SYSTEM OF INSTRUCTION. 
437 
greatest, is that the adult natives make their en- 
campments immediately in the neighbourhood of 
the schools, whilst the children, when out of school, 
roam in a great measure at will, or are often em- 
ployed collecting firewood, &c. about the park lands, 
a place almost constantly occupied by the grown up 
natives, there is consequently nearly as much inter- 
course between the school children and the other 
natives, and as great an influence exercised over 
them by the parents and elders, as if they were still 
allowed to frequent the camps. 
Another evil is, that no inducement is held out to 
the parents, to put their children to school, or to 
allow them to remain there. They cannot com- 
prehend the advantage of having their children 
clothed, fed, or educated, whilst they lose their 
services; on the contrary, they find that all the 
instruction, advice, or influence of the European, 
tends to undermine among the children their own 
customs and authority, and that when compelled to 
enforce these upon them, they themselves incur the 
odium of the white men. Independently, however, 
of this consideration, and of the natural desire of 
a parent to have his family about him, he is in 
reality a loser by their absence, for in many of the 
methods adopted for hunting, fishing, or similar 
pursuits, the services even of young children 
are often very important. For the deprivation of 
these, which he suffers when his children are at 
school, he receives no equivalent, and it is no wonder 
