The senior and junior scholarship examinations of the past session, were conducted by the gentle Scholarship Examinations. men whose names are mentioned in page 13 of this report. The results, on the whole, are deemed by the Council to be highly satisfactory and to reflect much credit on the officers of all the Colleges, and of some of the schools under their control. The good effects of the general competition, which has now become fairly established between the Presidency and Mofussil Colleges, will be seen by an examination of the comparative table of results contained in the appendix. Although the Hindu College stands at the head of the list, the Mofussil institutions have every reason to be satisfied with the position which they occupy. The number of free and junior scholarships gained this year is smaller than in the preceding session, a result anticipated by the Council. The following extracts from the reports of the senior scholarship examiners are published for general information. Mr. Lodge reported that "Very few promotions ought to take place in any of the Colleges, but by far the greater number of students should have another year at the Mathematical studies, which have occupied them during this last year." Mr. Harrison, the examiner in History, remarked that— "On the whole I consider the result very good. The highest place in the senior papers I have given to Sreenath Doss, of the Hindu College, who exceeds Omesh Chunder Dutt, of Kishnaghur, by one mark, and in the junior to Protapnarayun Singh, of the Hindu College also, who outstrips all competitors. "I must observe, however, that the subjects set for the senior classes appear to me much too difficult, and almost unfair, as embracing periods out of the pale of actual history, and only within that of criticism and conjecture. There would still appear to be much in the field of actual history (as the 2nd volumes of Elphinstone and Arnold) which might well occupy their attention, and with which they are but superficially acquainted. "To establish this, I would refer to the numbers of marks gained by the boys, excepting one or two in each College. They are all low, and do not come down in regular gradation from the others. "A reference to many of the papers will shew that most of the answers are an unmeaning string of epithets and phrases, jumbled together from that part of the history out of which the question is set; especially where any point of history is argued out rather than stated. In such cases to have given marks according to the connected proof of the point, would have reduced them to almost nothing; and I have been compelled to give them according to the amount of evidence brought forward in any shape whatever. “The papers of the junior boys will confirm my idea, by presenting a much more regular gradation from the highest to the lowest." The examiner of the Vernacular Essay stated that"I have generally to express satisfaction with the exercises both as regards matter and style. I do not make this remark without consideration of times and circumstances and of the present state of the Bengali language. The language is but half formed. Opinions vary as tastes differ. Some think that the excellence of an essay is to be estimated by its Punditya or display of Sanscrit learning. This is the sentiment of our indigenous Pundits, who do not consider a paper worthy of their perusal unless it is for the most part above the level of the popular intellect. Others again seem to despise as fastidious the use even of such words and phrases in Sanscrit, as having for ages been mixed up with the vernacular, are appreciated by both learned and unlearned. This class of critics consider as venial offences even gross mistakes in grammar and orthography. In estimating the merits of the essays now returned, I have made large allowances for differences of opinion and taste; but I must declare, in justice to the students, that their style is generally neither pedantic nor vulgar. "The following classes of defects I have not however considered as trifling: 1. "The use which, under a false notion of rhetoric or sentimentalism, persons of the Punditya School are inclined to make of such indecent Sanscritized words and phrases, as even a rake would be ashamed to translate in the ordinary vernacular language. I cannot help saying that the use of such expressions in an essay on virtue indicates very bad taste; but I must at the same time report, in justice to the vast majority of the essayists, that only two or three essays have betrayed such bad taste. 2. "The use of such Hindustani-Bengali vulgarisms as জদিবি (for যদিও) পুছিলেস &c. and such gross mistakes in spelling as t, f. These are far worse than mistakes of long for short vowels, of fore or for . The boy that spells may fairly be supposed to be ignorant of its derivation from এক and consequently of its true meaning. But I am very happy to record that instances of such misspelling are very rare; and that the HindustaniBengali vulgarisms, noticed above, are found only in essays to the writers of which Bengali is not vernacular. "I need not trespass upon your time by special remarks on the exercises of particular colleges. How they stand in regard to each other will appear from the papers enclosed. "I shall only repeat that the students have generally evinced fair progress in the art of Bengali composition." The following is an extract from Mr. Foggo's report on Rhetoric: "I send the answers of Kallyprosunno Dutt, of the Hindu College, and of Omesh Chunder Dutt, of the Kishnaghur College, to be printed. They are both good and the marks are equal. I think it not unworthy of mention that the latter writes a most excellent hand, and that several of the scholarship papers from Hooghly and Kishnaghur are so beautifully written that facsimiles of them might be printed; Dacca is very deficient in this respect. The greater part of the answers sent in are very creditable. In the morning paper very few obtained less than half marks; but in the examples, even when attempted, they did not succeed so well." The other examiners transmitted only the tabular statements of the numerical results of their respective examinations. The following is a list of the scholarships gained and retained in the different institutions, placed in the order of seniority of the Colleges. The mathematical and literature questions of the first three classes were so much more difficult than those of the fourth, that each class has been kept distinct in the award; since no fair comparison could be instituted between them. Oomesh Chunder Ghose, (second year junior,) 111·5 Gains a free scholarship. Retains. 106 { Gains a free scholarship. 105.75) Gain stipen 102.1 Joykisto Chunder, (junior, free,)... ... ... JUNIOR. 77.9 118 200.75 diary scholarships. Gain pay scholarships. 186.75 ... ... ... 178. 182.75 Gain. |