334
REPOSITORIES OF LEARNING.
not made much progress in the art of reading. Their lessons over, they sang an anthem ; and then, after a short prayer offered up by the master, the school broke up, and away they started with whoop and song, leaving me to ponder in my brain how far their manifold knowledge would benefit their after progress through life. Besides the Wesleyan and Mico schools, Antigua is further supplied with " repositories of learning," belonging to the established church and the Moravians. Our worthy rector, zealous in every good work, has a pleasing little infant-school near the rectory, besides schools in various other parts of the town and country. The Moravians have large schools at their different settlements ; and a boys' and girls' school, with infant-school attached, adjoining their chapel in St. John's. I visited this last-mentioned school twice ; but I am unable to speak of the acquirements of the scholars—they having been dismissed soon after my entrance, upon both occasions. They appear to cultivate the art of singing ; for I heard them join in Mrs. Hemans' " Better Land," to the accompaniment of a small, but very sweet-toned organ, played by their superintendent. If I may be allowed to judge of the manners of the children, (which, I own, would not be quite right,) by those of the female teacher, I should be inclined to say, they were far behind any of the other schools I have visited in the island ; for she appeared totally deficient in politeness or agreeable behaviour. I have thus endeavoured to shew that Antigua abounds in schools—the exact number of which will be found in the chapter on statistics. I sincerely hope that the benefits arising from them may be permanently felt by the lower classes, and that the patrons of these schools may reap the reward of their philanthropy. There are some sad examples : (sorry am I to be compelled to say so !) where, instead of improving, education has but tended to lead further into the paths of error; for the very passages of Scripture that have been taught them—the doctrines of salvation which have been inculcated, these unhappy creatures pervert to raise