Fiji Schoolboys

Go Into Print

rWO school magazines were re ceived at the end of the year: both from Fiji, one Indian and me Fijian, and both excellent.

Queen Victoria School—the all rijian secondary school of the Jolony—calls its magazine Nanumi T iti and it takes the usual form of chool magazines, most of the letter less being provided by the pupils tiemselves.

This is the magazine’s second year f issue—and we hope that there ill be many more as it gives an scellent idea of how these young ijians, now established in their ew school at Matavatucou, are de- Jloping in an environment designed ) fit them for living in a Euro sanised world.

As well as a chronicle of school ;tivities in 1955, there are numer is original contributions from the )ys on subjects ranging from gay • grave. This is one of the best them—from NHD, of Form VI. e called it Invisible.

"Well, if you really must know how I made discovery, I suppose I had better tell you," said to the reporter, who for the last five fs had been pestering me for an interview.

What do you think made him try so hard

for an interview with me? Now, do not make the excuse that your breakfast has caused you to forget so quickly. If you really cannot find the cause perhaps I had better tell you There is every reason for every reporter in the country to want to interview me, for you see I am the scientist whose name recently hit the headlines on account of my discovery Inv. 5 a serum which when introduced into the body at the business end of a hypodermic needle makes the recipient invisible after exactly five minutes.

I had, for three years and for no clear purpose at all, been experimenting on a large number of mixtures in the hope of finding one that when injected into a living organism, would make the refractive index of its tissues similar to that of air. After many disappoint ments I finally stumbled upon my serum. I say stumbled because my discovery was made quite by accident.

It was about half past three on Friday morning when, completing my mixture, I went into the kitchen for a cup of coffee. I returned in about 10 minutes and thinking that I still had to add a certain chemical to the mixture, measured out the required amount and did so!

To my great surprise the mixture frothed and foamed and went through five different changes of colour, a factor which had not occurred in any of my previous preparations.

Full of hope I injected 2 c.c. of my new serum into one of my few remaining guinea pigs, at the same time recording the tem perature and heart-beat of the animal. In exactly five minutes after the injection, the animal disappeared completely from sight, hence the name Inv. 5. Crowned with success and now full of confidence it was no difficult matter for me to work out an antidote to my serum.

You may be sure that I did not make my discovery known until I had made the best possible use of it. Scientist though I am, cheap movies offer a great attraction for me and for a month I went around seeing every movie possible—free of charge. It was only when I realised that I was not the only one who wished to see a movie free of charge that I made my discovery known.

The other magazine is from the Vivekananda High School at Nadi. This High School was started in 1949 and although the roll of 315 is predominantly Indian, there are 12 Fijian students and one Chinese.

There were 43 girls attending the school in 1955—0ne of them a Fijian girl. This seems to suggest that the

Indian resident of Fiji, has still to be persuaded that girls are worthy of higher education.

There are reports on school activ ities and contributions by past and present students but the magazine differs from the usual school annual in that it contains also articles and illustrations on Indian cultural matters and articles of gen eral interest to education.

Most of the magazine is in Eng lish but there are also sections in Fijian, Hindi, Tamil, Gujerati, and Malayalam. Judging by the original contributions, it seems that the Indian schoolboy is a much more serious fellow than his Fijian counterpart. Here is one typical contribution from Govardhan, of Form V. He calls it Man over 'Nature.

In the pre-historical period man prayed and offered tribute to lightning, lions, other wild animals, Rain God, Wind God, and thousand and one other gods whom he needed.

But as time passed on, man progressed. The gods to whom he prayed became his slaves and the man became their master. Man made fire, domesticated wild animals and cultivated lands.

Iron and copper were converted into knives, saws, axes and other implements. The river, which he once worshipped and never dared to go near, was crossed by boats.

As time marched on still brighter and clearer discoveries were made.

Though man does not have wings he can now fly higher than birds and faster than sound. Man harnessed water to supply him

with power to run factories and so on.

Man lives in all the climates and countries.

He lives in the skyscrapers, igloos, bures and long houses. He is both carnivorous and herbivorous. He is no longer scared of the forces of nature. He is the master of them.

He thus lives true to the words of the great Greek philosopher—" Man is the measure of all things".

IT Mr. Alan Donald BVSc., has been selected for appointment to the

post of Veterinary Officer

(Pathology), in the Department

of Agriculture, Fiji. He was

a Colonial Development and Wel fare Scholarship holder, recently graduated BVSc., at the University* of Sydney, and has accepted a teaching fellowship in veterinary pathology at the Sydney University* Veterinary School during 1956. He will likely take up his appoint ment in Fiji early in 1957. Mr: Donald was born in Fiji and is the only son of Mr. D. A. Donald (who served as an Agricultural Officer in Fiji prior to his appointment a: Senior Agricultural Officer to the BSIP) and Mrs. Donald.