4. Field works, military bridging, etc, which occupies 122 days. This comprises instruction in earthworks, pontooning, rafts, spar, and other temporary bridges, reports on existing fortresses, construction of railways, escalading, diving, etc.
5. Architectural course, which occupies 183 days. This course includes building material, design, estimate, and specification for a building, instruction and report, with hand sketches of various works in execution, lime and cement works, quarrying, brickmaking, etc.
6. Surveying and Astronomy, which occupy 183 days. This course includes trigonometrical survey, military reconnoissance, special survey, road reconnoissance, astronomical memoranda and calculations, adaptation of works of defence to a contoured site, inspection tours of works of defence in England, and report on same, isolated lectures on geology, electricity, machinery, etc., by selected professors.
The first allowance toward expenses of junior officers of the Royal Engineers, in visiting engineering works, at home and abroad, was made in 1854, and is now 500l. per annum.
[INSTRUCTION FOR NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS AND SAPPERS.]
All recruits for this corps join at Chatham, and for about sixteen months are subject to daily drill and military duties in field work and all branches of the engineer service, and are drafted off, from time to time, into the special classes in construction, photography, telegraphy, lithography, printing.
Synopsis of the Course.
The following synopsis of the instruction given at the Royal School of Military Engineering at Chatham, was drawn up by Major General J. L. Simmons, the Director of the establishment.
I.—THE SURVEY COURSE.
The course of surveying for the officers of the Royal Engineers is intended to qualify them for carrying on survey operations of every description, and for designing and laying out engineering works, so far as these are influenced by the features of the ground on which they are placed, or over which they are carried.