The sun., 1894-10-14

that life was. because Reppel was the prepara-
tory school Of the mission.
| A ouotation already made from the record re-
fers 10 the fact that four Yahgan boys taken to
England had learned spade husbandry" at
Keppel Island. II further appears elsewhere by
direct statement that the missionaries believed
"our hopes for the material improvement Of
these natives lies in their adopting and follow
ing farming and agricultural pursuits with
fishing" We must believe that the first object
that the missionaries had In view in taking the
Yaheans 10 Keppel was 10 teach them the Chris
tian religion, because the misslonarles say so;
but Il In apparent that " material" matters were
never lost sight of. In the strong party"
taken out 10 Keppel was a north country farmer
named Bartlett, of whom II was said that he
was likely TO make the farming operations on
Keppel Island pay the expenses Of the station.
The records say that the Yahgans under Mr..
Bartletts directions did the farm work of the
station. and give the length Of time devoted to
these material" matters every day, as well as
that given To mental and spiritual pursuits.
In 1870 Bishop Stirling reported that
"In reading and writing and arithmetic
the natives, although they have unfor-
tunatey very limited opportunities, owing
to the pressing work at the station, have made
more satisfactory progress than have noticed
before" Mr.. Burlegh's reports, three years later
lin October, 1870. give the exact figures His
Lordship had extended the school time one hour,
which makes, with two hours in the morning.
three hours daily"
That Is TO say. the natives previous to 1870
had two hours schooling per day. The rest of
the day was devoted to material =" matters. in
cluding spade husbandry."
In 1881 the same teacher says! Winter Is
coming on apace and the time for our evening
school drawing near, when hope to resume
this additional work for their Improvement"
DAY school-The hours from 0 to 1 l A. VI. and
2 to 3 =. NJ. continue throughout the year, with
little interruption" In 1850 we read OF recruits
from wollaston Island: THE two sent up will,
l have no doubt, make very good men on the
farm, but do not think they will do anything
at school," In the same report 1t appears that:
81 could send more lads TO the day school from
our working staff, but they are not the material
Mr.. Grubb requires" On the whole 1t appears
that three times many hours were devoted to
farm work rs were devoted to schooling, and
further, that not all the natives got even the
three hours per day at school, because some
were not the material Mr.. Grubb requires"
It is not therefore. very surprising TO read
elsewhere that fresh boys only here fifteen
months" were barely able to stumble through"
such matters as addition, subtraction, tables,
creed. commandments, and Lords prayer" The
teacher, w. Balbrooke Grubb, sums up his work
in these words: Moral training and example
and the expounding Of the Gospel. all who know
these natives will admit, has tsicl worked
great change upon them. Glorious conversions
or wordy confessions have not to report"
A SPIRITED GAME.
That Yahgan life was not all work and study
on Keppel appears, however. from the report OF
II a.