CHAPTER XVI. CODRINGTON COLLEGE. They have been awaked by these awful scenes to begin "religion, and afterwards their virtue has improved itself into "more refined principles, by divine grace." Watts. In resuming the extracts from the papers relative to Codrington College, I commence with the report of the year 1824, which states that, "In the course "of the preceding year, his excellency Sir Henry Ward, governor of Barbados, transmitted to the Society the copy of a document, prepared by "Mr. Christopher Barrow, one of the governors "of Codrington College, in that island, with a "view to procure the remission of the duties on "the produce of the estates, and thereby to afford "the means of extending to the other dependencies "of that government the advantages of the institu"tion. In forwarding this document, his Excellency observes, that the very able report of Mr. C. Barrow "renders any further explanation on his part unnecessary; but the sincere interest which he feels "for that excellent establishment, Codrington College, induces him most earnestly to request the Society to solicit his Majesty's Ministers to forward "with their influence the project that will now be 66 66 brought before them, which, if complied with, will nearly double the funds of the establishment, and “enable it to extend its humane and generous aid; "and his Excellency entertains a most sanguine hope "of success, when it is considered what a very large proportion of the present funds are bestowed on "that laudable undertaking, the religious instruction "of the negroes. His Excellency will not close his "letter without stating the satisfaction which the governors have received from the inspection of the " various documents laid before them by Mr. Forster Clarke, the agricultural attorney, from which it appears that the produce of the estates for the last "ten years is nearly quadruple to that of the pre"vious period, and that the addition of stock far "exceeds that of any other estate on the island; cir"cumstances which clearly evince the ability and 66 integrity with which Mr. Clarke has discharged "his trust, and will without doubt be duly appre"ciated by the Society. "The Rev. John Hothersall Pinder, chaplain to "the negroes, Barbados, reports that he arrived (6 safely at Barbados, May 24, 1824. On the Sunday after his arrival, he went up to the chapel, "and experienced a most gratifying reception from "all the members, young and old. No serious com plaints were reported against any of them, and the "children had made a very fair progress during the year of his absence. Mr. Parkinson had most faithfully discharged his duty as acting chaplain; "and Mrs. Hurman (formerly Miss Puckerin) ap cc pears still very zealous in discharging the office of "schoolmistress. There are eighty-eight children "under instruction, twenty-five of whom attend only "the Sunday-school, which meets for two hours pre"vious to divine service. At present this form, with "the first class of the day-school, read a portion of the "New Testament, and repeat the Catechism broken "into short questions. He has put Mrs. Trimmer's Abridgement of the Old Testament into the hands. "of the day-school, and this forms a pleasing and "valuable addition to their former instructions. 66 66 "The number of communicants on the estate is "seventeen of slave and free from the neighbourhood, about the same number. Three adults, belonging to the estates, who have hitherto manifested "some indifference to Christianity, are now preparing "for baptism. On the subject of marriage, he de"clares his opinion, formed from much conversation "with the better sort, that, although no marriage 66 ceremony is performed, the negro, who lives with "one or more women, considers them as his wives. "National habits are not changed in a day, and he "should fear that strong temporal inducements to "submit to the ceremony would have this tendency "in too many cases: the man would call the married "one his wife, but still cleave to the other, under a "different title. When Christian instruction has had longer time to operate; when the free-coloured class universally apply to the minister for ratifying the "sacred bond; when the domestics and tradespeople "on estates, who form the intermediate link, do the K |