APRIL 7.] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 591

fresh set of papers. In the event of any case of this kind occurring, a full report of the circumstances, and of the steps taken in the matter, should be immediately forwarded to the Principal Examiner. After the envelopes have been opened, and until the examination-papers are again sealed up and despatched to Wellington, the Examiner is expected to take special precautions to preclude the possibility of any person having access to them. The responsibility of insuring that this is effectively done will rest with the Examiner. The examination-papers of candidates must in all cases be sent to the Principal Examiner in Wellington for his approval, together with the report of the examination on the Form Exn. 14. The envelopes in which the examination papers are returned to the Principal Examiner must be carefully sealed with the official seal at both the top and bottom, and this must be done under the eye of the Examiner.

135. The examination-papers should be issued to the candidates in half-sheets only, and one at a time. This will prevent a candidate from spreading out the sheets on the table so as to enable his neighbour to look over the problems. It will also enable the Examiner to look over and report upon the work on one half-sheet while the candidate is at work upon another. When the errors are not too numerous the incorrect problems may be returned to the candidate for correction, but in no case should the errors be pointed out by the Examiner, neither should any marks be made which would indicate how far or to what extent the work is incorrect. The incorrect problems are not to be returned to the candidate for correction a second time, and should more than one of the problems—or two if the errors are only slight—be still incorrect, this would involve a failure. It must be understood, however, that the day’s work, latitude by meridian altitude of sun and star, chronometer problem by sun and star, and the Sumner problem, must always be correct.

136. At those ports where, from the large number of candidates, it may sometimes be found impossible to look over the work on the day of examination during the office-hours, an hour in the morning of the following day may be allotted for the purpose of correcting the problems, but in no case should a candidate have his problem returned to him for correction after he has made the second attempt.

137. In the examinations for extra certificates for foreign-going ships and for steamships the candidate will be required to complete the whole of his problems and other papers, and they will then be dealt with by the Examiner on the mark system. If the candidate does not obtain 85 per cent. of the total number of marks allotted for the papers he will be declared to have failed.

138. The examination will commence with a quarter of an hour’s dictation to test handwriting and spelling. This, however, is only to be given to those candidates who present themselves for examination for the first time for a foreign-going certificate. The spelling must be reasonably and fairly good, and the writing clear and legible. The spelling and writing of all candidates must be satisfactory, and in cases where there is any doubt about the ability of a candidate to spell correctly he will be specially tested by dictation.

139. The paper of definitions is only for those candidates who present themselves for examination for the first time for a foreign-going certificate. In using this paper, the Examiner will place a mark against the questions which he wishes to be answered, not less than ten questions being so selected. The candidate will then write against the questions so marked his definition of the terms in a clear and legible hand, so as to prevent the possibility of any letter being mistaken, and also draw a rough sketch or diagram opposite to each of the questions to which he has given written answers, in further illustration of its meaning. Vivâ voce questions will be asked on the answers given. (See par. 149.)

140. In the questions on the deviation of the compass, the Examiner will mark at least twelve of the questions, including the problems. The selected questions will be varied frequently, and no two candidates will have precisely the same questions. The candidate will be furnished with sheets of the blank ruled paper which is supplied for the purpose, with instructions that he is to write only on one side of the paper, and to answer in a clear and legible hand each of the questions against which a mark is placed, and to commence each answer by writing down the number of the question to which it relates in the margin. In answering question 39, on the tentative method of compass-adjustment, the candidate will be tested by Beall’s compass-deviascope, and it will not therefore be necessary for him to give the written answer and sketches. A candidate for an extra master’s certificate will not be required to answer the questions on compass deviation on Form Exn. 7, but will be examined in the syllabus and with the compass deviascope.

141. The examination on the barometer, thermometer, and hydrometer, prevailing winds and currents of the globe, trade routes, and tides, will for the present be conducted orally, and the questions asked by the Examiner, which will be constantly varied, will be confined to and based on the information given in the text-books. Candidates will be required to have a fair and intelligent knowledge of the contents of those books.

142. Particular attention should be paid to the adjustments of the sextant, the examination in which subject will be conducted orally and practically. Every candidate will be examined practically as to his knowledge of the adjustments and the use of the various screws; he must be able to read correctly off the arc, a supposed index error being given by the Examiner as additive, as well as reading on the arc in the usual way; he must also be able to find the index error both by the horizon and by the sun.

143. Candidates will find it more convenient, both during the examination and at sea, to correct the declination and other elements from the “Nautical Almanac” by the hourly differences given in that work; they will thereby render themselves independent of any proportional or logarithmic table for that purpose.

144. The corrections by inspection of tables given in some of the works on navigation—e.g., Tables IX., XI., and XXI. in Norie’s Epitome—will not be allowed; every correction must appear on the papers of the candidates.

145. All outstanding or minor corrections should appear in the margin of each problem paper and on the chart papers, and the papers of the candidates will not be considered complete without these corrections.

146. Examiners should bear in mind that the problems to be solved are required as tests, and for the purposes of an examination, and not for sea-going or practical purposes alone.

147. Candidates will be allowed to work out the various problems according to the method and the tables they have been accustomed to use.

148. All the problems given in the examinations, both for the ordinary and for the extra certificates, will be constantly varied; and the mode of stating the times in the astronomical problems, and the mode of wording and setting these and all other problems, will be varied in every possible way, so as to insure that the candidate has a proper knowledge of the subject.

149. Candidates are expected not only to give correct written answers to the questions set in the papers, but also to possess an intelligent knowledge of the various subjects prescribed in the regulations. The Examiner will therefore put a few vivâ voce questions to the candidate as the papers are brought up for inspection or during the course of the examination. The questions, which will be based on the papers set, will be such that the Examiner may satisfy himself that the candidate possesses a real knowledge of what he has written.

150. When an Examiner finds it necessary to fail a candidate in this supplementary vivâ voce test, a statement to that effect will be made on the candidate’s examination-papers before they are forwarded to the Principal Examiner in Wellington.

Time allowed.

151. Candidates for second mate’s ordinary certificates must complete the whole of the examination in navigation in nine hours, including the time allowed for writing the definitions on Form Exn. 4a, the paper on the chart, and the correction of all errors and oversights; but the quarter of an hour’s dictation, and all the nautical problems excepting the chart paper, must be completed within six hours, and without the candidates leaving the premises during that period.

152. Candidates for only and first mates’ ordinary certificates must complete the whole of the examination in navigation in twelve hours,* including the time allowed for the papers on the chart, cyclones or revolving storms, and for the correction of all errors and oversights; but the nautical problems up to and including (c) of the syllabus prescribed for only and first mate must be completed within six hours, and without the candidates leaving the premises during that period.

153. Candidates for ordinary certificates as master must complete the whole of the examination in navigation in fifteen hours, including the time allowed for the papers on the chart, compass-deviation, cyclones or revolving storms, and for the correction of all errors and oversights; but the problems up to and including (k) of the syllabus prescribed for only and first mate must be completed within six hours, and without the candidates leaving the premises during that period.

154. Candidates for certificates for foreign-going steamships will be allowed the same amount of time to complete their navigation-work as is allowed in the case of ordinary certificates.

155. Candidates for certificates as masters of pleasure yachts will be allowed the same amount of time for com-

• A candidate who is not applying for a second mate’s certificate, and who has not previously passed an examination, may be allowed the time allotted to dictation and writing the definitions on Form Exn. 4a, in addition to the above.