Burmese Sketches - Khamkoo

BURMM8B! SKETCHES.
355
learned Translator to Government ; the first graduate was
Maung Tu, who had recently retired from the educational
service ; and the first M. A. was the late John Saw W. White.
The College being the oldest institution of its kind in the
Province, its alumni were the pioneers in the services under
Government, in business and in the learned professions, and it
appeared to be expedient that an esprit de corps should be
maintained amongst them, and that they should be inspired by
high ideals of truth, honour and honesty, so that the term " an
Old Rangoon Collegian" would be synonymous with an upright
gentleman and a good citizen. (Applause). Mr. Taw Sein
Ko then stated his reminiscences of his own college days and
described his experiences under Mr. A. R. Hayes, Dr. R.
Romanis and Dr. E. Forchhammer. The last named, in particular,
inspired him with a literary ambition. Dr. Forchhammer
used to say that the worship of Minerva was infinitely better
than the worship of Mammon and to keep alight the lamp of
learning in our age of materialism was an act of high altruism.
Like many others, his first ambition was to become a Myook,
but it was Dr. Forchhammer who turned him from it. But it
must be admitted that they must work for a livelihood, and
that the country must be governed, and, after all, Myookships
furnished them with an honourable career. If was pleasant to
stir up the memories of the past and to afford to the younger
generations of students the ideals, motives and aspirations
which had actuated them and which had enabled them to
achieve their present positions. Their example and experience
would serve as beacon lights. The toast was received with
prolonged cheers and with the singing of " For he's a jolly
good fellow.*'
Mr. Hunter, Principal of the College, replied in an interesting
speech. He said he was very pleased to see the old familiar
faces and especially the Chairman, who was one of the oldest
and had a marked success in life. He himself could not go
back to the beginning of the College, but he could go back
above twenty years and he well remembered the time when he
arrived in Burma to join the staff of the College, which had
twenty-five students. (Laughter.) Since then the College
had attained great proportions until, at the present day, the
numbers were near three hundred. They had prospects of
obtaining even better buildings than the present ones and he
confidently hoped that ere long the Rangoon College would be
architecturally a credit to Rangoon. He recalled the names
of many of his old pupils and was particularly pleased that, at
least three of them, Mr. Taw Sein Ko, Maung Thein Kin, and