The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1865-08-02
Floating COllege---vOyage Around the World

Floating College---Voyage Around the World.
An enterptisng Belgian, who has not been bothered,
and has not had his brains muddled, as we in this
country have for four years past with wars and battles
and skirnishes and raids and jay hawkings, and who
IS rot vexed are, with questions OF reconstruc-
ton, and Reorganization and "rehabllltatons, ana
suffrage and contrabandage, and the thousand other
things which now make the political cauldron boil so
fercclv-an enterprising belgian, we say, Nj. Felix
Van SchonbrRck by name, has lately developed ana
is going to put into practice new dea having Tor us
end and object the commercial geographical scienuhc
and political education of limited number of young
centicmep-sav one hundred and twenty--by giving
them tW years voyage around the world in SPLEEN
did ship visiting various countries and studying their
laws commerce and institutions and having on board
meanwhile a school of instruction in which the Young
gentlemen aforesaid may under competent instructors,
perfect themselves in modern languages commercial
arithmetic geometry trigonomery chemistry, astron-
omy, drawing, and other branches of knowledge"
Van Schonbrpck proposes to establish, i'll short
floating movable commercial college, with hcadquar-
the broad ocean, in the different ports OF the
world, just as he may happen to be at the time
We find this project explained and amphhed III late
New York paper and must say that we like the idea
very much The education of merchant ought not
to consist solely in a knowledge of bookkeeping by
double entry and capacity to calculate the premium
or discount bill of Exchange after he has ascer-
taneu the rate by tue COTllet
curing of bank officer broker. A merchant who
either imports from, exports TO, foreign countries
ought know the language OF those countries, their
laws both municipal and maritime, their productions
and manufactures their geography, and the character
and temper Of their people Say, for instance that
New Orleans merchant wished to establish all export
aud import trade with Yucatan Brazil. One can
see in moment with how much hore facility he
could conduct the business and with how much greater
likelihood Of success, if he were previously to visit the
country he wished to establish trade relations with,
study its language and laws make acquaintance with
its merchants and gain the knowledge of the country
generally, which can be learned well from
books SO well from personal observation and inspec
ton
This is the theory upon which u. Van Schoubrueck's
plan is based He proposes to leave Antwerp about
the 18th of September next in ship OF from eight
hundred to thousand tons, arranged specially for the
comfort health and convenience of the young gentle
men who will constitute his school. The minimum OF
these vii: be one hundred and twenty all to be over
fifteen years of age and to be Of sound physical CON
sttution Leaving Antwerp about the 9th September,
they will first proceed to Southampton, in England,
thence to Lisbon or CadiS, thence to the Canary
Islands thence to Cape Verd thence to Bahia and Rio
de Janero in Brazil thence to Patagonia or Terra del
Fuego thence around Cape Horn, thence to Chill,
and other South American countries, including Bolivia
and Peru-thence to MaEaan, on the Pacific coast OF
| Mexco-thcnce to the Sandwich and otNer Islands in
the Pacific Japan China, Calcutta and around by the
Gn e. E6sadet 80R@ NeI o fR ffatn6th IN England
and back to Antwerp, the whole voyage comprising
lust two years of time. The various studies Will be
carried on on board the ship; line library OF books,
principally such refer to the countries to be visited,
will be provided for the use of the school, and there
viii be musical instruments to enliyen the dull hours
not devoted to study. The captain OF the ship is
man who has already been four times around the world
and the Belgian government has issued instructions to
its consus and commercial agents everywhere to extend
IL hon N urn
a knowledge Of the countries they may visit
One can very well see how improving such voyage
AZ this will be to anv young man. whether he designs
becoming merchant not. The Belgian government
shows its wisdom, too in extending l's patronage and
favor to this enerprse-tor it will probably result II
an extension of its commerce to people and countries
with which otherwise it might never have had any re
The lists are OPEN it appears, not to Bclgans alone
but to the young gentlemen OF England france tne
United States or elsewhere. But instead OF going II
a ReIgian ship and under Belgian auspices why, may
not simar expedition be gotten up from this eoun
trv-Trom New York. for instance, or, better still from
| New Orleans? Why may not our young gentlemen
particularly those who expect to be merchants De sen
to sea to school instead of to counnS~rOom or 10
university? They study, under this plan, On ooare
shin as well as in the dormtories and lecture rooms
Of college They learn everything as well, witt
competent instructors if on shore, and perhaps bet
ter The usual commercial education of young mar
with US is far from being perfect. He spends some
wears in a counting-room and learns the old routine
business and that is ALL
Instead of this let him be sent to sea to floating
college-Iet him be removed from the temptations o
a city at that age when temptations assail one mos
powerfuly-let him study modern languages, politica
economy the laws and course of trade, the wealth
Of nations and that sort of geography which laugh
BY actual observation instead OF maps. He will come
home after TWO or three years of absence with hardy
and wellknit frame, with his views enlarged and liber
alsed by travel his mind well stored with valuable
knowledge, and with earnest interest and mani
enthusiasm in his business. liberal education is
valuable to a merchant as to lawyer, preacher or
doctor.
On the whole, we think very highly of NJ VA
Schonbroeck's scheme. In England a young noble
mans education is not considered finished until h
has made the tour Of the continent Here where W
are all nobemen, theoretically, at least, let US bea
the Britishers in this have done in everything
else and instead of making the tour of the continent
make the tour of the world N. .. True Delta.
The WEALTH OF TRINITY CHURCH CORPORATION
It is stated that the corporation of Trinity Churc
o. airrkt Lotto r