14 g FORESTRY IN SPAltt. 



precepts, which it is so easy to evade, but on the habits of 4 

 which they see a constant example in the superior chiefs 

 under whom they serve. 



'A body without a soul is a galvanised corpse. An 

 isolated individual is nothing; two are some, and three 

 constitute an integer or entirety if they constitute a 

 corps* The esprit* de corps, without discipline, may, 

 however, become a public calamity. But still 1 would not 

 feel that I had completed the work I had laid out for 

 myself if I did not embody in this basis the idea at least 

 of a matter of so much importance.' 



Citing these statements Senor Castel remarks: 

 ' These paragraphs which I quote entire, fearing to 

 weaken in the least degree the idea of the founder ot our 

 school, it may be seen justify what I have already alleged, 

 that during the period of foundation, and introduction 

 into Spain of what may be called a new science, there could 

 only be made experiments or trials of what had proved 

 the best methods of instruction employed elsewhere ; and 

 thus it came about that this acquired an eminently 

 practical character, corresponding to the necessities of the 

 time, and the example which it was sought to follow- 

 that found in the forest academies of Saxony. 



1 The studies of topography, which constitued essentially 

 at that time the first year's section of the course to be 

 followed, were prosecuted more in the field than in the 

 class-room ; and such a progress was made in carrying out 

 the principle of having the class-room under the open 

 heavens [what in Britain would be called field lectures] 

 that even the examinations at the end of the session were 

 held in the forest of Las Huelga.s, near the banks of the 

 Guadarrama. 



' Many forest engineers there are who still remember 

 with pleasure the examination held on the 21st of July, 

 1848. There was pitched in the locality mentioned an 

 elegant commodious tent, ornamented with the national 



* [Scottice. Ane's nane; twa's some ; three's a pickle; four's a crum.] 



