it was hoped that out of
this calamitous state of affairs would be evolved, through the
overruling of Providence, a signal moral and spiritual benefit to the
people generally. Here was a large band of boys and girls taken out of
native society, cut off from idolatrous training and associations, and
made over in the most plastic season of their lives to be moulded by
those whose supreme aim would be to strengthen and elevate their
character, and prepare them for a happy, useful, and honourable career.
It was hoped that when these children thus trained grew to manhood and
womanhood, they would go out among their countrymen striking examples of
moral and spiritual excellence, and would by their manifest superiority
make a greater impression on the minds of the people than could be made
by the preaching and efforts of missionaries. A worthy chaplain sent out
a pamphlet advocating the gathering by Government of all the orphan
children in the country, and, if I remember rightly, of all the children
with whom parents were willing to part, and the placing of them in
institutions where they should be brought up as Christians, and as
members of the Church of England. He maintained that if this was done,
in the course of a few years a great number would go out to native
society to leaven it with Christian sentiment, and with loyalty to the
British Government. He drew a glowing picture of the good that would be
accomplished if this policy were adopted and vigorously carried out. Few
were so hopeful as my friend, but many did anticipate great results.

It cannot be doubted that orphan institutions have done much good; but I
think none will maintain that the sanguine hopes with which they were
begun have been realized. There have been obstacles in the way of
success which might have been partly foreseen, but which could not have
been fully anticipated. Many of the children brought to the missionaries
were so sickly and emaciated, that they soon died in spite of all the
attention bestowed on them. The mortality has been at times most
depressing. There was no vitality to resist disease. The effort to
preserve life was in many cases frustrated by the vitiated taste of the
children, which led them to eat lime, earth, garbage of any kind on
which they could lay their hands, in preference to good food. They were
closely watched, but it was impossible to watch them so closely as to
prevent them from doing that which hurried them to the grav