THE
PETERITE. Vol, . XI I .
DECEDII3HR, 1895 .
No .
119
SCHOOL LETTER. Y the time this Number appears the term will be almost over, a term which has been uneventful except in the football world, where already we have had a fruitful crop of accidents, which we hope will not increase . In the first three matches only was our worthy football Secretary permitted by the relentless decree of Fate, in the shape of a sprained ankle, to render us his services, while we have to tender our sympathy to Mr . Lord for a broken collar bone in the first pick-up, to Mr. Head for a damaged knee in the same game, and later to the Rev . C. Robertson for a sprained shoulder in the match against C. Coning ' s XV . So far we have won all our matches on the fixture card, though we had a large score made against us by Giggleswick on their own ground . As some slight extenuation we may plead the long railway journey and may add also the state of the ground which was soft on the top and hard underneath, owing to a frost the night before, on which, however, Giggleswick seemed perfectly at home . En passant we may remark that against the two schools, whom of old we used to meet in the League competition and whom alone we continue to play, we piled up the respective scores of 72 and 73 points to nil. Our first fixture with Durham was unavoidably put oft', owing to illness on their part, which prevented us from going to Durham .
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However we hope that both games will ultimately be played, especially as we were unable to try conclusions at cricket. Mitchell has been elected captain of the Cambridge University Football XV ., and is assured of a place in the Yorkshire XV ., whenever he can render his services to his county ; Bailey played three quarters in the Freshers match . The subject for the School play is Shakespeare ' s " Taming of the Shrew ." Mr . Yeld of course takes the helm and with nearly all last year ' s actors left, we have no doubt that under his able guidance the play this year will increase, if possible, the reputation which he has gained for himself and for the School Theatricals . ` A'on onrnia flossnmus mines' but Mr. Yeld is evidently one of the privileged few, at any rate in the matter of the School play. A . C . Clarke who was head of the School in 1887, and has lately been ordained, has resigned his mastership at Leeds Grammar School and gone out to India ; before his departure he addressed the School in the Hall and gave us a short description of the work upon which he is about to enter . We wish him all success . We tender our best thanks to Mr . Lord, who, during his enforced absence from the football field, has energetically devoted himself to initiating the juniors in all the science of football ; his efforts have already borne fruit in greater keenness and larger pick-ups, ' and we have no doubt will bear still more in years to come .
FOOTBALL. ST_, PETER'S SCHOOL V . WAKEFIELD GRAMMAR SCIIOOL.
Played at York on October 5th . Wakefield won the toss, and elected to play with the wind . Immediately after the start, play settled in the Wakefield 25, and Joicey quickly scored far out. Yeld kicking an excellent goal . The home team quickly proved themselves far too good for their opponents, and :Miser scored, but the place kick was unsuccessful . Wakefield were then penalised for offside play, and Metcalfe kicked a goal . Wheelwright then
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got over, but lost possession . The home team still remained in the Wakefield 25, and Ford scored far out, but the point was not converted . Wheelwright was the next to score from a scrimmage on the line, Yeld converting . Wakefield then paid a short visit to the home quarters, but the home forwards came away with a rush, and Tomlinson getting possession scored behind the posts, Metcalfe converting . After some loose play, in which Wakefield played up harder, Metcalfe scored, but the point was not improved . Wakefield were then again penalised, but the kick was charged down, and shortly afterwards the whistle went for half-time with the score : St . Peter' s, } goals 4 tries (30 points) to Wakefield nil. Shortly after the restart Ford again scored, Sullivan failing at an easy position . The passing of the home backs at this point began to be rather loose and badly timed . Ford, however, quickly scored again, which was converted . Yeld was the next to get over the line, the place kick failing . The home forwards then got away with a dribble, Tomlinson scoring near the posts, the kick being successful . Sullivan was the next to score after a good run, the major point being again registered . Ford, Wheelwright, and Joicey then scored in the above order, all three tries being improved . Ford then after a strong run scored near the posts, but the shot at goal went wide . Then Sullivan scored half-way out, but the point was not converted . Wakefield, who had lost one of their men through an injury, played up most pluckily against a much stronger team and gained a footing in the York half, but the home forwards came away with a dribble and Tomlinson scored behind the posts, Metcalfe converting . Time was shortly afterwards called with the score : St . Peter' s, lo goals (i penalty), S tries (72 points) ; Wakefield nil . The home team played nine forwards to their opponent ' s eight . St . Peter' s School team Back, R . M . Nevile ; three-quarters, E . J . Joicey, A . M . Sullivan, J . W . Ford ; half-backs, J. E . Metcalfe (capt .), H . Wheelwright ; forwards, C . A . Nelson, J . P . Watson, H . R . Tomlinson, N . F . Roy, G. G . Yeld, F . P. Fau s set, L . ;Miser, H . B . Greeves, R . G. Bingham .
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FOOTBALL.
ST . PETER ' S V . OLD Boys. Played on the ground of the former on Tuesday, 8th Oct . The Ohl Boys came with some men short, but were provided with substitutes from the School . Wilkinson for the Past won the toss, and the School kicked off uphill and against the wind . For a short time it seemed as if the Past forwards were going to have it all their own way, but the School soon settled down, and several tight scrums were held just inside the Past half A good kick by Partington brought relief, and Shepherd was conspicuous for a good run down the field, but was well tackled by Nevile with the ball in his possession . The School forwards then got away together and dribbled the ball out of danger . Scrimmages followed in the Old Boys ' 25, and after some good passing amongst the forwards Ford almost completed a try, the ball going into touch in goal . Shortly after the drop out the School forwards again got away, and good passing between Ford, Fausset, and Nelson enabled the latter to complete a grand try behind the posts, which Metcalfe converted . The Old Boys were still unable to get the ball away, and Ford got clean away, but was unlucky in crossing the touch line in an attempt to get behind the posts. The Old Boys then got to the School line, but the tackling of the School backs prevented them from scoring . At this point of the game the School were awarded three free kicks for the persistent off-side play of an opposing forward . This brought the School to their opponents' quarters, and Wheelwright running through their backs completed a try behind the posts, the kick again being successful . Half-time was soon afterwards called with the score :—Present, 2 goals (to points) ; Past, nil . The restart soon proved that the School had worn down their opponents, and for a long time the School were in the Past quarters . A kick by Eastwood brought relief, but the School forwards getting away from the touch line started a bout of passing, which eventually reached Sullivan, who, after running almost from the half-way scored far out . Feld kicked an excellent goal, the ball striking the upright and falling through . After the kick off the School
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had an anxious time, and the Old Boys were repeatedly within an ace of scoring, but the School forwards eventually took the ball out of danger . Ford then got possession, and after a strong run down the touch line scored behind the posts, Metcalfe kicking a goal . Shepherd then got away from a scrimmage and ran some distance, but his pass was too late, and the Past lost an excellent chance of scoring . The School had their work cut out to repel the repeated efforts of the Old Boys, whose passing was very erratic . The ball was gradually worked back, and Metcalfe obtaining the ball scored about half-way out, Joicey making a good attempt at goal, the ball just going outside . The School still remained in their opponents' citadel, and Joicey, after a dodgy run, scored in a fair position, but the point was not improved . The Old Boys then came away to the School quarters, but could not penetrate the defence, the tackling of Sullivan being especially noticeable . After another try by Joicey, no side was called, with the score :—Present, 4 goals, 3 tries (29 points) ; Past, nil . The Present team was as follows :—R . M . Nevile, back ; E . J . Joicey, A . M . Sullivan, and J . W . Ford, 4-backs ; J . E. Metcalfe (captain) and II . Wheelwright, z-backs ; C . A . Nelson, J . P . Watson, H . R . Tomlinson, N . F . Roy, G . G . Ycld, F . P. Faueset, L . Moiser, H . B . Greeves, and R G . Bngham, forwards. Si .
PETER ' S V . NE\V LEEDS.
Played on the School ground, on Oct . 12 . The visitors elected to play against the wind, which was rather strong . Nelson kicked off, and the ball rolled into touch near the " 25 " flag. The visitors gradually forced our men back to the centre, but here Wheelwright got the ball and reached the " 25 " line before being tackled ; he lost the ball, and an appeal was made for a "knockon, " but was not allowed, and Ford, who had followed closely, kicked over the line and scored . No goal resulted . Directly after the kick-out, a smart piece of play between Wheelwright, Metcalfe, Sullivan, and Ford ended in the last named again scoring, this time between the posts . Metcalfe converted . 8 points
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FOOTBALL.
were thus scored in the first to minutes . The rest of the first half of the game was not at all one-sided . The visitors attacked on two separate occasions, and once Nevile was obliged to save by kicking the ball dead . Yeld ' s kick-out bounced into touch well within the visitors ' half. This brought half-time. Leeds now had the advantage of the wind, which had not abated, and their kick-off landed the ball in touch near our " 25 " flag . The rest of the game consisted almost entirely of scrimmages. For fully 20 minutes the visitors pressed, but our forwards invariably got possession of the ball, and thus prevented their opponents from passing out to their backs . At last, by means of two or three short rushes, the visitors were driven to the centre, but Pingston (i-) here picked up, and, after a strong run, scored between the posts . The kick at goal was successful . After this the game was more open, and also more even, but neither side scored again, and when time was called, the visitors were being hard pressed . Score :—School, 1 goal, t try (8 points) ; New Leeds, i goal (5 points). Remarks on the Game .—The School forwards were a little stronger than their opponents ' , and more skilful in getting possession of the ball . The tackling on both sides was good . The visitors had rather the best of matters in the second half of the game, and had they been able to make more use of their backs, the result would probably have been different . Every man in the School team played well. SCHOOL TEAM :—Back, R . M . Nevile ; 4-Backs, J . W . Ford, A . M . Sullivan, E . J . joicey ; 2-Backs, J . E . Metcalfe, I1. Wheelwright ; Forwards, C . Nelson, H . R . Tomlinson, J . P. Watson, N . F . Roy, F . P . Fausset, G . Yeld, L . Moiser, R . G. Bingham, Rev . C . Robertson. ST . PETER ' S V . OLICAND F .C.
Played on our ground October z6th . At 3-30, Watson kicked off for us with the wind, and the ball being well returned play ranged for some time in the School territory . The School forwards
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however worked their way back, and Metcalfe gained ground by a nice run . Scrimmages took place for some time in front of the visitors' posts, the school forwards peeling out rather slowly ; at length, however, Metcalfe dodged through, and scored behind the posts, Yeld converting . Even play followed, and the game had settled down towards our opponents' twenty-five, when from a free kick to the school Yeld landed a beautiful goal . similar penalty for offside play given to Olicand was taken by Bell, who followed Meld ' s example, and kicked a goal . Watson recommenced, and the ball being returned, Nevile landed into touch well up the field ; soon after, half-time was called with the score : The School 2 goals, 8 points ; Olicand F . C . I goal, 3 points. \Vest kicked off for Olicand, and Wheelwright neatly returned. The school forwards were playing at a great pace, and in several scrimmages fairly ran their opponents off their feet ; soon a scrimmage was formed in the visitors ' quarters, and Sullivan, after a strong run, passed to Mr . Head, who forced his way over the line —a well earned try . Metcalfe converted, the ball hitting the post and going over . Sleet was falling, aed passing was thereby at a discount, scrimmages being the most prominent of the game at this point . \Vest made a good run, but was collared by Nevile. The school then pressed and at length the ball was got out to Ford, who ran strongly and was over the line before ` held would be called . No goal resulted . Soon after the drop out Joicey made a corkscrew run, but was collared by the full-back . Play now settled in mid-field, and time was soon after called, leaving us victors by 3 goals, I try (i 6 points), to Olicand F . C ., r goal (3 points .) School team : 1 . E . Metcalfe (capt .), J . P . Watson, H . R. Tomlinson, A . M . Sullivan, R . N . Nevile, H Wheelwright, N . F. Roy, J . R . Ford, E . J . Joicey, G . Yeld, F . P . Fausset, R . G. Bingham, L . Moiser, and Messrs . Head and Robertson. ST PETER ' S V . GIGGLESWICK.
Played at Giggleswick on Tuesday, October z 9 th . We went w ithout Nelson our best forward, but this loss was more than
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counterbalanced by the absence of their captain, Rolf, and also their best three-quarter . The ground, owing to an over-night frost was hard and greasy in places, which seemed to interfere with us more than them . Opinions before the game were in favour of a close match and little scoring ; yet Giggleswick won by 5 goals and
4
tries to nothing—37 points . This is the
severest defeat we have received from them, and it is the third. Of course there are odds against us in this match always, especially when played away, but the defeat ought not to have been so heavy . They scored
2
goals and a try in the first half : thus 3
goals and 3 tries were added after change . Their first try was a good piece of work, well earned after a lot of good tackling . The second might have been stopped by a little more energetic marking of the opposing- three-quarters, and the third was a very " soft " one. A hard kick along the ground by one of our forwards or half-backs bounded high off a Giggleswick behind, who, following it up scored easily . In the second half of the game our pack went to pieces badly and were pushed about the field . The backs were constantly saving and tries were scored rapidly . The chief credit of the victory lies with the home forwards, who were an exceedingly smart lot . They were always in possession of the ball from the moment it was put into the scrum, and made splendid use of it . They were equally good at heeling out or screwing, and our eight never had "a look-in . " It should be explained that Feld was brought out to strengthen the three-quarter line, when the game was about ten minutes old. Tomlinson was far away the best of our forwards and worked unceasingly from start to finish ; which is more than can be said for some of the pack . Roy and the two Moisers also played hard, but all were slow in getting into and out of the scrum . Behind Metcalfe and Wheelwright occasionally broke away in the first half ; and both (lid a lot of saving work . In Hacking, Giggleswick have an excellent half ; big, a fair amount of pace, and a sound knowledge of the game, he was always dangerous. Their three-quarters did not play a very great combined game,
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but Hardie and Ramsbotham made some good runs, the latter especially in the second half. Joicey was the best of ours and did some neat work, though not having much to do . Sullivan seemed scarcely up to form, but got in a kick now and then and tackled well . Ford was very slow at starting and kicking, and Yeld does not shine at a defensive game . Nevile did fairly well both at tackling and kicking and saved several tries just at the last minute . To sum up, there did not appear to be much difference in the weight of the two teams, but Giggleswick were far and away the faster of the two, and the whole of our team seemed slow in comparison, Nkhether in running, kicking, dribbling or shoving. SCHOOL TEAM :—Back, R . M . Nevile ; i -Backs, E . J . Joicey, A. M . Sullivan, G . Yeld, J . W . Ford ; 2-Backs, J . E . Metcalfe, H . Wheelwright Forwards, J . P . Watson, H . R . Tomlinson, N. F . Roy, F. P. Fausset, R . G . Bingham, L . Moiser, H . B . Greeves, B. Moiser . ST . PETER ' S V . LEEDS GRAMMAR SCHOOL
Played on Saturday, November znd, on a dull, cold day, on the Leeds ground . The game was very one-sided, the final verdict being a little more than a point a minute . The ball was kicked off at 3-15 by Leeds, who had their backs to the pavilion with a breeze blowing diagonally in their favour. Only three minutes had elapsed when Wheelwright ran in, but Yeld failed to convert. Metcalfe followed suit, but it needed a try from Sullivan before the first goal was kicked by Yeld . A smart follow up by Nevile enabled Tomlinson to cross the line and the skipper improved the occasion . Soon after, Ford looked dangerous, but was brought down by the Leeds full-back--Richardson—who throughout, playing a capital game . Joicey almost immediately added to the score, and Metcalfe again converted . Ford was not to be denied and went through a whole company and Joicey put the ball over the bar . Wheelwright and Metcalfe, as before, ran in successively, and Yeld supplied the needful on each occasion . Newstead, who
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is worthy of mention for his play, looked dangerous, but Sullivan checked him, and this enabled Wheelwright to obtain possession and run through the lot . Metcalfe converted . Sullivan was again called on to tackle Newstead and the whistle went for halftime, the score standing at 41 points in 35 minutes. The game re-opened with a rattling piece of passing, and Wheelwright and Yeld scored the necessary five . Metcalfe and Joicey followed, and then Yeld put in a really fine kick after a successful attack by Fausset, though the former failed just afterwards at a very hard opportunity provided by Wheelwright . Some time then passed without an addition, but Ford then got home, though Yeld was unable to increase the attempt . Ford scored again from a fine piece of passing, but Metcalfe followed Yeld's lead . A try and accompanying failure by Joicey prefaced a good pass from Metcalfe to Sullivan and Yeld added the last two notches, and the score stood at 73 points in 70 minutes . It is impossible to individualize merit in the St . Peter ' s team in the face of such a big total, but Newstead, Richardson, and North were the pick of the Leeds contingent. ST . PETER'S V . G . A. CONING ' S XV.
Played on Nov . 4th, on our ground . The scratch team scored first by Galloway, Coning converting . A penalty goal soon after brought their score to 8 points . The School then pressed, and good following up by Tomlinson resulted in Wheelwright scoring . Yeld converted . Half-time score :—Coning ' s XV., z goals (1 penalty), to St . Peter ' s, 1 goal. The second half was not many minutes old, when good passing between Wheelwright, Sullivan, and Metcalfe gave the latter a try which was not improved . For a long time the School kept their opponents out but at length Bell scored, and was followed by Thew and Stratton, two of which G . A . Coning converted . Ford then scored for the School, Yeld kicked a goal . Final score :— G . A . Coning ' s XV ., 4 goals (1 penalty), i try (21 points) ; St . Peter' s, 2 goals, 1 try (13 points) .
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The School were unfortunate in being without Watson, and in Mr . Robertson being injured early on. G . A . CONING ' S 1V .—H . Bunting, Full-back ; H . D . Lister, H S. Galloway, G . S . Jackson, ; H . S . Bell, G . B . Stratton, 4 ; B . G. Bryant, T . W . Coning, F . S . Thew, G . Humble, J . G . Joicey, J . S . 1\leikle, R . Watson, G . A . Coning, Forwards. ST . PETER ' s .—R . M . Nevile, Full-back ; A . M . Sullivan, J . W. Ford, E . J . Joicey, ; J . E . Metcalfe, H . Wheelwright, ; H . R. Tomlinson, N . F . Roy, G . Veld, F . P . Faussset, R . Bingham, L . Moiser, R . S . Russell, Messrs . Head and Robertson, .Forwards. ST . PETER ' S 2ND V . LEEDS GRAMMAR SCHOOL 2ND. Played on our ground, Nov . znd, ending in a victory for our team by 4 goals, 7 tries (41 points) to nil . The following gained tries Freer (3), Hingston (z), Greeves (2), Thompson, Coning, Cass and Bowman.
A NOUMEAN EXPERIENCE. E were a motley group in the Salon of the Hotel de Sebastopol in Noumea one morning . Breakfast was served at ten and consisted of i4 or 15 courses . It was the first real meal of the day, and we had to depend on it until six in the evening, when we had dinner . There were the French Officers of the garrison, the English and Scotch settlers who happened to be in town, the principal storekeepers and the skippers of the ships in port . And old mother O ' B was a rattling good caterer . She could not speak a word of French, but her pretty daughter could talk it as fast as you like, and the Frenchmen fluttered round the violet eyed Irish girl like bees round a honey pot . It made good business for the house, except when it got late at night and they quarrelled about her and smashed the lamp shades. Auguste, a French West Indian, who was the principal waiter, whispered in my ear, "Monsieur, somebody from the Agents wants to see you . " So leaving my French beans and gravy, I adjourned to the Bar, where a clerk from Messrs . -- & -- was imbibing
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A NOUMEAN EXPERIENCE.
something refreshing, who said, "Skipper, they want you to go down and take charge of the Caroline cutter ; you know her; she is just discharged, and the master is awfully bad in delirium tremens. He has driven all his crew overboard and he wont let anybody come on board . You know him personally, and the Agents think you might tackle him and get him ashore and into hospital, and take charge of the boat for the time being ." This was rather a poser . I knew poor old Jack well, and that was sufficient to make the acceptance of such a proposal very risky . Jack was a thick-set chap of about forty, a capital navigator and a smart seaman, but a demon to meet when he was drunk. Then what would he be in D . T . ? I said, " All right, I'll come down to the office after breakfast . " Breakfast over I went down to the beach and presently my good old mate came ashore and sculled me on board my ship in the dinghy . I told John the story . "Do you think we can manage it, John ?" " Well, Skipper, you and I have managed a good many things, and I think we might be good enough to shanghai old jack ; but it will have to be done carefully . " We adjourned into the cabin of the rvoodpigeoia to talk things over, and finally arranged a plan which we thought would answer . In the first place I jumped into the dinghy and sculled alongside the Caroline . As I closed with her I could see the old Skipper squatting on the deck with his pipe in his mouth . " Hallo, Jack, " I hailed, "How are you sagaciating ?" For reply I had a volley of expletives that would have honoured an East Indian Coolie Driver, or a Portuguese Quartermaster . When he had finished, I said, " Why Jack, don ' t you know me ? Don't you remember the big spree we had in the Waitemata Hotel last time we met in Auckland ?" His face changed and he leaned over the bulwarks and said, "I do, but IT shoot any man who comes aboard this ship, and I don ' t care who he is . " This with an endless lot of expletives . " Very well, Jack, I'll sit in the boat, and I hove him the painter, which he mechanically made fast to a belaying pin . " Jack, " I said, " I'm deucid dry ; can ' t you get me a drink ?" " Drink, my lad, lashings
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of it down below ; come aboard and have a long sleeved one ." This was what I wanted . I dropped my handkerchief in the boat as a signal and shinned on board, knowing that old John and another hand would be alongside with the whaleboat in two minutes . We went down below . The condition of the cabin was simply awful . A case of Geneva was open on the flooring boards, empty square bottles were knocking about and there was no sign of food . Old Jack - took a fresh bottle out of the case and said, " How do you drink it John, with sugar or neat ?" (I forgot to tell you that my nickname amongst the South Sea Skippers was " John Runyan, " from a fancied resemblance that I bore to the portraits of that virtuous tinker .) I had no particular preference, for it seemed to me that a dose, however mixed, being trade liquor, was equally fatal, but I said I would have it with sugar . lie produced a basin of loaf sugar, poured me out nearly a tumbler of raw spirit and ditto for himself, and forthwith began to suck the gin through lumps of sugar . I made believe to do the same, but imbibed very little . In the meantime he gradually became bellicose and wanted to fight me . Then he embraced me. Finally he said I was the Fiend himself, and by the time he had gulped his tumbler of poison he fell back on the locker in something very like a fit of apoplexy . I put my head out of the companion hatch and signalled John . We made the poor fellow' s hands and feet fast, carried him up, lowered him into the whaleboat and took him ashore, and finally to the Military Hospital, where they kept him and dosed him until he became sane . But the sequel is where the fun comes in. I shoved a hand on board the Car,line as ship-keeper, and thought no more about it ; but a few days after, another message came from the Agents to the effect that the French Government had taken a fancy to the boat and thought of buying her for a pilot cutter if they could come to terms with the owners . Would I take my crew on board, sail her up to the Government Dockyards, take on board a party of Captains of the French Warships lying in the port, and let them see Miss Caroline ' s performances . No-
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A NOUMEAN EXPERIENCE.
thing suited me and mine better . We knew the boat . We knew her in New Zealand when she was a illaori trader . She had lovely lines . She was built by one of the best men in Auckland, but she was built cheap and for natives . Her sticks were perfect, but she was a trifle oversparred, and as for her fastenings—well, the least said the better . Her timbers were good, but, to use a Colonial expression, she was put together with shingle nails . However, we washed her down, gave her a lick of paint, and three days after the order she was hove to off the Government yard waiting for the arranged party . We had three of these warriors, who came alongside in the cutter of a frigate that had just brought out a consignment of convicts . I forget her name . Her commander and the commanders of a steam gunboat and a sailing schooner made tip the party . They came in all their war paint and each accompanied by his coxswain . No sooner on board than we dropped the cutter and let the little Caroline have her head . You must remember that all this sailing was to be done inside the Great Barrier Reef of New Caledonia, which gives plenty of scope for sailing and with no sea . The South East Trades thunder on the reef but make no impression inside, where it is a lagoon merely ruffled by the breeze, except in the case of a toi nado . Well, we sailed away in great glee and glory . It was a soldier's wind, and we put her about and hove her to, and tried all the tricks known to a fore and aft sailor to show off our little hooker. The French guffy officers were awfully pleased with her. At last I said, John, she's vtell ballasted . Let ' s shew ' em what she Acan llreally right, stand . " Skipper, " said old John, with a wink, Pile it on, Sir ." It was afternoon, and the trade-wind was freshening . "Get out that gaff topsail ." Soon the great spread of canvas was aloft and telling on the angle of the keel. Already the Caroline was heeling over with her scuppers awash But when she felt the topsail sheeted home she laid over until her lee rail was under water. Lord ! how she flew . The foam made cascades over her bows, and it was all I could do with another hand to keep the tiller aweather . And still it breezed up, and she
A NOIIMEAN EXPERIENCE .
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went over until—if we had not been assured of her ballasting—we should not have been justified in carrying on as we did . I saw His Napoleonic 1\Iajesty's skippers whispering together, and if my French education at St . Peter's School had been worth a cent I might have known what they were talking about, but, presently, up came the senior coxswain, who could speak English, and said " Are you aware, sir, that you are risking the lives of three captains of the French Navy ?" "W 'y ell," I said, " If I am, I am risking my own as well, but, if they wish, I will reduce sail ." " They have seen sufficient" was the reply, so down came the flapping gaff topsail, round went 1\Iiss Caroline, and in a very short time we were once more off the dockyard landing . Each French Officer came forward and complimented me as a sailing master, and I dined with them at the Hotel that night . The Government bought the Caroline, and immediately put her on the slip . They took out the beautiful Kauri pine stick and bowsprit, put in some wretched stumps which they had in the dockyard, and proceeded to fasten hr r fore and aft until she was as rigid as a new corpse. Soon after she was launched the harbour master came to me and said that they were all disappointed with the performances of the Caroline. She was not the boat they thought she was ; and it was not until I had explained that a vessel ' s spars and canvas and hull were an entire scheme and could not be divorced, that, I think, the good man understood that the dockyard people had spoiled the sailing powers of a little sea witch . Poor old John was awfully amused, and was nearly- "run in" that night by the French sentries because, having got a skin full of whisky, he would persist in singing " Rule Britannia " at the gates of Government House, in spite of their curfew rules and the expostulations of the " ouioui " patrol . T.B .W .
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ST . PETER ' S SCHOOL EVERGREENS — JAMES.
S . PETER'S SCHOOL EVERGREENS-JAMES. Ile was horn many years ago—age doubtful, in La Belle Sauvage Yard, of Cassell & Co . fame, London . After a varied experience as errand boy, flunkey, etc ., he entered upon political life in the Foreign Office . On his duties here James always looks back with pride, and many are the stories which can be extracted from the wily J . P . on his experience here . TIe left this or was shot out, and departed to find his true calling as school-porter, but ere he reached this laborious post, he climbed o ' er many stepping stones. First he was at Cheltenham ; then he made beds at Eton, but the toffish manners of the latter gentlemen did not suit our friend, so he went to Malvern ; what he did here we don't know . Thence he went on to Charterhouse, and here he served under that most beloved friend of S . Peter's, Canon Elwyn, and thence he came on to York with Canon Elwyn, and has been school-porter here ever since, now thirty years ago . It is the fact of the completion of these thirty `ears that has led us to describe him. Nor is this the only event on which we congratulate James this Christmas ; for it is his pearl wedding . Thirty years ago James and Mrs . Parker were married . On the occasion of their silver wedding five years ago the school presented the said happy couple with a purse of gold, which as James expressed it, would enable him to buy " a noo watch . " James is of a charitable turn of mind, and, as was duly recorded in the Evening Press, on Lifeboat Saturday, collected for that institution the sum of [ ; 1 os . But James is modest, and the only time that the Jacobean features light up with pride, is when he recalls the names of famous O . Ps who have been in lock-up under him . The result is that nothing more can be got out of him, so we leave the rest to be said when James celebrates his golden wedding .
CORRESPONDENCE .
22I
CORRESPONDENCE. A PETERITE IN NEW ZEALAND. The following extract from a letter of a Peterite of the present generation who is prospecting for gold on the Karangahake Ranges on the Coromandel Peninsula, may interest some of the chaps who have notions of emigrating : " Aug . 29, 1895 . I am writing this in my bunk whilst my mate is playing the violin which he plays very well . It is only 7-30 p .m .. but we generally turn in pretty early as a day ' s outing in the supplejacks makes a chap ready for his blanks . To give you some idea of what I am doing, I will describe a day's work . We turn out about 7-30 a .m ., cook breakfast and start off into the forest about 8-30, one of us carrying a pickaxe and shovel, the other a slash-hook and a bag containing a pestle and mortar and prospecting dish, and our lunch in our pockets . We travel along until we come to a gully up which we push, looking out for the outcrop of a quartz-reef. If we find one we cut a trench across it to lay it open and then we pound up some of the quartz and wash it in the dish to see if there is gold in it or not . It is a very exciting game because you never know when you may drop across a very rich patch of gold . We sometimes take my gun with us and shoot a few pigeons to take home for tea . We generally manage to make home again by 4 p .m ., so you see our hours are not very long . We came across a sad sight the day before yesterday when we were out pegging out a " claim " for ourselves called the " homeward Bound . " Whilst going up a very deep gully, about 8 miles inside the bush we found, in fact almost fell over, the skeleton of a man . How long it had been lying there I don ' t know, but be had evidently been a prospector, as lying beside him were a pickaxe and a dish . We took the local police to the spot yesterday, but no one seems to know anything about any missing man .
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NOTES AND ITEMS.
There are any amount of wild cattle and pigs in the bush . The wild boars are no joke and could rip a chap up easily with their great curled tusks . The other day we were rushed by a wild bull and the way we each shinned up a tree would have made you laugh . You should have seen the way he stood below us pawing up the earth and bellowing . We were " bailed up " by him for over half-an-hour before he cleared out . " [" Supplejacks " are wild vines which sometimes render the bush impenetrable by climbing in all directions from tree to tree .—ED .
NOTES AND ITEMS. W . Basil Worsforld (O .P .), has written a volume containing a short history of S . Africa, and a full account of its present position and extraordinary capacities ; there are chapters on the diamond and gold mines and the Chartered Company. Title—" South Africa, its history and its future . " Crown 8vo ., 6s . Methuen & Co. Capt . T . L . Chadwick has retired from Halifax Artillery Volunteers. The following O .P ' s . among others are in the volunteers :— A . Thorney, Hull ; J . E . Stephenson, London Irish ; M . F. Chadwick, Huddersfield ; Col . Freeman, Huddersfield ; M. E. Donner, Scarboro ' ; G . H . Rowe, Leeds ; C . H . Chadwick, Inns of Court. R . H . Bailey (O .P .) played in the Cambridge Freshmen ' s match this term. R . Garwood (O .P .) has been rowing in one of the Oxford University Trial Eights. Lieut .-Col . H . P . Ditmas (O .P .) has been gazetted to the command of the Durham Artillery Militia . Colonel Ditmas has held every position in the regiment. The following O .P ' s . are prominent in the football world : F. Mitchell, captain of Cambridge University XV. E . Gray is playing half-back for Queen ' s College, Cambridge, Rugby XV .
NOTES AND irEMS
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'F . Romans has got his colours in the Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, Rugby XV. R . H . Bailey is playing three-quarter back for S . Catherine ' s College, Cambridge, XV ., in which, of course, is E . W. Clarke. \V . S . Gofton plays for Hull Athletic Club, full-back. B. Hudson for the Yorkshire College, three-quarter back. C. J . N . Carter for Ealing, three-quarter back. F . R . Brandt, Captain (three-quarter back) of Royal Veterinary College. S O . Bingham and F . M . Bingham for St . Thomas ' Hospital. J . O . Garland, three-quarter back for Guy's Hospital. C . H . Chadwick (O .P .) wishes us to suggest that names of the School XI's . and XV ' s . should be published for correction before putting them on shields in the gymnasium . He has furnished us kith the following lists of the 1873 and t 87 .} XI's . : 1873. 18 ;4. A . H . Griffith (Capt .) F. M . Hargreaves (Capt .) A . Gray (Sec .) G. F. Chadwick. P . Pahnes. W . Marshall. F. M . Hargreaves. W . F. Chadwick. \v . }h . Ra.son. W . J . Clarke. C . S . Gi bbons. G. L. Davies. A . Hodgson.
A . Hodgson. \V. Dowson. N. Marshall. it . M . Ainslie. 1 . M . Daniel. W . R . Rayson. G . L . Davis. L . II . Greeuhow. P . H . Pease . Played 18, won to, lost 6, drawn 2.
F. P . Fausset has been elected to a [ 3o Classical Scholarship at Peter house, Cambridge. G. W. Lane (O .P .) appointed Assistant Superintendent of Police, Kistna District ; also promoted to be Assistant Superintendent +th Grade, permanent .