15. Applications for Certificates of Service must be made on the printed Form Exn. 22, to be obtained free of charge of the Registrar-General of Seamen, Adelaide Place, London Bridge, London, or of the Superintendent of any Mercantile Marine Office.

NOTICE OF ALTERATION IN EXAMINATION PAPERS. From the 1st day of February, 1874, all candidates presenting themselves for examination will be required to give written answers to eight out of a list of ten questions selected from Form Exn. 15 a, "Elementary Questions for the first examinations of Engineers for certificates of competency, and of Masters Mates for certificates in steam." These questions are intended to furnish a record to some extent of the candidate's knowledge at the time of his examination, and also to induce the candidates to pay more attention to their handwriting and spelling.

The Form Exn. 15 b, on which these answers will be written, contains also some questions as to the experience of the candidate, to be answered by him in writing. A copy of Exn. 15 b is contained in Form Exn. 15 a.

The viva voce questions on the practical remain on the same footing as at present. any of those contained in Exn. 15 a.

management of steam engines and boilers will Examiners may add to their viva voce questions

The arithmetical questions on Forms Exn. 10 and Exn. 11 will be cancelled, and Forms Exn. 10 a and Exn. 11 a, or other similar forms, to be from time to time issued, will be used instead. No further notice will be given of the changing of these forms. The questions will be promiscuous exercises on the arithmetic of marine engineering, and the candidate will not be expected to work all the questions, but only so many of them as he may think sufficient to satisfy the examiner that he possesses the required knowledge of arithmetic, and that he can apply it. The arithmetical standard for candidates is not altered; it will continue as at present to include decimal fractions for second-class, and to include square root for first-class candidates.

First-class candidates will be required to make, from a copy, an intelligible hand sketch, or a working drawing of some one or more of the principal parts of a steam-engine, and to mark in, without a copy, all the necessary dimensions in figures, so that the sketch or

drawing could be worked from. This is considered an important qualification for a firstclass engineer, and as his sending home an unworkable sketch to replace a break down would be a practical failure in competency, so the omission of one necessary dimension, or a disagreement between any two dimensions, will fail the candidate.

The examination questions are designed to test the degree of knowledge of this kind possessed by the candidate, and thereby to ascertain how much his heart has been given to his work.

The examination papers for a second-class certificate will consist of questions relating to the candidate's experience in the construction and management of engines, of questions in elementary knowledge, and of a set of engineering arithmetical questions.

In addition to these examination papers a candidate for a first-class certificate will have also another set of arithmetical questions, and an examination paper on indicator diagrams and working drawings.

The first set of new questions for first-class require a knowledge of the strength of a shaft against twisting and against transverse breaking, the strength of an iron lever, the loss by friction, and the cut off by a given amount of lap.

The new questions for second-class candidates contain nothing beyond what is contained in the old set of questions, except that one of the questions requires a knowledge of the weight of wrought iron.

In addition to these examination papers, the viva voce examinations will be continued as heretofore. These alterations are not intended in any way to remove from the individual examiner the entire responsibility of passing or of failing any candidate. The examination papers are planned to assist the examiner, and to afford a written evidence, to some extent, of the thoroughness of the examination, and to promote uniformity at the various examining ports.

TIME AND MARKS.

All candidates will be allowed six hours for the arithmetical paper and elementary questions, Form Examination 15 b-viz., from 10 A.M, to 4 P.M.

First-class candidates are directed to leave the diagram question, No. 9 on Examination II a, until the second day; the diagram will not be shown to the candidate on the first day. The viva voce examination and drawing will be on the second day; but they may be continued on subsequent days if requisite.

To secure uniformity at the various examining ports, a system of marks has been arranged, and the candidates are not required to work all the questions on any of the forms, but only as many as they may consider will entitle them to the required number of marks.

The number of marks allowed for each question correctly worked is stated in the first column of data table laid before the candidate.

If the method adopted for any question be in the main correct, for each slip or omission in the method one mark will be forfeited.

If the numeration in the working of any question be in the main correct, for each error in the numeration one mark will be forfeited.

Marks gained for one question will not be forfeited on account of errors in any of the other questions.

The maximum number of marks on the second-class arithmetical paper is 33; the minimum required to pass is 22.

The maximum number of marks on the first-class arithmetical paper is 24; the minimum required to pass is 16.

For each full and correct answer to elementary questions, 2 marks will be allowed. For answers to the two questions on defects and repairs, on page 3 of Examination 15 b, from o to 4 marks will be allowed for each. The total marks on Examination 15 b will, therefore be 24, and the minimum required is 16.

Marks will be allowed for only ten questions on Form Examination 15 b, that is, for eight elementary questions, and for the two questions marked F and G. If either F or G be omitted, the number of elementary questions may be increased to make up ten in all.

Marks beyond the minimum for any Form may be applied to make up a defect of marks for any other Form at the rate of two marks overplus, to make up for one mark deficient,

ELEMENTARY QUESTIONS FOR THE FIRST

EXAMINATIONS OF ENGINEERS FOR CERTIFICATES OF
COMPETENCY; AND OF MASTERS AND MATES FOR CER-
TIFICATES IN STEAM.

A.-Where and how long did you serve in works at the making or at the repairing of engines?

B.-How long have you served in the stokehole?

C.-How long have you served in the engine-room at sea, and in what capacities?

D.-With what descriptions of engines have you served at sea-paddle or screw, or both, jet condensing, surface condensing, or non-condensing engines, compounds, trunks, inverted cylinders, or horizontal engines? What size were the engines?

E. With what descriptions of boilers have you served at sea-rectangular or cylindrical, wet bottomed or dry bottomed, multitubular, sectional, or flue boilers?

F.-What engine defects have come under your notice at sea, what caused these defects, and how were they remedied? Give the names of the steamers for verification.

G.-What boiler defects have come under your notice at sea, what caused these defects, and how were they remedied? Give the names of the steamers for verification.

For the questions to be answered on the following pages see the book of Elementary questions. The questions need not be written, only the answers to them.

Question No.

Question No.

Question No.

Question No.

Question No.

Question No.

Question No.

Question No.

8

EXPLANATION OF SIGNS USED.

The following signs are made use of both in arithmetic and algebra:-
SIGNS OF OPERATION.

1. The sign+, called plus (which is the Latin for more), signifies additive, or to be added, and shows that the number before which it stands is to be added; thus 3 + 4 (read three plus four) means that 4 is to be added to 3, making 7.

2.

The sign, called minus (which is the Latin for less), signifies subtractive, or to be subtracted, and shows that the number before which it stands is to be subtracted; thus 13-5 (read as thirteen minus five) means that 5 is to be subtracted from 13, leaving 8.

3. The sign x (into), signifies multiplied by, and shows that the numbers between which it stands are to be multiplied; thus, 3 × 4 (read three into four, or three multiplied by four), means that 3 is to be multiplied into 4, making 12. Sometimes a full stop at the bottom of the figure is used for this; thus, 2 × 7, or 2.7, are both used to express twice seven.

4. The sign, signifies divided by, and means that the number which stands before it is to be divided by the one which follows it. Thus, 142, (read fourteen by two), means that 14 is to be divided by 2, making 7. operation of division is also indicated by writing the divisor under the dividend with a line between them; thus, 14 by 2 is also frequently denoted thus.

The sign, signifying equal to (or amounting to), means that the numbers between which it stands are equal to each other; that is, have the same arithmetical value, each taken as a whole.

Examples of the preceding, with the results in each case, will stand thus:—

I. 14 and 3 equals 17, or 14 +3=17.

3. 7X5= 35.

2. 10- -3=7.

4.

1427, or = 7.

6. The signs is to, :: so is, are the signs of proportion: as 2:4:: 8: 16; that is, as 2 is to 4 so is 8 to 16.

7. The signs 14

4+ 10 = 20 show that the difference between 4 and 14 added to 10 is equal to 20. The line drawn over 14 and 4 is called a vinculum.

8. The signs 10 − 2 + 5 = 3 signify that the sum of 2 and 5 taken from 10 is equal to 3.

9.

82 is read 8 squared, and means that the 8 is to be multiplied by itself; thus, 8 x8 = 64; hence 64 is called the square of 8.

10. The sign prefixed to any number, signifies that the Square Root of that number is required; thus,

64 is read the square root of 64, and means that number which when multiplied by itself gives 64; hence 64 is called the square of 8.

H.P. is read horse-power.

11.

12.

13.

N.H.P. is read nominal horse-power.
I.H.P. is read indicated horse-power.