SCHOOL DAYS OF AN EXPLORER.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 2719, 14 December 1889, Page 2 (Supplement)

SCHOOL DAYS OF AN EXPLORER.

Mr Wai:i>, the plucky young Congo explorer, gave a thrilling address at his old sohool, Mill Hill. An old chum of Mr Ward's writes : " As a matter of fact, I believe that Ward was only at Mill Hill for about a yenr. In August, 1872, when I went to St. John's Wood School, Ward was already there. Ho was a small boy of nine, or thereabouts, and in the lower division of the lowest class. As with three years' seniority I was put no higher thau tho upper division of the same class, I do not like him spoken of as a dunce, as he often had been since lie arrived at fame. Besides our being classmatc*, there were other bonds of union. Just before ho went off to the Congo wo were talking about these early days, and he confessed to mo without blushing—on bis part, at any rate —that I was his first ideal of physical powers and enterprise." Tho boy's opinion ot Ward hns proved much sounded than the tnasterV. Puttinir aside his commercial value, as being able to give mulberry loaves and Zoo tickets, the boys prized him for the obliging readiness with which he would fight any one out before him. At 11.15 wo had a " let out''for a quarter of an hour for recreation, and his recreation took the form of fighting CI., another boy of about his own size. I am not aware that the combatants were other than fast friends. Ward did not play cricket, but at football he never shrank from throwing himself down in front of boyH too big for him to stop otherwise. It was, however, in less legitimate sports that his spirit shone most brightly. He proved in a variety of ways the inefficiency of the Metropolitan police. One day Ward, beiug then about ten, the master pressed him with tho question, " When Philip and Ethiopian came to the water, what did Philip do to him ?" Ward promptly replied, " Shoved him iu and drowned him." Then there was a row. I cannot see why the muster should have been distressed. Ho had bad Ward in hand for a year, and must havo known that Ward never tried to learn his lessons, but trusted entirely to tho light of nature in answering any question that was put to him. The answer was " scandalous," and I don't know what besides. But was it ? It was inaccurate (v. Acts viii., v rl but otherwise very (-atisfactory.