The students consist almost entirely of Tartars (including bannermen). Originally about one-third were Chinese, but it was found that, after learning English at the expense of government, these latter generally disappeared. The Tartars are much more bound to the government, and are loyal, both from training and self-interest. As young men, they are far more noble and honorable in their character than the Chinese, lacking in a great measure the low cunning which characterizes the latter, especially when they get official employment. But it is hard to say how far their natural nobility and honor would suffer if they were thrown into that vortex of corruption and dishonesty which pertains to official life. I am informed that there has, for the past year or two, been an intention to add a German and a French department to the Canton College, and that extensive premises have been erected for this purpose, but some difficulty about funds seems to have caused further steps to be postponed. _Private schools._--There are no private schools worthy of the name in Canton for teaching foreign languages. Now and then a small school is opened, in which English is professed to be taught by a man whose knowledge of that language is too limited to fit him for other employment, and after a brief struggle these schools die out, one after another. There is no doubt that the advantages offered by the government schools in Hong Kong are too great to enable private schools in Canton to compete with them. _Missionary schools._--None of the missionaries in Canton teach English or any other foreign language to their Chinese pupils now, nor have they for some years. They found by experience that it was very difficult to teach English to their pupils because of their inaptitude to learn western languages; that the object of the majority who came to their schools (formerly) to learn English was simply to get a sufficient knowledge of that language to enable them to get some lucrative employment with foreigners, and as soon as they had acquired a little smattering of English they disappeared and passed away beyond their Christian instruction. I shall endeavor to furnish you with some particulars in regard to the schools established at Hong Kong by the colonial government shortly. I have the honor, &c., F. D. CHESHIRE. * * * * * _Mr. Scruggs to Mr. Seward._ No. 21.] CHINKIANG, _March 24, 1880._