Total number of pupils, 31st December, 1830,...... 85 (No. 5.) NEW-YORK, Nov. 8, 1830. The Directors of the New-York Institution for the instruction of the Deaf and Dumb. GENTLEMEN, In compliance with your resolution of the 3d of March last, "authorizing me during my visit to Europe to make an engagement with a teacher to be employed in this institution, leaving the terms of such engagement to my discretion, and further authorizing me to purchase such books, and to collect such information as I might think calculated to promote the interests of this institution," I have made it my duty to visit as many of the foreign schools for the instruction of deaf mutes as I found practicable, and now beg leave to communicate to you such information as I was able to obtain, together with the measures taken by me for the procurance of a teacher, with their result. On my arrival in Liverpool, where I spent at that time but a single day, I inquired whether this charitable work had been prosecuted there with the same zeal which I knew had distinguished its enterprizing inhabitants in many other objects of public utility, and found that they had but a small school under a single teacher. The pupils were but twenty in number, and the teacher was not considered very efficient in the discharge of his duties. I happened to make my inquiry at the house of a friend, where a gentleman present was referred to as having been a principal agent in founding the school, and who still took much interest in its object, while he lamented that it had not yet received the attention which it merited. Being very solicitous to obtain information as to the prevailing sentiment abroad on the subject of articulation, I asked his opinion as to the practicability and advantage of teaching the dumb to speak. I found he was a decided advocate of the plan, considered it altogether feasible, and supposed its accomplishment to be an object of great importance. I stated as objections, the labor and difficulty attending it, the limited extent to which it can be carried, and the im perfect, disagreeable, gutteral enunciation, apparently painful both to the speaker and hearer, which I observed, in our country, in all with whom the experiment had been tried; for which reason I presumed it had not formed a part of the system of the Abbés De L'Epée and Sicard. To convince me that our failure must have been for want of proper instruction, he proposed, that I should visit with him a family of his acquaintance, in which there were a young gentleman and his sister, deaf mutes, the former of whom had learned to speak in a manner free from the objections which I had urged. We found them at home, and had an interview of some length with them. I was much gratified with the talent exhibited by both, and their great advancement in various branches of education. We were shewn a number of drawings and paintings copied by them, and beautiful specimens of ornamental writing, to which the young lady added some ingenious work in worsted, which she had just completed. The latter had made very little proficiency in speaking, and the young gentleman's attempt, instead of removing my difficulties was calculated to increase them. His voice was so weak, and his articulation so indistinct, that, when he addressed himself to the members of his family present, I could distinguish scarcely a single word, and when he spoke immediately to me it was but little better. He repeated the Lord's prayer in a tone by no means pleasant, and with an articulation far from distinct. As soon as convenient after my arrival in London, I visited the institution in Surry, formerly under the care of Dr. Watson, and now under that of his son. I was received by Mr. Watson with great kindness, and shewn through the building, which is convenient and well adapted to its objects. It contains about two hundred and twenty pupils. Twelve or fourteen private pupils reside apart from the others in Mr. Watson's family. I had an opportunity of witnessing the instruction of the pupils; which very nearly resembles ours, except in two particulars, the use of the double handed Alphabet (certainly I think not so simple and convenient as that performed with a single hand,) and the teaching of articulation. I made very particular inquiry of Mr. Watson in relation to his views of the expediency of the latter, and found his opinion as the result of his father's and his experience, entirely favorable to its use. I saw and conversed with two men, one of whom had been employed in some subordinate station in the Asylum twenty-seven years, and the other a shorter time. They both spoke without much apparent difficulty, and in a voice far more agreeable than I had before heard. One of the tutors, also a deaf mute, appeared to understand me readily by the motion of my lips, only occasionally requiring a repetition of the words. He was kind enough to show me some of his compositions, which were not only correctly writ ten, but evinced a well informed understanding, and a pious heart, His enunciation was not materially unpleasant, though by no means so easy and agreeable as that of persons generally, who possess their hearing. But the most gratifying evidence of the practicability of teaching the deaf and dumb to speak, was in the performance of a beautiful boy, between twelve and thirteen years of age, who recited an address which had been prepared to be spoken by him at the ensuing annual dinner of the friends of the institution, at which the Duke of Gloucester is to preside. He delivered the whole memoritor in a sweet, pensive tone of voice, in which, though there was some monotony, yet I was astonished at the accuracy of his emphasis and accent, and of the perfect correctness of his memory. Mr. Watson gave me an opportunity of witnessing the attempts at speaking of several other pupils, none of whom equalled those already mentioned, and some were not capable of uttering any sounds that did not grate unpleasantly upon the ear. Upon the inquiry being made by me whether all the pupils were taught to speak, Mr. Watson answered in the negative. The experiment to instruct them is made on all, but from mal-conformation of the organs of speech, or other causes, it frequently fails, and the attempt is relinquished. It is a remarkable fact, that a pupil of this school, after completing his education, and proving himself a young man of excellent talents and attainments, studied law, has been admitted to its practice, and promises to be very able and useful in the duties of a chamber counsel. A number of the gentlemen of the bar in London gave a dinner on the occasion of his admission among them, and Doctor Watson, (who died a short time afterwards,) was present, a highly gratified witness of the respect paid to this extraordinary instance of the success of his method of instruction. Mr. Watson could give me no encouragement as to the procurance of a teacher in Great Britain, those trained for that office being few in number, and soon finding employment in some of the many institutions forming in various parts of the kingdom for the instruction of this unfortunate class. On my visit to Paris, I speedily repaired to the Royal Institute for the instruction of deaf mutes, and had a very pleasant interview with the Abbe Borel, its director, in which I communicated my wish to obtain an instructor, if possible, from their institution. He declared at once his willingness to make inquiry, and invited me to wait upon him again in a few days. On doing so, he told me that one of their professors, Mr. Leon Vaysse, was willing, if the terms were satisfactory, to emigrate to America, and accept a station in our Asylum. I had stated, as indispensable requisites in a teacher whom I should be willing to engage, respectable talents, good education, amiable manners, uninpeached morals, a full acquaintance with the French method of instruction, and an aptitude to teach, in all which particulars he assured me he could confidently recommend Mr. Vaysse. Mr. Vaysse was then introduced into the room, and the result of this, and subsequent conferences, was his engaging to accompany me to America. A written contract was executed by Mr. Vaysse and myself, which is herewith submitted, together with satisfactory testimonials of his character and qualifications from the director and the administration of the Royal Institute. Though some additional expense was incurred in consequence of Mr. Vaysse's meeting me for embarkation at Liverpool, instead of sailing from Havre, it is amply repaid, I trust, in the advantages he enjoyed from the society and instructions of my respected travelling companions and myself, in facilitating his acquisition of our language; in which, I am happy to say, he evinced great diligence and application, and has made a very rapid progress. I feel assured, both from his high recommendations, and my intercourse with him during our passage, that the Board will be gratified, and our charitable object be greatly promoted, by this encouraging accession to the number of our teachers. After returning from the continent, I visited Dublin, where, by the efforts of Dr. Charles Orpin, and other benevolent individuals, a respectable institution has been established, which is under the conduct of Mr. Humphries, a member of the society of Friends. With Dr. Orpin I had several interesting conversations on the subject of the instruction of the deaf and dumb, and received from him a number of pamphlets on the subject, which will be deposited in our library. At the Asylum I was received with great kindness by Mr. Humphries. The Society own the building, to which a small farm is attached. The house is a very old one, and notwithstanding many alterations and additions to accommodate it to its objects, is by no means so convenient as could be desired. The school, which consists of seventy-two pupils, was not in session. I had an opportunity, however, of seeing a part of the pupils, who are here also taught articulation, when they are found competent to its acquisition. I was happy to learn, and shall be glad to see so laudable an example followed by the youth of our country, that this school is principally supported by juvenile associations. I also visited the Asylum in Glasgow, (Scotland,) but it was the season of vacation, and the principal, Mr. Kinneburg, was absent. The pupils are forty in number. Mr. Anderson, an assistant teacher, showed me the building, which, with its appurtenances, is neat and convenient, particularly the school room erected in the rear. The writing, the composition, and the drawings of the children, were pleasing specimens of talent. I had an opportunity also of visiting the Asylum at Edinburgh, under charge of Mr. Kinneburg, father of the teacher at Glasgow, but there also it was vacation, and the principal was absent. The Asylum is a little removed from the city, is a handsome building, and beautifully situated. The pupils are seventy-two in number, and where practicable, are taught articulation, and also, as is the case at Glasgow, in some instances, a mechanical occupatiou. The only remaining institution which I was able to visit was that at Manchester in England. It is unfortunately located in the midst of the city, and is unaccommodated with any yard or play-ground. The school-room is, however, sufficiently commodious for its immediate purposes. There are fifty pupils under the charge of Mr. Vaughn, the principal, with only one young man as his assistant. Mr. V. expressed to me very great regret that the school was not provided with more teachers. But it is altogether dependent for its support on some pay-pupils, and an inadequate amount of annual contributions. Articulation is taught with various degrees |