whole numbers, and also in vulgar and decimal fractions. 3d. The first three Books of Euclid's Elements by R. Simpson, with the exception of propositions 42-44-45, Book 1st, and of propositions 89-10-11-14, Book 2d. In this part of the examinations, besides giving the most precise demonstrations, the candidates must make the constructions in a practical manner, with compasses and a ruler. 4th. The French language, a knowledge of which, although not absolutely required, will be preferred in the candidates at the first examination, and in all subsequent examinations this language is expected to be read and translated with facility.

"After admission into the superior class, the apprentices shall attend at the Royal Naval College three or four hours on the mornings of every day in the week, except Sunday, and the established holidays, where they shall be instructed in such parts of the following subjects as shall appear to the professor of the College to be best adapted to the object of the establishment, namely, the formation of able and useful ship-builders; the subjects of instruction are geometry, algebra, plane-Trigonometry, mechanics, hydrostatics, fluxions, theory of naval architecture, drawing, and the French language. In the remaining part of the day, when not attending at the college, they shall be employed under the master shipwright, or instructor of naval architecture, in the mould-loft, in the various kinds of manual labor connected with ship-building; in acquiring a complete knowledge of the different parts of a ship, and of the methods of constructing and fastening her, as well as in discriminating her different properties, deducible from theoretical calculations; also in the management and conversion of timber, and generally in such other manner as is best adapted to make them fully acquainted with all the detail of the duties of a practical shipwright. At the end of each

year a public examination shall take place as above directed, and a general statement of the improvement of each apprentice in the theoretical part of his profession shall be transmitted by the professor of the college, and of his progress in the practical part, by the master shipwright, through the commissioner of the dock-yard, to the Admiralty-office, that due rewards might be bestowed on those who distinguish themselves. The last year of their apprenticeship shall be served at sea, in his Majesty's ships, in order to obtain some practical knowledge in steering, sailing, trimming, and ballasting a ship; in making remarks on her working and motion in all her parts, in bad weather and on a high sea; the standing and straining of her masts and yards; the placing of the fixed blocks with a view to the proper leading of ropes, &c. and generally in obtaining such information as the captain, carpenter, and other officers of the ship may, by their experience, communicate, and such as their own observations may suggest to them. While on board ship, the apprentice must keep a journal of his remarks and observations, arranged under distinct heads, noting such improvements in any part of the ship, or any thing connected therewith, as may suggest themselves to him from a minute attention to the circumstances affecting a ship at sea; a copy of this journal is to be transmitted to the Admiralty. A cabin or birth will be allotted to him in the gun-room, or in some other suitable place; he shall mess with some of the officers, and be treated in all respects as a gentleman. Salaries to be allowed in the following proportions:

"On their return from sea, until they can be appointed officers, in consequence of vacancies having occurred, they shall be employed as overseers of ships building, in assisting the master shipwrights and their assistants and foremen in the different yards; in the mould-loft under the timber-master, or in any other situation under the direction of the master shipwright, with the approbation of the commissioner. During this interval they shall have £150 per annum; and if no vacancy occur for three years after their return, they shall have £180 per annum, until they be provided for. The object of this Institution is to improve the qualifications of the shipwrights in the dock-yards, and thus to insure a succession of artificers, from among whom master-measurers, foremen, &c. will be selected; and from those the appointments of the superior officers in his Majesty's dock-yards, and surveyors of the Navy will ultimately be made.”

R. A. NELSON, Secretary.

Sir Francis D'Ivernois, in his inquiry into the "Effects of the Continental Blockade upon the commerce, finances, credit and prosperity of the British Islands, translated from the third French edition, and published January, 1810, in London, has the following observations on the French anti-commercial system.

“To Mr. ...... at Riga. London, 24th July, 1809. Sir, I have been very anxious to answer your letter enclosing the Ukase of May 7th, 1809, and mentioning with what pain you contemplate the evils already inflicted on Russia by this new system of warfare, and those still more formidable calamities which must ensue from the unexpected aggravation of severity, with which you are now prohibited from all commercial intercourse with the British Isles. The advantages of foreign commerce have been uniformly misstated by the practice of representing them to consist in the balance of trade, or a money payment supposed to pass from some countries to others upon liquidating the annual accounts. That country which by means of this balance is supposed to acquire the most gold and silver, is said to be the greatest gainer, and accordingly an object of envy and hatred to all other nations. The fallacy of this doctrine is easily exposed. Soil, climate, habitual direction of industry, and other circumstances render certain countries peculiarly fit for the production of certain commodities. The foreign commerce of a country consists chiefly in the exportation of the excess of its home commodities above the demand for home consumption, and in the importation of commodities, to the production of which other countries are better adapted. If England would like France devote her finest fields and vast quantities of manure to the growth of tobacco, doubtless she might produce enough to supply her own consumption without importing any from Virginia. But as the English climate is peculiarly favorable to pasturage and the breeding of sheep, and the scorching sun of Virginia and her extent of Virgin soil are ill adapted to pas, turage, but yield tobacco of superior quality to any grown in Europe, are not both England and Virginia gainers by exchanging the surplus wool of the one for the surplus tobacco of the other? Say England

gives a thousand cwts. of woollen goods, which cost her a hundred thousand days' labor, in exchange for a quantity of tobacco which would have cost her two hundred thousand days of labor if she had raised it at home, and that Virginia in exchange for tobacco which cost her one hundred thousand days of labor, receives woollen goods, which would require two hundred thousand, if in order to produce them she had converted her tobacco grounds into pastures and her field laborers into spinners and weavers.

Thus foreign commerce is a source of great mutual profit to all nations which carry it on, for those who import the articles they want, get them at much less cost than would be incurred by producing them. at home, and they receive for their surplus produce exported, more than they could obtain by diverting to other objects the labor employed in producing those articles of export. Doubtless foreign commerce, no more than internal trade or domestic ma nufacture, is not a source of equal profit to all nations. The profits arising from each of these three branches depend on various circumstances, as climate, soil, minerals, water-carriage, roads, habits of industry and skill in the subdivision, abridgment, and improvement of labor, and in the various operations of agriculture, arts and manufactures. In most of these circumstances England enjoys a decided superiority over other nations. By means of her insular situation, her coal mines, and the endless variety of machinery kept constantly in motion by her steam-engines, she sends to foreign markets the works of her various manufacturies, with all the advantage which a farmer using the plough would possess in the sale of his corn over his neighbors, who had no better implement of husbandry than the spade. That such a farmer should excite the spleen of other farmers, that they should charge him with oppressing and stifling the efforts of their industry may be readily imagined,