in the papers of those Candidates who have any fair amount of preparation. This restriction having made superficial knowledge of no value, Candidates have not been ready to read Mechanics unless they have been able to give considerable time to the subject. I would again submit that it is a matter to be watched whether this improvement in Mechanics is gained by the loss of proficiency in Section I, and whether, if this suspicion proves to be well founded, a Cadet thereby enters the Academy in a better or a worse condition to gain his promotion through the classes with the usual rapidity.

Classics.-Rev. George Rawlinson, M.A.

I have pleasure in reporting that the results of the recent Examinations for admission to the Royal Academy tend to allay the fear, which I have recently expressed, as to a falling off in the classical attainments of the better class of Candidates for Woolwich.

While the number of those who offered themselves for Examination, in the present month, was smaller than on any occasion since 1860, the quality of the work sent in was in every respect better than this time last year, and in most respects equal or superior to the average of the last five years. In Latin, 48 of the 55 Candidates, or 87 per cent., obtained the necessary minimum of marks, the average of the last five years being only 85 per cent., and, out of these 48, as many as ten obtained half the assignable marks; the average during the same period having been eight in Greek, the number who obtained the minimum was 21, or only 38 per cent., the average of the last five years having been 42 per cent. But, here again, there was no falling off in the better order of Candidates, the number who obtained half the marks and the number who obtained one-third of the marks being the same as the average since 1863.

Setting aside a small number of the Candidates, who had no pretensions to classical knowledge of any kind, the Latin paper was in general very fairly done. The grammar questions were particularly well answered. Several Candidates gained 200 out the 250 marks which I assigned to these questions, and comparatively few gained fewer than 100. The translations, however. were done really well by only a few; and the verse composition, which was attempted by one half, was done decently well by no more than ten.

The general character of the Greek papers was very similar to that of the Latin; but there was a much greater difference between the superior and inferior Candidates, a few only of the Candidates having advanced in their knowledge of Greek to about the same point which they had reached in Latin, and thus

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obtaining marks equal to, or exceeding their marks, in Latin, while, by the great majority, the study had evidently been comparatively neglected. The Greek composition was, as usual, extremely poor, only six of the Candidates doing it even decently.

Greek.-Rev. O. Gordon, B.D.

This is an average paper. Several of the Candidates and, indeed, the Candidates generally, have translated the passages much better than those in my Latin paper. The sum of the marks, therefore, is higher, though the Latin paper has the advantage of the marks allotted to prose composition, which is generally attempted, while very few have ventured upon the Greek composition in this paper.

Latin. Rev. O. Gordon, B.D.

I cannot speak very favourably of this paper. A fair proportion of Candidates have done well. but the general average is low, and there are many failures. The passage from Horace, as usual, is badly done; several Candidates have declined it altogether, and many who have attempted it have turned it into absolute nonsense. Classics being a voluntary subject, it is astonishing that Candidates should be advised or permitted to bring them up in such a state of ignorance. The paper from the poets is, however, always worse done than that from prose authors.

The questions, on the whole, have been better answered than usual.

English, History, and Geography—G. W. Dasent, Esq., D.C.L.

In this Examination, the answers in English were not so good as those sent in on some previous occasions. In many instances, the Candidates did not seem to exert themselves. On the other hand, the answers in History and Geography were, on the whole, very good; and in the latter subjects, many of the maps were deserving of great praise.

English-W. Siebbing, Esq., M.A.

The Candidates have written some very tolerable essays, especially on the first subject, which, probably from its position in the paper, was commonly the favourite. They have also answered my questions on Grammar fairly, particularly Nos. 8, 9, 3, 7, and 5.

History.-W. Stebbing, Esq., M.A.

The answers in History are satisfactory, particularly those to

Questions 4, 7, 3, 1, and 5. Three Candidates, indeed, hold that the great stain on Queen Elizabeth's character is the execution of her sister Mary; but otherwise there is a very creditable absence of flagrant blunders.

Geography.-W. Stebbing, Esq., M.A.

Questions 1, 3, 7, and 6—and, in a less degree, 2 and 4—in my paper on Geography, have been answered respectably. Scarcely a proportional proficiency is shown by the maps drawn by the Candidates; many of them, however, sent up fair maps of Hindostan.

French.-Monsieur Esquiros.

In many respects this Examination bears a considerable resemblance to the last; but, upon close inspection, its general results appear to me less satisfactory. In grammar, translation of English into French, and, above all. Writing from Dictation, there is this time a slight falling off. Matters are not so bad as to cause much apprehension. However, the least retrogressive movement should not be allowed to pass unnoticed.

How is it that at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, the meaning of the Dictation is always understood, and the words generally written down with some accuracy, whilst at Chelsea Hospital so many Candidates absolutely fail in this subject? I must conclude from this contrast that the aforesaid exercise is yet sadly neglected in most of the English schools.

The topic of the essay elicited from several Candidates some interesting confessions which, I think, are not to be overlooked. I understand, through their answers, that many, perfectly conscious of their defects, have learnt French at random-moving from one school to another; and that the time devoted to that branch of study in English places of instruction is too often insufficient. A few had received their early training from French governesses, but have suffered their faint knowledge to glide away in after life. Others have been to France, but they stayed there during a short period, and under the great disadvantage of speaking English with their family or their playfellows. Modern languages are no doubt much more readily acquired in the country itself, where they are used for daily intercourse. Nevertheless, time and grammatical practice are always and everywhere required in order to write them correctly. More than one, who have already tried their abilities in a previous Examination, feel astonished and disappointed at the indifferent success they have obtained; but they must impress upon their mind that they have their reward of knowledge in their own hands, upon them

only it depends to raise the standard of marks, through better work and more strenuous exertions.

French.-Monsieur Savoye.

This Examination is as a whole of a middling character. No doubt, some fair papers have been done as well in writing from dictation, as in translation and composition, but they form only a striking minority. Nor is it that a goodly number of papers do not evince application and progress at the hand of the Candidates, especially so with regard to important rules of French grammar. But, what they have thus learnt in theory by rote, so to say, they too often fail to put in practice. Hence results the relative inferiority of their work.

German.- Rev. C. Schöll, Ph.D.

There was a larger proportion of indifferent papers than at the last Examination. On the other hand not a few Candidates exhibited a very creditable knowledge of German, and one of them, No. 76, deserves to be mentioned with especial distinction. The translations into English and into German were of average merit. In regard to grammar the elementary questions were, on the whole, answered very fairly. But beyond declensions and conjugations the knowledge of the majority does not seem to extend. Thus not one of the Candidates has been able to give the derivations of the words in Question No. 3. The handwriting was, with few exceptions, indifferent and in some instances almost illegible.

Experimental Sciences.—Professor G. D. Liveing, M.A.

The number of Candidates presenting themselves for Examination in this subject is unusually small. The answers are somewhat better than those sent up at the last Examination, inasmuch as they are more to the point. Nevertheless they are hardly up to the average; there are a good many mistakes in the general principles, especially of electricity, and two questions which involved a little elementary mathematics in their solutions, were attempted by few, and correctly answered by none. I believe that more catechetical instruction is needed to make the Candidates look at physical questions from more than one point of view, and correct some of their prevalent misconceptions.

Experimental Sciences.-F. A. Abel, FR.S.

The result of the present Examination is, as a whole, satisfactory, and above the average of recent Examinations.

Natural Sciences.-H. W. Bristow.

I have much pleasure in stating that the results of this Examination are, on the whole, satisfactory; most of the Candidates having obtained a very fair number of marks.

Natural Sciences.-Professor J. Morris, F.G.S.

The answers returned on the present occasion indicate that the majority of the Candidates have done creditably, and show that the Candidates have a fair general knowledge of the subjects to which the questions relate; one or two papers only being unsatisfactory.

Geometrical Drawing.-Lieut.-Col. Scott, R.E.

The Candidates, on the whole, show a satisfactory amount of proficiency.

Free-Hand Drawing.-Rev. W. Kingsley, B.D.

The number of Candidates who presented themselves for Examination in this subject is 45; the average marks obtained being 451-24, which, under the circumstances, is very fair; for the day was so dark that the gas had to be lighted, and this produced such a very bad light for drawing from the round that I have no doubt, under a better light, the number of marks obtained would have been considerably higher. There is, no doubt, a considerable improvement of late in this subject; but still several Candidates lose very much by neglecting the more elementary exercises. The greatest failures, however, are in the memory" exercises, and I wish the Candidates could be induced to make drawings from memory of objects with which they are familiar, and then compare their work with the originals; or, better still, to make a drawing from the object one day and another from memory the next.

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Hindustani.-Professor Dowson.

There is nothing calling for remark in the papers of the Candidates.