6. Combination of the results of 4 and 5 to determine the weight and position of the center of gravity of the completed ship. The comparison of these results with those obtained in 3 shows whether the new design is successful as regards draught, trim, and stiffness, or whether any corrections are necessary in the form or stowage. Having made these corrections, the design passes out of the preliminary stage, and only its details require to be worked out.

7. Preparation of outline profile and plans of decks and hold, showing the main features of the stowage throughout the ship.

8. Preparation of sail draught, with calculations for area and center of effort of plain sail, and power to carry sail.

9. Calculations for and construction of curves of displacement, tons per inch, and immersed midship section; also for the metacentric diagram.

10. Calculations for statical stability, construction of curve of stability, estimate of

dynamical stability.

11. Calculations for speed under steam.

12. Calculations for longitudinal bending moments in still water and among waves, including the construction of curves of weight, buoyancy, loads, shearing forces, and bending moments.

13. Construction of equivalent girders, and estimates of longitudinal strains on the structure.

A student who has passed through this course ought to be thoroughly competent to undertake the design of any class of ship for which the fundamental conditions are furnished.

In the third year students also attend a special course of about 35 lectures on the stability and oscillations of ships, delivered by Mr. White. By that time they have advanced far enough in mathematics to take up the general theorems of stability, and the theory of the oscillations of ships; and one morning in each week is devoted to these subjects. The extent of this course is shown by the following abstract:

SYLLABUS OF LECTURES ON THE STABILITY AND OSCILLATIONS OF SHIPS.

I. STATICAL STABILITY OF SHIPS.

1. General theorems of Dupin, with extensions and particular applications to ships. 2. Metacentric methods of estimating initial stability, "metacentric heights" for various classes of ships, with results of experience as to the amount of stiffness desirable.

3. Applications of the metacentric method, including: Inclining experiments to determine the vertical position of the center of gravity of ships. Variations in stability due to addition or removal of weights. Estimates for changes of trim of ships produced by moving weights, or adding or removing weights. Efficiency of various methods of water-tight subdivision in preserving the stability of ships when compartments are bilged. Stability of ships aground and partially water-borne. Estimates of power to carry sail.

4. Stability at finite angles of inclination, with details of the various methods of calculation that have been proposed by Atwood, Reade, and Barnes. Calculations for and construction of curves of stability. Examples of the forms of such curves for typical ships. Influence of freeboard, beam, draught, and vertical position of the center of gravity upon the forms of curves of stability.

II.-DYNAMICAL STABILITY.

1. Moseley's formula and other expressions for dynamical stability. Estimates of dynamical stability by direct calculation, or from curves of stability. Connection of dynamical stability with the safety of ships acted upon by suddenly-applied forces, such as gusts or squalls of wind. Reserve of dynamical stability.

III. OSCILLATIONS OF SHIPS.

1. Unresisted rolling in still water.

2. Rolling in still water, with the effect of resistance included.

3. Still-water rolling experiments, their conduct, and the construction and analysis of curves of extinction.

4. Dipping oscillations in still water.

5. Rolling among waves-treated mainly in accordance with the investigations of Mr. Froude, with the effect of resistance neglected and included.

6. Principal deductions from the theory of rolling, illustrated by recorded observations of the behavior of ships.

7. Pitching oscillations.

8. Heaving and yawing.

It may be added that the professor of applied mechanics, Mr. Cotterill, gives a course of lectures each session on the trochoidal-wave theory and the propulsion of ships, including the stream-line theory of resist

ance.

It is not supposed that the college will replace the necessity of experience in designing ships or supply the facility and information only gained by long and extensive practice; but it is intended that it shall give a good grounding in the principles of design, and enable the student to proceed intelligently in whatever direction his after work may lead him. Evidence of the thoroughness of the training may be found in the fact that many graduates of the course are at once employed in the construction department of the Admiralty; and both Mr. E. J. Reed, the late chief constructor, and Mr. Barnaby, who at present occupies that position, have borne testimony to the useful work that they have done.

During the summer, which the other students spend in vacation, the young constructors and constructing engineers go for three months to the dockyards, or, in the case of the latter, to the Steam Reserves, where they put in practice their theoretical knowledge, renew their skill in practical work, attend trials of new and repaired machinery, and, in general, gain additional practical experience, to be turned to account in the rest of their course, and ultimately in their profession.

At the close of the course certificates of three classes are given for proficiency, as shown at the final examination; and it has been said by one of those best capable of judging in England, that the first-class certificate in naval architecture or marine engineering, given at Greenwich, is the highest class of certificate of the kind given in England, and represents the highest scientific attainments, and that a man's fortune may be said to be made who takes it.

CHAPTER VIII.

THE GUNNERY-SHIP EXCELLENT.

The establishment to which the name of the Excellent is applied is the third great institution for educational purposes in the English Navy, and is, in its way, quite as important as either of the others. But it dif fers from them in one respect, that it is devoted as much to the training of seamen and petty and warrant officers as to that of commissioned officers. When it is considered that it has resources equal to the training of at least 100 officers and over 1,000 men, at a time; that there are usually more than this number of men actually there, and that it is the only place where systematic instruction is given to officers at least, in this branch,* it will be seen of what great consequence it is in the naval system.

The great work of the Excellent is instruction in theoretical and practical gunnery. There is also a school course in mathematics for gunners and gunnery instructors (petty officers or seamen), but the main work of the establishment is with gunnery.

In this branch there are courses carefully arranged for five different classes of officers. The officers qualifying for gunnery-lieutenants take the longest and fullest course, lasting about six months. The other courses, each of three months, but differently divided, are taken by officers of the Marine Artillery, sub-lieutenants completing their course and examination for promotion, and voluntary, or, as they are commonly called, "short-course" lieutenants. The fifth and last course, only organized last year, is for captains and commanders. It extends over twenty days, and is purely voluntary, like that of the short-course lieutenants, and like the courses for the same grades of officers at Greenwich. The division of time is briefly shown in the following table, the subjects being taken up in the order named.

COURSES OF INSTRUCTION ON BOARD THE EXCELLENT.

*The Cambridge, stationed at Devonport, is also a gunnery ship, but is exclusively for the training of men.

To carry on these courses, as well as those for the instruction of gunners, gunnery instructors, seamen-gunners, and men qualifying for one of these positions, the Excellent has a staff of officers composed of a captain, commander, six gunnery lieutenants, a naval instructor, and sixteen gunners, besides the usual staff officers. There are also a number of gunnery instructors. Besides their duties with the men, the gunners instruct the officers qualifying for gunnery lieutenants, and the gunnery instructors instruct the sub-lieutenants and short-course lieutenants. The officers take theoretical instruction, battalion drill, and exercise at quarters. It will be noticed that by this arrangement much practical instruction is regularly given by petty or warrant officers to commissioned officers. This system, which might at first sight be thought open to objections, is found to work exceedingly well on board the Excellent and to occasion no difficulty. The gunners, gunnery instructors, and seamen-gunners of the English navy are highly trained men, of great intelligence, who have won their positions after one, two, three, or perhaps four courses of thorough training, with severe examinations; and with rare exceptions, they are fully equal to the work they are called upon to do in the instruction of their superiors.

The matériel of the establishment consists of two old ships-of-theline, the Excellent and the Calcutta, lying in the stream off Portsmouth dockyard. There are also two screw gunboats attached to the Excellent, the Comet and the Skylark, and an old mortar-boat used in the Crimean war, which serves the purpose of a rolling-motion boat. The Glatton, one of the powerful armor-plated coast-defense turret ships, is attached as a tender to the Excellent, and is used for turret instruction. The Lord Clyde, one of the older 18-gun wooden armored ships, is now being fitted out to be used as a drill ship. As to guns, the Excellent has on her lower deck ten 100-pounder smooth-bores, and on her upper, one 90 cwt. 7-inch revolving gun. The Calcutta's guns are two 9-inch, two 8-inch, three 7-inch 63 ton, and one 7-inch 4 ton. The Glatton carries two 25-ton guns in her turret. The Comet has one 18-ton gun, and the Skylark two 64s and one 40-pounder. The Lord Clyde has a broadside battery of eighteen 6-ton guns. The rolling-motion boat has two 9-pounders, and there are also for practice a launch, armed with one 9-pounder, and a cutter, with a 7-pounder and a Gatling (.45 caliber). The pile-battery consists of two 9-pounders, and the battery on the island, used for field-gun exercise, of six 9-pounders and a Gatling (.65 caliber). It will be seen that this comprises nearly every description of gun in use in the English service, a fact of the greatest importance in estimating the efficiency of the institution.

Before going into the details of the various courses, it should be stated that they are largely pursued in common with the seamen and petty officers of various grades, reviewing or qualifying for higher ratings. In battalion drill the officer-students are only company or non-commissioned officers; but in squad and great gun drills they fall in and work

with the men. There is no permanent battalion organization; in fact, owing to the frequency with which separate classes join, and the irregularity with which officers and men are attached and detached, it would be almost impossible to have such an organization, and it would not be of any great advantage. Battalion drill and landing usually take place on Thursdays, and field-gun exercise on Friday mornings, with quarters in the afternoon. Theoretical instruction is given in lectures on Saturdays, and in some branches by a lesson lasting a quarter of an hour before and after each drill. Moreover, each drill and exercise involve a certain amount of theoretical instruction. The rest must be done by the students themselves, with the help of their text-books, and such explanation as they may receive from time to time from the officers of the staff.

The text-books used in the Excellent are mostly official publications of very recent date, and are all works of the highest character, and specially adapted to the needs of the course. They comprise the Gunnery Manual; the Official Treatise on the Construction and Manufacture of Ordnance in the British service, 1877; Wood's Notes on Naval Guns; Motion of Rifled Projectiles; Britton's Review of the Rifle System; Of ficial Treatises on Ammunition and on Military Carriages; Manufacture of Gunpowder at Waltham Abbey; Rifle and Field Exercises and Musketry Instructions, 1877.

In general, there are two courses pursued on board the Excellent, known as the long course and the short course; the first of about six months, and the second of three months. These two courses may be taken as types of the work done in all the specific courses given to officers and men, all being modifications of one or the other of the two established systems. The long course answers pretty exactly for the gunnery lieutenants (i. e., officers qualifying as such), and the short course for the voluntary lieutenants and the sub-lieutenants, the distribution of time for each being that previously given in the table.* In these courses each day's work is marked out, the exercise taking the best part of each morning and afternoon except Saturday.

The details of the courses are given below:

1.-LONG COURSE.

1.-HEAVY GUN.

1st to 4th day. Formerly a specific exercise was assigned to each of the first four days. For example, the first morning was wholly given to casting loose and sponging, and the afternoon to sponging and loading different guns; the second day was given to running in and out different guns, using high elevations, and so on. Now, however, instead of spending a whole day at one exercise, the exercises are varied through the whole preliminary drill in the Manual of Gunnery.

5th day.—Clearing for action, independent firing, and training for loading. 6th day. Revolving gun.

7th day.-Electric firing.

* Page 78.