don, by Miss Graham, in 1856, and has since been extended to every considerable town in the kingdom. At first, sighted instructors were employed, but of late years the example of the Association for Promoting the General Welfare of the Blind has been followed, and the work is now principally carried on by teachers without sight. The plan adopted is, for an instructor to call periodically on the blind at their own homes, to teach those to read who require instruction, and to lend books to the more advanced pupils, which books are exchanged for others when the teacher again visits the neighbourhood. This plan was proposed, by the writer of these pages, in 1851, to the managers of the London Society for Teaching the Blind to Read on Lucas's System, but the suggestion was not deemed worthy of notice. He, however, himself commenced a lending library in 1854, which was attended with much good. Mr. Gall, in his work, recommends the establishment of such libraries, but of this the writer was not then aware. Specimens of about fifty languages have been printed in Moon's system, but in general, the specimens consist of only a few pages. ABORTIVE INVENTIONS FOR READING. THE SYSTEM BY G. A. HUGHES. In addition to the foregoing modes of reading, various plans have been proposed, which have never got beyond the realms of theory, or have only had an ephemeral existence. The chief of these is that suggested by the late Mr. G. A. Hughes, of Ramsgate, which consisted in placing a small dot, and one of a larger size, in different positions, so as to represent all the letters and numerals. Its simplicity made it easily applicable to embossing by hand, but it possessed certain radical defects which prevented it obtaining even a temporary success. In 1843, when Mr. Hughes had been blind about six years, he published, at Ramsgate and London, a work entitled 'The New Punctiuncula Stenographic System of Embossing.' This work consisted of elementary lessons, with embossed specimens. In 1847, appeared First Lessons for the Blind,' in Hughes's raised characters, and in 1848 was published a book, printed in relief, being an explanation of his system of embossed music. In the later years of his life he seems to have liked his own system so little that he invented another, so that there really are two modes of reading in existence by G. A. Hughes; neither of them, however, is free from grave errors. Hughes's method of writing and reading is supposed by many to have been an imitation of the system of M. Braille, of Paris, but there are no solid reasons for this opinion. Mr. Hughes died in 1863, in London, after six months' illness, and we regret to add that some time before his death he was reduced to great distress. His system, if ever it may be said to have existed, has now quite disappeared. It, nevertheless, suggests several valuable points, and many persons have succeeded better than Mr. Hughes who deserved it less. THE SYSTEM BY BENIOWSKI. The late Major Beniowski, (who between the years 1840 and 1860 caused some sensation in London with his system of artificial memory, a node of phrenotypics, and his improved method of setting and distributing type,) in prosecution of the versatility common to his nation (Poland), turned his attention to the blind. In the opinion of the gallant major, all that was required to enable the blind to read and to have a library co-extensive with that enjoyed by the public at large, was that every printer, after completing the required number of copies of a page of an ordinary book, should simply print a few pages on one side with very strong pressure, so as to cause an embossment for the use of the blind,-he, Beniowski, being simple enough to imagine that if the blind would only be content to read the print in the reverse position, their power of touch would enable them to overcome the difficulties of the smallness of the letters and the multiplicity of the strokes. If the major had not actually embossed a book in illustration of his dream, the mention of it here would be unpardonable. But we hope that enough has been said to induce any visionary who may honour us by perusing this work to abstain from playing any similar trick in connection with the treatment of the blind. The title of the book above-named is Major Beniowski's, or 'Phrenotypic Primer for the Blind.' It is embossed on his plan, and is utterly worthless. THE SYSTEM BY MR. MITFORD. About the year 1865 Mr. B. Mitford, of Cheltenham, printed some pages in the ordinary Roman capital letters, so arranged that the arms of the reader moved to and from him instead of from left to right, the fingers first coming in contact with the tops of the letters instead of the sides, and each line being placed to the right of the preceding, instead of below it in the usual way. After a careful examination, we are at a loss to discover any advantage in this change, and we believe that if the plan were fully carried out many evils would be developed. SYSTEMS OF READING IN AMERICA. It has often been stated very confidently that there is only one plan used in America for enabling the blind to read. This is incorrect, as from the first introduction of tangible print into the United States, two systems have always been employed. For the last twenty years there have been three, and there are now at least four in use in different parts of the Union. Almost simultaneously, in 1833, printing for the blind was commenced in Boston and in Philadelphia. The mode adopted by Dr. S. G. Howe, of Boston, was somewhat like that of Mr. Gall, viz. the smaller English letters without capitals, angles being employed instead of curves. Dr. Howe's letters were, however, less angular, and the lines were smooth and not fretted; the letters E and G were modifications of the capitals, instead of the smaller letters. Printing in relief at Philadelphia was begun by Mr. Freedlander, the Principal of the Pennsylvanian Institution for the Blind. He employed the Roman capitals to the exclusion of the small letters. It thus appears that two different modes of printing were commenced the same year, the one in New England and the other in the Keystone State, and from these enterprises the following results have accrued. Dr. Howe, the philanthropic Physician and Principal of the Perkins Institution for the Blind, Boston, published in 1836 the New Testament in four volumes, which sold for one dollar per volume, or 16s. 8d. for the entire New Testament. This was the first New Testament printed for the blind in any language, and in cheapness it has not been equalled. It may be remarked en passant that the Acts of the Apostles was issued in 1834. The Old Testament was completed in 1842 and comprised six volumes, the price of which collectively was £3. 6s. 1d., so that the entire Bible was sold for £4. 2s. 9d., which, we believe, is the present price in America; the stereotyped plates of the Scriptures having been bought by the American Bible Society (New York). The other works issued by the press of the Perkins Institution are Lardner's Universal History, three volumes, £1. 17s. 2d.; Geo graphy, one volume, 12s. 6d.; Howe's General Atlas, 12s. 6d.; Atlas of the United States, 8s. 4d.; Atlas of the Islands, 10s. 5d.; The English Reader, Part I., ditto, Part II., price of each, 12s. 6d.; The Dairyman's Daughter and The Hervey Boys, each 4s. 2d.; The Pilgrim's Progress, 10s. 5d.; Baxter's Call to the Unconverted, 6s. 3d.; Life of Melancthon and a Book of Hymns, each 4s. 2d.; Constitution of the United States and a Book of Diagrams, each 3s. 1d.; Viri Romæ, 8s. 4d.; Pearce's Geometry with Diagrams, 8s. 4d.; Political Class-Book, 8s. 4d.; First Table of Logarithms, 4s. 2d.; second ditto, 8s. 4d.; Principles of Arithmetic, 4s. 2d.; Astronomical Dictionary, 6s. 3d.; Natural History and Natural Philosophy, each 12s. 6d.; Cyclopædia of Geography, six volumes, £3. 14s. 4d.; also several devotional works. To this list must be added Milton's principal works in two very large volumes, and Diderot's Letter on the Blind. Charles Dickens, after his second American tour, presented to Dr. Howe a considerable sum in order that one of his own works of fiction might be printed for the blind. The greater number of the abovenamed books are stereotyped, so that they may always be procured, and they are sold at cost price. The account printed in the Jurors' Report of various books, etc. for the blind exhibited in the Exhibition of 1851 was written by Mr. Stevens, of New York, and the present writer had the gratification of furnishing him with many facts. The books printed in Philadelphia in Roman capitals since 1833, are: The Books of Ruth and Esther The Book of Proverbs. Die Ostereir (The Easter Eggs), in German, 1 The Student's Magazine. In 7 vols., each 22 |