children only sent to gain advantages in worldly careers, hopes to open Tamil school there; Nagapattanam, school of 30 children, part Christian part heathen, taught English and Tamil; also visited school of Portuguese children supported by late Mr. Gericke's money, which also supports a small Tamil chapel and congregation; set out again in Mar to visit low-caste schools west of Tranquebar, Kumaramangalam, school of 18 children, Teroorndoor, about 45 miles from Tranquebar, school of 20 children, Kanjanoor 20 children, Nangoor 35 children, Sarfojerajaburam, 12 children; this area is inhabited by Christians of the Tranquebar mission, small villages of 10, 15 or 20 families; each village has chapel with catechist and schoolmaster; schools are in a bad state, with few children able to read; proposes transferring schoolmasters to other villages, as they are usually related to the catechists and each excuses the others faults; did not visit Tirupattury, 55 miles from Tranquebar or Koottanalloor, 30 miles away; agrees that seminarists should be chosen from Christian children; wanted the parents to sign an undertaking that the children would not be taken away after their training, but he was accused of wanting to buy children as slaves. |