about their son's expenses, and charge the authorities of the department with negligence for not checking them, when, in fact, if they would fairly examine themselves, they would find that they had a secret pride in the youth's extravagance, and only grumbled when the bills came in. There is a silly, shortsighted ambition in many parents, they like to hear of their sons living with extravagant companions; it sounds like "spirit." They boast of it in their neighbourhood; when they are tolerably well off, and when the first sting of payment is over, they will even sometimes speak with evident pleasure and pride of the amount of debt their Harry or Tom got into. This folly in parents produces the silly, extravagant youth as its natural fruit. But a sensible parent may fairly claim some protection for his son, and we hope that in the navy at least this new and sensible order of the admiralty will give it him.”—Times, Dec. 1856.

Those concerned, may easily estimate the extent of annual allowance money for a young officer by taking into consideration the amount of his necessary expenses and official pay. For example:

By this mode of reckoning, it is evident that a cadet will require 261. 5s. 5d., and a midshipman 117. 1s. 3d. from private resources to meet his necessary expenses, and that these officers

G G

should have the means of keeping up their kit, and affording recreation. What the extent of those means should be, has never been officially determined, but a large majority of experienced officers who have been consulted on the subject, agree in thinking 21. a month sufficient. It is, however, desirable where it can be afforded, that the captain of the ship should have a discretionary power to exceed this sum, when places and objects of interest cannot be visited without incurring greater expense than the regular allowance would admit of. The customary mode of supplying the funds agreed upon has been, with the captain's consent, to lodge them in advance in his agent's hands, the captain endorsing bills as they became due. By this arrangement the captain is exposed to a certain amount of risk, but this he will generally incur rather than that his youngsters should be moneyless. We may confidently expect that whilst so much is being done for the benefit of these junior officers, some official or less precarious method of supply will soon come into operation.

The necessary Qualifications for the entry of Naval Cadets, &c., have been recently set forth by their lordships in the form of a circular, so that we have but to place that statement within reach of our readers, and to express a hope that in our endeavour to show them "round the ship," we have offered them some slight assistance towards the fulfilment of their duties.

ADMIRALTY CIRCULAR ON QUALIFICATIONS OF NAVAL CADETS.

[Circular No. 288.]

Admiralty, 23rd February, 1857.

(Naval Cadets - Midshipmen, &c.)

THE Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty have established the following Regulations for the Entry of Naval Cadets, and for the Examination of Mates, Midshipmen, Naval Cadets, &c., which will come into operation in May next, instead of those now in force.

To qualify an officer to receive a Lieutenant's Commission, he must have attained the full age of nineteen years, and have been borne on the Books of, and actually served in, one or more of Her Majesty's Ships not less than five complete years, eighteen months as a Cadet, and three years and six months as a Midship

man, and shall have passed such Examinations as the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty may from time to time direct.

I. No Person will be nominated to a Cadetship in the Royal Navy, who will be under thirteen, or above fifteen years of age at the time of Examination.

II. Every Candidate, on obtaining a nomination, will be required to pass an Examination at the Royal Naval College at Portsmouth, within three months of nomination.*

III. The Candidate must produce a Certificate of Birth, or Declaration thereof made before a Magistrate.

IV. The Candidate must be in good health and fit for the Service, that is, free from impediment of speech, defect of vision, rupture, or other physical inefficiency.

V. Candidates, between the ages of thirteen and fourteen, will be required,

1. To write English correctly from Dictation, and in a legible hand.

2. To read, translate, and parse an easy passage either from a Latin or French Author.

N. B. The aid of a Dictionary will be allowed for these
Translations.

And to have a satisfactory knowledge of

3. The leading facts of Scripture and English History.

4. Modern Geography, in so far as relates to a knowledge of the principal Countries, Capitals, Mountains, and Rivers. To be able to point out the position of a place on a map when its Latitude and Longitude is given.

5. Arithmetic, including Proportion, and a fair knowledge of Vulgar and Decimal Fractions.

6. Algebra, including Fractions.

7. The First Book of Euclid to Proposition XXXII. inclusive. Candidates above the age of fourteen, in addition to the Examination required for those between the ages of thirteen and fourteen, must have a knowledge of

1. The use of the Globes, with correct definitions of Latitude, Longitude, Azimuth, Amplitude, and the other Circles of the Sphere.

NOTE. These Examinations will take place on the first Wednesday in the Months of February, May, August, and November.

2. Vulgar and Decimal Fractions.

3. Algebra, including Simple Equations.

4. The First Book of Euclid.

5. A practical knowledge of the Elements of Plane Trigonometry, and its application to the Numerical Solution of easy and useful Problems.

As Drawing will prove a most useful qualification for Naval Officers, it is recommended that Candidates for the Service should be instructed therein.

VI. If the Candidate succeeds in passing the required Examination, he will be at once appointed to a Training Ship at Portsmouth or Devonport, for a period of not less than three months, for the purpose of instruction in the subjects contained in Sheet No. 1., as well as in the Rigging of Ships, Seamanship, the use of Nautical Instruments, &c.

VII. Quarterly Examinations will be held on board the Training Ship, when any Cadet, who may consider himself competent, may be examined in the subjects contained in sheet No. 1, also in the course of instruction, in the Rigging of Ships, Seamanship, &c., and if found qualified he will be appointed to a sea-going Ship.

VIII. If the Cadet does not pass the required Examination according to his age, before or at the quarterly Examinations after his entry into the Training Ship, as below specified, he will be finally rejected from the Service.

Or if a Cadet by indifferent conduct or idle habits on board the Training Ship shall show his unfitness for the Service, it will be the duty of the Captain to make a special report thereof to the Admiralty, in order that the Cadet may be at once removed from the Navy.

IX. No Cadet will be allowed to reckon more than thre months of the period of his service in the Training Ship, toward his future Sea Time.

X. When a Cadet shall have served the full period of eightee

months, including the three months' time in the Training Ship, he will be eligible for the Rating of Midshipman, provided he passes the following examination, in which it is to be ascertained

1. That he has kept up a knowledge of his former instruction.

2. That he is able to work a Day's Work by Tables as well as by projection, to find the Latitude by observation of the Meridian Altitude of the Sun, Moon, and Star, Longitude by Chronometer, and to work an Amplitude.

3. That he understands and can explain the use of the Sextant, and Azimuth Compass, and the mode of observing with them. At each Examination the Candidate will be required to show that his Sextant and other Instruments are in good order.

4. He must produce Log Books kept by himself from the time of his entry into a Sea-going Ship, and Certificates of good conduct.

5. He will also be required to have a fair knowledge of steering and managing a boat under Oars and Sail, of Knotting and Splicing, Rigging Lower Masts and Yards, &c., the use of the Hand and Deep Sea Lead, and also the Simple Exercise of the Great Guns.

XI. All Midshipmen, until they shall have passed their examinations for Lieutenant, are to keep a book in which the ship's reckoning is to be worked out and noted, and when they are at sea this book is to be sent in every day to the Captain, instead of the slip of paper containing a day's work, which is now usually presented. It is also to be produced at their examinations; and during the last six months of their service as Midshipmen it must contain the working of the Observations as given in Sheet B.

XII. A Midshipman when he shall have served eighteen months in that rank will be required to pass an intermediate Examination. In addition to the subjects embraced in former Examinations he will be required to have

1. A good knowledge of practical Navigation, showing that he understands the principle of Navigating a Ship from one distant port to another, by Dead Reckoning and by his own Observations; and that he can explain the principles of the