NATIVE SCHOOLS. 



195 



tlie time not to bend his extended ams. This ordeal 

 flnislied, the diildren join in singing a psalm, all 

 keeping time by striking tbe forefinger of the right 

 hand with the palm of the left. It was most amusiag 

 to see the little ones perform their part of the cere- 

 mony. The four classes, into which the schools are 

 divided, are now snccessively examined. The two 

 younger classes in reading and spelling the Malay 

 language, written in the Roman alphabet, according 

 to the Dutch rules of pronunciation. The two older 

 classes are likewise examined in these branches, in 

 penmanship, and the simple rules of aiithmetic. 



As I visited school after school I became more 

 and more surprised at the general proficiency of the 

 children, and I am certainly of the opiaion that they 

 would compare very favorably with the children of 

 the same ages in our own country districts. This 

 remarkable promise in childhood is not, however, 

 followed by a corresponding development during 

 youth and manhood. 



The population* of these islands is divided into 

 the following kinds: first, that of Em'opeans, which 

 also includes the mestizoes, or, as they are always 

 called here, half-castea," who are of all shades of 

 mixture, from those who are as white as Europeans 

 to those who are as brown as the natives, Outside 



* In 1&56 the population of the islaods east of Amboiim was thus di- 

 and *o little change has occurred that these figures elosely repre- 

 sent the relative numbers of each class at the present time : 



IaLj,aBK. 















UottimaifdHtiM. 





88 



m 



4 



OS 



8^ 





64 

 97 

 90 



T.ies 



11,866 

 8.4T9 







