Page images
PDF
EPUB

The appointment of the superior officers of the college was notified in a Calcutta gazette extraordinary on the 20th of September 1800, though they were not formally admitted to their offices till the 24th of April following. Towards the close of the former year an advertisement was published in different parts of India, announcing the establishment of the college, and inviting men of learning and knowledge, moulvies, pundits, and moonshees, to Calcutta, for the purpose of submitting to an examination with a view to the choice of some as teachers in the college. About fifty natives, and subsequently a larger number, were in consequence attached to it.

Lectures in the Arabic, Hindostanee, and Persian languages, commenced in the month of November 1800; and the first regular term opened on the 6th of February following.

CHAPTER II.

WITH the commencement of the year 1801, Mr. Buchanan entered upon his important and laborious duties as Vice-Provost and Professor of Classics in the college of Fort William. His health and spirits had hitherto been more or less depressed; nor was the former likely to be improved by the various weighty engagements which now devolved upon him. A work, however, had at length been assigned to him, both in the college, and as one of the chaplains of the Presidency; which, while it demanded his utmost talents and exertions, deeply interested his feelings, and animated him with the hope of becoming extensively useful in India. Early in this year he thus wrote to Mr. Grant.

"Since my last to you, dated Kedgeree, when I was going "to sea, nothing of importance has occurred here. The "regulation concerning the college has been carried into "effect, and the institution has already acquired energy and "tranquillity. We have about an hundred students; the "greater part of whom promise to distinguish themselves. "There are as remarkable instances of application here, as "I have known at Cambridge.

"Both the churches are generally full, particularly in the "cold weather. The college chapel has punkas, which will "probably draw a great number of the townspeople during "the hot season. Lord Wellesley has fitted up a pew for "himself in chapel.

"Mr. Obeck breakfasted with Mrs. Buchanan this morn"ing, and pleased her much with the account he gave of "you and your family for a series of years in this country. "The old man still retains his faculties in vigour, and is "strong in body. His office at present is the distribution "of four or five hundred rupees a month to the poor. The "cold meat of college supports a great number of poor Por"tuguese and English."

On the 16th and 18th of the same month, Mr. Buchanan again wrote to Mr. Grant. The following are extracts

from his letters.

"While we remained at Penang, Sir George Leith, the "Governor, stated to me the want of a chaplain on the "island. I have since represented it to Lord Wellesley, who "said he would mention the subject to the Court of Direc“tors. Lord W. allows one hundred dollars a month for a "lay chaplain. Perhaps you might effect an appointment "of a regular chaplain at two hundred dollars more."

"Lord W. has had serious thoughts of building a larger "church. But the college institution has deranged his plans "a little. If you cannot give us a new church at present, "we shall thank you for a clock and bell; and also for a "singing man and organist. The charity boys sing in the "two churches and in the college chapel every Sunday. "And there are organs in each, but only one organist.

"Some of the college students have already made most "distinguished proficiency in the oriental languages. By "the statutes they must be able to hold public disputations "in these languages on a given subject. Ten of the first "proficients go out the first year, and twenty the second. "The spirit of emulation, of interest, and of fame, is excited "in a very remarkable degree. No impropriety of conduct " is known. All is silence, and study, and decorum. They "all dine in the college hall, in the presence of the pro❝fessors.

"There are some instances of a serious spirit of religious "enquiry among the students.

"Lord Wellesley wants some persons of distinguished "ability in science and classics to superintend in college, "and thinks, properly, that they should, if possible, be "clerical men. He has asked me for names, and I have "mentioned those of several wranglers and medallists, "which, he says, he will send to Mr. Dundas. Two or three "of them promised once to do honour to their profession.

a A chaplain has since been appointed to the island.

"Mr. Brown is in a precarious state of health at present; " and I have never been strong. No such field is any where "to be found for learning and piety, as that which Calcutta "at this time exhibits.

"Sir Alured Clarke has just left us. He is entitled to "the thanks of your Court for his attention to divine ser"vice, and for the general good example he has set to your "settlement here."

In his next letter to Mr. Grant, Mr. Buchanan had the pleasure of introducing to him one of his earliest friends, Mr. Alexander Campbell, the second officer of the Walsingham East Indiaman, and afterwards commander of the United Kingdom.

"He was once," says Mr. Buchanan, "a pupil of mine, "when I was fourteen, and he was ten years of age. He is "the son of a respectable family; and though he was for"merly gay, he is now more steady, and has had oppor"tunities lately of seeing great changes of heart in those "around him. He was," and it was surely a singular coincidence, "fourth officer of the Busbridge, which brought "me to India. I do not know what you can do for him, "farther than by recommending him as an active and intel"ligent officer, which he is. He does not much like the sea, "and would gladly retire to a quiet and certain situation. "But I have advised him to continue in his present line, "and to maintain his activity and integrity before all men. "General Lake is just arrived. He and his family were "at church yesterday."

In the month of June following, Mr. Buchanan thus resumes his account of the two subjects of Indian intelligence most interesting to himself, the church and the college, in a letter to Mr. Grant, and announces Mrs. Buchanan's approaching return to England.

"Our church continues in much the same state in which "I described it to be in my last. We have had an addition "of some communicants, chiefly from college. The church "thins a little always in the hot months of May and June. "Lord W. has proposed to use punkas and tatties; and

"it is probable that we shall have recourse to them next

"season.

"The college still goes on with spirit and energy. Some "of the students will leave it, and enter on the service in "December 1801 (this year.) I see clearly that all our "future professors and examiners will be taken from among "those who have been students. It is with the greatest "difficulty that we can find in the whole service examiners "in the various languages, who have confidence to face the "students. So that we have been obliged to take our ex"aminers from among the professors, which is rather con"trary to the statutes."

Mr. Buchanan appears to have detained this letter till after the 3d of July, on which day the first public examination of the college students took place. The name of his young friend, Mr. William Elliott, appeared at the head of the first class in the Persian and Hindostanee languages, and in Nagree writing, and in the first class of Arabic. Mr. Buchanan speaks also of the good conduct and distinguished proficiency in the languages, of some other young men, as being above all praise. He then adverts to the health of Mrs. Buchanan, who since her return from Pulo Penang had experienced a return of her consumptive complaint, which made it necessary for her to try the effect of her native air. "Should her health,” he adds, “be restored, "she will return to India, after a short residence with her "family."

Accordingly on the 25th of July 1801, Mrs. Buchanan embarked for England, taking with her their eldest daughter, Charlotte, and leaving the youngest, Augusta, then not quite six months old, with Mr. Buchanan. Her voyage was stormy, and otherwise perilous and painful; but she reached her native country in safety on the 18th of February 1802.

She was the bearer of a letter to one of Mr. Buchanan's friends, in which he mentions that the regular attendance of the greater number of the students on divine worship, and still more decisive proofs of serious impressions amongst

« PreviousContinue »