THE PKESBYTERIAN SCHOOLS. 



219 



" On the ground of education, let none fear to make trial 

 of the country. The parochial school connected with my 

 own church is equal to most parochial schools which I 

 have known in England ; in range of subjects superior to 

 most, though in method and in the apparatus of the school 

 necessarily a little inferior." 



The Eev. John Black, the Presbyterian minister at 

 Eed Eiver, also favoured me with an account of his 

 church and school. The following extract from that 

 gentleman's letter conveys the necessary information : * — 



" First, then, as to the school : This is entirely supported 

 by the people of the district, or rather by those of them 

 who send their children to it. There is no endowment, 

 no public money, nor any allowance by any missionary 

 or other society. The salaries of the different teachers 

 have varied from 22/. to 40/. sterling a year. The branches 

 taught are English reading, writing and grammar, geo- 

 graphy, arithmetic, and the elements of algebra and geo- 

 metry. In the last two branches I think there are no 

 pupils at present. The average attendance will be from 

 thirty-five to forty. The school is kept open for the whole 

 year, excepting a month in harvest, and the usual holidays. 

 The school is not exclusively composed of the children of 

 Presbyterian families, neither do all the children of such 

 families attend it ; some of these, residing at the extremities 

 of the parish, attend the Church of England schools at the 

 upper and middle churches, whilst some of the Church of 

 England people who reside amongst us send their children 

 here. You are aware that we have no public school 

 system in the colony, and this, like the rest, is therefore 



* This letter was published at length in the Canadian Blue Book, a On 

 the Exploration of the Country between Lake Superior and the Red River 

 Settlements," 1858. Also in the Imperial Blue Book on the same subject, 

 June 1859. 



