48
than that
of
·
|
[January 22, 1306.
In
Mr. Piercey informed His Excellency that that scholar was John Crolens, who was. presented with the prize amid the hearty cheering of his schoolmates.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND pionio by launch, kindly lent by Mr. Osborne, now understood, aimed at stopping the existing of China. Hebrew, Greek and Latin, much aa now studied by some fa whom our thanks are also due for the loan disorder by teaching a way of life which was to they were then, are
millions lead man no longer to desire the things which
of people of a launch for, the Boxing Day excursion, when
who seek inspiration the boys and their sisters and friends from the excited their passions and so led to war and in the dead languages of Jades, Greece The hieroglyph ics of the Diocesan Girls' School had games and races at rapine, while the clearer aim of Confucius was and Rome. Lai Chi Kok, towards the cost of which Mr. to re-establish order on the basis of controlling Egyptians, and the arrow-headed writinge Sullivan, of Amoy, again kindly contributed. men's actions by making them loyal and obedient of the Assyrians, Babylonians and Persiane The boys remaining during the summer holi- to the constituted authorities of the Emperor, is now only understood by a few scholars days were, through Mr. Bowley's kindness, taken the state and the family. The stability and who have helped to reconstruct them. by tram to see Harmston's Cirous and Menage strength of China is a splendid result of the addition, the ancient nations of the year, ie. A very pleasant evening was spent with practical aims of Confucius. Lao Tzu's intel-500 B.C. were proficient in arts as well as in the gramophone kindly lent by Mrs. Gomes,ligible doctrines gradually became perverted into literature. China, it is true, has never succeed- we know it, and ceased to be an ed in achieving those beautiful and lasting The Bishop last year offered prizes for cricket Taoism, as and tennis competitions between this School element of good. To the south west of triumphs of work which, at the period I men- and St. Stephen's College, but tho latter de- China, and separated from it by vast tracts tion, hal been achieved by more western It was, however, very little later than clined to play. Our football team has, under of wild and mountainous country inhabited by nations. Mr. Brawn's fostering care, not lost a match | barbarous Tartar and Tibetan Tribes another 300 B.C. that the beautiful palace of Persepolis, this season; in cricket we have only played one ancient civilisation, consisting of some 16 of which ruins still exist, was constructed in match and won it against the Chinese Y.M.C.A.kingdoms, crept in and over all the valley of Persia, and the remains of palaces in Babylonia Advantage was taken of the annual overhaul the Ganges. This was the people of India, and Syria date from still earlier times, as do in the summer holidays to introduce improved who were then, as now, separated into sharply also the temples of Egypt which now attract methods of ventilation in the school-rooms and defined castes or classes, but differing from the visitors to the Nile. In Greece the simpler dormitories, and an English cooking range Chinese in the greater power wielded by the Doric style had already been developed, and the world's greatest masterpieces were with hot water service, instead of the old. | priest and the higher position held by the war- fashioned Chinese kitchen. A new box-room riors. In one of these states-that of Magadha | soon to be fout from stone in. that land.
From at the time we are considering, there was a was enclosed in the covered playground: two
the writings of China, the wall- class-rooms were enlarged by removal of party young prince who had relinquished wealth and paintings of Egypt and the bas reliefs of walls; and a wire fence put on the tennis court the pleasures of life to teach that all castes Assyria and Babylonis we know that the chase, to protect neighbouring Government windows. were really equal and the desirability of music and the cultivation of flowers were looked Our thanks are again due to Messrs. Palmer abandoning the joys of life in order to upon by these people as among the wholesome and Turner for superintending these improve- combat its evils and be free from them in a pleasures of life, and the triumph of good ment, and to the following gentlemen for future existence. He opposed the priests over evil was the ruling principle of religion. providing prizes: Hon. Mr. T. S. Smith, Hon. of Brahminism, and succeeded in diminishing Into the details of these matters I don't pro-. Of pose to go, but I hope I have been able to in- Mr. Wei Yak, Rev. F. T. Johnson, Messrs. L, the influence of their strange gods.
terest you in this picture, and make you under- Arnold, F. B. L. Bowley, T. Edwards (Canton), course, much later Buddhism was brought to Fung Wa Chuen. E. A. Hewett, Ho Fook, Ho China, and it is there where its beautiful stand what a help it is to be able to look round Tung, and Sin Tak-fan.
principles became altered beyond recogni-ion. the world at some particular period of history and realise how people then lived. I now pro- At the time Buddha preached in the valley of
pose to follow the precedent of last year, and the Ganges and the valley of the Indus, a great river in the north west of India came present to the scholar who has taken the most under the Persians who were then at the climax advantage of his historical studies a special of their greatness under King Darius I prize (applause). Shortly before they had absorbed the ancient which they were Kingdom of Media, to subordinate. They also established themselves in the two valleys of the Tigris and the
HIS EXCELLENCY then said it did not seem Euphrates which then towed by separate, courses into the Persian Gulf, and ruled quite fair that the boys should get all the He there- Babylon and Ninevah, which 2,000 years pre-prizes and the masters none, viously had alternately been the magnificen, fore had much pleasure in giving Mr. capitals of Western Asia. With Babylonia Piercey a souvenir of this prise-giving (renewed Judea, from which a large part of its inhabitants | cheering). had been removed by "The Great Captivity in the previous century had passed under the Persians who also had occupied several countries in what is now called Turkey in Asia, of which the principal was Lydia, whose king. Croesus, is known by his proverbial riches. The Persians, in this year-500 B C.-were masters of all the country round the Persian Gulf. They had succeeded in obtaining a footing in Africa by the conquest of Egypt where some thirty dynasties of Pharoahs had for at least highly 2,500 years before B.C. 500 ruled over a civilized people in the fertile valley and delta where the Nile flows through green fields of grain, bounded by the amber-coloured hills of the desert. They had also attempted, and to some extent successfully, to "obtain footing in Europe where Thrace and Macedonia in Greece had become tributary to them. But already in 500 B.C. had commenced the revolt of the Greeks against Persian authority, which resulted, within the fifty years that followed, in the overthrow of the Persians at the battles of Marathon on land and Salamis The Greeks, though at the head of no at sea. great empire were then approaching their brief period of artistic and literary brilliance which more than any other epoch of a nation's history has influenced the world's civilization. Some time previously they had established colonies in the South of Italy, destined ultimately, with Greece itself, to pass under the dominion of Rome. In the year 500 B.C. Rome set about to expel her kings, commence the absorption of the elementary Italian civilization and start on that period of slow growth, which to a nation, like a plant or animal, betokens future long life and strength. The rest of Europe was mostly covered with forest, sparsely inhabited by wild tribes of skin-clad and painted har- barians. Of the people I have mentioned the Chinese represented the yellow, or Mongolian ; the remainder the three families of the white All of these had written or Cancasian race. languages. The Chinese differed slightly in form from that now used by the vast population
HIS EXCELLENCY then distributed the prizes after which he said :-Mr. Johnson, Ladies and Gentlemen-I find, as is curiously enough often the case, that the report of the Head Master is somewhat more favourable the Inspector of Schools; but while Mr. Irvine pointed out the various weak points to which, I am sure the instructional staff will give atten- tion, he stated that the work and management of the school could not be considered otherwise than very efficient. This is very satisfactory, as are also the successes of the boys in the Oxford Local Examinations, the Belilios Scholarship, and in the advanced course of hygiene. I note with satisfaction that the numbers have increased, and that the attendance is more regular; also that the strength of the teaching staff is being kept up. This is very important, especially in view of the curriculum having been extended, and I think it is well that I should repeat the word of warning which I gave at St. Stephen's College, that the management should bear in mind that knowledge is better measured by depth than by extent of area.
Turning to the students, HIS EXCELLENCY said:-Boys-You will remember that at last prize-giving I spoke to you about history, and explained how a scaffolding of dates and facts derived from a school course. was helpfl to a subsequent comprehension of the world's interest- ing stories. I gave you then two sketches to show how the growth and civilization of a nation could be traced down the centuries. On this occasion I think I may be able to interest Instead you by a sketch drawn in another way. of following the story down the course of time I will try to give you a rough picture of the state of the world at a particular period of its existence. This may help you to the practice which I always follow when reading of events which happened long ago, and trying to picture to myself the events which happened at the time in other countries. The period I propose to talk about is the year 500 before the Christian era, that is 24 centuries ago. It will help you to understand the remoteness of this period if you think that since then some 75 generations of persons have lived and died. At that time China consisted of some twenty-two states in and around the valley of the Yellow River, corresponding approximately to the northern part of the eighteen provinces of to-day. These states were subject to the state of the dynasty of Chow, and were at war with each other and a prey to internal disorder. This
unsatisfactory condition in previous compared to their dynasties, and especially to the times of Yao and Shun Two great political philosophers were preaching in Chins in the year we are considering. Lao Tzu's doctrines, as they are
same
Was very
a
11
The Rev. F. T. Johnson thanked His Excellency for his kindness in attending to distribute the prize. In the head of His Majesty's Government here they had an in- terested and sympathetic critic and such criticism as they were accustomed to hear from He also wished to bim could only good. thank Mr. Piercey and staff and Mrs. Piercey aud Miss Armour for work done during the year. He asked the Governor to present the Ho Kom Tong scholarship to the winner~ William Drude.
This His Excellency did, after which con- siderable cheering took place, and the proceed- ings closed with the singing of the National Anthem.
ELLIS KADOORIE SCHOOL AT CANTON.
REPROOF AND WARNING TO IMMATURE 'REPUBLICANS,
There were
The annual prize-giving of the Canton branch of the Ellis Kadoorie Chinese Schools' Society took place on the 12th January. Lau Chu Pak (Secretary), Mr. Nichol (Master present Messrs. Ellis Kadoorie, Ho Kom Tong, in charge), and many other supporters and friends!
if the examination results
were
Mr. Ho Koм TONG, whose duty it was to distribute the prizes, expressed regret at the absence of the late Head-master, Mr. Kirkhope, who had done so much for the School prior to is enforced departure. The report of the Acting Head-master was on the whole satis factory; not so good as previous ones, it was not due to want of effort by the teaching staff; Nichol and his assistants. The high number and their warmest thanks were due to Mr. of scholars enrolled showed that their good work was appreciated; but the irregular attendance was a very unsatisfac ory feature. He would impress upon the boys the necessity of regular habits if they
wished to
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