The mere description of the buildings shows at once that the system is different in many respects from that of the Polytechnic. Young men of twenty-one and twenty-two years of age, already holding provisional commissions in the service, receiving the pay and wearing the uniform of sub-lieutenants, are naturally allowed much greater freedom of action. They live, and partly also study, not in the halls of study, but in their own rooms; they take their meals in the town, where they frequent the _cafés_ and _restaurants_ of their choice. The _rappel_ summons them every morning to rise and attend a roll-call at half-past five or six; military exercises, riding, or interrogations, similar to the _interrogations particulières_, require the presence of a portion of the number, but the rest are free to return to their rooms. At ten they have to attend either the day’s lecture, followed by employment in the halls of study, till four o’clock P.M., or they proceed at once to the halls of study, and set to work on the drawings, designs, projects, &c., which are described hereafter in the account of the studies. From four to half-past five P.M.; drill, exercises, and riding occupy a portion of the number, probably those who were not called for in the morning. After half-past five they are left to themselves. This ordinary routine of studies is interrupted in the summer months by the occurrence of expeditions for making surveys, and for measuring and sketching machines in manufactories. The young men are sent, two together, to survey (_lever à boussole_;) singly for the reconnaissance sketch _(lever à vue _;) and generally, a certain number are distributed about a district not too large for an officer to make his round in it, and see each day that all are at work. The railways afford considerable facilities; the expeditions never occupy more than ten days at a time, but they may be extended as far as Strasburg. There are no _répétiteurs_ in the school; but the system of _interrogations particulières_ is carried on; and an examination by the professor and an assistant professor takes place after, about, every eight or ten lectures. THE STAFF AND GOVERNMENT. The Staff of the Institution consists of-- 1 General Officer, at present a General of Brigade of Artillery, as Commandant. 1 Colonel or Lieutenant-Colonel, Second in Command and Director of Studies, at present a Lieutenant-Colonel of Engineers. 1 Major of Artillery. 1 Major of Engineers. 5 Captains of Artillery. 8 Captains of Engineers. 1 Surgeon (_Médecin-Major_.) The Commandant is taken alternately from the Artillery and Engineers, and the command lasts for five years only. The Second in Command is always chosen from that arm of the service which does not supply the Commandant. The inferior officers of each rank are taken in equal numbers from the two arms. The Staff of Instructors is as follows:--