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No. 39. VOL. III.
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MARCH, 1900.
gonfenfs. PAGE School Notes School Officers ... Football Letter from an Old Vigornian at the Cape King's Scholarship's Examination ... Vigornian Literary and Debating Society Obituary Notice of the late Mr. Clarke Old Vigornians' Column ... Oxford Letter ... Cambridge Letter Correspondence .... ... ... Games and Library Accounts Through the North Island
187 190 190 194 '95 195 196 197 199 199 205 206 200
JINCE our last issue the school has sustained a severe loss in the death of Mr. Henry Clarke, B.A., for over twenty-two years our senior mathematical master. The suddenness of the sad occurrence came as an additional shock, as Mr. Clarke appeared in school a short time before he was taken fatally ill, and seemed in his usual health. Previous to leaving the school at 4.30
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he took an old scholar over the new Classrooms, in the person of Dr. Jourdain, who is in the Cape Medical Service and was in charge of 175 of our wounded soldiers from South Africa. On reaching his home Mr. Clarke passed away at 5.15. Mr. Clarke graduated at Pembroke College, Oxford, where he took second-class and honours in Mathematical Moderations, third - class in the final school. For sometime he was assistant master at Leamington College, and afterwards temporary head-master of Truro Grammar School. In September 1878 he obtained the post of Mathematical and second master amongst us, being also the Master in charge of the King's Scholars under the old scheme, but since the change about ten years ago he ceased to hold that office. During Mr. Day's headmastership Mr. Clarke had a boarding house near the school, and had about eight boys with him. He took the deepest interest in all the school games, and his figure was a familiar one in both the cricket and football fields, whilst he took a keen interest in the progress of the Four. Amongst us he was deservedly popular, and Old Boys always evinced the greatest regard for him,
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THE VIGORNIAN.
as is well illustrated by the many marks of sorrow and respect which met the news of his death.
We regret to have to chronicle the loss of Mr. F. C. Boon, a loss keenly felt at the commencement of the term at any rate by the partisans of Rowing and the Debating Society. The former have had to disconsolately betake themselves to the unthankful task of coaching each other. However Mr. G. C. Avery, B.A., late scholar of Clare College, Cambridge, has recently come to our rescue, under whose guidance we hope to repeat our last year's success against Hereford. We also heartily welcome Mr. W. A. Jarret, late exhibitioner of Jesus College, Oxford, as mathematical master.
The School is indeed to be congratulated on possessing such a fine block of classrooms as it is now occupying for the first time. We are at last the proud possessors of a well-fitted Science Laboratory without which no school of our size can hope to keep pace with the times. It is evidently appreciated, and we hope the rising generation will make legitimate use of their opportunities. We could wish to see a reading and Magazine Room set apart entirely for that purpose, but as long as the ist Form will desist from sitting on the heat radiators> and will adjourn their disputes elsewhere, the reader may peruse his paper in comfort. Yet one more point The monthly magazines have again unaccountably disappeared,and it is not the second or the third time this has occurred. We scorn to cast any imputations, and feel it would be useless to appeal to the culprit's sense of honour, unless they conceive the magazines were procured for their especial private delectation, but if such a thing occurs again, let them beware.
Last term the Saturday Night Lectures were somewhat fewer than usual, there being only three, by N. M. Fergusson on " Rambles round Coniston," F. L. Steward on the " Channel Islands," and Mr.
F. C. Boon on the " Planetary System." On the last Saturday night of term the school attended an interesting lecture in the Public Hall on " Our Navy," illustrated by alternate cinematograph and limelight views. On the first Saturday of the present term Mr. R. M. M. Beach-Hicks favoured us with an account of the " Wonders of Physiology," and on January 27th we attended a lecture in the Public Hall on "The Transvaal." The' room was crowded, the audience naturally patriotic, and therefore somewhat noisy, but the lecturer was even more so. So vehement were his denunciations of certain gentlemen connected with the war that we inwardly quaked for several unlucky members of the school who had been forced to sit upon the platform. On Feb. 3rd, the Rev. Johnson Barker gave an interesting lecture on " The waifs and strays of our great" cities," illustrated wita many photographs of slum life, and on the roth, Mr. Rammell took us " Through the cities of Northern Italy " by means of a series of beautifully coloured views.
On the first Thursday in Advent the Rev. W. F. Armstrong, Rector of Winslow, addressed us. The next Thursday no- service was held owing to the school attending the laying up of the colours of the and Worcestershire Regiment in the Cathedral. The sight was an impressive one, and! we learn that one of the bearers of the colours has recently been wounded in the fighting at Rensburg. On Dec. 2ist, the service in the Lady Chapel was taken by the Dean. With regard to the football last term, we do not feel competent to, make any remarks here. We were certainly very unlucky in loosing the services of our captain for a long time, owing to a badly sprained wrist; but even this cannot fully account for the long line of "losts" with which our fixture card is filled. An account of the matches and characters of the team will be found elsewhere. We are glad to see the increased attendance at gymnasium, which is now patronised by over thirty members from the school,
THE VIGORNIAN. though this number is largely composed from the School House. Mr. Wetherall has kindly undertaken to lick them into shape unaided, as the gymnasium instructor has started for South Africa- We must also mention that Sergeant-Major Harris has joined the Imperial Yeomanry, his place as drill sergeant being taken by Sergeant Clarke from Norton Barracks. The Old Vigornians' Club has just publised a handy little volume containing the names of members, their addresses , recent successes and whatnot. On looking through this register we are surprised to see what a number of O.V.'s have obtained posts of honour and distinction in later life, and advise present Vigornians to obtain the book that they may be inspired to go and do likewise. ' As the roll of members amounts to over 170, the club is evidently in a flourishing state, on which we heartily congratulate it. O.V. news is so plentiful at the present time that we can only mention here a few of those who have recently left us. In our last issue W. R. Jourdain, an O.V. of Napier, New Zealand, was mentioned as having contributed ;£i towards a prize for last year's Regatta. It was however, intended for this term and will be used to defray the cost of an extra prize in the coming Regatta. We apologise for the error.
N. King has obtained a classical sizarship and exhibition at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, S. G. Simpson a sizarship at the same college. €>. H. Vevers has passed the ist class College of Preceptors, the qualifying exam, for the London Hospital, which he has subsequently entered. R. T. G. Salusbury has received a commission in the '5th Battalion South Wales Borderers and started for South Africa on the I2th of this month. S. Carless has passed in the ist division, 3rd Class College of Preceptors.
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G. Powell has joined the Conway, and D. Dickson has obtained an appointment in Parr's Bank at Liverpool.
We heartily congratulate J. D. Day on obtaining the Mecke Scholarship last term, this being the third year in succession in which members of the school have carried! off the same prize. Congratulations also to F. S. Dyke on his success in the recent London Matriculation Examination.
G. V. Tyers has qualified for a naval clerkship. We wish him all success in his coming examination.
News of O.V.'s at the front will be found! in the Old Vigomians' Column.
The following new boys have1 come this term: — C. C. Dickson, C. G. Morris, E. V. Overall, M. C. Taylor, A. H. B. Webster, G. Nash, H. Davey and C. E. Dimoline.
Our thanks are due to the Rev. D. H. W Sampson for an edition of all the works of Carlyle uniformly bound, and also to Mrs. Oliver, of the College Precincts, for a number of miscellaneous volumes, too numerous to mention at length.
A cap made from New Zealand grass has been presented to the Museum by DeFontaine, and stamps have been received from Crowe and Rowe I.
We learn that a School Hare and Hounds Club has been formed, " Whippers-in " and other officials having been elected, and a set of rules provisionally drawn up. At the opening run on Wednesday 2 ist, forty-seven fellows started and almost all finished. This probably constitutes a record.
THE VIGORNIAN.
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The following books have recently been added to the School Library : — Notes from the News.—fames Payne (Presented by Mrs. Teignmouth Shore). Outlines of the Earth's History.—Shaler (Presented by Mr. D. ffetnmann). Stalky & Co.—Rudyard Kipling. Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.—Conan Doyle. Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes.—Do. Captain of the Pole Star.—Do. The White Company.—Do. Mr. Meeson's Will.—Rider Haggard. Francois the Valet.—G. Appleton. The New Curate.—Stanley Weyman. The Man in Black.—Do. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.—R. L. Stevenson. Treasure Island.—Do. The Deemster.—Hall Came. Grey Lady.— Seton Merriman. Tale of a Lonely Parish.—Marion Crawford.
The Editors beg to acknowledge the receipt of the following contemporaries, apologising for any accidental omissions :—-Bathonian, Bromsgrovian, Decanian, Khedivick School Magazine, King Edward'sSchoolMagazine, Public School Magazine, Salopian, Tonbridgian.
Captain of the School Captain of the Boats Secretary of the Boats Captain of Cricket ... Secretary of Cricket Captain of Football.. Secretary of Football Captain of Hockey ... Captain of Fives Head Prefect
... J. D. DAY. ... F. S. DYKE. ... L. F. GARTON. ... N. M. FERGUSSON. ... L. C. KING ... J. D. DAY. ... L. F. GARTON. ... H. D. DAY. ... N. M. FERGUSSON. .... J. D. DAY.
Editors of the Vigornian Librarians
J. D. DAY. N. M. FERGUSSON. F. S. DYKE. N. M. FERGUSSON F. L. STEWARD.
MONITORS. J. D. Day, N. M. Fergusson, F. S. Dyke, L. F. Garton, F. L. Steward, H. S. Cobb, H. D. Day. GAMES COMMITTEE. Mr. Rammell, Mr. Beach-Hicks, J. D. Day, N. M. Fergusson, F. S. Dyke (Secretary), L. F. Garton, L. C. King, H. Rowe. LIBRARY COMMITTEE. Rev. W. H. Chappel, Mr. Beach-Hicks, Mr. E. P. Poynton, J. D. Day, N. M. Fergusson, F. S. Dyke, F. L. Steward.
Though by no stretch of imagination can the past season be termed an unqualified success, yet it has not been without encouraging and hopeful signs. Our record is not a good one, but it must be borne in mind that we have played several good teams, whom we could hardly expect to beat, while we have been further handicapped by casualties in our team, notably our Captain Day, and Salusbury. On the other hand the fellows have turned up well to the games, which have been characterized by life and dash. If we may make a suggestion, it is that they should start more promptly at the advertized time. Appended will be found criticism on members of the team. The following are criticisms of players : J. D. Day. — Excellent centre half, tackles well, works hard, and tries to do a bit on his own when things look bad. H. D. Day. — Is best at haJf, but developing strong kicking powers, has played back. Tackles well, kicks strongly but not always with accuracy, often comes to the rescue in the nick of time. G. Coombs. —Goes in well, kicks strongly and uses his weight, lacks finesse. J. H. Rowe. —Although handicapped by small stature and light weight plays a very useful game. Is not lost in any position, is best at centre-half, understands the game and plays it. Powell. -Is a born centre-half and refuses ^tc do
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THE VIGORNIAN. work in any other position. At centre is always on the ball, but is apt to neglect the opposing centreforward. Telfer.-—Hard working half with not enough pace. Has deteriorated. Steward.—Gave great promise but didn't fulfil it. When he makes up his mind, he can make up for his lack of weight; otherwise he is lost. Salusbury.—At the beginning of the season was guilty of bad faults, but has improved greatly. Though not a finished player is one of the few boys that work hard against odds. Carton.—When first placed in the forward line promised to be a flyer,,.but has since shewed a disinclination to be tackled by the opposing back. Should use both pace and weight to get through. Is often on the spot for a shot. R. A. Koechlin.—Speedy and much improved at getting the ball and taking it on, can kick hard and clean. Is apt to lose heart at times. Tyers.—An inconspicuous forward who occasionally gets a goal. Doesn't do his share of work but sometimes kicks with ease. King.—Has helped the forwards to combine, hard working and gets where he can be useful. Is not afraid of helping the halves. Dyke.—Should have been played oftener especially against heavy teams for his weight and stamina. Is rather clumsy but keeps moving forward and works to the end of the game and this is something among a dearth of tryers. N. M, Fergusson.—Has done good work in goal but should learn to use his hands more. At times has made some brilliant saves whilst at others he has let through some easy things, especially low shots. September 3oth. VV.C.K.S. v. OLD VIGORNIANS. The school opened the season with this annual match in disastrous fashion; the result being 8. 2. The O.V.'s got together a fairly strong team which proved altogether too much for the school, who shewed little combination throughout. Of the forwards Salusbury was the most prominent. He several times all but succeeded in getting past the opposing backs by dribbling tactics, but did not feed his wings as much as he might have done. Garton was tried a right-back, with Coombs for his partner, but of the two the latter played the better game, being
safer and stronger in kicking and tackling, whereas the former was frequently out of his place. October 4th. W.C.K.S. v. WORCESTER CRUSADERS. (Masters Playing.) For the first twenty minutes the school promised to play a much improved and more vigorous game. Play was even and the school obtained the first goal by an effort of Mr. Beach Hicks. But when once headed the school lost all cohesion and dash and the score advanced to 8-1. The forwards were very weak; in the half line both Day's worked hard and to some purpose, of the backs Coombs, at this year's inclusion was the better, and promised with experience to be very good. His kicking was strong, his scrum work well judged, but he was occasionally at fault in placing himself. October ?lk. W.C.K.S. V. WOLVERHAMPTON.
H. D. Day through a mistake was absent and we accepted a courteous and sportsmanlike offer of our opponents to play a substitute Rowe I. till his arrival. From the first our efforts had no heart in them. It is true that two of the eleven were absent through accidents, but while there is some justification for poor play there is none for the slackness that some members of the team displayed. Keenness will go far to keep down the score of stronger opponents. The Wolverhampton boys played a very precise and combined game and at half time led by 3-0. Day now arrived and took his place in the field, Rowe I. having given a good account of himself. For a time more spirit was displayed and Day was conspicuously the best on our side. We scored once by Dyke from a shot of Koechlin's which rebounded from the goal post but lost by 7-1. Steward at right-half deserves praise for unflagging effort from start to finish. Fergusson on goal made some marvellous saves, but will always have improvement to make till he uses his hands more.
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192 October SCHOOL v. HOUSE.
A keen game in which the school had most of the play. At half-time they led by i-o, Halford having scored. Tyers equalised for the House but the school stiil pressing scored by shots from Day and Koechlin, till towards the finish, when the House scored twice, once just before time thus making the game a draw. The other House goals were scored by Dyke and Williams. That the house came off so well was due to smart goalkeeping by i'ergusson I. in the first half and Fergusson II. in the and. The latter twice saved marvellously. October 22nd. W.C.K.S. v. DEAN CLOSE. We were outclassed and lost 8-0, the score at halftime was 5-0. On the whole there was a distinct improvement in the school game and what was pleasurable to note more dash and determination. At time the school held its own well, when a goal was scored it usually happened that 3 were scored within a few minutes. The score might have been less if the tackling had been tighter in front of goal. Opponents were 'not marked closely enough. This also applies to the throw in from touch. Another fault is that a-good tackle is not followed up to its proper conclusion. The forwards were better and may make a better line than we have had for some time. Carton is a wing man undoubtedly, a flyer and a trier, Koechlin would also be a good wingman if he would play the game. He stands for the ball too late. The change from back suits him, Dyke is improved, passes better, and is learning to use his weight. Halford is of absolutely no use, he won't work, and never shows the pace he possesses. The team is much stronger with Day I. at half than forward and he should keep there if possible. Steward worked well for his weight, but he is too small for big games and much the same may be said of Powell. Coombs, if he could learn to turn round quickly would much increase his value, he goes in
well, but when he misses his man he isn't round after him soon enough. Day II.'s place is really half. But he is kicking very strongly and might with advantage be played at back. Fergusson in goal did some good things, he makes good use of his height, but is at times inclined to run out when he shouldn't. He wants more practise with his hands at gathering the ball. His fisting and kicking are strong and good. October 28th, W.C.K.S. v. HEREFORD. In the early part of the game we seemed to be slightly the steadier team, but Hereford scoring by a high dropping shot, got thereby a great advantage. The game was exciting each side scoring in turn. King whose presence adds life to the forward line scored from a well placed kick by Rowe, our other goal was scored by a good shot from Carton. The and Goal against Fergusson ought to have saved, and at times we had bad luck. But in the last twenty minutes Hereford had much the greater share of the game and deserved their hard earned1 win of 3 to 2. November 1st. KING'S SCHOLARS v. SCHOOL. The school contrary to expectation won and had the best of the game. Playing with the wind they made good use of it and had scored z-o at half-time. During the second half they held their own well. The wind gradually dropped but the K.S. got their one goal in the last few minutes somewhat luckily. A good shot by Day 3 from left-half Rowe II. should have saved. But seeing Salusbury who was offside charging him, he never attempted to touch the ball. Rowe certainly ought to have played the ball without taking notice of a man charging. King, of the school forward1 line showed himself to be the soundest forward in the school. He brings with him life and combination and does much work. Rowe I. at half and back did much to the victory and Powell at centre half showed good aggressive tactics. He was always well on the ball. When he
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has learned to mark the opposing centre, he will be a ist class centre-half. The whole side worked well. Careless scored one goal after Fergusson had bungled. The other goal was scored from a scrum. The K.S. were heavily handicapped by having as right-wing Tyers and Halford who were only conspicuous for doing nothing. The defence worked well. Day 3 was very good for his weight and Collier in the second half made game attempts but in spite of many shots was unable to put through.
always manages some good saves, nevertheless occasionally gives a soft goal. Careless is much improved, does not waste so much time near the flag. Some players seem content with having made a promising start at the beginning of the season. This self-satisfaction, never excusable, is the more lamentable when their side is weak.
November 4th.
Barnt Green arrived late, fog delaying the trains. It was 3.30 when the game was started in a mist. Early Koechlin who has improved marvellously, got away and centred beautifully, Mr. Rammell put through. The referee could not see and as Barnt Green claimed that the ball did not go through did not allow the point. It is strange that the Barnt Green goal keeper, who was " absolutely certain " it was no goal was sprawling on the ground; in a position that permitted him to see neither Mr. Rammell nor the goal posts. The same goal keeper's subsequent attempt to bluff Salusbury with off-side ideas in the case of a corner-kick was not likely to induce the impartial spectator to value his opinion on any point. The school in spite of J. D. Day's absence through accident were having most of the game and once more there was a doubt as to whether they had scored. The first point to count was to the credit of Barnt Green, a goal scored through Fergusson's legs. Later Salusbury made an unquestioned score for the school and the mist becoming still denser play was stopped at 4.20 p.m. with the score at i-i. It is a great pity that the school who played the better game and undoubtedly won could not have the verdict.
W.C.K.S. V. WOLVERHAMPTON SCHOOL.
The prominent feature of this match was the way in which the school team improved in the second half, when they had got accustomed to the larger sized field of their opponents. During the first twenty minutes the school seemed lost and Wolverhampton put on 3 goals. Afterwards however they were kept out until nearly half-time when they scored another. In the second half the school improved immensely and pressed strongly for about a quarter of an hour, Carton, King and Koechlin doing good work in the forward line but shewing weakness in shooting. The tide then turned against the school and before the whistle blew two more goals were put on by our opponents. This result was largely due to clever play on the part of our opponents' centrehalf and outside men all of whom were fast and shot well. November nth. SCHOOL v. HOUSE. School won a one-sided game by 5 goals to o scored by Day 3 Day i (twice) Carless and Koechlin. The House had the misfortune to be without Rowe i, a considerable loss. Powell was very good at centre-half, but all played hard and Dickson at back for the house was a surprise. The school's victories was largely due to the dash of Day i who nearly scored on other occasions. Among the house forwards, King was noticeable for strenuous endeavours and once was unlucky in having a hard shot fisted out marvellously by. Rowe 2. Fergusson i who
November i8th.
W.C.K.S. v. BARNT GREEN.
November 2gth. KING'S SCHOLARS v. SCHOOL. In this return match the King's Scholars failed to take their revenge on the school for their defeat in the first match. The game which ended in a draw of one goal each was fast throughout but the defence on each side was superior to the attack.
THE VlGORNIAtf. December 2nd. W.C.K.S. v. MALVERN SECOND. At Malvern, turf somewhat greasy. We went into the field expecting to be beaten and the game we played was that of people not anxious J:o avert disaster. 8 goals were scored against us in the ist half hour's play and a few boys made efforts to keep goals down. In the and half Rowe i was seen to advantage in determined and close tackling of their centre-forward, but otherwise our game was more and more ragged. In the first half Salusbury was the best of the forwards and played a wonderfully improved game. In the end we were beaten by 12-1, and had to thank the sportsmanlike conduct of the Malvern team that it was no worse. December l6th. W.C.K.S. v. WORCESTER CRUSADERS. December 2Oth. W.C.K.S, v. OLD VIGORNIANS. Both these returns had to be abandoned owing to the ground! being covered with deep snow. SECOND XL The Second XI. played home and away matches with Hereford Cathedral School 2nd XI. in both of which they were defeated. In the first by 5^0 and in the return at home by 3-2. In the latter the school shewed great improvement- and had quite as much of the game as their opponents, but owing to muddling in front of goal were robbed of what should have been a win. The whole team combined better than before. Of the forwards Halford was the most prominent, making some good centres which should have been improved upon. SECOND XL under 15. This eleven played two matches with the Choristers, who were defeated on each occasion by 6-0. The prominent players were the two Youngs at back and the two Stevens forward who shewed considerable Naturally among such young dash and' promise. players the combination was not brought to a very high pitch of excellence but in this we had the advantage of our opponents.
af f§e gape. IBOUT the 20th October, 1899, I was commissioned by some New Zealand and Australian papers, to proceed to the Cape for correspondence purposes and to forward photos and sketches. Leaving Wellington for Sydney in the " Mokoia" on the 28th, I reached Sydney on the 3ist, remaining there until the roth. I spent a good time travelling round sightseeing, examining the remains of the old convict forts and prisons, steaming to various places about the beautiful harbour, and admiring the world-famed Botanical Gardens. Sydney has many fine buildings, of which the Post Office, various Insurance buildings, the Town Hall and Public Market stand pre-eminent. The Houses of Parliament are very disappointing, falling much below the Victorian and even the New Zealand Houses in both beauty and dignity. The streets are as a rule narrow, but busy and crowded, while the clang of the cable car bell and the smoke and stink or the steam cars rather get on the nerves of one not accustomed to them. While in Sydney I witnessed the departure of the two contingents of the N.S.W. volunteers to the Transvaal. Unfortunately both days were abominably wet .and the troops and people looked correspondingly miserable. However, very much enthusiasm was shown and the brave boys could nof complain of their send off. While in Sydney I came across an O.V. in the shape of Albert Sharp, who left the old school in 1877, but who had two brothers,Louis and Alfred, attending about 1882 or 1883, contemporaries of my own. Leaving Sydney Sunday night at 9 p.m., I arrived at Melbourne at 10.30 p.m. on Monday night after a most dreary and depressing railway journey. The scenery throughout was uninteresting and the rain fell almost continually. I found the Victorian" Capital in its annual state of ferment, for the Melbourne Cup, the one race of the year,the race which means far more to the average Australian than does the Epsom Derby to the English. The Cup was the following day and the usual general holiday on that account was observed by banks, law and insurance offices and shops, all over the city. Again unfortunately it was very wet,
THE VIGORNIAN. but countless crowds managed somehow to reach the sodden course. From one station alone the number of passengers totalled up to 20,000. A popular horse won and this compensated many people for their discomfort. Melbourne is a very different city to Sydney. The streets are broad and spacious, and though there are not so many sky scrapers as in the latter city, still the general architectural effect struck me as being more artistic. Then it labours under the disadvantage of not having a harbour which has been so belauded as that of the capital of N.S.W. True, it has a river, but such a river, the Yarra of uncouth name and repugnant appearance. Yellow and shallow, one wonders at the taste or rather lack of it, which those unfortunates show, who frequently end their lives there. But we will quit such an unpleasant subject and return to the cleaner portions of that city which Froude christened "Marvellous." I am leaving in the " Yarrawonga " (another aboriginal name) to-morrow for Cape Town and if possible will forward you a further account of my doings in South Africa. HAROLD A. JOURDAIN. O.V. 1880—1884 late of Auckland, New Zealand.
tps' Examination*. The following were successful in the examinations for King's Scholarships held last term: (1) Tom Stinton, The King's School. (2) Walter Henry Shuttleworth, Cathedral Choir School. (3) Arthur Jules Dash, William Frederick Eldershaw, The King's School. (5) Bernard Hartley, Harold Raymond, The King's School. (7) Eric Vernon Overall, Leamington College Preparatory. (8) Roger William Corbett, The King's School. Proxime accesserunt: (i) D. Fergusson. (n) M. S. Day. To Governors' Exhibitions, tenable at the School House. (i) A. T. Dash, (ii) E. V. Overall.
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goctefi? The seventh meeting of the Society was held on Nov. 6th, 1899, with Mr. Boon in the chair for the election of officers for the Session 1899-1900.^ Owing to Mr. Norman King having left, L. C. King was elected Secretary. The next business was the election of Bull-dogs. For these offices L. Carton and H. D. Day were elected unopposed. The meeting was then adjourned. On November 2oth, 1899, a meeting was held, L. F. Garton was elected chairman. Mr. Boon proposed the suspension of standing orders on the time limit of speeches; the motion was seconded by Mr. E. W. Poynton, and carried unanimously. By another motion the Committee were instructed to investigate the absence, without leave, of one of the Bull-dogs, H. D. Day. Notice was given of a proposal for the membership of H. Rowe by N. M. Fergusson, L. B. De Fontaine seconding. This concluded the private business. The chairman then ca'led upon Mr. Field to move " That this House considers the present war in the Transvaal to be both immoral and unjustifiable." N. M. Fergusson opposed, H. Cobb and Mr. E. W. Poynton being the respective seconders. Mr. Boon afterwards supported the motion. This was rather a stormy debate, frequent appea's being • made to the chairman. The motion was put to the House and lost by two votes. On December 4th, 1899, the secretary reported that the Bull-dog, H. D. Day had been warned by the Committee, for being absent at the last meeting without leave. At this, Shame! Shame! was cried by the House. Mr. Boon asked if the Bull-dog was penitent, the Secretary replied that he nearly wept and went away with his tail between his legs. This brought down the House. J. D. Day opened the public business "That conscription is beneficial to a nation." This was opposed by L. F. Garton. The respective seconders were F. L. Steward and A. P. Smith. The motion was then put to the House and carried by seven votes.
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On February 4th, 1900, a meeting was held with N. M. Fergusson in the chair. L. C. King was called upon to move "That this House considers the belief in Ghosts to be a relic in barbarism." Mr. Rammell opposed, J. D. Day and F. S. Dyke were the respective seconders. The motion was then thrown open to the House and Mr. Poynton opposed. L. B. De Fontaine then favoured the House with some interesting personal experiences. He averred that he had " seen a vision when he was asleep in the middle of the night," concerning the death of a relative. The next morning he received the news in a letter that the relative had been dying at the moment of his vision. This coincidence he placed before the House as an effective argument against the motion. Mr. Field then occasioned some laughter by enquiring " If Mr. De Fontaine slept with his eyes open and if the letter came by telegram ?" Resulting discomfiture of Mr. De Fontaine. The motion was then put to the vote and lost by nine votes. L. c. K.
|O convey to a stranger a true idea of the character and life of work of Henry Clarke would be an impossibility, while the many who have been connected with him need no words to tell them of his worth. I can only attempt, as the Editor has asked me to write on the subject, to give my personal impressions'concerning one who was so long my valued friend and colleague. For 17 years out of the 22 during which Mr. Clarke was at Worcester I had the privilege of being associated with him, of seeing his work day by day, and learning to know him better. To know him better was to admire him more. He was essentially humbleminded and never put himself forward, consequently strangers had little idea of what manner of man he was. But those who came into close contact with him soon began to realize his devotion to duty, his unswerving loyalty to colleagues and to friends, his perfect sincerity and truthfulness. I could not
imagine him acting in. anything but a straightforward manner, and the boys felt the same. Boys love a just man and I believe that this was the secret of the undoubted influence which he had over all his pupils. As they grew older they became more conscious of his sympathy also, and I think that one of the chief pleasures of an O.V. in revisiting the School was the meeting with Mr. Clarke with his warm greeting. But whatever was the cause, there is no doubt that both boys and parents held him in high esteem. Boys were sent to the School because he was a Master there, and the most grumbling of parents generally spared Mr. Clarke. The depth as well as the extent of this feeling of respect and esteem was strikingly shewn when a testimonial of considerable value was collected chiefly by parents and presented to him, soon after the great grief of his life, the loss of Mrs. Clarke. It was the same with his colleagues. They might not find him exactly the man of their own stamp, but they invariably respected him, while many learnt to regard him with true friendship. The outer world knew little of him,; he was so quiet and unobtrusive: but there are many citizens of Worcester who will miss the pleasant ' good morning' to which they had grown accustomed as he passed through the High Street to and from School. On his way he would generally be joined by one or two boys, so that he was in the confidence of the School more than most masters, a confidence which he never betrayed. Having a high moral standard himself, he was always anxious that the boys should have the same, and I believe that his good example and well judged words of advice had much to do with the high tone of the boys. He was also of a deeply religious nature, though he made no demonstration of this. He possessed judgment and tact and a knowledge of boy nature: Whenever I consulted him on any school difficulty I always found help as well as sympathy. But perhaps the quality in Mr. Clarke which struck me most was his loyalty, of an extremely conservative nature (though he called himself a Liberal in Politics) he was averse to change. But if even changes were thought necessary, whatever his own feelings might be, he would carry out any duty with unfailing loyalty, a loyalty which had the rare quality
THE VIGORNIAN. of extending to words as well as deeds. I know that he not only acted upon this principle, but urged it strongly on his younger colleagues. Personally I feel that it was through the support of Mr. Clarke that the School was able to live through the dark days when the ' new scheme' forcibly reduced our numbers, and again when the ' amalgamation project' seemed likely to overwhelm us. He never lost faith in the School he loved, and faith is a great power. So when the danger had passed he felt a keen and natural pleasure in the steady advance of our numbers, as he did in the successes won by the boys in examinations or the playing field. In connection with this I would mention that he was seldom absent when a match was played, and that he used all his influence in stirring up the boys to active interest in all school sports. To turn to his work as a Master in School. The chief mark of it was conscientiousness. Whether he was caching Advanced Mathematics to the VI. or beginning Greek with the III. he was always trying to do hi? best, and naturally he was successful. When ie gi>s hold of a good pupil, like E. A. White^ he shoved his power as an advanced teacher, for White, it will be remembered, not only obtained first-classes in Mathematics both in ' Mods ' and the Final School, but was also ' proxime' for both the Junior and ,-ver • University Mathematical Scholarships. But there is a higher mark of success in a master and that is in the teaching of a class. I give one instance among many. In 1890 there were 13 candidates (the Fifth Form) for the lower certificates, of these ten obtained first-classes in arithmetic and three second classes. Nothing could stamp good teaching more conclusively. Also his teaching of history for certificates and his Form work with the III. was equally satisfactory. These facts show how valuable was the help which Mr. Clarke gave to the school and how much it owes to him. Twenty-two years of work covers many generations of boys and perhaps those who knew Mr. Clarke only in later days would be hardly conscious of the vigour of his earlier work. The Governors, I think, appreciated his worth to some extent, for not long before I left, when they were able to give me a little more money for the
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Master's Fund, they particularly asked that half should be given to Mr. Clarke. But zeal and devotion to duty cannot prevent a man from feeling the advance of years, and the time must have come when Mr. Clarke would have been unable to continue the work which he loved. No one who knew him could imagine what he would do when the time came to leave that work. But death, a kindly death, such as he would himself have chosen, saved him from the difficulty. He died, as he wished, in harness. Many on the last day of his life had a kindly word, a cheery smile from him; they will linger long in their memories. To all the news that he had gone came with startling suddenness; but when the first sad sense of loss was past, and especially as we stood by the open grave, we could hardly wish to call back one who had so honourably earned his rest, one who seemed so fit to pass into the unseen world. We felt that he was indeed " Felix opportunitate mortis." W. E. BOLLAND.
' gofttmn. CANNOT commence this article without a reference to the sad event which must be uppermost in the minds of many Old Vigor'nians, the sudden death of our old and respected master, Mr. Henry Clarke, on Jan 3oth. It came as a great shock to all, for Mr. Clarke was known and beloved by many generations of Vigornians, and to many of us his death is a real personal loss. But justice is being done to this sad theme in another column by a far worthier pen than mine. Old Vigornians at a distance may like to know that they were well represented by a large attendance at the funeral. Another very sad occurrence since the last issue of this magazine has been the terrible death in December of Mr. R. C. R. Laycock (O.V. 1860—62) who was killed in a railway accident in France. Mr. Laycock was in his school days, a great athlete, and always took a great interest in the School Sports. His was one of the first preliminary subscriptions given to the School Gymnasium Fund.
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By a strangely sad coincidence the Headmaster, three days after losing Mr. Clarke, received news of the death of his father. I am sure I shall be but expressing the sincere feeling of all Old Vigornians if I offer their deep sympathy to the three bereaved families. The last few months have indeed been sad and gloomy ones both at home and abroad. As I write, however, comes the news of the long looked-for relief of Ladysmith. Surely England's " good time " has come at last and the gloomy days are over! We, as Old Vigornians, may well feel proud that so many sons of the Old School have gone to fight for their country. C. W. F. Waller (1885-90) who had already good military work to his credit, had, I understand, the bad luck to be captured quite early in the campaign. His stories of life in Pretoria will doubtless be interesting and will duly find their way into these columns. Others who have gone to the front as Volunteers are E. H. Harrington (1891-95) J. E. Roan (1886-88) E. A. J. Seccombe (1895) and S. J. Steward (189197). May these patriotic O.V.'s distinguish themselves and return in peace and safety! . Another O.V. who is once more on his way to the front as a special correspondent is H. A. Jourdain (1880-84), whose interesting letter appears in another column. That letter was written from Melbourne just before starting for Cape Town. When he reached that port he was unfortunately unable to obtain a pass as correspondent, but as a medical man he was asked to come to England with a shipload of wounded men. And so it happened that on the 3oth of January he found himself once more in the Old School with his old master Mr. Clarke, who took him over the new buildings with that kindness and courtesy which 'always distinguish him. An hour afterwards Mr. Clarke's sad death took place, and his old pupil knew nothing of it till next day. " L'homme propose, Dieu dispose." Surely never was a plan so completely altered by unforeseen cir-, cumstances. Well, many things have happened, but one impor-
tant thing has not happened, viz. the Annual O.V. Dinner, which was fixed for Jan. 4th. The decision of the Committee to postpone it was due partly to the War, and consequent general depression, and partly to the visit of a certain Chinese Minister to Worcester. These causes combined caused so serious a falling off in the attendance that it was considered wise to postpone the dinner indefinitely. It seems a pity, after an unbroken succession of 10 years, to miss one year altogether, but unless very large support is guaranteed the Committee will not feel justified in holding the dinner at Easter, as has been suggested. Communications on this subject should be addressed to the Hon. Sec. O.V. Club, Sunnyside Road, Worcester. The Gymnasium too " hangs fire" but we have .£100 promises in preliminary subscriptions, and when the stress of war is over, and it becomes safe to ask people for subscriptions, the matter will again be taken in hand and pushed to a satisfactory conclusion. In this connection I must add that the Rev. C. E. Hopton has very kindly promised to present a pair of fine parallel bars. Old Vigornians must read with great regret of the continued degeneracy of the School Football. Editorial Notes and indignant complaints in the correspondence column seem alike without effect. What is the matter ? O.V.
OLD VIGORNIANS' CLUB. A new edition of the Club Register was issued in December, 1899. The membership is now 180. Members who have not paid their Subscriptions are requested to do so without delay. Many thanks to J. Riddell (1879-90) for sending in " Vigornian "No. 32. Those still wanted are Nos. r to 7, 9, n, 15 to 22 and 31.
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THE VIGORNIAN. O.V. NEWS. The Rev. H. Edgar E. Arthure (1875-84) has been presented to the living of Tibberton-withBredicot. E. E. Bird (1889-94) has passed the Law Final. B. S. Browne (1891-94) has obtained a commission in the Royal Artillery. J. G. Sheild (1889-95) nas passed the Law Intermediate. S. G. Simpson ( 1 8 9 2 - 9 9 ) has passed the Law Preliminary. E. C. Thomas (1875-79) was appointed city under sheriff in November 1899. MARRIAGE. FETCH—DEAN.—On December 2, at Gorakhpur, N.P.W., India, Rev. Charles Cousens Fetch, C.M.S., younger son of J. R. Fetch, of Saffron Walden, Essex (late of Worcester), to Grace Rose, second daughter of R. H. Dean, of Chillingley, Forest-hill, London.
IN MEMORIAM. LAYCOCK.—On December igth, in Angouleme Hospital, France, (though injuries received in railway accident), Robert Charles Richard Laycock, of Castle Donington, son of the late Charles Robson Laycock M.D., of York, aged 52. Interred December 23rd, at Bordeaux.
To the Editors of the Vigornian. Sirs, Owing to the unpardonable slackness of the O.V's. actually in residence, I am forced to take upon myself (at the request of certain O.V's.) the task of writing an Oxford letter to you. The news of the Varsity is little, the news of the O.V's. is at once much and important. Nearly all the O.V's in residence seem inspired with a desire for fame in the aquatic world, as Bates is daily to be seen rowing bow for the St. John's "Togger" and Lewis is to be seen on the tow path, many times daily, racing along with the Hertford " Togger," performing the thankless and onerous duties of spare man. He seems fond of the exercise so obtained judging from the earnest and strained expression upon his counte-
nance as he runs. Whether it is to his credit as a runner that he manages to keep the boat continually within telescopic range, or whether it is to the disgrace of the crew that they cannot keep out of his sight completely, I will leave those who have seen him perform on the running track to judge for themselves. 'Tis a neat problem to solve over the fire on a long winter's evening ! L. H. W. Sampson was rowing bow of the same boat till it was discovered that the Hertford boat wished to give those boats above them a chance, when they kindly allowed him to retire. He steadfastly maintains that he is not grieved, and forcibly observes that it gives more time for work! Both he, Lewis and Richings have all got the war fever and are most faithful volunteers, but they are not likely to go to the front. In addition to Bates' rowing powers he has also crowned himself with glory on the running track, having run with varying success in several Stranger's races, and won his College Quarter in fair time. He should with careful training, stand a fair chance of gaining the coveted " Blue " for the quarter and half-mile in another year. The only other O.V. up at the present time is I think, H. L. Hammond, who has happily recovered from his riding accident which he sustained during last vacation. He may be seen in the course of this term in the witness box at Droitwich County Court as the result of the aforesaid accident. His friends are fairly hopeful that he will not be sentenced to more than five years' penal servitude. He himself is of opinion that he may be at the most be mulcted to. the tune of is. damages. Probably the magistrate may hit upon a happy medium, say a fine of 1/6. Of Varsity news there is little to tell. The Association match against Cambridge draws near and a good struggle should be seen. Other events to take place between Oxford and Cambridge this term are the Inter. Varsity Billard match and the Boxing and Fencing competitions. May we be successful in all these, is the wish of yours very truly, M. F. W. SAMPSON.
gam$vt6cje getter. To the Editors of the Vigornian. On glancing back at some old 'Varsity Letters one may perhaps be struck by the fact that the general tenor of their contents is not always such as would lead a casual observer to think that they emanated from a great seat of learning, and that the brain of the scribe who penned them is ceaselessly employed throughout the day and half the night in solving subtle mathematical problems, or it may be poring over commentaries, or reasoning over the respective merits of conflicting various readings: and furthei
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that the possessor of that brain is of course able to converse fluently in Arabic, Greek and Chinese—it is possible he even thinks in the Syriac dialect. He—the casual observer—does not read, as might be expected, that " the whole Undergraduate Body is in raptures over the appointment of Professor Soand-so " : there is no allusion to " the profound interest excited by Dr. Blank's lectures on the theory of the Primordial Atomic Globule." No! Such things as these, it would appear, sink into absolute insignificance before the epoch-making event of the victory of the scribe's comrades at Lords, Putney or Queen's Club. Yes, it must be confessed that with many an undergraduate, eager as he is in his pursuit of knowledge, he at the same time regards it as his duty to snatch a few moments from his books and to give a small—he will emphasise the word ' small' when airing his views on this point—portion of his time to physical recreation on the river or cricket-field : this is doubtless due to his anxiety not to exhaust his resources of erudition too early in life, and his regard for the maxim that " too much learning is a weariness of the flesh".
There is really very little of interest to chronicle in the way of news. We congratulate two O.V.'s on gaining sizarships up here at the end of last term; let us hope that with this as their stepping stone they will rise to a height of intellectual eminence in the future and add lustre to the fair fame of our old school. Needless to say that we trust that more than these will be coming up next October. Several prominent Cambridge men, past and present, have gone out to South Africa, whom we hope to see ere long returning safe and sound; whether their knowledge of military tactics and strategy is particularly profound is open to question, perhaps however this deficiency is counterbalanced by muscular strength. Best wishes for the continued welfare of the school. CANTAB.
had long been my wish to see the wonders of the North Island and the famous hot springs, lakes, volcanoes and other sights, and as I had ten days leave at Christmas (December 1897) my wish was in a fair way to, be gratified. My bicycle was in splendid order, a luggage carrier strapped on to it had all the necessaries I wanted, and at a quarter past 4 on Christmas Eve I started from Napier, in company with a
Wanganui friend, determined to see all I could. Though the weather looked threatening, we only experienced a few drops of rain, and the limestone roads were in grand condition, so that the 40 miles up to Waipawa was done in a little over three hours. We passed through Clive, where only nine months before such a terrible flood had occurred, whose traces were still to be seen ; then past Havelock and its orchard of grapes and other fruit, through beautiful grazing country covered with sheep, next the Maori settlement of Paki Paki, then winding among the limestone hills, past the Te Aute swamp, over the steep Te Aute hill, and finally bringing up at the well-known- township of Waipawa, where we indulged in a refreshing bath, just as the longdelayed rain came down with a rush. The next morning we got up early, and after a short breakfast started at half-past 5 on our way. We crossed the Waipawa River, then rode along a splendid road for five miles till we came to the Tuki Tuki River, which we crossed on a bridge half a mile long, through the sleeping village of Waipukurau with its pretty groves of trees, and along a desolate road till we came to a long hill, which we walked over, and then a small stream, the Maharakeke, the other side of which were the spacious Ruataniwha Plains. They comprise an area of twenty square miles, cut up into huge sheep paddocks with very few habitations on them, and on the far side can be seen the magnificent Ruahines, which form a fine background, epecially in winter when they are partly covered with snow. The unmetalled road was in good order, and we rode along it for some six miles, coming at last to a very bad portion where huge ruts were the order of the day. However, the longest lane has its turning, and after passing Takapau on our left we reached the edge of the 70 Mile Bush, and a metalled road was found. Another mile or two and we crossed the famous Manawatu River a few miles from its source, and after steadily ascending a winding road, came to the Scandinavian village of Norsewood,
THE VIGORNIAN. where we had a good breakfast, the time being half-past 8. After breakfast, we pushed on and passed through very pidluresque scenery, the famous Seventy Mile Bush being in all its beauty that morning. Winding over hill sides, then crossing deep gullies at the bottom of which wandered the pure fresh streams which find their source in the Ruahine Ranges, the sides being all clothed in lovely bush or scrub, intermingled with lofty fern trees, occasionally passing through a rough settlement with -its indispensable adjunct of a saw mill, then coming to a small clearing over which sheep grazed, plunging again into the thick bush with tuis and other birds uttering their melodious calls on all sides, we rode along in thorough enjoyment of the day. Fifteen miles of this brought us close to Dannevirke, the most rising town ship in Hawke's Bay, where we halted and refreshed ourselves, and then remounting rode three miles further until we came to the Tamaki Sawmill, whose proprietor had invited us to dinner. As there was an hour to that meal, we provided ourselves with towels and four or five of us went over to the Xamaki Stream, in which we had a most enjoyable bathe. A sumptuous dinner awaited us, and as a shower of rain came on afterwards we sat on the cool verandah, sipping sherbet, until three o'clock, when we said "Goodbye," and pursued our way rejoicing. Similar scenery to that of the morning, the road keeping on a level however, awaited us, and we came on in fine style, the road being one of the best in the North Island, the 18 miles between Dannevirke and Woodville having been ridden under 50 minutes. We came,' after a few miles, to a more settled country, and far reaching paddocks covered with sheep were to be seen, but coming to Matahiwi, a small settlement, we reached the primeval Bush once more. Then a long stretch of magnificent road brought us to Victoria Station and we soon arrived at Woodville, the last township in the district. Between Hawke's Bay and Wellington
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Provinces a lofty range of mountains intervenes, and the only opening in the Ruahines is through the famous Manawatu Gorge, at the bottom of which runs the rapid and dangerous Manawatu River. We were soon riding along the eight foot road on its side, and had to be careful not to skid, as a slip would have sent us down to the river, similar accidents having frequently happened from time to time, though luckily loss of life has been rare. For two miles the road wound along the side of the Gorge, while on its other side could be seen the railway line with numerous tunnels, and a passing train plunging into one of them gave quite a modern tinge to the beautiful and ancient Pass discovered by Europeans some fifty years ago. Slips of earth from the steep sides on to the road were frequently met with and testified to the constant rain and consequent danger to traffic. At last we came out of the Gorge and a lovely view was in front, the undulating and level country round Palmerston covered with every sign of cultivation, stretching as far as we could see. We descended to the river bed, having to be ferried across owing to the big bridge over the Manawatu having been washed away in the great floods of Easter, 1897. Then remounting our bicycles we rode along to Ashurst, a pretty little township, and turning to our right, headed for Feilding. It was now getting dark, and the long level roads seemed interminable. At last we reached Bunnythorpe, half way to.our destination, and stopped for some biscuits, &c., as we were getting uncommonly hungry. We were now in Rangitikei County, the Council of which had enacted an absurd bye-law to the effect that every cyclist, on meeting a vehicle, has to dismount when within fifty yards and wait until it has driven past, if the driver asks him to. However, we were strangers, and did not know the bye-law, if accosted, so we rode on, unheeding sundry remonstrances. Finally we came to Feilding, a township of some two thousand inhabitants, and after a hearty meal strolled around the place, meet-
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ing several amateur athletes who were here for the next day's sports, among them being Arthur Holder, the champion of New Zealand at 100 yds., 250 yds, 440 yds., 120 yds. hurdles, and 440 yds' hurdles, and Australasian champion of some of th e distances. He was an old friend of mine, so we had a long talk. Here I had to leave my Wanganui friend, as he was to stay here for a day, so the next morning I got up at 8 o'clock, and after a good breakfast rode along to Awahuri, four miles away, and then, turning to the right, headed for Sanson. A long hill intervened, and gave me some trudging, but it was finally surmounted, and I came to the Rangitikei River, whose bridge had also been washed away in the great floods; in fact, every bridge over this river, some twenty in number, had all gone. Then across the river to Bulls, another little village of six or eight hundred, and I pressed on to Marton. The morning was splendid, though rather warm, and I thoroughly enjoyed the ride. It may interest you to know what I wear on these trips. On my head a linen slouch hat, silk handkerchief knotted round my neck, a white woollen sweater, tweed knickers, grey woollen stockings and light boots, while on the handle bars of my bike is strapped a light tweed coat, and in the diamond frame is a light waterproof bag containing a few toilet requisites, spare stockings, &c., and in addition I carried a light waterproof poncho. I reached Marton by noon, and found it an advancing town of about twelve hundred inhabitants? with good shops, houses, &c., and struck a fine hotel, the "White Lion," where they treated me to a jolly good dinner, the best I ever had on my tours. Two hours rest put me fit again, and at 2 o'clock I remounted and rode on up North. The country was very pretty and well cultivated, and I had a grand ride to Hunterville, a smaller township, passing through several clumps of native bush and enjoying a good road all the way. The country now began to get more wild and less settled, and I met many horsemen, who, from the way they stared at me,
had evidently not seen many bicycles. After a few more miles I passed Mangaonoho, the termination of the line of railway to the North, and came on to the side of the Rangitikei River, where there was in course of construction an immerise viaduct for the railway. The scene here was splendid, the afternoon sun sinking behind the ranges of hills, lighting up the broad, winding river and the wooded country all round, while close at hand were the cultivations of the pioneer settlers. After another hill or two I reached Ohingaiti, which boasted two hotels, and I had a most refreshing bath before tea. Unfortunately my ankle, which I had sprained a year before, was beginning to trouble me and had swelled up a good bit, but I hoped it would be all right in the morning. The next day, I rose at 7 o'clock and had an early breakfast, then pushed on to the North. P'ive miles brought me to Mangaweka (or as it used to be called "Three Log Whare"), and I had arrived at the famous Awarua Bush, the finest in the North Island, it is said. By this time I had got over the effects of breakfast, and the brisk morning air made me accept the invitation of a settler and have a glass of milk and some cake. The road now got fairly hilly and rather rough, but I expected that, so did not mind much. Overhanging clouds promised rain, so I did not loiter much as I wished to get through the twenty miles of bush before the rain came. It was really magnificent, though, riding through dense bush, almost entirely untouched by man, as only here and there was there a clearing, while on one side roared the rapid and sullen Rangitikei River and on the other rose up the forest clad heights of the Awarua Ranges. I am ashamed to say, I stopped no less than five times that morning for lunch, which usually consisted of a cup of tea and some cake or bread and butter, proffered by the bush settlers whose rough whares or neat tents, I was passing, and they were most hospitable. I passed through the little villages of Utiku itnd Taihape and at twelve o'clock came out of the bush and on to the familiar sheep country so common in New Zealand. In another half-hour
THE VIGORNIAN, I reached Te Horo, a small accommodation house at the junction of two main roads and sat down to a hearty lunch. Halfway through, in walked another cyclist, Jimmy Muir by name an old friend of mine who knew I was on this trip and had left Wanganui the day before, reaching Ohingaiti an hour after I did and by bad luck stopping at the only other hotel in the place. He had started half an hour after me that morning and had been chasing me all the time. My ankle now was very bad and had swelled up a lot, but after lunch we remounted and rode to Turangarere, a sheep station and as the rain came on took refuge in a patch of bush. In half an hour it was fine again and we rode along, chatting over various topics and thoroughly enjoying the woodland scenery we were passing through. Then we came on to bare hill sides and desolate country and I knew we had reached the Rangipo Desert, some twenty miles in length. The road was now all pumice, a regular white sandy track with only one house between here and Tokoanu Township on Taupo Lake. Muir at last wheeled off on a bye road to Spooner's Station at which he was to stay the night, and I came at three o'clock to Waiouru accommodation house, situated on a bleak plateau a thousand feet above sea level. It was very cold, quite a contrast to the morning and the Taupo coach which came in an hour later, reported that a storm of sleet had been encountered1. My ankle was now so bad that I booked a passage by the coach the next day and strapped my bicycle on to it. That night at the accommodation house was a strange party. Two Wellington solicitors on a cycling trip, who had arrived via Wanganui and Pipiriki (stopping place for steamers fifty miles up Wanganui River), and who were so disgusted with the road' they had been on that they were returning via Ohingaiti the next day, a cyclist from Yorkshire who was touring the colony and had also come from Pipiriki that afternoon, two Sydney ladies (school teachers) who were on a holiday with their bicycles, and had come and were going on by coach, and two taciturn coach drivers, who were however very thoughtful for our comfort. In addition the wives of the two solicitors who were
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going back to Wellington and a Wairarapa sheepfarmer who was coming back from Taupo. We had a jolly time and indulged in anecdotes etc. At 8 o'clock the next morning we started1 by coach, i.e. the two Sydney ladies and I, while the Yorkshire cyclist wheeled ahead of us and soon after Muir passed us en route for Taupo. Though misty at first, it soon cleared away and we began to get a magnificent view of the mountains, the two peaks of Ruapehu 8000 feet high and Paraitetanga, 9000 feet being some ten miles away on our left, while ahead of us was the beautiful cone of Ngaruhoe, 7500 feet, Te Mare and Tongariro, all active volcanoes. They were clad in snow and every minute or two a huge puff of smoke would come out of Ngauruhoe and soar away into the blue sky, just like a smoker enjoying his pipe. Down the slopes of Ruapehu could be seen a few streams of alum which had stained1 the snow a brownish pink and the dazzling snow-clad heights backed by the vivid blue of the summer's day, formed a beautiful picture. All through the day we were gazing in admiration at them and though the Ohinetapu Plains, through which we were passing, were varied in picturesqueness, being intersected by rapid mountain streams and broken up with endless bush-covered gullies yet the mountains were the attraction. Presently we passed1 the source of the Waikato River, which rises at Ruapehu, runs to Taupo Lake and after passing through it emerges at Taupo Township and continues its career for another 120 miles. We had an al fresco lunch, boiled the billy etc., and at 5 o'clock arrived at Tokoanu, a Maori village with a hundred whares (or native huts) two stores and ari hotel. Also a number of hot springs and boiling puias into one of which an old Maori had fallen, a year ago, as he was going home to bed. They collected him the next morning with a fishing net After dinner, I went to a grand pool in which were twenty Maories bathing and enjoyed a plunge in the warm water. Just alongside was a similar pool with boiling water and the Maories told me that the temperature of the two pools changed every day, one being boiling in the morning and warm at night, and vice versa. The next morning
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we resumed our coach journey, Wilberforce the Yorkshireman, going on ahead on his bike. All day long we drove by the borders of Lake Taupo, past Maori villages, through innumerable streams, everywhere the same scrub and white pumice plains meeting the eye. Hundreds of wild horses were to be seen, and on our right were the rugged bush covered Kaimanawa Ranges in which was many a party prospecting for gold, of which plenty has been found. Cherry groves were met with occasionally, planted by the early missionaries thirty years ago, and the fruit was in splendid condition. Another al fresco lunch and then a long drive through a gloomy pumice canyon, with sides hundreds of feet high,the blue sky being only visible immediately above us. The driver pointed out traces of an earthquake last year when the coach road on the other side of the canyon was buried under thousands of tons of falling pumice, which anecdote made us thoughtful, as we glanced up the overhanging walls of pumice. Finally we reached Taupo township and drove to the Spa, a sanatorium, the fame of which has travelled all round the world. I hastened to the baths, three of them being alongside, the water in one being cold, in another warm, and in the third very hot. They were made of concrete, the hot stream passing through them, and furnished with good dressing-rooms. On one side the bank of the stream was covered with flowers and wild raspberries, which I ate standing up in the hot water. Afterwards a grand dinner. The Spa stands in a hollow, and is beautifully laid out with gardens, while several detached houses answer the purpose of an hotel. One of them, the dining-room, is a Maori Runanga (or meeting) house, the walls of which are examples of carving rarely met with, and one tourist offered ^1,000 for it, but was refused. Then a guide showed us over the grounds at the back, and we saw our first geyser. After watching for half an hour, suddenly a column of boiling water shot out of a hole in the ground to a height of sixty feet, and played for over a minute, then sank back. This geyser is within ten yards of the rushing
Waikato River, which skirts the grounds, and not far away are hundreds of other curiosities, caldrons of boiling black mud, blow holes through which steam is ejected continuously, and one deep pit from which ascends a sound as of a paddle-wheel steamer. Great care has to be taken in walking about the place, as in many places the pumice is very thin, and an incautious step might send the pedestrian into another region. Everywhere the pumice is warm to the touch, and if you strike a match close to the ground a cloud of steam will suddenly shoot out. Hot streams and pools abound, and the place seems very uncanny. The next afternoon I rode to Wairakei, six miles away, passing en route the famous Huka Falls. Here the Waikato River plunges through a rocky gorge, twenty yards wide only, and then drops thirty or forty feet into a big pool. The beauty of the scene was indescribable. All varieties of blue, from deep indigo to a pale azure, mingled with creamy foam, were to be seen in the tumbling roaring waters, and the wide stretch of the river, both above and below, showed the immense quantities of water pouring through A wooden bridge above the this narrow space. Falls is generally used as the vantage spot to view them, and was covered with carved initials. Then on to Wairakei Geyser Valley, where I saw most wonderful sights: geysers of every description, some shooting up like the Prince of Wales' Feathers, some bubbling like champagne, one called1 the fish pond, because huge bubbles of imprisoned air, striking against a stick held in the hand, gave a sensation just like a hooked fish struggling to get away. There was the Great Wairakei Geyser, Little Wairakei Geyser, the Fairy Baths, Devil's Caldron, Dragon's Mouth, Hell's Gate, Lightning Pool, Champagne Pool, Heron's Nest, the Twins, boiling and petrifying springs and geysers, mud volcanoes, and every weird sight that one could imagine. The steaming earth and pumice was stained by alum and other streams to vivid colours of brown, violet, pink, and the green vegetation and sombre hue of the inevitable titree scrub gave a peculiar appearance to the valley. I spent two days round Taupo, and
THE VIGORNIAN. then started to ride back to Napier, putting in the first night at the Terrace Hotel, which borders a pumice valley, through which runs a boiling river, about thirty yards across, widening out into two lakes on which was a boat. It was most curious, rowing over a' boiling lake, though the water was quite calm, the heating taking place far up the stream. On each side rose up walls of whitish grey pumice, and' on the borders of the lakes were gardens attached to the hotel, while the winding paths up the sides passea through clumps of trees and scrub. The next two days I rode home, with my ankle tightly bandaged up, over the hilliest country I ever want to see. One hill, the Turangakumu, took me two hours to cross, and seemed to pierce the sky as I stood at its foot. For the first thirty miles I rode through the Kaingaroa Plains, a desolate country, all pumice with titree and manuka scrub, no water for 25 miles, and! innumerable troops of wild horses roaming about. The road was very bad, as pumice crumbles up very quickly, and I was glad to reach the Rangitaiki, one of the coldest streams I ever bathed in," and rest at the hotel. On the way I passed Opepe, the scene of a massacre in the Maori War, where a dozen troopers were killed by Te Kooti. Then on to Taiawera, and the everlasting hills. I left at last the pumice, and got back to familiar limestone country and sheep runs, and arrived at Napier on the tenth day of my tour, having been over 500 miles, of which I had ridden 350 on my bicycle. I don't think I said much about Taupo Lake, the largest lake in the Colony, which boasts an excursion steamer and many canoes and boats. It is 25 miles long by 16 miles wide, and surrounded by mountains on almost every side, and the sight of it alone was worth the trip. Many waterfalls can be seen round it, and the bush and fern-clad bays on its shores are very lovely. I must now conclude, and will have to tell you, on a later occasion, of my trip to New Plymouth, Auckland, Thames, Te Aroha, Rotorua, Wai-o-tapu, etc., when I rode 575 miles on my bicycle, and saw
205
the rest of the Hot Lakes region. That was in February, 1898. W. R. JOURDAIN, O.V. 1880-1884.
All letters intended for insertion in these columns must be authenticated by the, name and address of the sender, not necessarily for publication, but as evidence of good faith. Every facility will be afforded for the discussion of matters of interest to the School, but a rigid compliance with this rule will be enforced.
To the Editors of the Vigarni an. Dear Sirs, Your humble servant once remembers a time when the school possessed such a thing as a Camera Club. He also remembers attending several meetings of the same until the importunities of the Secretary as regards subscriptions became annoying. The Club afterwards collapsed, and the Secretary, it is to be presumed, pocketed the subscriptions. Would it not be possible to start another Photographic Club? Surely there are many amateur photographers in the school who would be glad of mutual assistance in many knotty points. Perhaps this is the wrong term to bring forward! such a project, but if it were expeditiously taken in hand, we might have a well organised club ready for the summer term, which all amateur photographers look forward to. A dark room might be erected from the Club subscriptions, for the use of members. Such a room could be put up at no great cost in the piece of waste ground between the new classrooms and the old house wall, with the consent of " the powers that be." Hoping to see a movement made in this direction, I remain, Yours truly,
" HYPO."
THE VIGORNIAN.
2O6
EXPENDITURE.
To the Editors of the Vigornian. Dear Sirs, Would it not be possible in some way, by alteration of the rules to prevent those who speak first in the debates having their speeches written out ? It is an open secret that a member who spoke recently had had his speech prepared and written out by a relation and that he himself had nothing to do in compiling his " maiden effort." This sort of thing A member cannot tends to degenerate the debate. press home points not his own. But besides when speeches are written out, many of the speakers words are lost as he leans over to read the writing. With notes, even if very full ones, much of this is avoided. Hoping that something will be done in this matter. I am, Yours truly, " DEBATER."
£ s. d. Oct. toth—Mr. Beach-Hicks, Sundries ,, l6th—Lantern Slides 'Jan. 28th—Santonna (Lantern) ,,, 28th—Deighton & Co., Vigornian ,, 28th—Walter & Houghton, Books ,, 27th—Geo. Large, Papers .•... , , 28th—Encyclopaedia Britannica (3rd instalment)
I o o I I o I 6 o 9 14 3 5 5 » 2 8 0 4 4 0
Balance
24 18 3 6 8 6 3'
6 9
H. CLARKE, Treasurer. Examined and found correct, W. H. CHAPPEL, Head Master.
Jlccounf. Third Term, 1899.
[We are much shocked and surprised to learn that there is one among us so sunk in crime as to get a relative to write his speech for him and can only hope that our correspondent is misinformed. "The reading of speeches is certainly a reprehensible habit, and a few words spoken directly to the audience on any subject must necessarily have much more force than a long read speech, which is generally inaudible. We fear however that a rule prohibiting written speeches would scare the few debaters which are left amongst us, since the Secretary has even now to seek for speakers almost vi et artnis. EDS.]
cm&
Third Term 1899. RECEIPTS.
£ s. d. Oct- 24th—Balance Dec. 2Oth—Old Vigornian Club for Vigornians Jan. 24th—From the Head Master : Pound Vigornians Subscriptions
12 3 n 4 17 o o 5 10 2 7 6 II 12 6
£31 6 9
RECEIPTS. Dec. 2Oth—93 Boys' Subscriptions
EXPENDITURE.
£ Sept. 26th—Adverse Balance , , 26th—Football Secretary..... ,, 26th—Shillcock (Footballs) ,, 2gth—Water Rate Oct. I4th—Cab to Norton Barracks ,, igth—Spalding (Bridge.in Field) „ igth— „ Lockers in Pavilion ,, 26th—Littlebury (Printing) „ 26th—Broom f o r Fives Court „ «6th—Padlock and Key (Gate of Field) Nov. 4th—Secretary's Expenses Dec. I4th—Football Expenses „ I4th—Whitening „ I4th—Linesman t o Cheltenham ,, 2Oth—Spalding (Pavilion'Repairs) , , 2Oth—Hutchinson (Football Bladders) Balance
s- d-
7 6 loj 0 7 0 2 14 6 o 10 o 0 6 0 o 15 o 0 4 6 o 15 o 0 2 0 0 2 0 o I 8 0 7 6 0 0 4 0 2 3 o 19 o 0 2 6 I 9 4i
£16 T. E. RAMMELL, Hon. Treasurer. Examined and found correct, W. H. CHAPPEL. February l8th, 1900.
Ebnr. Baylis & Son, Printers, 22, The Cross, and Trinity Works, Worcester.