Guelph Collegiate Vocational Institute - Acta Nostra Yearbook (Guelph, Ontario Canada)

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ACTA NOSTRA, 1926 67 MY RECENT ESCAPADE tPrize Essay for III ,lr.Al E. Carson fMay XY'hal Some people believe travelling in the Orient to be an ideal holiday. Others imagine it to be romantic. thrilling. But others, who have experienced that so-called pleasure. think of it as a dose of castor-oil. which must be taken but which leaves a bad taste in the mouth. I am of the latter disillusioned few. and after I have given a brief account of my most recent trip in China. I think you will agree with ine. Our parity consisted of thirteen. two wo- men. five girls. two men. and four boys. in- cluding a two-year old baby. lYe came -down from Omei mountain, a summer resort. to Kioting -expecting to find a steamer waiting to convey us down river. There was none. and for a week we waited for another to come up. Fortunately. Kioting was then my home, so we were not uncomfortable while waiting. On Saturday morning we were roused 'by the cry Steamer in sight! and all crowded to the top of a small hill to watch the slow progress of the little tug against the swift current. It had come within a mile or two of the city where the current proved too much for it, and it turned down-stream. Imagine our disappointment and rage! But we were to be consoled. for. that very afternoon. it managed to make the city. Three of our party. including myself. went d-own to see about securing passage. but on arriving at the steamer we found it had been comman- dcered by soldiers who were none too polite in telling us to go back home. Finally after various arguments and sums of money had passed between them and us. they told us to bring our baggage on board. This we did. only to find that. when we had put the last piece of 'baggage aboard. the soldiers would not permit us to go on the boat. More money and talk persuaded the gentlemen adventurers 'to allow us all standing space on the small deck. The company. in which we found our- selves. was anything but congenial. There were soldiers all armed to the teeth and overflowing with wine. who would gladly have run us through. There was an inhospitable captain who wished to put us ashore: and the stewards were the most impudent bunch of fellows I have ever seen out of s-chool. After we got under way. I became in- volved in a heated argument with ia young officer about the relations between England and China. 'I believe the was preparing to throw me overboard, ibut was interrupted in this unkind action by a volley of rifle shorts from both shores. NVe all dived for shelter behind boxes, bedding, anything so long as we could not see our attackers. I ducked be- hind a box which I afterwards found to be em-pty. and my argumentatiive friend crouch- ed behind me. leaving part of his coat ex- posed. which was promptly perforated. Wie crowded behind this box for nearly fifteen minutes. during which time my little friend was at great lengthfcursing the ances- tors of the unhappy individual who had ruined his coat. His vocabulary put even me to shame and after the bring ceased. I crawled out. while he followed to see whatdamage had been done. XYe found many bullet holes, but only two men had been slightly wounded. In several hours we anchored at Suifu. Then really began our troubles! Here we were to have transferred to another steamer. but. we were told. it had left the previous morning. XYhat were we to do? The boat we were on leaked badly. but there were no others. Finally deciding to put our baggage ashore. we secured an old row-boat. and had just landed the last piece. when we saw com- ing towards us two French Fathers. accom- panied by two French navy officers. XYhat a relief! All our troubles were dispersed as quickly as they had gathered. One of our party who spoke French well. brought us the joyful news that we were to go aboard the 'two French gun-boats, which would be leav- ing i-n the morning for Chungking. as guests of the comntanider. Did we work? No need to ask that! I ran up and d-own the shore for fully four hours. yelling at every man I saw to find me a boat. a raft. or anything that would carry our baggage around t-he bend to the gun- boats. Finally one old man came to my as- sistance with a battered old relic which must have been in active service as a life-'boa-t on the Ark. Into this we piled ourselves and all our baggage. 'pushed off from shore and drift- ed down-stream. too tired to row. On rounfd- ing the bend we saw. not twenty yards away. the two gun-boats. alight from stem to stern. like some fairy palace all aglow to welcome us, One of my companions said as ito himself: Thank God for white men! and I heartily agreed with him. THE NANCY fBy Dorothy Rushbroolc. III jr. C.l The Nottawasaga River rises in Dufferin County. and winding its way north through wooded country. finally empties its shining waters into the NVasaga. an annex of Georgian Bay. In the year 1814 this river was the scene of a battle between the Canadians anid Americans. and here it was that the Nancy, a British schooner. was sunk before it could escape out into the Bay. Over one hundred years have elapsed since this tragedy. years of parliamentary strife and war. Therefore. it is -only now that people are beginininig to

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66 ACTA NOSTRA, 1926 Essays V SHOULD CLASSICS HAVE A PLACE IN MODERN EDUCATION? lBy Elizabeth McI'hedran. III Sr. BJ fPrize Essayj Matthew Arnold has said that in educa- tion it is above all things necessary that a man acquaint himself with the best that has been thought in the world. Much of the best literature is found among the writings of the Greeks and Romans. No modern writer has been able to inspire a higher. more vivid. and passionate spirit of 'patriotism than the matchless oraitions of Pericles. Cicero and their fellow countrymen. No modern histories have been able to in- struct and enlighten governments of to-day. as those of Greece and of Rome. To under- stand fully political questions one must -have a knowledge of their historical background. Many of our problems are only enlargements of those with which first Greece. then Rome, was confronted. Thucydides Themistocles. the Gracchi an-d Julius Caesar had problems of historical and political movements as -in- structive for us as are those of Burke. Pittt and Macdonald. Since Rome, influenced by Greek culture. is the foundation of modern civilization, it is essential that the 'histories of 'these countries be studied. The literature of Rome shows fthe indu- ence of Greek. yet it contains many new ele- ments which make i-t truly Roman. The structure of the Latin sentence lacks some of the freedom of the Greek. Its foundation shows the character of the people, the-ir strength an-d dignity. and strict adherence to the law. The achievements of the Romans were practical. They gave to the world the first great example of law: they built up ithe first great imperial state whose history no imperial nation can afford to scoff at or over- look. They are one of the greatest people the world has ever known. It is difhcult to find a profession in mod- ern life in which a knowledge of .the classics is not an aid. The law student who must learn the history of law. has 'to go back to the system which the Romans had. A lawyer must be able not only to understand the law but to express himself clearly. The training which he obtains in translating Latin and Greek into English and vice-versa is unequal- led. To the scientist, since the majority of scientific names are derived from Latin and Greek, and since Greece was the cradle of science, a knowledge of these 'languages is of great value. In the study of modern lan- guage an acquaintance with the classics is of much use because the home of the Roman-ce languages was Rome. Classical mythology holds an important place in the world of fine arts. Modern drama, music and sculpture owe much to the classical lore. The legends of Orpheus and Eurydice. Cupid an-d Psyche. etc.. with their countless varieties of representations have ex- erted their influence on modern art. Aricliitects have made use of classical 'legends in the adornment of their buildings. Therefore a knowledge of the classics is of 'much value to the art student and to those who appreciate art. Modern -literature owes a great deb-t -to the classics. To them we are indelbted for even our alphabet. The New Testament was first written in Greek. Without taking into consideration the immense value of the works themselves. of classical writers, who have never been equalled -in their ability to C0111- bine music. poetry and reason. think of the influence which their literature has had on that of the modern age. There is no country in Europe from cold rocky Norway to the sunny plains of immortal Italy whose litera- ture is not interwoven with the threads of classical mythology. He who studies Englis-h literature without the lights of classical knowledge loses half the charm of its senuti- ments and style. of its force and feeling, and of its delightful allusions. Every age of English 'literature from Cha-ucer to the poets of -to-day. is steeiped deeply in legends and myths of Greece and Rlome. Milton. one of England's greatest poets, was also one of her greatest classical scholars. He could never have written as he did. without a knowledge of the classics. Tennyson's Ulysses cannot be really appreciated without a knowledge of Homer. Shelly. Keats, Browning. Lo-ngfel-low and scores of other poets have made use of 'Greek and Latin traditions. The -best proif-e.s- sors of English literature, the best critics, .the best historians are classical graduates. The rigidity of the construction of the Latin and Greek languages tends to correct the slovenly. careless habits of 'mo-dern writt- ing. It is for the best .interests of our Eng- lish language, five-sevenths of the vocabulary of which is derived from that of Greece and of Rome. that the study of the classics 'be encouraged in our modern system of educa- tion. One of the first and perhaps the greatest aim of education is the establishment of i-deals, which with training and heredity a-re the foundation of character. T0 master Greek and Latin one must have self-control, pat-ience, rigorous application, an-d keenness o-f observa- -tion. The Classics are unequalled as a means of disci-p-lining the judgment. of refining the taste and of quickening the understanding. Therefore the study of Greek and Latin. 'be- yond the utilitarian value to the student, direct- ly affects his character. 'Abeunt stu-dia in moresf'

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68 ACTA NO-STRA, 1926 feel that Wasaga Beach. the fiourishing sum- mer resort. is really a sport of historic interest. This summer, rumors 'travelled to Oak- view, three miles from the m-out-h of at-he Nottawasaga. to the effect that the sailing ship was being removed. Accordingly. early one morning my cousin and I decided to row down the river and investigate the pro- ceedings. The hands of the clock were pointing to ten minutes to seven when we silently emerg- ed from the co-ttage and made our way to the boat. As the oars dipped into the water and we slid from the bank, several huge. dusky turtles flopped into the river and disappeared under some white water-lilies. The woo-ds seemed alive this clear morning. Our wild neighbours had been abroad for hours before we. disturbing mortals. appeared on the scene. On our right. astartled blue heron rose from the 'brush and flapped southward: a mink scurried into safety. a kintgfisher flew scream- ing overhead and. from an overhanging pine, two furry hits of energy chattered angrilv as though to dispute our right in spoiling the stillness of their river. This was too sunny a morning for fishing as the black bass refused to he lured 'from the green depths below us. Now we turned the first bend and high sand banks rose into view covered with dense clusters of pines with. here and there. the Hash of a white birch. All was still here ex- cept for the steady dip, dip of oars an-d the muffled roar of waves beating upon the beach. One more bend and the river took a straight course towards the white-capped blue of t'he Bay. Though on one side still rose sand banks. the other shore was low and dotted with cottages. This was the Hiasaga of the holiday-maker. Xte were now fast approach- ing an island in mid-stream. a very small is- land. partly mud flats and covered with low bushes. lt was here that the schooner Nancy lay buried deep in mud. XYe ground- ed the boat and got out. It was not too early for curio .hunters to be abroad. and already a num-ber of men were standing knee-deep in water. digging in the sand. In due time we were shown a quantity of nails. an old bolt. several pieces of iron. and a key. all of which had been extracted from the debris. Only the ribs and keel of the schooner were above surface: .these were of thick. but decay- ed timber. These, besides an assortment of iron implements. tfhe anchor, a couple of can- non balls and an old Indian skull are all -that is left of the once staunch and gallant little bi ig. the Nancy . SAINT MALO tBy Peggy Hall. Form II BJ St. Malo is. in the minds of Canadians, a very important little town. because it was from this place that Jacques Cartier set sail in 1534 for the New World. It has been mad-e still more noteworthy by the poem entitled, The Seaport of St. Malo. writ-ten by D'Arcy McGee. who was a member -of the Dominion Legislature about the time of Confederation. This poem is in all third public school readers and for this reason we are more familiar witlh lt. A wall entirely surrounds the greater part of the town and is very strong and well built. As St. Malo is a very ancient town the build- ings are old. and as a result some are very quainft and picturesque. The streets inside the wall are very narrow and crooked with here and there a little square or an unoccupied building. The people are rather backward. and though the town is clean it is not sanitary. There are no sewers and Waterworks are very scarce. Almost all the dirty water and refuse is thrown into the streets and thus one could not say that sanitation existed in St. Malo. However. the inside of their homes is very clean and all brass and metal is kept in the very best condition. The inhabitants of St. Malo are mostly engaged in market gardening as there are few. if any, important factories. In the little -squares. which I mentioned before. a market is held each day. Ordinary fish and shell fish are the chief 'products for sale. but fresh vegetables are sometimes plenti- ful. Potato tops are often sold in these mar- kets to he use-d as a fertilizer. Loads and loads of these come in each day and the poor little donkeys which have to pull them some- times seem to be very tired. There are few motors and most transportation is carried on hy two wheeled donkey carts. The women of Malo wear the regular Brittany costume, which consists of a little white cap. well starched. and sitting just on top of their heads. an old-fashioned dress, usually black. with a purple or blue bodice. the skirt being full and nearly touching the ground. Felt slippers with leather soles or wooden shoes are worn by' all the poor classes while the better classes indulge in black leath- er low shoes. The girls dress just about tihe same as do our girls. but the boys when in short trousers wear a black satin apron to prevent their clothes from becoming soile-d. but when they begin to wear long trousers they do away with the apron. None of the people speak English Huently. but some of those who work in stores have a limited know- ledge of it. St. Malo is on an island in the estuary of the River Rance. It also 'faces the sea, and on all sides is surrounded by a rampart from fifteen to twenty feet high. At l-ow tide the water recedes about a mile, while at high tide it frequently splashes over the top of the ramipart. Paramie is a sister town to St. Malo, and here is situated a very wonderful bathing beach.. because when the water goes back it leaves a beautiful smooth coating of