New Zealand Teachers in South Africa.

Taranaki Herald, Volume L, Issue 12254, 13 May 1903, Page 3

New Zealand Teachers in South Africa.

ANOTHER LETTER FROM MISS ARROW.

Writing to a friend in Xew Plymouth from Tveefontein, EDatherly, near Pretoria, on March 27th, Miss Arrow, who was one of the New Zealand teachers sent out to the Transvaal by the Government, says :—: — It is about two months since I last •wrote, so I will now send an account of our- farm school and work. We have quite settled down to our work, and like i\ very much. It is i-aifher quiet, Hut then that is a change after the noise and bustle of camp life, and we axe always having experiences, or else waiting for experiences to turn up. We certainly cannot complain of m.onotony in our life. There is a variety and change© nearly every day, .though I cannot say they are always pleasant changes. The first time we ■went .into Pretoria after being here a fortnight was attendee! with a liltle exciting adventure. "Before reaching a railway station we have a drive of 15 miles, over rather a rocky road, but rocks and stones are nothing to *»• Kaffir "driver : he goes* round if it is not too nruich trofuble, or if he is the road : otherwise he <drive«s over them without any regard to "the passengers' feelings. Once T found myself on ifcp floor of i:hf» waggon without warning* : after that I held on. We got into Pretoria safely and had two enioyable days. but on leaving the train on tbe r^tmrn joiirney we Mere told that our horses ha 9 died of the Jifwse-sicleness. and that it was impossible for us to eet baok to our tents. Fortunately for us the. S.A.C. came to our rescue, and one of them offered to drive us if we would show him the way. A cart was brought round, with a team of two mule's (the only quadru'pe r l to be obtained), one very sick and the other very <=fkrk€ish. However. we got on very well, but fust *s it was petting dark we discovered that we had taken a wroner turning and were lost on the veMt, not a pleasant prospect as we had no blankets anil t*o water. Our sick tntule simply crawled and we went on antl on. finally arriving at an ancient Dutch shop, and on awakening the inhabitants found we were far off the trade We left our cart arid ■mules there, and with a Kaffir guide tramped across % the veMt for. as it seemed to iis.~miles. Tt was a dangerous walk., insects being everywhere, and some of 'th*vm stiver badly. anVl we r could hear the spates rustling and hissing. Once, one reared itself close tons, but contented it<=eTf with a hiss. We got - to our teni* at last, aiCd were glad to turn in just before ■ midnight. Another time we lost one of our ration boxes and had got to our last spoonful of tea when^t turned up. Our greatest grief is that we have no regular mail service and have to depend on the liindnesa of friends for receiving and" posting our letters. We never see an English woman, though we have plenty of visitors of •the opposite sex. Just now prospectors are coming round- Some little while "ago a diamond was picked up on a kopje near, and then one of the farmers "washed" some gravel beside the spruit and obtained five crystals, rubies, emeralds, and some other atones. 3?ow a thorough search is being made and ii that is satisfactory I suppose a mine will be sunk. Last Saturday we went out with one of the prospectors, three Kaffirs, and some sieves, and had a "wash," blut got nothing. I think thae part had been looked well over before we got there. {However, it is interesting work, ajglcl •we always nope we may Pv.d a diamond. There is a very rich diamond mine about 32 miles distant— The Premier — which bids fair to rival the "Kimberley mines. We were ;honn a handful of diamoi I *'- v~ tt»e v.nigh, but they have a very HTeivnt appearance to vh-n • "■"' • l '.-hed. Our school is trrow inp- rapidly; besides day scholars we have iow 30 boarders. They are a u;erry crew, and up to all sorts of wanks. } cannot say that teaching in lents is eltogether satisfactory, e«4w ! -i.»Uv m a windy day- We get rather *on mUch fresh air and dust. Perhaps just as the children have done « -ivtJ'Mlar'y clean copy a siuVlr<n cust comes iind either sends ink-wells flying- over the books, desk, or children, or else whirls the book round awl deposits it, face aownwrfds <>** c"'«r<.-. on the frustv floor. Sometimes everything ' goes' and then a .aoncral hunt takes Slace, or else the 4u!st renders us blind for the timp. Our floor, which is' Nature's floor, ie «w \r<frc« «eep in dust. However, it is to hr, ha-rc?cn-etf during the "Raster holidays. We ere devo.utiv ftanMul we shall be away during the process, the oHxrar beipg distinctly nronqunced, even *« some distance,' liefnid manure formally the chief ingredient. All the Dutch, floors are hardened in the same way, and instead cA being . wrribbed are TOuflirfd ertch wtfek wHlithis dreadful liquid. Needles, to . say we do not *\i«it the vrows on that tlav. but keen ~~n respeciful di«*ppcn. 1 W n»wrl m booVs of this, but nevrr believed it till \ saw it. . ., ' But T am rYi(rrw\w and w^st re--; turn to ott- «cVk,l. pur r>^ : ,U aro very aHen'tnn ve«v onyi'rhw • to Urn to <^o»V VwiUfi, Wo We. '» } - tent cacl.. T\WJ-u 7l7 l i£-<~ ** 1t«lj ones nmi T W- /»,».•«♦ W«^l. prpfwi'ft I *ave'n»l" K^UvU ? • TT. and TTT T^a TmH^t 1*»^oot, is., th^ prit^^oti'* V-^". T1 "' ohVAre^ W" ,'f«arfi>l a^l -^ f io^,,l *-*>*-* r>< pm^\ms at an»wprf». «erev«l <J *hf<m *»avijhoc* tnHfM **- W^r.un.l K,,f if T a?V f>»em haw mom' iwo there how tVev n^an«<r<» to nret »"v sort of an answer p«zz?e« vno.. Grammar i^

rather a hard subject ; we cannot oxplain much because their knowledge of English is so limited. They are fond of- geography and get on very well with that, the maips helping them when their English and my Dutch fail. Writing has evidently been taught in a go-as-you-please style; the one \\ho is finished first is Supposed to be the best. I have the greatest diflioulty to pers)ua.de them to keep anywhere near the lines. Still, I do notice an improvement after two months* grind.

All the l>utoh <~ ( V> ; lcliro'i are very clever at clay modelling-. The soil i 9 very sticky find out oi \t they mako w-onderful animals, whip of tibem almost perfect. Tbe other day T gave them a lesson in plasticene work. They seemed much amused because J made them do their \rork step by ftep, and some of thorn offered to make me pigs, cows, snakes, antelopes, etc. They are very fond of sing-ing', and very soon picik up the Eno-lish worcW ; indeed, it i 6 wonderful the way the slowest soon learn to speak and express themselves in English. I have come to the conclu■sion that our language is a very easiy one to learn. Wo try to learn Dutch, but find it hand work, the gnitturals* in the Low Dutch being so difficult to pronounce, rl'owever. we can make ourselves uaiderstoorl arrl can understand pretty well. We like o\ur school work very much and find it most interesting. Of coua-se we are not bound down yet to any haixl ancl fast rules, the sole nim at present being to teach ihe children to 'speak. read, and write exur , language- We have an adult class twice a week, and it is always well attended.

The Gover».Tt\«nt treat the Dutch children very well. Their education is free, also books, slater, etc. . and those who are boarxiinfr have free rations till June, and good rations too. This month -tinned roast cMokp-n formed one of the items ; T sampled it and fo^ind it very good. The children 'provide their own bidding and knives, forts, cups, plates, etc. Some of the parents are well ofF, but others are very rjoor.

Well. T wonder i* +*•'<* xn'H be rr>y last letter or not. T<his irortiVi a circular has hppr> t-r>-* -»■ ■ - ~» n 't rt »eher asldng her if she is willing- to sign a three Tears' agreement v*i+ih the Board. The terms are very o-oorl. one bern** that pach teacner. rhrringr that period . receive^ *»n extra +Hrp« mrnrfrihs' holiday, with r»*\sp«rrfi nni'-t is* anrl from her- home. TTV>w--»veT. tM«» doo'inrent ip n.ot vet. fr>rmpV ?v»vl <«ome of the ♦prms nrav T>p plfpn^l. 'tav will soon T>cvp. o.nVl ¥■«- ihf\'t ti'np tT»e We~w Zpaln.Trcler«s -will T»«»-o +/-» w.il-ii -» i^pal -fe<iision whotfc<»r to return or sasrn the new agreement.