Ancient Indian Education: An Inquiry into its Origin, Development, and Ideals c8.22

c8.22

‘In the mean time, while the burthens were getting in order, I entertained myself in the Porch of the Temple, beholding little boys learning arithmetic after a strange manner, which I will here relate. They were four, and having all taken the same lesson from the master, in order to get that same by heart and repeat likewise their former lessons and not forget them, one of them singing musically with a certain continu’d tone (which hath the force of making deep impression in the memory) recited part of the lesson; as for example, “One by itself makes one”; and whilst he was thus speaking he writ down the same number, not with any kind of pen, nor on paper, but (not to spend paper in vain) with his finger on the ground, the pavement being for that purpose strew’d all over with very fine sand; after the first had writ what he sung, all the rest sung and writ down the same thing together. Then the first boy sung and writ down another part of the lesson; as, for example, “Two by itself makes two”, which all the rest repeated in the same manner, and so forward in order. When the pavement was full of figures they put them out with the hand, and if need were, strew’d it with new sand from a little heap which they had before them wherewith