This contention, though plausible on the surface, is, however, greatly discounted by Mr. Inskip's figures, already quoted, which show that the cadets retained their relative places in subsequent examinations with quite remarkable regularity; and it is all to the credit of the instructors on board the _Britannia_ that, although called upon to conduct an important examination of their own pupils, they should have arrived at a result so obviously just. The papers were, it is true, distinguished only by numbers, the key to which was held by the captain until the examination was over; but this would, in the majority of instances, prove but a flimsy disguise. He also made the somewhat disturbing statement that the discipline was not satisfactory, and that a considerable number of cadets had misbehaved, or wilfully done badly in the examinations, in order to obtain their discharge from the Service. The committee presented their report on October 6th, 1874, and in February of the following year a new circular appeared, commendably brief as compared with the last one of importance. The whole machinery of competition is wiped out, and a qualifying test substituted as follows:-- Marks. Writing English legibly from dictation 100 Reading English intelligently, parsing, etc. 100 Arithmetic: Proportion, and vulgar and decimal fractions 200 Latin: reading, translating, and parsing, and to render English into Latin 200 French: reading, translating, and parsing; or, as an alternative, modern geography 100 Scripture history 100 --- Total 800 Four-tenths of the total marks to be obtained in each subject, 320 marks in the aggregate. The recommendations of the committee bear fruit in the prominence accorded to Latin; but they did not stipulate for the relegation of French to the background, which is rather a surprising step, considering the relative importance of the two languages to a naval officer, who may not unfrequently find himself deputed to deliver complimentary messages to the captain of a French ship. He may get safely through the little sentence he has prepared, in which his captain or admiral _fait ses compliments_, etc.; but when the Frenchman replies, with the politeness and volubility characteristic of his nationality, the British officer is more often than not at a loss. [Illustration: ROYAL GALLEY. PRINCE ALBERT VICTOR (DUKE OF CLARENCE) COXSWAIN, PRINCE GEORGE (DUKE OF YORK) PORT BOW OAR. _Photo: Smale & Son, Dartmouth._]