16. District of Yarmouth.

The meeting in Yarmouth was respectably attended, and a resolution was passed in favor of assessment, after an animated discussion. I lectured in the evening at Jebogue Point, and on subsequent evenings in Yarmouth, to a large audience-at the Ponds, and at Beaver River.

The academy (now grammar school) in Yarmouth had a respectable number of pupils in the higher branches, though the attendance was not by any means so large as might have been anticipated in a place so populous as Yarmouth; and I found in the town and its vicinity, several good schools, some of them with very zealous and inquiring teachers. The spirit and energy of the people of Yarmouth, if turned, as I trust they will be, in the direction of educational improvement, must soon raise the schools of this district to a high degree of efficiency.

I visited in this district 9 schools, most of them in an efficient state. I am much indebted to the clerk of the commissioners, Dr. Farish, and to the Hon. Mr. Brown, for their kindness in accompanying me in these school visits, and in otherwise giving valuable aid to my mission.

In the past summer there were 32 schools in this district, supported by £441 7s. 11d. from the people, and £139 11s. 1d. from the Province. The average salary per teacher was £29 10s. from the people, and £8 6s. 7d. from the Province. The number of pupils was 1099, the total number of children being probably 2200. The town of Yarmouth contributes nearly £300 per annum to its public schools.

17. District of Clare.

The meeting in this district was small but respectable. I addressed the audience in English, and Rev. Mr. Geary recapitulated the topics referred to, with much additional matter, in French. A few remarks were made by other gentleinen present, but no resolutions were offered.

In some of the schools of this district the instruction is solely in the French language; in others, English is taught by teachers ignorant of French. Only a few teachers have a knowledge of both languages. Teachers in a district of this kind should be well acquainted with both French and English, and these, I fear, will not be obtained until the establishment of a Normal School enables some of the young people of the district itself to obtain a thorough training as teachers. English education has been much neglected in this as well as all the other French districts of the Province, and the people suffer many disadvantages in consequence, especially in their

intercourse with the United States. The advantages of English instruction are, however, beginning to be more highly appreciated.

Clare had, during the past summer, 17 schools, five of which I visited. They were supported by £109 18s. 101d. from the people and £81 3s. 1d. from the Province. The number of pupils was 422, the number of children being about 600.

18. District of Digby.

The meeting at Digby was small, and little interest in its objects appeared, except on the part of the Commissioners. I lectured in the evening to a small audience. I also lectured at Weymouth and Bear River, at both of which places there are good schools, and apparently much interest in the cause of education.

The grammar school of Digby is a useful institution, and the long residence of its teacher in the town gives to it a character of permanence very favorable to its efficiency. There is also in the town a large and efficient common school. I visited 11 schools in this district.

There were in this district 33 schools during the past summer, supported by £536 15s. 9d. from the people, and £204 from the Province; the average salary per teacher being £33 13s. from the people, and £12 11s. 11d. from the Province. The number of pupils was 985, the number of children in the district being probably 1500.

19. County of Annapolis.

The meeting at Bridgetown was well attended, especially by the teachers, and a resolution in favor of assessment was carried. I lectured in the evening to a moderately good audience. Lectures were also delivered at Annapolis, Laurencetown, and Nictaux

Plains.

The academy at Annapolis (now a grammar school) was, at the time of my visit, being re-opened, under an intelligent young teacher, apparently with good prospects. The grammar school at Bridgetown was well attended and supported, and both in Annapolis and Bridgetown there were highly useful common schools, both male and female. One of the schools near the latter place is taught by a good teacher trained at the Normal Schools of New Brunswick. The academy or grammar schcol of Paradise deserves especial notice. Situated in a rural district, and supported by no other Legislative aid than the grammar school allowance of £25 per annumar. excellent teacher and liberal-minded people, bave enabled it to attract pupils from a distance, and to attain a degree of efficiency rarely surpassed by any of the county academies. This school is interesting as an excellent example of what might be done in the

rural districts of this Province, had we a sufficient supply of able and trained teachers, and zeal and union on the part of the people.

I visited in this county 16 schools, and on the whole was favorably impressed as to the state of education. The teachers appear to be a respectable and intelligent body of men, and the school-buldings, though below the standard of modern improvement in their furniture, books and apparatus, are better than those of most other counties in this Province. In the eastern part of the county especially, there are some very well planned buildings. There is, however, at present, on the part of the people, too great a tendency to mix up party contentions with the affairs of the schools. I am much indebted to the Commissioners for this county, and their clerk, for the cordiality and earnestness with which they co-operated in my work.

Annapolis had, during the past summer, 62 schools, supported by £896 13s. 11d. from the people, and £362 from the Province, the annual salary per teacher being £32 17s. 5d. from the people and £13 7s. 7d. from the Province. The number of pupils was 1777, the whole number of children being probably 2500.

20. King's County.

The public meeting at Kentville was highly interesting. The Commissioners, and other friends of education, sustained an animated and highly practical discussion for several hours, and resolutions were passed in favor of assessment and a Normal School. The evening lectures at Kentville, Canard Street, Wolfville, and Lower Horton, were well attended.

I saw in the county 14 schools in session. Many of them were in a very efficient state, and on the whole the state of education very much resembles that in the county of Annapolis. Some of the schools, however, in districts apparently wealthy, seemed to be poorly furnished and supported, and there was much of that deficiency of uniform books and apparatus that is felt in nearly all the counties of the Province. The grammar school at Kentville is somewhat deficient in these respects. The academy connected with Acadia College, Wolfville, has two efficient teachers, and were the shadow of denominational control removed from it, and its support and management based on the same general principles with those of the public schools, there can be no doubt that its attendance and usefulness would be very greatly increased.

King's had, in the past summer, 64 schools, supported by £299 6s. from the Province and £1029 15s. from the people. The average annual salary per teacher was £36 1s. from people, and £10 5s. from Province. The number of children at school was 1932, the total number being probably 2500.

21. Western District of Hants.

The meeting at Windsor was small, and the discussion rather pointless and desultory. I had, however, a good audience at the evening lecture. Lectures were also delivered at Mount Denson and Newport, to good audiences.

I visited 12 schools in this county: some of them were of high character-others rather inferior. The town of Windsor has a good grammar school, taught, however, in a hired room, though there is a neat and large public school-house, which has remained for some time in an unfinished state. Newport has long possessed an efficient and highly respectable school, and the school-house has a dwelling for the teacher attached.

Western Hants had, in the past year, 40 schools, supported by £1029 18s. from the people, and £420 6s. 8d. from the Province. The average salary per teacher was £25 14s. 6d. from the people, and £10 11s. 8d. from the Province. The number of pupils was 1407, the total number of children in the district being over 2000.

22. Eastern District of Hants.

The meeting at the Gore, in this district, was not very largely attended, but much interest was expressed in the subject by those present, and resolutions were passed in favor of assessment and a Normal school. Similar resolutions were passed at a subsequent evening meeting at Maitland. Lectures were delivered at Lower Rawdon and Nine Mile River; and one was advertised at Nelson's, on the Halifax road, but owing to defective notice I could not collect an audience.

This is a large and scattered district; and notwithstanding the exertions of the Commissioners and their clerk, many districts find considerable difficulty in supporting schools with efficient teachers. I visited six schools, the most efficient of which were those at Nine Mile River and Maitland, both of which districts have excellent teachers. The teacher of the former attended the Institute at Pictou.

This district had, in the past summer, 22 schools, supported by £322 10s. from the people, and £110 4s. from the Province, the average annual salary per teacher being £27 3s. 11d. from the people, and £8 17 6d. from the Province. The number of pupils was 643, the total number of children being probably 900.

23. County of Pictou.

The public meeting in Pictou was not largely attended. About 35 of the teachers, however, were present. Owing to sickness and other circumstances, only one member of the Board was present. I lectured to good audiences at the Albion Mines, New Glasgow, Durham, and River John.

Pictou is the most populous of the Commissioners' districts, and its division has recently been recommended. I have no doubt that two efficient Boards, one centering at Pictou, the other at New Glasgow, might be formed.

The grammar schools at New Glasgow and Durham are in a very efficient state, and well supported. The common schools in the county are of very various characters. Many attain a high position in point of usefulness and support; but in the poorer and more recently settled districts, the schools are often very defective in every respect.

Under the former law, the Commissioners have labored very successfully in introducing into the schools the excellent books of the Scottish Schoolmasters' Association. These, with Chambers' and McCulloch's books, are now in very general use. In the present year, efforts have been made to introduce more extensively the study of mental arithmetic, and to supply the schools with maps. Twenty-four teachers from this district attended the Institute at Pictou, and agricultural chemistry will be introduced into several of the school.

The Pictou Academy is now in full operation, with a mathematical, classical, and English teacher, and courses of lectures in Natural and Mental Philosophy. Since its re-establishment, this institution has been managed with much energy and skill, and now presents, with the exception of Dalhousie college, the best example which the Province affords of a High School on the plan of those of Scotland and New England. Its trustees and teachers have especially distinguished themselves by their zeal in introducing all the modern improvements in apparatus, and methods of teaching and management. It supplies the demand for a higher education, among a population of at least 40,000 in Pictou and the borders of the adjoining counties; and it would well repay the cost to the Province if other districts of similar population could be induced to establish and support institutions of the same character, based on equally broad and liberal principles. The academy has 81 pupils, of whom 22 attend the classical teacher, and 39 the mathematical; and 32 ladies and gentlemen are admitted by ticket to the philosophical lectures. Its building is in good repair, and its funds said to be flourishing.

The Infant School at Pictou is well conducted, and affords a free primary education to many poor children. Institutions of this kind are much wanted in all the towns and villages; and in a new law, should form one of the grades of schools required in such places, and aided through the Commissioners from the general school grant.

Pictou had, in the past summer, 96 schools, supported by £1539 from the people, and £611 from the Province, the average salary per teacher, being £33 13s. 9d. from the people, and £12 12s. from the Province. The number of pupils was 4289, the total number of children being probably 6000. The town of Pictou contributes over £300