gral calculus. I had only
three questions out of five to answer in each branch, but in the first
three I answered all five. After that I only had time for three, but
at the end he said I need not finish, he was perfectly satisfied. I had
done remarkably well, and he would report to the Viceroy to-morrow. He
examined my first papers--seamanship--said I was _perfect_ in it, so I
will get _along_, you need not fear. I told the Consul--he was very well
pleased--he is a nice man.

"I feel pretty well now--have had dinner and am smoking a good Manila
cheroot. I wrote hard all day, wrote fifteen sheets of foolscap and made
about a dozen drawings--got pretty tired.

"I have had a hard scramble for the service and only got in by the
skin of my teeth. I guess I will go to bed--I will sleep well
to-night--Thursday.

"I did not hear from the Naval Secretary, Tuesday, so yesterday morning
I went up to the Admiralty and sent in my card. He came out and received
me very well--said I had passed a 'very splendid examination'; had been
recommended very strongly to the Viceroy, who was very much pleased;
that the Director of the Naval College over at the Arsenal had wanted me
and would I go over at once? I _would_. It was about five miles. We (a
friend, who is a great rider here) went on steeplechase ponies--we were
ferried across the Pei Ho in a small scow and then had a long ride.
There _is_ a path--but Pritchard insisted on taking all the ditches,
and as my pony jumped like a cat, it wasn't nice at first, but I didn't
squeal and kept my seat and got the swing of it at last and rather liked
it. I think I will keep a horse here--you can hire one and a servant
together for $7 a month; that is $5.60 of our money, and pony and man
found in everything.

"Well--at last we got to the Arsenal--a place about four miles around,
fortified, where all sorts of arms--cartridges, shot and shell, engines,
and _everything_--are made. The Naval College is inside surrounded by
a moat and wall. I thought to myself, if the cadet here is like to the
thing I used to be at the U. S. N. A. _that_ won't keep him in. I went
through a lot of yards till I was ushered into a room finished in black
ebony and was greeted very warmly by the Director. We took seats on a
raised platform--Chinese style and pretty soon an interpreter came, one
of the Chinese professors, who was educated abroad, and we talked and
drank tea. He said I had done well, that he had the autho