| Description | He is sorry to have missed the last mail. He has at last heard that he has passed his examination for 'special powers', meaning that this increases his juristiction with regard to imprisonment and fines. He thinks that the way in which assistant magistrates are trained is about the worst possible method, explaining his reasoning and experience. William gives an account of what he thinks he should be learning now: 'the intimate knowledge of the habits & character of the natives, & the familar use of their language'. When he is a magistrate he thinks he will pick up the law with facility, although he is likely to mix less with people. He will try hard to pass the second standard in October although it will cost three months' of reading. Hope has been appointed 'Educational Inspector of the Gujerat division' of the Bombay presidency. The area and numbers of people are large and his salary will be £800 per year and ten shillings a day when travelling. He refused the role at first, owing to his ignorance of science and mathematics, but was ignored, since he had shown hmself a zealous officer. [William] Waterfield and Chapman have also passed examinations, 'we are beginning to look on ourselves as part of the effective establishment of the empire now'. William has been hosting three students looking to learn languages, 'they have drunk all my beer up'. He summarises his income which will gradually increase for the next seven or eight years. He refers to his house and his lame horse, before thanking his father for the concertina. |