Correcting declination, &c.

Standard of ex.

be raised.

Standard of examination to be raised.

NOTES.

Candidates will find it more convenient, both. here and at sea, to correct the declination and other elements from the Nautical Almanac by the " hourly differences," which have been given in that work in order to facilitate such calculations, they will thereby render themselves independent of any proportion or logarithmic table for such purpose.

As the examinations for Masters and Mates are amination will made compulsory, the qualifications have been kept as low as possible, but it is distinctly to be understood that the Minister of Marine and Fisheries may raise the standard from time to time, whenever, as will no doubt be the case, the general attainments of officers in the Merchant Service shall render it possible to do so without inconvenience; and officers are strongly urged to employ their leisure hours, when in port, to the acquirement of the knowledge necessary to enable them to pass their examinations; and masters will do well to permit apprentices and junior officers to attend schools of instruction, and to afford them as much time for this purpose as possible.

NOTICE.

EXAMINATION OF MASTERS AND MATES.

By virtue of an Order in Council bearing date the 26th of June, 1871, the following amendments have been made to the Rules and Regulations for examination of Candidates for Certificates of Competency as Masters and Mates in Mercantile Marine, as approved by Order in Council of 27th February, 1871.

1st. Rule 1st has been so amended as to require five years service at sea instead of four years, for a Mate or only Mate, of which one year must have been as either second or only Mate, or as both; services in a superior capacity being in all cases equivalent to service in an inferior capacity.

2nd. Candidates for Certificates of Masters and Mates must be examined in the use of the International Code of Signals, and failure in this branch will be treated as failure in Navigation.

Deputy of the Minister of Marine and Fisheries.

DEPARTMENT OF MARINE AND FISHERIES,

OTTAWA, 20th July, 1871.

EXAMINATIONS OF MASTERS AND MATES.

NOTICE OF ALTERATION IN EXAMINATION PAPERS.

By virtue of an Order in Council, bearing date the 12th Octo ber, 1872, all Candidates presenting themselves for examination. for Masters' and Mates' Certificates for the first time will be required to give short definitions of so many of the terms contained in the following list [A]* as may be marked with a cross by the Examiner. These questions are at the same time intended to test the Candidate's handwriting and spelling, to both of which special attention should be paid by him.

For the "Table of Deviations" which heretofore formed part of Exu. 7, the questions contained in the following list [B]+ have been substituted. Candidates for Certificates of Competency as Masters Ordinary will be required to answer at least eight of such of these questions as may be marked with a cross by the Examiner.

WM. SMITH,

Deputy of the Minister of Marine and Fisheries.

* See Definitions in Navigation and Nautical Astronomy.

† See "Deviation. "

HINTS TO STUDENTS.

When a rule has been explained to you, study it in connection with the worked example until you can see a little into it; then work out the first example two or three times until you get into the swing of it, for you must remember, that it is not the number of examples you work out, but the number which you understand, that is the real test of your progress. Never puzzle too long over a difficulty, but go and ask for an explanation directly you find you cannot see your way clear; for you may not only be very needlessly wasting time, but you may be getting a wrong idea into your head which may give you a lot of trouble to unlearn ; a very few words from a competent authority will generally make a crooked path appear straight. Again, refer as little as possible to the data given with the answers; these are only supplied to help you in detecting a possible error, but if you use them as a kind of running check while you are working out the exercises, you will be accustoming yourself to leading strings which you will look for in vain when before the Board of Examiners. Do not leave one kind of work for another until you are desired so to do, for there is often a great deal to learn in the work you are about, at the very time that you may think yourself master of it. Any one who understands and can work out the exercises given in this Manual may, with justice, consider himself a good navigator; but this is not enough for an applicant for a certificate of competency, for he not only requires a certain amount of polish in his work, but he requires to be kept posted in the little minor changes which are constantly occurring in the conduct of the examinations; this is effected by what may he termed the floating sets of examination papers in the schools under my control, and these will be given to the student when he is prepared to use them.

Lastly, learn every thing thoroughly, for in the same way that one weak link will destroy the strength of a cable, so one little problem, carelessly learnt, oftentimes brings a man to grief when he is before the examiners.