Jocular Geography.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume IV, Issue 560, 22 January 1891, Page 3

Jocular Geography.

The candidates who went up for the recent matriculation examination will appreciate the grim satire of the Catholic Times in dealing with the alleged geography questions. Thia is how the Times gently “sits upon" the cause of so much despair :—Mr Henry 0Forbes, F.R.G.S., is one of those pleasing and high-class drolls who are occasionally, doubtless for wise purposes which average men cannot fathom, let loose upon society. Mr Forbes's "strong suit" as a humorist is geography. Given Mr Furbos and an Atlas and there is bound to be fun for Mr Forbes. Give Mr Forbss a pair of globes and an examination paper to concoct and the result is screaming conundrums and the wild exhilaration of—Mr Forbes. So far as we can ascertain the last time Mr Forbes was let off the chain he propounded a series of unsolvable riddles, with a geographical flavor with them, to the candidates tor matriculation at the New Zealand University. We have not seen all the questions which this comic geographer set to the candidates, but judging by those we have seen Mr Forbes must have surpassed himself, We take leave to remark, nevertheless, that however amusing these questions may have proved to Mr Forbes, they might have been death to a number of blameless young men who essayed to answer them. To drive a number of promising youths to insanity or the silent tomb is an abuse of that undoubtedly glorious and even gaudy talent for humor which Mr Forbes possesses. Such jokes are inhuman. For instance, Mr Forbes asks in cold blood, and jt is believed without a smilo on his features, such a question as this: "Write a short summary of the acquisition of our Indian Empire. Name its chief provinces with their capitals and give a brief account of its commerce and resources.” The joke here is that an historical question is asked under the guise of a geographical query, Here is another rebus : a gegraphical one right enough this time ; “Locate and state all you know remarkable about the following— Menado, Pamir, Mt. Athos, Mt. Ruwenzori, Tabriz, Sarahks, Kelat, Mozambique, Baroda, Port Pirie, Maryborough, Thursday Island, and the rivers Arqwimi and Semiliki." We may remark, en passant, that Ruwenzori is only known to one European alive—lf indeed it be known to him. It was discovered fir alleged to have been discovered by Stanley on his recent wild-goose chase after Emin. Here is the last specimen of Mr Forbes’s abilities as a jokist, with which we shall trouble our readers: •' Starting from the Equator and travelling North to the Arctic Girds on the 1006 b meridian cf east longitude, wtl‘,6 it ruuning uftiraiiye of the tend, seas,

rivers, mountains, and the peoples that you would encounter.” And that is how Mr Forbes goes on ; these are the kind of riddles he sets and demands shall be answered each in eighteen minutes ! This is the cruelty he is guilty of to inoffensive New Zealand youths, many of them orphans ! Could Mr Forbes answer the questions himself ? Our deliberate opinion is that he could not and that, if he could, he is not safe to be at large with such a store of gaseous and useless “ information ” in his head.