156 
i>upplement to the “ Tropical Agncultimst.” 
[August I, i8gi. 
every subject of importance, wliether Literature, 
or Science, or Art. He knows all aliout the most 
recent inventions, and lias particulars of every 
important industry, tint the I’anjahi ha.s nothing 
of this in his vernacular. He iias “ very little 
of any kind to rend, still loss that is good, and 
nothing at all of a ft'acfical character and con- 
ducive to indiutrinl progress.” 
If it is easy to object that the educated I’aiijabi 
has also access to tlie Knglishmau’s resources. 
But the educated Panjabi is not the nrrragf man 
of the district, and as a rule the educated Paujabi 
disdains industrial jiursuits, or has no suitable 
opportunitj' of following them. Apart from that, 
the objection is basi-d on a fallacy. In the first 
place, Knglish is more or less a foreign language 
to the native of India : and in the second place, 
to say that the Englishman and tlio Panjabi have 
equal facilities in the way of procuring technical 
information is to exaggerate the capabilities of 
Indian booksellers. 
Evidently, therefore, a national literature must 
be the first stop to industrial advancement, and 
Mr. Oman appropriately proceeds to sketch the 
character of the literature l)eat adapted to India. 
With little or no modification, it would bis a 
literature extremely suitable for us in Ceylon. 
1st. The best English works of the day should 
be locally procurable and at low prices. This 
ii a subject important and considerable, 
enough to require separate treatment. It 
if curious that in spite of all the concessions 
granted by the (ioveniraent (in tho way 
of reduced postage rates and the absence of 
customs charges) tho cost of books should still be 
so excessive. Not many years ago, before the 
rise in exchange, native booksellers in India were 
abU to sell most books at eight aiinns to the 
shilling. Even now they sell at nine, and the larger 
European (Inns at ten annas. But in Ceylon, 
we are charged 87 cents ( = 1J annas) for a little 
shilling primer, and for other books in much the 
same proportion! If the.se charges do uot appear 
•xtravagant to the book-huying public of Ceylon, 
they certainly deserve to pay. 
But even a charge of eight annas to the shil- 
ling has been recognized as too high for the 
natives of India and even for most Europeans. 
Hence it is we see specialeditions (like Macmillan s 
Colonial Library) being published for their benefit. 
An extension of this is what those interested in 
the national culture of India de.sire. There was 
lately some discussion on the subject, but uothing 
definite has apparently been decided. 
2nd. Mr. Oman is not satisfied with clump 
English books. He urges the importance of a 
vernacular literature. This vernacular literature 
may consist even of borrowed materials; but it 
must be national, and endowed with a healthy 
vitality” It must bo broad and tolerant, in- 
cluding not only technical works, but works of 
imagination, history, and philosophy. Something 
yet is necessary,-illustrnted books forthe young. 
When we see magazines like the Hoy e Own Payer 
and the (Hrf* Own, it seldom strikes us that those 
to whom English is a “ fdTeign’ tongue have no 
opportunity of enjoviiig or pniflting by (leriodicals 
of that class. ‘‘The Indian school-boy, with 
nothing but his few meagre scliool-book.s to pore 
over, i« certainly very much to be, pitied, and 
though h« may get through the exaiiiiiiations for 
which he is prepared by his teachers, he has uu- 
doiibtedly lost, and lost irreparably, an important 
part of the education that European children 
enjoy, and he has certainly mis.'-ed a deal of 
innocent pleasure which would have been bis 
portion under happier circumstances.” 
3rd. The means of illustrating book,s aiiil 
jiapers should be made available. For this, 
lithography, wood-engrai'iug and photography 
should be encouraged. •' When there is in 
Europe such a wealth of menn.s, such a choice 
of beautiful processes for the illustration of books, 
it seems to me a Sh.vmr that we in India are so 
utterly deficient in this respect." 
^ Then there is High Efhication. In England, 
Chartered Colleges, Institiitiou.s, and E.vamining 
llndie.s of the higliest ola.s.s exist quite distinct 
from the nine L'niversities. 15eside.s these, the 
Oovernmeiit itself undertakes an extensive system 
of Examinations in Science and Art. To encour- 
age these subjects it offers grants, and even pays 
the Teachers, on the re.sults sy.stom. hi 1887, 
there were 103,3(12 students under iustruction in 
this way, and t he grants jiaid aniounted to £'S8,()()0. 
Then, there are. Xight iSchooh-, learned frocietiee, 
with their ./rmniff/s, prize/:, and meda/e-, and 
1‘ublic Leitiiree. These methods are fully 
treated in the lecture before us, and many practi- 
cal suggestiou.s arc made, which may be’rufen'ed 
to as occasion arises. 
After (leneral Education, the subject of Techni- 
cal Iustruction demands attention. There is one 
important featm-o ‘o he noted in the agitation for 
special knowledge in England. There it is a 
spontaneoii,scry,a demand that ha.s come from the 
working-men theimselves and from employers of 
labour. Until thi.sepontHiioiiy is noted in' India 
(let ns f.i.d, Ceylon) no motemeiit in that direction 
will be useful. Here is apn.s.sagc from the lecture, 
which puts the case forcibly jf. 
enough for the adi'aucemeut of Indian iuiiustries 
tliHta few workmen beie and there should be 
taught certain more or le.ss modern technical 
processes, precnsseswliich might be superseded any 
day by bettor and cheaper ones. For sound niul 
permanent progress, it, i.s essential that there 
should take place .such a general raising ef the 
entire intidlectual level of the woiking cla.s.ses „s 
will place them in a position to appreciate ami 
adopt new method.s of work as they arise, and to 
understand the beurings of new inventions iiiion 
heir own trades ami craft s. They must have t hat 
living interest m scientific, nieclinnical, and other 
inventions and discoveric., which characterise the 
employes of labour, ami the better iiortioii of the 
working-men of Europe and Amoricn to-day. A 
new class of educated masters, employers of skilled 
labour, must also come into existence here, before 
Indian nidus nes can be doveloped to (heir fullest 
extent and thiswill not take place until members 
of the better educated classes .shall deyotc them- 
fielven to industnal jnirsuits, nnd ahull 
ashamed to be the foremen of sliojis and the work- 
iiig ^heads of industrial undertakings, large or 
India is mainly an agricultural country ; hence 
agriculture i.s the department in which more 
technical Knowledge is specially required, Mr. 
Oman does not sympathise with the European 
traveller who goes away with a favourable im- 
pression of the knowledge and skill possessed by 
