Antigua and the Antiguans, Volume 1 (of 2): A full account of the colony and its inhabitants from the time of the Caribs to the present dayLanaghan, Mrs.
History
Antigua and the Antiguans, Volume 1 (of 2): A full account of the colony and its inhabitants from the time of the Caribs to the present day
Lanaghan, Mrs.
Antigua -- Description and travel; Antigua -- History
This apartment was also garnished with its pretty prints and
Brobdignagian alphabets, and possessed its coloured maps and
stands. The exercises were conducted in a similar manner as those
in the other part of the seminary: an intelligent-looking little
black boy taking his place by the centre stand, beside the map of
Palestine, and answering very fluently the various questions
proposed to him by the other children, at the same time pointing
out the places. “Where did Jesus turn water into wine?” asked one
of the little girls. “Cana, in Galilee.”—“Who got his cedars from
Lebanon?”—“Solomon,” &c. They then sang one of their pretty
little songs, to the tune of which they marched round the room,
and, formed into classes, read, from a selection of pieces, “Dr.
Franklin’s Whistle.” It was too difficult for them, and they
bungled sadly through it; for although, like the elder pupils,
they were geographers and historians, they had not made much
progress in the art of reading. Their lessons over, they sang an
anthem; and then, after a short prayer offered up by the master,
the school broke up, and away they started with whoop and song,
leaving me to ponder in my brain how far their manifold knowledge
would benefit their after progress through life.
Besides the Wesleyan and Mico schools, Antigua is further
supplied with “repositories of learning,” belonging to the
established church and the Moravians. Our worthy rector, zealous
in every good work, has a pleasing little infant-school near the
rectory, besides schools in various other parts of the town and
country. The Moravians have large schools at their different
settlements; and a boys’ and girls’ school, with infant-school
attached, adjoining their chapel in St. John’s. I visited this
last-mentioned school twice; but I am unable to speak of the
acquirements of the scholars—they having been dismissed soon
after my entrance, upon both occasions. They appear to cultivate
the art of singing; for I heard them join in Mrs. Hemans’ “Better
Land,” to the accompaniment of a small, but very sweet-toned
organ, played by their superintendent. If I may be allowed to
judge of the manners of the children, (which, I own, would not be
quite right,) by those of the female teacher, I should be
inclined to say, they were far behind any of the other schools I
have visited in the island; for she appeared totally deficient in
politeness or agreeable behaviour.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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