The month of October is appointed by the Director to the fitting and making uniform the regimental clothing brought with the students from their corps. Military exercises then take place once a week for two hours in the afternoon, till the 1st of April, or for about five months.
The military exercises are carried on under officers of the garrison, namely, a Captain and two Lieutenants of the Artillery of the Guard. They put themselves in communication with the Director to arrange the time, nature, and extent of the exercises.
The exercises consist of—
1. Exercises on Foot.—The whole of the first cœtus here take part, but only so many of the second Cœtus as are required as non-commissioned officers. Considering the composition of the squad, (Artillery and Engineers,) and the object of the exercise, the perfection of the students in company-drill is less to be attempted than the endeavor to give to each a good position and carriage in the front as well as in the ranks, and more particularly to accustom them to military order and precision.
2. Exercises with different descriptions of Guns in Position.—In preference, the light field-pieces of the year 1842 are to be used for drill, and correct, united and prompt execution required. With the siege-guns, every student is instructed and practiced with at least one calibre of each nature.
In addition to their military exercises, there are also—
3. Fencing and Gymnastics.—In these exercises the students of the first cœtus only take part, and for two hours of the afternoon each week, during the first six months. There is neither time nor appliances to admit of the students arriving at a high state of excellence. The practice in fencing is only intended to give confidence in the use of arms, that in gymnastics to produce activity, and to afford bodily exercise to young men much occupied in study.
EXAMINATIONS AND CENSURES.
In addition to the several examinations already enumerated, by which the fitness of the students for a certain rank or for promotion into a higher cœtus is shown, some other examinations take place.
1. For the purpose of enabling the Director and the Board of Studies to learn the progress of each separate student, and to confirm by their own knowledge the opinion given by the teachers, there is twice in each quarter an oral repetition of some portion of such instruction in the first and second cœtus. The period of the examination is previously named by the Director.