8th to 11th day.-Remainder of the firings, viz, from platform, ship (100-pounder), rolling-motion boat, and gun-boat, according to the state of the tide.

12th and 13th days.-Transporting, dismounting, gear of carriage and slide.

14th day.-Lowering ports, chalking drums, and down ports.

15th day.—Shifting breechings, supply, and spare stores.

16th day.—Working guns in a seaway; preparing for ramming.

17th day. Signals.

18th day.-Diminished crews.

19th and 20th days.—Examination.

Each day's drill begins and ends with a lesson lasting a quarter of an hour. The lessons are arranged somewhat as follows: (1) Parts of the guns, carriages, and slides; (2) sights, wood-scales, &c.; (3) weight of charges, bursters, &c.; (4) weight of projectiles; (5) weight and dimensions of guns. These subjects are taken in the same order during each five days of the heavy gun course, the student advancing at each lesson. Instruction in the Manual is given for two hours, each morning and afternoon.

2.-FIELD EXERCISE.

1st to 3d day.-9-10.30. Manual and firing exercises. 10.40-11.45. Squad drill. Same in the afternoon.

4th to 6th day.—Same as first three days, except that squad skirmishing is substituted for squad drill in the afternoon.

7th to 17th day.—91–10. Drill each other. 10-10.30. Miscellaneous.* 10.40-11.45. Companies. 1.30-2.40. Company skirmishing.

18th day.-Examination.

3.- AMMUNITION.

1 day.-Equipment of boats manned and armed, and firing 9-pounder from the launch.

2 days.-General description of all fuses used in the naval service, method of fitting, and mode of supply.

day.-General description of war and life-saving rockets, tubes, and fireworks, used in the service; their use, supply, and stowage in ships.

day.-Rocket-firing.

1 day.-General description of the ammunition in use for Woolwich guns, including filling shell.

1 day. Firing 64-pounder from gunboat.

1 day.-Life-saving rocket firing.

† day.—General description of the ammunition in use for 64-pounder gun, and for boat and field-guns.

day.-General description of the ammunition in use for B. L. R. guns.

1 day.-General description of magazines and shell-rooms, stowage, working, and ventilation.

2 days.-Preliminary drill, as in the Gunnery Manual.

1 day. Firing and shifting breechings.

1 day.—Transporting, dismounting, and exercise with diminished crews.

1 day.-Examination.

Total, 5 days.

Each drill begins with a lesson of a quarter of an hour.

* Miscellaneous subjects comprise manual and firing exercises, sword-bayonet exer

cise, exercise for receiving cavalry, funeral exercise, &c.

S. Ex. 51-6

5.-MUSKETRY.

10 days, as laid down in the musketry instruction, including lessons, position drill, aiming drill, judging-distance drill, and practice; blank firing; volley, independent, and skirmishing firing, and moving-object practice.

6.-CUTLASS AND PISTOL.

1 day. Cutting and guarding practice.

1 day.—Pointing and general practice.

1 day.-Attack and defense practice.

1 day.-Attack and defense practice, and pistol drill.

3 days. Attack and defense practice, drilling each other, loose play, pistol drill and firing, and cutting lead.

Firing takes place as convenient. Steam is raised on the third day for each class to work the turrets.

8.-FIELD GUN.

1 day.-Preliminary drill, as in the Gunnery Manual, up to and including "Front limber up," and comprising such exercises as formation of gun's crew, stations, marching, inclining, taking ground, reversing, wheeling, &c.; front unlimbering, loading, firing.

1 day. Remainder of preliminary drill, including unlimbering and limbering up, reversing in a narrow passage, ascending and descending inclines, and changing front in action.

1 day.-Gatling-gun drill. Embarking.

1 day. Target practice with field guns.

1 day. Target practice with Gatling.

2 days.-Drill in Part II, of the Manual; including action, retiring with the prolonge, shifting wheels, removing disabled carriages, &c.

1 day.-Examination.

8 days.

The drill is always carried out with limbers, &c., packed for firing, and practice takes place according to the state of the tide.

The following table shows the details of the practice in firing, and the number of rounds fired by each student in the different exercises:

2.-SHORT COURSE.

The short course is chiefly a modification of the other. Thus, allowing ten days for the exercise in heavy guns (the time allowed in the short course for men qualifying for gunnery ratings), the first three days cover the ground of the first four days in the long course; the fourth (short course) corresponds to the 12th and 13th; the fifth, to the 5th and 14th; the sixth, to the 6th and 15th; and so on. In field exercise a similar plan is pursued, but the course is even more curtailed. In ammunition, pistol drill, musketry, and other branches, the chief omissions are in the firings. The short course, varied to suit the requirements of the dif ferent classes of students, may be said to be the course pursued by acting sub-lieutenants, voluntary lieutenants, and officers of the Marine Artillery. A still shorter course is taken by the voluntary captains and commanders.

3.-ACTING SUB-LIEUTENANTS' EXAMINATION.

It remains to notice the important points in the examination of acting sub-lieutenants. This, as has been before stated, is the third and final examination of these officers before confirmation as sub-lieutenants, the other two being seamanship, conducted on shipboard, and navigation and kindred subjects, at the college at Greenwich.* It is therefore the last required examination in their career as officers. There are other examinations, it is true, which officers are required to pass who adopt certain specialties, as gunnery, navigation, &c., and there are examinations at the close of the lieutenants' course at Greenwich, but in all these cases the preliminary steps which involve an examination are voluntary with each individual. The examination in gunnery is practically, then, the last required examination for officers.

The time of the examination is five days, and the numbers given in each branch are as follows:

Relative weights for passing certificates.—Acting sub-lieutenants' gunnery examination.

* Allusion has already been made to the new regulation, which goes into effect in

1883, establishing a fourth examination, in pilotage.

As to the requirements and character of this examination. In the branch relating to heavy guns, each sub-lieutenant is required to be able to take any number at a gun, and to drill in Part II of the Gunnery Manual, with detail. He is also to answer all questions connected with the instruction, parts of the gun, carriage and slide, dismounting the gear, adjusting and mounting the compressor, &c. He must be able to drill quarters efficiently, and to detect and correct mistakes.

In field exercise, candidates must put a squad through rifle exercises and squad drill, with detail, and be able to perform thoroughly the duties of officer and man in company drill, and to give general detail of any section. He must be able to give any of the selected sections of the battalion in Part III of the Gunnery Manual, and to answer other questions relating to instruction, and especially the details of equipment for landing.

In ammunition he is required to describe and state the use of the different fuses, and to explain the supply and stowage of projectiles, filling and using, and the proportion allowed; to give the names and describe the manufacture and use of the different powders in the service, and the stowage and working of magazines and shell-rooms, and to explain rocket and mortar boats, the manufacture of cartridges, the supply of boat's stores, and the working of boat's guns.

In truck-guns the examination is similar to that in heavy guns, but goes less deeply into the subject, on account of the shorter time devoted to it. Under the head of turret-instruction the examination covers the duties and position of the different numbers in loading, training, and running in and out turret-guns; the principle of turret-firing and the method of sighting, the supply of projectiles, and the construction and support of the turret.

In cutlass and pistol exercise the candidate is required to perform the exercise and put a squad through without detail.

In field-gun and battery he must perform any duty in the drill, with detail of the various manoeuvers. In battery drill he must be prepared with any selected sections, and he must understand the method of embarking and disembarking field-guns from boats.

Finally, he must pass a paper on the theory of gunnery, and an oral examination composed of general questions on the Gunnery Manual. On passing this examination the acting sub-lieutenants are confirmed in their rank, and become eligible for promotion in the order of their seniority. The number of each certificate is noted in the Navy List. The Goodenough gold medal is given to the acting sub-lieutenant who, among those who have taken a first class in seamanship, passes the best examination in gunnery. An officer failing to obtain a certificate in gunnery is allowed a month's further study, and at the end of it a re-examination. If he fail to pass this he is discharged from the service.*

*

Specimens of examination-papers for sub-lieutenants and for gunnery lieutenants on board the Excellent are given in the Appendix, Note G.