desperate symmetry, and you look in vain for the pomp and panoply of war. The only evidence of troops is a party of mud-stained tired-looking men returning from firing practice beneath Cæsar's camp, or a squad engaged on the open squares with judging distance drill. With the exception of the bugling and tattooing that seems to go on from morning to night, there is nothing to tell you that you are in one of our great training schools. But, on entering the huts, all your feelings merge into one of satisfaction at the thousand marks of care for the well-being of the soldier. There is an unmistakable evidence of cleanliness and order which is quite refreshing to those whose only knowledge of barrack life has been in seeing dirty-shirted troopers leaning from the windows of the Knightsbridge barracks. We can only compare the huts in which a battalion is stationed at Aldershott to the between-decks of a first-rate manof-war, and in that comparison we believe that we have exhausted praise. Each block has its special canteen (the only deserted spot to be seen), its school and reading-rooms, and on all sides is manifested a desire to supply the soldier with healthy occupation, which will wean him from vice, and profitably employ the many hours of leisure that would otherwise hang heavily on his hands.

At the same time, we must give the authorities full credit for the reforms they have inaugurated in garrison towns. Not so long ago, and a barrack-room was a perfect pandemonium, where vice and disease were incessantly fostered. The sleeping arrangements were execrable, and the troops were stifled in ill-smelling, badly-ventilated rooms, the commonest principles of hygiene being ignored. The result was, that the rate of mortality among our soldiers was alarming, and utterly inconsistent with the tables of the Registrar-General. We find from the Blue-book that while the rate of mortality among mechanics was little more than thirteen per thousand, so soon as these mechanics became soldiers the ratio, instead of diminishing, as might fairly be assumed, rose to seventeen per thousand. This matter the authorities have now taken in hand, and we have a reasonable guarantee that in a few years the mortality will be reduced. Arrangements are being made to introduce into our barracks a perfect system of ventilation, and to do away with that over-crowding which was a fertile source of disease. In India, this system, originally introduced by Sir Charles Napier, is in full operation, and the result has been most surprising.

At the same time, a most valuable change has been introduced by the employment of the newly-invented kitchens. In the old days the soldiers were, probably, worse fed than our prisoners, for they were condemned to one dull round of boiled meat, possessing very little nutriment, and at which the stomach ere long rebelled. The soldier, as a natural consequence, left his rations in disgust, and spent his pence in the purchase of dainties which attracted his appetite. In many cases, however, the evil did not end here, for the want of sufficient food created a desire for drink, and intoxication was the curse of the private soldier. To satisfy that craving he parted with everything he had, and too often was led into the commission of theft. The fact that scanty food leads to intoxication was fully seen in the Crimea, where our men-although highly paid-wasted their substance in the grog shops, and probably so much intoxication was never before witnessed in our ranks, When provisions arrived regu

larly and sufficiently from England, the change was most astounding: our men not only picked up their health rapidly, but at the same time the intoxication decreased as if by magic; and when our army left the shores of the Crimea it was, in every respect, the finest body of men we had ever collected. At the present time the soldiers' rations are wisely varied, and several ways of cookery have been introduced: luxuriesformerly beyond their reach-are supplied them, at no increased charge, and few pleasanter sights can be witnessed than a barrack-room at the dinner-hour. We do not assert that this change will entirely abolish intoxication in the ranks, for that is a vice to a great degree rooted in the men from whom they are filled, and until some sensible plan of employing the time of the soldiers, when not engaged on duty, is suggested, our police reports will still show lamentable instances of crime committed by soldiers. There is one circumstance to which we would draw attention, however: the breaches of peace committed by ruffianly soldiers are usually in London; they are very rare in garrison towns; and this emanates from the fact that our household brigade is, unhappily, recruited from the very worst classes of the population, the refuse of society disgorged by penury and vice on the streets of London. And, although we may feel outraged at the perusal of deeds which render it insecure for any respectable person to pass by our town barracks at night, we must not forget how the same household brigade fought at Inkermann, and must ascribe these unpleasant circumstances to the mistaken idea of keeping troops in London, where their services are only required to swell some court pageant, and mount guard over a few public buildings, while the men are exposed to the countless temptations of city life. We feel convinced that were the Foot Guards permanently removed from London, the average of crime committed by them would not rise above that of any line regiment.

The material comfort of our troops has also been increased by the sensible alterations made in their uniform. For this we are also indebted to the Crimean war, for the fact that our men threw away their cumbrous shakos so soon as they had the opportunity, convinced the Horse Guards that this was a very extravagant outlay, and that the men must be supplied with a head-covering so comfortable that they might be tempted to wear it. They have, therefore, wisely borrowed a leaf from the French book; and to it we owe the introduction of the loosely-fitting tunic, and a sensible mode of making the boots, which was most urgently required, as under the old system, when a battalion was on the march, nearly one third of the men would fall out, weary and footsore, from the clumsy pressure of boots made of harsh unbending leather, which never fitted even by accident. The general introduction of flannel clothing has been also a step in the right direction, and the reward of all these changes has been already gained in the magnificent condition of the regiments that so recently marched on Pekin,

All these reforms, when appreciated by the public, must infallibly tell on the character of the recruits, and we shall obtain a class of men such

* In confirmation of this, the writer may mention that he saw in the Crimea a hut entirely built of bearskin shakos filled with mud, which made most comfortable walls.

as we desire. The advantages now offered to the soldier are certainly great-greater than any other calling has to display. In the first place, he has certain food and shelter, he is not overtasked, and he knows that good conduct will ensure his promotion. His pay may be small, we allow, but, on the other hand, it is sufficient to provide for his slight wants, and he is not called upon to serve an apprenticeship to his trade. If called upon to go into action, he is secure of a pension in the event of being wounded, or, if he emerge safe and sound, at the period of his leaving the army he is in the prime of life, and suited for many employments. It is a favourite argument with those who know nothing of the subject, that there is no hope of raising the moral calibre of the army until we introduce the French system of rising from the ranks; with such a prospect before them, spirited young men of good education will enter the army, in the confidence that, by their own good conduct, they can obtain the coveted reward. But this argument, theoretically admirable, has been found in practice to be untenable, and for very simple reasons. In the first place, the reward is not so very tempting, and many a sergeant-major has already declined the proffered ensignship. In all probability he has risen from the ranks, and knows every man in the regiment; he commands the respect of his subordinates and the confidence of his officers, and it is not derogatory for his wife to make a comfortable addition to the joint income. If he accept promotion, he is not nearly so well off; the increase of pay is very trifling, while his expenses are greatly augmented; he feels like a fish out of water, for though his new comrades, as gentlemen, treat him with deference and courtesy, their conversation is not of the nature to attract him. He soon grows wretched and dissatisfied; and while the battalion has lost a most efficient sergeant-major, it gains a most useless junior ensign, who presently sells out, and regrets his life long that he listened to the promptings of his ambition. There is another curious fact to be taken into consideration also, that our rank and file like to be led by gentlemen; they look to their officers for many small indulgences, which the latter most graciously bestow, and they know that, in any case of emergency, their captain will prove their best friend. Hence, we are strongly of opinion that promotion from theranks will never find favour in our army; and on this much-vexed question we will quote from a recently published work:

There is a peculiar feeling among us as to caste distinctions which is probably natural, and hence laudable. With us there is very little of that craving after social equality which is characteristic of Frenchmen, whatever the form of government may be. For this reason, there is a general feeling among Englishmen that the officers of the army should be drawn from the higher classes. It is quite different, we grant, in France: there, it would be the height of folly to attempt to prevent valuable sous-officiers attaining their epaulets; in fact, the army would not stand it for a moment. The great merit of the French army consists in the anxiety of the soldiers to gain their first step, and the entire nation approves of the system of promotion from the ranks, for it sees in such a privilege a way of attaining equal social status with the members of the highest classes. It is a curious fact that all southern nations possess in common this feeling of equalising society. In Spain, in Italy, even in Austria, officers who have risen from the ranks feel far more comfortable, and live on better terms with their brother-officers, than is generally the case in armies farther north. In the latter, the differences of birth, and, consequently, of better education, are much more visible, and cause promoted non-commissioned officers to feel very unhappy in

their new position. In other armies, the difference between north and south, we thus repeat, is very perceptible. Thus, for instance, in the Spanish and Portuguese armies, sub-officers are frequently promoted, while this is quite a rarity in the Dutch, Danish, or even Swedish armies. We need hardly mention here that meritorious service in war should form an exception, and every army in the world would be proud to receive among its officers any soldier who has distinguished himself by heroic conduct, no matter what his social position may before have been. From these considerations, we think it not advisable to introduce into the British army the principles obtaining in France as to the promotion of non-commissioned officers, as we believe that, regard being had to our national prejudices, such a system would not secure to senior officers that high degree of respect which is so necessary for them. On the other hand, lest we should entirely close the way to deserving men who have entered the army as privates, let it be the law that every non-commissioned officer who has served four years without any stain on his character, should be allowed to present himself for examination, and, if he pass it, let him be promoted to an ensigncy. In this manner we offer an outlet for those ambitious men who hope to attain promotion by their distinguished services, and then we should have a better class disposed to enlist than the present raw material of our army.

Having thus discussed the advantages held out to our floating population to enlist in the army, we will proceed to show the successive reforms introduced into the education and selection of our staff of officers by the Duke of Cambridge, and which also date back to that eventful year 1856. Owing to the stir then made about our army, Lord Panmure appointed a committee to reorganise the education of the officers. This committee, after carefully inspecting the English military schools, proceeded to examine those of a similar nature in France, Prussia, Austria, and Sardinia, and collected all the documents required to throw light on the subject; the report eventually drawn up by the members of the committee is in its way a masterpiece. They recommended the formation of a board of military education, which, placed over the instructing body, should direct the study of the youths destined for military services. From this board has principally emanated the salutary changes which have taken place at the three military academies of Woolwich, Addiscombe, and Sandhurst. For the following account of the first-named establishment we are indebted to M. Alphonse Esquiros:

The origin of this academy, so renowned in the military annals of Great Britain, dates back to the reign of George II. It was established, in 1741, at Woolwich Warren, in a building where the Board of Ordnance held its meetings, and near a house formerly occupied by Prince Rupert. This school was intended to instruct artillerymen of all grades in those branches of mathematics necessary for their profession. In 1764, however, it was restricted to the instruction of youth, and about 1777 the study of the classics was introduced. Originally, Woolwich Academy was subjected to military discipline, and in the chronicles of the school there are cases of improper conduct being tried by courtmartial. Up to 1831 the academy was solely supported by government, but from that date a scale of annual payments was drawn up. Prior to 1855, the candidates were nominated by the Master-General of the Ordnance, who was, at the same time, head of the school. The nominees, nearly all belonging to the aristocracy of birth or fortune, had to go through an entrance examination, but it can be easily supposed there was nothing very startling about it. The course of studies was divided into theory and practice, the first fixed by the regulations at four years, the second at one.

Such was the state of things when the Russian war made government

anxious to reorganise the system of instruction in the military schools, and the first great step was the substitution of competition for nomination. In any other country such a change would have been enough to produce an overthrow of society, and in France, indeed, it required a revolution to throw open the upper ranks of the army to the middle classes. In England, fortunately, such matters are carried through with a decent show of opposition only, and the system of competitive examination is now the established rule. Its practical working is, that we know our officers have received a sound preliminary education, for although the middle classes have the chance of sending their sons in, the heavy expense connected with the residence at Woolwich keeps them, to a great extent, back. Another important reform was that of raising the age of the candidates for admission to between sixteen and twenty, for the inconvenience of subjecting lads at too early an age to military discipline was recognised, very justly, by General Portlock, at that time inspector of studies at the academy. By this arrangement the military education is distinctly divided from the general education, and the cadets are enabled to apply the whole powers of their mind to their professional career.

The cadets now pass from two to two and a half years in the academy, examinations taking place twice annually, to testify the progress they have made. Formerly these examinations were confided to the professors, but in 1859 the Board of Education sent strange examiners to preside. After the final examination, those officers who form the artillery generally pass several months in Woolwich, and attend the courses of the Royal Military Institution, an establishment due to the individual exertions of some officers of merit. The engineer officers proceed straight to Chatham, where they spend a year or eighteen months at the Engineers' School, studying geology, mineralogy, chemistry, and photography.

Addiscombe, formerly the training school for the artillery and engineers of the East India Company, was thrown open to competitive examinations on the downfal of the great John Company. It will still be employed, however, for the education of officers destined for her Majesty's army in India, although there is an idea of incorporating it with the Woolwich Academy. The number of cadets is generally one hundred and fifty, who pass a year in the college, whence they proceed to join that arm of the service they have selected.

The Royal Sandhurst College prepares officers for the infantry and cavalry of the English army. In this building the Staff College is at present stationed, until its new house is completed; this is one of the most important reforms introduced, and will free our staff officers from the reproach, so long raised against them on the Continent, of being incompetent to the performance of their duties. All the armies of Europe have long had such an establishment, and it is a matter of surprise that we remained behind. But, now that we have made this requisite change, the most happy results have already been attained, and the lists periodically published in the papers will show how anxious our officers are to qualify themselves for prominent positions in the army. Sandhurst school contains one hundred and eighty cadets, all entering by competitive examination; the studies carried on are thoroughly efficient, though not of so high a quality as those of the other two colleges. The cadets remain for two years, and after passing three examinations, join their respective