Coffin school. 85 



that a channel might be dug for the purpose of improv- 

 ing the harbor of Xantucket and sweeping off the sand 

 from the bar. The idea, however, was never consid- 

 ered by engineers as a practicable one*. 



Coffin School. 



Mr. E. B. Fox, for many years the able and efficient 

 principal of this school, contributes the following in 

 relation to it. 



Admiral Sir Isaac Coffin's Lancasterian School.* 

 The Coffin School was founded in 1826 by Admiral 

 Sir Isaac Coffin, Bart., of the English navy, and was 

 incorporated in 1827. In 1826 he visited Nantucket, 

 and at that time conceived the idea of founding a 

 school for the benefit of the Coffins and their descend- 

 ants (at that time there were no public schools in the 

 town), and for that purpose gave £1,000. Tie afterward 

 added to the original sum, and to-day the fund amounts 

 to $50,000. The school includes grammar and high- 

 school grades, and in the high-school department 

 English and classical courses, also a post-graduate 

 course. The French language is included in the Eng- 

 lish course, and Latin, French, and German in the 

 classical course. 



Instruction is given by a principal and three assist- 

 ant teachers, and the number of pupils is limited to 

 one hundred. The physical and chemical apparatus is 

 quite complete, and the library contains one thousand 



* See Admiral Sir Isaac Coffin, page 102; also S II. Jenks, 

 page 112. 



