Page:A descriptive catalogue of Bengali works.djvu/9

A DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE llie Rules of Common Arithmetic, set to doggrel rhyme, by a Khaystha, one SUBHANKAR, the Cocker of Bengal, have been chaunted for 150 years in some 40,000 Ver- nacular schools — thus the Hindus took the lead in a practice which has been since introduced into our English infant schools. See the London Asiatic Journal for 1817 for an ex- cellent account of the Hindu mode of teaching Arithmetic. In 1817 appeared at the Serampore Press, in three parts, Smyth's JAMINDARI PAPERS, pp. 150, a very useful work for Village Schools, which gave the whole system of keeping Zemindar's accounts. It deserves a re- print, as a knowledge of Zemindary accounts affects the interests of all in a country where the land is so sublet, and such minute calculations have to be kept of the trees, &c, on it. In 1817 Mr. May, a most successful teacher of Ver- nacular Schools, published a collection of ARITHMETICAL TABLES, selected from those employed in the Native Schools. " It is remarkable that many coincidences may be traced between them, and the most improved kind of Arith- metical Tables adopted in the schools in Britain on the new model." The Natives of all ranks soon bought up this edition. Since that period, through the almost universal neglect of an improved Vernacular education, little has been done in this department. In 1840 the Tatwabodhini Sabha published Anakasa Sikikasa, 2 as., Arithmetical Tables on annas and OF PART I. EDUCATIONAL. ARITBDXETI C S. B