Attended Prayers and recitation this Morning in Topography. I was taken up first but did not manage well at all. The subject of Projections is an exceedingly dry one, and without much amusement even when we study it, which is not the case with Mathematics in general. After breakfast, we attended a Lecture of Mr. Channing’s in which he continued and closed the discussion commenced last time. But there was not much which could be called new. He talked about the right use of figures and went over the very same ideas over again which we have so often heard. He talked to us about originality and weakness on this point and said as usual. I am glad his lectures are drawing to a close. He has said so little to us of late which is of any importance that really I think it is wasting time. I recollect very little remarkable from all he says. After it was over I returned to my room and read over the lesson in Paley until ten o’clock. It was a discussion of the origin of landed property and the commencement of a chapter upon promises which was our day’s lesson. Mr. Hedge in his observations today upon the fallacy of one of Dr. Paley’s propositions referred us to a work by a Mr. Gisborne1 which he says is a good refutation of his opinions. A book which I shall take the first opportunity to read. The hour after recitation was spent as usual in reading tomorrow’s lesson, and the remaining half hour was spent in a nap.

After dinner I wrote my Journal all the time which I had to spare from Mr. Farrar’s lesson, which did not take me long. We attended his recitation, but did very little this afternoon. In the Evening the Company paraded as usual. Cunningham was bent upon doing one manoeuvre which in my mind, we cannot perform. Be that as it will we did not succeed once tonight. On the contrary, we brought the company into terrible disorder—and I became as usual exceedingly 271irritated. The fact is, I was in bad humour when I came out, as I found we were about to waste the Evening in many useless manoeuvres, and as we have no time to lose, I thought it was shameful. The soldiers were never better inclined, and never were more fooled with. After it was over, there was no Meeting of Officers tonight, luckily for our peace. I went down however with Rundlet and Chapman and we sat there until pretty late. I then returned and went to bed. X:30.