684 PRCEEDINGS OF SECTION H. : 
the sweets of a consulting practice. It should include the 
most liberal education that can be given in the time at 
a student’s disposal in mathematics, chemistry, descriptive 
geometry, mechanical drawing, geology, physics, the 
elements of civil and mechanical engineering, the practice 
. of surveying, and of assaying. This purely preparatory 
work can be dealt. with in about three years, but the 
courses, just as is now the case in so many technical 
colleges for other classes of engineers, should, if at all 
possible, be specially designed to fit in with the object in 
view, namely, to impart that systematic and _ useful 
kind of information that shall serve the mining 
engineer, as well as educate him in the more liberal sense. 
Thus, whilst much in the ordinary general science 
courses of universities would bear considerable strengthen- 
ing, other parts could be taken in a much reduced form, 
and retained chiefly for the sake of educational sequence. 
It is purely a matter of time, and the amount that the 
student really needs to be taught in order to fit him for his 
final year’s work and subsequent career. During a fourth 
year of study, he could then be given a severe course of 
professional study in mining and metallurgy. and he can 
then pass away from college to concern. himself with 
practical operations. It is at this stage of the final year’s 
work that he will profit by having taken care to acquaint 
himself with practical operations, even though it may have 
involved the loss of some holiday leisure. 
Men trained in this way would be eligible for very many 
openings in the management of the better class of mine, 
always provided that they will pay the same serious 
attention to their practical study of the manual operations 
that they pay to their mathematics, chemistry, or cricket. 
There is no need to spend a great amount of time at these 
studies of manual operations, provided that the student 
means to learn all he can, for his object is not to be a skilled 
rapid workman, as to know the work of one, and the 
circumstances surrounding it, and if it be viewed as a 
recreation, there is no serious drawback to time being 
diverted from holidays to the purpose. It must be 
remembered, also, that more men are wanted, well-instructed 
in both the practice and theory of the mining profession 
than a numberof “ mining engineers,’ whose acquaintance 
with profit and loss is rather that of the city office than the 
mining-field. The need of men of high training in the 
practical field of Australian mining is still great. and it is 
to the training of these men that one must look for the 
advancement of legitimate mining. 
