1890
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.
[No. 91

parture by parallel sailing; also to find the course and dis-
tance from one position to another by Mercator's method.
He will be required to find the time of high water at a given
port, to observe and calculate the amplitude of the sun, and
to find the error of the ship's compass therefrom, and also
the deviation, the variation being given. He must be able to
find the daily rate of the chronometer from error observed,
and to find the longitude from altitude of the sun by the
usual methods. He will be required to find the true bearing
of the sun, and the error of the ship's compass from an ob-
served azimuth of the sun, both from an altitude and also
from the "Time Azimuth Tables," and with the variation
given compute the deviation; to find the latitude from a
single altitude of the sun off the meridian, and also to ascer-
tain the true bearing of the sun, &c., and the ship's position
by Sumner's method by projection. He must be able to com-
pute the latitude from the meridian altitude of a star; he must
be able to find the magnetic bearing from equidistant compass
bearings of any fixed object when at sea, and compute the
deviation therefrom. He must construct a deviation curve
upon a "Napier's" diagram which will be furnished by the
Examiner, and must understand the practical application
of the same, and give satisfactory written (and oral)
answers to certain practical questions on the effect of the
ship's iron upon the compasses, and the method of deter-
mining the deviation, showing how to compensate same by
magnets and soft iron, by aid of Beall's compass deviascope.
He will also be required to answer certain questions, in
writing (and orally), relating to cyclones or revolving storms.
He must understand the use of the sextant with its adjust-
ments, and be able to observe with it, and find the index
error by the horizon, also by the sun, and read off and on
the arc. He must also be conversant with the use of
Mercator's Chart, and be able to find, on either a "true" or
"magnetic" chart, the course to steer and the distance from
one given position to another; and find the ship's position
on the chart from cross bearings of two objects; from two
bearings of the same object, the course and distance run
between taking the bearings being given; and the distance
of ship from the object at the time of taking the second
bearing. He will also be required to find the course to steer
by compass in order to counteract the effect of a given
current, and to find the distance the ship will make good
towards a given point in a certain time, and to work out
practically the correction to apply to soundings taken at a
given time and place to compare with the depth marked on
the chart. He must also pass a satisfactory examination in
the International Code of Signals.

102. Examination in Seamanship, &c.—He must give
     satisfactory answers as to his knowledge of making and
     taking in sail, and as to the management of a yacht under
     canvas in moderate and in stormy weather. He must have
     a thorough knowledge of the rule of the road at sea as
     regards both steamers and sailing-vessels, their regulation
     lights, and fog and sound signals; and be able to describe
     the signals of distress, and the signals to be made by ships
     wanting a pilot, and the liabilities and penalties incurred
     by the misuse of these signals. He must also understand
     the use and management of the rocket apparatus in the
     event of his vessel being stranded. He must be able to
     mark and use the lead- and log-lines; to cast a vessel on a
     lee shore; to moor and unmoor a ship; to keep a clear
     anchor, and to carry out an anchor. He must know how to
     keep his vessel out of the trough of the sea in the event of
     accident; how to rig rafts and jury rudders, &c.; and the
     steps to be taken if his vessel is disabled or unmanageable
     and drifting towards a lee shore, and as to his resources for
     the preservation of the crew in the event of wreck. He must
     also possess a knowledge of what he is required to do by the
     Shipping and Seamen's Acts, and a knowledge of the mea-
     sures he should adopt for preventing and checking the
     outbreak of scurvy on board; and to answer any other
     questions relating to the management of a yacht (either
     steam or sailing) which the Examiner may think necessary
     to touch upon.

Voluntary Examination in the Laws of the Deviation of
the Compasses of Iron Ships.

103. Any person holding a certificate of any grade,
     whether for the foreign or home trade, or as master of his
     own pleasure-yacht, who wishes to pass a voluntary examina-
     tion in the syllabus of examination on the laws of the
     deviation of the compasses of an iron ship, &c., can at any
     time be examined upon filling up the usual form of appli-
     cation, and paying to the Superintendent of the Mercantile
     Marine Office the fee of £1. If the candidate passes the
     examination successfully, a note to that effect will be duly
     made upon the certificate held by him.

Voluntary Examination in Steam.

104. These examinations are provided for the purpose of
     giving masters and mates who are possessed of certificates
     of competency an opportunity of undergoing a voluntary
     examination as to their practical knowledge of the use and
     working of the steam-engine.

105. Any person holding a certificate of any grade,
     whether for the foreign or home trade, or as master of his
     own pleasure-yacht, who desires to be examined in steam,
     must deliver to the Superintendent of the Mercantile Marine
     Office a statement in writing to that effect, upon the Form
     of Application (Exn. 2), and the applicant's certificate of
     competency must be delivered to the Superintendent along
     with his statement.

106. A fee of £1 must be paid by the applicant, and the
     Superintendent of the Mercantile Marine Office will there-
     upon inform him of the time and place at which he is to
     attend to be examined, and the examination will then and
     there proceed in the same manner as the other examina-
     tions. If the applicant fails, his certificate will be at once
     returned to him.

107. If the applicant passes, the Report (Exn. 14) will be
     sent to the Marine Department, with the certificate of com-
     petency and the Form (Exn. 2), and the words "Passed in
     steam," with the date and place of examination, will then be
     entered on the certificate and its counterpart, and the certifi-
     cate will be sent to the Superintendent of the Mercantile
     Marine Office of the port named in the Application (Exn. 2),
     and be delivered to the applicant in the usual manner.

108. If the applicant fails he may not present himself for
     re-examination until the expiration of three months from
     the date of failure.

109. The examination is for the most part viva voce, and
     extends to a general knowledge of the practical use and
     working of the steam-engine, and of the various valves,
     fitings, and pieces of machinery connected with it. Intric-
     ate theoretical questions on calculations of horse-power or
     areas of cylinders and valves, or any of the more difficult
     questions which appertain to steam-engines and boilers,
     will not be asked. The examination will, in fact, be con-
     fined to the duties which a master of a steam-vessel may be
     called upon to perform in the case of the death, incapacity,
     or delinquency of the engineer.

110. Examiners are to be careful in their examinations to
     satisfy themselves that applicants really do know the names
     and uses of the various parts of engines and boilers, and
     their connecting-pipes, valves, cocks, &c. Practical know-
     ledge, as distinguished from theories, abstruse calculations,
     and book-learning, is to be a test of the applicant's fitness to
     have his certificate indorsed.

111. The Examiner should arrange to conduct part of the
     examination in the engine-room of a steamship, unless from
     circumstances he finds it impossible to do so; and, if an
     opportunity offer, the applicant should be permitted, under
     the guidance of the Examiner, to start and stop the engine
     of some vessel which may have her steam up.

112. The Examiner, in sending in his report of examina-
     tions of masters and mates in steam, should state where the
     examination has been held.

113. Candidates will be required to give written answers
     to sixteen out of twenty questions taken from a book of
     Elementary Questions published for the Marine Depart-
     ment. These questions will be altered from time to time
     without notice. The twenty questions are not to be difficult,
     theoretical, or book questions, but are to be such as any
     man of ordinary capacity who has any practical knowledge
     of the use and working of the steam-engine ought to answer.

114. These questions, with the candidates' answers, should
     be sent to the Marine Department, with the reports, after
     each examination.

115. These answers will also assist in enabling the Marine
     Department to decide any question that may hereafter arise
     in cases where it is alleged that applicants have been im-
     properly passed, or improperly rejected.

116. If a candidate refers to any book or paper or memo-
     randum, or obtains information from another candidate,
     during the examination, he will be treated as having failed,
     will forfeit his fee, and will not be allowed to be re-examined
     for a period of three months.

117. The Examiners will report, in the case of failure, the
     nature of the question or questions that decided the failure,
     or the point in the management of the engine in which the
     candidate was deficient.

118. There is nothing in the regulations requiring that
     applicants for the voluntary examination shall have served
     on board steamships; all that is required is that they shall
     have a "practical knowledge." Examiners will, of course,
     not fail to appreciate the fact, when passing applicants,
     that practical knowledge is best gained in the engine-
     room; and the examination of an officer who does not pro-
     duce official evidence of service in steamships, and of
     experience of engines, must necessarily be more searching
     than in the case of one who produces evidence of such service
     and experience.