Page:Lippincotts Monthly Magazine-40.djvu/578

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THE GOVERNMENT AND THE PUBLIC WORKS.

"1. Infantry, Artillery, and Cavalry Tactics; Target Practice; Military Police and Discipline; Use of the Sword, Bayonet, and Gymnastics.

"2. Mathematics. 3. English. 4. French. 5. Spanish. 6. Drawing. 7. Chemistry; Chemical Physics; Mineralogy and Geology. 8. Natural and Experimental Philosophy. 9. Ordnance; Gunnery and the Duties of the Military Laboratory. 10. History, Geography, and Ethics. 11. National, International, and Military Law. 12. Practical Military Engineering. 13. Civil and Military Engineering, and Science of War."

The extent of the civil studies is shown in italics. The corresponding text-books used are—

In Mathematics: Davies' Elements of Algebra, Davies' Geometry and Surveying, Church's Analytical Geometry, Trigonometry, Descriptive Geometry, and Calculus, and Chauvenet's Method of Least Squares.

In Languages: Keetel's French Grammar and Reader, with other French works; Whitney's Essentials of English Grammar; Hart's Manual of Rhetoric and Composition; Abbott and Seeley's English Lessons for English People; Abbott's How to Write Clearly.

In Natural and Experimental Philosophy: Bartlett's Mechanics and Astronomy, and Michie's Elements of Wave-Motion relating to Sound and Light.

In Chemistry, etc.: Bloxam's Chemistry; Everett's Deschanel's Heat, Part II.; Tillman's Principles of Chemical Philosophy; Thompson's Elementary Lessons in Electricity and Magnetism; Dana's Mineralogy; Le Conte's Elements of Geology.

In Civil Engineering the text-book by Colonel J. B. Wheeler is taught for one term of about twenty weeks; in Spanish, Knapp's Grammar and Readings; and in History, etc., Swinton's Outline of the World's History and Labberton's Historical Atlas.

There is no practical instruction given in Surveying and studies pertaining to civil engineering, as all the available time is consumed in military duties, drills, and routine.

The course in Topographical Drawing is very complete, yet but little attention is paid to field-sketching.

Twenty years ago dancing was optional; now it is required, as essential to the proper development of a gentlemanly and graceful deportment.

From "reveille" to "taps" the distribution of time is as follows: Before breakfast (6.30) police of quarters, followed by guard-mounting and recreation. From 8 to 9½ o'clock one-half of each class attends recitations, while the remaining half studies. This order is reversed between 9½ and 11. The first half of each class again recite, or drill, during the next hour, and this is succeeded by an hour of study; and the reverse for the other sections. The hour from 1 to 2 p.m. is occupied by dinner and recreation. From 2 to 4 there is either one recitation alternating with study, or a drill or drawing on alternate days.

From evening "call to quarters" until "tattoo" (9.30) all cadets are expected to study; from 9.30 to "taps" (10) make down beds and prepare to extinguish lights.

Saturday afternoons are devoted to recreation and visiting or to punishments.

Thus, about three hours and a half are spent in recitation-rooms,