This town also contains two very good public schools, for the education of children of both sexes.  One is a day school for boys, and is of course only intended to impart gratuitous instruction:—­the other is designed both for the education and support of poor and helpless female orphans.  This institution was founded by Governor King, as long back as the year 1800, and contains about sixty children, who are taught reading, writing, arithmetic, sewing, and the various arts of domestic economy.  When their education is complete, they are either married to free persons of good character, or are assigned as servants to such respectable families as may apply for them.  At the time of the establishment of this school there was a large tract of land (15,000 acres,) attached to it; and a considerable stock of horses, cattle, and sheep, were also transferred to it from the government herds.  The profits of these stock go towards defraying the expences of this school, and a certain portion, fifty or a hundred acres of this land, with a proportionate number of them, are given in dower with each female who marries with the consent of the committee intrusted with the management of this institution.

Besides these two public schools in the town of Sydney, which together contained, by the last accounts received from the colony, two hundred and twenty-four children, there are establishments for the gratuitous diffusion of education in every populous district throughout the colony.  The masters of these schools are allowed stipulated salaries from the Orphan Fund.  Formerly particular duties, those on coals and timber, which still go by the name of “The Orphan Dues,” were allotted for the support of these schools; but they were found to be insufficient, and afterwards one-fourth, and more recently one-eighth, of the whole revenue of the colony was appropriated to this purpose.  This latter portion of the colonial revenue may be estimated at about L2500, which it must be admitted could not be devoted to the promotion of any object of equal public utility.

Independent of these laudable institutions thus supported at the expence of the government, there are two private ones intended for the dissemination of religious knowledge, which are wholly maintained by voluntary contribution.  One is termed “The Auxiliary Bible Society of New South Wales,” and its object is to cooperate with the British and Foreign Bible Society, and to distribute the holy Scriptures either at prime cost, or gratis, to needy and deserving applicants.

The other is called “The New South Wales Sunday School Institution,” and was established with a view to teach well disposed persons of all ages how to read the sacred volume.  These societies were instituted in the year 1817, and are under the direction of a general committee, aided by a secretary and treasurer.