Our learned assistants will disapprove the course of reading I have marked out: they zealously recommend books (especially the Bhagavat) which would soon discourage the student. A perusal of the volumes they venerate is considered an act of homage to the gods, conferring merit on the teacher and on the learner. But the Bramhans are excellent instructors, patient, humble, and admirably skilful. Until I had studied the poems with them for seven years, I did not perceive how perfect they are in learning.
Students were formerly examined, at the Madras College, in a manner not quite fair. The papers laid before them were new, never before seen. This was done, I believe, by the native examiners, who are fond of tormenting the aspirant. In the Telugu Dialogues, Reader, Wars of the Rajas, Tales, and Village Disputations, I have endeavoured to furnish a series of exercises and examination papers for every grade. The student ought, I think to be examined in these books alone, until he has completely mastered them; and afterwards he should read Vemana.
Native tutors urge us first to learn the very subjects which I have placed at the end of the work. The native method is followed by Mr. A. D. Campbell, in his "Teloogoo Grammar," an accurate, though very imperfect work, too intricate to aid the beginner. Mr. Campbell died in London, on the 23rd April, 1857.
Some absurdities, very dear to native tutors, call for notice, because they obstruct the progress of the learner. The alphabet, if counted in one way, contains so many letters, and if counted in another way, so many; certain letters are Sanscrit, and others are Telugu; some being common. These idle refinements furnish themes for wrangling. The verbs, also, are put through useless forms, thus; 'pamputa' To send, and 'cheyuta', To do, make the passives pampabaduta, and cheya-baduta; the causals being 'pampinpi', 'cheyingu' and the middle 'pampu-co' 'chesu-co.' Thus far is useful, but the tutors next propose fanciful forms which never occur, such as 'pampinpu-co-baduta. When we object that such phrases are never heard, the absurd answer is that they are possible. In the alphabet, too, every native tutor is apt to teach combinations of letters, such as lkha, sba, vpha, yra, khpa; and when we have acquired them, we find we have taken fruitless
