detached and granted leave; December 27th, 1845, ordered to examine merchant steamers at New York; January 6th, 1846, ordered to examine docks at New York—examination finished February 4th, 1846; May 18th, 1846, ordered to examine steamers at New York; 21st July, 1846, ordered to report at Department; August 20th, 1846, ordered to command the _Mississippi_; March 4th, 1847, ordered to command the Home Squadron; November 20th, 1848, detached from command of Home Squadron, and ordered as General Superintendent of ocean mail-steamers; November 3d, 1849, ordered to report at the Department; January 22d, 1852, given preparatory orders to command the East India Squadron; 3d March, 1852, detached as Superintendent of ocean mail-steamers; March 24th, 1852, ordered to command the East India Squadron; January 12th, 1855, reported his arrival at New York; June 20th, 1855, ordered to Washington as a Member of Efficiency Board under Act of Congress, February 28th, 1855; September 13th, 1855, Board dissolved; December 30th, 1857, detached from special duty and wait orders. He died at New York City, N. Y., on the 4th of March, 1858. VI. THE NAVAL APPRENTICESHIP SYSTEM. MATTHEW C. PERRY may be called the founder of the apprenticeship system in the United States Navy, however much the present improved methods may differ from his own. He was the first officer to attempt a systematic improvement on the hap-hazard and costly method of recruiting formerly in vogue. Under the old plan, one-fourth the men and boys picked up at random became invalided or were discharged as unfit. It took four month’s work at five recruiting stations to get a crew for the “_North Carolina_.” The daily average of recruits at five stations, New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Norfolk and Baltimore, was but seven, at the utmost, and could not be increased without bounties. Perry’s experience at recruiting stations prompted him to a thorough study of the subject, and attempt at reform. He addressed the Department on this theme as early as 1823. In a letter of eleven pages, dated January 25, 1824, a model of clearness and strength, he elaborated his idea of providing crews for men-of-war by naval apprentices properly educated. He proposed that a thousand apprentices be engaged yearly, saving in expense of pay (from $792,000 to $462,000) the sum of $330,000. He suggested withholding the ration of spirits for the first two years of indenture, so that a further saving of $43,800, and total saving $373,800, would be secured.