Page:Adam's reports on vernacular education in Bengal and Behar, submitted to Government in 1835, 1836 and 1838.djvu/209

Rh my forms of business and modes of investigation. Those whom I employed generally belonged to the class of office-expectants, numerous at every sudder station. Their objections to take employment were the smallness of the allowance I offered, generally seven and sometimes eight rupees a month; the shortness of the period allowed to do the work of one thana, viz., one month; and the severity of the labour in travelling from village to village, which was particularly felt in the rainy and hot seasons. The inducements I presented were the payment of half a month’s wages in advance; an ample supply of stationery at my expense; the promise of travelling expenses if the work was well done; every facility in the way of perwannahs from the Magistrate; and the assurance, if satisfaction was given, of receiving a testimonial of character and service which the Magistrate had sometimes the goodness to intimate he would take into favourable consideration when occasion should occur. The promise of this bit of paper, the testimonial, especially when accompanied by an expression of the Magistrate’s good feeling towards the object, and those who should aid it, generally removed all objections. Those who acceded to my terms, and whose general intelligence created a favourable impression in my mind, received copies of the tabular forms I employed, which they were directed to read with care and to copy correctly with their own hands. Every separate column was then explained to each candidate by my pandit, who, having pronounced him sufficiently instructed and qualified, brought him to me for examination. Generally I had occasion to confirm the decision of the pandit, sometimes to send the candidate back for further instruction, and occasionally to reject him altogether for stupidity and ignorance. Those who were finally approved always claimed and received a letter of appointment specifying their duties and their compensation, to which I added a warning against making any exaction or committing any oppression on the humbler classes of natives and an order to report progress weekly according to a prescribed form. They also received a perwannah addressed to the darogha of the thana by the magistrate requiring him to assist the waqifkars, and another from the same authority addressed to zemindars, talookdars, &c., requesting similar assistance. The waqifkars finally received ruled forms as models of those in which they were expected to make their returns, and they were then dismissed with every necessary verbal admonition and encouragement. During their absence a regular correspondence was maintained with each person; and when difficulties arose they were removed by advice or orders communicated by letter, or by personal supervision according to the nature of the case. When the waqifkars returned, their papers were minutely inspected; and if such discrepancies and inconsistencies were discovered as implied negligence, another person was sent to go over the same ground. When the returns made appeared