dition to these there are
several inferior armed vessels of various kinds which bring the total
up to 40, not including transports and other auxiliaries. The
administration of the navy, under the president and minister of war
and marine, is confided to a general naval staff, called the
"Direccion jeneral de la Armada," with headquarters at Valparaiso. Its
duties also include the military protection of the ports, the
hydrographic survey of the coast, and the lighthouse service. The
_personnel_ comprises about 465 officers, including those of the
staff, and 4000 petty officers and men. There is a military port at
Talcahuano, in Concepcion Bay, strongly fortified, and provided with
arsenal and repair shops, a large dry dock and a patent slip. The
naval school, which occupies one of the noteworthy edifices of
Valparaiso, is attended by 90 cadets and is noted for the thoroughness
of its instruction.

_Education_.--Under the old conservative regime very little was done
for the public school outside the larger towns. As a large proportion
of the labouring classes lived in the small towns and rural
communities, they received comparatively little attention. The
increasing influence of more liberal ideas greatly improved the
situation with reference to popular education, and the government now
makes vigorous efforts to bring its public school system within the
reach of all. The constitution provides that free instruction must be
provided for the people. School attendance is not compulsory, however,
and the gain upon illiteracy (75%) appears to be very slow. The
government also gives primary instruction to recruits when serving
with the colours, which, with the increasing employment of the people
in the towns, helps to stimulate a desire for education among the
lower classes. Education in Chile is very largely under the control of
the national government, the minister of justice and public
instruction being charged with the direction of all public schools
from the university down to the smallest and most remote primary
school. The system includes the University of Chile and National
Institute at Santiago, lyceums or high schools in all the provincial
capitals and larger towns, normal schools at central points for the
training of public school teachers, professional and industrial
schools, military schools and primary schools. Instruction in all
these is fre