No. 5.— 1849.] PEISON DISCIPLINE. 171 



Instruction, Religious and Scholastic. 



Table of religious persuasion of the inmates of the Prison. 



Protestants ... ... ... ... 30 



Roman Catholics ... ... ... ... 40 



Muhammad an s ... ... ... ... 33 



Buddhists ... ... ... ... 158 



Gentoos ... ... ... ... 39 



Total ... 300 

 The different religious services conducted in the prison 

 are : for the Tamil prisoners instruction by a duly qualified 

 native Catechist, followed by Scripture reading, the church 

 prayers, and a short address. 



On the dismissal of the Tamil congregation, numbering 

 usually from forty to fifty, the Sinhalese service commences, 

 conducted by a clergyman of the Church of England ; the 

 same course of instruction is pursued as with the Tamils, 

 and in the catechetical part a knowledge of Scriptural 

 history is sometimes shown to an extent which would 

 surprise many Europeans. The practice of asking ques- 

 tions on any part of the minister's lessons is permitted 

 and encouraged. The Sinhalese congregation numbers 

 upwards of one hundred. The prisoners are visited 

 generally once during the week days, and addressed on 

 religious subjects ; those in hospital also receive attention. 



Schools have been in operation in the establishment since 

 its opening, but very few prisoners were found willing to 

 take advantage of them ; their ideas are, that Government 

 must reap some benefit or advantage by their being in- 

 structed, or they would not incur such expense for masters, 

 books, &c. ; out of one hundred and seventy prisoners only 

 seventeen for a long time attended school, and the system 

 was about to be abandoned as hopeless. But on the 

 suggestion of the Commission, the following regulation 

 was sanctioned by the Governor, viz., "That every hour 

 "attentively passed in school and Divine services should 

 " be deducted from the sentences of all prisoners under 



