the flagships abroad, and are then sent to England to join the Britannia, either in a returning man-of-war or in a mail steamer.

2.-COURSE OF STUDY.

The length of the course is two years, or four terms of five months each. The terms are from about the 1st of February to the 15th of July, and from the end of August to the 20th of December. There are three vacations: six weeks at midsummer, five weeks at Christmas, and two at Easter.

There are four forms,―or classes, as they would be called in America,— corresponding to the four terms; the first form being composed of cadets admitted last. The cadets are also divided into two watches, and each form is subdivided into two classes, half of each class being in one watch and half in the other. The eight naval instructors have charge of the eight classes in their allotted branches, and each instructs his own class during the whole time it remains in the ship, taking the two watches of the class alternately. The natural objections, in regard to unequal marking, &c., that present themselves to such an arrangement, are met by the fact that the real test of a cadet's work is the final examination, which is conducted and marked by the examiners sent down annually from the Royal Naval College for the purpose.

There are no recitations, in the American sense of the word, on board the Britannia, but the time passed with instructors is devoted to study, oral instruction, oral questioning, and practice, in an informal manner, according to the discretion of the instructor and the needs of his class. This time occupies twenty-eight hours a week-three hours every morning, and two and a half hours every afternoon, except Wednesday and Saturday. One hour on every day, except Saturday, is devoted to evening study. There is also a period of early morning study, for half an hour before breakfast, for the two upper forms.

The various branches of study are arranged in two groups for convenience of organization.* The first group comprises

* The tabular programme of study is given in the Appendix, Note B.

Of the twenty-eight hours of instruction, fourteen are given to each group that is, three mornings and two afternoons; the watches alternating in the different periods between the two groups of study.

The following tables will show the distribution of time for the twentyeight hours of mental work:

NOTE.-For no very apparent reason the cadets engaged with the studies of Group I are said, in the official language of the school, to be the "watch in study"; while those engaged with Group II are said to be "out of study."

The instruction of the watch in study, or, in other words, all the instruction given in the first group of studies, is given by the eight naval instructors. The hour for evening study is also devoted to these subjects, under the direction of the naval instructors, each instructor directing his own pupils. The "early morning" study is given on three days in the week to seamanship, on one day to drill, and on the other two it is occupied in the same way as the evening study. This gives the naval instructors an aggregate of thirty-four hours a week of work with their students, an amount of work for which men of the same attainments could not be obtained in America.

The principal naval instructor is charged with the supervision of all instruction given by naval instructors and masters. Except in the lectures in physics, he gives no direct personal instruction. It is a part of his duty to visit frequently all the class rooms, and he regulates their police and discipline, under the captain.

No studying is done except at the prescribed times, and cadets are even obliged to have permission to take and use their text-books out of

these hours. No marks are given in recitations, if that name can be applied to the questions asked by instructors during the period. The instructors merely keep a journal containing memoranda of the work done, with remarks as to the ability, progress, and conduct of the cadets under their charge. A daily report is made to the principal naval instructor of the attention of each cadet, and this report is inspected by the captain. Monthly reports are also made of the progress of each cadet. Cases of serious inattention are punished by one or two hours of extra drill. For occasional neglect, or for trifling offenses in the class-room, the principal naval instructor may stop the leave of cadets, except for one hour of exercise. On such occasions the delinquents are assembled to write impositions under the surveillance of the cadet sergeant-major.

The courses in Group I would not be considered difficult for ordinary students; but they must put to a severe test boys of from 13 to 15 years of age, whose only preliminary training is that indicated by the examination for admission. This is especially true of the subjects of plane and spherical trigonometry, theoretical and practical navigation, and nautical astronomy. The theoretical navigation includes astronomical geography, plane and middle latitude sailing, great circle sailing, and the Nautical Almanac. Practical navigation includes doing a day's work, and finding ship's position. The other subjects are algebra, arithmetic, and elementary plane geometry.

Of the subjects of Group II, instruction in charts and instruments is given by the staff-commander. It is confined to the three upper forms, and comprises the construction and use of charts, of the sextant, azimuth compass, theodolite, barometer, and thermometer. The cadets take and work out their own observations for latitude and longitude, error and rate of chronometer, &c. During winter the staff-commander is allowed to take cadets of the two upper forms from other instruction, to take observations, when the weather is particularly favorable. Each cadet is required to have his own sextant.

Instruction in seamanship is in charge of the senior lieutenant, assisted by the other executive offiers, and by the warrant and petty officers. The officer of the day visits all branches of seamanship instruction frequently during study hours; and, assisted by the signalman, gives instruction in signals. An extra hour, two afternoons in the week (making thirty hours a week of instruction), is given to practice in signals in the third and fourth forms. This takes place between 5 and 6 p. m., on the middle deck of the Britannia.

About one-eighth of the whole working time of the Britannia is given to what is generally called theoretical seamanship. It is chiefly a course of book-and-model work, if we except knotting and splicing, boat-sailing, and some exercises with spars and sails in the Dapper, towards the end of the course. Of practical seamanship, meaning thereby the manageS. Ex. 51-3

ment of a ship under sail or steam, there is nothing in the Britannia

course.

The text book is Nares's Seamanship. The first term course comprises the naming and identification of the parts of the ship, spars and sails, and standing rigging; the points of the compass, signal-pendants, knotting and splicing, pulling boats, and steering boats under oars. The second term is devoted to the fitment of rigging on lower masts and yards, and bowsprit; names and uses of parts of the running-rigging; tackles, blocks, seizings, log, and lead; a little further elementary knowledge of the compass and of signals, and questions on sailing in the launch. In the third term, instruction is given in rigging spars generally; setting up rigging on the models; lead of running-rigging; the fitment of sails; working anchors (model); boat-sailing in general, and the rule of the road. Instruction in furling sails, and in working masts and yards, is given on board the Dapper. The fourth term is occupied with a general review.

Lectures in elementary physics are given in the "science room" by the chaplain and principal naval instructor to the third and fourth forms, one lecture a week to each. These lectures, which last one and one-fourth hours, take place during the regular hours of instruction, the cadets assembling at convenient times from the other class-rooms. The subjects of instruction are

THIRD FORM.-Mechanics, Hydromechanics, Pneumatics, Acoustics. FOURTH FORM.-Heat, Light, Magnetism, Electricity.

Instruction in Latin, French, and drawing is given by the masters in those branches. In Latin, the examination is not one to give any difficulty even to negligent students. It consists of a passage from the text that the class has read, and another easy passage, new to the pupils, for which they are allowed a dictionary: There are some questions in grammar, and a few easy English sentences, on the model of those they have studied, to be turned into Latin. The French examinations, conducted by the professor of that language at the Naval College, are more searching.

3.-EXAMINATIONS.

Examinations are held twice a year, at the end of each term. The papers are set and the examinations are conducted by the examiners sent down from the Naval College at Greenwich, under the supervision of Dr. Hirst, the Director of Studies, who also conducts personally part of the viva voce examination. The examinations are of great importance in the Britannia course, as they constitute the ultimate test of proficiency, the only exercise at which marks are given; and they alone determine the seniority of the cadets and their ability to remain at the school and continue the course. The final examination also fixes the amount of seaservice time allowed to each cadet, and consequently the date of his promotion to midshipman.

Cadets are required to obtain a certain percentage of the maximum; but the passing mark is so low in all branches except seamanship that very few can possibly fail to get it. In the latter branch, the passing limit is 60 per cent. for each form. In the other professional subjects, and in all branches of mathematics, students are required to get 30 per cent. in the lower forms and 40 per cent. in the fourth form. Deficient cadets of the lower forms are warned by the Admiralty, and a failure on a second occasion causes their dismissal from the service. Cadets deficient at the final examination are turned back for a term; or, at least, they cannot go out into the service until they have passed. With these rules there is no reason why any lad, unless guilty of the grossest negligence, should fail to pass the Britannia course.

Certificates of proficiency are given, at the final examination, of three different classes, the first, second, and third. The certificates have a substantial value beyond the honor they confer, in lessening the time of sea-service required before promotion. As has been stated, graduates of the Britannia must serve one year at sea as naval cadets before being rated as midshipmen. But cadets who take a first or second class certificate at their final examination are allowed to count a certain number of months of this service as performed, and accordingly reach their promotion earlier. The certificates are given in conduct, and in three groups of study-mathematics, seamanship, and the "extra" or non-professional subjects. The percentage required for each class is as follows:

The time allowed in months for each certificate is shown by the following schedule:

Cadets who obtain first class in four departments are thus allowed twelve months, and are rated midshipmen immediately on passing out of the Britannia. The certificate of conduct to which a cadet is entitled is determined by the captain, commander, and principal naval instructor,