first practised upon the son of a constable of Spain, it was afterwards
cultivated with much emulation in England, by Wallis and Holder, and was
lately professed by Mr. Baker, who once flattered me with hopes of seeing
his method published. How far any former teachers have succeeded, it is
not easy to know; the improvement of Mr. Braidwood's pupils is wonderful.
They not only speak, write, and understand what is written, but if he
that speaks looks towards them, and modifies his organs by distinct and
full utterance, they know so well what is spoken, that it is an
expression scarcely figurative to say, they hear with the eye. That any
have attained to the power mentioned by Burnet, of feeling sounds, by
laying a hand on the speaker's mouth, I know not; but I have seen so
much, that I can believe more; a single word, or a short sentence, I
think, may possibly be so distinguished.

It will readily be supposed by those that consider this subject, that Mr.
Braidwood's scholars spell accurately. Orthography is vitiated among
such as learn first to speak, and then to write, by imperfect notions of
the relation between letters and vocal utterance; but to those students
every character is of equal importance; for letters are to them not
symbols of names, but of things; when they write they do not represent a
sound, but delineate a form.

This school I visited, and found some of the scholars waiting for their
master, whom they are said to receive at his entrance with smiling
countenances and sparkling eyes, delighted with the hope of new ideas.
One of the young Ladies had her slate before her, on which I wrote a
question consisting of three figures, to be multiplied by two figures.
She looked upon it, and quivering her fingers in a manner which I thought
very pretty, but of which I know not whether it was art or play,
multiplied the sum regularly in two lines, observing the decimal place;
but did not add the two lines together, probably disdaining so easy an
operation. I pointed at the place where the sum total should stand, and
she noted it with such expedition as seemed to shew that she had it only
to write.

It was pleasing to see one of the most desperate of human calamities
capable of so much help; whatever enlarges hope, will exalt courage;
after having seen the deaf taught arithmetick, who would be afraid to
cultivate the Hebrides?

Such are the things which this journey has given me an opportunity of
seeing, an