Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III. (1848-1853.) Thomason's Government In The North-western Provinces. City of Benares — Church of England missions there — First impressions regarding the Natives and the country—Life in camp—Scenes at Agra and Allahabad—Second Panjab War—Popular estimate of Lord Grough— Thomason Lieutenant-Governor—His personal characteristics—His method of governing—Objects of his policy—Land settlement—Village communities —Primary education—The Ganges Canal—-Training of Natives as civil engineers—Thomason's death—Affectionate respect for his memory. Staying at Benares some little time, I observed the working of the Mission belonging to the Church (of England) Missionary Society, and conducted by the Reverend Missionaries William Smith and Charles Benjamin Leupolt. The conversation of these self-denying and experienced men was most instructive to a young officer. They impressed me with their charitable consi- derateness towards the faults of the Native character, and their appreciative discernment of its virtues. They shewed me what were the ways of native thought, and how those ways could best be approached by moral and religious influences. They explained the characteristics of Hindu priests, and the results of a caste- system which dominated the popular superstitions. Their mission was a very important one, as it related to the most sacred seat of the Hindu religion and the greatest abode of Brahminical learning. The sight of their work taught me, at the outset of my career, the salutary lesson that something more was to be expected from British rule than military success, political management, material prosperity and intellectual education. Then the reflection was brought home to me that when England sent forth men to the East, some to lead her armies, others to collect he...