262 Timehri. 
enquired if such an offering was fit for Almighty God. I havehadsome experi- ~ 
ence in collecting in church and I am under the impression that copper is still 
much used in contributing to church funds. After finishing my studies at 
Queen’s College I obtained a Colonial Scholarship. There had been for some 
time a dearth of doctors in the colony, and the Government sought to rectify 
this state of things by instituting scholarships—to promote medical study. 
The other men besides myself who obtained scholarships were Van Water- 
schoodt and Gibbons. The former was uncle of the present Chief Justice of 
Trinidad, and brother-in-law of the former Chief Justice of Jamaica. Neither 
Van Waterschoodt nor Gibbons returned to practise in the colony. Gibbons 
died in Glasgow before his medical course was finished. Dr. Grieve was then 
a student at the Glasgow University and attended Gibbons’s funeral. After 
getting the scholarship I walked the Public Hospital, Georgetown, under Dr. 
Manget for 15 months and I knew my skeleton well before going to London. 
I entered University College. I was for a time clinical clerk to Sir William 
Jenner. 
One of the first sights I saw in England when I went to study was the Great 
Volunteer review at Brighton. Lord Clyde reviewed the Volunteers. Lord Clyde 
served in Demerara as Captain Colin Campbell, and did duty during the Insur- 
rection of 1823. WhenI took over charge of the Buxton Medical District I met 
an old black man who had been a slave on the East Coast, and who remember- 
ed very clearly many facts about the Insurrection. He was 25 years old at the 
time. The Rev. John Smith suffered in connection with the Insurrection. 
He was put into the Colony House, and died there before his sentence 
was carried out. Iam not going to enter into the details of Mr. Smith’s case, 
but I will quote from Lord Brougham (then Mr. Brougham) who made an elo- 
quent speech about the matter in the House of Commons. Speaking in the 
House with reference to Mr. Smith’s case Brougham said : “ I have no hesitation 
in saying, that from the beginning of those proceedings (the Court-martial) 
to their fated termination there has been committed more of illegality, more of 
the violation of ustice—violation of justice in substance as well as in form— 
than in the whole history of modern times, I venture to assert, was ever before.” 
My father wrote a book called “‘ The Demerara Martyr,” in which he gave his 
views in connection with Mr. Smith’s case. My father named me John Smith 
in memory of Smith, and he built a Church on the Brickdam which he called 
Smith Church. 
To go back to University College. At the College three of my classmates 
were men who became very distingitished in after vears. They were John 
Williams, Richard Douglas Powell and William Gowers. Williams became Sir 
John Williams, Bart., and attended Royalty. Powell became Sir Richard 
Douglas Powell, Bart., K.C.V.O., and also attended Royalty. He was in attend- 
ance on the late King at the time of his death. Gowers became Sir William 
Gowers, and a very distinguished authority on certain diseases. While at the 
College I had the privilege of attending the annual distribution of prizes and there 
I saw several notabilities. Among them was Lord Brougham whose name 
recalls the Trial of Queen Caroline in 1820, and the Insurrection of 1823. Broug- 
