range shooting which won him the "Three stars" in 1868.

M. J. E. FENWICK.-(W. 1868, &c.) A first-rate school shot on any rifle range, and at any distance, and by far the best man in the XI for match-shooting. His shooting all through the Wimbledon fortnight (except in the single instance of the P.S. Match, when he was seedy) would have done credit to many Enfield shots. Has left.

E. F. COATES.-(W. 1868, &c.) A capital shot in long competitions, but has lost his last year's form in match-shooting. Always safe to score well, and is, if anything, rather stronger at standing than kneeling ranges. Has won the Common Room C.Cup three times, and shot second for the Spencer Cup in 1868.

F. W. BOURDILLON.-Has several times made top score for the XI, principally by displaying a great talent for long-range shooting. May be relied on in a match, if he has been practising carefully, but he can't afford to grow idle.

S. SMALLPEICE.-Safe for a moderate score at all times, and shoots equally well at both distances. He did not come out much last half, and seemingly left his more striking scores to be made later in the season when he visibly improved.

R. W. S. HEWLETT.-Has a good eye, and is an undeniably good shot at 500, but he is deficient in nerve, which at times sadly interferes with his scoring, more especially at standing ranges. the "Three stars" 1869.

Winner of

G. GRANT-DALTON.-He fulfilled the expectations entertained of him last year, by his plucky shooting at Wimbledon, which deserves great praise. He was rather apt to lose spirit under temporary reverses. Shot for the Spencer Cup. Has left.

R. PAYNE-SMITH.-He worked hard at his shooting from the time when he won the Recruit's Prize in 1868, and was rewarded by his successes in the Monthly Cup, and House Cup. On his day he could make a pretty diagram at 500, though perhaps his forte lay at 200. Has left.

R. S. BROWN.-His shooting during the summer was highly creditable to him, as he was forbidden to practise during the winter weather. In his short career he more than once gave promise of making a good shot at the longer ranges. Has left.

EDITORIAL.

IN bidding farewell to our readers at the close of another year, we not unnaturally turn our thoughts - to those various events which it has been our task to register during the past twelve months, which constitute our history during that period, and must be in some measure the criterion by which we are to judge whether Marlborough is making a backward or a forward stride, whether we are better or worse than those who have gone before us.

To depart for once in a way from the Marlborough custom of looking first at our cricket, we must speak of our scholarship more with hope than with triumph,. numerous successes we cannot boast, but those we have won have been brilliant and substantial, and we may fairly look forward to a time when the present clors, if clouds they be, will serve only to give additional brightness to future triumphs; always supposing that we each of us do our best to co-operate for the public honour. The same remark applies to our cricket; in the Cheltenham match we were unexpectedly triumphant, but as a whole there is an evident need of public spirit and co-operation; in this matter some houses are doubtless more to blame than others, but if there is one thing more than another which will ultimately bring ruin upon us in games and work alike, it is the selfish laissez-aller system

PRICE 3d.-(INDEX GRATIS.)

from which none will be so bold as to say that we are wholly free. Our Football on the whole has been good and spirited, and we owe some very excellent new rules to the Captain and Committee of 1869; for the last few weeks, however, the weather has sadly interfered with oar matches, so that some of the most important games must be deferred till next half-year. The Natural History Society has preserved its character as one of the most vigorous and successful of our institutions, its Conversazione was a most brilliant success, and we hope the experiment may be repeated. The Dramatic Entertainment on the Evening of the Cheltenham Match did great credit to the performers, and augurs well for the preservation of some of the old spirit in the School.

The Council have been deprived by death of two of their members, the late Bishop of this diocese and Professor Conington; in both instances the country at large, as well as ourselves, have suffered a very serious, if not an irreparable, loss. We can but strive to imitate lives so devoted, the more that no small amount of their efforts were directed for the

good of our school. A gifted and highly respected

Old Marlburian has been elected to fill the late Bishop's place on our Council. In Parliament we have now little to dread from that excellent, but in some ways, injudicious Education Bill, which will

probably tax the energies of the two Houses next Session.

We had well nigh passed over an institution which has won in its own sphere several very brilliant victories during the past year, we allude to the College Rifle Corps; its efforts have been stimulated by the possession of a Monthly Challenge Cup, due to the liberality of R. Hunter, Esq. That gentleman has also presented a cup to be shot for between ourselves and Winchester, and the M.C.R.V.C. can boast the first victory.

With regard to ourselves we have no cause to be dissatisfied with the result of our fifth year of publication; on the whole perhaps the school contributions have not been so numerous as in former years, but they have been proportionately better in quality; we hope that by many a Christmas fire we may be remembered during the holidays, and may reap the fruit in the shape of a plentiful stock of M.SS. at the beginning of next half. In one matter we have really been badly treated, but we are glad to say it is a matter totally unconnected with our readers here; the lines upon 'Ruth,' which appeared not long since in our columns, have been reprinted among some "College Rhymes " at Oxford, and not only was no reference at all made to us, or to the author of those lines, but from the address "Wadham College" at their foot, the reader is left to infer that they are the production of some Oxonian. This is not fair upon us nor upon the author, and is a breach not only of courtesy, but honesty, upon the part of the contributor to "College Rhymes."

Our regular fortnightly issue now amounts to as near as possible 650 copies, but through some negligence, during the past half-year, several copies have been taken by members of the School whose numbers have not been entered on our cards; we can only ask our supporters to do their best to prevent this occurring another time, for we are sure that no one would intentionally allow us to suffer this loss.

Nothing now remains for us but to thank our friends for their very warm support, and to wish them

Pleasant Holidays, A Merry Christmas,

AND A

Happy New Year.

OVERLAND NOTES (resumed).

Ir is almost certain that amongst the readers of the Marlburian there will be some who have thoughts of adopting the Indian Civil Service as a profession: and even those who have other fixed designs may feel some interest in learning how a civilian lives and works in India. But I must premise that one who has only been four or five months in the country cannot give a full, definite, and accurate description of either the life or the work; he is himself only beginning to learn what it is, and cannot fully appreciate it: all that can be given are first impressions, based on limited experience, and biassed by preconceived ideas, and the natural insolitude of a new position, a new life, involving exile and sepa ration from all that has been known and liked hitherto. Again any observations made apply only strictly to the part of India where the writer is posted, in this case, the North-West Provinces; the difference in the Lower Provinces is probably not great, but on the other sides, Bombay and Madras, circumstances may vary greatly.

6

The newly landed griff' on arrival reports the fact to the Government of India, his pay at the rate of 400 rupees per mensem beginning from that date This salary is, by deductions for annuity funds. and tax, reduced to some Rs. 370 per mensem, being in English money a yearly income of about £440.

Having reported himself he proceeds to the capita of the Province to which he has been appointed, and reports himself to the Local Government. After delay of a fortnight or so, he will find himself poster to one of the 6 or 7 Divisions in the Provinces, where upon he will proceed to the capital of the Division. and report himself to its Commissioner; this gentleman will place his services at the disposal of the 'Magistrate and Collector' of some one of the halfdozen Districts in the Division; commonly he will be posted to the chief District, in which the capital of the Division is, as he will have to appear there for examination in some four or five months, supposing him to arrive in October or November. I forgot to say that on appointment the Local Government invests the young civilian with the powers of a second class subordinate magistrate, viz., one month's imprisonment or fine of 50 Rupees (£5). Posted to a District the griff takes his oaths to do his duty in the capacities of Assistant to the Collector and

Assistant to the magistrates.

He may now be considered as fairly settled; the course of treatment varies according to the disposition and will of the magistrates, but probably the principal object the new comer will be told to keep in view is to pass the approaching examination, and he will be left pretty much alone to prepare for it. This examination is in vernacular, judicial, criminal, and police laws and regulations-subjects of which the candidate under the present system should have obtained an elementary knowledge at home-and in Revenue Law, an entirely fresh subject, not studied at home, I suppose on account of its differing in the various Provinces. The examination also includes your decisions on two cases read out to you, and in the case of those who have been doing official work, marks are given for it, and the report of your immediate superior as to your capabilities and conduct also carries marks. The rules and regulations allowing passing in single subjects are rather complicated and confusing, but the principal point is that the examination can be passed by two standards; the higher standard requiring higher marks to be obtained in the judicial and revenue papers. Ordinarily, of course the candidateif he passes at all-passes by the lower standard on his first trial: but there is nothing to prevent his passing by the higher, and then, lucky man, he is free from examinations for the future, and has certain advantages in the earlier stages of promotion. If the lower standard is passed, the candidate will have to present himself at the next examination-in a year's time, for the higher; or if he fails, of course he has to come up again then. It is not till the higher standard is passed that a poor wretch is freed from that persecuting abomination of modern daysexamination; occasionally a man will be three or four years before he gets through, keeping down his pay and promotion for the first two years, though not affecting subsequent promotion much.

Having passed the lower standard, the assistant's is raised to Rs. 450, as soon as he has completed his pay six months as a second class subordinate, and he then becomes a first-class; and having exercised first-class powers for 12 months, and passed the higher standard obtains the full powers of a magistrate and Rs. 500 a month:

The Local Government can confer the powers sooner if they like, but I think not raise the pay unless the standard has been passed. Here then at the end of 18 months or thereabouts from landing

we have the young Civilian-if lucky-an assistant magistrate with full powers, probably also with full powers as a Deputy Collector, and drawing nominally Rs. 500 a month. This looks well enough, but at the present time the service is so full of junior civilians, that promotion is very slow and the assistant on 500 Rs. is likely to remain so for a long time, five or six years at least, and people say that though a comfortable competence for a bachelor, it is nothing more in India. Government has no interest in altering this unsatisfactory state of things as it gets the work done as well and more cheaply by assistants with full powers, and sees no necessity for increasing the number of joint magistrates (who only differ from assistants in drawing more pay) or for accelerating promotion by increasing the inducements to retirement of seniors. The complaints of the juniors in the upper and Central Provinces are getting very loud, and I believe their condition in the Lower Provinces is also deteriorating; whether Bombay and Madras are equal sufferers is unknown to me.

In order to make matters clear a few more dry details must be gone into: it is as well to give an idea of a 'District' (or 'Zilla,') which is the jurisdiction of a magistrate and Collector. Roughly speaking the area of a district is generally about 2000 square miles varying from 1500 to 3000, and the population about a million, varying from 600,000 to 1,400,000. Districts are irregular in shape, and sometimes from one end to the other are as long as 80 or 90 miles, so that unless the capital (the station') is well planted in the middle, many points are very distant from it. At 'the station' you have the offices and residences of all the principal English officers; the magistrates Cutcherry (properly spelt Kachahri) comprising courts for him and his assistant, and joints,' and 'Deputies' (deputy magistrates are not covenanted servants of the crown and comprise natives as well as English :) also the treasury which he has as collector, and generally a money order office and the District Superintendent of Police's office. Then there is the Cutcherry of the Civil and Sessions' Judge,' who decides important civil suits and appeal from the inferior civil court, the native munsifs, &c. : and in his capacity of sessions' judge, holds a monthly gaol delivery for the trial of prisoners committed by the magistrates. Then there is the District gaol, involving an officer in charge, generally the Civil Surgeon, an engineer or two in the public works' department,

perhaps a church and a chaplain, and-well in a small "out-station" there are not probably many more people; the chaplain is by no means a regular article, unless perhaps there be a detachment of some European regiment in the Station. Perhaps an indigo planter or cotton-screw proprietor will help to swell the tale. At an important station, the capital of the Division such as Allahabad, Agra, Bareilly, Meerut, you have a much larger English population; in the first place you have probably an English regiment in cantonments, and besides, perhaps, some artillery or cavalry and a native regiment. The officers and their families swell the English society largely, and the portion of the station set apart for their residence-cantonments-are under the charge of a cantonment magistrate, and not under the magistrate of the District. Then probably there is a large native city and more assistants are required than at the smaller stations. Besides the establishments which have been enumerated as existing at these latter, you have probably a branch of the Bank of Bengal, and a private bank or two; head quarters of Telegraph, Post-Office and customs' department; perhaps a Government College, with a few English Professors possibly a missionary, certainly a chaplain and church if not two. Altogether the English society will be tolerably large, numbering 100 or more, mostly of the male sex of course. With such a society a club, racquet courts, billiard-rooms, a cricket club, a public garden with a regimental band playing one evening a week, croquet, &c., are almost sure to follow: Besides this there is a larger class of Europeans or half castes, employed as subordinate clerks, shopkeepers, &c. An up-country shop always makes me think an American store' must be something like it, it contains such miscellaneous assortments of European goods, imported to meet the requirements of the Sahibs'-prayer books and pomatum-brandy and blacking crockery and carriages-racquets and revolvers,-guns and cruet stands-inkbottles and jam-yellow novels and solar topees-all in one immense room ranged on tables and high shelves or in glass cases, the prices of course are high, as you always pay at least a rupee (2s.) where you would pay one shilling in England. Besides all these goods these establishments generally have any quantity of second hand furniture and household goods stowed away down in some 'go down' in the compound.'

In describing a District I have digressed widely enough on the subject of the chief town, and yet I have said nothing about the native city with its narrow winding streets, lofty houses with open shops at the bottom, fitted with all sorts of native goods, crowds of dark skinned white clothed passers by; in the outskirts the houses are of not more than one or two storeys, and are more scattered and less regular, most of them 'Kachcha,' built with mud or 'cob,'-of this class too are most of the houses out in the District in the country; there you seldom see detached cottages as you do in England, but every mile or so you see standing up on the flat plain what appears like a large lofty mud-walled enclosure, with a clump of trees close to it, and which turns out on approach to be a village; of course villages vary in size, for you do find what are quite towns scattered about; when it is so they present less of the appearance alluded to; but such is their usual look. Built on the same spot for generations untold, as each Kachcha building drops awayand they do not last long-a new one is built on the old site, and thus gradually the villages come to stand on a mound composed of ruins above the surrounding level country. A native house seems almost always to consist of a set of sheds or rooms round a small open courtyard; all the rooms look on the courtyard, and all the house presents to the outer world is one doorway and a high blank wall; it is a little fort in itself against thieves and robbers, and placed side by side the succession of blank walls makes a wall to the village, merely broken where the roads enter it. Within the courtyard of the house live the family, perhaps two or three households, a favoured cow or two, with their calves, a pony, perhaps; the rooms are one storeyed, but generally some of them flat roofed with a staircase leading up the roof, where they can sit, and walk, and enjoy the air.

Again, to return from digression, and get at the object in view, viz., a description of how a District is constituted. Above has been given its extent and population. This area is subdivided into a number of pargannahs, six, eight, or ten, varying slightly in size but generally pretty equal in most respects.

These divisions are generally coterminous with tahsildaries, divisions for revenue purpose. Supposing this to be the case, we have at the principal town or village in each pargannah a tahsili, with a resident tahsildar, who is alwaysa native, and whose pay