Queen's College British Guiana Autumn Term 1913

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1. -Edltorial Notes.

11.-The Cambridire Locals.

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QUEEN'S COLLEGE, BRITISH GUIANA.

SCHOOL MAGAZINE. AUTUMN TERM, 1913.

EDITORIAL NOTES. The School.-Well kno'Yn to many are the feelings of masters and pupils at the start of a new year in the life of a school. There are absent ones, and these for the most part the heroes of the year before, those who having held rule in the upper school, have helped to mould the lives of the smaller boys and keep the moral tone of the school at its correct pitch.

As connecting links between boys and masters, these seniors arff doubly missed. The feeling that there is now no one to whom the attention of defaulting juniors can be drawn, haunts the mind of the teacher for the first week or two. On the othet· hand, fear of not bein~ able to reach the standard of their late schoolmates, stuns somewhat the boys whose recent promotion puts them at the top of the school. Thus there is a subtle stillness hanging in the air for a week· or two. Lastly on the first day, we find a number of new-comers, who seem ou't of place in the school rooms, and whose faces indicate only too plainly the novelty of coming to a big school and of seeing so many new faces some of which give lio happy foreboding to our new acquaintances. Such then have been the, feelings of many within the past few weeks, but even now these have passed away and the old school is driving ahead once more into the new year, hoping for and expecting the best. We are glad to report an increase in numbers, this, of course, being e .. pected at the beginning of the school year.

The following boys have left us in the forms indicated below:Form VI. Mc David, E. F ; ; Potter, E. A. Q.; Surrey, M. P. J.; Wong, R. V. E, Form V. Estwick, E. W. ; Horatio, H. J.; Parkinson, C. A. B. Form IV (Upper.) UMkip ••,U...Q. ; Hirschfeldt, C. A.; Ho-a-Lim, P.; Van Sertima, F. 0.

Form IV (Lower.) Emmanuel, R. A. L.; Gordon, S. H.; Schuler, A. E. :Form Ill, . Leung, J, H.; Stewart, H. S,

0

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QLJEEN'i:l COLLEGE SCHOOL MAGAZINE. Form II. Form I.

Ojha, S. N.; Whitehead, A. l\icCallum, S. J. ; Pereira, C.; Whitehead, C. A.

The following boys were admitted and placed as follows :-

•

Form IV (Upper.) AgaTd, J.E.; Knight, W. A.; de Weever, P. A. Form IV (Lower.) Kirkpatrick. K. I. W, F0t¡m Ill. Choy, E. E .

Form -II. Belmonte, C. G.; Choy, E . C. ; Madhoo, W. C. ; ,vharton, Vv. H. Form I. Bacchus, P. L.; Bacchus, S. ; Bobb Semple, M. J . ; Bobb Semple, C. E.; Callender, T. W. C. ; Cheong, A., Chin, E.; deFlorimont, A.; Gomes, A.H.; Ho-Yow, J . ; Johnson, R. T.; ,Johnson, F. T.; Lee Own, C. ; Lewis, C. V. ; Marks, J . A.; de Mattos, T.; Persaud, I.; Tang-Tat, J.; Wharton, L. H.; Wrong, F. E.

Among the departures we are sorry to see the names oi Wong i, Mc David, and Van Sertima ii. Wong i has been at Queen's since 1908, and on the whole has been a boy of which any schoo} might be proud. For the last 2 years he has been the leading boy at cricket and football in both of which he took special interest. In athletics also he ranked among the first, being next to the champion at the last_ two Sports meetings. Having the interest of the school deep at heart, he was a power for good among the juniors. Both Wong and Mc David were specialising in Mathematics, and it is our hard lot, as we have mentioned before, to have these lads removed from Queen's while they have left them chances at the Scholarship. Mc David, as captain of the Football eleven, though somewhat of a retiring nature,. worked hard for the school on the play-ground, and we could always feel, even when Mc David had tried and failed to score or knock over an opponent, that he had done his very best. Van Sertima ii a~ a coming classical scholar will be missed, though his efforts on the field were very poor. Gaskin and Hirschfeldt, two primary scholars, are leaving us without adding much to our fame in any way whatever, both having failed to come up to expectations. . Potter i, for two years secretary of the Debating Union, is also among the departures, after having made one attempt at the Scholarship in Mathematics. Although never showing up to advantage on the play-ground, Potter was as studious and hard working a boy as could be desired. Lastly, we must mention, Horatio who ha1:1 been with us since 1906, and is one of. the few boys who has passed thl'Ough the school. His intention is to study medicine.

The reports for our School Examination came to hand by the . first mail of the term. On the whole the school has .done well, the report, Science being decidedly favourable, as was that on Mathematics.

Elsewhere we publish an account of the Cambridge Local Examinations held in July. There is some fear of the Debating . Union's further

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existence, all of its supporters having deserted in a body: it is left to the new Sixth to keep it up. We hope they will do so heartily as we believe the boys gained much from it.

The Carpentry Cla.ss now under the supervlS!on of Mr. Bake1路 is progressing favourably, thanks to the interest taken in it by the Principal. l'he Staff-Mr. Pope, as usual, spent the long vacation in England with his family, and has ret.urn,ed much benefitted by his holiday.

Mr. Pilgl'im joined the ranks of Benedict~ during the vacation. The boys made him a handsome pt路esent on the last day of last term. We , wish Mr. and Mrs. Pilgrim a happy future.

The .lfagazine.-Besides the usual features we are glad to publish two letters from Old Boys in distant parti'! of the world. The extracts from letterR of ':i.n Old Boy farming in Canada should be extremely interesting to most of our boys. \Ve hope that other old boys in foreign lands will let us hear from them at times. Of the many suggestions put forward to improve our magazine, that of allowing our senior lads to contribute papers on imporbtnt subjects has been introduced in this number. Van Sertima's paper on " Our Education System " seems to augur well for this suggestion. A poem by E. Goring saves our magazine from being of too prosy a character. We should like to make our Old Boys' Corner more lengthy, but we find it so difficult a matter to keep in touch with our Old Boys. . We are pleased to acknowledge receipt of the Lent Term number of the "Antigua Grammar School Review."

THE CAMBRIDGE LOCALS. THE results _came by the Mail of September 25th. 42 Certificates with 14 honours and 16 distinctions were obtained as compared with 51 certificates, 15 honours and 14 distinctions last year. Of the senior candidates, Mortis, although he did not abtain a first (only three from the Co-llege have done so at their first attempt,) is to be congratulated on his distinctions in Latin and French. He and Dolphin were also the only I Colonial candidates to be excused both parts of the previous examination at Cambridge.

In the juniors we di<l better than ever before. Only once before, in 1900, have 4 firsts been gained, ,i,nd never before have we gained 4 distinctions in Chernistrv and 5 in Classics. Potter and Van Sertima are to be complimented 路on obtaining distinction in Greek after only' '2 years' work. There was a close race between Lewis and Potter for the _P ercival S!!holat;ship which went to the former.

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QUEEN'i:i COLLEGE SCHOOL :l'IAGAZINE.

The preliminary results were hardly as good as they might have been. Gilkes obtained a first, as was expected, but was beaten for the Mitchell Scholarship by Agard, of the Middle School. Dummett and Dunbar .ought each to have got a first as it was their second attempt.

Of the other Primary Scholins, Mitchell obtained a second-a very Cl'editable pedormauce, which he ought certainly to improve on this year-Gaskin a pass, aml Lewis failed ! Comment on the last mentioned performance is needless. Below we give the detailed results : SENIORS. CLASS II.-l, f J. C. Morris, S. B. W. Dolphin.

PAssEs.-H. J. Dingwall, J.C. Luck, E.G. Payne, C. A. Parkinson, H.J. Horatio, W. T. Benjamin, E. D. Goring.

JUNIOHS. CLASS I.-l, gk R. C. Potter, l, ch B. E. Lewis, r, ch B. Persau<l, ch E. S. Chabrol.

CLASS III.-V. I.E. Wong, l, gk F. 0. Van Sert.ima.

PASSES (under age.)-C. A. Hirschfeldt, E. J. Hunte, A. E. Schuler, ch 0. L. Hutchinson, J. B. Ewing Chow, F. M. Kerry, L. A. Hopkinson, A. B. Foo, E. L. Kranenburg. (Ovel' age.)-M. H . Khan, W. U. Mapp.

PRELIMINARY. CLASS I.-e, f, al M. W. Gilkes.

CLASS II.-C. R. Mitchell, J. C. Dummett.

CLASS III.-l E. L. Dunbar, C. H. Harewood, W. S. Stoby.

PASSES (under age.)-T. G. Wrigglesworth, M. L. Hutchin~on, C. L, Kranenburg, J. N. Loung, M. G. Gaskin, J. Vonziegazar. (Over age.)-C. F. Nurse, M. L. Iuce, .B. Pereira, C. R. Wrong.

OUR GUIANA SCHOLAR. THAT some one would win the Guiana Scholarship this year was to most of us a certainty. But, as the results indicated, none could have been so bold as to state which of the two classical candidates would be the winner. Three years ago another such close competition arose between Bruce-James and Reece. That, however, must give way to the one under review. Whenever, indeed, such evenly matched boys contest the scholarship, we may expect a glo1¡ious fight. Our sympathies, naturally, are extended to Van Sertima who still has another try, and our congratulations to Surrey, the Guiana Schola1¡ of 1913.

Surrey was admitted to Queen's College in .January, 1905. Trained, as he was, under the able hand of Mr. D. E Sharples, the giant among

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public school teachers, and coming to us as a primary scholar, there was little surprise at his quick advancement through the lower school.

It may be of interest to state that the other two primary scholars of Surrey's year were L. Dummett, now at the Inspector of Schools' Office, and N. G. G. Thomas, a reporter of the "Daily Argosy." Looking throu,gh the Reports Book we have been able to make the following · table showing the positions in f0rm gained by Surrey during his first 2t years at Queen's. It must be borne in mind that at that time Forms I, II, III, Lower IV were known as Forms IIA, IIB, IIIA, IIIB, · respectively:-

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were taken with Form IIA. In 1906 Surrey won the Mitchell Scholarship, and two years later·

he al8o carried off the Percival Scholarship. It may be of interest to state that he had as an opponent. at this last exttmi1mtion, Duke, who joined Surrey in Form IV at the beginning of 1908. Surrey obtained iiecond-class honours in the Senior Cambridge Locals in 1909, in which year he had already chosen Classics as his branch for specialising.

Surrey was the wicket-keeper of the cricket eleven, ai:id a fairly sturdy opponent on the " footer " field.

He was very fleet of foot, being in 1912 the Senior Champion of the school.

We wish him well in his studies for the bar, and hope soon to have him again with us as a successful barrister.

FOOTBALL. (By E. McDavid, Captain of Football.)

THE game of the Summer Term was, as is usual with us, Football. :puring the term the Junior League Competition came off, which we won for the second time in succession. It was a g1·eat pitty that the

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COLLJWE SCHOOL MAGAZINE.

As~ociation could not succeed in securing more than two entries for this Competition. Last year there were also only two entries, but considering the success with which it had been attended and the fact that this is the only Competition provided solely for junior teams in the colony, we had certainly hoped that the more important clubs in the city might have been induced to enter "B" teams.

But it is a fact that the Co.npetition must have dropped through had not the Scouts saved the situation by coming forward as readily as they did.

And this redounds all the more to their credit, because several of their best players were Queen's College Boys and .these naturally sided with the school.

The first match was played at Bourda on the 10th of June and resulted in a draw, 2-2. In this match we ought to have done better but we were severely handicapped by the loss of two of our best men, Norton a.n<l-Gordou, who were unable to play for the greater part of the term on account of poor health.

Their places were taken

by Phillips ii and Cox, the former of whom did especially well in spite of his light weight, he having secured the honour of shooting one of the goals. Man-son-Hing, our "goalie," was also absent but filled his place creditably in the return match. This was played at Kingston on the 31st June and resulted in a complete victory for the the school, 4-0. The team played well together and deserved success.

Of the other matches played during the term, three were won and three lost. Those matches that were lost might have resulted in our favour had it not been for the extreme lightness of our forwal'd line which was at a great disadvantage when meeting heavy opponents on our small ground.

Our usual team was composed of the following :-Man-son-Hing i, Gaskin i, McDavid, Grant i, Payne, Dolphin, Phillips i, Phillips iii, \Yong ii, Phillips ii, ,vong i. Mr. Pilgrim, Van Sertima, Cox and McCallum also pl:iyed on various occasions.

The Ward Match Competition which, to most College boys, is the most important event of the footer season was also played out last term. These matches were as interesting this year as ever, and called forth much enthusiasm from present boys and from not a few old ones.

The following are the vVal'ds that competed:-

Kingston. :McDavid (Capt.)

Van Sertima i Phillips i Phillips ii Phillips iii Schuler

Rest.

Payne (Capt.)

Dolphin Grant i Dingwall l\foCallurn Shannon

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QUEEN'S COLLEGE SCHOOL MAGAZINE. Cum,mingsbiirg.

Werk-en-Rust.

Gaskin i (Capt.)

Gaskin iii Gordon Hopkinson Williams Cox:

Wong i (Capt.)

Wong ii Small Lee Estwick Man-son-Hing i.

Reserves :-Warren and Luckhoo.

This year's competition was won by Kingston with 12 points, followed by Werk-en-Rust with 6. Kingston's success was mainly due to the splendid forward play of the Phillips brothers, the fine shooting of major being supplemented by the clever passing of the two youngsters. These two will assuredly do brilliantly for Queen's in years to come. Wong, major and minor, played with their usual dash and energy for W erk-en-Rus~, which, perhaps, deserved greater success.

Cummingsburg had a weak team this year, but ably captained by Gaskin i put up some plucky fights, notably against "'l'he Rest" whom they defeated in both matches. This last Ward, though not brilliant, had the advantage of weight and with a little more energy could have taken a bette1· phtce as they showed in the return match against Werk-enRust when they avenged a 6-nil defeat by defeating their opponents 2-1. Shannon must be congratulated for his clever goal keeping on that occasion. '\Ve beg also to thank heartily Mr. Pilgrim and those old boyg who refereed for us in the competition-a kindness which we fully appreciated owing to tT1e dreadful state the ground was then in. ~ppended are the results :,.;

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The season which has just ended can therefore be voted quite a success. In spite of the disadvantage of the small size of most of our players we have fairly held our own and may hope to do still Lette1· with steady and persevering practice.

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QUEEN'S COLLEGE SCHOOL MAGAZINE.

BOY SCOUTS. TROOP I. (By Patrol Leader V. /. Wong.)

Scout Master :

Sergt-Major MANLY:

Asst. Scout 1l1a~ters:

Messrs. E. 0. PrLGRI111 AND P . OuCKAMA.

SINCE the last publication of the records of our Troop, it has been progressing but slowly. Owing to our School examinations the boys were not able to a,ttend parades regularly. On the 20th of July Mr. Pilgrim left for Barbados, and besides this our Scoutmaster was taken ill, and all this impeded our advancement. Again, in August there was our usual vacation, during which most of the boys went on holiday trips. For these reasons our number of proficiency badges has risen only from 105 to 120, which is very unsatisfactory compared with our past records. In spite of all these we have at present more than doubled our number of all-round cords. It rose from 4 to 10, which · shows that the most of the 15 badges have been obtained by boys who had already obtained some badges.

Two months ago our most ardent Patrol-Leader, R. V. E. Wong, left for England to study engineering. He was one of the first members of the troop, and the loss of him has been much regretted.

All the boys are now getting into trim, for s·oou the newly appointed Commissioner is expected to re-examine those boys who have obtained badges.

Perhaps, it may not be out of place to mention that a few of our scouts will take part in the swinning ·~ompetition of which Mr. Roberts of Troop VI. is the promoter.

The annual Scouts Sports ought to have been held in July, but unfortunately. the visit of General Hay caused their delay and up to now they have not come off. The Scoub'I' committee has not yet held a meeting to discuss such affairs, therefore it has not been decided whether there will be any this year or not. Now boys, let us try to keep up to the front as we have always done in the past.

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"\,Ve are very pleased to announce that our Asst. Scoutmaster, Mr. E. 0. Pilgrim, was married on the 6th of September and received a handsome present which was subscribed to by the Troop. We wish him and his wife all happiness and prosperity in the ft!_ture .

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THE GOVERNOR'S BICYCLE . .

(By J. C. ·Morris.)

WHILE within the school the boys were busily enga,ged in puzzling out the troublesome loquacity of Horace 01' the tiring fluency of Cicero in no way comforted by the fitful outbursts of rain without, there marched right into the room a boy with a bicycle. Now, not only was this s<;>mewhat s~range, but the " bike" was new brand. We wondered, most of us, casting eager glances in its direction, who was the owner: while not a few, hastily conjecturing that it might have been ordered by a certain important dii!Ilitary (whose "wheel," by the way, was and still is rather rusty) gave but one short look and w•mt on with their Latin. The boy, at the direction of the Principal placed the bicycle in a corner of the gallery and went away. Hardly had they added a dozen lines to their work when the Principal, who had le~ the room for a few moments, returned; followed by His Excellency the Governor and Captain Napier. Of the import of this visit just a faint glimmer, began to illuminate the minds of the more alert. The Principal gave orders to stop writing. We heard a jabbering noise and, on looking round, noticed that the boys in the lower forms were ·trooping up from downstairs. These having settled down, His Excel- , !ency started to explain why he had come. He first said that he was sorry to disturb t.he boys at their examination but he had asked Mr. Pope to see that the time lost through his visit be made up to them afterwards.

Prnceeding, he stated that he had received from Mr. Pope the report of the examination which had been held for the purpose of awarding a bicycle to the boy who should gain the highest number of m:uks in certain elementary mathematical papers, and he had not been displeitsed with them. He specia lly commended the Fourth Form for the high level to which they had attained in the examination, and offered them his sympathy in the matter of the paper on Trigonometry, which paper it was his intention to cau!se to be omitted in future examinations ,of the kind. But, as was only fitting, a Sixth Former had carried off the prize though rather closely pursued by a boy in the Fourth. He had also observed with pleasure that the boys in the lower Forms had done fairly well in the more elementary papers, and must give them also a special word of encouragement. At this point, amid the hearty cheering of the boys, the "bike "-a regular gem-was brought on to the platform. Si1· ·walter then presented it with his congratulr,,tions to McDavid, the winner, remarking that he hoped he would use it well ·and not to the hurt of the poor little feathered creatures in the streets.

Lewis received an order for books to the value of five dollars, while to vVilliams, the i::lecond For·m hoy who had come first in the "Tots" paper, was awarded the sum of five.iihillings.

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QUEEN"S COLLEGE SCHOOL MAGAZINE.

Three lqsty cheers from a hundred lusty lungs were given for His Excellency, and somebody called for one for McDavid.

I-foi ]~xcellency then bade good-morning and departed. The boys, after a not unpleasant interruption, returned to their work entertainiug the highest ideas of His Excellency's generosity.

OUR EDUCATION SYSTEM. (By S. J. Van Sertima.)

IT ifl an incontestable truth that our educational system, despite recent impro\'ements, seldom succeeds in producin.~ lads really capable . of maintaining an honest independence. It has always been believed, and, we think, rightly too, that no education which does not make this its first aim is worth anything at all; and yet, but a mere glance at our secondary institutions suffices to impress us with the appalling fact that we are turning out, with marvellous celerity, lads of a narrow and circumscribed intellectual area, a scholarly race, who pride themselves on their achievementil emblazoned in blue books, but who, alas ! so soon as they touch the threshhold of active life are like helpless beings , thrown on the limitles.:1 sea, devoid of skiff, of helm, of rudder, with which to steer through the difficulties and dangers of life's course.

Nor is the reason far to seek. In everything that we do, the first condition of success is that we understand clearly the result which we desire to produce. This, however, is sorely lacking in our system.

Obsessed with the idea, at once erroneous and pernicious, that the goiil of educn.tion is mere success at ex11,min11tions, we load our young prodigy with an enormous n.ccumulation of propositions of all sorts only that he mn.y pour them forth, n:iy, one is tempted to sa.y, vomit them out, into the examiners' laps. His mental culture, his moral welfare, his practical needs, we leaYe for him to cultivate and develop :is well he may.

Practical institutions we sadly need. There is too much of theory, ·t oo little of practice in our education syst,em. The carpent1·y shop lately erected at Queen's College, thanks to the wide experience and foresight of His Excellency, is a type of the institution th:i.t our lads require. The Bursary System also we highly commend. But we iihould be glad to see more institutions of this kind. British Guiana, a. country with such agricultural and commercial possibilities, ought certainly to have institutions calculated to fit our youth for the part they may be called upon to play, when the Colony's resources begin to be developed.

A Government school, wherein could be tau~ht the ru<liments of trade, commerce, shorth·md, typewriting and modern languages, is the

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sort of institution that we require, to compensate fur what cannot, under the present conditions, be taught in our secondary schools. Vv e might with Froude, aptly say :-" You are going to be a 1::twye1¡, you must leam Latin. Are you to be a doctor? you must loam Latin too ; but neither Thucydides nor the Acts of Parliament will bP of use to you.

Are you to be an engineer? yo\l must work now, when you have time, at mathematics. Learn modern languages also. The world is wide, your skill will be welcomed."

This is the argument of this humble paper. It maintains that action is the real teacher; that in our present higher education we devote too much effort and too many precious years to subjects which have no practical bearing upon life.

Let us, therefore, so train our young men that they may be of more practical value to the state, let us disillumine them of those illusions so inseparably connected with our secondary education system, let us purify and strengthen their mental culture, and make them more thorough citizens than the present system permits of, remembering that "the assets of a nation are its young men," and that" the prosperity of a country depends not on the abundance of its revenues, nor on the strength of its fortifications, nor on the be1tuty of its public buildings, but it consists in the number of its cultivated citizens, in its men of education, enlightenment and character ; here are to be formed its true interest, its chief strength, its real power."

A LETTER. Bristol, Engl::ind, 22nd September, 1913.

DEAR

BoYs,

Before I left Demerai¡a I rashly promised our Editor to give you an account of my then proposed voyage to England. I suppose he intended me to set down my personal ~xperiences and at the flame time to give you an idea of the manner in which one tnwels from Demerara to England. Beal'ing this in mind, I shall now attempt, though with cousfderable misgiving, to fulfil my promise. Having taken no notes, and with therefore only a rather bad memory to rely on, my diffidence now may well be understood. Before a long voyage you are very apt to think that you could and would do a great amount of work while it lasted. But experience proves otherwise. New surroundings, change in the light, motion of the ship: be the reason what it may, the fact remains that "at sea you acquire a marked distaste for work of all kinds.

For the benefit of the hypercritical, .I may add that thi8 somewhat sweeping assertion is not rueaut to include those persons thn,t are quite

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QUEEN'S COLLEGE SCHOOL MAGAZINE.

accustomed to life at sea. Now that, not being one of these favoured individuals, I have established a claim to sympathy, let us, without further preamble, a nos montons.

Of the noise and confusion attendant on the departure of the mail-boat, I shall not write. If with these you are not, by any me:ws, Fift~, a,Jready painfully familiar, you ruay count yourself lucky. " senders off" to every one passenger, each of them bidding what are meant to be ptithetic good-byes in "gramaphone" tones, here a fussy passenger bustling about to see for the fiftieth time 'that his baggiige is quite safe, thel'e a grief-stricken soul weeping her eyes out because her " boy" was going away . on a two-week holiday to one of the vVest Indian Islands oh ! but enough !

At last the ship drew clear of the wharf. Fairly in the stream, we seemed suddeµly transported into a new world. Instead of the hurry and rn;iise we already had the quiet and peace of life on board ship. Everything was so new and strange that for a time my ;tttention was confined to the doings on board. Then I casually noticed that 'already Demerara could hardly be seen. Alas for my dream-voyages !

I can picture to myself now, how, as I dreamed, I stood on the deck 'and, as my native land fast faded on the horizon, cried in a voice choked with emotion : " Adieu, my native land, adieu ! " But vile, heartless wretch ! I found myself wondet-ing instead whether I should have to bid adieu to the tea I had had just before leaving home. ' But happily I was not called upon to perform this painful task. On the whole we had good weather throughout the voyage.

The first part of my voyage, from Demerara to Trinidad, waB uneventful and about thirty hours after we had left Demernra we dropped anchor in i;he Gulf of Paria. As it happened it was just after midnight, and in the distance, with het' lights like little twinkling stars, dark hills looming up all around, as if to guard her while she slept, the town of Port-of-Spain looked very pretty indeed. Morning brought the Port officials. Pratique haviug been granted, I left the ship at 7 in the R. M. Company's tender. I remained ashol'e until 4 in the afternoon when the tender took us all, passengers from Trinidad and other intercolonial parts, to the homeward-bound mail. There I found that my baggage had been transferred from the intercolonial mail by the company's· men. At about 6 we were steaming out to sea. The sea was somewlmt rough, and as I had the misfortune to have alloted to me a cabin almost at the bow of the ship, you may well imagine that mine that night was not "the bed! oh, bed! delicious bed!" of Miss Kilmansegg's dream. Those of you, who have experienced the ordeal of being tossed in a blanket, will understand my sufferings.

Propelled sky-high Ly some unseen force, there I would remain for a second or so; then down would I come only to be again shot upwards

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and so on ad infinitum, or so it seemed a,t a.ny rate. Is it to be wondered at that for some time I could not sleep ? But at last tired Nature had her will. When I rea:)hed the deck next morning it was eight o'clock and we were already safely anchored in Carlisle Bay. This bay, as you all perhaps know, is, though by no means a good oue, the principal harbour of Barbados. As was to he ex:-pected the first things that caught my eyes as I looked over the side of the ship were the black boys in their tiny boats. There they were with their unceasing cries of "sur, sur, sur," unceasing, that is, until someone threw af coin into the water ; when over they would all go in a mad "scramble" for it. The coin captured, up they would all come again with the same familiar chorus of "sur, sur, sur."

We left Barbados at about one in the afternoon. Then as for some reason or other we were not to call at the 4-zores, as the Royal Mail usually doeP, we had a cleat· eleven days run to Cherbourg, our next port of call. The first day or two passed quietly while the passengers gradually settled down. Then the usual ship's games were started.

Soon these became rather tiresome aud an enterprising passenger · for·med a Sports' committee. The last week or so of the ' voyage was taken up by these s.ports. Two or three events in the morning and the same number in the afternoon formed the usual daily programme.

Ladies and gentlemen all competed at the sports which helped a great deal to make the time pass pleasantly. In the afternoon, after the sports for the day were over, the nets would be put up and a game of cricket be indulged in. Two matches were played the Passengers vs. the Officers and the return. As far as I can remember the passengers won both. One gentleman did suggest that a team representing the West Indies should play against one picked from the rest of the \Vorld, but unfortun:Ltely it was found impracticable to carry this out. The evenings were usually spent in dancing and on the bst; evening, but two, there was a Fancy Dress Ball as a grand jinale to the sports and to a very pleasant voyage.

On Sunday night, the eleventh day after our departure from .

Barbados we arrived at Cherbourg at ten p.m. Next morning at six we started for Southampton which we reached at 1 p.m. Our baggagewas all arranged in alphabetical order according to the owners' names.

The Customs' officials having inspected and passed them, into the waiting train they were bundled, and we started for London whel'e we arrived about three hours later. Now I am finh,hed. My promise })as been fulfilled and wishing you all a good term and a successful season.

I remain, Yours very truly, ROB},R'l' V. EVAN

WONG.

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Q"CEEN'S COLLEGE SCHOOL MAGAZINE.

EXTRACTS FROM LETTERS OF AN OLD BOY. May, 1913. Well, here I am in Jordon. I had quite a pleasant journey and everything went O.K. We <lid not do much the first evf'ning. Mr. T. showed me how to work the cream separat.or, that was all.

There arc 5 horses, 3 cows and a calf, 1 sow with 3 pigs, and 100 hens. Mr. T. has 125 ac1es altogether under apples, peaches, grapes, cherries, a few pears, currants, and gooseberries, about 15 acres in oats and the rest in clover, hay and pasture. Quite a lot for one man and·two boys to look after, eh? There is a big barn where hay, oats, wheat, etc. are stored, besides ham and bacon (home grown) ; and the stables are underneath. There i~ also a building for the implements, one for work-shop, a piggery and a fowl-house.

This morning we got up at 5.45 (it's usually 5.30) milked the cows and separa.ted the cream before breakfast at 6.30. The other boy and an old man come at 6.30 and clean the stables while we are at breakfast. Mr. T. and Burch, the hoy, were ploughing all day, Johnson and I were putting in plum trees in place of dead cherries, and started putting in peach trees where they had ploughed On Friday. Burch and I drove in to market at St. Catherine's, about 7 miles east, with 10 bushels of potatoes.

We started at 6.30 and got there at 8. Marketing is certainly great fun, you see all kinds and types of people, mostly old women of the poorer class in funny little capes and bonnets. We got rid of all our stuff and sold one bushel to a toothless old "nigger" with a hand-cart.

Ma.y 27th. Yesterday morning we had "white frost" and some people, who were previous in setting out their tohrn.to plants, lost them. .Burch and I have been putting roofing on the Dairy up to Friday and since tl1en have been spraying the apple orchard. It isn't such a" chink" as I thought it. We spray with a solution of Lime Sulphur (you know what that smells like, H , S !) mixed with lead arsenate paste, a rank poison. The mixture is a dark green liquid which, of course gets over· everything, hands, face, clothes, the overalls were just in time to be of great help, and Mr. T. lent me an old white jacket and cricketing hat.

Yesterd11y afternoon Burch begged off. He is buying a " wheel '' from a friend and wanted to try it. Mr. T. and I got a load of logs and cut them up for firewood, also pumped water for the house. There is a cistern holding 400 ga.llons. But you needn't think it was · hard work, because we have a 6 H.P. gasolene engine which we connect to the ~ pump and the circular saw. Some class eh ! The 400 gallons are [ pumped in about 5 minutes.

June 22nd. Yesterday Mrs. T . took Charlie and Gevff for a walk and came across n. patch of wild strawberries and picked a big peach

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basket more than half full. We had stcawberries and cream for supper last night. This morning (Sunday) we got up rather earlier than usual, did the chores and went out and picked one of those skillets cram-full in an hour-not bad eh? There is a place by the . road side which is just thick with them for about 30 yards. It looks quite red a little way off. vVe are going to have a sort of trifle with them to-night; some with cream to-day and the rest to make jam, I think. Tame strawberries are very dear this year, the frost spoilt a lot, I believe.

Thanks for the College Magazfoe. " The Counts'" article was most interesting.

June 29th. e have been busy with hay all the week. On Tuesday morning Mr. T. mowed half the clover field and on Wednesday afternoon we started cocking it. Next day we got au old Dutchman named Bowers to come and help us draw it. He has lately sold his farm and is living on the interest of the profits. He is over 80 years old. Mr. T. and I were pitching the hay while Bowers was loading.

He knows a thing or two ;tbout it I Old Bpwers says he hasn't loaded for over 30 years now, and he gets a!:Jout lf tons on ona load. Haying is certainly a tough job. )Ve had very hot weather too, up to 90° and 92° nearly all the time.

To pitch the hay, we stand with our backs to the dray, facing the cock to be pitched. Both dig our forks in the cock and lift about 1/3 of it at a time over our backs on to the dray. When the load gets about as high as you can teach with a 5-foot fork it is pretty hard on the back. The perspiration pours in streams from every part of your body and bits of hay a.nd dust get down your neck and into your shirt The agent for the -" OvPrland" motor cars came and gave Mr. and Mrs. T ., B11by and self a "joy ride." Said agent is doing his best to talk Mr. T. into buying a car. 'l'hey certainly. are dandy cars and Mr. T. is much plensed, but ~ays "not yet, but soon! " July 20th. I have been spending the day at the Goodwins. I thought I wouldn't be able to go this morning. Got ready about 10.30 and was just hitching Judy on when '' il pluited."

However, I managed to get away at 12.15. We had dinner at 1. Mr. T. very kindly lent me the horse and democrat to drive down in-jolly decent, wasn't it? Mr. and Mrs. and Tom Rigby, Mr. and Miss Lawrence and some other people whom I was not introduced to (one of them a Dinkie little girl of about 18 ! oh you !) came up about 4 and we had tea at 5.30. We went for a walk down near the lake (the Dinkie one and self stuffing with cherries!!) and then sat on the lawn and gassed a good bit (I gassed with the Dinkie one mostly !!) till dark, and I have just got back 8.30. vVanted to see the Dinkie one off, but she went when I was getting the horse hitched. Am now living in hopes of meeting her again!!!

,v

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QUEEN'S COLLEGE SCHOOL MAGAZINE.

August 17th. Don't know how you all are feeling, but I am decidedly hot and wet to put it very mildly. Yesterday and to-day have been "sump'n fierce" 90° and 96° respectively. I am now sitting in my room, which is on the cool side of the house, clothed in a pair of pyjama pants and perspiration is running down "undiq-ge" (haven't quite forgotten all of it.) The household has, with one accord, decided to sleep out on the lawn, to which place of coolth I will retreat after finishing off this.

September 14th. The last few days have been quite cold and last night there was a slight frost in places qut we escaped. Temperature i:. . now 40° anq wind in N.E., so we will most likely get frost between 3 and 4 to-morrow morning.

J. F. B.

FUTURITY. (By E. D. Goring.)

Oh, say thou darkest Future, Say, who is he That just can see But one day's distant life in thlle !

Then, tell unkind Futurity, Why mankind gives thee heed ?

In thy closed book, He cannot look ; · It's contents, none can read.

Though unkind, yet we love thee ; For thou dost hide, From fatal stride, Misfortune's abyss gaping wide, For mishaps unexpected Dull weapons only keep.

Adversity Comes not from thee.

What men sow 'tis that they reap.

For all our wild ambitions, The castles fair We build in air, On fortune's pages must be there.

Thou key of locked " Fortuna" That none can imitate,

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We have not thee, How can we see The road marked out by fate !

In vain om¡ resolutions.

For we but find A change of mind Doth follow each time's passing wind, Hence sightless, groping blindly As on Life's path we go, Let us give way To Fate, and say It was to happen so.

OLD BOYS' CORNER. N.B.-The figures in brackets denote the year of entry to the College.

The following have joined the Old Boys' Association since our last number w~s published :-M. Fung-kee-Fung, F. C. F. Gilchrist, A. R. Gomes, W. W. Persaud, G. F. Hopkinson, B. Khan (India), C. F. Day (Canada), G. S. Bushe (Canada), J. F. Bushe (Canada), L. A. Bushe (Canada), R. V. E. Wong (England). It is very gratifying to note that several Old Boys, who are now in distant lands, have kept up their interest in thefr old school by joining the Association.

L. Bushe ( 1908) has obtained the post of Private Secretary to the Vice-President of the Canadian .Pacific Railway.

T. H. K. Moulder, B.A., Oxon. (1883) hag been appointed Inspector of 8chools in the Bahamas. Mr. Moulder came first for the Guiana Scholarship in 1889, but was disqualified on a technical point and the Scholarship awarded to vV. de W. (now Dr.) vVishart.

8ubsequently the Combined Court voted Mr. Moulder one of the lapsed Scholarships. While at Oxford he took part in the Seniors match (at cricket) and pl::tyed for Oxfordshire.

He also represented the Colony in Barbados, in 1891. ¡ G. F. Hopkinson (1904-) has won the champion (Hodgson) Cup of the B.G. Chess Club, with 12-! points out of 14 games played. As Mr. Hopkinson is one of the youngest members of the Club, his success is all the more creditable.

It is with great pleasure that we have to record notable successes in England on the part of two of our Guiana 8uholars, L. vV. Bruce-

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.QUEEN'S COLLEGE SC-SOOL ){AGAZINE.

James (i902) and E . M. Duke (1907). The former competerI for the Ga.isford Greek Prose at Oxford-the blue ribbou ·of Greek 8cholarship at, that University-and, although he ,did not win the prize, received honourable mention. Mr. Duke has added to his other laurels in the Mathematical line by winning a Scholarship of £30 at Universit.y College, London. Our hearty congratulations to each on his brilliant work.

J. A. Veerasawmy (1904) and R. T. Egg(l898)havebeenarlmitted to practise as barristers at the local Bar. The former was captain of cricket and champion athlete in his last year. Mr. Egg was also in the Cricket XI, and showed great promise as a bat and wicket-keeper.

At the Annual Rifle Meeting of the B. G. Volunteer Recreation Club, held on September 18th, 19th and 20th, W. A. Smellie (1905) won the Recruits' Competition and Wood Davis Medals, J . T . . Greathead (1887) the Lushington Cup, and L. S. Davis (1903) the Class Competition. At the same meeting Mr. Greathead secured the Gold Medal for the highest average and Mr. Davis the Bronze.

G. S. Bushe (1905) is engaged in "Commercia,l Art" with the Lennox Studio in Montreal and occ;isionally on the "Montreal Herald " · newspaper. His brother J . F. Bushe-(1908) is farming in Ontario.

N. G. G. Thomas (1910) is now a reporter on the" Daily Argosy" staff.

We are ,mre tl1at all Old Bovs will JOlll in congratulating Mr. Pilgrim on his marriage and in wishing all happiue8s to Mrs. Pilgrim and himself.

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