ST. ANDREW IN CEYLON.

Southland Times, Issue 1544, 1 March 1872, Page 3

ST. ANDREW IN CEYLON.

Upwards of forty Scotchmen assembled in Colombo on the anniversary of St. Andrew to celebrate the event, as is their usual custom, by a dinner. In proposing the toast of the evening the chairman said : — Wherever Scotchmen were gathered in large numbers they met to celebrate their patron Saint, Andrew, whose history was somewhat obscure. There was some possibility of St. Peter having at some period or other visited Rome, but nobody ever heard the question raised as to St. Andrew's being in Scotland, for he never was there (laughter.) He had been puzzled for a time to know why it was that Andrew had been chosen as the patron Saint of the best part of Great Britain. After consulting various authorities, and looking into sundry big books he found the reason was threefold : St. Andrew was the patron saint of Scotchmen (I) because of his modesty (laughter) — (2) on account of his foresight, and (3) on account of his perseverance. He had looked into Smith's Bible i Dictionary, and there he found St. Andrew was a particularly modest man, always keeping in the back-ground, and everybody knew that was what Scotchmen always did (loud laughter). Scotchmen, who are all over the world, keep themselves obscure, and then when one of them became very great and noted, as Macaulay and others, people asked with amazement, " Was he a Scotchman ?" So, being invariably modest men, is the reason why Scotchmen have chosen St. Andrew (renewed laughter). Then as regarded foresight. He (the Chairman) remembered reading in the beat of books that when a number of people were gathered together far away from the dwellings of men, there was one man who kept his eye on the lad with two barley loaves and five small fishes (laughter), and that was St. Andrew. He kept his eye on the right spot at the right time, and that was another reason why Scotchmen chose St. Andrew. Then, again, look at his perseverance. He it was who induced the Apostle Peter to become a Christian. And what persevering men are Scotchmen. From their ranks come Civil Servants and District Judges. Who cut down the trees in the jungle and planted coffee? Echo answers Scotchmen. Who was it came to Colombo, and made the merchants' houses, the mercantile con nection, the almighty rupee, the banks, &c, but Scotchmen? Who was his predecessor, Mr Duff? A Scotchman ; and who were their rising young men but all Scotchmen ? When a criminal gets into gaol it is a Scotchman who takes him in hand — Dr Coghill. And, again, St. Andrew did bis Master's work faithfully and well, even though it led to a painful death in a foreign land. They, too, came to this island, as more than merchants, as more than bankers ; those by whom they were surrounded must be benefitted by them, and if they like St. Andrew, would do their work well, they must not content themselves with attending a dinner on St. Andrew's day (loud applause).