History of the Parsis : including their manners, customs, religion and present position : with coloured and other illustrations : in two volumes

292 HISTORY OF THE PARSTS. [CHAP. VI,

real direction of its growth; and, in the second place, the date of my visit coincided with the close of the tenth year of the present Principal’s tenure of office, and this circumstance naturally invited a retrospective glance over the years 1873 to 1883. It gives me great pleasure to be able to report that both comparisons are highly favourable to the present time. In all parts of the Institution I found the same patient, thoughtful striving after improvement which I noticed in 1879, and a consequent strengthening of all the best features of the school; whilst as regards Mr. Wadia’s Principalship it would be difficult to imagine a ten years’ history of any scholastic institution with so much to gratify and so little to regret as the history of your Institution as recorded in the official reports of the various Educational Inspectors who have held office during that period. The history appears to be one of unchecked growth, both in numbers, in proficiency in studies, and in character and tone. The Principalship of Mr. Wadia has been an unqualified success.

“T am glad to be able to report to the Panchayet as fayourably of the girls’ schools as I have done of the boys’. All these schools have been most carefully superintended by Mr. Nanabhai Nasarvanji, and all three are conspicuously efficient. . The course of study is as yet exclusively vernacular, but in their own language the girls acquire a high degree of intelligence and large funds of information.

“With regard to the important question of manners and tone I paid a ‘visit of surprise’ to the Central Institution at half. past nine one morning, and observed the assembling of the pupils in all parts of the building and their intercourse with one another till the school bell struck at half-past ten. The boys appeared to be healthy and happy, active and full of spirits without being turbulent, whilst the manners of the girls, who assembled by means of special staircases, were charming.

“It is with great pleasure that I find myself able to submit a report so uniformly favourable as the above to the Panchayet, and to endorse so completely the judgments recently recorded by General Waddington and Mr, H. P. Jacob. The present satisfactory state of the Institution has not been attained without constant and conscientious hard work. It has been a great advantage to have at the head for so many years continuously