master is made up. This case shows by what pinched and
stinted contributions the class just below the wealthy and the
class just above the indigent unite to support a school; and it
constitutes a proof of the very limited means of those who are
anxious to give a Bengali education to their children, and of the
sacrifices which they make to accomplish that object.
I have spoken of the emoluments of the teachers as low;
but I would be understood to mean that they are low, not in
comparison with their qualifications, or with the general rates of
similar labour in the district, but with those emoluments to
which competent men might be justly considered entitled. The
humble character of the men, and the humble character of the
service they render, may be judged from the fact already stated,
that some of them go about from house to house to receive their
daily food. All, however, should not be estimated by this
standard; and perhaps a generally correct opinion of their
relative position in society may be formed by comparing them
with those persons who have nearly similar duties to perform in
other occupations of life, or whose duties the teachers of the
common schools could probably in most instances perform if
they were called on to do so. Such, for instance, are the Patwari,
the Amin, the Shumarnavis, and the Khamarnavis employed on a
native estate. The Patwari, who goes from house to house, and
collects the zemindar’s rents, gets from his employer a salary of
two rupees eight annas, or three rupees a month, to which may
be added numerous presents from the ryots of the first
productions of the season, amounting probably to eight annas a
month. The Amin, who on behalf of the zemindar decides the
disputes that take place among the villagers and measures their
grounds, gets from three rupees eight annas to four rupees a
month. The Shumarnavis, who keeps accounts of the collection
of rents by the different Patwaris, receives about five rupees a
month. And the Khamarnavis, who is employed to ascertain the
state and value of the crops on which the zemindar has claims in
kind, receives the same allowance. Persons bearing these
designations and discharging these duties sometimes receive
higher salaries; but the cases I have supposed are those with
which that of the common native school-master may be
considered as on a level, he being supposed capable of under-
taking their duties, and they of undertaking his. The holders of
these offices on a native estate have opportunities of making
unauthorised gains, and they enjoy a respectability and
influence which the native school-master does not possess; but
in other respects they are nearly on an equality; and, to
compensate for those disadvantages, the salary