EDUCATION. we be enabled to render it in the end as compre I. ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. It is highly interesting to our country, and it is [The friends of learning in the general assemblyhensive as we would wish. are respectfully presented with an opportunity of perusing the following most able and valuable letter on the subject of education, proceed-the duty of its functionaries, to provide that every ing from the pen of Mr. Jefferson. It presents citizen in it should receive an education proporin a commanding light the great objects in the tioned to the condition and pursuits of his life view of those citizens who have sought the esThe mass of our citizens may be divided into two tablishment of a seminary of learning in the classes, the laboring and the learned. The laborcounty of Albemarle, under the denominationing will need the first grade of education to quaof the Central College. Would not the general assembly consult the best interests of the people, in giving efficient support to the plans of public instruction so liberal and expanded, by an immediate appropriation to that object of a portion of the debt due to this State from the United States]?[Kichmond Enquirer. lify them for their pursuits and duties; the learn II. GENERAL SCHOOLS. ed will need it as a foundation for further ac quirements. A plan was formerly proposed to the legislature of this State, for laying off every county into hundreds or wards of 5 or 6 miles square, within each of which should be a school, for the education of the children of the ward, wherein they should receive three years instrucMONTICELLO, SEPT. 7, 1814. tion gratis, in reading, writing, arithmetic as far as fractions, the roots and rations, and geograPeter Carr, President of the Board of Trustees. phy. The legislature at one time tried an ineffecDEAR SIR,-On the subject of the academy or tual expedient for introducing this plan, which college proposed to be established in our neigh-having failed, it is hoped they will some day rebourhood, I promised the trustees that I would sume it in a more promising form. prepare for them a plan, adapted, in the first instance, to our slender funds, but susceptible of At the discharge of the pupils from the elemenbeing enlarged, either by their own growth, or tary schools, the two classes separate; those des by accession from other quarters. I have longtined for labor will engage in the business of agrientertained the hope that this, our native State, culture, or enter into apprenticeships to such would take up the subject of education, and make handicraft art as may be their choice; their coman establishment, either with or without incorpo-panions destined to the pursuits of science, will ration, into that of William and Mary, where proceed to the COLLEGE, which will consist, 1st, of every branch of science deemed useful at this day, GENERAL Schools, and 2d, of PROFESSIONAL Schools. should be taught in its highest degree. With this The GENERAL Schools will constitute the 24 GRADE view, I have lost no occasion of making myself ac- of education. quainted with the organization of the best semina- The learned class may still be subdivided into ries in other countries, and with the opinions of two sections: 1. Those who are destined for learnthe most enlightened individuals on the subject of ed professions, as a means of livelihood; and 2. the sciences, worthy of a place in such an institu-The wealthy who, possessing independent fortion. In order to prepare what I had promised our trustees, I have lately revised these several plans with attention, and I am struck with the diversity of arrangement observable in them, no two being alike. Yet have no doubt that these several arrangements have been the subject of mature reflection, by wise and learned men, who, contemplating local circumstances, have adapted them to the condition of the section of society for which they have been framed. I am strengthened in this conclusion by an examination of each separately, and a conviction that no one of them, if adopted without change, would be suited to the circumstances and pursuits of our country. The example they have set, then, is authority for us to select from their different institutions the materials which are good for us, and with them to erect a structure, whose arrangement shall correspond I. Language. II. Mathematics. III. Philosophy. with our own social condition, and shall admit of I. LANGUAGE. In the first department, I would enlargement in proportion to the encouragements arrange, as distinct sciences, 1. Languages & Hisit may merit and receive. As I may not be able tory, ancient and modern : 2. Grammar: 3. Belles to attend the meetings of the trustees, I will make Lettres: 4. Rhetoric and Oratory: 5. A school you the depository of my ideas on the subject, for the deaf, dumb and blind. History is here aswhich may be corrected as you proceed, by the sociated with Languages, not as a kindred subject, better views of others, and adapted, from time to but on a principle of economy, because both may time, to the prospects which open upon us, and be attained by the same course of reading, if which cannot now be specifically seen and provi-books are selected with that view. ded for. tunes, may aspire to share in conducting the affairs of the nation, or to live with usefulness and respect in the private ranks of life. Both of these sections will require instruction in all the higher branches of science, the wealthy to qualify them for either public or private life; the professional section will need these branches, especially, which are the basis of their future profession, and a ge neral knowledge of the others, as auxiliary to that, and necessary to their standing, and associating with the scientific class. All the branches then of useful science ought to be taught in the General Schools, to a competent extent, in the first int stance. These sciences may be arranged into three departments, not rigorously scientific indeed, but sufficiently so for our purpose. These are, JI. MATHEMATICs. In the department of Mathe In the first place, we must ascertain with preci-matics, I should place distinctly, 1. Mathematics sion the object of our institution, by taking a sur- pure: 2. Physico-Mathematics: 3. Physics: 4. vey of the general field of science, and making out Chemistry: 5. Natural History, to wit, Mineralothe portion we mean to occupy at first, and thegy: 6. Botany and 7. Zoology: 8. Anatomy: 9, ultimate attention of our views beyond that, should the Theory of Medicine. : III. PHILOSOPHY. In the Philosophical depart- And to that of Technical Philosophy will come ment, I should distinguish, 1. Ideology: 2. Ethics: the mariner, carpenter, ship-wright, plough3. the law of Nature and Nations: 4. Government: wright, wheel wright, mill wright, pump maker, 5. Political Economy. But, some of these terms clock-maker, machinist, optician, metallurgist, being used by different writers, in different de-founder, cutler, druggist, brewer, vintner, distilgrees of extention, I will define exactly what I ||ler, dyer, painter, bleacher, soap-maker, tanner, mean to comprehend in each of them. powder-maker, salt-maker, glass maker, to learn I. 3. Within the term of Belles Lettres, I in- as much as shall be necessary to pursue their art clude Poetry and Composition generally, and Cri-understandingly, of the sciences of geometry, meticism. chanics, statistics, hydrostatics, hydraulics, hydroII. 1. I consider Pure Mathematics as the sci-dynamics, navigation, astronomy, geography, opence of 1. Numbers, and 2. Measure in the ab-tics, pneumatics, accoustics, physics, chemistry, stract: that of Numbers compehending Arithme-natural history, botany, mineralogy, and pharmacy. tic, Algebra and Fluxions; that of Measure, (un- The school of Technical Philosophy will differ der the general appellation of Geometry,) com- essentially in its functions from the other profesprehending Trigonometry, plane and spherical,sional schools. The others are instituted to ramify Conic sections, and transcendental curves. and dilate the particular sciences taught in the II. 2. PHYSICO MATHEMATICS treat of Physical schools of the 2d grade on a general scale only. subjects by the aid of Mathematical calculation. The Technical school is to abridge those which These are Mechanics, Statistics, Hydrostatics, Hy-were taught there too much in ixtenso for the lidraulics, Hydrodynamics, Navigation, Astronomy,mited wants of the artificer or practical man. These Geography, Optics, Pneumatics, Acoustics. artificers must be grouped together, according H. 3. PHYSICS OR NATURAL PHILOSOPHY, [not to the particular branch of science in which they entering the limits of Chemistry,] treat of natural || need elementary and practical instruction, and a substances, their properties mutual relations, and special lecture or lectures should be prepared for action. They particularly examine the subjects each group-and these lectures should be given of motion, attraction, magnetism, electricity, gal-in the evening, so as not to interrupt the labors of vanism, light, meteorology, with an &c. not easily the day. This school particularly should be mainenumerated. These definitions and specifications tained wholly at the public expense, on the same render immaterial the question whether I use the principles with that of the ward schools. Through generic terms in the exact degree of comprehen- the whole of the Collegiate course, at the hours sion in which others use them; to be understood is of recreation on certain days, all the students all that is necessary to the present object. should be taught the manuel exercise, military evolutions and manœuvres, should be under a sepa-standing organization as a military corps and with proper officers to train and command them. III. PROFESSIONAL SCHOOLS. At the close of this course, the Students rate, the wealthy retiring, with a sufficient stock of knowledge, to improve themselves to any degree to which their views may lead them, and the professional section to the PROFSSIONAL Schools, constituting the III GRADE of education, and teaching the particular sciences which the individuals of this section mean to pursue, with more minuteness and detail than was within the scope of the general school for the 2d grade of instruction. In these PROFESSIONAL, Schools, each science is to be taught in the highest degree it has yet attained. They are to be in the 1st. Department, the Fine arts, to wit. Civil Architecture, Gardening, Painting, Sculpture, and the theory of Music. In the 2d. Department, Architecture, Military and Naval Projectiles, Rural Economy [comprehending Agriculture, Horticulture, and Veterinary.] Technical Philosophy,the practice of Medicine,Materia Medica, Pharmacy and Surgery. In the 3d. Department, Theology and Ecclesiastical History, Law, Municipal and Foreign. To these professional schools will come those who separated at the close of their 1st Elementary course, to wit: The Lawyer to the school of law. The Ecclesiastic to that of Theology and Eccle- The Physician to those of the practice of Medi- The Agricultor to that of Rural Economy. A tabular statement of this distribution of the sciences will place the system of instruction more particularly in view: 1. Or Elementary Grade in the Ward Schools. 1. Language and History, ancient and modern. Mathematics pure. Physics. Ideology. 3. Philosophy, viz. for the occupation of our institution? With the that this premature discovery will entirely oblitefirst grade of education we shall have nothing to rate all the manners and customs of this people. do. The sciences of the second grade are our first object; and to adapt them to our slender be- They will now be made acquainted with the manginnings, we must separate them into groups, comners of European civilized life. A hogshead of spiprehending many sciences each, and greatly more rituous liquor will introduce amongst this people in the first instance, than ought to be imposed on, the germ of that depravity which characterizes or can be competently conducted by a single pro- the refinements of vice, in what is [falsely] called fessor permanently. They must be subdivided from time to time, as our means increase, until civilized society. Paternal and filial affection will each professor shall have no more under his care || be weakened-husbands and wives will lose their than he can attend to with advantage to his pu- fidelity-chastity its charms-industry its serenity pils and ease to himself. In the further advance of our resources, the professional schools must be-honesty its proud and open independence, and introduced and professorships established for them religion its sincerity. also. For the present, we may group the sciences into professorships, as follows-subject, however, It is well known that in the year 1789, his mato be changed according to the qualifications of jesty's armed vessel the Bounty, while employed the persons we may be able to engage. in conveying the bread-fruit tree from Otaheite to I-Professorship-Language and History, (an- the British colonies in the West-Indies, was taken cient and modern,) Belles Lettres, Rhetoric and from her commander, Lieutenant William Bligh, Oratory. by a part of the crew, who, headed by Fletcher II.-Professorship-Mathematics pure, Physico-Christian, a master's mate, mutinied off the Island Mathematics, Physics, Anatomy, Medicine, Theo- of Tofoa, put the lieutenant, with the remainder of the crew, consisting of eighteen persons, into the launch, which after a passage of 1200 leagues providentially arrived at a Dutch settlement of the island of Timor. The mutineers, twenty-five The organization of the branch of the Institution in number, were supposed, from some expressions which respects its government, police, and econo- which escaped them when the launch was turned my, depending on principles which have no affi- adrift, to have made sail towards Otaheite. As nity with those of its instruction, may be the sub- soon as this circumstance was made known to the ject of separate and subsequent consideration. Admiralty, Captain Edwards was ordered to proWith this tribute of duty to the Board of Trus-ceed in the Pandora to that island, and endeavor tees, accept the assurance of my great esteem and consideration. ry. III.-Professorship-Chemistry, Zoology, Bota ny, Mineralogy. IV-Professorship-Philosophy. TH: JEFFERSON. THE MUTINEERS OF THE BOUNTY. to discover and bring to England the Bounty, with such of the crew as he might be able to secure. On his arrival in March 1791, at Matavai Bay, in Otaheite, four of the mutineers came voluntarily on board the Pandora to surrender themWe republish the following interesting narra- others,b (the whole number alive upon the island) selves;a and from information given them ten tiye from the English Quarterly Review, and at were in the course of a few days taken; and, with the same time, we cannot but express our regret the exception of four, who perished in the wreck that these interesting strangers have come in conof the Pandora near Endeavor Strait,c conveyed to tact with civilized depravity. It would have pre-adjudged six of them to suffer death,d and acquit, England for trial before a court-martial, which sented a curious subject of speculation to philoso-ted the other four.e phy, a century hence, to ascertain what would From the accounts given by these men, as well have been the modes of dress; what the code as from documents that were preserved, it appearof crimes; what their religious rites; what the from the ship, the twenty-five mutineers proceeded that as soon as Lieut. Bligh had been driven customs; what the manners; what the laws; whated with her to Toobouai, where they proposed to the mode of acquiring, of preserving and transmitting property; what the circulating medium; what the amusements, and, in short, what would have been all the relations of social life in a people who had no intercourse with the civilized world. Such a state of existence has only hith-ed, on their second arrival, the building of a settle; but the place being found to hold out little encouragement, they returned to Otaheite, and having there laid in a large supply of stock, they once more took their departure for Toobouai carrying with them eight men, nine women, and seven boys, natives of Otaheite. They commenc forte, but by divisions among themselves, and a Namely-Peter Heywood, midshipman; George Stewart, do.; Joseph Coleman, armourer; Richard Skinner, seaman. b Namely-James Morrison, boatswain's mate; Charles Norman, carpenter's mate; Thomas M'Intosh, carpenter's crew; Thomas Ellison, Henry Hilbraut, Thomas Burkitt, John Millward, John Summer, Wm. Muspratt, and Michael Byrn, seamen. e Drowned-George Stewart, Richard Skinner, Henry Hilbraut, John Summer. erto existed in the dreams of the Poet, and the reveries of the Philosopher. It would have put the reality of such speculations to the severities of experience. It would have thrown light upon speculations founded on the supposed primeval state of man, previous to any recognized system of government. In short, it may well be doubted whether there is another people on the face of theed, at the earnest recommendation of the Court, and the last was To the two first of these, his majesty's royal pardon was extend. earth, in the precise state of circumstances with respited, and afterwards pardoned. Thomas Burkitt, John Millward, William Muspratt e Namely-Charles Norman, Joseph Colman, Thomas M'Intosh, thase interesting strangers. But we can conceive | Michael Byrn. quarrels among the natives, the design was aban- and informed me that they were born on the doned. Christian, the leader, also very soon dis-island; and that their father was an Englishman, covered, that his authority over his accomplices who had sailed with Captain Bligh. was at an end; he therefore proposed that they should return to Otaheite; that as many as chose it should be put on shore at that place, and that the rest should proceed in the ship to any other place they might think proper. Accordingly, they once more put to sea, and reached Matavai on the 20th September, 1789. Here sixteen of the five and twenty desired to be landed-fourteen of whom, as already mentioned, were taken on board of the Pandora-of the other two, as reported by Coleman, the first who surrendered himself to captain Edwards, one had been made a chief, killed his companion, and was shortly afterwards murdered himself by the natives. After discoursing with them a short time, I landed with them, and found an Englishman of the name of Alexander Smith, who informed me that he was one of the Bounty's crew, and that after putting Captain Bligh in the boat, with half the ship's company, they returned to Otaheite, where part of the crew.chose to tarry; but Mr. Christian with eight others, including himself, preferred going to a more remote place: and after making a short stay at Otaheite, where they took wives and six men servants, proceeded to Pitcairn's island, where they destroyed the ship, after taking every thing out of her which they thought would be useful to them. About six years after they landed at this place, their servants attacked and killed all the English, excepting the informant, and he was severely wounded. The same night the Otaheitan widows arose and murdered all their countrymen, leaving Smith with the widows and children, where he has resided ever since without being resisted. Christian, with the remaining eight of the mutineers, having taken on board several of the natives of Otaheite, the greater part women, put to sea on the night between the 21st and 22d September, 1789. In the morning the ship was discovered from Point Venus, steering in a north westerly direction; and here terminate the ac- "I remained but a short time on the island, and counts given by the mutineers who were either on leaving it, Smith presented me a time-piece, taken or surrendered themselves at Matavai Bay and an azimuth compass, which he told me be They stated, however, that Christian, on the night longed to the Bounty. The time-keeper was taof his departure, was heard to declare that heken from me by the governor of the island of Juan should seek for some uninhabited island, and hav-Fernandez, after I had had it in my possession ing established his party, break up the ship; but all endeavors of Captain Edwards to gain intelligence either of the ship or her crew at any of the numerous islands visited by the Pandora, failed. From this period, no information respecting Christian or his companions, reached England for twenty years; when about the beginning of the year 1809, Sir Sidney Smith, then commander in chief on the Brazil station, transmitted to the Admiralty a paper which he had received from Lieut. Fitzmaurice, purporting to be an extract from the log-book of Captain Folger, of the American ship Topaz, dated "Valparaiso, 10th October, 1808." This we partly verified in our Review of Dentre. casteaux's Voyage, by ascertaining that the Bounty had on board a chronometer made by Kendal, and that there was on board a man of the name of Alexander Smith, a native of London. about six weeks. The compass I put in repair on Nearly about the same time, a further account of these interesting people was received from Vice Admiral Dixon, in a letter addressed to him by Sir Thomas Staines, of his Majesty's ship Briton, of which the following is a copy: "Sir, "BRITON, VALPARAISO, 18th Oct. 1814. "I have the honor to inform you that on my passage from the Marqueasas Islands to this port, on the morning of the 17th September, I fell in with an island where none is laid down in the AdNew.miralty or other charts, according to the several chronometers of the Briton and Tagus. 1 there. fore hove to, until day-light, and then closed to discovered it to be, and to my great astonishment ascertain whether it was inhabited, which I soon found that every individual on the island, forty in number, spoke very good English. They prove to be the descendants of the deluded crew of the About the commencement of the present year, Rear-Admiral Hotham, when cruizing off London, received a letter addressed to the Lords of the Admiralty, of which the following is a copy, together with the azimuth compass to which it refers: "NANTUCKET, 1st March, 1813. "My Lords, "The remarkable circumstance which took • Churchill and Thompson. Bounty, which from Otaheite proceeded to the above mentioned island, where the ship was burnt, "Christian appeared to have been the leader and sole cause of the mutiny in that ship. A vesurviving Englishman of those who last quitted nerable old man, named John Adams, is the only Otaheite in her, and whose exemplary conduct and fatherly care of the whole of the little colony, could not but command admiration. The pious manner in which all those born on the island have been reared, the correct sense of religion which have been instilled in their young minds by this old There was no such name in the Bounty's crew; he must have I assumed it in lieù of his real name, Alexander Smith man, has given him the pre-eminence over the whole of them, to whom they look up as the father of the whole, and one family. "A son of Christian's was the first born on the island, now about twenty-five years of age, (named Thursday October Christian) the elder Christian fell a sacrifice to the jealousy of an Otaheitean man, within three or four years after their arrival on the island. They were accompanied thither by six Otaheitean men, and twelve women: the former were all swept away by desperate contentions between them and the Englishmen, and five of the latter have died at different periods, leaving at present only one man and seven women of the original settlers. "The island must undoubtedly be that called Pitcairn's, although erroneously laid down in the charts. We had the meridian sun close to it, which gave us 25, 7, S. latitude, and 130, 25, W. longitude, by chronometers of the Briton and Tagus. | says Captain Pipon, "we were glad to trace in his benevolent countenance all the features of an honest English face." "I must confess," he continues, "I could not survey this interesting person without feelings of tenderness and compassion," His companion was named George Young, a fine youth of 17 or 18 years of age. If the astonishment of the captains was great on hearing their first salutation in English, their surprise and interest were not a little increased on Sir Thomas Staines taken the youths below and setting before them something to eat, when one of them rose up and placing his hands in a pos. ture of devotion, distinctly repeated, and in a pleasing tone and manner, For what we are going to receive, the Lord make us truly thankful." They expressed great surprise on seeing a cow on board the Briton, and were in doubt whether she was a great goat, or a horned sow. The two captains of his Majesty's ships accom. pained these young men on shore. With some difficulty and a good wetting, and with the assistance of their conductors, they accomplished a "It is abundant in yams, plantains, hogs, goats, and fowls, but afford no shelter for a ship or vessel of any description; neither could a ship wa-landing through the surf, and were soon after met ter there without great difficulty. "I cannot, however, refrain from offering my opinion, that it is well worthy the attention of our laudable religious societies, particularly that for propagating the Christian Religion, the whole of the inhabitants speaking the Otaheitean tongue as well as English. by John Adams, a man between fifty and sixty years of age, who conducted them to his house. His wife accompained him, a very old lady, blind with age. He was at first alarmed lest the visit was to apprehend him; but on being told that they were perfectly ignorant of his existence, he was relieved from his anxiety. Being once assur"During the whole of the time they have been ed that this visit was of a peaceable nature, it is on the island, only one ship has ever communica-impossible to describe the joy these poor people ted with them, which took place about six years manifested on seeing those whom they were pleas since by an American ship called the Topaz, ofed to consider as their countrymen. Yams, coBoston, Mayhew Folger, master. "The island is completely iron-bound, with rocky shores, and landing in boats at all times difficult, although safe to approach within a short distance in a ship. Signed, "T. STAINES." || coanuts, and other fruits, with fine fresh eggs, were laid before them; and the old man would have killed and dressed a hog for hts visitors, but time would not allow them to partake of his intended feast. This interesting new colony, it seemed, now conWe have been favored with some further parti-sisted of about forty-six persons, mostly grown up culars on this singular society, which, we doubt young people, besides a number of infants. The not, will interest our readers as much as they have young men, all born on the island, were very athourselves. As the real position of the island was letic, and of the finest forms, their countenances ascertained to be so far distant from that in which open and pleasing, indicating much benevolence it is usually laid down in the charts, and as the and goodness of heart: but the young women are captains of the Briton and the Tagus seem to objects of particular admiration-tall, robust, and have still considered it as uninhabited, they were beautifully formed, their faces beaming with smiles not a little surprised, on approaching its shores, and unruffled good-humour, but wearing a degree to behold plantations regularly laid out, and huts of modesty and bashfulness that would do honour and houses more neatly constructed than those on to the most virtuous nation on earth: their teeth, the Marquesas islands. When about two miles like ivory, were regular and beautiful, without a from the above, some natives were observed bring- single exception; and all of them, both male and ing down their canoes on their shoulders, dashing || female, had the most marked English features. The through a heavy surf, and paddling off to the clothing of the young females consisted of a piece ships; but their astonishment was unbounded on of linen reaching from the waist to the knees, and hearing one of them, on approaching the ship, generally a sort of mantle thrown loosely over the call out in the English language-Won't you shoulders, and hanging as low as the ancles: but heave us a rope?" this covering appeared to be intended chiefly as a The first man who got on board the Briton soon protection against the sun and the weather, as it proved who they were. His name, he said, was was frequently laid aside-and then the upper part Thursday October Christian, the first born on the of the body was entirely exposed, and it is not island. He was then about five and twenty years possible to conceive more beautiful forms than of age, and is described as a fine young man about they exhibited. They sometimes wreath caps or six feet high; his hair deep black; his counte- bonnets for the head in the most tasty manner, to nance open and interesting; of a brownish cast, protect the face from the rays of the sun; and but free from that mixture of a reddish tint which though, as Capt. Pipon observes, they have only prevails on the Pacific Islands; his dress was a had the instruction of their Otaheitean mothers, piece of cloth round his loins, and a straw hator-"our dress-makers in London would be delighted namented with the black feathers of the domestic with the simplicity, and yet elegant taste, of these fowl. "With a great share of good humour," untaught females." |