datski, and the Austrian officers, who are described in language of grateful warmth, as divested of all affectation, essentially polite, frank, hospitable, and highly principled.

At the Grand Review, which closed the manœuvres, there were in line 60,000 men and 130 guns.

Orders have been issued to suspend the recruiting of the Army.

HALF-YEARLY PUBLIC EXAMINATIONS AT THE ROYAL MILITARY COLLEGE.

THE half-yearly public examinations at Sandhurst were held on the 5th, 6th, and 7th of November, before a Board of Commissioners, at which there were present, besides General the Hon. Sir Edward Paget, the Governor, and Colonel Sir George Scowell, the Lieutenant-Governor of the Institution, General Sir W. H. Clinton, Lieut.-Generals Sir John Lambert and Sir Hudson Lowe, Major-General Gardiner, Deputy Adjutant-General, and Major Garvock, Assistant Adjutant-General.

The conduct of these examinations varied little from the usual course of proceeding, which has often been detailed in our pages; and, at the close of the third day, the following officers studying at the senior department, all of whom had acquitted themselves in a very creditable manner, were presented by the Board with certificates of qualification of the highest class:Major W. N. Hutchinson, 76th foot; Captain J. Michel, 64th foot; Captain W. Hope, 7th foot; Captain W. T. Tinne, 8th hussars; Lieut. F. J. T. Hutchinson, 74th foot.

The examination of these officers embraced the most important subjects relating to pure and mixed mathematics, which enter into the course of study pursued at the senior department of the college; and among the propositions exhibited, and of which extempore solutions were given, were several which involve the application of the higher analysis in the theory of curves; examples of dynamical equilibrium among bodies, in respect of subjects connected with the science of the engineer; and demonstrations of several useful problems in practical astronomy, which seem, very properly, to form an essential element in the instruction given at the institution.

The whole of these officers had also taken advantage of an extension (lately granted) in the general period of residence at the senior department, to qualify themselves for a species of examination admitting greater exercise of mental power, than that afforded by one conducted viva voce alone: it consisted in the composition of written solutions to sundry propositions in mathematics and fortification, selected at hazard from papers printed for the purpose; and these solutions, which had been given on a preceding day appointed by the Governor, were now laid before the Commissioners, and appear to have comprehended several scientific investigations, relating to the higher departments of the military art, which could not have been so completely treated in any other manner.

The public examination of the officers in Fortification consisted in inquiries into the leading principles of the art; comparisons of the systems of Permanent Defence, invented by different engineers, with descriptions of the improvements recently introduced therein; the nature of field works of all kinds, the manner of disposing them for the purposes of defensive warfare, and the methods of constructing them in cases where defilading from commanding heights becomes indispensable; and lastly, the processes employed in mining, and the operations involved in the attack and defence of fortresses and field works, were stated with precision, and in such a way as to place before the mind a vivid picture of that most interesting and important branch of the military service.

The military surveys of ground, executed by various officers of the depart

ment, which were laid upon the tables of the board-room, on the present occasion, were of unusual extent. For, besides the survey of nearly a hundred square miles on the Sussex coast, embracing Brighton and its environs, (noticed in our report of the last half-yearly examination,) and which, as having been executed in part by Captains Michel and Tinne and Lieutenant Hutchinson, was now again exhibited as one of the required tests of their ability; there were also shown two other surveys, including almost an equal surface of country: one of part of the Isle of Wight, by Captain Hope; and the other of the borders of Sussex and Hants, displaying some excellent drawing, by Major Hutchinson, Captain Townsend, 83d foot, and Lieutenant Strachan, 68th foot. Another plan was also produced by Captain Wilson, 96th foot, showing the progress made, during the present term, in the construction of a large bastioned fort, in rear of the college, for the practical improvement of the officers at the department in field fortification.

At the close of the examinations at the junior department, the following Gentlemen Cadets were recommended by the Board to the General Commanding-in-Chief, in the order of their merit, as given below, to receive ensigncies in the line, without purchase; and the first five of the number, having each passed an examination in one branch of study beyond the required course, were further presented with honorary certificates of approbation :Charles E. P. Gordon: Christopher B. Cardew; James W. Hoste; Hudson Lowe; William M. De Butts; John J. C. Drake; John M. Daniell; Thomas A. Nixon; John F. A. Hartle; John Stuart.

By the result of the examinations, above forty other young gentlemen were declared to have made various steps towards qualifying themselves for commissions, in those branches of the mathematics which are applicable to military purposes; in permanent and field-fortification, and the attack and defence of places; in Latin, and general history; and in the modern languages. And fourteen had also, during the half-year, completed the course of professional education in military surveying, and fifteen in the actual construction of entrenchments and saps in the field, as well as in the formation of stockades, in hand-grenade practice, &c., with the assistance of the usual detachment of royal sappers and miners.

GRAHAM'S ISLAND IN THE MEDITERRANEAN.

THE following is an account of a recent survey made of the Volcanic Island, which, in 1831, rose from the sea between the islands of Pantalaria and Sicily::- "The Volcanic Island, which has ceased to appear in the canal of Malta, has left in the same place a dangerous shoal of an oval figure, about three-fifths of a mile in extent, having its longest diameter in the direction from S.S.E. to N.N.W., and being something less in size than the base of the island itself when visible. The upper surface is composed principally of black stones, and some of a darkish yellow, exactly like those observed round the crater of the volcano, with a sprinkling of sand here and there. In the centre is a black rock of the diameter of about twenty-six fathoms, over which there are eleven feet of water, with the exception of two points in the line from N.E. to S.W., which have a depth of only nine feet. At the distance of sixty fathoms from the central mass, there are two and a half, three, four, five, and six fathoms water, the depth of which increases with the distance. At seventy-five fathoms from the S.W. of the central rock, there is a small detached rock with fifteen feet water over it. In every direction around this danger the depth is great. Neither the barrel placed there by Captain Swinburne, in 1832, and which could scarcely make any resistance, nor the discoloured water observed by him, are any longer to be seen. By means of a tolerably correct survey, made with an exact azimuth compass, the vessel being in the direction of the shoal (upon which a boat was stationed), and the highest part of the island of Pantalaria, these two points

were seen bearing N. 54 degrees E. and S. 54 degrees W. The latitude of the point upon which the boat was moored, was found to be 37 degrees 10 minutes N.; and with the assistance of a chronometer, whose daily progression was precisely known, the longitude was fixed at 12 degrees, 44 minutes, 59 seconds E. of Greenwich. The latitude of the volcano, taken by Commander W. Smith, of the English brig-of-war, Philomel, when in a state of eruption, was 37 deg. 11 min. N., and the longitude 12 deg. 44 min. E."

GENERAL ORDERS, CIRCULARS, ETC.

Admiralty, Oct. 28. The Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty hereby give notice, that a ball will henceforth be dropped, every day, from the top of a pole on the eastern turret of the Royal Observatory at Greenwich, at the moment of 1 o'clock, P. M. mean solar time. By observing the first instant of its downward movement, all vessels in the adjacent reaches of the river, as well as in most of the docks, will thereby have an opportunity of regulating and rating their chronometers.

The ball will be hoisted half way up the pole at 5 minutes before 1 o'clock, as a preparatory signal, and close up at 2 minutes before 1.

By command of their Lordships,

JOHN BARROW.

Horse Guards, Oct. 10, 1833.

At a General Court-Martial, held at Chatham on the 31st day of July, 1833, and continued by adjournments to the 26th of August following, Lieut. Patrick Macfarlane, of the 16th Regiment of Foot, was arraigned upon the undermentioned charges :

"Ist. For conduct scandalous, disgraceful, and unbecoming the character of an officer and a gentleman, in that he, Lieut. Patrick Macfarlane, did, on the afternoon of Saturday, the 22nd of June, 1833, appear in the barrack-yard of the cavalry depôt at Maidstone in a state of intoxication.

"2nd. In that he, the said Lieut. Patrick Macfarlane, did then and there conduct himself in an insubordinate and disrespectful manner towards Colonel Brotherton, Commandant of the said depôt, his superior officer.

"All such conduct, as aforesaid, being subversive of good order, and highly preju dicial to the discipline of the army."

Upon which charges the Court came to the following decision:

"The Court, having maturely weighed and considered the evidence adduced on the part of the prosecution, together with the prisoner's defence, and the evidence he has adduced in support of it, is of opinion that he, the prisoner, is guilty of the whole of both the charges produced against him, being in breach of the articles of war.

"The Court, having found the prisoner guilty of the whole of both the charges produced against him, does therefore sentence him, the prisoner, Lieut. Patrick Macfarlane, of the 16th regiment of infantry, to be cashiered.

"The Court, having performed the painful duty of passing sentence, trusts that it will not be deemed to be trespassing beyond the bounds prescribed by the custom of the service in most humbly recommending the case of the prisoner, Lieut. Macfarlane, to his Majesty's merciful consideration, on account of the length of time he has served, of his having received three wounds in the service (one of which was in the head, and from which he still suffers), as well as from the general debilitated state of his constitution, as evinced by a severe epileptic fit with which he was seized when before the Court, and on account of his having a wife and five children entirely dependent upon his military pay for their support.

"The Court does not, however, mention these circumstances as extenuating, in any degree, the great breach of discipline of which the prisoner has been found guilty, but as rendering him and his family objects of compassion."

His Majesty has been pleased to approve and confirm the finding and sentence of the Court.

His Majesty has been further pleased so far graciously to consider the recommendation of the Court as to command that the value of an Ensigncy should be granted the prisoner, under such restrictions as may be considered most beneficial to his family.

The General Commanding in Chief directs that the foregoing charges preferred against Lieut. Patrick Macfarlane, together with the finding and sentence of the Court, and his Majesty's pleasure thereon, shall be entered in the General Order Book, and read at the head of every regiment in his Majesty's service.

By Command of the Right Honourable the General Commanding in Chief, JOHN MACDONALD, Adj.-Gen.

Horse Guards, Oct. 12, 1833.

At a General Court-Martial, held at Chatham on the 26th of August, 1833, and continued by adjournments to the 11th of September following, Lieut. J. Waller Poe, of the 55th Regiment, was arraigned upon the undermentioned charge, viz.:

"For that he, Lieut. J. Waller Poe, of the 55th Regiment, being a passenger on board the Caesar, on her passage from Calcutta to England, was, on or about the 12th of February, 1832, accused of stealing a 57. Bank of England note and certain articles of wearing apparel, the property of one Thomas Ross, then acting as his servant, and which property the said Thomas Ross alleged had been taken out of his trunk in the said Lieut. Poe's cabin; and the aforesaid accusation against the said Lieut. Poe having thereupon been inquired into by Capt. Watt, commanding the ship, by Lieut.-Col. Cunningham, and other officers on board, they, the said officers, and the passengers, forthwith expelled the said Lieut. Poe from their table and society, not permitting him to enter the general cabin, or to have any association whatever with them, during the remainder of the voyage; nevertheless the said Lieut. Poe, under circumstances so degrading and disgraceful to him, neither then, nor at any time afterwards, took any measures, as became an officer and a gentleman, to vindicate his honour and reputation.

"All such conduct as aforesaid being to the prejudice of good order and military discipline."

Upon which charge the Court came to the following decision:

"The Court, having maturely weighed and considered the evidence adduced in support of the prosecution, together with the prisoner's defence and the evidence adduced in support of it, is of opinion that he, the prisoner, is guilty of the whole of the charge produced against him, in breach of the articles of war.

"The Court does therefore sentence him, the prisoner, Lieut. J. Waller Poe, of the 55th Regiment of Infantry, to be dismissed his Majesty's service.

"The Court, in coming to the above finding and sentence, trusts it may be allowed to add that it has considered the charge produced against the prisoner entirely in a military point of view, as affecting the good order and discipline of the army, and that it does not mean by its sentence to offer any opinion as to the original charge of theft of which the prisoner was accused by the man Ross."

His Majesty has been pleased to approve and confirm the finding and sentence of the Court.

The General Commanding in Chief directs that the foregoing charge preferred against Lieut. J. Waller Poe, together with the finding and sentence of the Court, and his Majesty's approval thereof, shall be entered in the General Order Book, and read at the head of every regiment in his Majesty's service.

By command of the Right Honourable the General Commanding in Chief,
JOHN MACDONALD, Adj.-Gen.

Horse Guards, Oct. 14, 1833.

At a General Court-Martial held at Fort King George, Scarborough, in the island of Tobago, on the 11th day of June, 1833, and continued by adjournments to the 18th of the same month, Staff Assistant Surgeon Doctor Alexander Sinclair was arraigned upon the undermentioned charges, viz.

"1st. For having, on the 17th of January, 1833, at the town of Scarborough, in the island of Tobago, made an affidavit before Mr. Bennett, the Chief Justice of that Colony, the statement which such contained, written under his own hands, not being founded upon facts, but 'taken with the view of evading, by the aid of the abovementioned magistrate, a fine incurred by him, Staff Assistant Surgeon Sinclair, for the trespass of his horse upon government ground, a penalty which, by the orders of Major-Gen. Blackwell, at the time Governor of, and commanding the troops in, the island of Tobago, had been attached as the consequences of such trespass.

"2nd. For having, by means of such affidavit, in which it was stated that the horse had been seized without lawful authority, induced the Chief Justice to give an order

for its delivery from the pound, in which, agreeably to the regulations of Major-Gen. Blackwell, as issued in a garrison memorandum, dated Tobago, October 9, 1833, and signed (by order) G. F. Murray, Fort Adjutant, it had been placed; and which horse was accordingly delivered up to him, Staff Assistant Surgeon Sinclair, without payment by him of the due fine-thereby disavowing the authority of, and setting at defiance the promulgated orders of the officers commanding the troops in the island aforesaid.

"Such conduct, as stated in the abovementioned charges, being unbecoming the character of an officer and a gentleman, subversive of good order and military disci. pline, and in breach of the articles of war."

Upon which charges the Court came to the following decision:

"The Court, having carefully and fully considered the evidence adduced on the part of the prosecution in support of the charges against the prisoner, Staff Assistant Surgeon Dr. Alexander Sinclair, together with what appears in his defence, and the evidence in support thereof, is of opinion, with regard to the first charge, that the prisoner is guilty.

"That, with regard to the second charge, wherein the prisoner is charged with having violated an order of Major-Gen. Blackwell, such order bearing date October 9, 1833, the Court, in consequence of the prisoner's having waived any objection on account of the error in date, find him guilty of having violated the order of October 9, 1832, and of every other part of the second charge.

"The Court, having found the prisoner guilty of both the charges preferred against him, which being in breach of the articles of war in such cases made and provided, does therefore, by virtue thereof, sentence the prisoner, Staff Assistant Surgeon Dr. Alexander Sinclair, to be cashiered.

"The Court, having performed the painful duty of passing the above sentence on the prisoner, take the liberty, before closing their proceedings, to state that the impression on their mind is that, at the time of the prisoner's having made the affidavit, he was labouring under great excitement and irritation from what he conceived to be injury, however imaginary."

His Majesty has been pleased to observe that the finding of the Court could not legally be sustained, inasmuch as it is not justified by the evidence, but directly at variance with that part of it which applies to the charges and the real merits of the

case.

His Majesty has therefore been further pleased, under such circumstances, to extend his most gracious pardon to the prisoner, and to command that the Staff Assistant Surgeon Dr. Alexander Sinclair be allowed to return to his duty.

The General Commanding in Chief directs that the foregoing charges preferred against Staff Assistant Surgeon Dr. Alexander Sinclair, together with the finding of the Court and His Majesty's pleasure thereon, be entered in the General Order Book, and read at the head of every regiment in his Majesty's service.

By command of the Right Honourable the General Commanding in Chief. JOHN MACDONALD, Adj.-Gen.

PRIZES ADVERTIZED FOR PAYMENT IN THE LONDON GAZETTES, AS REPORTED TO THE TREASURER OF THE NAVY, BETWEEN 19th MARCH TO 18th SEPT., 1833.

WAR OF 1803.

CERES, for Spanish vessel of war, name unknown, capt. 8th Feb. 1798.-pay, 26th March, 1833.-Agents, Hallett and Robinson, 13, Great George Street, Westminster. PELORUS, for Segunda Teresa, capt. 22 March, 1832,-pay. 18th April, 1833.Agents, Thomas Stilwell and Son, 22, Arundel Street, Strand.

SYLVIA, cutter, for seizures, between 23d June, and 5th Aug. 1832,-pay. 16th May 1833.-Agent, James Pinhorn, Portchester.

TRENT, for Spanish vessel of war, name unknown, capt. 8th Feb. 1798,-pay. 26th March, 1833.-Agents, Hallett and Robinson, 13, Great George Street, Westminster. NIMBLE, for Guerrero, capt. 19th Dec. 1827, (bounty for slaves)-pay. 13th Aug., 1833.-Agent, J. Petty Muspratt, 9, New Broad Street.

HIND, for Saitia (a droit of Admiralty), seized 9th Nov. 1807,-pay. 13th Sept., 1833.-Agents, Thomas Stilwell and Sons, 22, Arundel Street, Strand.

ALACRITY, sloop, for a piratical mistico (moiety of Hull, &c., and bounty money), capt. on the 11th Jan. 1829,-pay. 13th Sept. 1833.-Agents, Thomas Stilwell and Sons, 22, Arundel Street, Strand.