48
volumes of miscellaneous books, chiefly for the young. The school has 6
large fine maps, and 5 of Mr. Bidwell's Missionary maps, and 16 of
Mattison's astronomical maps. These maps were the gifts of Mrs. Dr.
Burgess and of Fisher Howe, Esq. The school has a pair of globes, one
Season's machine, one orrery, a pair of gasometers, a spirit-lamp and
retort stand, a centre of gravity apparatus, a capillary attraction
apparatus, a galvanic trough, a circular battery, an electromagnet, a
horse shoe magnet, a revolving magnet, a wire coil and hemispheric
helices, and an electric shocking machine."

The report of the Female Seminary for 1853 is written in the handwriting
of Mrs. De Forest, owing to the increasing infirmity of Dr. De Forest's
health, and this report has a sad interest from its being the last one
ever dictated by Dr. De Forest.

"A small day-school for girls has been taught by one of the pupils in
Mrs. Whiting's family during the winter, and it is contemplated to
continue the school hereafter in the Girl's School house on the Mission
premises, under the instruction of a graduate of the Female Seminary.
The demand for such instruction for girls is steadily increasing.

"The teaching force of the Seminary was increased last spring by the
arrival of Miss Cheney, who entered at once upon the duties of her
position, devoting a portion of her time to the acquisition of Arabic,
and a part to the instruction of some classes in English. Still, on
account of the repeated illnesses of Dr. De Forest, it was not deemed
advisable to receive a new class last autumn. The only girls admitted
during the year were one of Mrs. Whiting's pupils who was transferred to
the Seminary for one year, one of the class who graduated two years
since, and who desired to return for another year, and Sara, the
daughter of Mr. Butrus Bistany. These three were received into existing
classes, while it was not deemed advisable under the circumstances to
make up another class composed of new pupils.

"The course of instruction, Biblical and other, has been much the same
as that hitherto pursued. Miss Cheney commenced "Watts on the Mind,"
with some of the older pupils, in English. All the pupils have had
familiar lessons on Church History in Arabic, and some of them have
begun an abridged work on Moral Philosophy. Much effort has been
bestowed upon the cultivation of a taste for the reading of profitable
books, and a number of the girls have read