Those who are found too stupid or vicious to learn within a reasonable time are transferred from the ships to the depot, where they do the police work and are drafted as landsmen into cruising ships. The sloop Saida is the instruction vessel for helmsmen and quartermasters, the course being about three months. Men passing from the Bellona to the Saida are transferred to the Minerva for the final seamanship course, whilst the best of those from the Minerva pass to the Saida and thence to the gunnery-ship for complete instruction. The Adria is the gunnery-ship, the term of service being of the same length as that of the Saida. On board of this ship there is the ordinary gunner’s course, a superior course for those seamen who are selected for non-commissioned officers of marine infantry, and an officer’s course, the higher petty officers who are intended for instructors aboard ship being admitted to the latter. There is attached to the depot a school for machinist petty officers, having for its object the perfection of the theoretical and practical knowledge of the workmen chosen from amongst the most capable of the 12th company. The length of the course is fixed at one year, at the end of which time an examination is held, and those who pass successfully are appointed machinists and embarked in cruisers at once; the remainder are returned to the depot for subordinate duties. For certain of those who in depot give promise of final success without having the knowledge requisite for an immediate entry into the machinist school, a preliminary six months’ course is provided. This system is a temporary one to furnish machinists until the thorough establishment of a new machinists’ apprentice school, the duration of instruction in the latter being three years. This school is intended exclusively for the children of persons who have served in the navy. The entrance age is between fourteen and seventeen, and the children must already have served a partial apprenticeship in a machine-shop. They are obliged to serve for ten years in the navy after completing the course, and in case of failure for any cause except incapacity they are obliged to render one year of general service for each year or part of year passed at the school. The number of apprentices is limited to 50, and whilst at the school they receive in addition to their clothing and sustenance eight cents a day. There are in general about 2000 men in depot. The Bellona’s complement is 300, the Minerva’s 100, the Saida’s 50, and the Adria’s 500. The remainder of the cadre are embarked or on duty at the dock-yards. In addition to these and not counted in the general draft are the seaman apprentices, quartered on board the Schwartzenberg and numbering about 300. This school is open to all boys between the ages of fifteen and seventeen. The course is three years, with obligation to serve ten more after finally passing.