During all these months Bakula had worked each day for four hours either on the farm or in the brick-field--puddling clay, fetching water, carrying the clay, or, as he became more expert, making bricks.
The life on the station was very regular. At 6 a.m. the boys rose to the clanging of a bell, and went to work either on the farm, the brick-field, or in the houses of the missionaries; from 8 to 9.30 was taken for breakfast and a short service, and then each gang of boys arranged themselves outside the house of the white man who was working the district from which they came. They stood in lines according to ages. At these parades the white man listened to all complaints, settled all palavers, instructed his group of boys in station matters, taught them, when necessary, on points of behaviour, and gave them the tickets for the day’s rations. The hours from 10 to 12 were spent in school, and from then until 2 p.m. at dinner and play.
Then came two more hours of schooling, and from four o’clock until sunset at six[[65]] the boys engaged in farming, brick-making, or working in their masters’ houses. Thus each day there were four hours for work, four hours for school, three hours for eating and playing, and one hour for religious instruction.
On Saturdays there was no school, but the boys worked at their various employments or tidied up the station, except from 8 to 10 a.m., when the lads had their breakfasts, religious service, and the usual daily parade outside the houses of their respective white men. At one o’clock the stop bell rang, and every boy received a piece of soap and went off after dinner to do his washing and have a swim in a neighbouring river.
Besides the employments already mentioned there were others, as printing, bookbinding, composing, carpentry, bricklaying, washing and ironing, cutting out and sewing jackets for the boys on the station, cooking, and house-cleaning. For these occupations special lads who showed aptitude were selected and taught, and they received small rewards according to their skill and industry.
On Sundays there were services, and a Sunday-school on the station, and all scholars, unless ill, attended them. The missionaries, according to opportunity, health and weather, visited the neighbouring towns, both on week-days and Sundays, to hold services in them.
Bakula sometimes accompanied his white man on these preaching journeys to help in the singing at the services, and to carry a small load. At one place the people were so hostile that they would not allow the little party to remain in their village. They were not sufficiently courageous to demonstrate against the visitors with guns and knives, but were superstitious enough to drive them out with abuse, the shaking of their fetishes, and threats of what they would do if the white man and his boys tried to enter their village. It was a cold, wet evening, and the party was anything but cheerful sitting there in the bush with the rain falling in a continuous, monotonous patter about them.
Bakula now knew what it was to be misunderstood, and did not relish the experience. His intentions were friendly. Why were the people so foolish! He resented the treatment meted out to him and his white man, and, turning to the missionary, he said: “God is very strong, ask Him to punish these people severely for their conduct to us.”
CLOTH WEAVING.