The Estate

For more than a mile the estate of the Colonial College is fringed by the River Alde. The Alde is a tidal river, having clean, shingly banks, and is much used for shipping the produce of the estate, as well as for boating and bathing purposes. At that point of the river which is nearest to the College is established the boat-house. Close to the boathouse a fine flagstaff, with yards, stays, and halyards complete, is erected. Grouped about the house, and inside it, I noticed three very fine racing gigs, several pair-oared boats, and some smaller craft, including canoes. The Alde is unusually wide for an English river, and is a veritable happy hunting-ground for those who take to water. The educational value of such a river need hardly be insisted on.

In many Colonies the river forms the easiest, as it is by far the cheapest, mode of transport to the nearest markets. In fruit-growing countries, especially, where rough roads play havoc with ripened fruit, the country adjacent to streams and rivers is eagerly bought up, and these natural highways greatly used. The opportunity afforded by the River Alde, and the flotilla I saw before me, of learning to handle boats with or without sail, to construct rough but serviceable rafts and pontoon bridges, is one which, though I have mentioned it the last, is by no means the least of the many priceless advantages which the Colonial College holds out to the intending emigrant.

As we stood conversing with the boat-keeper, an old Coastguard, and a fine specimen of a fine race, my attention was drawn to the Colonial College flag, which was lazily flapping in the languid breeze from the truck of the flag-staff. It was of so unusually elaborate a design that I asked my companion to interpret the various symbols it bore.

He replied:" We are rather proud of our flag. My heraldry is rather rusty, but my intention was to make it the flag of the English-speaking peoples. The flag is quarterly. First, the Union Jack, with the Star of India at the intersection of the crosses; second, on a field "or" the arms of the Australian Colonies; third, on a field "gules," the arms of the Canadian dominion; fourth, on a field "azure," the arms of the Cape of Good Hope. The quarters are divided, or, I should prefer to say, united by the stars and stripes of the United States, and, at their intersection in the centre, the arms of England cement and dominate the whole."

"But why," I queried, "include the United States?"

"Well, so much of our best English blood has gone to create the United States, and so much is still being added to it, that I cannot help feeling most strongly that in a flag, which is, as I have said, a symbol of the federation of all English-speaking people, the United States must be included. I do not care for any scheme of Imperial Federation which leaves out of account the United States, and I think those men are the worst enemies of the Anglo-Saxon race, and the most shortsighted as politicians, who try to stir up a feeling of rivalry and even of antagonism between Canada and the States. A federation of all English-speaking peoples might keep the peace of the world, but a federation of one half, leaving the United States out in the cold, would probably end sooner or later in a fratricidal war."

As the sun disappeared over the purpling fields in the west, and the many lights of the Colonial College buildings sprang up from several points in the wide landscape, gleaming in reply, as it were, to the stars which now glittered freely in the darkened sky, we slowly retraced our steps, and, passing over a rustic bridge and between an avenue of pollard willows, we once more came under the friendly shelter of the College roof, when, in reply to further questions, the Director said,

"Our object is to endeavour to meet an obvious need of the Colonies. The experience of all old colonists is - that what is wanted in these new countries is not merely capital, but a class of capitalists who will use their money to the very best advantage. In a word, the thousands of young Englishmen who go out to live a new life under absolutely new conditions, should have at least anticipated those conditions by some practical work at home. Many a young man has emigrated, not only in complete ignorance of the life before him, but without even having attempted to form the habit of daily manual work. But few of them have known how to handle an axe, a saw, or a plane, let alone having ability to milk a cow, to sow seed, or to reap their harvest. Utterly unprepared, they have, in too many cases, as (sic) utterly failed. When I first brought this scheme before the notice of our agents-general, our Colonial governors, and our old colonists, they were unanimous in condemning the inefficiency of the average young fellow who emigrates, and in expressing their opinion that such a College as this was the first and most absolute desideratum for intelligent and high-class colonisation."

"And what may your programme be?"

"Briefly this. We endeavour to provide for the intending colonist a suitable training for the practical character of Colonial life, to advise him as to his future career, and, when needed, to give him an introduction to it. Now we cannot give an introduction to Colonial life without our having, as the Yankees say, "thoroughly reliable data." And here comes in the point which I would wish to impress upon you. This is not only a Colonial College, but the nucleus of a very large Colonial organisation. We have numerous friends, as well as old students, resident in the Colonies; they keep us in touch with the progress of affairs there, and so help us to form accurate opinions of the state of matters in various districts. We have, in fact, correspondents here, there, and everywhere; and so, you see, it is not difficult for us to have "thoroughly reliable data.""

"Can you tell me something more about this particular feature ?"

"Well, further, I can say that we have, in the College itself, a thoroughly Colonial atmosphere. We usually have with us some students who are Colonial born, and who are sent home to the old country to gain broader views of I agriculture and its allied sciences than they would be likely to obtain in a colony. Many other students hare brothers or friends who have preceded them to the Colonies. The doings in the various Colonies are matters of daily discussion among the students. Maps, plans, sketches, books, letters, pamphlets, prospectuses, and a large variety of other things keep us au courant with Colonial affairs. Our habits here are in themselves Colonial - including even our costumes!"

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