First the young ladies sang the Hirtenruf' from a collection of songs by Karolina Weseneder of Brunswick (respecting whose system of teaching music I everywhere heard great praise expressed) in unison. Then came some part songs (among them a very pretty air called 'Frühlingslust '), and, lastly, exercises in scales and intervals from a book by Voigt. These exercises were, on the whole, the most satisfactory part of the performance, inasmuch as they trained and showed the possession of the power of singing at sight. The notes were well held, and even difficult passages were gone through with much apparent

taste.

During my stay in Hamburg, I visited for the whole of one evening (four hours) the great school for working-men and boys (Die Allgemeine Gewerbeschule), which is under the able direction of Mr. Otto Jessen, who is also the director of the Gewerbe school for women. As my attention was exclusively given during this visit to the drawing department, and as I had no opportunity of returning to the school, I can only give a few particulars. It is an institution for the teaching, in classes carried on both by day and evening, as well as on the Sunday morning, men and boys of fourteen and upward, all

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those branches of instruction which have a bearing on their actual or intended employment for life. The programme is most comprehensive, embracing the German and English languages, Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, Book-keeping, Physics (Naturlehre), Architecture, Drawing of every kind, Modelling in clay and wax, Lithographic Drawing, &c., all of which are taught, with their application to practical life and business. The number of students was, in the summer of 1873, 987, in the winter 1873-4, 1366. The school is founded and sustained by grants from the municipality of Hamburg, together with a small contribution provided by the fees of the students. This same liberalminded municipality has voted a sum of 800,000 thalers (about £120,000) for the building of a new schoolhouse (now rapidly approaching its completion), with which are connected a Realschule and a Trades Museum. When shall we have half-a-dozen such institutions in London?

The drawing department of the institution is, by general acknowledgment, second to none in Germany. For my own part, I had never seen anything approaching it in completeness and excellence. The special point of interest to me was, that drawing was

taught from beginning to end through the training of eye and hand in connection with real objects. There is, except at the close of the course, no copying from drawings, and the teachers do no part of the work for the pupils. Wooden blocks of different forms are used to begin with, and not only the outline as presented to the eye was drawn in strong lines on the paper, but the outlines of the parts not seen were estimated by measurement with the eye, and traced on dotted lines, as if the object was transparent. These blocks were placed in all possible positions, and drawn over and over again. Then followed other objects-candlesticks, vases, plaster reliefs, parts of machines, whole machines, articles of furniture, etc. Then there was pattern-making, designing, drawing on lithographic stones (an extra hour being devoted to this), modelling in clay of leaves, etc., water-colour drawing, etc. Specimens of all these different kinds of art were produced under my eyes during my visit, and the marked excellence throughout could only be attributed to the method pursued, essentially consisting, as it did, of keeping close to the object before the eye, and without trick or sham of any kind representing it as truthfully as possible. It is a noticeable feature, that high

finishing is not allowed in the time of instruction. If the student wishes to add this grace to his work, he must do it at home. The practical, the useful, that connected with trades and occupations alone, is sanctioned in this very remarkable school. The accomplished director himself accompanied me in my visit to the several class-rooms, and gave me, through the kind interpretation of Professor Wiebe, who was with me, every explanation.

Altogether the two Gewerbeschulen interested me exceedingly; they are noble institutions. I saw nothing anywhere else to match them. Nor is this remarkable, inasmuch as they are the first of their kind, both in chronological order and in excellence, in Germany.

One day I accompanied Professor Wiebe to see the Pestalozzistift (or, as we should perhaps call it, the Pestalozzian Asylum) at Braberc, three or four miles from Hamburg. In a forlorn, out-ofthe-way situation, we arrived at a large handsome house, on entering which we found ourselves at once in a spacious central hall carried up to the roof, with open galleries continued round each landing. The effect was, on the whole, rather striking. The master, an intelligent-looking man,

came forward to meet us, and accompanied us over the building.

The rooms of the institution are spacious and airy, furnished with good solid chairs, tables, and desks. It was near dinner-time, and the children were at play. We were told that they were seventy in number-boys and girls-taught together; two-thirds of them boys, and generally from six to fourteen years of age. There are no school hours after twelve ; then the boys work in the fields connected with the house, and the girls at their needles, or at sweeping, cleaning, bed-making, etc. There are three teachers -all men.

After a time the children came in to dinner, all with their hair cut close to their heads, and, the boys especially, notwithstanding their outdoor work, looking far from healthy. After they had taken their seats at the table, where each had a chair, one said grace, and the operation of dining commenced. It was a remarkably simple operation. Large wooden tubs filled with boiled rice were brought in by some of the boys, placed before a young woman, the housekeeper, and forthwith ladled out by her into the plates held for it by different elder boys and girls, who take the messes to the several tables. This, without salt or sugar,