Liang Kiang provinces, reports that as the Naval Academy has resulted satisfactorily and borne fruit he now reverentially obeys his Majesty's command to recommend for aes those officers whose efforts have een crowned with success in the matter, in order that the deserving ones may be rewarded with the gracious bounty of the Throne, and as an encouragement to further efforts. The Naval School in question was first instituted by H.E. the late Tseng Kuo-chuan, then Viceroy at Nanking but until 1890 no recommendation for the Imperial bounty on behalf of the deserving officers of the academy had been suggested to the Throne. In that year Shen Ping-chen, then acting Viceroy, memorialised his Majesty on the subject suggesting that the Nanking academy should (4 conducted on the same lines as the Naval and Military Academies in the Peiyang Administration, viz: that in order to stimulate those connected with them to exertions towards distinction, recommendations for rewards for deserving officers and students belonging tothe Saaking Reel Academy should be made to the Throne once every two Majesty, and orders given that the officers ears. This was approved of by his
and staff in charge of the said academy have their names and several duties recorded in the books of the Boards of Civil Appointments.and. of War..\When Liu K'un-yi became Viceroy he paid special attention to the needs of the academy and gave strict instructions to the oticers in charge to exert themselves in ensuring diligence and discipline amongst the students, etc, Since then-four years have. elapsed, and in the meanwhile, the students have been thoroughly grounded in the written langtiage of their native country and also made conversant with foreign languages. They have also given special attention to such studies as translating from Chinese into foreign languages and vice tarsd, algebra, trigonometry (spherical and plane) geometry, physics, chemistry, analysis, astronomy, geology, and. geography ete 'They have been' taught the science of navigation, taking observations by means of the sextant, and the science of naval construction, In athletic exercises the students have received instruction in battalion and other drills, target shooting, mounting masts, and also gymnastic exercises, in all of which they have proved themselves proficients thus. providing ex-excise and instruction for both body and mind.. The day is divided into studies of Chinese, foreign languages, navigation and Gril's, and once a term of three months, ordinary exatainations are held by deputies: appointed by the Viceroy, while once a year a grand examination is held presided over by the Viceroy himself, From yeat to year visible and marked progress has been made by the students. In the summer and autumn of last year a British naval officer was specially invited to examine the first class students of the navigation and naval engineering departments of the academy who were reported to have completed their course of studies, and he gave to memorialist a most glowing account of the results of his inspection, and declared that these cadets were fully qualified for the technical part of their duties. Later on memorialist himself also made personal inspection and examination of the academy and observed for himself that diligence and earnest endeavour in perfecting themselves were not wanting amongst the scholars, and that they could compete with any other similar institution in the quantity and quality of their work. As the naval forces of the empire form one of the most important branches of defence, and as academies of the above sort are the feeders of the Togeral navy, memorialist warmly recommends that the officers and instructors who have had charge of the academy and discharged the various duties of their posts so well should be well rewarded by his Majesty for their unflagging zeal and the success of their efforts. The chief Director, the Taotai Kuei, especially deserves his Majesty's gracious bounty. As four years have elapsed, and as by a former edict noted above, promotions should be allowed once every two years, the officers, staff, and graduates of the academy should be given two steps of promotion. The graduating classes will be sent to their training ship soon, and they will be given chances to rise in the future in accordance with their several abilities. 'A list of the deserving ones is appended to this memorial.—Rescript: Let the Boards concerned report thereon.
6th March.
No papers of interest.
7th March.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.