Page:Isvar Chandra Vidyasagar, a story of his life and work.djvu/449

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"To all appearance they kept their health pretty well.

"The articles of food, as far as they came under my observation, were unexceptionable in character and quality. It was prepared by their own men in separate kitchens.

"The total expenditure of the year amounted to Rs. 31,524-2-10 which yields an average of Rs. 2,627 per head per annum, or Rs. 219 per month. Considering the position of the Wards and the expensive living of Calcutta the average expenditure does not appear to he very high.

"I commenced my inspection from November 1863 under instructions from the Board, and visited this institution five times up to the close of the year. From the commencement, it struck me that the arrangements for the studies of the Wards at home were defective and required reversion. Accordingly I took the liberty to submit a memorandum on the 4th April last, noticing in detail the defects in question, and suggesting such remedies as appeared to me best calculated to correct them. The only change, that has since been introduced, consists in the appointment of an additional private tutor. But I would beg leave humbly to observe that in my subsequent visits the state of things did not appear to me to have materially improved.

"Since submitting the memorandum referred to, I have given the subject my most serious attention, and I take this opportunity to lay my views before the Board for their consideration. It appears to me that all the present arrangements, regarding the Education of the Wards, should undergo thorough revision. Generally the Wards remain at the Institution from 4 to 6 years, and it would certainly be unreasonable to expect that, in so short a