AGS Magazine March 1940

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THE

ABERDEEN GRAMMAR SCHML MAGAZINE

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ABERDEEN

printe d for -The Former Pupils' Club atilte University Press • PRICE ONE SHILLING.

Volume XLIII, No. 2.

March, 1940.

EDUCATIONAL -BOOKS JAMES G. BISSET Books (New or

to supply all the Class CONTINUES Second-hand) suited for the requirements of the Higher Educational Institutions in the City, at the Lowest Prices.

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N.B.—Best Value in Students' Note Books.

JAMES G. BISSET, Classical, Medical, and Educational

85 BROAD

Bookseller,

STREET

)Opposi:e llf arischal College).

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PHONE 753 •

GOOD HEALTH demands

GOOD BREAD For the children especially is it necessary to ensure their stamina and energy with good, wholesome, nourishing bread. In Hutchison's bread you'll find all these requirements are fully met. Phone or give instructions to have it supplied daily.

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If you are considering Agriculture as a Career, why not come to the College of Agriculture, where you can correlate farming theory with practice and equip yourself either for practical farming or for securing one of the teaching or administrative posts now available to qualified students ?

College Classes are open to young women as well as men in all branches of Agricultural Science, and Calendars and full particulars of the various Courses may be obtained free from the undersigned.

R. M

LEMMON, Secretary, 411 UNION STREET, ABERDEEN.

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CIVIL and MILITARY BOOTMAKERS

8 CHAPEL ST.

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(Late of 162 Union Street)

Estd. A.D. 1844.

'Phone 724.

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K ENNAWAY'S of course RESTAURANT

173

UNION STREET

Here you get the finest of food, daintily served, and at a reasonable price. The Restaurant is comfortable and commodious, and is Just the place to entertain your friends. Our rooms are available for all types of functions. 'Phone 2371, and ask the Manageress for quotations

WM. KENNAWAY LTD. Quality

Bakers, Confectioners and

Caterers, Aberdeen

Telephone No. 1891.

ARCHIBALD McKELLAR Family Grocer and Wine Merchant,

454-456 Union Street, Aberdeen. . . We Specialise in . .

Cooked

Gammons, Finest Belfast Smoked Hams, " Harris's "

Wiltshire Bacon.

Medicinal Wines—Vibrona, Hall's, Wincarnis, Phosferine.

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18 BRIDGE STREET

JAMES FYFE & SON PAINTERS GLAZIERS. AND . . .

OFFICE AND SHOWROOMS:-

11 DEE STREET, ABERDEEN. Telephone 304.

Telegrams " Fyfe. Painters."

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You can leave your Ration Books at Home .

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when you go in search of Fish, Game or Poultry. But actually there is no need to search : you have but to call at A. & W. ALEXANDER to have your requirements amply satisfied. Should you prefer to 'phone (which is often so much handier), your instructions will have personal attention. The numbers are 5172, -3 and -4

A. & W. ALEXANDER FISH, GAME AND MEAT MERCHANTS

ABERDEEN

492 UNION STREET

Telephone Aberdeen 1710.

The Mastrick Dairies Ltd. 1 DESSWOOD

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PLACE, ABERDEEN

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Selection of DAIRY PRODUCE from our own Farms, and produced under the direct supervison of members of the family. Our Customers may rely upon the absolute Purity and Cleanliness of all our products.

WE offer you a Choice

Distributors of

CAIRNBROGIE CERTIFIED MILK. Head Dairy: 3, 5, and 7 WHITEHALL ROAD. Branches : 25 BEDFORD PLACE. 33 FOUNTAINHALL ROAD. 473 GREAT WESTERN ROAD.

CONTENTS ILLUSTRATIONS .

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Facing page 96 .

F.R.I.B.A. Robert Gordon Wilson, . . . . .

Maxwell H. Mackie, M.A. " ,, 97 . . . .

Ascent of Mount Kinabalu . . Between pp. 156 and 137 .

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Douglas Ross Harper .

Louis Harper, A.M.Inst.C.E., at the wheel of his • . . . . car in 1904 .

Facing page 137 • School Rugby Football 1st XV—Season 1939-4o Third Re-union Dinner of Malayan F.P.s, Kuala Lumpur 74 „

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The Wilson Bequest 96 . . . . . .

Roll of F.P. War Service . ,, 97 . . . .

Death of Mr. Maxwell H. Mackie . . . . . .

97 A Remarkable Year for the School . . ,, 98 . . . . . .

Notes About Old Boys . . . „ 105 . . . . . . . .

Obituary . . . . . . . . .

Marriages . " Wild-Catting " in Borneo. By A. W. Duncan . .

Trengganu. By P. A. B. McKerron An Ascent of Mount Kinabalu. By J. S. Abernethy • .

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Byron's Burial Place A Unique Sheriff Court Action. By W. G. Robertson, D.D. . . . .

Eire v. Alba (R.U.). By E. R. B. . " The White Man's Grave "-1920-1938. By Wm. Robertson • • • .

• 47 Clark .

Crocodiles. By W. E. G. 53 School Section— „ 155 School and Random Notes . . .

Charles Shanks " Parcel, please! " By J. S. Taggart. . . . .

Tolquhon Castle. By J. R. S. Bell . . . . .

Lebensraum. (Verse.) By J. B. Tait . . . . . .

A Cycle Tour in Scotland 163 . . . .

Recent Benefactions to the School . .

Granite : An Image. (Verse.) By John C. S. Arnaud :I' . . : I6664a . .

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School Rugby . „ 165 . . .

Rambling and Mountaineering Club . „ 165 . . . . . . .

Scout Notes .

The Former Pupils' Club— Postponement of Annual Club Meeting—Report for the 168 • . . year 1939 . . . . . . . . .

1 74 The Malayan Centre . . . . . . .

1 75 The Bengal Centre .

176 . . . . . . .

Club Consuls .

178 . . . .

Hockey Section. Cricket Section . . . . . . . . . .

179 Rugby . . . . . . .

1 79 List of New Members . x8o . . . .

Addresses Wanted of Life Members ,,

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In our Boys' section you can always be sure of finding a good selection of woollens— WOLSEY

JERSEYS, WITH TIES 7 II

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A different Loaf for every day of the month 9 VARIETIES OF BROWN BREAD 2I

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Try them all .5 Ilk .5

W. M. McPHERSON Baker and Confectioner '5 FOUNTAINHALL ROAD AND

8 ST. SWITHIN STREET ABERDEEN Telephone 15 x 5

Established 1843

STRACHAN

WM. CAY & SONS

COMMERCIAL

(FUNERAL DIRECTORS) LIMITED

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415 UNION STREET

PORTRAITURE

and

209 GEORGE STREET,

PHOTOGRAPHY

ABERDEEN

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Telephone 851 All Funeral Requisites. Supplied

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Cremations Arranged

416 UNION STREET Telegrams--"Cay,

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ABERDEEN

Telephone: 8811.2

Telegrams : ' Blake Builders

JOAJALIES IL ILA FIE LIU. Joiners

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23, 25, 29 SUMMER STREET, ABERDEEN All classes of Building Joinery Enquiries courteously solicited

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THE SQUARE. CULTS 'PHONI. CALM 2 'PHONE 31

DRAWING

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INSTRUMENTS Little Portable Typewriters nowadays are very cheap, and enormous value for money — three British Portables : the Barlock Portable, the Baby Empire, and, the best of all, the Imperial Portable, the famous " Good Companion:Also all the foreign Portables. ::

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Oyster Models from £8 8s. Od. We stock the complete range of Rolex Oyster and Rolex Prince Watches.

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WATCH AND GEM RING SPECIALISTS

142

UNION

STREET (next Union Bridge), ABERDEEN

Perseverance PERSEVERANCE is the determination to carry on in the face of difficulties and discouragements and to overcome them in the end.

At the present time we are faced with great difficulties and many discouragements, but we are determined to carry on and give our customers—as far as in us lies—the same service which has been a feature of our business for nearly a hundred years.

J. & A. OGILVIE 369 UNION STREET ABERDEEN Telephone No. 433

Telegrams : " Interiors"

Comfort, appearance —and economy The thoughtful construction of the modern Fireplaces assures the utmost comfort in enhanced an addition to appearance.

A visit to our showrooms will enable us to explain their many unseen advantages

James Scott & Son (Aberdeen) Ltd. 483-485 UNION STREET ABERDEEN Phone 1881-2

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THE WORLD AT YOUR FEET!

From home and the ships that sail the seven seas come the good things offered by Collie's of Aberdeen.

Leisurely inspection of the comprehensive array of the fine quality Groceries and Provisions displayed in this spacious, modern shop is welcomed without obligation. Shopping at Collie's of Aberdeen is always a pleasant and profitable experience to the lady who appreciates good service, comprehensive choice, and sterling value. If you are yet a stranger to the merits of shopping here, may we have the pleasure of a trial order ?

FAMILY GROCERS AND WINE MERCHANTS

269-271 UNION

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Telephones : CENTRAL 4800 (4 lines) Branch Shops at CULTS, BALLATER, and BRAEMAR

Telephones: Cults 28 ; Ballater 14 ; Braemar 212

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1836

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NORTHERN ASSURANCE COMPANY LIMITED •

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FOR ALL CLASSES OF INSURANCE •

LIFE

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ASSURANCE BRANCH

The Company's tables of rates for Life Assurance include every class of Policy Special Leaflets on—

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CHIEF OFFICES : ABERDEEN

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LONDON .

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I UNION TERRACE 1 MOORGATE, E.C. 2

Branches and Agencies throughout the World

Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine 55th year: No. x44

Vol. XLIII

(New Series, 46th year, No. 135)

MARCH 1940

No. z

The " Grammar School Magazine " is issued under the auspices of The Former Pupils' Club, in March, June, and November. All communications with regard to the " Magazine" should be addressed to the Editor (the Secretary and Treasurer of the Club), THEODORE WATT, M.A., LL.D., The University Press, 6 Upper Kirkgate, Aberdeen.

The Wilson Bequest.

Mr. ROBERT GORDON WILSON, retired architect, Aberdeen,

as recorded on another page, died on i zth December last, and it was intimated early in January that in his trust disposition and settlement he had made a bequest to the F.P. Club. The will provides that, after payment of certain legacies, the residue shall be divided into two parts, one of these parts or shares to be liferented by his widow. On the termination of the liferent, the capital of this share has to be realized and paid over, to the extent of one-fourth, to the Aberdeen Grammar School Former Pupils' Club, and the amount so paid (to be known as " The Wilson Bequest ") shall be held by the Club in trust for the purposes and on the conditions following, viz.:— (I) The amount of the bequest shall be vested in the names for of the President, Vice-President, and Secretary of the Club trustees as office in successors respective their and being the time for the Club. (z) The free annual income shall be paid over to the Execuin tive of the Club and shall be used by it for such purposes School Grammar Aberdeen the for and Club the with connection as and that in such proportion and to such extent and amountsmay discretion sole in its time to time from Executive the decide : provided, however, that the income or any part thereof shall not be used in any way for meeting or relieving any of the ordinary running expenses of the Club, nor for reducing the

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Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine

subscription payable by members of the Club ; and provided further that the investments representing the capital shall be valued annually and any depreciation shall be made good out of revenue before the revenue is utilized for any other trust purpose.

(3) The Executive shall not be bound to expend the whole free income arising in any one year, and any such unexpended income shall be retained in a Revenue Reserve, and may be used in any subsequent year or years for any trust purpose.

(4) Amongst the uses to which the revenue may be put from time to time (the testator directed) there should be included, whenever practicable, the giving of assistance to Former Pupils of the School who may be temporarily in straitened circumstances, such assistance being either direct or by the giving of grants towards their sons' education at the School ; the assisting of the sons of deceased Former Pupils of the School who may have been left in straitened circumstances to be educated or to continue their education at the School ; the helping of deserving pupils of the School to get a start in life either at home or abroad ; and the meeting of any expenses necessary in extending or perfecting any Consul system of the Club.

The announcement of this handsome bequest will be received with warm appreciation by all who are interested in the School, and particularly by members of the F.P. Club. It is not at present possible to state what the Club's share of the estate may eventually amount to, but it is estimated to be about £5,730. Reference to the bequest is made in the Annual Report of the F.P. Club, which appears in this issue of the Magazine.

Roll of F.P. War Service.

With reference to what appeared in the last issue of the Magazine about the compiling of a record of the service of F.P.s in the present war, the request for information has so far met with a rather disappointing response. It has accordingly been decided to postpone publishing the first instalment of the Roll of Service until the next number of the Magazine is issued, and meantime to send an Inquiry Form with this issue to all members of the F.P. Club. All those who have not already sent the information asked for in the last number are earnestly requested to fill in the Form and return it to the Secretary as early as possible. It should be specially noted that while the war continues it may not be possible to publish all the information that is supplied.

ROBERT GORDON WILSON, F.R.I.B.A.

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Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine

97

Death of Mr. Maxwell H. Mackie.

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In every part of the world F.P.s who were at the School during the period 1885-1924 will regret the passing of Mr. Maxwell I-Iutchison Mackie, M.A., who died at Aberdeen on zznd March 194o. After graduating in Arts at Edinburgh University in 188o, Mr. Mackie was " recognised" as a teacher in the same year, and started in his professional career as an assistant in the old Northfield School and then in the Middle School, Aberdeen. After a few months—in January 1 881— he was appointed first assistant in the Preparatory Department of the Grammar School, under the late Mr. Alexander Green.

Before long he was promoted to be an assistant teacher of Classics and French, and in 1885 was appointed French Master in succession to the late Mr. William Brebner (who founded the Brebner French Prize). Mr. Mackie served in the School for the long period of 43i years, retiring in June 1924, on reaching the age limit.

At the time of his retiral there appeared in the Magazine a sketch of him entitled " Some Memories Grave and Gay," in the course of which the writer said :— Mr. Mackie was extraordinarily patient and painstaking, and although

he could be very angry at times, that wonderful smile of his soon swept away all our fears. Mr. Mackie's physical fitness is indicated by his swinging stride, as also by his energy on the push-bike. It is evident he has discovered the secret of perpetual youth, and I believe the secret lies in his life-long attachment to outdoor recreation. Mr. Mackie can show a good record at golf, he loves his garden, and what he does nor know about fishing is hardly worth knowing. He can also take his place with most men at bridge and billiards. With so many interests, he has made a very wide circle of friends. I am sure I speak for hundreds of boys far and near who have passed through Mr. Mackie's hands when I say that we all remember him with affection and think of him with respect.

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Mr. Mackie, who had reached his 81st year, married Miss Margaret Forbes, who was for several years in charge of what was then called the Initiatory Department of the Grammar School, and he is survived by her and by a daughter.

A Remarkable Year for the School.

A correspondent writes :—" It is rather remarkable that the Grammar School has produced this year at Glasgow the best Classics student (James R. Fiddes) and the best Engineering student (Denys W. England). It is also noteworthy that three F.P.s within the past year have won Oxford Scholarships— two at Balliol, James R. Fiddes (Classics) and Norman C. Maclver (Economics), and A. I-I. K. Slater at Merton (Classics)."

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Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine

***The Editor is glad at all times to receive from any quarter items of information for this section of the " Magazine."

The dates given in parentheses after names indicate the sessions of attendance at the School.

Charles Leith Barron* (19o7-19), M. B., Ch.B., who was formerly in medical practice at Armadale, West Lothian, and then in Buckle and Newcastle-on-Tyne, is now Assistant Medical Officer to the Education Authority of the City of Birmingham.

Eric Ros Birkett* (5920-22), C.A., who for a number of years has been in the service of Messrs. John Menzies & Co., Ltd., wholesale booksellers, newsagents, and stationers, Edinburgh, has recently been appointed Secretary of that company.

He is from time to time a welcome contributor to the pages of the Magazine.

Robert H. Campbell* (1919-29), who is in the service of the National Bank of India, Ltd., has been stationed in Madras since the end of 1938.

James S. R. Cruickshank* (1914-21), B. A., LL.B., W.S., a partner in the firm of Brander and Cruickshank, advocates, Aberdeen, has recently been appointed an administrative officer in the Chemical Inspection Department of the Ministry of Supply.

Peter MacNaughton (otherwise Naughton) Dunn (18912902), M.A., M.B., Ch.B., LL.D., orthopaedic surgeon, Birmingham, whose death on 19th November 1939 was recorded in the last issue of the Magazine, left personalty amounting to £29,959.

John Murray Easton* (1895-194)5), F.R.I.B.A., as President of the Architectural Association, London, contributed to The Times on 25th January a letter which received prominence describing the methods adopted by the French Government in dealing with emergency building in war time, and expressing the hope that the example set by that Government might help to persuade our own authorities to adopt a more efficient way for such building.

David Edwards* (5903-09), M.A., LL.B., is continuing in * Members of Former Pupils' Club

Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine

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99

war time at his judicial post in the Colonial Legal Service in Palestine. He is stationed at Tel-aviv.

Denys William England* (1927-35), who graduated B.Sc. at Glasgow University last year, with First Class Honours in Civil Engineering, was recently awarded the Glasgow University Engineering Society Prize to the most distinguished graduate of 1939 who completed a full graduating course in the Faculty of Engineering in the University, and also the Millar Prize to the most distinguished graduate in Civil Engineering.

George Esslemont* (1905-15) is meantime in the service of the Ministry of Supply.

George Neil Farquhar (19o3-o9), M.C., who has been Treasurer of Sierra Leone since 1934, was recently appointed Financial Secretary of the Gold Coast in the Colonial Administrative Service.

James Raffan Fiddes* (1924-37) was in December last elected by the Master and Fellows of Balliol College, Oxford, to a Snell Exhibition in Classics, and the Senate of Glasgow University thereupon appointed him to a Newlands Scholarship.

He was Classical Dux of the Grammar School in 1937, and is in his third year at Glasgow University. A Snell Exhibitioner is usually a fourth year man.

George Forbes* (1902-04) is a partner in the firm of Sinclair and Forbes, advocates, Aberdeen, who have recently acquired the practice of Rae and Mitchell, advocates, of which the late WILLIAM RAE (1867-69), M.A., was senior partner.

Rex Fowell* (1912-23), Captain, Royal Artillery, has recently been appointed a Staff Captain at G.H.Q., B.E.F. John French Gauld* (1919-29) is at present on the Sathkyah Tea Estate, Mal P.O., Dooars, Northern Bengal.

Alexander Marr Geddes* (1897-1903), M.D.—the donor to the School of the Geddes Silver Medal for Science—who was formerly a medical practitioner in Dundee, Natal, is now settled in practice at Kirkcaldy.

Alfred William Grafton* (1912-22), C.A., as Secretary of the Motor Trade War Executive, contributed in January a letter to The Times dealing with the state of the British retail motor trade after four months of economic warfare, and particularly with the plight of the garages. The letter was deemed of such importance that it was the subject of a strong leading article in The Times, which concluded, " It really cannot be necessary that the garage industry (or any other that can be converted in any way from peace to war uses) should die for England to live."

Grafton was for a time with Deloitte, Plender, Griffiths and Co., chartered accountants, London, and in 1933 was appointed Assistant Secretary to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, Ltd., London.

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Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine

Alfred George Mackie Grassick (1919-26), C.A., was in January admitted a member of the Aberdeen Chartered Accountants' Society.

Arthur Desmond Fraser Hay* (1923-31) was in the service of the North of Scotland Bank Ltd., in Aberdeen from 1935 to 1938, since when he has been in the family business of William Hay and Sons (Aberdeen) Ltd., aerated water manufacturers.

He was formerly a Private in a Field Ambulance of the R.A.M.C., but was discharged in September, 1939, on account of his health.

William T. H. Hay (1928-38), Loughborough Physical Training College, Leicestershire, who played as full-back for the 1st XV during the season 1938-39, has since then occupied the scrum-half position and has been awarded his full colours.

He has been elected Rugby Captain for the season 1940-41.

This is a College record : at eighteen years of age he captains a side averaging about twenty-three years and containing County "Caps" and Trial Internationalists. The College magazine says :—" One of the toughest scrum-halfs in the history of the club. He is fearless in defence and has often started some good movements on the blind side."

THE ECONOMIC SURVEY.

Hubert Douglas Henderson* ( i 901-04), M. A . (Cantab.), was mentioned in a special article in The Times in January, which gave an authoritative account of the machinery at present in existence for the control of the economic side of the war and the co-ordination of the various Departments and agencies concerned.

The article explained that for some time before war broke out Lord Stamp, in a more or less unofficial capacity, with the assistance of Professor H. Clay and Mr. H. D. Henderson, had been advising the Government upon their economic war plans.

It had been decided to continue to rely upon Lord Stamp's advice, and to make him the official Adviser on Economic Co-ordination. Three committees had been set up—one of economists, one of the permanent heads of the Departments dealing with economic matters, and one of the Ministers in charge of those Departments. At the base was the committee of economists, known as the Economic Survey, which consists of Lord Stamp, who presides, Professor Clay, Mr. Henderson, and Mr. Francis Hemming, who supplies the necessary connecting link with the Civil Service. They are assisted by a small staff, which is gradually being built up to collate information supplied by the different Departments and to prepare reports.

This Survey meets regularly three times a week, and its meetings generally last three hours. The individual members, of course, are busy all the time preparing for these meetings. It discusses every aspect of our economic life as it affects or is affected by the war, and where necessary draws up proposals for dealing

Aberdeen Grammar School Magaine

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with difficulties which have arisen or are foreseen. It is safe to say that on few of the economic questions which have exercised the public mind since the war began have the Government been left without the considered advice of the Economic Survey.

William James Hogg* (19o8-21), M.D., D.P.H., was in November appointed Regional Medical Officer to the Department of Health for Scotland.

Sir William Wilson Jameson* (1892-1902), M.A., M.D., F.R.C.P. Lond., Dean and Professor of Public Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, is to receive the honorary degree of LL.D. from the University of Aberdeen.

George Ross Laing* (5877-8o), who graduated M.A. at Aberdeen in 1888 and for many years has conducted the family business of retail butcher in George Street, Aberdeen, has recently closed it down.

John Laird* (19o1-o3), M.A., LL.D., F.B.A., Professor of Moral Philosophy in the University of Aberdeen, has edited with a memoir " Philosophical and Literary Pieces " by the late Professor Samuel Alexander, O.M., of Manchester. The latter chose Professor Laird as his literary executor.

Philip Douglas Lawrence* (1909-16), M.A., was in February appointed minister of Rubislaw Church, Aberdeen.

He was ordained minister of the U.F. Church, New Deer, Aberdeenshire, in 1922, and six years later was translated to St. Margaret's Church, Dunfermline. Since 5933 he has been minister of Rosehall Church, Edinburgh. He is a son of the late Mr. Calder M. Lawrence, whom older F.P.s will remember as teacher of phonography and book-keeping in the Grammar School.

Duncan Herdman McDougall* (5921-34) passed in January the final examination of the Chartered Accountants of Scotland.

He served his apprenticeship with Messrs. Bower and Smith, C.A., Aberdeen.

Murdoch McIntosh* (5928-33), who graduated B.L. at Aberdeen University in July 1939, was apprenticed to the Town Clerk, Aberdeen. He at present holds a commission in the Royal Artillery.

Thomas Duncan Macintosh* (1904-11), who entered the service of the Bombay, Baroda, and Central India Railway Company at Bombay in 1919, is now Chief Mechanical Engineer at the Locomotive Administrative Offices at Ajmer, Rajputana.

Norman Crighton McIver (1928-34), who graduated at Aberdeen University in July of last year, with First Class Honours in Political Economy, has been awarded a Scholarship in Economics at Balliol College, Oxford.

John Scott MacLachlan* (5922-32) is a Signal Officer attached to an R.A. Regiment in France. Writing some time

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ago, he said he had spent there quite the coldest winter he had ever experienced. For a week they had never had less than to degrees below zero, and the peak day was when the thermometer registered 29 degrees below.

Charles Wallace Matheson* (1925-34) is at present in the drawing office of Messrs. Redpath, Brown & Co., Ltd., structural engineers, Glasgow.

David C. Milne* (I9II-15), B.Sc., for the last eight years has been Engineer and Chief Executive Officer to the Greymouth Harbour Board, New Zealand. He is at present home on a business trip.

Garland Cowie Milne (1897-1901), Inverebrie, Ellon, has recently been re-appointed President of the Ellon Branch of the Farmers' Union.

Sir Peter Chalmers Mitchell* (1879-80), C.B.E., M.A., D.Sc., LL.D., F.R.S., recently contributed to Picture Post an article on " How I would organize our propaganda." Sir Peter speaks with authority, as in the last war he was deeply engaged in propaganda as a Staff Officer in the Intelligence Division of the War Office. During 1918 he represented the War Office on Lord Northcliffe's Enemy Propaganda Department at Crewe House. He was then in frequent contact with Lord Beaverbrook's Ministry of Information, with the Admiralty propaganda, the French and later the American Propagandists.

Thus he had unusual opportunities of studying the methods of distribution and preparation of British and Allied propaganda, and of studying enemy propaganda. " Though I have had in the past a full and varied experience of this kind of work, I have no inside knowledge about our present propaganda machinery in this war. Everyone can see that it is creaking, whether from bad design, or confusion of purpose I know not. I know only that good and effective propaganda is vital to the war and the peace to follow the war."

James Glegg Moir* (1928-34), M.B., Ch.B., is one of the Resident Medical Officers at the Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.

Ellis Edward Paul Murray* (192 5 - 30), B.Sc., M.B., Ch.B., is now Senior Surgeon in the Royal Hospital, Portsmouth.

John Simpson Ogg* (1904-07), C.A., has been elected Vice-President of the Merchants National Bank and Trust Company at Syracuse, New York. He served his apprenticeship as an accountant with Messrs. Flockhart and Jamieson, Aberdeen.

He then joined the staff of Messrs. Price, Waterhouse and Co. in the U.S.A., and after holding a number of accountancy appointments, entered the service of the Lamson Company at Syracuse, resigning his post as Treasurer of that company in the autumn of last year.

Robert Nicol Paton* (1898-1904), M.A., B.D., was in

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February installed by the Dundee Presbytery as minister of the united charge of the Rosebank and Chapelshade Churches.

James Phillips (1923-34) recently passed the final professional examination of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons at the Royal (Dick) Veterinary College, Edinburgh, and obtained the diploma of M.R.C.V.S. William Brian Richardson* (1919-28), who is with the Chartered Bank of India, Australia and China at Hongkong, writing in December, said that things were very normal out there, and although everyone was in the Volunteers and was having quite a lot of training, it was sometimes hard to credit that a war was on. Things were much easier than they were before the German-Russian Pact, chiefly on account of the definite change in the attitude of the Japanese.

Eric Desmond Robertson (1928-31), B.Sc.(Agr. and For.) has recently received an appointment in the Colonial Foresi Service.

Thomas Falconer Robson* (1918-31), M.A., passed in January the final examination of the Chartered Accountants of Scotland, and has been admitted a member of the Aberdeen Chartered Accountants' Society. He served his apprenticeship with Messrs. Williamson and Dunn, Aberdeen.

Norman Alfred Ross* (1925-3 r ), M.B., Ch.B., who took his D.P.H. at Aberdeen in March of last year, is now Senior Resident Medical Officer at the City Hospital, Aberdeen. He joined the staff of that Hospital in August 1937.

Robert Gray Sangster* (1919-30), B.Sc.(For.), who entered the Colonial Forest Service in 1935, continues in the Uganda Protectorate at Entebbe.

Herbert Brebner Scott* (1905-06), the F.P. Club Consul at Calcutta, says in a recent letter that he sometimes finds it difficult to believe that a war is in progress, as in that city they have no " black-outs " and see little evidence of military or naval activity. He spent the Christmas week-end on a tea garden in the Darrang District of Assam, where he met STANLEY M. FRASER* (1908-19) and MELVILLE S. CHRISTIE (1926-28).

Reginald Mitchell Scott* (1919-28) has since November 1939 been employed as an aircraft assembler with Blackburn Aircraft Ltd. William Shepherd* (1894-1903), who for a number of years has resided at Campfield House, Glassel, Kincardineshire, suffered the misfortune in February of a disastrous fire, when this four-storeyed mansion, of which he was the lessee, was completely destroyed. Only a few articles of furniture were saved.

James Andrew Simpson* ( 1891-94), M.B., Ch.B., who has been in medical practice at Forbes, Alford, since 1903, has recently retired from practice Qwing to ill-health.

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David Sinclair* (1912-2I), Loirston, Nigg, is the new President of the Aberdeen Branch of the Farmers' Union.

John W. M. Sutherland* (1920-24 and 1928-29), M.B., Ch.B., was for a time assistant to the late Mr. NAucirrow DUNN (1891-1902) at the Robert Jones Orthopaedic Hospital, Oswestry, and latterly Demonstrator in Anatomy at King's College, Newcastle-on-Tyne. There he joined the O.T.C., and he has now the rank of Captain in the R.A.K.C. Arthur Landsborough Thomson* (1899- x 908), C.B., O.B.E., D.Sc., continues during the war as Principal Assistant Secretary of the Medical Research Council, but in that capacity is mainly engaged in the organization of emergency medical services and of special investigations, both for the Forces and for civil purposes. He is also a member or the secretary of various Government Committees dealing with war problems.

Ralph Spence Walker* (59 I o- z z), M.A., has edited " Historie of the Reformation in Scotland" for the Saltire Society. This contains a selection of passages from John Knox's well-known work.

Edward Willim Watt* (1883-94), T.D., D.L., M.A., LL.D., Lord Provost of Aberdeen 1935-38, was in December publicly presented with his portrait, painted by Mr. Harold Knight, R.A. The presentation was made on behalf of the subscribers by Lord Provost Mitchell.

Alexander Milne Wilson* (1919-3x) is now Senior Assistant in the Architects' Department of Messrs. Carter, Paterson and Co., Ltd., London.

George Stewart Wood* (5922-32), who has been for a number of years one of the Scottish members of the " Oxford Group," is at present engaged in " Moral Re-armament " in New York.

ABERDEEN UNIVERSITY DEGREES.

At a Graduation Ceremony at Aberdeen University on t3th December, 1939, degrees were conferred on the following : Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (M.B., Ch.B.)— Alexander Gordon Beattie (1922-34).

John Hudson Begg (5923-27).

Frederick Alastair Forbes* (5921-34).

James Cobban Fraser* (1911-23), M.A. James Gauld* (1 923-34).

James Glegg Moir* (1928-34).

James Henry Scott* (1920-26), M.A. Alfred Cahoon Bruce Singleton (1924-33).

Gordon Profeit Wallace (1920-35), M.A. Alan Montgomery Watson* (1922-3 4).

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OBITUARY.

Sir John Baker* (1875-79), M.D., died on 13th June 1939, aged 78 years. A son of the late Mr. Samuel Baker, Aberdeen, he graduated M.B., C.M., at Aberdeen University in 1883, and M.D. in 1901. Soon after qualifying he became Assistant Medical Officer at the Dundee Royal Asylum, and three years later he joined the medical staff of the State Criminal Lunatic Asylum at Broadmoor, Berks. Entering the Prison Medical Service in 1888, he was Assistant Medical Officer in turn at H.M. Prisons at Portland and Pentonville. He next returned to Broadmoor as Deputy Medical Superintendent, and was Medical Superintendent from 191o until 1919. He was also Expert in Lunacy to the Home Office. During the last war, in addition to his heavy duties at Broadmoor, he had charge of insane German prisoners of war in the neighbouring Crowthorne War Hospital. On his retirement in 1919, several years before the usual age, he was created a Knight Bachelor, and was resident first at Southsea and then at Camberley. He is remembered by old associates at Broadmoor and in the Prison Medical Service as an able and conscientious administrator, devoted to his work, and a kind and loyal colleague. He was one of the Honorary Vice-Presidents of the F.P. Club.

Herbert Haddon Bower* (1881-92) died at Aberdeen on i ith January 1940, aged 64 years. A son of the late Mr. James Haddon Bower of Pitmurchie, Torphins, he qualified as a chartered accountant in 1898 and started in practice on his own account in Aberdeen in the following year. In 1901 he joined WILLIAM MITCHELL SMITH* (1881-91), C.A., in partnership, under the firm name of Bower and Smith, and continued to practise until he retired about two years ago. He was a member of the Society of Accountants in Aberdeen and its President from 1932 to 1934.

In the last war he joined the 4th Battalion The Gordon Highlanders as a Lieutenant in January 1915, and served at home and in France, Italy, Belgium, and Germany, until he was demobilized in February 1919, with the rank of Staff Captain, having been appointed to the staff of the Second Army under General Plumer in 1917. He was twice mentioned in dispatches, and appointed a Chevalier of the Crown of Italy. He was one of the original trustees of the Gordon Highlanders' War Memorial, acting as Honorary Secretary and Treasurer from its inception, and being largely instrumental in raising the funds.

He was a keen golfer and angler, and was for some time Honorary Secretary and Treasurer of the Aberdeenshire Cricket Club.

He was predeceased by his brother, HADDON ANDERSON BOWER (1877-84), granite merchant, Aberdeen, and is survived by two other brothers—Lieut.-Colonel GEORGE HADDON BOWER* (18771887), C.B., T.D., M.A., advocate in Aberdeen ; and JAMEs

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ANDERSON BOWER* (1882-95), who was formerly a tea planter n Assam and is now resident in Banchory.

George Pirie Campbell (1901-04), elder son of the late George Campbell, died at Winnipeg, Canada, on 23rd December 1939, aged 5o years.

William Robert Catto (1895-99), M . B., Ch.B., third son of the late Rev. John Catto, Fintray, Aberdeenshire, died at King William's Town, Cape Province, South Africa, on 13th January 1940, aged S7 years. Shortly after graduating in medicine at Aberdeen in 1904, he went to the Transvaal, where he was assistant to another F.P., the late Dr. JOHN GLANVILLE MILNE (1881-83). He was Medical Officer of the West Rand Mines until 1911, then District Surgeon at Rhodes, Cape Province, and after being for a time in Cape Town, was a Resident Medical Officer in East Griqualand from 1925.

James Dickson Cook* (1894-1902), third son of the late Mr. Alexander Cook, The Birches, Milltimber, died at Banchory on 31st December 1939, aged S3 years. On leaving the School he entered his father's business of wholesale wine and spirit merchant in Aberdeen, and managed it from 1909 until 1916, when he left to serve with H.M. Forces in France. On being demobilized towards the end of 1919, he entered the motor trade. He took a great interest in sport, and had played badminton for Scotland against Ireland.

William Watson Craib* (1877-81) died at Croydon, Surrey, on 2 i st February 1940, aged 75 years. Born at Pityot, Muchalls, a son of the late Mr. George D. Craib, after spending four years at the Grammar School, he went to British Guiana at the age of 18 and engaged in sugar planting there for 25 years, becoming manager of the Blairmont Plantation. In 1909 he moved to Cuba, where first he was General Manager of the Guantanamo Sugar Company, and then General Manager of The Cuba Company, Jatibonico. He retired from Cuba and from business in 1917, but in 1919 was appointed a member of the Indian Sugar Committee, and toured in India, Burma, the Malay States, and Java for a year. From 1927 to 1938 he travelled abroad every winter and had visited many parts of the world.

All his life he had a real affection for the Grammar School.

He liked to speak of his School days, and always read the Magazine with great interest.

James John Donald* (1885-87) died at 55 Gray Street, Aberdeen, on 23rd February 1940, aged 63 years. A son of the late Captain James Donald, he served with his father in the mercantile marine for seven years. Returning to Aberdeen, he entered the service in 1898 of Messrs. John Lewis & Son, engineers, and became Secretary of the company. Throughout his life he was keenly interested in sport. In his early years

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he was a keen cricketer, and latterly he was an enthusiastic bowler. He is survived by three sons who were all educated at the School :—JAMES JOHN DONALD* (1921-26), B.L., solicitor, Aberdeen ; ALEXANDER B. DONALD* (1922-28), M.D., Assistant M.O.H., Edinburgh ; and DAVID M. C. DONALD* (1926-32), B.L., solicitor, Edinburgh.

Mearns Duirs (1877-79) died at Subukia, Kenya Colony, on 6th November 1939, aged 75 years. He was born at Slains, Kinneff, Kincardineshire, and went to New Zealand about 1880. Later he went to South Africa, and for a time engaged in farming in the Orange Free State.

William Francis Finlay Edwards (1913-22), youngest Son of the late ALFRED WILLIAM EDWARDS (1881-88), solicitor, Aberdeen, died at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary on 22nd February 1940, aged 31 years. He had been a member of the staff of the Unemployment Assistance Board in Aberdeen since its inception, and previously was on the staff of the Public Assistance Department. He is survived by his eldest brother, ALFRED J. M. EDWARDS* (1908-21), M.A., B.Com., Lower School Master of the Grammar School. His other brother, ERIC A. T. EDWARDS (1911-22), died as the result of a motor car accident in Aberdeen on 1st December 1932.

Alexander Forbes (1882-86), M.B., C.M., Inverurie, died as the result of a motor car accident on 5th December 1939, aged 7o years. A son of the late Mr. Harry Forbes, Balchimrnie, Leochel-Cushnie, Aberdeenshire, and a brother of CHARLES FORBES (1884-86), M.B., Ch.B., Aberdeen, he was one of the best known medical men in the North-East. Practically the whole of his professional life was spent in practice at Invcrurie. He was also a keen agriculturist, and for years had successfully farmed Easter and Wester Selbie, and Muirton of Barra, Inverurie. In his younger days he was interested in music and was a vocalist of ability.

Ian Robert George Galloway (1905-16), M.B., Ch.B., eldest son of the late Mr. John Galloway, of Messrs. Galloway and Sykes, cabinetmakers, Aberdeen, died at Kirbymoorside, Yorks, on 26th January 1940, aged 39 years. He graduated in medicine at Aberdeen in 1931.

George Bertie Gauld* (1878- 82) died at Wellington, New Zealand, on 15th December 1939, aged 71 years. He was born in March 1868, at Swatow, China, where his father, WILLIAM GAULD, M.A., M.D. (1847-5 z), was a pioneer medical missionary until 1880. Bertie Gauld attended the Grammar School until the family removed to London in 1882. He always retained happy memories of his School days, and his classmates' varied careers were of real interest to him. In 1884 he was sent, for health reasons, to New Zealand, and took a post in the Dunedin

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branch of the Colonial Mutual Life Assurance Society, Ltd. After a time he was transferred to the chief office of the company at Wellington, where he remained until his retirement on the completion of fifty years' service ; and even after his retirement he continued to render voluntarily much appreciated service to his former employers. Although he never revisited the Old Country, he corresponded regularly with his family, and not infrequently with the Secretary of the F.P. Club. His own tastes were simple : he spent little on himself, but gave generously to others. He was a man of gentle nature, with a humorous outlook on life, and intensely methodical and reliable.

Linton Maitland Gibb* (1881-84) died at 4o Victoria Street, Aberdeen, on loth February 1940, aged 68 years. He was for many years in the service of Messrs. G. & W. Fraser, Ltd., printers and stationers, Aberdeen, having joined them when they took over in the early 'nineties the business of Gibb and Hay, lithographers, Queen Street, in which his father, the late Mr. Andrew Gibb, was a partner. He retired from business a number of years ago. His special hobby was photography and he was a skilled artist with the camera. Many of his prints appeared in exhibitions and salons.

John Arthur Rinder Glennie (1877-84), M.B., C.M., D.P.H., V.D., died at Stratton Hospital, Cornwall, on zoth March 1940, aged 71 years. After graduating in medicine at Aberdeen in 1889, he became Municipal Health Officer at Singapore. For a time he was Colonel of the Singapore Volunteer Corps, and served with it in the last war for two periods— August 1914 to June 1915 and April 1917 to July 1918. Latterly he was Medical Officer at Launceston, Cornwall.

KILLED IN AIR LINER ACCIDENT.

Douglas Ross Harper* (1917-26), youngest son of Louis HARPER (1 881-83)— whose death is recorded below—died as the result of an air liner accident near Bali, Dutch East Indies, on zznd January 1940, aged 3o years. He was on his way from Kuala Lumpur to spend a holiday with his wife in New Zealand when the Dutch liner in which he had travelled from Singapore crashed off the coast of Bali. The plane had taken off from Bali en route for Timor Koepang and Australia, when after a few minutes it was seen to be losing height, and having made a sharp turn, it fell into shallow water. The pilot, the copilot, the wireless operator, and five passengers were killed, and there was only one survivor.

Two years after leaving the School, where he had been a Prefect and Captain of Cricket, Harper became a member of the Eastern staff in London of Messrs. Harrisons & Crosfield, Ltd., East India merchants, and in 1930 was sent out to Malaya,

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under Messrs. Harrisons, Barker & Co., Ltd. After some years in the Singapore office, he was transferred first to Penang, and then, five years ago, to Kuala Lumpur, where he was attached to the Estates Department.

It is as a sportsman, and particularly as a rugby player, that he will chiefly be remembered in Malaya. He first played for Singapore, later for Penang, and for the last four seasons he was with Selangor, holding the unique record of having captained all three XVs, and of making the greatest number of appearances in the annual Malayan Rugby Union match between the North and the South (he was " capped " three times for the South and four times for the North). He played at full back and ranked as one of the finest that ever took that position in Malaya. The last time he played rugby in Singapore was in December, when the Selangor Club met the Singapore Club in the annual trophy game.

The director of Messrs. Harrison, Barker & Co. at Kuala Lumpur said of Harper that he was " the most popular man in the firm, and he will be missed not only as a valued member of the staff, but with a sense of deep personal loss by all who have been associated with him. He had qualities of character which made him loved and admired by all who came in contact with him, both in his work and as a leading sportsman, and he will be mourned by a large circle of friends throughout Malaya."

A memorial service was held in the St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, Kuala Lumpur, when a large number of his friends, including many of his rugby colleagues and his comrades in the F.M.S. Volunteer Force, attended. In the course of a short address the minister of the Church said : Dougal Harper was one of those rare souls whom to meet made one feel the better for having been in his company. His smile, which at once put you at ease, his way of looking straight in your eyes when he spoke to you, his quick sense of humour, his candid yet never uncharitable criticism, stamped him as a man of real sincerity. He had a childlike simplicity in the way in which he would express his appreciation of the simplest delights. . . . He led a full life. As a member of the Volunteers he showed keenness and efficiency. Those who knew Mr. and Mrs. Harper in their home know just what a perfect example both were to the rest of us in the art of happy married life. . . . When watching him play, there was always one characteristic of his which I never failed to notice. Whenever a player was injured, no matter on which side, Dougal always ran up to attend to him. If it was one of his own men, and he saw that the injury was a bad one and likely to hold up the game, he always patted the victim on the shoulder in a kindly way and told him to leave the field so that the game could go on. And I feel, somehow, that that is just what he is saying to you and to me to-night. In this case it is he who is out of the game, but he is saying to those of us who are left, players and spectators alike—" Carry on! Go back to your work, to your homes, your games. Be the man or woman God wants you to be, and whom you know you can be. Live the clean life, look for the joy in it, make the best of it. Love those who are with you with a deeper love than before, be a closer friend. Be more ready to help the other fellow to play life's game and play it well and bravely."

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Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine A MOTORING PIONEER. Louis Harper (i881-83), A.M.Inst.C.E., son of the late

Mr. John Harper of Seafield, Aberdeen, died in Aberdeen on 26th January 1940, aged 71 years, his death being due to the shock of the tragic news which he had received four days before of the death of his son Douglas. (See p. to8.) On leaving the School he served his apprenticeship as a civil engineer in Aberdeen and for many years practised on his own account in the city. He specialized in the designing and constructing of light suspension bridges, both at home and abroad. Motoring was his principal hobby, and he was one of Aberdeen's pioneers in that pastime. We are privileged to reproduce a very interesting photograph of him driving a primitive " horseless carriage." In the course of 35 years he had covered well over half a million miles, and he had a complete record of all his journeyings. He is survived by two sons—EDWARD JOHN HARPER (1909-x4), who is in the Shanghai Police, and Louis REGINALD HARPER* (1910-17), who is a maintenance engineer with the B.B.C. in Aberdeen. He had also two daughters : one is married to Dr. JAMES COOPER (1908-14), Birmingham ; and the other was married to WILLIAM CROMBIE ADAMS* (1915-18), but died in 1931. Mr. Harper left net heritable and movable estate amounting to £65,610.

The name of Harper is very closely associated with the Mannofield district of Aberdeen. Mr. Louis Harper's father owned the lands of Seafield, on part of which he built, many years ago, Seafield House, Thorn Villa (now Thornlea), and Monaltrie. The Harpers, too, have been associated with the Grammar School for at least three generations, about a score of them having been pupils at it.

James Cunningham Mackay (1871-72), M.A., B.D., died at Edinburgh on 3rd January 1940, aged 8; years. He was minister of Kirkmichael Parish, Perthshire, from 1884 to 1924, when he retired.

James Fordyce Mackenzie* (1881-83) died at Old Lyme, Connecticut, U.S.A., on zest December, 1939, aged 71 years.

A son of the late Mr. James Mackenzie, warehouseman, Aberdeen, he had been resident in the U.S.A. from 1892. For a considerable period he was Vice-President of Messrs.

E. McKittrick & Co., manufacturers, and importers of French and English dress goods, New York ; and thereafter he was associated with the American branch of Messrs. Wm. Hollins and Co., of London.

William Mackinnon (1869-74) died at Monte Carlo on 24th February 1940, aged 81 years. He was the second son of the late Mr. LAUCHLAN MCKINNON, Junior (t828-33), advocate in Aberdeen, and after serving an apprenticeship with his father, was admitted a member of the Society of Advocates in

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Aberdeen in 1882. He was also a member of the Aberdeen Stock Exchange and practised as a stockbroker, becoming senior partner in the firm of Home and Mackinnon, Aberdeen.

In his younger days he was famous locally as a cricketer. He is survived by his eldest brother, LACHLAN MACKINNON (1865-7o) M.A., who was for many years in legal practice in Aberdeen, and was Dux and Gold Medallist of the School in 187o— seventy years ago I Patrick Riddel (1886-9o), M.A., B.D., died at Edinburgh on 3rd March 1940, aged 67 years. He graduated at Aberdeen University in Arts in 1896 and in Divinity in 1898. Three years later he was ordained minister of the parish of Knockando, Morayshire, and there he continued until his death.

AN EAST INDIA MERCHANT.

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George Falconer Rose* (1881-92) died at Tullich Lodge, Ballater, on z4th February 1940, aged 63 years. On leaving the School he served his apprenticeship as an engineer with Messrs. James Abernethy & Co., Aberdeen, and was at sea as a marine engineer from 1899 to 1901. In the latter year he entered the service of Messrs. Andrew Yule & Co., East India merchants, Calcutta, and in 1919 became a Director of that world-famous business, out of which more than one fortune has been made. For four years he was President of the Indian Jute Mills Association, and he was for two terms a member of the Bengal Legislative Council. He was a delegate to the Ottawa Imperial Conference in 1932, representing the Indian Jute Mills Association, and was President of the Inaugural Meeting of the Jute Experts Committee, International Chamber of Commerce, held in Paris on 15th October 193o. He was a member of the Calcutta Scottish Volunteers and India Defence Force from August 1914 to 1932. Some time before he retired in the latter year he purchased the estate of Auchernach, Strathdon, and he also owned Tullich Lodge, Ballater.

Mr. Rose took a deep interest in his old School, which he entered at the age of four and a half years, and he was the first F.P. Consul for Bengal. He presented to the School Museum a collection of birds' eggs from Oomgaon, Southern India, and in 1924 he purchased for it a superb collection of butterflies from the Darjeeling and Sikkim districts. The collection is preserved in a handsome cabinet of six drawers. Mr. Rose followed this up with the gift of a further collection of Indian butterflies. From time to time he attended the Annual Dinner in Aberdeen of the F.P. Club, and on one occasion he proposed the toast of " The School." Until recently he was President of the Aberdeen Branch of the Royal Scottish Forestry Society, and took an active interest in the Third Spalding Club.

When Mr. Rose purchased the estate of Auchernach, he decided to have it surveyed. The work was carried out by

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two young F.P.s—ARTHUR G. HUTCHISON* (1909-2 1), B.Sc., Ph.D., and JAMES E. SMITH* (1 9 I6-zz), B.Sc., Ph.D.—and the outcome of their labours was an illustrated brochure entitled " The Geology of Auchernach," which at the time of its appearance was described as "an unusual and most valuable and interesting addition to local topographical literature." In a foreword to it W. DOUGLAS SIMPSON* (1901-13), D.Litt., described the estate itself, the mansion house, and several of the more interesting features of the district. Mr. Rose is survived by his younger brother, Lieut.-Colonel ALEXANDER MACGREGOR Ross* (1883-94), D.S.O., R.A.M.C. (retired).

James Stewart Walker (1879-83) died at Wallasey, Cheshire, on 27th January 1940. He served as an apprentice with Messrs.

W. and J. Smith and Kelly, architects, Aberdeen, and thereafter held appointments on the Haddo House estate and in the Burgh Surveyor's office, Aberdeen. In 1899 he was appointed to the staff of the Surveyor of the Urban District of Wallasey, and in 1912 became Deputy Engineer and Surveyor to Wallasey, which by that time had become a County Borough. He was a brother of the late Mr. GEORGE W. S. WALKER (1876-8z), advocate in Aberdeen.

In a letter which he wrote nearly thirty years ago, when joining the F.P. Club, Mr. Walker said :—" I have always taken credit to myself for being instrumental in starting the F.P. Rugby Team. It was in the year 1893, if I mistake not, that I suggested to some F.P.s to arrange a team of Old Boys to play the Thistle (now playing under the name and colours of the 'Shire), of which, along with many other F.P.s, I was a member. A fine XV was got together, viz., G. 0. Gauld ; J. Rae, Cameron, and Smith ; Milligan and Gillanders ; Thomson McQuarrie, Cornwall, Justice, Watson, J. E. Rae, P. McLeod, Jones, and Thomson. Well do I remember the game, and they beat us by a goal to a tries (a try being z points). Encouraged by their success, a regular team was started."

John Ewen Wilson (1910-20), A.M.I.C.E., died suddenly at Inverness on 13th March 1940, aged 36 years. After serving as an apprentice in the office of the City Engineer, Aberdeen, he received an appointment in 1918 as an assistant engineer in the Public Works Department of the F.M.S., and was first of all stationed at Ipoh, Perak ; later he was transferred to Kelantan.

In 1934 he was appointed assistant engineer in the Public Works Department, Trinidad, but had to return to this country on account of his health. He was thereafter for two years in the service of the Aberdeen County Council and latterly was assistant engineer on the Trunk Road Scheme in the County of Inverness.

THE FIRST F.P. BENEFACTOR OF THE F.P. CLUB. Robert Gordon Wilson* (1 885-91), eldest son of the late

Mr. R. G. Wilson, architect, died at Aberdeen on tzth December

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1939, aged 6z years. On leaving the School he served as a pupil in his father's firm of Messrs. Ellis and Wilson, Aberdeen. After being employed for a time in Glasgow and in London, he became in 1906 a partner in the firm of Messrs.

Wilsons and Walker, architects, surveyors, and valuators, Aberdeen. He was elected an Associate of the Royal Institute of British Architects in 19o1 and a Fellow in 1922. In 1913 he became a Fellow of the Faculty of Surveyors of Scotland.

He was President of the Aberdeen Society of Architects in 1923 and 1924, and retired from business about six years ago.

Mr. Wilson was keenly interested in the School and the F.P. Club, and demonstrated this in his " last will and testament," as is revealed elsewhere in this issue of the Magazine. The distinction will always be his of having been the first Old Boy of the School to make a bequest to the F.P. Club.

MARRIAGES.

• I

Bisset (1919-20 and 1922-29).—At St. John's Episcopal Church, Aberdeen, on t ith November, 1939, JAMES GORDON Bissirr,*Second-Lieutenant, Royal Corps of Signals, only son of Mr. and Mrs. J. G. Bisset, 133 Forest Avenue, Aberdeen, to Jean Margaret, only daughter of the late Mr. D. Murray Stewart and Mrs. Stewart, Roydcn, Cults, Aberdeenshire.

Christie (1919-29).—At Crosshill Parish Church, Glasgow, on 9th December, 1939, ALBERT CHRISTIE,* M.A., M.B., Ch.B., younger son of Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Christie, 4o Carlton Place, Aberdeen, to Eva Ellen, youngest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. R. Walker, 53 Cranford Road, Aberdeen.

Clark (1919-29).---At St. Augustine's Church, Honor Oak Park, London, on 13th January, 1940, NORMAN STUART CLARK,* B.Sc., M.B., Ch.B., son of Mr. and Mrs. James Clark, 16o Bon-Accord Street, Aberdeen, to Constance Margaret Eames, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Eames, 21 Boveney Road, Honor Oak Park.

Cowie (x 921-3 0.—At Aberdeen, on 3oth December, 1939, JAMES ALEXANDER ANDERSON Gowns, Aberdeen, to Olivia Margaret Sinclair (" Olma"), only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. B. Murray, 17 Nellfield Place, Aberdeen.

Ducat (1916-27).—At St. Columba's Church, Pont Street, London, on 16th March, 194o, Lieut. JOHN LEDINGHAM DUCAT, The Gordon Highlanders, son of Mr. John H. Ducat (188x-86), Kinmundy, Countesswells, to Alice Elizabeth, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James A. M. Humphrey, Craigton, Cults.

Elliot (r9o9-15).—At St. Mary's Chapel, Aberdeen, on 12th December, 1939, Rev. NENION ELLIOT, * B.D., Slamannan, to Margaret, younger daughter of Rev. Dr. and Mrs. Skinner, 22 Gladstone Place, Aberdeen.

Grant (1921-33).—On 9th September, 1939, by special licence and then at Trinity Congregational Manse, JOHN GRANT,* elder son of Mr. and Mrs. W. Grant, Braeside, Bridge of Dee, to Nan Gray, daughter of Mr. J. C. Roger, Malay States, and Mrs. Margaret Roger, is Ashley Park Drive.

Greig (1921-3o).—At St. John's Church, Stanground, on 18th November, 1939, RANALD FORBES GREIG,* L.D.S., son of the late William Greig and Mrs. Greig, 16 Harlaw Road, Aberdeen, to Elizabeth, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. H. T. Hobley, Stanground, Peterborough.

Harper (1915-18).—At St. Andrew's Cathedral, Aberdeen, on 14th February, 1940, Lieut. FRANCIS GORDON IIARPER* Colonial Forest Service,

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only son of Mr. James Harper and the late Mrs. Harper, 69 Gray Street, Aberdeen, to Elizabeth Valerie, younger daughter of Col. H. J. Kinghom* (1876-8o), C.B., D.L., and Mrs. Kinghom of Auchenhove, Lumphanan, Aberdeenshire.

Kellas (1926-31).—At King's College Chapel, Old Aberdeen, on z3rd March, 1940, Lieut. HENRY RONALD KELLAS, R.A.M.C., eldest son of the late Henry Kellas (1881-87), advocate, and Mrs. Kellas, 63 Carlton Place, Aberdeen, to Margaruetta Irene, twin daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George Moncrieff, The Schoolhouse, Drumlithie.

Kerr (1923-33).---At Knowle Methodist Church, Mirfield, Yorkshire, on and March, 194o, Dr. IAN M'DOUGALL KERR, M.B., Ch.B., only son of Mr. and Mrs. William Kerr, of 125 Cranford Road, Aberdeen, to Miss Margaret Eveline Johnstone, only daughter of Captain and Mrs. William Johnstone, of North Pier House, Aberdeen.

MacIver (1923-16).—At Southgate Congregational Church, Gloucester, on 29th August, 1939, WILLIAM MAcIvER,* to Grace, youngest daughter of Mr. B. W. Harris, " Crohamhurst," Brockworth, Glos.

Mackay (1919-33).—At South Parish Church, Aboyne, on 8th January, 1940, Dr. Joiii.t KINNEAR MACKAY,* M.B., Ch.B., second son of Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Mackay, Birse Lodge Hotel, Aboync, to Philippa Irene Saunders, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. H. Sellars, Normanby, Highgate, Cleethorpes.

Michie (1924-27).—In London, by special licence because of mobilisadon, JAMES BARNETT MICHIE,* only son of Mr. and Mrs. J. Michie, Willow Hedge, Abbotsbrook, Bourne End, Bucks, and grandson of the late Mr. and Mrs. Michie, Glenaden, Ballater, and of the late Mr. and Mrs. W. Barnett, of Ballater, and Tipperty House, Ellon, to Joan B. Ashton, second daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ashton of Worthing, late of Richmond, Surrey.

Nicol (1881-83).—At z Scotswood Terrace, Dundee, on 21st November, 1939, JAMES BROWN NicoL,* architect, Aberdeen, to Jeanie Tawse Brebner or Alison, eldest daughter of the late James Brebner, LL.D., and the late Mrs. Brebner, z Scotswood Terrace, Dundee.

Nutten (1918-27).—At South Church, Aberdeen, on aand November, 1939, FREDERICK NurrEN, elder son of Mr. and Mrs. F. Nutten, 38 Ferryhill Road, to Margaret Middleton, only daughter of the late Mr. Wm. Sharp and Mrs. Sharp, 31 Cranford Road.

Sangster (1919-30).—At All Saints' Church, Kampala, Uganda, on 27th January, 194o, ROBERT GRAY SANGSTER,* B.Sc., Colonial Forest Service, Uganda, only son of Mr. and Mrs. James R. Sangster, 117 Cromwell Road, Aberdeen, to Una Doull, younger daughter of Mr. and Mrs. A. Doull Bethune, Rosskeen Bridge, Invergordon, Ross-shire (formerly of Alton, Inverness).

Scott (1919-28).—At Holburn Central Church, Aberdeen, on ist January, 1 940, REGINALD MITCHELL Scorr,* elder son of Mr. and Mrs. A. Scott, 44 Fonthill Road, Aberdeen, to Mary, fourth daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. Johnston, 139 Holbum Street, Aberdeen.

Smith (1918-3o).—At University Chapel, King's College, Old Aberdeen, on and January, 1940, IAN LEWIS Smrrm,* son of the late Lewis A. Smith, and Mrs. Smith, 45 Forest Road, Aberdeen, to Raymonde Yvonne, only daughter of Mr. Alfred Smith* (1889-96) and Mrs. Smith, I3o Hamilton Place, Aberdeen.

Stewart (1924-33).—At Aberdeen, on and December, 1939, DOUGLAS GORDON STEWART, C.A., son of the late Mr. William Stewart, granite merchant, and Mrs. Stewart, 28 Hammersmith Road, Aberdeen, to Nan, eldest daughter of Mr. and Mrs Dunbar, The Lodge, Woodend Hospital, Aberdeen.

Watson (19:3-3o).—At St. Mary's Episcopal Church, Aberdeen, on 28th December, 1939, MEARNS BRUCE WATSON, B.Sc., Ph.D., son of Mrs. R. Watson, 64 Cranford Road, to Johan, fourth daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Angus, 76 Grampian Place, Aberdeen.

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" Wild-Catting " in Borneo.

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Half Sumatra was under water and the leeches alone were enough to drive one in from the jungle. I went into Palembang and sat down to wait.

I got off all my reports and was waiting and wondering what was going to turn up next, when it did turn up—in an envelope ; blue prints of a complete drilling rig, a map of North Borneo with a " spot " marked on it, and instructions to proceed to that spot forthwith and get busy.

In Singapore I caught one of the little coasting steamers that run up to Zamboanga, and when I got off at Labuan, the nearest port to my spot on the map, I found that I had still a good hundred miles to go, mostly by water, and regretted having left my motor boat behind me. There was nothing for it but one of the local dug-out canoes, most uncomfortable craft with about two inches of free-board, but I was used to them. By the time Chinese cook, Malay boy, three paddlers and I settled into the canoe its free-board was near to vanishing point, but we pushed off and hoped for the best.

Kinabalu,* the highest mountain in Borneo, stood out clear, majestically grand, but as the day wore on, the giant hill gradually faded into the haze and by ten o'clock disappeared altogether. I couldn't get the natives to tell me anything about the mountain ; like all Malays they stand in great awe of the " Hills," the dwelling-place of all kinds of gods and devils.

Bornean Malay sounds rough and uncouth after the cleancut, musical, and pure Menang Kabau Malay of Sumatra, but it gave me no difficulty worth mentioning. Looking back, I seem to remember a lot of mournful sounds, like the wind whistling through the heather and rushes bordering a Highland loch, the cry of a lonely curlew or, worse still, the eerie cry of the great northern diver on the same Highland loch, but they all fade to nothing when compared with the sough and sigh of the casuarina trees bordering Kimanis Bay. We had landed at a lonely spot. The beach was honeycombed with crab holes ; and a family of monkeys, old men, young women with babies, and a rabble of half-grown youngsters gave a friendly and very human air to what would have been otherwise utter desolation.

My map showed a small fishing village a few miles up the coast and I sent off the Malay boy with a message to the Headman, asking for some men to build us a house. The Chief, who turned out to be a Brunei Malay, came down with about a dozen of his men and they soon ran up a house for us, quite a substantial house too, from Nibong palms with atap thatch and walls. Asiatic servants are most adaptable, and in a couple of days the house was running as smoothly as if we had been established there for months. The Chief was a good man and * See p. 12$.

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gave me a lot of help in various ways during the three or four years I spent there.

Gentle persuasion and judicious advances of a few dollars here and there gradually got a useful labour gang together: Brunei Malays for boat work, Dusuns (cultivators who own buffaloes) for hauling firewood ; Bajaus and Bisayas for the felling of trees and jungle work generally.

The location for our wild-cat well lay several miles inland.

It had to be cleared of jungle and generally groomed up, and needed a road to be made out to it. A preliminary tracing of the road showed two or three small creeks that would have to be bridged, and that a certain amount of the road would need corduroying. But this was easy. The natives, expert woodsmen, felled the trees so accurately across the streams that there was practically nothing to do but lash the heavy cross-pieces with stout rattan. The branches came in handy for corduroy work, so the road went on apace.

The blue-print specifications were for pine or some such light wood and I made the grand mistake of sticking to the specified measurements. But the Bornean hard-wood, bilian or balau, was harder than iron and sank like iron even in seawater ; so the work required on beams and sills was out of all proportion ; and they had to be cut miles away down the coast because the jungle round us was light, secondary stuff. They were floated up with two canoes apiece attached, and then carried out to the location on men's shoulders, looking like gigantic centipedes, staggering and weaving through the bush, with some thirty or forty men on each side. Two hundred yards an hour was good going.

Our first ship-load of drilling material was due almost any day now, and thinking that a jetty would facilitate unloading, we started to build one. It was rather a flimsy affair of nibong and bamboo, and bad to be very long owing to the flatness of the beach and to the fact that there was a very small rise and fall in the local tides.

A plentiful supply of water for the boilers had to be arranged, which in a country blessed with several dry months in the year, needed thinking about. One of our creeks seemed to be a more or less constant factor and damming it was not a difficult proposition, but all along both banks there were fruit trees— pumoloes, limes, and papayas, as well as sago palms, and although away out in the blue, they all had recognized owners. We had, therefore, to walk warily in order to avoid a crushing bill of damages later on. The District Officer, while giving permission to go ahead with the work, strongly advised our seeing the local Headman, a Dusun, and taking him out to mark the trees that would have to be cut down or otherwise interfered with.

The Dusuns, descendants of Chinese settlers and the wild women of North Borneo, are given to the distilling and

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consumption of much arak, men, women and children going on the most frightful " benders " for days on end. When I called on the Headman, I found that he was just recovering from one of their periodical orgies. He was distinctly crusty and smelt like a pole-cat. " Go ahead," said the old reprobate when I got him to understand what I wanted ; " cut any damn thing you please but don't ask me to go out there with you. I am much too old and rheumatic to walk such a distance." But I insisted, adding that it was the District Officer's order that he, the Headman, must personally inspect the site of the dam and mark the trees to be felled.

After some groaning, yawning, and scratching, the old boy got up, called his half-dozen unkempt and ragged followers, and led off on the five-mile walk to our chosen dam site. The going was far from good, and after a couple of miles of it, the puffing and groaning Headman turned and said he had had enough. " I am far too old for this sort of thing, Tuan, and can barely drag one foot after the other. I can go no further."

I was thinking up some sort of suitable and sympathetic reply when there was a sudden outburst of blood-curdling yells from behind, and on looking round, I saw the old man's bodyguard coming up the path as if the devil were after them. For a moment I thought one of the men had run amok, until I noticed a comet-like tail behind them. Jungle bees! The Headman tumbled to the trouble at the very first yell, and sprinted up the path at a pace that left me standing. He had a very sheepish grin on his ugly old " mug " when I rejoined him at the top of the hill and was the only member of the party who had not been well stung. He had the grace to say nothing more about his age or infirmities.

Nasty, dangerous things, jungle bees! They swarm on certain large, whitish-barked forest trees, where they stay until they find a suitable new home, and when you are passing near one of these trees, it is extremely dangerous to sing, shout, smoke, or even talk too loudly for fear of provoking an attack.

A thick, woolly rug or blanket is the best protection.

A gang of men waited at the dam site, and as soon as the Headman put his O.K. to a tree, down it came. The trees were piled across the bed of the creek in two rows about eight feet apart, the space between being filled in with stones, rubble, and earth. There was another outbreak of blood-curdling yells during the digging, and this time it turned out to be a small, chocolate-coloured spider that set them off. The natives were in terror of the insect, assuring me that it was more deadly than any snake, and I very foolishly let them flatten it to a grease spot with a shovel, instead of collecting it and sending it away for identification. It was not a tarantula, and I have never seen another, although I offered five dollars for a specimen.

It lives underground.

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The only sign we ever saw of the outside, work-a-day world was a streamer of smoke away on the horizon, when one of the ships running between Singapore and Zamboanga passed up or down. One day the streamer kept coming in closer, and we realized that here, at last, was our long-looked-for cargo of drilling material. Our jetty had gone west in a violent storm, but in any case it would have been of no use for a deep-sea ship. We hoisted a flag to show the ship our whereabouts and sat down to wait. The skipper cruised about until high water, when he came in as close as he dared and threw our whole outfit over the side; then, with two toots on his hooter, he headed away north. Everything went to the bottom except the boiler, which had been plugged. Some of the men swam off and pushed it to the shore, where we hauled it high and dry with block and tackle, and, after that, there was nothing to be done but wait in patience for the tide to go out.

The beach was a wonderful sight as the water receded.

Bits, stems, jars, ropes (wire and hemp), casing, engine, and the thousand and one other things that go to make a drilling outfit lay about higgledy-piggledy in the oozy sand, all doing their best to bury themselves out of sight for ever. I earned my month's salary right then when I persuaded those naked savages that a i,zoo pound bit or stem was lighter than a z,ooo pound baulk of wood. " How can it be, Tuan? " they cried. " It is iron."

Although they were just like children, some of them had quite a flair for mechanics and immediately tumbled to the whys and wherefores of a " jack," and while I was busy about something else, they jacked up the boiler in loose sand to get it on to its carriage. I luckily saw what was going to happen in time to slap two of them out of the way and jump clear myself before the boiler fell soggily over on its side. Thick planks placed under the jacks eventually did the trick, and the boiler rolled out to the location with a howling and jabbering mob of savages swarming all over it. One of the manila hemp drilling cables, very costly items, was left out on the beach for a day or two, and some evilly-disposed person slashed it badly in several places with a parang, and what was worse, had uncoiled it in such a way that it was a mass of kinks. If any reader has ever got his best fishing line kinky when unwinding it from the spool, he will sympathize, especially if he can imagine his line being about two and a half inches in diameter and the best part of three thousand feet long! A driller cut the rope at the slashes, " dekinked " it, and spliced it so that it was as good as new for all practical purposes. The whole outfit was carried out to the location on men's shoulders, and barring a few scratches and bruises, it is nice to think that nobody got hurt.

With a rig-builder and a driller on the job, things at the location hummed and we were soon ready to start drilling.

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The dam was finished and was a great success, but the laying of a four-hundred-yard line of two-inch tubing from it to the boiler in thick, steamy undergrowth was an unpleasant job.

Drilling was in full swing and the thudding of the walkingbeam, as it lifted and let fall the huge, twenty-inch drilling bit, must have startled all the jungle animals, Inquisitive deer would come too close to investigate, and the drillers, who were first-class poachers, shone a lamp into their eyes and got an easy shot. One could hardly blame them, meat was scarce and bad, and venison was good.

The hole, or bore, went down rapidly at first, in spite of the fact that every foot of it had to be " cased " to prevent caving in, which puts the bit off the perpendicular ; and when that happens, the hole has to be abandoned—a most expensive business. We had the usual amount of luck, good and bad, the bad due to cables breaking and leaving the tools, bit and stem, in the hole, which means a fishing job, and notwithstanding the ingenious fishing gear of prongs, grabs, and what not, a fishing job may last for weeks and months.

We started off with a twenty-inch hole, but now, at about three thousand feet down, we were working in a hole of three inches in diameter and were very near the end. At three thousand feet the bit showed traces of oil and we got frequent whiffs of gas. Smoking was strictly tabu, but it was impossible to get the happy-go-lucky natives to understand the risks and the danger of striking a light. Some of them got quite drunk on gas and had to be pulled out into the fresh air to recover.

Once I met a man coming round the corner of the derrick with a lighted cigarette in his mouth. I dived at him and caught him by the throat, but he " beat me to it," swallowed the cigarette whole, and calmly swore that he had not been smoking I The only way to prove it was by having a " post-mortem," which we would have had, if the driller had caught him first!

We struck oil at just over three thousand feet, and the excitement was tremendous. Foreman, drillers, tool-dresser and I danced around, yelling like a lot of lunatics, and the stoical natives followed suit.

I was thinking how extremely appropriate was the term " wild-cat " when three pairs of hard and horny hands were laid violently upon me and hauled me up under the suspended bailer, which was full of oil. A driller let go the valve and I got well soused.

The oil was beautiful stuff, a pale port-wine in colour and consistency, with a shimmery, greenish iridescence, so that my sousing was no worse than that given to one by the average barber : a bit more liberal perhaps, that's all.

A. W. DUNCAN. (1892-93.)

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Trengganu.

Trengganu is the newest, the most isolated, and the least developed of what are to-day called the Unfederated Malay States, and therefore, although the least known of these States, in many ways the most interesting. It is generally known that Trengganu is on the East Coast of the Peninsula, but most people who have never been there are a little vague as to where exactly it is. Also, because it is generally known to be the least developed, it is usually assumed that it must be the furthest north. It somehow appears natural for the Englishman, with Scotland lying to the north of him, to assume that the more barbarous and undeveloped a country, the further north it must be l At least, as a Scotsman myself, I have found this to be the impression south of the Tweed—this impression, of course, is quite erroneous and is entirely devoid of foundation.

Trengganu suffers in the same way, and there is a certain amount of confusion and doubt as to whether Trengganu is not part of Kelantan, Kota Bharu being known to be the northern terminus of the East Coast Railway. It is, of course, particularly galling to the inhabitants of Trengganu, who have a very strong sense of their country's independence, to have their letters addressed to " Trengganu, Kelantan," much in the same way as it used to annoy my old grandfather to receive letters addressed to " Ross-shire, North Britain," and as it amuses rather than angers people in Singapore to receive letters addressed to " Singapore, India," and " Singapore, China." So in order to get it fixed clearly where exactly Trengganu is, I am reproducing a map of Malaya.

A map is a very necessary adjunct, because the geographical position of Trengganu and the internal geography of the State itself is very important, if we are to understand her people and to forecast to some extent her future development. In any case, when studying people, geographical facts are always of the utmost importance : half the trouble in the world to-day can be analysed as, at bottom, due to what might be called " awkward " geographical facts. We are all creatures of our environment, and the Malays of Trengganu are no exception.

Before we leave the map of Malaya, let us notice not only the fact that Trengganu is isolated from the North by Kelantan and from the South by Pahang, but also how exposed the whole length of her 13 o-mile coast-line is to the force of the northeast monsoon. Now the north-east monsoon is a fact to be reckoned with on that coast and it, more than anything else, has been more responsible for moulding the economic life of the people who live there.

Most of the Trengganu Malays are fishermen : I shall go into the reasons for that more closely later on. From November until March, which after all is a very large part of the year,

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off-shore fishing in Trengganu is quite impossible, except in exceptionally favourable spells of fair weather. The result is that to the great majority of the Malays there their means of livelihood has gone. There are, of course, boats to be built, nets and houses to be mended, but there is no money to be

SOUTH

LAM

CHINA

SEA 06

NEGRI

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SEMBILAN

BRITISH MALAYA.

made out of that to buy the rice and other things required tc keep their families going. The women, it is true, can continue their sarong weaving throughout the year—I often think they must have been forced by the pressure of economic facts to develop this cottage-weaving industry because their men-folk couldn't earn any money for five months every year—and this is borne out by the fact that one does not find this interesting

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and very much alive industry developed as it is in Trengganu, and to some extent in Kelantan, anywhere else among the Malays of the other parts of the country, where life is so much easier and " it is always afternoon."

But sarong weaving, although useful to help to keep the home going, is women's work, and the fishermen of Trengganu are a hardy, adventurous race and are born sea-men. So it is that for hundreds of years the younger among them, with some of the older and more experienced fishermen in command, have been used to set sail in their beautifully built and seaworthy boats, just before the north-east monsoon starts, south down the coast to the Pahang and Johore ports and round through the Strait of Singapore to the calm and sheltered waters of the Strait of Malacca, as far up as the Langkawi Islands, off the coast of Kedah and Perlis, trading the sarongs their women have made and fishing as they go. Colonies of Trengganu men can be found in all the fishing villages down the east coast south of Trengganu and up the west side, because, having like all sailors a wife in every port, some of them have elected to settle where the charms have proved too irresistible. The bulk of them, however, losing a certain number by the wayside each year, return up the east coast in their boats to Trengganu in time to join in the start of their own fishing season when it opens in April.

Thus, in spite of Trengganu's isolation, her Malays, in the course of generations, have acquired very much more knowledge of the world than their more rural cousins in the plains of Kelantan, many of whom have never even seen the sea. And when you come to look at the map of Trengganu itself, you will see the reasons why its inhabitants are predominantly fisher folk rather than agriculturists. The States of Kelantan and Kedah have huge flat plains which are ideal for the cultivation of rice and they consequently support a very large population of industrious peasant agriculturists. Trengganu, on the other hand, has no great river to form a plain suitable for rice-growing, or to support a large population. The State is broken up into no less than six major and a number of smaller river valleys.

The largest watershed is that of the Trengganu River itself, but it is barred to extensive development by the fact of the existence of the Kelemong Falls, about 3o miles up, which are an effective bar to navigation of the river above them.

And this brings me to another interesting fact about Trengganu. Because the people there were so isolated from the world, and because, as I have explained, it was impossible for them to grow enough rice for their own needs, they were forced to invent a method of securing themselves against famine, especially in the north-east monsoon season, when they were practically cut off from the world. What they did was to form a fleet of sea-going ships—all locally built, of course—known as

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" prahu pinnaces." These are large boats as native boats go, and are often Too tons burden. Tradition says that the first prahu pinnace was designed by a French boat-builder who was shipwrecked on that. coast over a hundred years ago : those who know say that these boats to-day show an unmistakable likeness in their lines and rig to the French fishing smacks off the coast of the Bay of Biscay. And it is a fact, too, that I have met in Trengganu a certain " Mat Francis," who claims to be a direct descendant of the designer of the original prahu pinnace.

To-day in Trengganu there is a fleet of about s o of these boats. Every summer they sail north to Siam and Indo-China with the south-west monsoon wind—known in Trengganu as the " tenggara "—behind them, laden with Trengganu woven cloth, metal ware known as Tembaga pretch, betel nut, and other miscellaneous cargo. These they trade for rice along the coast of the Gulf of Siam. When they are fully loaded up, they wait for the first stirrings of the north-east wind in October to bring them back, and if the monsoon is early, as it sometimes is, it is a grand and exciting sight to see these great boats rushing home with all sail on to get in before the bar at Kuala Trengganu becomes too dangerous to cross. Once safely inside Trengganu's lovely natural river harbour, they lie up for the winter.

The rice stays where it is, and is sold off a bag at a time as local needs demand and as the price rises, as it always does before the new crop of the February-March harvest comes on the market.

Consignments are also despatched, as the north-east monsoon moderates, to other Trengganu ports and to Pahang and Johore.

Sales are also made to Singapore and the rice transhipped in the harbour to Straits Steamship Co. steamers.

The fact that the State is broken up into so many river valleys means that the easiest way of communication between the separate communities that were established on the coast years and years ago, before the State of Trengganu became a political entity, is along the coast, and even at the present day often the only way to get from one place to another during the monsoon is to use the sandy coastal beaches and tracks. Some of these in recent years have been developed for motor traffic.

This brings me to the question of roads, because Trengganu's future development depends entirely on the opening up of the country by the construction of roads. This was realised very clearly by Mr. J. L. Humphries, that very brilliant administrator, who was Trengganu's first British Adviser and who very shortly after leaving there died young and full of promise, while administering the Government of British North Borneo. Humphries' dilemma was whether to go north or south to obtain for Trengganu a communication with the outside world, which it was so vitally important she should get.

He realised that it would probably be better in the long run to go south ; but on the other hand there was the question of

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" ways and means," because not only was the road to connect with Pahang much longer, but it would also be very much more expensive, as it involved the crossing of many more large rivers.

To go north also meant getting a connection with the railway system in Kelantan, and there was not so far to go : he therefore chose the northern route, and it has now been possible for some five or six years to enter Trengganu by road from the north.

The road to the south is, however, now being pushed on bit by bit, and it will not be until this road is through and connection is established with the Federated Malay States road system near Kuantan that Trengganu can really begin to go ahead economically. When that day comes, the old Trengganu I know so well will soon disappear.

But before that day comes, there is still plenty of time to see that old Trengganu, some of whose charms I shall now try to describe. I ask you to picture the long coast, beautiful sandy beach all the way, except where, mostly at or near river mouths, it is broken up by rocks and cliffs that might be in North Devon or Cornwall ; a fresh sea breeze, and the China Sea rolling in, with a clear run right from the Pacific—a sea that gets so angry and rough in the north-east monsoon that surfboard riding is not only possible but is regularly done, but which in the summer months is dotted with hundreds of little fishing boats right up to and over the horizon. In the afternoon it is one of the loveliest sights in the world to see these little boats, with their white sails full spread, converging on Kuala Trengganu to get in before the sea breeze drops. And if you go to the river mouth between 3 and 6 on the following morning, you will see the same fleet gliding out over the bar like ghosts in the dark, using the gentle land breeze to take them out to their fishing grounds. This land breeze is another lovely feature of Trengganu, as it brings the temperature down every night well into the low seventies, no matter how hot the sun has blazed during the day.

Then there are the lovely rivers—clear water running over . sandy and rocky bottoms—they are as different from the Malayan rivers of the West Coast as is the fast-running Spey from the sluggish and muddy Ouse.

And the people themselves—hardy, self-reliant men and women, who look you straight in the eye ; brought up on the land or at sea, sons and daughters of nature, and very near to the hard facts of life. Such loth century sophistication as they have is a very thin veneer, and when one gets to know them and they get to know you, one gets an insight into what life must have meant to our own forefathers, centuries and centuries ago.

P. A. B. MCKERRON. (1904-10.)

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An Ascent of Mount Kinabalu.

How a Record Trip was made by Accident.

For the greater part of the day the top of Mount Kinabalu is wrapped in clouds, but when it discards its mantle, its jagged summit is a landmark for mariners far out on the South China, the Sulu, and even the Celebes Seas. Furthermore, rising as it does some two or three thousand feet higher than any of the other mountain ranges in North Borneo, it dominates the whole territory of which it is easily the most striking physical feature.

One estimate puts the height of Kinabalu at 13,45 5 feet and another at 13,750 feet. Whichever is correct, Kinabalu remains the highest mountain East of the Himalayas.

To the Dusuns who live beneath its shadow Kinabalu is a sacred mountain, haunted by the spirits of their dead ; and before accompanying anyone to the top they invariably perform certain rites and offer sacrifices to the spirit of the mountain.

To climb Kinabalu is no especial feat. Since Mr. (afterwards Sir) Hugh Low, the first European to reach the summit, made the ascent in 1851, some eighty Europeans or Americans (including two ladies) have made their way to the top. Many of them, however, started from a base at Kota Belud, Kiau, Dallas, or Bundu Tuhan, which makes an expedition up the mountain much shorter, if not easier, than one which is made from Jesselton by native track to Dallas—the route usually taken by persons with a limited amount of time at their disposal. But in either case considerable energy and perseverance is required and, unless one is lucky, the ascent may entail a fair amount of discomfort.

I Having been granted casual leave for a period not exceeding fourteen days, I had to go by the native track to Dallas to allow for the expedition being held up by bad weather or my carriers refusing to proceed on account of unfavourable omens. The Resident, Labuan, who was to have accompanied me, was unfortunately prevented by urgent business from reaching Jesselton, and as for similar reasons I could not take leave later, I decided to make the trip alone. Accordingly, about 7 a.m. on Thursday, and March, 5939, with three " bonguns " in the back of a car, my wife and I left Jesselton for the low-level bridge over the Tuaran River at Tamparuli, some a1 miles distant. Bonguns, which so far as I know are peculiar to North Borneo, are circular containers made principally of a light bark which is quite waterproof. As a rule they are wider at the top, which is covered by a close-fitting lid, than at the bottom. The average width of a bongun is about 18 inches and the average depth about three feet. Bonguns are habitually

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used for the transport of goods and effects in the interior of North Borneo, being easily carried by natives on their backs through country impossible for any other form of transport.

At Tamparuli we were met by my Chinese boy, Ah Soon, whom I had sent there by motor bus the previous day with a bongun containing his own personal belongings and another containing pots and pans, tea, sugar, salt, and an assortment of tinned food. Awaiting us also were six Dusun coolies from Kampong Tamparuli. For their presence I was indebted to the Resident, who had several days previously requested the local village headman to provide me with the necessary transport for the first stage of my journey.

I immediately sent off five of the carriers with the bonguns in charge of Ah Soon, then after partaking of a light breakfast and bidding farewell to my wife, I followed, accompanied by the remaining coolie carrying my cameras, spare films, first-aid box, and a copy of " Waterton's Wandering " in a knapsack.

- For the first hour walking was easy. The path was fairly good and level, passing here and there irregular patches of cultivated land. After fording a small tributary of the Tuaran River, we came upon the other members of the party resting, and for the remainder of the day we followed close at their heels. From the ford the path, which had now deteriorated into a mere track through the jungle, began to climb. At first it rose gradually, then suddenly climbed some zoo feet at an angle of about 75 degrees. Up this slope, which looked more like the dry bed of a waterfall than a path, we scrambled before halting for another rest. Similar slopes followed, one of which, only slightly less steep, must have risen a thousand feet.

How many slopes there were and how often we halted I cannot remember, but when we had reached a height of about 3,ooo feet and I felt more exhausted than I have ever felt before in my life, we began to descend gradually until at about z p.m. we came to Kampong Tagap.

After I had finished a late tiffin, three of the coolies from Tamparuli said they wished to return home, so I paid them off and sent for the local headman to see if he could provide three others to take their place. The headman himself was absent, but his son appeared and promised that three local Dusuns would be ready to accompany me to Bongol at 5.3o next morning.

I was much too tired to sleep that afternoon, and even had I gone to sleep, a severe thunderstorm which came on at about 4 o'clock would have awakened me. However, it passed over before sunset, and the poultry and dogs which had scurried for shelter whenever the rain started, came out once more to mingle with the pigs and kerbau which had continued to dig and browse through it all. About 7 o'clock, after a much better dinner than I expected my boy to be capable of providing, I went to bed and almost immediately fell asleep.

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II morning the three new coolies arrived before I had Next finished breakfast, and shortly after daybreak we set out for Bongol. After a short, steep climb we reached the top of the ridge behind Tagap, and for some time after followed a fairly level track through the jungle. In places it was wet and slippery and until Ambun, the coolie who carried my cameras, cut me an alpinstock, I occasionally sat down abruptly and unintentionally at his feet.

Towards noon we descended a steep slope to the Kinawan River, passing a number of Ranau Dusuns toiling up hill with heavy loads of tobacco on their way to Tuaran. On reaching the river the coolies set down their bonguns and plunged into the cool -water, and I, nothing loath (for one of the places where I sat down on the path seemed to have been frequented by kerbau), plunged in after them. When I came out I put on a change of clothes.

We remained at the side of the Kinawan River long enough for me to have tiffin; then, crossing over to the other side, we followed a track leading through a damp, oppressive stretch of jungle until we came to a larger river, the Manteranau.

For about an hour we followed this river upstream, fording it three or four times before reaching Bongol rest-house. I was glad I had a stick with me, as the Manteranau River is quite swift and in places it was about three feet deep, although that did not seem to worry my coolies in the least.

Bongol rest-house is pleasantly situated on a level stretch of open ground covered with coarse grass and, here and there, a rhododendron bush. On one side it is bounded by the Manteranau River and on the other by a steep thickly-wooded hillside, up which one has to climb half a mile to Bongol village.

After a rest I paid off the Tagap coolies who wished to return home, had tea and a bathe in the river. Meanwhile the Tamparuli coolies who had gone up to the village to engage three local carriers returned with five Bongol Dusuns, all willing to offer their services. I selected the three who appeared strongest and told them to be ready to start at 5.3o next morning.

III The following morning one of the Bongol carriers failed to appear at the appointed hour and I had just decided to proceed, making Ambun carry a bongun and my boy carry the knapsack, when he appeared from a field of rhododendron bushes on the other side of the river. For about two hours we climbed steadily, passing Bongol village, where everyone still appeared to be asleep. After that we followed a ridge until we came to a hill called Kokohitan, where according to legend the spirits of the dead stop to scratch on a rock with their nails before proceeding on their way to the next world. Although

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I believe there is a rock at Kokohitan bearing marks which support this legend, I did not see it.

Making our way round the side of Kokohitan, we climbed another hill, on top of which stood a Survey Department trigonometrical beacon, overlooking on the one side the Ternpassuk Valley and on the other a semi-circular plain, at the other side of which could be seen Bongol village. While we were resting here a party of Kiau Dusuns appeared and informed me that if I wanted a guide and carriers from their village, all I need do on arrival at Dallas was to fire a shot.

The track now led downhill, and soon we saw far below us, winding round the side of the hills, the bridle path leading from Kota Belud to Bundu Tuhan, but we had to travel several miles further before we at last came on to this path. It was a pleasure walking along the bridle path after scrambling up and down native tracks, and I enjoyed the two-mile walk from the point at which we joined the path to the rest-house at Dallas. A Dusun approached me as I was about to enter the building, which is much bigger than the rest-houses at Tagap and Bongol, but I waved him aside and strode on.

After tiffin, in order that the inhabitants of Kiau, visible a mile or two away across a valley, should be certain of hearing, I fired two shots and sat down to await developments. I had not long to wait, for led by the Dusun who had approached me previously, a band of coolies emerged from a nearby attap shelter and approached the rest-house. They were natives of Kiau, who had been advised by the Resident of my coming some days previously, and their leader was Labuan, a guide already known to me by name. Labuan and Dalinun, the High Priest of Kiau and quite unlike what one imagines a high priest to be, came forward and presented testimonials given them by various persons who had already ascended Kinabalu. Dalinun stated that he wanted $15.oo to accompany me to the top of the mountain and a carrier provided for his barang. As his fee was not excessive and I had promised to observe the native custom, I engaged him forthwith. Labuan I did not at first intend to take with me, since Dalinun could also act as guide, but as the coolies did not seem willing to come without him and he obviously was the manager of the party, I agreed to engage him, provided he spent a night with me on the top. To this he agreed.

As the Bongol coolies had returned home, I then engaged five of the Kiau Dusuns, since the bongons were rather heavy to carry up the mountain, and an additional one was required for Dalinun's paraphernalia. The three Tamparuli coolies had stated that they would accompany me to the top of Kinabalu and back, and I was quite prepared to take them, for they had all worked well and cheerfully and been most obliging in the way of cutting firewood and carrying water at the rest-houses,

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but after a talk with Labuan they changed their minds, and I had to engage three more Kiau coolies to take their place.

My original plan had been to go from Dallas to Bundu Tuhan, then from Bundu Tuhan to Kamborangah, but on being advised by Dalinun and Labuan that there was no shelter whatsoever and no water at Kamborangah, but that there were both at Lumu Lumu, about one quarter of the way up the mountain, I decided to go there direct and to visit Bundu Tuhan on the way back. So arrangements were made to start for Lumu Lumu next morning at 6 a.m. and I settled down to spend a quiet evening with " Waterton's Wanderings."

IV Next morning, Sunday, I was up shortly after five o'clock, just in time to see my Tamparuli coolies disappear into the semi-darkness on their homeward journey. When there was sufficient light I took a photograph of Kinabalu silhouetted against the dawn-lit sky. At about 6.3o all the bonguns were packed and the rest-house was invaded by Dalinun, Labuan, and about a dozen coolies. Labuan said Dalinun required another coolie to carry his barang, but I told him I would not pay another coolie even if it meant carrying my cameras myself, whereupon Labuan offered to do so.

Ten minutes later we were on our way along the bridle path towards Tenumpok. The party now consisted of myself, Ah Soon, Dalinun, Labuan, and a dozen coolies, four extra coolies having decided to join the expedition merely for the fun of it. I enjoyed the easy walk that morning—the mountain air and the glorious views of mountain and valley after trudging through the jungle, where even from the hilltops one seldom obtained a view on account of the trees. For several miles the path winds round the side of the hills south of the Tempassuk Valley, so that after walking for an hour one appeared nearer to Dallas than after walking for half that time.

Towards half-past nine we halted beside a mountain streamlet and the coolies had their morning meal. An hour later we arrived at Tenumpok, marked by a stile and a notice board bearing the inscription " Tenumpok, 4900." While we rested there for ten minutes I photographed some passing Dusuns carrying heavy loads of tobacco in curiously shaped baskets.

Leaving Tenumpok we follow the bridle path in the direction of Ranau for half a mile, then suddenly scrambled up into the jungle by a very poorly defined track.

For about an hour we walked through damp undergrowth and trees covered with moss, and for the first time suffered from leeches, which were very numerous. During this hour the track rose considerably and it was no surprise when we halted for a rest on a narrow ridge with a sheer drop of hundreds of

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feet below us to find we were high up above the Tempassuk Valley. Continuing along the ill-defined track, we frequently scrambled up slopes hanging on to some of the sprawling roots which beset the path. On one occasion I slipped on a rotten root, reviving an old knee injury, and on another, rotten branches gave way under me, leaving me sitting overlooking a minor chasm.

About z o'clock we reached a small clearing in the forest, in which stood a somewhat dilapidated kajang shelter and the framework of a smaller one, while nearby ran a clear mountain stream. This, Labuan informed me, was Lumu Lumu. While Ah Soon prepared my tiffin, the coolies set to work and covered the framework with kajangs, making quite a rainproof shelter for my bed. After tea I enjoyed a bath with water drawn from the stream and slightly heated, and then sat down to continue reading " Waterton's Wanderings," but it soon became chilly. A cold, damp mist blew through the trees, so I ordered dinner and, as soon as I had finished, went to bed. Although slightly cold I slept fairly well, but Ah Soon and the Dusuns sat huddled around the camp fire all night.

V It was quite cold when we left Lumu Lumu next morning soon after daybreak. Climbing gradually, we followed the illdefined track through jungle, now free from leeches, until we came to Kamborangah, where we rested for half an hour.

Ah Soon, who had been badly bitten by leeches the previous day, was limping, but after I had bandaged the ugly sores on his ankles he was quite cheerful.

Continuing uphill from Kamborangah, we reached Paka Cave soon after noon. On the way I saw numerous pitcher plants, none of them of any great size, and a flower like a large blue-bell but red. Paka Cave is not really a cave, being simply a shelter formed by an overhanging rock, but someone had erected kajang walls around the sides and it looked quite habitable. Inside I found a note from the last European to stay there, saying he had left a stock of firewood in case his successor arrived in rain.

About three o'clock, accompanied by Labuan and two coolies carrying light bonguns containing blankets, clothes, and food, I set out on the final stage of my journey to the top of the mountain. Dalinun and several other Dusuns followed us for about two miles, when a halt was called and the High Priest sacrificed several chickens and performed certain rites. I took photographs of the proceedings with my cine-camera and also photographed the peaks above us, through which swirled clouds of mist.

Soon after leaving Paka we had emerged from the forest

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on to ground covered with stunted trees and shrubs, and an hour after we had left, Dalinun found us climbing a bare granite slope with only stunted juniper bushes growing in the crevices, which, however, served to help our progress. A little further on we climbed a track through more stunted trees beneath a high wall of rock before ascending another bare granite slope.

Towards five o'clock we reached the upper ridge of the mountain, consisting of enormous slabs of rock sloping gradually towards our objective, Low's Peak. To our right, as we made our way onwards with frequent halts on account of the rarified atmosphere, three of Kinabalu's ten peaks rose abruptly from the ridge. Certainly none of these could be scaled without ropes.

As we proceeded we passed another patch of stunted trees, then about Soo feet from the topmost peak vegetation ceased entirely. Just before we came to the foot of Low's Peak we came upon a large pool of water regarded by the Dusuns as sacred. From this pool we scrambled up over huge boulders until about twenty feet from the top, where there is a small cave formed by a large flat rock lying across some of the boulders.

So far as I know the cave thus formed has no name, but to anyone who has climbed Cairngorm or Ben Macdhui from the Loch Avon side only one name could suggest itself, "The Shelter Stone." And the Shelter Stone I shall call it henceforth.

Here the coolies stopped and put down their bonguns, while Labuan and I climbed the remaining twenty feet to the summit.

Although all around us we could see the sharp forms of the other peaks and on one side there was a sheer drop into an abyss filled with swirling mist, reminding one of the home of the Valkyries, the distant views were disappointing. Low-hanging clouds obscured the lower lying land all around, except towards the south-east, where Ranau Plain could be seen very clearly through a break in the screen.

Occasionally an icy gust of mist would sweep over us, but although Labuan was shivering, I did not feel particularly cold.

I felt the wind blowing over the Shelter Stone when we climbed down to be much colder, and I was glad of the hot chicken soup with which my boy had filled a thermos flask.

As the sun disappeared like a huge orange light fading in the haze, we put on all the clothes we had, wrapped ourselves in our blankets, and all crawled inside the cave. With some kajangs left by a former occupant I made myself fairly comfortable and soon went to sleep. I awoke about midnight, cold and stiff, and got up to stretch my legs. It was a clear moonlight night and I could see clearly the peak opposite and the long granite slope towards Paka. Wrapping myself in my blankets again, I crawled back to my place in the cave, and although I could no longer sleep, I did not again feel very cold.

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VI There were so many clouds around next morning that it did not seem worth while climbing to the top again. The entrance to the Shelter Stone commands a view over the greater part of the West Coast and the whole of the interior, but all I could see over and beyond the clouds was the coast line and several small islands between the Klias Peninsula and Jesselton.

About 6.3o I roused Labuan and the coolies, and asked if they would like to return to Paka. They were all shivering and indicated that they would be only too pleased to do so.

Accordingly we packed the bonguns and scrambled down on to the flat rock. Passing the sacred pool, I noticed it was half covered with ice and drew Labuan's attention to the fact. He rushed to the pool followed by the coolies and immediately began to break the ice into small pieces and put it into a bottle.

Both the coolies were greatly excited, neither of them having ever seen ice before. Natural ice is not found in a great many places six degrees north of the Equator.

Leaving them to collect as much ice as they wished, I made my way slowly down hill. My knee was now swollen and rather stiff. Labuan soon made up on me and we proceeded more rapidly down the flat rock surface. Shortly before reaching the steep slope down to Paka, we met Dalinun, Ah Soon, and two other coolies on their way to the summit, but after exchanging a few words with them we continued on our way. I found the descent to Paka much more difficult than the uphill scramble and was glad when we reached the cave. Here I found Ah Soon had left a thermos full of hot water, and with this I made tea and had breakfast, afterwards resting until Dalinun's party returned, which they did in a remarkably short time.

Labuan and I then set off again downhill. At Kamborangah the coolies who left Paka half an hour later made up on us and then went on ahead after a short rest. Labuan, Dalinun and I followed slowly, my progress, on account of my knee, being very slow. Apart from the fact that on one occasion the track gave way under me, leaving me hanging on to a stout branch over an almost sheer drop of about a hundred feet, I did not enjoy the rest of that day's journey and I was both tired and footsore when we at last reached Lumu Lumu.

After tea I made up my mind to return direct to Dallas, as to go to Bundu Tuhan meant walking a further six miles. That night I slept under the same shelter as on the way up, but this time mosquitoes were troublesome and I had to put up my net.

VII The following morning, Wednesday, we again set out at 6.3o and made our way down the rest of that execrable track to the bridle path. Fortunately we saw few leeches and I found

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walking much easier than on the previous day ; so much so that I almost decided to go to Bundu Tuhan after all. However, as we rested at Tenumpok the coolies seemed to be looking forward to reaching home, so we followed the path to Dallas, arriving there without incident about a p.m.

After a late tiffin I called together Labuan, Dalinun, and the eight coolies and paid them off. They wanted an extra ten dollars to provide a feast for themselves by killing a kerbau, but although this was not forthcoming, they went off to Kinu apparently quite happy. They cannot have been deeply dissatisfied, for Rintingan, who carried my blankets and food up to the Shelter Stone, and two other coolies offered to accompany me to Tamparuli. I engaged the three of them on the spot and asked them to find carriers for the extra two bonguns, having decided that Ah Soon and myself could carry the cameras.

Later in the day Rintingan came and told me that a coolie from Singgaran and one from another neighbouring kampong would complete the party.

VIII As it turned out, it was fortunate that the following morning Ah Soon mistook the moonlight for daylight, but I was certainly annoyed when he brought me breakfast to discover it was only 4.15 a.m. However, after the meal I shaved and dressed and supervised the packing of the bonguns. By half-past five, in bright moonlight, we were on our way back to Bongol, and before the sun appeared over the shoulder of Kinabalu, we had left the bridle path and were ascending the native track leading up to Kokohitan.

After a night's rain the track was very muddy, and it soon became apparent that with rubber-soled boots I could never keep up with my carriers, so I discarded them in favour of football boots and thereafter the slipperiness of the track troubled me not at all. At first all went well. We reached the Survey Trigonometrical Station above Kokohitan at about 9.3o and halted for a rest with every prospect of reaching Bongol before one o'clock. A mile or two beyond Kokohitan the coolies halted for a meal and I walked on ahead slowly, to see if I could spot any landmark which I had noticed on the outward journey.

Seeing none I waited for Ah Soon and the coolies to join me, when I asked my boy if this was the track we had followed from Bongol to Dallas. He assured me that it was, but I was still doubtful.

By noon it was obvious that we were not going in the direction of Bongol at all, so I called to the leading coolie to know where he was going. He replied that he had once been to Tuaran and he was sure this was the track he had followed on that occasion. On being further questioned he admitted he had

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never been to Bongol and that he had no idea how much further it was along this track to the nearest kampong or river.

Feeling certain that we must come to a kampong fairly soon or to a river alongside which we could erect some shelter for the night—except for a thermos of hot water our water-bottles were all empty—I ordered the coolies to proceed. At every turn in the track I expected to see it leading rapidly downhill towards either the Manteranau or the Kinawan Rivers, but always it followed the top of a ridge on which no signs of water were to be found.

Towards two o'clock we met some Dusuns travelling in the opposite direction. They spoke no Malay and my coolies appeared to have some difficulty in understanding their dialect.

However Rintingan, who had a good knowledge of Malay, informed me that it seemed that a kampong lay some three miles further on. I thereupon decided to halt for half an hour and distributed some sour oranges, acquired at Dallas, among my thirsty carriers.

After proceeding for a further three miles we saw no signs of a kampong, but a little further on we saw one a mile or two below and behind us. We had obviously missed the track leading to it. The Singgaran coolie wished to go back, but I was most unwilling to do so, and as the other coolies were quite willing to go forward, we proceeded. Soon afterwards heavy rain came on, accompanied by thunder, and seeing a sulap ahead, the coolies hastened towards it, only to find that it was already packed with natives whose language neither they nor I could understand. And so we went on.

About four o'clock the rain ceased and the coolies began to show signs of fatigue (and no wonder), so I took the lead and encouraged them to follow me. An hour later I came to a clearing, where I met an old native, who, on being asked how far it was to the nearest kampong, looked me up and down and replied " Lebeh satu jam " (more than an hour). I thanked him and immediately sat down to await the coolies toiling along behind me. Seeing me seated there they dropped their bonguns and sat down also. As I had eaten nothing since breakfast, Ah Soon wanted to prepare some food, but I had no appetite.

However, I drank two cups of sweet tea made from the hot water in the thermos and sucked an orange. Meanwhile the coolies and Ah Soon himself unrolled their parcels of rice and proceeded to enjoy a well-earned meal.

Towards five o'clock we started off again, with Rintingan leading, and after proceeding for about three miles came on to a track which I recognized as the track from Bongol to Tagap.

Thinking we were nearer Tagap than we were, I urged the coolies to make a last effort, but they tired before we seemed anywhere near a kampong and wanted to spend the night in a sulap by the wayside. However, on being persuaded that

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Kampong Tagap, with its plentiful water supply, could not be far distant, they agreed to follow me after a short halt. So once more I went ahead, shouting back words of encouragement to them as one by one they gradually fell further and further behind. At last, just as it began to get dark and I knew we were all too exhausted to go on another mile, Kampong Tagap appeared almost at my feet. I let out a shout that was heard by the hindermost coolie over half-a-mile away, and scrambled down the steep track towards the rest-house.

It was filled with dirty Dusuns, but I hung my knapsack up on a peg and hurried down to the end of the water-pipe to drink long and deeply of the cool, clear water. As the rest of the party came down the steep slope I returned to the rest-house and cleared out the occupants, who had no right to be there.

After a short rest two of the coolies went down to the waterpipe and brought up water. I made Ah Soon, who was lying on the floor absolutely exhausted, drink some, and he sat up and started " blethering " a lot of absolute nonsense. Then I gave him some whisky, but that only made him worse, so I made him drink more water and lie still until he was fit to light a fire and make some coffee.

Later, however, with the contents of the remaining tins of food, he provided me with the best dinner I have enjoyed for a long time. Perhaps the circumstances made it so. Although I went to bed immediately afterwards, I was so tired that it must have been almost midnight before I fell asleep.

How many miles we covered that day I do not know, but we had done in one day a journey which we had meant to do in two, and by a route which avoided both the rivers we had crossed on the way from Tagap to Dallas. Had Ah Soon, however, not made such a foolish mistake in the morning, we should have had to spend an uncomfortable night in the jungle without any water.

IX of the previous day's experiworse Next morning, none the ence, we left Tagap towards 6 a.m., but had only gone half a mile when the track divided itself into two branches, either of which might have led to Tamparuli. To-clay, however, we were taking no chances of going astray, and Rintingan was sent back to enquire which was the shorter way to Tamparuli Bridge.

It took him only ten minutes to return to Tagap, obtain the necessary information, and rejoin us. For the next two and a half hours we proceeded at a rapid pace, most of the time down slopes far steeper than those leading down from Kinabalu to the bridle path. Before 9 a.m. we came to the ford across the tributary of the Tuaran River, where the first halt was made on the day we left Tamparuli. Here the coolies stopped for a

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meal, while I discarded my football boots in favour of rubbersoled boots again. So precipitous had been the descent that my toes were swollen, and more than once I wondered how I had ever lasted out the first day.

After a short rest Ah Soon went on ahead to see if he could find any vehicle to convey us from the bridge to Jesselton, the coolies and myself following at a more leisurely pace. My luck was in. Before we came to the road at Tamparuli, Ah Soon came back to say a motor bus had just arrived and was waiting.

Immediately we reached the road I chartered the bus, and after very willingly paying my coolies more than they expected, but a price which I considered they had fully earned, all the bonguns were stowed in the bus and we prepared to depart.

The coolies, however, indicated that they would like to come with us as far as the Jesselton—Tuaran road, so accompanied by Ah Soon they all scrambled in at the back, while I climbed in beside the driver. Incidentally, two of the coolies had never seen a motor car before.

At 10.3o a.m. we arrived back home, having, so far as I can trace, completed the journey from Jesselton to the top of Kinabalu and back in the shortest time in which that journey has ever been done.

J. S. ABERNETHY. (I 924-2 6.)

Byron's Burial Place.

A volume entitled " Byron—and where he is buried," by the Vicar of St. Mary Magdalene at Hucknall Torkard, custodian of the Byron Vault, has recently been published and is of special interest to the poet's old School in Aberdeen. Perhaps the most important feature of the book is the account it contains of the opening of the vault. On the evening of 15th June, 1938, in an atmosphere of profound secrecy, the Vicar and a carefully selected company opened the vault, for the first time, perhaps, since 1851, when the body of Ada, the poet's daughter, wife of the Earl of Lovelace, was buried within its walls. With the aid of lamps he was able to distinguish Byron's coffin among debris of bones and lead, and found the lid unfastened. " Reverently, very reverently," he writes, "I raised the lid, and before my eyes there lay the embalmed body of Byron in as perfect a condition as when it was placed in the coffin one hundred and fourteen years ago. His features and hair were easily recognizable from the portraits with which I was so familiar. The serene, almost happy expression on his face made a profound impression upon me."

Reverence did not permit of further examination, and the vault was closed, being left as it had been found.

1.

2

3.

ASCENT OF MOUNT KINABALU. z. Carriers at a halt on:the bridle path. Note the " bonguns." z. The Rest I louse at Bongol.

3. Taken at tz,5oo ft. from the roof of the mountain, showing two of the most curiously shaped peaks.

"6""PaT

iir

.‘111

DOUGLAS Ross HARPER.

l i

•

LOUIS HARPER,

A.M.lnst.C.E., at the wheel of his car, in front of Seafield House, in 1904.

School Rugby Football 1st XV-Season 1939-40•

Back Row—J. S. Duguid, J. M. S. Moir, J. A. S. Grant, J. S. Calder, A. D. Calder, D. W. C. Siii•th, J. D. Chalmers, W. Davidson, Mr. D. Macgregor (Games Master).

Second Rnw—G. P. Mollison, F. R. Paterson, C. M. Hall, D. L. Paul (Captain), I. W. J. D. Garden, W. L. Connon.

In Front—P. S. Boyd, L. D. Davidson.

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A Unique Sheriff Court Action.

Victory for Grammar School Boys.

The death of the Rev. Patrick Riddel, minister of the parish of Knockando, leaves me the sole survivor of the principals in an action laid by the Grammar School against Miss Anderson of Skene Street for the loss of a football retained by that lady.

This action was tried by the late Sheriff Brown in February, 189o. As the affair created a deal of interest at the time, and indeed may be of interest to the grandsons of those who took part in that legal fray, I set down the particulars which have been stamped on my memory.

I may begin by saying that in the year 1885 fifteen boys of the age of twelve or thirteen years clubbed their rare sixpences together and purchased a seven-and-sixpenny rugby football for their own exclusive use. They included in their number George Foggo, who died some two years ago, the son of the factor of Invercauld. A tall lad with length of limb, Foggo prided himself with good cause on his drop-kicking. Well, fifteen minutes after we had begun playing with our football, Foggo kicked the ball into Miss Anderson's garden. It was a long, slanting kick from the grass lawn in front of the Grammar School over the main drive down into the Denburn. An appeal to Miss Anderson to return us the ball was refused. Indeed, her cook had sallied into the garden and had plunged a knife into the ball. I well remember that I was never nearer crying, out of vexation and anger at the lack of understanding of boy-nature under which Miss Anderson appeared to labour by her refusal to let us have our ball. So much by way of prelude.

Five years later a small boy called Henderson kicked a rugby ball into Miss Anderson's garden from the ground lying immediately north of the Denburn gardens. He was quick to climb up the wall on the School side, about six feet high, and to scramble down the other side, perhaps twenty feet in height, into Miss Anderson's garden. Alas, he was too late to retrieve the ball. The same old cook with the same old knife had got into action, and the ball disappeared into the enemy's stronghold.

I have never forgotten the alarm and the fear of little Henderson as he realized the extent of the disaster he had caused. Perhaps his mind was agitated by the possibility of his being required to refund the value of the ball to the School's football coffers.

He suffered greatly emotionally over his misadventure. He came to me, then Secretary of the School Football Club. We went to the front door of Miss Anderson's house and asked politely for the return of the football. As of old, the request was refused.

Now, it happened that at this time my father was in the School Board, and was, I think, Convener of the High Schools

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Committee. He telephoned to the Chief Constable, the late Mr. Wyness, and explained what had happened. At my father's request, a policeman was sent to get the ball. The request was refused. Upon this, I dared to ask my father if he would object to my asking the Rector's permission to raise an action against Miss Anderson in the Sheriff Court. To my utter astonishment and delight he allowed me to speak to Dr. Moir, the Rector.

I did so. I still see Dr. Moir as he asked me, " Well, William, what have you to say to me ? " I explained my mission, and pointed out that, if we won, it would be great glory, and if we lost, a petty tax of twopence per head over the School. Rolling his head, as his manner was to do, he filled me with the utmost high spirits by consenting to my proposal. Riddel, who was Captain of the Football Club, and I accordingly interviewed the late Mr. D. M. M. Milligan, himself a former rugby player of distinction, and he readily agreed to be our agent.

The day when the action was tried at length arrived. I cannot believe that the Sheriff Court of Aberdeen ever presented a gayer, happier scene than it did on that great occasion. The Court was full of schoolboys in a state of intense excitement, and also of lawyers in their robes, who were schoolboys once more. On the Bench sat Sheriff William Brown, of whom those competent to judge say that a finer lawyer never held his post. Mr. Ledingham appeared for Miss Anderson, and, as I have said, Mr. D. M. M. Milligan for the School. On a large table before the Bench was a great array of football covers, rugby and soccer, and a large number of cricket balls and other odds and ends- School property retained by the defendant through a length of years.

The proceedings began by " swearing in " the cook, who, by reason of her exceeding fatness either could not, or would not, raise her hand, to the annoyance of the Sheriff, who spoke sharply to her. She was decidedly flustered—a good beginning for the School. When she had taken the oath our agent began his examination of her. I have always thought his first question was rather cruel. Had he asked her the difference between a trifle and a rice pudding, she might have answered him with much distinction. But, with his thumbs in his waistcoat, Mr. Milligan actually asked her what was the difference between a rugby and an association football. She did not know. She eventually left the witness-box after she had made an inglorious appearance. Little Henderson followed, and then I was crossquestioned by Mr. Ledingham. I remember that I was overwhelmed to find that a good half-column was devoted to me in the Evening Gazette. At length Sheriff Brown leant over his desk, and addressing Mr. Ledingham, asked him if any damage had been done by little Henderson. " No, my lord," was the answer. " Then, Mr. Ledingham," the Sheriff remarked, " you know, as well as I do, that there is no such thing as trespass

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law in Scotland. I give judgment for the boys." Up jumped Mr. Milligan, " With expenses, my lord ? " " With expenses," said the Sheriff. The schoolboys present almost exploded with delight, and excited groups gathered in the lobbies later on.

I was recalled and asked how much the ball had cost. " Your lordship," I said, " the ball was a Maori football, and it cost twelve shillings and sixpence." "Well," said the Sheriff, " I won't give you that sum, but ten shillings and sixpence.

I have boys myself." Indeed Hector Brown, clever, witty, handsome, was one of my particular friends. So ended a day of intense excitement to Grammar School boys fifty years ago. The action had a good result. No more footballs or cricket balls were ever retained by Miss Anderson after that date.

That evening the Lord Provost of Aberdeen had a dinnerparty at his home, Banchory House, Banchory-Devenick. My parents were guests at it, and so was Mrs. Brown, the Sheriff having been unable to attend it, since the case had not ended till 7.3o. The only person at that dinner table who had a word to say in support of the boys' case was my father. The others present thought the world was surely coming to an end.

The lapse of time has removed all bitterness, and as the sole survivor of the principal actors I have a little melancholy pleasure in recording our School's exploit. I have but one regret to mention. The grateful schoolboys clubbed together and with a considerable sum of money purchased a superb carved cigar-box to be presented to Mr. Milligan as a token of their gratitude.

What followed is a mournful instance of the clumsiness, shyness, stupidity, of which schoolboys are capable. Instead of arranging for a meeting with Mr. Milligan, the Captain and I went at the lunch hour to his office with the cigar-box to give it to him.

We found not a soul in the office. So what did we do but place the box behind a door, without any note or indication as to who bad placed it there, and for whom it was intended! That box never reached Mr. Milligan's hands. It is some consolation to me (it was a pleasure to Mr. Milligan to learn of it) that before our agent died I was able to tell him that we had not been ungrateful to him, but only exceedingly gawky and stupid.

W. G. ROBERTSON. (1884-9o.)

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Eire v. Alba (R.U.).

Announcement of my intention to go to Dublin for the Ireland-Scotland Rugby International last year caused astonishment to my friends.

Five tender years at an Edinburgh school had introduced me to the rudiments of both Rugby and Football, and although we were educated to believe that the former was the game for gentlemen and the latter for of iroAAoi, my preference has always been for Soccer. During the next two years, therefore, which I spent at Gordon's, it was the round ball that occupied my attention on Saturdays. Obtaining a larger bursary (sound reason!) I left " the other place " in i9zo and went to School.

At this time organized games were beginning to get a fixed place in the curriculum, and every Wednesday afternoon we had to turn out at Rubislaw for Rugby. Mr. Macgregor, the recently-appointed Games Master (still, happily, teaching the young idea), had a big job organizing games for a dozen or more classes of different sizes, and usually, before his eagle eye had fixed on us, some renegades had betaken themselves to a corner of the field and started a game of Soccer. Among the regular offenders were, if memory is correct, Jack Esslemont (now a director of John E. Esslemont, Ltd.), Andrew J. Davidson (now peach-farming in California), Douglas A. Robb (now a C.A. in Nottingham), Douglas S. Cruickshank (now an accountant in far Batavia), Sydney W. Duthie and Alexander Acciari (both Culter boys), and myself from Modern IV, and William D. Wilson (now a doctor) from Classical III ; the lastnamed later on got his blue at Aberdeen University. Eventually, of course, the " Gamey " came along and ordered us to our allotted pitch, but he never succeeded in alienating our affection for Fitba', and during the intervening years I have continued to play and watch the eleven-a-side game, supporting the " Dons " through thick and thin (and on their most recent visit to Edinburgh it was very, very thin!). Hence, then, the amazement of my friends, as mentioned.

I am not, however, impervious to the thrill of an International Rugger match, and as I wanted to see Dublin's fair city, the various excursions advertised for the occasion tempted me.

The easiest way to settle a temptation is to yield, as one is not taught in the best Sunday Schools. The majority of " fans " (if such a word is in order to denote a Rugby enthusiast) go from the Broomielaw by sea all the way. This seems to be a risky route, not so much because of mal-de-mer as for the chance of not arriving in time—a sixteen-hours' sail through the Irish Sea in February is always liable to delays. Accordingly, I selected the route via Carlisle, Chester, and Holyhead, and entered a special train at Waverley at 5.13 p.m. the night before.

The two other occupants of my compartment were a couple

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of Irishmen in their early twenties. They were Ulstermen who had lived for some years in Lancaster and were now resident in Edinburgh, but they had never been to Dublin! Having strong views on the Irish question, I tried to get them to discuss partition, but they were not to be drawn.

A fine sunny afternoon was coming to an end as we whizzed down the Gala Water, on both banks of which Spring was beginning to make its appearance on the bare trees. The " Romantic Borders " are a great Rugby stronghold, and crowds were waiting on the platforms at Galashiels, Melrose, and Hawick. Our compartment, however, was not entered until the last-mentioned was reached, when two sturdy lasses joined us, having come over from Jedburgh by road. The Irish lads were not long in chumming up with the newcomers, while I maintained the decorum due from a husband of only eight months' standing! Still, we made a combined sally to the restaurant car to lay in a solid foundation of fried sole, etc., for our night's journey.

In the clear darkness we rumbled up to Shap and hurtled down to Oxenholme. By this time we were all dozing, but the Irish boys roused themselv-1 at Lancaster, not that they would manage to see many of their haunts of youth. As we jogged along through the County Palatine, my thoughts went back to my previous journey on that line, when a December fog made my train take three hours to cover forty-odd miles, including three-quarters of an hour's dead-stand outside Crewe. Let us hope there is no such delay to-night ; the return journey does not matter! About midnight we had a long stop at Warrington to let the Lip Postal Special overtake us, and then we proceeded, leaving the main line soon, and cutting across the base of the Wirral peninsula to Chester. After a change of engines we were again held to let another train get ahead—this time the Down Irish Mail from Euston.

By now some of us are sound asleep, and others in a heavy doze, as we pound along the North Wales coast for what seems an interminable time. Suddenly a terrific clanging rouses us —we are in the Britannia Tubular Bridge crossing Menai Straits. On the far side we again roar out into the night, and in half an hour slow down for Holyhead, where we come to a stop at 2.45 a.m., almost on the water's edge.

The regular steamer Cambria is just leaving ; our excursion is going by Hibernia, which does not leave for over an hour, by which time the arrival of another train has made a great increase in the complement of passengers. The fine evening has given place to a wild morning—the moon is hidden by thick clouds swirling about in the strong wind, while even in the sheltered harbour the sea lashes itself in fury. Ominous!

But a worse omen was in store. Along with the Irish boys I went on board (the girls had engaged bunks—wise virgins!)

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and we got comfortably ensconced in the saloon. Not many minutes had elapsed when two or three fat women produced oranges. Small wonder that we had hardly left the Welsh port when a small girl was violently sick ; very soon half-a-dozen other passengers followed suit ; the atmosphere got worse ; and as a last resort, to retain my food and my dignity, I went on deck. For half-an-hour or so all was well, despite a rolling ship and lashing rain, but eventually . . . .

Shortly before 7 a.m. we berthed at Dun Laoghaire. Those with suit-cases had to parade before Customs officials, but we trippers, having no luggage, were fortunately able to go straight to the Dublin train. Were we glad? Still, it is wonderful how the effects of sea-sickness vanish when one again steps on to dry land, and I was alert enough to notice with interest the bi-lingual inscriptions on and in the carriages. The Irish are certainly making efforts to impress on their visitors that they stand on their own feet, and that the English yoke has been thrown off at last, after 80o years.

Twenty minutes' run brought us into the Irish capital, and I had scarcely left the train when a surprise awaited me: a voice said, " Hullo! are you over for the match ? " I looked at the speaker, and did not know him from Adam. He told me he was a friend of some friends of mine in Edinburgh, and had seen me at meetings of our Aberdeen, Banff and Kincardine Association. He had been living in Athlone for two years, working as an engineer, and liked the life well ; the Irish, he said, were fine, friendly folk to a Scot, but they could not stand the English.

Leaving Westland Row Station in the cold, dreich morning, I made my way (with the aid of a map) to O'Connell Street.

This used to be called Sackville Street, an instance of English overlordship, but when it was rebuilt, after being burned during the " Troubles " of twenty years ago, the Irish named it after the Liberator, Daniel O'Connell. And what a grand thoroughfare it is ; six parallel tram-tracks run along a considerable part of the street, and between them and the broad pavements there is room on each side for two lanes of traffic.

At the south end is O'Connell's statue, at the north end a monument to Parnell, and in the centre is the gigantic Nelson Pillar, focal point of Dublin's tramway system. The separation of Eire from the United Kingdom is again brought home to a visitor by two unfamiliar features—green pillar-boxes and Irish as well as English street-names.

Very few restaurants were open, which struck me as a lack of enterprise ; eventually I reached the Gresham, one of the swagger hotels of Ireland, where, after a wash, I sat down to a most welcome rest and breakfast, and felt restored to normal vigour. My companions of the night before had booked for an all-in excursion, including meals, sight-seeing tour, and

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match, but I prefer to conduct myself round a strange town, having previously studied guide-book and plan of the neighbourhood. My first port of call was Broadstone Station, formerly headquarters of the Midland Great Western Railway and terminus for Galway, Sligo, etc. A year or two ago the rails were taken up, trains diverted to Amiens Street and Westland Row, and the station is now the central motor bus depot in Dublin for services to all parts of Ireland. A conductor showed me round, and said they had organized parties from Scotland every summer, arriving from Belfast by charabanc, and leaving next day for Killarney, the Wicklow Mountains, Connemara, and so on. At this time of year, of course, the vehicles were all in winter storage, and I saw that they were quite up to the standard of similar coaches in Great Britain, contrary to our general belief that everything in Ireland is about two centuries behind the sister island.

From Broadstone my route lay through some very poor streets—not a slum district, but very little better—until I reached one of the finest " lungs " any city can possess, the famous Phcenix Park. Time allowed only a small part of its three square miles to be visited, but what an asset the Park is to Dublin could easily be realized. Gardens, trees, ponds, football and cricket pitches, fine buildings, statues, and a zoo, comprise a plethora of attractions for every taste, and from the higher parts fine views are obtained of the city and, away in the south, the mountains of Wicklow.

Crossing the Liffey at Islandbridge Barracks, I passed the well-known prison and hospital at Kilmainham, in the former of which, it has been alleged, a treaty was signed in 1882 between Gladstone and Parnell (at that time imprisoned there). To return to the city, I made for the tram line at King's Bridge station, and reached it just as a train disgorged a crowd of passengers, who were greatly intrigued by the sight of a man in a red kilt and brown tweed jacket. At the stance in O'Connell Street I had noticed an advertisement: " Travel by tramcar to Lucan and enjoy the sylvan beauty of the Liffey valley."

Well, there may be sylvan beauty up-stream, but as I looked over the river from the top deck of the tram, the only view was that of Guinness's gigantic brewery—and it is far from being a joy to the eye!

At 11.45 I get a suburban train to Howth and return by bus, getting fine views of the famous Portmarnock golf course, Dublin Bay from the north shore, and Raheny Strand, and passing at Clontarf the site of a great battle in which the Irish under Brian Boru defeated the Danes in 1014.

By now the streets are filling with citizens finishing their morning's labour in good time, and the restaurants are crowded with regular customers and visitors. I manage to get a seat, and at once the man on my left addresses me in a strong Lowland

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accent. A native of Selkirk, where he worked for years in a tweed warehouse, he is now employed in an Irish woollen mill, but would dearly love to get home again, as he does not like the Irish people at all. Being a border callant, he is a keen Rugby man, and hopes Scotland will do better to-day than against Wales earlier in the month. During lunch I notice all four of my travelling companions at another table ; evidently the young men have wangled the girls into their organized party1 So far the day had been dull and rather cold, but dry. But soon after one o'clock rain came down heavily, and continued without ceasing all afternoon. I had brought my camera, hoping to take some good snapshots of the match and of Dublin, but Jupiter Pluvius said " No." He did not, however, damp the enthusiasm of the " Wearers o' the Green," and the trams were packed with sons of Erin, confident that their team would follow up its great win over England at Twickenham by smashing Scotland and Wales, thus capturing the Triple Crown for the first time in forty years. I managed to get on to a car, but stood all the way from Trinity College to Lansdowne Road.

Here there were several queues, but the Civic Guards (as Irish police constables are known) made a poor job of regulating them, and in the mix-up I got through the turnstiles in a couple of minutes. What a difference from the clock-work precision of the Glasgow police controlling the t6o,ooo crowds that watch Scotland v. England at Soccer.

To entertain the crowd in the drenching downpour the authorities had provided a military band, arrayed in Irish kilts ; evidently a recent rig-out, as the local crowd made remarks of interest and some surprise. The usual roars welcomed both teams, and then we honoured Eire's national anthem, " The Soldier's Song," while the soaked tri-colour drooped heavily on its mast above the pavilion.

The match itself is ancient history ; the only bright spot from Scotia's viewpoint was Innes's spectacular score, which was, of course, especially gratifying to me as a fellow F.P. On the Irish side, I was impressed with the pluck of little Cromey at half-back, the speed of Moran on the wing, and the fine allround work of Murphy at back. (My brother-in-law was in the Mediterranean at the time, and listened-in ; he wrote that he distinctly heard the referee's whistle, a suburban train, and my raucous voice bawling : " Wake up, Scotland.")

Back to the Metropole for tea, I landed at a table with four men who had motored down from Belfast in the forenoon.

They agreed that Scotland had given a very poor display. One of them had travelled extensively throughout Europe, but had never seen finer scenery than during the previous summer, when he made his headquarters at Onich, Inverness-shire, and motored throughout the Highlands. " Surely," I said, " your

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own country has some magnificent scenery." He admitted that, but still did not understand why Scots visited other lands until they had explored their own thoroughly.

Referring to a Soccer International in Belfast I had attended a year or two previously, at which the Union Jack fluttered above the pavilion, and at which " God Save the King " was played and sung, whereas to-day we had seen the Eire tricolour and heard " The Soldier's Song," I suggested that the people of both parts of Ireland would live in complete harmony if the politicians on each side would only keep quiet. The others said that might be, but they in Northern Ireland were quite pleased with their present status, and it would be a long time ere Union were feasible. I then expressed the opinion that " The Soldier's Song " was not a very inspiring national anthem ; at all events the tune was not a rousing one—I had been unable to distinguish the words. One of the party said : " WE don't know the words, and I agree with you about the tune ; ' St. Patrick's Day ' would have been a much better choice, and would have appealed to all Irishmen, whatever their political or religious views."

After finishing our meal, we continued to chat for a while, and then one of the others said : " Well, we must be going, as we have to cross the Border this evening." " 0," I replied, " I have to cross three borders to-night—into Wales, England, and Scotland." " Ah, yes," was the response, " but you will have far less trouble than we ; there will be so many cars on the road that customs clearance will be a long-drawn-out affair."

So I bade them adieu, and expressed best wishes that they would sec their country triumph next month against Wales. (That, however, was not to be, as the Taffies scored twice in the last seven minutes, and the men of Erin must still wait for the return of the Triple Crown.)

While the waitress was writing my bill, my eye was attracted by a familiar scarf on a passer-by, so I accosted him, and discovered he had come from Aberdeen for the week-end, more (I think) to see Inns than to see the match! He agreed our F.P.'s score was a thrilling one, and the only decent piece of work by Scotland in the whole game. He asked why I did not sport Club colours also, but appreciated the point that the predominance of green would have been misleading along with my kilt, that day.

During the day I had collected a few Irish coins (both Irish and British currency circulates freely over there), so when paying my bill I asked the cash girl to exchange them, saying : " They are not civilized enough across the water to accept your money." " No," she replied, " and I don't see why we should take yours." " Surely you would honour a Scottish bank note." " 0, yes, the Scots and the Welsh are all right ; it is the English we cannot stand."

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A little over an hour remained before my train was due out, so I roamed round some streets in the centre of the city, passing Trinity College, the Bank of Ireland, the Four Courts, and other well-known buildings, and watching the coming and the going of the crowds.

My companions of the previous night had not reached Westland Row Station when I arrived, but they turned up in a few minutes, and at 8.1o we said au revoir to Dublin. The evening was, fortunately, more promising than had seemed likely, and at Dun Laoghaire we boarded Hibernia quite cheerfully. Delay, owing to the large number of passengers, was inevitable but short, and soon after nine o'clock we cast off into a calm sea under a clear moon-lit sky. All the way across we sat on deck, except for an occasional stroll to get our blood circulating properly. Gradually the lights on the Irish coast faded in the darkness, and we chugged steadily through the night.

From time to time yellow specks would peep out across the water, gleam for a while, then vanish. About midnight a stroll for'ard showed up the red glow of a lightship marking the entrance to Holyhead channel, and soon the Anglesey coast came into view. Despite the sharp night air, we were all fairly drowsy by now, and soon after taking our seats in the "Eciinborough" train (the Welsh porters evidently cannot spell " Edinburgh "), we fell into the Land of Nod. When I awake it is 7 a.m. and we should be north of Carlisle.

I find, instead, that we are standing in Tebay station, south of Shap, so we are over an hour late. The others have not slept so soundly, and explain that we were delayed near Crewe for a long time, as a cow had strayed on to the line!

After Penrith we take it in turn to wash, and then make a joint visit to the breakfast car. Scottish papers are on sale at Carlisle, and we are interested to learn the sporting corresspondents' comments on yesterday's match.

Sunshine shows up the quiet beauty of lower Liddesdale ; then, after crossing our last Border at Kershopefoot, we climb to the wilds of Whitterhope and drop sharply down to " Hike," as the locals call it. They also say " Dumfries may be Queen of the South, but Hawick is Queen o' a' the Borders." The Jedburgh girls leave us here, after the Irish lads have fixed up " dates " for the Scotland v. England match in three weeks' time. Waverley is reached after I1 o'clock, and when my wife returns from Church she finds me in bed sound asleep.

E. R. B. (192o-22.)

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47

" The White Man's Grave "-1920-1938.

It was in September, 1920, that I first set sail for the Gold Coast to take up an appointment as Assistant Engineer, Gold Coast Government Railways. I had no earthly idea what to expect when I got there, but was quite confident that everything would be all right. My health was perfect and I knew my job, so what was there to worry about ?

The agreement I had signed was for two " tours " of twelve months each, with ten days' leave in Britain for each month served on the Coast. Permanency in the appointment was offered if I was found satisfactory, and retiral after completing 18 years' service. Later on, when confirmed in my appointment, I came under the " Revised Leave Regulations," i.e. i8-month tours, seven days' leave for each month spent on the Coast, voluntary retiral at 5o but compulsory retirement at 55 years of age. Three weeks' local leave was also included.

Sekondi was the port at which I landed and reported to the Railway Headquarters. The manner of landing may be of interest. The s.s. Appam, on which I travelled, anchored about a mile out from the harbour and four passengers at a time got into a " Manunie chair," which was lowered by derrick into a surf boat. When there is plenty of surf about this is quite an exciting affair, for sometimes the sea comes up as the chair goes down and the two meet with such a bump that your sun helmet usually comes off and every bone in your body gets a jar. You are lucky if you do not bite your tongue or fall overboard.

The surf boat when fully loaded makes for the harbour, rowed by a crew of eight " kroo " boys (no pun meant, the pronunciation is identical), who sit on the sides of the boat, for all the world like a lady sitting on a horse. The headman steers the surf boat, sculling fashion, and leads the male-voice choir in their kroo boat-songs and choruses, whilst the paddles keep perfect time. After about quarter of an hour of this the beach is reached. The boat boys get out and carry the passengers pick-a-back to dry land. Long lanky fellows often get their feet wet if the boat boy is small.

This sort of thing still goes on at Accra, the capital, but now that a new port has been built at Takoradi, six miles away from Sekondi, boats tie up alongside the breakwater and passengers walk down the gangway on to a concrete floor.

When the engineer whom I relieved went on leave I took over his bungalow and hammock-boys. The roads were very poor, and there were practically no motor cars in the Colony in those days, the only means of transport being by hammock.

It was said by some joker that when the four hammock boys spotted me they offered to work for half-pay, seeing that I weigh just about 8 stone. I for one don't believe this.

Most of the roads are now tarmac and almost as good as

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our roads at home. Nearly everyone owns a car or motor cycle to take him from his bungalow to his office and to get round his work if he is not confined to an office.

The reason for all the improvements to be seen nowadays is naturally increased revenue, whereby the Public Works Department can build roads, bridges, culverts, concrete drains, houses for Africans, bungalows for Europeans, and offices for both. They have also built electrical power and light stations and constructed water supplies for all the most important towns on the Gold Coast.

The railway provides quarters for all its own staff—European and African, and has replaced with concrete quarters all the old wooden, mud, and corrugated iron shacks which the African was content to live in. Those in Takoradi African Township have electric light installed.

The increased revenue is got mainly from the export of manganese, cocoa, gold, and diamonds, and from the imports of commodities from the Empire and foreign countries which buy the exports.

Manganese ore leads in the list of export tonnage. A record figure was reached in 5937-38 when 566,x 5z tons were exported.

I am not saying where a lot of it went. Cocoa is next with over z5o,ooo tons, which represents about 6o per cent. of the world's total production. I do not intend to bore you with figures, but I must mention that only within the last year or two have bananas been exported. Last year's total was 65,638 bunches.

Owing to the high price of bar gold all the gold mines on the Coast are working at high pressure. With more money available development is proceeding rapidly, and old and outof-date plant is being renewed. Instead of using local firewood they are all converting their power plants to fuel-oil-burning engines. The Shell Oil Company have, therefore, found it necessary nearly to double their installation plant and storage tanks at their depot somewhere near Takoradi. All this means more revenue to the Government and, therefore, more money for the essential services, such as the Medical and Sanitation Departments, Public Works, Police, etc.

Nowadays Europeans need not eat anything bar fruit grown on the Coast. The mail boats arriving every week bring fresh meat, eggs, butter, bacon, ham, kippers, haddocks, pheasants, partridges, and even rabbits, and these are kept by cold storage companies to supply our needs. Besides this they have carrots, turnips, potatoes, cabbages, Brussels sprouts and onions to accompany the foregoing at table.

Changed days from the time when we had to be content with Coast chicken, about the size of a pigeon, or meat that came on the sides and back of bullocks from over 300 miles away, and by road tool On their arrival at Kumasi one could count their ribs, they were so thin.

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I once met an old Coaster who told me that he ate 365 chickens in one year! This I. can quite believe, because even I can eat one at two sittings, one half for lunch and the other half at dinner—very stringy, I must admit, and not very appetizing. One must have excellent teeth to tackle the Coast meat and chickens ; and as most Africans have them, they continue to enjoy such food, I suppose.

With the introduction of electric light came the " Frigidare " and other makes of freezer, so that when cold stores are bought, they can be kept fresh for weeks if need be. Hardly anyone uses the old-fashioned, inefficient ice-chest which is included in every bungalow inventory.

To keep fit, one must have good food to start with. Then all Europeans are advised and expected to swallow five grains of quinine daily. 1 reckon I have disposed of at least 30,000 grains out there, and have not acquired the taste for it yet. Quinine is more a preventative than a cure for malaria.

To keep down mosquito-breeding all stagnant water is taboo. Any found in your bungalow or compound by the Sanitary Inspector is reported to the Health Officer and you find yourself in court. Fines of 5s. to los. are given for first offences.

This applies both to African and European. I was nearly caught once, but managed to shift the blame on to my nextdoor neighbour, in whose garden the offending receptacle actually was.

Strenuous exercise also keeps one fit, and every evening of the week you will see tennis and golf played. Also during the week-ends cricket and football matches are played. Very often matches are arranged between African and European teams.

Africans who have been educated at some of the higher grade schools on the Coast have a good grasp of these games, and put up an excellent show against Europeans. They play football best in bare feet. It is remarkable what they can do with their toes when dribbling. They can do everything with their feet bar pick the ball up. If they could, would that be a foul?

I cannot recollect any ruling on this point.

There are four golf courses in the Accra area, two in Kumasi, one each at Sekondi, Takoradi, Tarkwa, Marlu, Korforidua, and Cape Coast. Most of them are 9-hole courses owing to the cost of upkeep and lack of suitable ground, but mainly because nine holes are about as many as one can play comfortably in the time available in the evening before darkness sets in.

In Accra there are a number of polo enthusiasts who play every week-end. It is a game very enjoyable to watch, and I used to do so sitting in my car near the ground.

There is at Takoradi a very keen yachting crowd, but as I never was very keen on the sea, I resisted all invitations to join their Club.

Swimming is very popular all the year round. The tempera-

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ture of the water is over 8o degrees F., and if you feel chilly, you just duck under the water in order to keep warm. The chilliness is, of course, due to the continuous breeze which blows on your wet body. Moonlight bathing parties are often got up, and are most enjoyable.

Clubs are only popular on library nights, when there is a variety or dramatic show, or when there is a dance. Library nights are held twice a week only. Dramatic parties are usually only once a year, whilst concerts are held never oftener than once a month, sometimes not even that, if there is no talent or the secretary has no interest in them. Dances are held usually once a fortnight and are very popular, especially if the secretary can obtain the services of the Police brass band or the regimental band of the Royal West African Frontier Force from Kumasi, its headquarters.

The social side of life on the Coast has vastly improved since wives were encouraged to come out to join their husbands.

Wives of Government officials get their passages free, provided they undertake to stay in the Colony at least six months. In the old days most evenings were spent in bungalows smoking, drinking, and yarning, leading bachelor lives, and usually keeping very late hours. Nearly all this has stopped. When it is getting near 8 p.m., dinner-time on the Coast, glances are exchanged between husband and wife, and soon they rise to go home to their own bungalows. This partly explains the better health of the European population, as nothing gets one down quicker than late hours.

Another comparatively new feature in West Africa is the wireless service. There are now 16 relay stations in the Gold Coast alone which relay the Daventry short-wave transmissions z to 6 through wires to any bungalow, African or European, within a radius of seven miles. On the promise to pay 5s. per month a loud speaker is given you, and you tell the workmen where you would like to have the plug or plugs connecting up to the relay station. I had one in the lounge and one in my bedroom, and often lay in bed listening to the programme until I felt drowsy. The programmes are relayed from 10.3o a.m. till i x p.m., so that Coasters are as up to date with the news as people at home. I've listened to Harry Gordon broadcasting from the Pavilion, Aberdeen, several times, and once I heard Mr. Coombes playing on the Capitol organ. Wasn't I delighted!

The news at 6 p.m. is the most popular item, but I never missed such broadcasts as International Rugger Matches, T.T. Trials, King's Speeches, In Town To-night, and Variety Shows.

So nowadays a lonely bachelor need not feel bored in his bungalow. He can get into a comfortable chair, with a book, cigarettes, and drinks handy, and listen to the wireless until bedtime, instead of going out on the binge, as I am afraid was often the case in the bad old days.

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I have several times alluded to Africans. Please, for goodness' sake, do not call them " niggers." They hate it. They do not even like to be called " natives," because they have formed a wrong impression of the meaning of the word. To their mind a native is one who gets about nearly naked and is uncivilized. Coasters call them Bushmen. The educated African has a high opinion of himself, and can talk very good English as a general rule. I have met several doctors, lawyers, and parsons who have finished their education in Britain or America.

The common language amongst the Africans is English proper and Pidgin English. There are so many different tribes, each with its own language, that a common language had to be found before they could understand each other.

Thus Pidgin English supplies that want. Fanti is spoken in the Sekoncli district, Ga in the Accra district, and Twi in Ashanti.

Hausa is the only written African language in West Africa and comes from Northern Nigeria. It is a kind of Arabic spoken by the Hausamen, who are black but are not negroid in features, having aquiline noses and thin lips.

There are large communities of Hausamen in nearly every Gold Coast town. They keep by themselves and the part of the town they live in is called the Zongo. They are the petty traders from whom one can buy ivories, snake and monkey skins, amber beads, ebony elephants, and native brasswork.

If you can get the better of one of them in a bargain you are a better man than I am—Gunga-Din. The African women are the traders of the community. In the markets they are found sitting on low stools with perhaps a box in front of them. On it may be cigarettes, matches, candles, and tins of food. Another may sell only loaves of bread and things like doughnuts. Yet another sells nothing but tomatoes ; green, yellow and red peppers ; garden eggs and ockra. Still another is selling cloth hats and caps of startling rainbow hues. Each has her own particular line which she adheres to. The educated African women go about " all dressed up in European language." Some are telephone girls and nursing sisters. Others are merely wives of the wealthier educated Africans.

Our cooks are all " boys," no matter how old they are.

They are remarkably good. The stoves supplied with the bungalow furniture are coal-burning but, as firewood only is burned, cooking is made more difficult. In spite of this they can always turn out a good meal at any time. They have never got over their dislike for coal and it is a good job too, otherwise the Railway, which is the only coal-burning concern in the Colony, would have to build vast sheds to prevent stealing.

Only once was I fortunate enough to get my local leave.

There happened to be an engineer spare for three weeks and he

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relieved me. I took a " round trip" on the Dutch boat s.s. Amstelkirk from Accra to Fernando Po and back. It took fifteen days and was very enjoyable.

After leaving Accra we called at Lome, the capital of Togoland, but I did not bother going ashore. Next day Lagos was reached, and I went and called on an Aberdeen friend, who motored me all round the town. Other ports of call were Port Harcourt, Duala, Calabar, and Santa Isabel, the capital of Fernando Po. There I witnessed a football match between the crew of the Amstelkirk and the residents, who are of Spanish origin. The standard of play was not very high, and some of the players were apparently not versed in the rules. I thought there was going to be a riot when one of the Amstelkirk team disagreed with the referee's decision that he was offside. However, the rest of his team restrained him and the incident passed over without bloodshed. From Fernando Po we returned to Accra, picking up palm oil, ground nuts, and cocoa, besides a few passengers who were going home for their well-earned leave.

For fourteen years I never went sick with malaria and I was beginning to fancy myself immune from it. But it came along in the sub-tertian form and I was knocked out for a fortnight when it did come. Thereafter my health was never the same in the Colony and it usually took about two months of Scotch climate to regain the standard of fitness to which I like to attain, viz.: to be able to play two rounds of golf per day without being fagged out.

On completion of 18 years' service I felt that it was time that I " chucked " it. My last spell in hospital decided it, so when I got home a year ago I applied for release and received it on medical grounds. One thing I can say truly, and that is, that I have never regretted going to the Gold Coast.

WM. ROBERTSON CLARK.

(1907'10

Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine

Crocodiles.

A reader of travel tales frequently gets the impression that rivers and lakes of Africa's Dark Continent are swarming with crocodiles. Well, this may be so& but from twenty-seven years spent in various parts of Africa I have been struck with the rare occasions on which these reptiles were seen.

The following is a short account of my experiences with two " crocs." The campaign in the German Cameroons during the 1914-18 War was carried out by converging columns of British and Allied troops from neighbouring territories. I was attached as a Medical Officer to one of these columns operating from Nigeria. All our movements were on foot and our stores carried as head-loads by native carriers—hence personal baggage was strictly limited. For months it was hard going from before daylight till dusk. In March 1916 we thought we had the Germans completely surrounded, but they managed to slip through between the Allied columns on the south and to escape into Spanish Muni, where they were duly interned.

Thus ended our local " war."

Our column had just reached the big Sanaga River, one day's march north-west of Jaundi, when we got this disappointing news, together with orders to sit down and await further instructions. We were only too thankful for a rest. The three weeks we were left there we thoroughly enjoyed, camped on the river bank. The river at that point is a thousand yards across, and as it was the " dry " season, there was a large flat sand-bank in the middle of the stream, and the smaller channel, which flowed past our camp, was about fifty yards wide, with an average of four feet in depth and running very slowly.

There was excellent bathing there, and we rigged up a springboard for diving. At the end of the board a fox terrier belonging to a company officer used to sleep at night for coolness. The dog disappeared two days after an unsuccessful attack it had made on a grey parrot I had. The bird recovered, but I was regarded with strong suspicion.

A day or two later, while we were sitting at our evening meal, an African soldier-orderly came into our mess and reported there was a crocodile close alongside in the river.

The night was dark, but there was a faint reflection from the stars on the water, which showed a stationary object on the surface not more than a yard from the bank edge, looking like a rough stick eighteen inches long ; but a stick would have floated down with the current. My combatant friends smiled when I borrowed a service .3o3 rifle and began to move slowly down the sloping bank towards the object. I had gone only a few yards when it submerged without a sound. That was convincing enough, so I crept right down to the edge and waited for it to re-appear. It did so about twenty feet further

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out, just the same motionless, stick-like object. It was too dark to see the rifle sights, but I just took aim as well as it was possible to do and fired. There was a most tremendous commotion in the water. The croc. was hit and was lashing about with its powerful tail. The shot had raised the alarm and our native soldiers came running from their lines to find the cause. The disturbance in the water soon subsided, a native dug-out canoe was produced and eventually the croc. was located, dead at the bottom of the river. It was hauled in and up the bank, where next day we found the nickel-cased bullet had smashed the skull just behind the eye and entered the brain—a most extraordinarily lucky shot I He measured just under eleven feet in length.

When he was opened up we found in his stomach the fox terrier, semi-digested and complete with collar. My character was cleared!

In addition to the dog in the stomach we got the usual rounded pebbles, a child's bracelet in the form of a coiled thick copper wire, and several rusty iron arrow-heads, presumably swallowed with buck that had been wounded by native hunters.

All these trophies I still retain, including the skull of the croc., which is a good specimen with all its vicious teeth still in place.

Of course that ended our bathing, but it was not the last of our crocodile adventures in that place. One Sunday morning three of us paddled away down the river in a small native canoe until we saw a large croc. slide off a sand-bank into the river.

We found she had a nest of eggs almost covered with sand— there were sixty-seven. We took them back to camp with us and had them cooked in various ways ; as " plain boiled " they were a bit too highly flavoured, but as omelettes they were greatly relished, and helped considerably with our restricted commissariat. Now the strange part of the story, and one which I can hardly blame my readers if they do feel some doubts about it, is that we went back the following week and put the old croc. off her nest again. This time there were sixty-eight eggs, which were again brought home and eaten. They were all " new laid," and might have been Grade I category. We paid a third visit to the nest a few days later, but the old lady had got fed-up and deserted. The eggs were oval, hard-shelled, and just small enough to fit into round tins that hold fifty cigarettes, in which I brought two home to this country, after having " blown " them as we did birds' eggs when we were boys.

W. E. G. (1896-98.)

Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine

1c

SCHOOL SECTION. School and Random Notes. " It is a pretty mocking of the life.

Here is a touch : is't good ?"

As most boys will have realized (some more forcefully than others!), there has been a " certain infection " lurking in the corridors of the School during the past term. This ailment with which we have been afflicted (we bow our heads in shame), German measles, has struck down, as we go to press, no less than eighty boys ; and at one time eight of the 1st XV (" How are the mighty fallen ") had nothing better to kick than hotwater bottles. * * * The severity of the weather (than which, an enlightened editor of an American newspaper tells us, we have experienced nothing colder since I8If), coupled with the previouslymentioned outbreak of measles, has played havoc with rugby fixtures. The " Old Firm " game was cancelled, much to our mutual regret, but this was due more to the concrete-like nature of the ground than the paucity of the ist XV. * * * For the past few months we have had the great good fortune to obtain the coaching of Dr. Berman, from Czechoslovakia, in our French and German classes. This most interesting Master has quickly won the affection of those boys with whom he has come in contact, chiefly by his unfailing good humour, but to no small degree by his gift of illustrating his talks with the most apt sketches. Upon hearing exclamations of appreciation from one of his classes as he rapidly drew a large-size human face on the board, he was led to remark that he had at one time dipped " slightly " into the study of Art. We like to believe that Dr. Berman enjoys talking to us quite as much as we enjoy listening to him. Unlike most Masters when we are late for lasses, he merely asks us in his sweetest voice, " Did you have a good sleep ? " * * * For some years it has been customary for a company of French actors to visit Aberdeen in the Easter Term and present a play, which has always been attended by a party from School.

This year, of course, no such arrangement is possible ; but an excellent substitute is being provided by the University French Society, who are to present " Le Voyage de Monsieur Perrichon " in the Students' Union. The price of the tickets has risen to 2S., but we feel sure that this will not deter many boys from going. Rather the reverse, in fact, for a supper and late dance are included in the price.

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And talking about dancing, a new Club has made its appearance in School's social life, a Dancing Club. It was rather a timid and sceptical band of prefects that ventured into the Girl Guides' Headquarters to discuss " proposals for the formation of a dancing class " under the direction of Madame Murray.

We must remark that they were very reticent until they discovered that their partners (supplied free of charge) were members of their Sister School. To obtain sufficient applications it was only necessary to spread the news. " Fama nihil est celerius." * * * For a long time there could be . heard issuing from the Prefects' Funk-Hole strange thuds and reverberations, accompanied by even more mysterious exclamations about " Forwardturns," " Reverseturns," " Palaisglides," and " Twofivebeats."

We were quite alarmed till we discovered that it was the inmates of the afore-mentioned room " practising." * * * Another event cancelled on account of the war, and one which we have come to regard as an integral part of the Spring Term, is the annual trip to Paris. We learn from the B.B.C., however, that Paris is making preparations for receiving its usual visitors in summer. Perhaps the trip could be made then ? * * * As a welcome change from the long list of cancellations and postponements we note the restarting of the School's youngest club, the Art Club. This admirable attempt at a return to normality in School life is deserving of wide support, and we trust that the other Societies will follow suit. * * * Our air-raid shelters are now complete in essentials. Such luxuries as seats have yet to be installed (we should probably feel more at home in an air raid if we were seated), but the most pressing need, that of an adequate lighting system, has been satisfied. It is true that the system might be even more adequate without being overdone, but on the whole it is better than complete darkness. The system was to have been linked up with the mains, with motor-car batteries as stand-bys, but the batteries are the only supply at present. The Head of the Science Department was heard to offer these batteries a ready billet after the war. Let's hope he waits till then! Our only objection is that we must always be careful to wear draughtproof " combs " (with all due respect to A-th-r A-k-y) when we have trench drill. What shall we do in an emergency ? * * * We have noticed with increasing concern the everspreading bog which has been created outside the room of the Happy One

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by the three ambulances of the A.R.P. Post. Though the locality is ideal, the suggestion that the mud-wrestling matches which are so popular in America should be introduced into this country by an exhibition upon this patch has not met with a very warm reception. We do, however, consider it an ideal place for exercising troops " under actual conditions." * * * At the same time we should like to lodge a very serious complaint about the indiscreet and inconsiderate way in which the ambulances are tested. While the test is in progress work is quite impossible in the nearby classrooms. We should know this, because we spend more than half our time in this vicinity.

While recognizing the necessity of having these vehicles in perfect running order, we suggest that those responsible should wait till after School hours. * * * had occasion to remark we Magazine the of issue In the last on the undesirable presence of a couple of brick walls which had been erected in Hall for A.R.P. purposes. These have now been removed, upon the provision of more suitable shelters, and, we are glad to say, little apparent damage has been done to our cherished Hall. * * * Our periodic air-raid practices are accompanied by many amusing incidents. The bell goes—the mass exodus commences —three minutes later no one is to be seen above ground in the west field, although many strange noises issue from the murky depths. Of course, many " technical hitches" occur. For instance, a Lower-School mistress tripped the light fantastic along a six-inch plank up to one of our Mathematical staff and inquired, " Is this E Section?" " No," he replied, " this is ' L'I" * * * jotter has been untwopenny blue familiar the Latterly obtainable from the Janny, who seems to take a wicked delight in extracting from us an extra penny for each book. This apparently is a result of the nation's paper-saving drive and is likely to be permanent. This shortage is also making itself felt in the jotting down of these Notes. It has been our custom to put them in some semblance of order in an exercisebook devoted solely to Notes ; but this term they are squeezed down the sides of old maths. sums, written along the margins of Greek exercises, and even between the lines of ancient Latin versions I We have NOT made use of the marble-topped tables in the Library. * * * This term's crop of howlers is a poor one—not a bad thing except for the poor School Eds. The French Department has

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provided a paltry one or two which we set before you. The ace of classes, the Sixth, with its four bright members, is responsible for them. We thank for the first that youth who burbles so much about aircraft: his effort when translating " L'hotnme etait vetu de bottes de cheval " was " The man was wearing horse-shoes." At a later date, his classmate, suspecting nothing, finished translating a piece where the characters had been stuffing themselves with food for several hours and one of them had flung himself into an armchair.

The part which followed, and which he himself admitted seemed out of place, was : " it eat volontiers fait un somme." We can hardly picture him doing a mathematical problem in this condition, but, as he said, " You must admit it looks like it." * * * The annual corridor-blockade has recommenced : the Hall is once more filled with industrious pupils who are endeavouring to convince the authorities that they have reached a certain standard in education, and ought to be given a certificate indicating to all and sundry that such is the case. To these—shall we say unfortunate people ?—we offer our commiseration and wishes of " Bonne Chance."

Charles Shanks.

The School was deeply shocked when it learned that Charles Shanks, a pupil in the Upper School, had passed away on z4th January after an operation. The tragic suddenness of his death and the fact that he was an only child added to our sorrow.

Charles ("Charlie ") entered the School in September, 5938. He took a keen interest in most School activities, including the Junior School Orchestra. In the Orchestra he distinguished himself as an expert violinist, to the delight of his music master. At concerts in the village of Culter, where he lived all his life, he charmed many an audience with his lively and tuneful renderings of Scottish music, for he had made a special study of Scott Skinner's works. In the field of sport he was an able and keen cricket player and a good swimmer.

Because of his ever-present cheerfulness, Charlie was popular both in his village, where he was universally known and loved, and at School.

The memory of this fine youth will be cherished not only in his home but also in the School, and the hearts of both pupils and Masters go out to his parents and relatives in their untimely bereavement.

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" Parcel, please !"

What could be more pleasant to a hard-up schoolboy than a chance to earn seven shillings and sixpence? Thus I felt very pleased when I read on a notice-board " somewhere in School " on a bleak December morning that about forty boys were wanted to deliver parcels for the Aberdeen Corporation Transport on three days of the following week. I handed in my name, and was told to report at the Transport Office after school. Having gone there, we were given armlets and told to report for duty at the office on Tuesday morning at eight o'clock sharp. This announcement brought moans of horror from those who expected to do little for their pay. It meant getting out of bed at 7.1 5 —not a very cheerful prospect.

Five minutes to eight saw me at the top of Marischal Street, bleary-eyed but eager for work. There were so few parcels at the office at that early hour that it was almost 8.3o before I left to make my first delivery. On this occasion I was accompanied by one of the regular boys. I had only one parcel to carry, so I had an easy time. That day I never had more than nine parcels to deliver at one journey, so at night I returned home content.

The next day was much harder. I had to travel from Thorngrove to Torry, from Craigshaw to Woodside, from Hilton to Mannofield, from Bridge of Dee to Old Aberdeen.

I also delivered parcels in Broomhill and Rosemount.

My most unsuccessful adventure of the day was the delivery of a parcel at the extreme end of Clifton Road. I knew that to reach Clifton Road I had to take a Woodside tramcar. That was all I knew about Clifton Road. Told by the conductor to get off the car at Kittybrewster and to take a bus along Clifton Road, I did so, but the bus turned up a side road after going about two hundred yards. I had to walk over a mile along the road, carrying a heavy parcel in the darkness. If you have ever tried to find a house, unknown to you, in the dark with a torch which has ceased to function, you will agree with me that it is the fitting occasion to use some of the words a golfer may employ when he has failed for the seventh time to move his ball embedded in a bunker. At last, tired and weary, I found the house, delivered the parcel and returned home.

On the third and last day, the Saturday before Christmas, more than z,ooo parcels were delivered. I had to carry loads of twenty to twenty-five at a time. By night, my feet were blistered, my shoulders were aching, and I was " dead-beat."

Although I thoroughly enjoyed this change from School life, it was hard work. If you want to make money for doing nothing, do not be a Parcels Boy. J. S. TAGGART. (Cl. 1V.)

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Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine

Tolquhon Castle.

Tolquhon Castle, an outstanding example of Scottish castellated architecture, is situated within the parish of Tan-es in Aberdeenshire. It stands some considerable distance from the main road, and is surrounded by ancient yew trees, from which inhabitants of the Castle are believed to have made their bows.

Originally Tolquhon was one of the seats of the Prestons, and the old tower still retains their name. At a subsequent date the Castle was considerably enlarged by the Forbes family, into whose hands it had passed. This is clearly indicated by the inscription which still adorns one of the walls and reads :— " ALL THIS WARKE EXCEP THE AVLD TOVR, WAS BEGUN BE WILLIAM FORBES, 15 APRILE 1584 AND ENDIT BE HIM 20 OCTOBER 1589."

Tolquhon is built on an original plan, not conforming to any stereotyped Aberdeenshire model. It has a great outer courtyard and behind it is a smaller one. The Castle buildings are clustered round the latter, forming a rather formidable defence system.

An interesting feature of the old Preston Tower is the evidence of the measures of defence practised by its inhabitants some three or four hundred years ago. It retains a fragment of the machicolations, a series of openings round the wallhead of the Castle, through which quick-lime, boiling tar, and similar liquid missiles were poured on the attacking forces. A similar contrivance known as a " meurtriere," or murder hole, covers the entrance to the other part of the Castle. Within easy reach of this hole, which was disguised as a loophole, is a small square cupboard in which the defenders prepared their barbarous mixtures.

The dining-room still retains its finely paved floor, a work of art of outstanding quality. The most interesting and enlightening feature of this room was the "lug," an aperture which allowed the host to listen, unseen and unsuspected, to the conversation of his guests. This small room had only one entrance, from the laird's private sitting-room! He would make an excuse to retire for a little and hastily ascending to his private room would surreptitiously descend to the " lug " to overhear his guests make any remark about himself or his family.

The Castle prison is still more or less intact. It can be entered only from the floor of one of the rooms. A grating protects an iron ladder, which originally was not there (the prisoners being lowered down), giving access to a long narrow cell which is in almost total darkness. It is feebly lit by a loophole near the ceiling at the extreme end. In this dungeon prisoners would be kept for months on end.

The Castle bakehouse strikes one as being particularly

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primitive. It has in it a number of large stone ovens erected in the walls. Nearby is the kitchen, with its enormous open fireplace capable of holding and roasting a whole ox. The well is situated in the inner courtyard adjacent to the kitchen, though the water in it to-day is particularly unpleasant I Tolquhon is fortunately now recognized as an " Ancient Monument," and its care and preservation are in the capable hands of the Office of Works. Since they took it under their care some seven or eight years ago they have expended a considerable amount of time and skill in preventing its further destruction through the ravages of the elements. It has been greatly strengthened and is now intelligently cared for. The gardens which they have laid out behind the Castle form a pleasant background and greatly enhance its artistic appearance.

J. R. S. BELL. (Mod. IVs.)

Lebensraum. " Why weep you by the Rhine, Adolf ?

Why weep you by the Rhine ?

You've got the Polish Corridor, Slovakia is thine.

Slovakia is thine, Adolf, And all the Polish race "— But Adolf kept on crying out, " We need more living-space."

"Come, dry your tear-stained eyes, Adolf, Come, dry your tear-stained eyes.

Tell Haw-Haw Goebbels has for him A brand new set of lies.

He'll tell them on the radio The foe will soon lose face "— But Adolf kept on crying out, " We need more living-space." " A wood-pulp suit you shall not lack, Nor medals for your chest, And when the winter comes, you'll have A pseudo-woollen vest ; A pseudo-woollen vest you'll have, Your manly form to grace "— But Adolf kept on crying out, " We need more living-space." " Alas I poor Adolf, you are right, So miserably to yell ; While Allied shipping losses shrink, The U-boat losses swell.

It is as much as you can do To keep your present place ; And Adolf, when the War is through You won't need living-space."

J. B. Tarr.

(CL IV.)

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1berdeen Grammar School Magazine

A Cycle Tour in Scotland.

With heavy packs but light hearts my friend and I cycled out of Aberdeen on the first stage of a cycle tour in Scotland.

That summer morning it was raining hard, but this did not damp our spirits. The scenery may have been beautiful; if so, we failed to notice it through the driving rain. By night we had reached Glamis, and, as it was too wet to pitch camp, we decided to take shelter in a barn.

The nearest thing to a barn we could find was a large and very airy shearing shed. There we unpacked our beds and spread them on top of a pile of wool-sacks. By this time the only spirit in the camp was methylated spirit ; this we put into a cooker and prepared supper, which consisted of boiled tea and soggy biscuits. We then lay down on our beds and tried to sleep. The rain beat down on the corrugated iron roof. Now wool is liable to expand and contract with changes of weather, and the sacks on which we lay trembled and shook as if alive.

This, together with the perambulations of the sheep, was quite unnerving. We changed our abode, in the rain and the dark, to a nearby shepherd's hut, which was at the time disused.

Here we spent a sleepless night. It was cold, and, as we had forgotten our Horlick's, we suffered from " night starvation."

Next morning saw us pedalling off from our uncomfortable lodgings through the lazy village of Glamis and on towards Perth. Somehow or other we got separated at Perth: my friend, slightly ahead, went straight on to the city, while I turned right, taking the Crieff road. After spending some time trying to find him, I carried on to Comrie. My friend took lodgings for the night at Perth, and, next day, cycled home.

I pitched camp at Comrie and waited there all Sunday for my friend. The weather was very hot all Saturday and Sunday, but on Monday it changed again.

On Monday, hearing no news of my friend, I cycled on to Oban, where I holidayed for a fortnight. My companion rejoined me there. From Oban we proceeded to Fort William, sustaining ourselves on chocolate. As we passed under a railway bridge two fellows beckoned us and told us we could take a short cut by using the bridge, which passed over the narrow neck of a bay. We hauled our heavy cycles up the railway embankment, read the notice, " Trespassers will be prosecuted," waited till the approaching train had passed, crossed the bridge, and took our cycles down the embankment at the other side into a marshy field. After half an hour of hard work we reached the road at the other side. We were just observing that we were only eighteen miles from Fort William when we noticed that the road ahead of us was " up." As we dismounted, a navvy informed us that the road was under repair all the way to

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Fort William, but that if we came back next year we would find it to be perfect! I draw a veil over the next part of the journey.

That night we slept soundly, at the foot of Ben Nevis.

The following day we spent an uneventful time journeying through beautiful scenery to Inverness. Even the almostforgotten " Loch Ness Monster" did not deign to appear.

Again we spent the night in a barn, but this time it was more comfortable. Next day we made our record mileage, from Inverness to Aberdeen. We reached home at 11.3o at night, soaked from head to heels.

We have laid down the following rules for cycle tours.

These, we hope, may he of use to our descendants :— Firstly : Do not carry more baggage than absolutely necessary.

Secondly : Make use of Youth Hostels.

Thirdly : Make sure that the tent (if any) dots not leak.

Fourthly : Use a motor cycle.

Mouse.

IV.)

Recent Benefactions to the School.

The memory of HAMISH ADAMS GREIG (1918-23), B.Com., C.A., who died at Calcutta on z6th June 1937, aged 31 years, is to be perpetuated in the School by " The Hamish Adams Grcig Prizes." The deceased's mother has given the sum of £too, which is to be invested and the revenue used to provide annually book prizes to the best scholar or scholars in Mathematics and Science in the class Modern V. The recipients are to be allowed to select the book or books which they themselves desire. The form that the memorial has taken seems particularly appropriate, as Hamish Greig was at the time of his death a partner in the Standard Literature Company, Calcutta.

In the issue of the Magazine of June 1939 it was announced that Miss Annabella Walker, 18 Desswood Place, Aberdeen, had bequeathed to the Rector of the School in memory of her brother, CHARLES ALEXANDER WALKER, the sum of £2OO, to be applied by the Rector for the benefit of the pupils as he in his sole discretion might think best. The Rector has now decided that the sum of £i5o shall be applied to the foundation of a prize in History, open as in the case of the other principal prizes and medals, to boys in Classes V and VI. History has now the status of a full Leaving Certificate subject, and it seems right that it should have its own special award. The balance of £5o will be expended on standard text-books on History for the School Library, and these books will bear a special commemorative label.

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Granite : An Image.

I saw men taking stones From quarries—brimming bowls Of shadow—swinging up On strumming cable wires The naked granite blocks Towards the sky From darkness, from the cold place.

They, glinting in the sun, Like diamonds, and as chill As biting winter days.

JOHN C. S. ARNAUD.

(Cl. V.)

School Rugby.

It has been a difficult season. That was inevitable, and the true verdict is that we were lucky to have any sort of a season at all. Added to the handicap of the complete dislocation of previously arranged fixtures we had a long spell of weather which made rugby impossible, and during January and the early part of February " soccer " became the School game. Then, just when the weather was at last becoming favourable, along came an epidemic of German measles and reduced the effective strength of teams to about half the normal.

A further difficulty must be mentioned in order that certain weaknesses indicating lack of coaching may be understood.

It was never possible to have the Sixth Year boys with the Fifth Year. On their days off school the Sixth Year went in for extra school work in the morning and the Fifth Year in the afternoon.

The Sixth and Fifth Years are, of course, largely represented in the 1st, znd, and 3rd XVs, so it was impossible to have the sectional practice for these sides which is the basis of all successful coaching. What the lack of coaching means could be clearly seen in the number of what might be called elementary technical mistakes made by the sides.

Only two School matches of note have been played this term. Strathallan were soundly beaten at Rubislaw, and after squandering chances to win, the return game with Gordon's College was drawn, School scoring a try to a penalty goal by the College.

Any detailed criticism of the 1st XV is not justified, but it can be said that the material existed for what under normal conditions would have been another good team. The future can only be left to take care of itself, for the effects of lack of the established round of inter-school fixtures has been evident

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both in the standard of play and in the absence of the customary enthusiasm for practice.

As indicating that we are still producing players with the true rugby spirit one incident can, however, be related. During a game between the ist and the and XV a player was injured.

The game was stopped and an enquiry of the injured player as to how he felt brought the following reply, " Oh I It was only a kick in the face, Sir." The game resumed.

D. M. G.

Rambling and Mountaineering Club.

There have, unfortunately, been no winter activities, owing to the war.

We hope, however, to acquire facilities near town for summer-term camping.

There is, at present, a great deal of camping equipment at the disposal of the Club members, and we hope that advantage will be taken of this and the equipment utilised during the summer term and holidays.

The Club Library is in regular use, and contributions of maps or books will be gratefully received.

M. II. T.

Scout Notes.

There was a great temptation to begin (and end) these notes with the laconic " Nothing to report," yet, though there are no events of epic dimensions, except perhaps the Troop " feeds," to record on this occasion, many lesser things have happened, which may have even more permanent effects.

So far the war has had no very disastrous effect on the working of the Troops.

In the gth, Philip Dawson has proved a worthy successor to S.M. Watt.

The 17th were delighted to welcome S.M. Evans back from his sojourn in the north. The greatest loss has been suffered by the 1st in the resignation of their S.M. J. B. Wilson owing to pressure of work, war-time duties, and other difficulties in the way of carrying on. We would thank him warmly for his work with the Troop, and wish him happiness and success in his career.

The war-time services of the Scouts have become part of their routine —message carrying, first aid and stretcher bearing, and taking their turn at the Western Report Centre in Queen's Road.

The winter black-out has passed without accident, and " for this relief much thanks." A School time table, which changes almost as often as the wind, a weather clerk who in his desire to give us the real thing grossly overdid the winter touch, and the Invading Germ of the Swastika Brand which has " liquidated" young and not-so-young—all these have made it harder for the Scouts to carry on. Yet it is no exaggeration to say that, on the whole, they have shown greater zeal and endeavour than ever. The number of recruits has risen, badge-work is keener, and over all there is a noticeable air of serious intention to " get on with the job."

Waste paper hulks large in the scheme of things just now. Its collection is no easy matter, what with home lessons to be done, games and Scouts (not to mention " the Pictures ") to attend. Yet it is a job worth tackling energetically, not only for the money it brings in, but much more for the useful service it renders. There is a certain natural shyness in approaching strange houses: hut people are actually complaining that boys are not coming, and if the Scouts would just smother their reluctance, they would be surprised to find how well they arc received.

But for the war, 1940 would have been the year of the 17th Troop's

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Cafe. What exactly will take its place cannot be predicted so far ahead in these uncertain days. But already they have held a very enjoyable Whist Drive and have even been asked when their next one is to be! The Troop wishes to thank all who supported the venture by their attendance and generosity.

The Troop's annual " feed " was a howling success, attended by a record number of " contestants." It was a treat on that occasion to welcome back C. Cruickshank, on leave at the time. The P.L.'s social evening was equally enjoyed.

This term the 17th have set to business with a will. Six recruits have been recently invested. The spirit of the meetings is excellent, and badge tests are being ticked off steadily.

The original plan for the 17th Cubs fell through, owing to the clash of times when Cubs and C.M.s were due at the playing field or at the School.

Then Miss Skoyles took charge for a few weeks, but she has been called away to do nursing. We would thank her for so willingly offering her help and for setting the Pack going : we regret her early departure, and send her all good wishes for success and happiness in her new duties. Mr. J. Skoyles is taking the Pack over, and the Cubs arc asked to meet in the sat Troop Hut in Forest Avenue Lane at 10.30 a.m. on Friday or Saturday, whichever is a holiday from School. They will be kept as a separate Pack distinct from the ist Pack, and the 17th Scoutmaster intends to be present sometimes, when he is free to attend.

The ist Troop has suffered another change of control, but the A.S.M.s arc a capable company, and with a little time, will get a grip of the situation.

Despite adverse circumstances, there is a distinct increase of serious intention in the Troop, which is excellent. Illness and the calls of various duties have taken a particularly heavy toll of the senior members of the Troop, and with the best will in the world, it was sometimes impossible to work to the regular organization of the Troop. But adaptability should be a valuable lesson. A number of recruits were invested recently, seven in all, and here, too, badge work is proceeding satisfactorily.

The tst Pack are meeting every week on Friday or Saturday forenoon according to which day is free from School attendance. The Cubmaster is J. Skoyles and he is assisted by Miss Anderson, J. Blair, and a few of the Scouts. The size of the Pack might well be increased and new members will be heartily welcomed. But the Cubs make up in enthusiasm for what they lack in numbers.

Last December the 9th Troop held a Whist Drive and made a profit of almost £7. This was a very satisfactory result. But it was particularly unfortunate for the 9th that the war should break out just before their cafe was due. There is still a fair amount of debt on their Headquarters, which they had hoped to clear off ; and a Whist Drive is a poor substitute financially.

Parents' Night on 15th March was a lively evening of entertainment, fun, and interest. This winter the loth Troop had been enjoying the use of the 9th Troop's Headquarters, and a combined " feed " of both Troops was held. It was unanimously voted " the best for years." Having enjoyed their own " feed " they helped to brighten Christmas time for others by distributing parcels of good things among poor families.

In the ordinary meetings things arc going well. There have been a number of recruits coming up for investiture and the real work of scouting is going on as usual. The collection of waste paper has already netted useful aid for the Troop's finances.

One promotion falls to be noted—P.L. C. Connon promoted A.S.M. The 9th Pack have been fortunate in the continuity of control. Miss Robertson, working single-handed, has a Pack of over 3o. It is a strenuous job and she is to be heartily congratulated. Four Scouts of the 9th Troop have been giving her faithful and much appreciated help with the instruction of the Cubs, and to all of them best thanks arc due. The Cubs arc making good progress. Six have gained fourteen badges among them, and the Pack now has two First Stars and two Second Stars in its number. The Cubs, too, arc doing their share of waste paper collecting very well.

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The Former Pupils' Club.

Founded x893.

President : Colonel ARCHER IRv:NE-FORTESCUE, D.S.O., M.B., Ch.B. Vice-President and Chairman of Executive : JOHN LENNOX RIDDELL.

Secretary and Treasurer : THEODORE WATT, M.A., LL.D., The University Press, Aberdeen. (in abeyance meantime) : Centres Secretaries of London Centre—D. P. COCHRAN, Royal Exchange Assurance, 4 Mitcham Lane, Streatham, London, S.W. 16.

Glasgow Centre—H. G. EDWARDS, 43 Marlborough Ave., W. i.

Edinburgh Centre.—ALLAN C. FRAZER, LL.B., 68 Great King Street, Edinburgh, 3.

Secretaries of Sections : Cricket Section—D. F. N. CRAWFORD, 7 Richmondhill Road.

Hockey Section—G. B. RIcitART, Heugh-Heid, Newtonhill,

by Aberdeen.

Rugby Section—[Apply to Mr. DUNCAN MAccREGox, Games Master, Grammar School.]

Rates of Subscription for Membership : • . . .

MEMBERSHIP LIFE . £5 o o of Payments Annual Consecutive Or Five £I is. each.

ORDINARY MEMBERSHIP— For those of 21 years of age and upwards at o 5 o commencement of Club year (1st January) comat the For those under a1 years of age o 2 6 mencement of Club year (1st January) but a single payment of £r is. will secure membership for SEVEN YEARS.

Change in Secretary's Address.

Members of the Club, and particularly those who are visiting Aberdeen and wish to call on the Secretary, are requested to note that his office is no longer at The Rosemount Press, Farmer's Hall Lane, but at The Aberdeen University Press, 6 Upper Kirkgatc. The Secretary is always delighted to be brought into personal touch with F.P.s.

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Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine

Postponement of Annual Club Meeting.

At a meeting held on z8th February 1940 the Executive of the F.P. Club unanimously decided to postpone the Annual Meeting of the Members which would normally have been held in March, but to publish in the Magazine the Report and Abstract of Accounts for the past year. They are as follows :— REPORT FOR THE YEAR 1939.

The Executive has pleasure in submitting the Report for the Club year which ended on 31st December 1939.

Suspension of Activities.

Shortly after the outbreak of war the Executive met and, following the precedent set in 1914, decided that all the Club activities, with the exception of the publication of the Magazine and the meetings of Sections, should be suspended in the meantime. Accordingly the Annual Ball and the Annual Dinner have not been held, and the Social Evening for boys who left the School last year has been postponed. It was felt, however, that a change of circumstances might warrant a resumption of some of the Club's social activities. The Executive also agreed that various matters remitted for consideration should not be dealt with until the end of the national emergency. Before this, the London, Glasgow, and Edinburgh Centres had decided to suspend their activities for the duration of the war, and the Secretaries of the London and Edinburgh Centres had sent all their papers for safe custody to the Secretary of the Club.

Revision of Constitution.

At the last Annual General Meeting of the Club a considerable number of alterations on and additions to the Constitution were adopted. Some of these deal with minor points, but an important group of paragraphs relates to Centres. The most outstanding alteration concerns the rates of subscription for membership. The rate for Life Membership by a single payment has been reduced from L5 5s. to L5, and with a view to encouraging younger F.P.s to become Life Members, a provision has been inserted whereby they may do so by paying £I is. in each of five consecutive years. By another provision an F.P. who is under 11 years of age at the commencement of a Club year may by a single payment of £1 is. secure membership for seven years.

Up to the end of February 1940, 17 F.P.s have made their first annual payment of £1 is. towards the Life Membership subscription; and 1z young F.P.s have taken advantage of the " Seven Years' Plan." The Executive has no doubt that as these inducements to membership become better known, more extensive advantage will be taken of them.

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Membership and Subscriptions.

The following is an analysis of the membership of the Club :— Total at 31/12/39 Total at 31/12/38

Life.

Ordinary— Junior.

Senior.

645 637

1,178 1,195

+8

— 17

ExtraHonorary. ordinary.

265 262 +3 =

Total.

17 17

39 42

2,144 2,153

0

—3

—9

=

From these figures it will be seen that the membership remains at practically the same total as in the previous year, and the Executive regards it as very satisfactory that, in spite of the present difficult times, the membership is being so well maintained. During the past twelve months 16 new Life Members (exclusive of those who are paying the Life Membership subscription by instalments), 13 new Senior Ordinary Members, and 89 Junior Ordinary Members—a combined total of 118— have been enrolled. The corresponding figures for the previous year were respectively 16, 12, and 74—a combined total of 102.

It is always of interest to report on how the boys who leave the School year by year are supporting the Club. During or at the end of the last School session 99 boys who are now over i6 years of age left the School, and of these 53 have already joined the Club. These figures compare with 43 out of 75 a year ago, and 49 out of 86 two years ago. Of the 102 boys who left the School in the session 1936-37 and who are now over 16 years of age, 76 have become members ; and of the corresponding 81 for the session 1937-38, 51 have become members.

It is noteworthy that during the last ten years the number of those who have dropped out of membership of the Club has been made up by those who year by year have joined it on leaving the School. In the absence of any special recruiting campaign, it looks as if the membership were to be stabilized round about 2,150.

The position with regard to payment of subscriptions is much the same as a year ago. There are 6o Senior Members and to Junior Members who up to 29th February 1940 had not paid their subscriptions for 1939, the total amount outstanding being £16 5s. The corresponding figures in February 1939 were 6o and 9 respectively, and the total amount of the subscriptions then due was £16 zs. 6d. Of this amount only £2 17s. 6d. has since been recovered. In February of this year the names of 47 Senior and 7 Junior Members had to be removed from the Club Register, their subscriptions being more than two years in arrear. The figures a year ago were 52 and to respectively. It should be noted that under a new provision in the Constitution an Ordinary Member is liable for his annual subscription unless intimation of his resignation of membership has been made to the Secretary of the Club before 3oth April.

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Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine

Losses by Death.

The Club's losses through death in 1939 numbered 18, which compares with 23 in 1938 and i8 in 1937. Of the 18, 8 were Life Members and to were Senior Ordinary Members.

Among those who passed away were Sir John Baker, M.D., and Professor R. S. Troup, C.M.G., C.I.E., F.R.S., two of the Honorary Vice-Presidents of the Club ; Mr. Naughton Dunn, LL.D., the distinguished orthopedic surgeon ; Mr. William J. Jenkyns, the Club Consul in Brazil ; and Colonel Francis Kelly, C.B.E., M.D., an Honorary Surgeon to King George V. Honours to F.P.s During the year honours from the King came to three members of the Club : Mr. H. T. Sorley, D.Litt., of the Indian Civil Service, was made a Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire (C.I.E.) ; and Mr. A. W. Christie and Mr. C. W. Sleigh, LL.D., were made Commanders of the Order of the British Empire (C.B.E.).

The Club and the School.

At the annual distribution of prizes at the School on 3oth June 5939 the Club presented three Medals. These were awarded as follows :— Silver Medal for English • • Gordon F. Hendry.

Silver Medal for German • . James A. N. Watt.

Silver Medal for Spanish • • Percy S. Boyd.

The All-Round Trophy and John No Dawson Prize were awarded to James Wyness.

The Executive learned with gratification of the bequest of £zoo for the benefit of pupils of the School by the late Miss Annabella Walker. The School's list of benefactors is growing rapidly.

The " Magazine."

The Magazine, the publication of which is generally regarded as the outstanding feature of the Club, has been conducted on the same general lines as formerly, and numerous letters have been received testifying to the high appreciation in which it is held, especially by members resident in distant parts. The Editor has been fortunate in securing a wide variety of interesting articles, and the number of pages of reading matter and of illusrations has been greater than ever before. In the course of the year over Soo Notes about Old Boys appeared, including particulars of 83 Marriages and 46 Deaths. It is hoped that during the war period the Magazine will form a strong link between the School and those who have gone forth from her to engage in national service of one kind or another.

Aberdeen Grammar School F.P. Club Boarding House Co. Ltd. GRAMMAR SCHOOL HOUSE: SENIOR HOUSE,

JUNIOR HOUSE,

8 QUEEN'S ROAD,

6 QUEEN'S ROAD,

ABERDEEN.

The Houses are conveniently situated in the west end of the town, and are equidistant from the School and the Playing Fields.

The Senior House, which can accommodate 45 Boarders, is specially designed and fitted for the purpose, having large common rooms, modern dormitories, bathrooms, changing rooms, etc.

The Junior House, which has accommodation for about 15 Boarders, is available for boys up to 9 years of age.

The Company have their own Hard Tennis Courts (3) and large Playground adjacent to both Houses.

Owing to the increased accommodation available, through the recent opening of the Junior House, there are at present a few vacancies in both Houses.

Fees, £90 per annum exclusive of School Fees.

House Master -

-

Miss ELSIE B. HAY.

-

Mr. J. S. M. EDDISON, M.A.

Matrons : Miss C. M. R. MAYOR.

For Application Forms and further particulars apply to the Secretary of the Company, Mr. JAMES C. DL/FFUS, Advocate, 7 Golden Square, Aberdeen

St. Margaret's School for arts (Incorporated)

ALBYN PLACE, ABERDEEN. Head Mistress: Miss M. E. HOLLAND, M.A.Cantab. (Classical Tripos).

Chairman of the Stbool Cornell: Dr. E. W. WATT, Ex-Lord Provost of Aberdeen.

T. MARGARET'S SCHOOL FOR GIRLS is an Incorporated School, registered according to the Companies (Consolidation) Act, 1908. It is administered under the management of an ele&ive Council of prominent citizens, on lines similar to those of well-known Girls' Schools in other parts of Scotland.

The School Stands in its own grounds in the beet part of the City of Aberdeen, and in all respe&s is well equipped to secure the comfort of pupils and the efficiency of the education imparted.

The aim of the School is to provide a first-class education on modern lines, to care specially for the development of charader in the pupils, to prepare them for the interests and responsibilities of social life, and to enable those who desire it to proceed to the higher education of the Universities or to train for a career.

S

SCHOOL BOARDING HOUSES. has two Boarding Houses, Nos. 6 and 7 Queen's School The Gardens (close to the Grammar School Boarding Houses in Queen's Road), for Senior Girls, and special accommodation for Junior Boarders is provided at Canmore House, Albyn Place. These are very commodious, well-appointed Modern Houses, in which Boarders are provided with the comforts of home and given ample opportunity both for quiet study and for the social side of life. Complete charge taken during holidays if desired. The Head Mistress is in residence at the Senior House.

SPECIAL NOTICE.-Since the outbreak of war, the two Boarding Houses have been removed to Glen Buchat Lodge and the Castle Lodge, Glen Buchat, where normal school routine continues in tranquil and health-giving surroundings.

Information as to Fees, Entrance Scholarships, Courses of Study, etc., is given in the Prospectus, which may be had on application to the HEAD MISTRESS, I, ALBYN PLACE, ABERDEEN.

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Gift from Malayan F.P.s.

The Clock for the School Hall which, as recorded in the last Annual Report, was subscribed for by F.P.s resident in Malaya, was erected in the autumn and presented to the School on St. Andrew's Day, 1939. The presentation was appropriately made

by Mr. Raymond G. Wilson, the Club Consul in Singapore.

The Clock forms a very decorative and useful addition to the Hall.

Legacy.

In the last Annual Report it was stated that the Club had received its first legacy—the sum of £ioo bequeathed by the late Miss Alice Lamb—and in this Report another falls to be recorded. After the death of Mr. Robert Gordon Wilson in December last, intimation was received that, subject to a liferent by his widow, a portion of the residue of his estate was to be paid over to the F.P. Club, the testator directing that the revenue accruing should be applied, whenever practicable, to the giving of assistance to F.P.s, or to the sons of deceased F.P.s while pupils at the School, who may be temporarily in straitened circumstances. Full particulars of " The Wilson Bequest" (as it is to be called) are given in the March 1940 issue of the Magazine. When the bequest becomes operative, it should make a very welcome and substantial contribution to the benevolent fund which the Executive has wished for a considerable time to establish.

Club Consuls.

During the year a large number of additions was made to the list of Club Consuls, and the Club is now officially represented in almost every part of the world in which even only one or two F.P.s are resident. The willing and prompt response of all who were asked to undertake Consular duties was most gratifying to the Executive. As an indication of the value attached to the Club's Consul system attention may be called to the final clause in the purposes and conditions of The Wilson Bequest.

New Club Centre.

The Executive has given its approval to the formation of a Bengal Centre of the Club, and this has been successfully started by Mr. H. B. Scott, Calcutta, who was previously instrumental in the formation of the Shanghai Centre.

Club Sections.

The Cricket Section had a notable season, being the League Champions for 1939. The activities of the Rugby and Hockey Sections have naturally been greatly restricted by reason of the war. The Rugby Section was looking forward to having a (Continued oft page 174.)

ABERDEEN GRAMMAR SCHOOL Abstract of Revenue and Expenditure Account REVENUE. Ordinary Subscriptions received prior to 1st Jan. 1939 ..

Ordinary Subscriptions received during 1939 .. ..

Arrears recovered in 1939 ..

Se

00

• 0

.. ..

•• ••

ea

.0

68

£91 17 6 206 3 6 2 17 6 £300 18 6

Revenue from Investments Miscellaneous Deficit for year ..

•• .0

00

••

e•

• •

••

••

e •

..

00

.

•

00

00

60

• •

• •

••

•

.

.4

00

.•

• •

••

97 11 1 0 0 7 47 13 2 £446 3

4

Balance Sheet as CAPITAL AND LIABILITIES. I. CAPITAL—

Amount at credit at 31st December 1938 .. £3,281 12 8 Life Members' Subscriptions received during 1939 110 15 0 Profit on realisation of Investments .. ..

116 8 3 £3,508 15 11 II. ENTERTAINMENTS SUSPENSE ACCOUNT—

Amount at credit as per last Balance Sheet

•

• •

• •

0

0

20 0

0

140

0

15

III. CLUB DEVELOPMENT ACCOUNT—

Amount at credit as per last Balance Sheet IV.

..

•

ORDINARY SUBSCRIPTIONS PAID IN ADVANCE—

Balance of Subscriptions received prior to 31st December 1938, applicable to future years ..

Subscriptions received in 1939 applicable to future years •• •• '' —

£55 17

ti

84 9

6 7

V. FUNDS OF CI.UB SECTION AND CENTRE IN SUSPENSE—

Motor Section Edinburgh Centre ..

• •

••

£4 3 8 6 1 0

..

10 4 8 VI. SCHOOL SPORTS PRIZE FUND—

Balance in hand

..

▪

VII " MAGAZINE "— Advertisement paid hi advance

• •

• •

• •

• •

••

• •

• •

1 10

0

• •

• •

1 10

0

VIII. GIFTS AND LEGACIES-

10 Shares in Boarding House Co., Ltd. Legacy from Miss Alice Lamb

•• • •

.. ..

£10 0 0 100 0 0 110 0 0 £3,807

7

7

FORMER PUPILS' CLUB. for year ended 31st December 1939.

EXPENDITURE. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

Working Expenses Magazine—Cost for year, less revenue from advertisements and sales .• ..

London Centre-grant for 1938-39 •• .. ..

•• .. do.

Glasgow Centre— do. .. .. ..

•• .. do.

Edinburgh Centre—do. .. .. ..

•• .. .. ..

Miscellaneous Expenses ..

00

£118 16 3 254 13 9 36 0 0 8 15 0 10 17 6 17 0 10

Se

£446 3 4

at 31st December 1939.

ASSETS. £22 9

I. "MAGAZINE" EXPENSES PAID IN ADVANCE

I

II. CASH IN HAND AND INVESTED FUNDS AT 31ST DECEMBER 1939 .. 3,737 5 4 47 13 2 III. DEFICIT IN REVENUE AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT FOR 1939

ABERDEEN, 18th March, 1940.—We have examined the foregoing Revenue and Expenditure Account for the year ended 31st December 1939, and relative Balance Sheet as at 31st December 1939, compared the figures with the vouchers, and found the Accounts correct. We are of opinion that the above Balance Sheet correctly states the position of the Club as at 31st December 1939. We have had exhibited to us the various Securities supporting the Funds at the close of the Accounts. The Securities are all entered in the Balance Sheet at cost prices.

BOWER & SMITH, C.A., (Signed) Honorary Asaliiors. £3,807 7

7

174

Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine

record season, but on the outbreak of war all the officials were called up for military service. Out of one recent F.P. ist XV no fewer than twelve of its members are now serving with the Forces. Thanks to the interest and enthusiasm of Mr. Duncan Macgregor, the School Games Master, an F.P. side was organized for the season now ending.

Finance.

The Revenue and Expenditure Account for the year shows a deficit of £47 135. zd. This is due in part to a shrinkage in the total of ordinary subscriptions and in the income from investments, and also in part to certain non-recurring items of expenditure. Although it is disappointing that, after so many years with surpluses, a deficit has now occurred, the Executive is confident that this will not be repeated, and would point out that the amount of the deficit is a great deal more than covered by the profit (£116 8s. 3d.) made on the realization of certain investments. During the year the Capital of the Club has increased from £3,185 to £3,508.

The Malayan Centre.

The Third Annual Re-union Dinner of Former Pupils in Malaya took place in the Scottish Masonic Hall, yenning Road, Kuala Lumpur, on Saturday, 13th January 1940, with Mr. C. H. Miller, Club Consul for Selangor, in whose district the dinner was held, in the chair. The following F.P.s were present :—G. F. Brown, G. R. Burns, J. R. Donald, Graham Henderson, W. C. Kemp, J. G. /steams, C. H. Miller, J. C. Niven, D. G. Robertson, A. G. Robertson, E. G. Robertson, I. M. Shaw, S. G. Williamson, and D. 0. Wright ; while the following intimatcd their inability to attend Anderson, R. W. I. Band, J. R. Bell, L. J. Blackhall, the gathering R. R. Cook, W. J. Duncan, J. M. Fraser, D. R. Harper, J. J. Johnston, Lam Say Kee, Alan Loke, Loke Wan Yat, Loo Yew Hoi, J. G. Lorimer, W. F. Mayor, W. M. McCrae, P. A. B. McKerron, W. J. Meams, A. R. Murray, D. B. Palmer, W. G. Smith, G. G. Thomson, F. A. Tough, A. J. Turner and W. C. Warrack.

In his remarks the Chairman said that, since he last addressed Malayan Former Pupils, World conditions had changed greatly, but he knew that those who could put A.G.S.F.P. after their names would not be behind their brothers in what they did in 1914-18. In connection with the Malayan Clock which had been presented to the School, the Chairman mentioned that Former Pupils in Malaya were indebted to Dr. William Kelly and Dr. Theodore Watt for their kind help in the matter, and that the thanks of the Centre were also due and freely given to Raymond Wilson for representing them at the presentation ceremony and for the work he had undertaken in bringing the scheme to a successful conclusion.

The toast of " The School " was proposed by Mr. Graham Henderson, while that of the F.P. Club was proposed by Dr. J. C. Niven and replied to

by Mr. S. G. Williamson. During the evening, greetings were sent to Watsonians also holding their annual re-union in Kuala Lumpur.

The Third Re-union Dinner of Malayan F.P.s, Kuala Lumpur, 13th January 1940.

Standing (left to right)—G. F. Brown, D. G. Robertson, W. C. Kemp, J. R. Donald, D. 0. Wright, J. G. Mearns, E. G. Robertson, G. R. Bums, I. M. Shaw, J. C. Niven.

Seated (left to rigb1)—A. G. Robertson, Graham Henderson, C. H. Miller, S. G. Williamson.

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Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine

175

The Bengal Centre.

In the Magazine of June 1939 it was announced that on the initiative of Mr. H. B. Scott, Calcutta, the recently appointed Club Consul for Bengal, it had been decided to form a Bengal Centre of the Club. This has now been formally constituted and already 20 members have been enrolled. All members of the Club residing in Bengal are ipso facto Ordinary Members of the Centre. F.P.s serving in His Majesty's Forces or temporarily resident in Bengal may be admitted as Temporary Members of the Centre at the discretion of the Honorary Secretary and/or the Committee.

Two well-attended tiffins were held in July and December, and the first Annual Dinner was to be held in the Bengal Club, Calcutta, on 23rd February. An account of this will no doubt eventually come to hand and appear in the Magazine. On 28th January there was to be a golf match, followed by tiffin at the Royal Calcutta Golf Club.

The following is a list of the first members of the Centre :— Barclay, Ian C. (1921-24), c/o Messrs. Macneill & Co., z Fairlie Place, Calcutta.

Cameron, Alfred G. (1923-34), Bundapani Tea Estate, Banarhat, Dooars (B.D. Rly.), North Bengal.

Cobban, James (1925-32), c/o Burma Shell Co., Ltd., Budge Budge, Bengal.

Coutts, Harry G. (1908-13), Kurti T. E., Nagrakata P.O. and Rly. Stn., Dooars.

Crichton, Francis F. (1916-19), c/o Messrs. Andrew Yule & Co., Ltd., 8 Clive Row, Calcutta.

Diack, Patrick J. (1912-23), Nagrakata Tea Estate, Nagrakata P.O., Jalpaiguri, Dooars.

Duff, D. Inglis (x915-16), c/o Messrs. Barry & Co., 2 Fairlie Place, Calcutta.

Duguid, Robert H. (2918-23), c/o Messrs. Duncan Bros. & Co., Ltd., 201 Clive Street, Calcutta.

Gauld, John F. (1929-29), Sathyah T.E., Mal P.O., Dooars.

Mackenzie, Alan T. L. (2926-29), c/o Messrs. Jessop & Co., 93 Clive Street, Calcutti.

McKenzie, Archibald, Junior (1922-31), Jiti Tea Estate, Nagrakata P.O., Jalpaiguri, Dooars.

Mackintosh, James U. (1901-06), c/o Messrs. Ralli Bros., Ltd., Cossipore, Calcutta.

Macmillan, Dr. William G. (1926-22), di. The Indian Jute Mills Association, Royal Exchange, Calcutta.

Milne, William (1903-13), Budge Budge Jute Mills Co., Bengal.

Morrison, James M. (1928-33), c/o Messrs. Gillanders, Arbuthnot & Co., Ltd., 8 Clivc Street, Calcutta.

Reid, Alan (1912-24), Chartered Bank of India, Australia & China, Calcutta.

Scott, Herbert B. (2905-06), Royal Insurance Co., Ltd., z6 Dalhousie Square, Calcutta.

Simpson, Alexander L. (1916-25), National Bank of India, Ltd., Calcutta.

Thomson, Charles F. (1912-24), Post Box No. 2232, 1 Commercial Buildings, Clive Street, Calcutta.

Whyte, George C. (1908-24), c/o Messrs. Williamson Magor & Co., 4 Mangoe Lane, Calcutta.

176

Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine

Club Consuls.

Since the list of Club Consuls was last published in the Magazine, in June 1939, a number of changes have taken place.

INDIA (Punjab). William Philip Selbie (1901-06), M.B.E., M.C., M.A., Major, Army Educational Corps, having recently been transferred from Peshawar to Rawalpindi, has ceased to be Consul for the North-West Frontier Province and has been appointed the Club's representative in the Punjab.

He has already met two or three F.P.s in Rawalpindi.

MEXICO. Patrick John M. Walker (i9i4-zo), C.A., who is Assistant Manager of the Confederation Life Association in Mexico City, has accepted appointment as Consul for the Republic of Mexico.

SOUTH AMERICA (Brazil). John Blake Lyon (190o1904) has been in Brazil since t95z and is in the service of the San Paulo Gas Co., Ltd., at Sio Paulo. He has been appointed to represent the Club in Brazil in succession to WILLIAM J. JENKYNS (1894-1903), who died at Sao Paulo in September of last year.

List of Consuls.

AUSTRALIA (Western Australia) :—IAN THOM (1912-25), Wydgce Station, Mount Magnet, Perth.

BORNEO :-JAMES SMART ABERNETHY (1925-26), LL.B., W.S, Protectorate Office, Jesselton, North Borneo.

CANADA (Alberta) :—DOUGLAS HARPER (5888-98), M.A., B.L, 609 Tegler Building, Edmonton.

CANADA (British Columbia) :—WILLIAM ERNEST MILNE (1881-9o) 347 Water Street, Vancouver.

CANADA (Manitoba) :—JOHN DUGUID CRUICKSHANK (189919O4). Personal Loan Department, The Canadian Bank of Commerce, Winnipeg.

CANADA (Nova Scotia) :—GEORGE MACKENZIE WOOD (188ot 882), qo Messrs. Joseph Wood & Co., Central Wharf, Halifax.

CANADA (Ontario) :—ROBERT FLEMING (1891-98), C.E., dio Messrs.

Wood, Fleming & Co., 7oo Royal Bank Buildings, Toronto, 2.

CEYLON :—DOUGLAS J. DAVIDSON (t891-19oz), Rosehaugh (Ceylon) Rubber Co., Ltd., Culloden Estate, Neboda.

CHINA (Shanghai) :—CHARLES FORRESTER KING (1911-13), The Chartered Bank of India, Australia and China, Ltd., Shanghai.

EGYPT (Alexandria) :—ALEXANDER GEORGE WALKER (1906-10), The Northern Assurance Co., Ltd., St. Mark's Buildings, P.O. Box 1695, Alexandria.

FRENCH CAMEROONS : WILLIAM GREIG HUTCHEON (1914-23), cio The Niger Co., Garua.

GOLD COAST COLONY :-[WILLIAM ROBERTSON CLARK (x9o7ii), A.M.Inst.C.E., 42 Salisbury Terrace, Aberdeen.]

HONG KONG :—ANDREW NICOL (19o3-x5), Port Works Office, Public Works Department, Hong Kong.

GUIDE TO THE STORE SERVICES BASEMENT Hardware, China, Linen, Upholstery, Furnishings, Paper Patterns and Cutting-out Services.

GROUND FLOOR Trimmings, Gloves, Veilings, Ribbons, Laces.

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FIRST FLOOR Shoe Shop, Needlework, Coats, Costumes, Furs, Gowns, and Photography.

SECOND FLOOR Inexpensive and Model Millinery, Flowers, House Frocks, Lingerie, Negligee, Baby Wear, Corsets.

THIRD FLOOR Tea Room. Lounge, Lamps and Lampshades, Oriental Ware, Travel Goods, Toys, Optician, Blouses, Knitwear, Juveniles, Girls'School Clothes.

FOURTH FLOOR Hairdressing, Chiropody, Beauty beautifully appointed Cubicles).

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Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine

177

INDIA (Assam) :—HARCOURT JUST LAWRENCE (1901-04), Hoolungooree Tca Co., Ltd., Hoolungooree Division, Mariani P.O. INDIA (Bengal) :—HERBERT BREBNER SCOTT (1903-08), The Royal Insurance Co., Ltd., z6 Dalhousie Square, Calcutta.

INDIA (Bihar) :—ALEXANDER WHINCUP CARLE (1914-20), B.Sc., Loco. Superintendent's Office, B. & N. W. Railway, Gorakhpur.

INDIA (Bombay) :—JOHN HALL RITCHIE (1903-09), M.A., B.Sc., cio Yacht Club, Bombay.

Messrs. Vernon INDIA (Madras) :—IAN CUMMING (1907-14), and Co., 36 Second Line Beach, Post Box 79, Madras.

INDIA (Punjab) :—WILLIAM PHILIP SELBIE (19o1-06), M.B.E., M.C., M.A., Major, District Headquarters, Rawalpindi.

INDIA (Raiputana) :—GEORGE TAYLOR SIMPSON (1910-20), Jodhpur State Railway, Jodhpur.

INDIA (United Provinces) :—WILLIAM MAURICE GRANT DAWSON (1903-07), cio Secretariat, Irrigation Branch, P.W.D., Lucknow.

ITALY (Rome) :—Monsignor WILLIAM ROBERT CLAPPERTON (1899-1901), M.A., Ph.D., D.D., Colkgio Scozzese, Rome.

JAVA :—DOUGLAS SCOTT CRUICKSHANK (1918-23), B.Com., C.A., c/o Messrs. Francis Peek & Co., Ltd., Batavia.

KENYA :—GRAEME GEORGE SUTHERLAND (19o3-09), Municipal Offices, P.O. Box 124, Nakuru.

MALAYA (Kedah) :—WILLIAM CLARK WARRACK (1898-1909), Victoria Estate, Padang Cerai, Kedah.

MALAYA (Negri Sembilan) :—GRAHAM HENDERSON (1906-12), Sua Betong Estate, Port Dickson.

MALAYA (Penang) :—JOHN RHYS DANSON (1897-1903), Municipal Office, Penang.

MALAYA (Perak) :—ALEXANDER ROSS MURRAY (1903-13), c/o Drainage and Irrigation Department, Kuala Lumpur.

MALAYA (Selangor) :—COLIN HAY MILLER (1900-04), Lenggeng Estate, Semenyih P.O. MALAYA (Singapore) :—RAYMOND GRAHAM WILSON (1906-12 and 1915-'7), cio United Engineers Limited, Singapore.

MEXICO :-PATRICK JOHN M. WALKER (1914-20), C.A., Apartado Bis, Mexico, D.F. NIGERIA (Northern Provinces) :—Captain CAMPBELL GRANT McKENZIE (1910-x2), c/o The Secretary, N.P., Kaduna.

NIGERIA (Southern Provinces) :—[DR. WILLIAM EDWARD GLOVER (1896-98), Ingleigh Green, Winkleigh, North Devon.)

NORWAY :—L. GEORGE STEPHEN SIMONSEN (19/0-14), Morgenstund, Sandefjord.

PORTUGUESE EAST AFRICA :-FRANK BRUCE F. DUGUID (1919-26), c/o Messrs. Allen, Wack and Shepherd, Ltd., Beira.

RHODESIA (Southern) :—JAMES WYNESS MACGREGOR (1910-23), Municipality of Umtali, P.O. Box 91, Umtali.

SOUTH AFRICA (Cape Province) :—PROFESSOR WILLIAM SOUTAR MACKIE (1895-1901), M.A., Drumoak, Greenfield Road, Kenilworth, Cape Town.

SOUTH AFRICA (Natal) :—DAVID STRACHAN (1893-1902), 78/82 Salisbury House, Smith Street, Durban.

SOUTH AFRICA (Transvaal) :—JOHN EWAN HENDERSON (1884-87), P.O. Box 4466, Johannesburg.

q.

178

Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine

SOUTH AMERICA (The Argentine) :—REGINALD J. G. WILSON (1905-/ Anglo-South American Bank, 78 Reconquista, Buenos Aires.

SOUTH AMERICA (Brazil) :—JOHN BLAKE LYON (1900-o4), c/o The San Paulo Gas Co., Ltd., Caixa S, Sao Paulo.

SOUTH AMERICA (Peru) :—JAMES FRANCIS FORBES (t9zi-z7), C.A., c/o Messrs. Milne & Co., S.A., Lima, Peru.

SOUTH AMERICA (Uruguay) :—EDWARD GEORGE MARR (1899-1901), Bank of London and South America Limited, P.O. Box 204, Montevideo.

SUDAN :-JAMES LORIMER SOUPER (1898-1909), The Gordon Memorial College, P.O. Box z86, Khartoum.

SUMATRA :-EDWARD PERCY BARNETT (1895-1903), Boekit Maradja Estate, Pemtang Siantar, E.C. Sumatra.

SWITZERLAND :-JAMES LAWSON MOWAT (1915-16), M.A., Ph.D., International Labour Office, Geneva.

UNITED STATES (Chicago) :—JAMES BRUCE SMITH (1918-25). cjo The W. W. Rice Company, 135 South La Salle Street, Chicago, Ill. UNITED STATES (New York) :—THOMAS B. G. HENDERSON (1894-190o), Messrs. Lybrand, Ross Bros. and Montgomery, 90 Broad Street, New York.

WEST INDIES (Tobago) :—KENNETH REID (1901-04), King's Bay, WEST INDIES (Trinidad) :—ARCHIBALD YOUNG (1885-93), c/o Messrs. Alston & Co., Ltd., Port of Spain.

F.P. Hockey Section.

During the season which is now drawing to a close, we have managed to have regular fixtures and have, in addition, fulfilled our usual fixture with R.A.F., Montrose. It has not been a conspicuous season from the point of view of victories, but it has been conspicuous by reason of the gradual reduction in the number of players available. The difficulty of fielding a full XI has been increasing, and whilst the full effect of the callingup has nut yet been felt, by the beginning of next season there will not be very many of our members left. I would, therefore, like to appeal to those who will be leaving School this year and to any other F.P.s who are interested to give the Hockey Section their full support, so that it may be enabled to carry on uninterruptedly.

GEORGE B. RICKART, Hon. See.

F.P. Cricket Section.

Cricket enthusiasts will be glad to hear that, in spite of the war, Grade competitions arc to be carried on this year, although on a limited scale. A considerable number of cricket-playing F.P.s are away, but nevertheless there remain the makings of a good team, and the F.P. Cricket Section will carry on as usual, but with one team only. We have a reputation to keep up this year and it is up to us to enhance it. We do well to remember that if our team is depleted, so will also our opponents'. Arrangements for the season will he made at the Annual General Meeting, which will be held (Rubislaw being unavailable) at the Secretary's address (7 Richmondhill Road) on Tuesday, 9th April, at 7.3o p.m.

All cricket enthusiasts who have left School will be welcome at the meeting.

D. F. N. CRAWFORD, Hon. Sec.

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Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine

1 79

F.P. Rugby.

On the outbreak of war games in general and rugby in particular were forgotten. As for an F.P. Rugby Club- playing a regular series of matches, that seemed out of the question. But gradually it was recognised that the bigger the degree of normality in the life of the nation, the better it would be, and so games began to be organised once more.

As was indicated in the last issue of the Magazine, an F.P. rugby side was established and soon began to play regular weekly games. Now that the season is drawing to a close it is possible to record that not only have the Grammar F.P.s played regularly so far as has been permitted by the weather conditions, but they have probably played more matches than any side in the country, and further have had a most successful season.

The keen interest taken in the welfare of the side by members serving with the Forces has been one of the most pleasant features. Letters have constantly reached me commenting on the doings of F.P. rugby and asking for fuller information. Frequently, too, letters and even telegrams have come saying, "I shall be on leave, please keep a place for me in the team."

Even leave from the B.E.F. seemed to have as one of its main objects " A game for F.P.s."

In every game played the side has contained a big proportion of men from the Services. And if anything was required to justify the keeping of a club going, it could be found in the happy reunions made possible in the weekly matches.

Two matches were possible during the Christmas vacation. In a match between a Services XV and an Aberdeen XV the many F.P.s included played a worthy part. A fixture with our good friends from Seafield ended in F.P.s' favour. Then there came a long period of inaction owing to the weather conditions. But the season has ended on a very bright note. On each of five successive Saturdays the F.P.s played one of the five clubs in Aberdeen and district, and each of these matches was won. The conclusion is evident.

In general it can be said that while the more mature players have maintained their form well, the best feature has been the notable improvement in the form of the younger men. A peace-time season would have found the F.P.s with a formidable team, and the future can be viewed with confidence.

D. McG.

List of New Members of the Club.

LIFE MEMBERS. Ch.B., Thoresby, Cults.

Bruce, Robert Douglas (t9t3-zz), Philip, Frederick Strathem (1914-24), Junior Army and Navy Club, Whitehall, London, S.W. t.

Rutherford, Hamish (5920-23), M.A., Abbotsholme School, near Rocestcr, Uttoxeter, Staffs.

ORDINARY MEMBERS. Allardice, William Dallas (1934-39). Cassie, Gordon Fordyce (1929-39), The Chilet, West Cults, AberGordon Street, Huntly. deenshire.

Bird, Eric Mackenzie (1934-30, 8t Foothill Road, Aberdeen.

Cook, Bramwell William Harold Black, Ian Campbell Bennett (193o(1936-39), Aldersyde, 133 Clifton Hamilton Place, AberRoad, Aberdeen.

1939), 64 deen.

Cormack, Ian Maxwell (1936-,39), Booth, Benjamin (1935-39), Manora Station Hotel, Mintlaw Station.

Bank, 43 Keptie Road, Arbroath.

Kennedy Alexander Davidson, Bryce (1928-39), Cameron, William (1927-39), Hawthorn Bank, Cults.

24 Springfield Avenue, Aberdeen.

Cardno, Harry Spark (1923-39), 78 Davidson, James Mearns (1917-37), 6 Westfield Terrace, Aberdeen.

Forbesfield Road, Abe tecin.

i 8o

Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine

Dickson, Eric Henry Randal (19361939), Stockton, Manor Place, Cults.

Finlayson, James Kerr (1933-37), 55 Murray Terrace, Aberdeen.

Fowler, James Alexander (1930-39), 181 Crown Street, Aberdeen.

Fowler, James Harvey (1925-37), 23 Louisville Avenue, Aberdeen.

Fraser, Albert James (1934-39)f 132 Balnagask Road, Aberdeen.

Gauld, Edgar Alexander (1925-39), 29 Becchgrove Terrace, Aberdeen.

Geddes, Alexander McPherson (1926-39), 12 Louisville Avenue, Aberdeen.

Glennie, Harry William (1935-39), 278 Queen's Road, Aberdeen.

Grassick, Donald McCombie (1935i939), Littlewood, Rosemount, Blairgowrie.

Madden, Andrew James (1935-39), 32 Cedar Place, Aberdeen.

Harvey, David Hunter (1933-34), Pitgersic, Newburgh, Aberdeenshire.

Harvey, Ronald Alexander James Hunter (1934-37), Pitgersic, Newburgh, Aberdeenshire.

lanes, Cameron Roy (1931-39), 14 Westburn Road, Aberdeen.

Leslie, Ian (192-7-30, 34 Burns Road, Aberdeen.

Lindsay, David Grant (1932-39), 310 Great Western Road, Aberdeen.

Lindsay, Gordon Forbes (1931-39), Schoolhouse, Bucksbum.

Massie, George Campbell (1924-31 and 1933-38), 94 Hamilton Place, Aberdeen.

Milne, William (1927-39), 38 Westholme Avenue, Aberdeen.

Murray, Alexander John Robertson (1928-37), 12 Norfolk Road, Aberdeen.

Pennie, Donald Durance (1928-37), The Rectory, Bucksbum.

Reid, John Lewis (1932-37), 8 Granton Place, Aberdeen.

Rollo, Robert Erskine (1929-39), Camloun, Cults.

Sangster, Eric Garden (1927-39), 13 Annfield Terrace, Aberdeen.

Simpson, Alex. James McCombic (1933-38), Forbes, Alford.

Skakle, George Scott (1927-39), Ernan, Cults.

Wallace, Ian Arnott (1927-39), 55 Albury Place, Aberdeen.

Addresses Wanted of Life Members.

The Secretary of the Club will be glad to receive the present addresses of or information about the following Life Members with whom he has for some time failed to get into communication :— Cecil H. Aiken (formerly in John Keith, Jun. (formerly Chapel Ceylon).

Hall, Ellon).

David Sinclair Allan (formerly in Theodore W. B. Knight (formerly Assam). in Southsca, Hants).

Wilson Anderson (formerly in Go Khek Law (formerly in SingaDetroit, Michigan, U.S.A.). pore).

David R. Barclay (formerly in New Alfred George Mathieson (1896Hebrides).

1897)• Charles Williamson Duff (formerly Harald Merrylees (1895-98). in Edinburgh).

Louis Francis Merrylees (1896Alexander Wishart Edward 1905). (formerly in California).

John A. Robson (stock broke r, William Elmslie (1904-07).

London).

James H. Fraser (formerly in James Russell (formerly in SingaRangoon, Burma). pore, and Blundellsands, LiverJames Gardiner (formerly in Edinpool). burgh).

William Walker Scott (formerly Go Khek Ghee (formerly in HanBridge of Dee, Aberdeen). kow, China).

Dr. Donald T. Skeen (formerly in Arthur W. Gill (formerly in BelScremban, Negri Sembilan, fast).

F.M.S.).

William S. Henderson (formerly Gordon I. Strachan, C.E. (formerly in Assam). in Cardiff).

William Hepburn Home (1900- William Webster (formerly in East1908). bourne and later in U.S.A.).

`C he Best Place to Lunch in gberdeen --

Watt & Grant's Restaurant

V12a A

/ABLE D'HOTE

LUNCHEON AT 2/3

Including SOUP, FISH or ENTREE or JOINT, SWEET or CHEESE, and COFFEE.

Guests should inform the

Waitress of their wish to take the Table d'Hate when ordering the first course.

Grape Fruit.

Mixed Hors d'Qiuvre.

Cream of Artichoke.

SOUP 1.eek and Rice.

FISH. Fried Fillet of Sole and Lemon.

ENTREES, Etc. Dressed Cutlet and Tomato.

Grilled Fillet Steak and Braised Onions.

Tomato Pearl Cocktail.

Thick Paysanne.

Fish SoufllE. Casserole of Rabbit.

Lancashire Hot Pot.

JOINTS. Roast Chicken, Bacon and Bread Sauce.

Rout Sirloin of Beef and Yorkshire Pudding.

COLD BUFFET. Roast Pork and Beetroot.

Roast Sirloin of Beef and Horseradish Sauce.

Brisket and Beetroot.

Silverside and Chutney.

Chicken and Salad.

VEGETARIAN DISHES. Spaghetti and Raisins.

Brazil Nut Roast.

Savoury Spinach.

Omelettes (Various, to minutes).

Cauliflower au Gratin.

VEGETABLES AND SALADS. Vegetable Salad.

Potatoes : Creamed, Boiled, Baked and Chip.

Orange, Grapefruit and Lettuce Salad.

Potato Salad.

Fresh Salad.

Cabbage.

Mashed Turnips.

Brussels Sprouts.

Cauliflower and Cream Sauce.

Peas.

Butter Beans and Parsley Sauce.

Pickled Walnuts. Carrots and Cream Sauce. Chutney. Beetroot Pickles SWEETS. Apple Cobs.

Banana Fritters.

Steamed Orange Pudding.

Tapioca Cream. Wine Trifle. Meringue Chantilly. Chocolate Souffle.

Pink Parasole.

Crushed Pineapple and Cream Ice. Compote of Fruit.

Peche or Pear Melba. Vanilla Cream Ice. Chocolate Parfait.

WATT & GRANT Ltd., UNION ST., ABERDEEN

IRONMONGERY A LARGE AND VARIED STOCK ALWAYS ON HAND SHEETMETAL WORK

A

SPECIALITY

H. LEITH & SON 26 and 28 NE'rHERKIRKGATE Phone 259

ABERDEEN

ELLON STALL NEW

MARKET, ABERDEEN

Famed for Aberdeenshire

Butter, Eggs, Cheese, Poultry.

Honey—Clover and Heather

EGG GRADING MACHINE WORKING DAILY

(In combs or extracted)

Also Jams, Jellies, and Marmalade

J. B. MILNE, Propr.

Tel. 746

(ALL 01211. OWN MAKE)

There is none better than the "BEST" are

better

than

the

but Davidsons' Coals " REST"

J. & A. DAVIDSON, LTD. 2 BLAIKIE'S QUAY, ABERDEEN Branch

Office:—MAJESTIC

BUILDINGS,

Telegrams—" Davidson "

238 UNION STREET

Phone 2873

Various kinds of ENGLISH, SCOTCH HOUSE, STEAM COAL, ANTHRACITE, and "Ideal" Triplex Fuel at keenest prices

WE SOLICIT A TRIAL ORDER

AGENTS FOR

ORDNANCE SURVEY

MAPS

WEST-END CIRCULATING LIBRARY

D. WYLLIE & SON Booksellers

Publishers

Stationers

247 UNION STREET, ABERDEEN Established 1814

Telephone 402

AMILY COFFEE

}s-s.

Curt's Coffee is the favourite

delicious. especially Your in cold weather grocer can supply you.

CURA COF Thomas Curr 6 Co. ABERDEEN.

Anderson Ai Spence DISPENSING

CHEMISTS

PHOTOGRAPHIC DEALERS

31 LFOUNTA1NHALL ROAD, ABERDEEN Telephone No. 1711

18 Back Wynd Aberdeen ESTABLISHED 1855

BOOKBINDING OF EVERY DESCRIPTION

BIND, FIND FAST' FAST V II .

TRADEMARK

Leather Goods Lettered with Initials or Inscription Maps or Plans Mounted Loose Leaf Specialists

ABERDEEN TOWN COUNCIL.

ABERDEEN

EDUCATION COMMITTEE.

GRAMMAR

SCHOOL

(FOUNDED PREVIOUS TO I256.)

Rector

-

DAVID MIDDLETON ANDREW, M.A.

GRAMMAR SCHOOL provides for Boys a complete course of THE Study, both Elementary and Secondary, Classical and Modern.

The School, which is organized in three Departments—Lower, Middle, and Upper Schools—contains, in addition to the usual classrooms, a Chemical Laboratory, Science Theatre with Physical Laboratory attached, Natural Science Laboratory, Art Room, Gymnasium, Workshop, Botanical Garden, Library, Reading Room, and Museum.

Pupils in the Middle School arc prepared for the Leaving Certificate of the Scottish Education Department, passes in the latter examination being recognized as exempting from further examination in the corresponding subjects of the Preliminary Examination for graduation in Arts, Science, Law, and Medicine at the Scottish Universities.

The situation of the School in the West end of the City is open and healthy. The Class-rooms are large, and the Grounds for Recreation include separate Playgrounds for Juniors and Seniors, Tennis Courts, and a field for Cricket and Football. There is also a Boarding House run in conjunction with the School.

ABERDEEN Dead Mistress -

HIGH

SCHOOL

FOR

GIRLS.

(ALBYN PLACE.) Miss BEATRICE M. ROSE, M.A. (Aberd., Oxon.)

THE HIGH SCHOOL provides a liberal education for Girls from 5 to 18 years of age, and aims at fitting them for home life and for professions open to women.

The School buildings occupy an excellent and spacious site in the West end of the City. A Playing Field of 1 1 acres, situated at Hazlehcad and provided with a suitable pavilion, is used for organized games.

The School is organized in three Departments—Infants, Primary, and Secondary. The Classes in the Infants and Primary divisions are graded in accordance with the requirements of the Scottish Code. Pupils in the Secondary Department are prepared for the Leaving Certificate of the Scottish Education Department.

Pupils whose parents desire it are taught Theory and Practice of Music (Pianoforte, Violin, and Organ) in preparation for the Examinations of the Associated Board of the Royal Academy and Royal College of Music.

Advanced pupils are prepared for the Licentiate of the Royal Academy.

Information as to Fees, Scholarships, Courses of Study, etc., at the Grammar School and High School for Girls is given in the School Prospectus, which may be had free on application to the Director of Education, Education Offices, or to the Rector or Head Mistress respectively.

THE

Caledonian Hotel UNION TERRACE, ABERDEEN Telegrams: "Repose, Aberdeen."

Telephone Nos.: 2916 (3 lines).

80 Bedrooms.

••

15 Bathrooms.

WHY VISITORS STAY AT THE CALEDONIAN HOTEL BECAUSE It is a Comfortable, Modern Hotel, with Good Cooking and Reasonable Terms.

Hot and Cold Running Electric Fires.

Bedrooms. in all Water Lift to all Floors.

Central Heating.

Private Suites of Rooms with Bathrooms.

Private Suites of Rooms for Weddings, Dinners, etc.

Lounges.

Grill Room.

Restaurant.

American Bar. UNDER ENTIRELY NEW PROPRIETORSHIP AND MANAGEMENT.

K. Q. AMNER, Manager.

DINNER JACKET SUITS OFF THE PEG OR MADE-TO-MEASURE From 8 Guineas *

*

*

*

W. J. MILNE, LTD. Men's Outfitters

ABERDEEN (Opposite

Telephone 1293

Royal Northern

Club)

Telegrams : "Gallowses, Aberdeen"

6EEING THE FIT THROUGH XRAY EYES

Try the Comfort DUNN'S SHOES Afford

7

Preserve the symmetry of your feet

~ ' — '.

COMFORT. SHAPE AND WEAR ENSURED BY

PE DOSCOPE XRAY FITTING J

OHN A. DUNN, 46 Union St. rHiwrim

w. IFI R A IIERDF.EN I N l ? It,

V

•