THE "BRITANNIA" IN THE 'EIGHTIES.
Competition Reintroduced--Reduction of Numbers--A Ferocious
Examination--The _Britannia_ in the _Times_--"Rule of Thumb"
Instruction--"Fire" and "Sword"--"Veritas" at Sea--The _Britannia
Magazine_--Editorial Introduction--The Politics of Naval
Cadets--Editorial Difficulties--A Questionable Pseudonym--Popular
Advertisements--The _Wave_--A True Prediction--An Original Poem--Jones
Takes a Lesson to Heart--The _Wave's_ Holiday Trip--A Warning to
the Reckless--"First Catch Your Cadet!"--Ambulance Lessons--How to
Tell a Toadstool--The Electric Light--Another Committee--It Makes
Recommendations--Also Suggestions--Very Unpractical--Captains in the
'Eighties--Statistical Results--A Rapid Rise.
This period of our story commences with a considerable reduction in
the number of entries; and, as was the case in 1870, this reduction
coincides with the introduction of competition, but with more rigorous
conditions, both with respect to the proportion of nominations to
entries and the nature of the examination.
The test examination had already been made more stringent, as stated
by Mr. Ward Hunt in the House of Commons, the total number of marks
being 1,200, and French a compulsory subject, to the exclusion of
geography; indeed, the farce of minimising the importance of the
former did not long survive. The number of marks necessary for passing
had been augmented, six-tenths, or 720 in the aggregate, being laid
down as a minimum, which is a pretty strict test.
However, it being considered necessary, apparently, to reduce the
entries, a new circular appeared, in January, 1881, of which the
principal conditions were as follow:--
Appointments to naval cadetships to be made by limited
competition, except four annually to sons of gentlemen in the
Colonies, and five Service nominations, selected by the Admiralty
from sons of officers of the Army, Navy, and Royal Marines who
have been killed in action, lost at sea, killed on duty, or died
within six months of injuries received in action or on duty.
These cadets will be admitted on passing the preliminary
examination, as detailed below.
Except in special circumstances, only _one-third_ of those
nominated will be entered.
Limits of age on passing, 12 to 13-1/2.
The preliminary examination will be as follows:--
Arithmetic, to proportion and vulgar and decimal
fractions 200
Geometry, definitions, etc., and 26 propositions
first book of Euclid 200
Algebra, to fractions and simple equations 200
Dictation 100
Reading English intelligently 100
French: reading, translating, etc. (with dictionary) 200
Scripture history 100
----
1,100
Candidates must obtain four-tenths of full numbers in each
subject, and may then select two out of the following subjects:--
Miscellaneous questions in arithmetic, algebra
(including quadratic equations) and Euclid,
the whole of the first book 300
Latin 300
Geography and English history 300
The Colonial and Service cadets must obtain 600 in the preliminary
examination.
This is not an excessively severe examination, especially as the
latter half of the first book of Euclid, and the quadratic
equations--at neither of which are boys of this age usually
strong--can be discarded; but to deliberately nominate three times as
many lads as are to be entered appears inexcusable, not to say cruel.
However, much worse was in store, for in March, 1882, yet another
circular was promulgated, in which it was laid down that the
examination was to be held by the Civil Service Commissioners; and in
May, 1887, the ideas of these gentlemen have apparently been adopted,
and an examination of absolutely ferocious severity is prescribed:--
Arithmetic: proportion, vulgar and decimal fractions 250
Algebra: fractions, simple equations with problems,
and quadratic equations 200
Geometry: first book of Euclid, with exercises and
questions 200
English: reading, writing, dictation, composition 150
French: translating both ways, questions on grammar,
speaking, dictation (no dictionary) 250
Scripture 100
Half marks to be obtained in arithmetic, and four-tenths in other
subjects.
FURTHER EXAMINATION.
Mathematics, harder questions 300
Latin: translation, grammar, prose composition (no
dictionary allowed) 300
Geography, based on Grove's Primer 150
English history, a selected period 150
Drawing: freehand and rectangular model 100
This for boys of an average age, under thirteen! What benefit to the
Service was likely to result from such measures it is not easy to
perceive; and their unpractical nature was evidently speedily
realised, for two months later came fresh regulations, altering the
limits of age from 12-1/2 to 14, and subsequently 13 to 14-1/2,
abolishing quadratic equations, the latter half of the first book of
Euclid, and exercises thereon, and allowing a dictionary for French
and Latin.
These regulations had, however, scarcely been in operation for twelve
months before another alteration was made--a circular dated June,
1888, reintroducing the harder examination of May, 1887.
There may have appeared to be some good cause at the time for these
extraordinary vicissitudes, but it is difficult to trace them at the
present day.
Naval education appears to have attracted a good deal of attention in
1882, for several letters and a long article are to be found in the
_Times_ on the subject.
[Illustration: THE "BRITANNIA" AND THE "HINDOSTAN." CADET RACQUET
COURTS IN FOREGROUND.
_Photo: Smale & Son, Dartmouth._]
In January of that year a writer, over the signature of "E. E. Bowen,"
deprecates the early age at which boys are subjected to competitive
examination (then recently introduced for the second time); and in
April, "Flag Officer" writes in reply to a suggestion from some
quarter that cadets should not be entered until the age of 16, and
then go straight to sea. After pointing out that they could not then
have sufficient time to qualify for lieutenant at 19, he goes on to
say that complaints are made of the inappropriateness of the subjects
taught in the _Britannia_. These, he says, should include rigging,
from the lower masts upward, stowage of holds and magazines, laying
out anchors, steam, a little gunnery, and, as a matter of course,
navigation, geography, and drawing. This officer is evidently a
"Collegian" of the old days, under Inman, for he refers to what they
learnt in 1824 and 1825. In conclusion, he says, "No, sir, let us keep
the education in our own hands; we know better than any schoolmaster
what we want."
An article in the _Times_ of August 12th, 1882, condemns the whole
system pretty severely; says that the subjects taught in the
_Britannia_ are not properly learnt, and that navigation is taught
entirely by "rule of thumb" without knowledge of the principles which
govern it. The writer quotes Professor Laughton in support of his
views, as having said, in a lecture at the Royal United Service
Institution, that any lad of 16 with an adequate knowledge of
mathematics would learn more navigation in a month than the "poor
little fellows" in the _Britannia_ learn in two years.
Well, there are some men who are regarded as authorities in these
matters, quite in favour of "rule-of-thumb" navigation, and gunnery
also; and if a boy--or a man, either, for that matter--can take and
work his sights accurately, and make a straight shot from a gun, it
really is not of much consequence whether or not he is well versed in
spherical trigonometry or ballistics. It is a fact, however, that
cadets in the _Britannia_, in the times of Captain Harris and Mr.
Inskip, did learn, in considerably less than two years, to work a
day's work, and the ordinary sights usually required in navigation,
with facility; and also got a pretty accurate idea of the theory. They
could, for instance, draw a diagram illustrative of the working of a
chronometer, a meridian altitude, or an amplitude, show what sort of
spherical triangle was involved, and state the rule for its solution.
If this could not be done in the _Britannia_ in 1882, there would
appear to have been a sad decadence.
Some light is cast upon the introduction of competition in 1881 by a
naval instructor who was there at the time. He says that an idea
prevailed at the Admiralty that the test examination did not supply
boys who were capable of successfully negotiating the exceptionally
difficult papers set for boys in the third and fourth terms. There
were two examiners who were noted for their hard and crochety papers,
and who, moreover, were known to have stated their intention of
cutting down the first classes; in which laudable endeavour they
succeeded to the extent of reducing the proportion of "firsts" from 30
to 10 per cent., and were known on board the ship by the nicknames of
"Fire" and "Sword."
This reduction of first classes aroused alarm at the Admiralty, and
was, it is said, largely instrumental in procuring the change from
test examinations to competition.
In the _Times_ of August 24th, 1887, there is a letter over the
signature "Veritas," in which the writer compares the cost per head
per annum in the _Britannia_ with that of the Naval Engineer Training
Schools at Portsmouth and Devonport. An engineer student, according to
this gentleman, cost the Government about £54 per annum, while a cadet
cost £95; and, moreover, the engineer students, he contends, were able
to do useful work in the fitting shops, etc., and so saved the
Government something in this way. The expense of the _Britannia_ is,
he says, incurred in teaching the cadets "knots and splices," and the
"now almost obsolete art of seamanship." It is to be feared that the
_nom de plume_ which this writer assumes is scarcely justified by such
an assertion, as the following details of the curriculum on board the
_Britannia_ at this time demonstrate pretty clearly:--
SUBJECTS TAUGHT.
Arithmetic.
Euclid.
Navigation and nautical astronomy.
Spherical trigonometry (theoretical).
Spherical trigonometry (practical).
Charts.
Steam.
Drawing (model and freehand).
Algebra.
Plane trigonometry (theoretical).
Plane trigonometry (practical).
English.
Use of instruments.
Natural philosophy.
French.
Drawing (mechanical).
Seamanship.
Too many subjects, perhaps; but certainly not seamanship to the
exclusion of all else, as is clearly implied by "Veritas." Moreover,
the art of seamanship--_i.e._ of handling a ship on all occasions to
the best advantage--can never become obsolete so long as there are
ships afloat; it may change its nature, and the consequent
requirements of a good seaman, who is still, however, _par
excellence_, the man who can efficiently manage the ship or boat
committed to his charge.
There are some who should know better than "Veritas"--as, for
instance, Captain (now Admiral) Fitzgerald--who at this very time
complained that seamanship was too much sacrificed in the _Britannia_
to a multiplicity of other subjects.
However, it is time to drop this more or less academic discussion, and
see how the general story goes on in the 'eighties.
One of the most important events was the establishment of the
_Britannia Magazine_, in February, 1884, and its _raison d'être_,
together with the hopes and fears of the editor, are clearly set forth
in the opening article as follows:--
We are going to have a magazine. Certainly! Every flourishing body
has its organ. We have opinions far too good to be limited to
sanctuary chairs, far too noble to be confined to the narrow
limits of the messroom. Why should we not bring them out to the
world?
But first, who will read our magazine? The fellows! Yes, of
course, we expect every cadet to have a copy, even if it means one
visit less to a certain pink house. The officers? Yes, perhaps, if
we do not write about them. Some of the fellows at sea? Yes, we
hope so, if there is plenty about the games, boats, and beagles.
Parents, brothers and sisters? Yes, we should not wonder; but
perhaps for that we ought to put in every fellow's name as very
much distinguished for something, as the family will not care for
the number in which "Bobbie's" name does not appear.
And who are to be our writers? Why, ourselves, of course. We want
to write, and hope we shall not be considered too ambitious. But
if some of our officers will help us with one of the yarns they
occasionally spin, we shall be only too glad to print it. It will
give an air of respectability to our efforts.
At the same time, we would ask the kind indulgence of our readers,
our elder readers, and our officers. Boys will be boys, and we
hope our seniors will remember that we are only boys, and that
our magazine is written for boys. Though they may very likely
think most of it weak, still we ask them not to be too hard upon
us, nor to run our paper down too mercilessly:
"Be to our faults a little blind."
True, there are plenty of other papers, but we want one for
ourselves. And if our correspondents were not using their pens for
us, they would probably be cowering over a lantern reading a
novel; or their spirits, instead of leaking through their pens,
might be after some perilous skylarking. If they find our magazine
too feeble altogether for their taste, we would ask them to help
us with an occasional article, and so to raise our standard of
literature, and help us to improve our writing.
[Illustration: A BEAGLE MEET.
_Photo: Smale & Son, Dartmouth._]
Well, then, what will our paper be filled with? There will be
news, of course--plenty of it, and of the best kind. No murders
and horrors--that is not news--but reports of games, racket
matches, runs with the beagles, sports of all kinds; authentic
reports, where the right fellows win, not the people that the
reporters choose to make win the day after. What we want to know
and remember is which watch is the strongest, who plays the best
hand at rackets, makes the biggest score at cricket, and is in at
the kill.
There is not a school in England that has such a variety of
sports. Why, we want a whole _Bell's Life_ to ourselves. We thank
the newspapers very much for occasionally noticing our athletics
and our regattas. We want to see them in full. The news may be of
merely personal interest, but that is just what we want. This is
_our_ magazine!
But, of course, we must have some politics. Boys are hot
politicians. We don't care about long debates in Parliament, but
we can tell you who is right and who is wrong. We know that well
enough. Our line of politics may be described as strongly _loyal_;
it is our duty, of course, to support the Government of the time,
because they support us. But--well, murder will out--boys always
were Conservatives. They can't help it. They are made so. We know
that you, at any rate, Mr. Gladstone, will pardon us graciously
when we say, as we must, that the sooner the great Conservative
reaction takes place the better we shall be pleased.
[Illustration: THE KENNEL.
_Photo: W. M. Crockett, Plymouth._]
In such fashion is the _Britannia Magazine_ introduced to its public.
The editorial arrangements are probably unique, the commander, and
subsequently one of the lieutenants, being editor _ex officio_.
Sometimes an individual of a literary turn of mind would join the
ship, and take it on for the pure joy of scribbling; but this only
made the difficulty of obtaining volunteers more apparent when he
left. It was, in fact, the old story: everybody likes to read a light
and amusing periodical, but few care about assisting to run it,
unless, of course, there are emoluments attached to the office; so the
purely honorary editor had the onus of selecting the most suitable
compositions presented for each number; and sometimes, like Oliver
Twist, he had to ask for more; while of him was expected an able and
well-written summary of news, etc., every time.
On some occasions he was compelled to have recourse to the
time-honoured subterfuge of devoting considerable space to a wail over
the dearth of material; a process which does not bear repeating too
frequently. Some people always commence their letters in this fashion,
and get comfortably over the first page before they start, as it were.
One always looks with some suspicion--such is the frailty of editorial
and other samples of human nature!--on an item headed "a positive
fact"; or, still worse, with an asterisk, and "fact" tersely inserted
as a footnote.
The following appears with these credentials in the _Britannia
Magazine_:--
Two countrymen were heard discussing a cadet who was swaggering in
his brand-new uniform: "What is he, Bill?" "Don't you know? 'E's
the new telegraph boy!" (Exit cadet.)
This may be capped by another story--of equally unimpeachable
veracity, of course--of a cadet who, many years ago, was making a
journey in his uniform. A discussion arose between two of his
fellow-passengers on some more or less technical point concerning
railways; and, to the young hero's surprise, it was referred to him.
His audience appeared to be both surprised and grieved at his
professed ignorance on the subject, and ventured a remonstrance: "Why,
you're one of 'em, ain't you?" (No exit available.)
Whether a naval cadet would prefer being taken for a telegraph boy or
a railway porter is an interesting question, which might with
advantage be propounded in the magazine.
One of the earliest contributors was a "new," who describes his first
night on board, as follows:--
Sir,--I came on board about 7 p.m., in a small steam pinnace,
with thirty-two others, on the 25th January, 1884. The first thing
to be done was to get ready for mess. After falling down a
hatchway, and jamming my fingers in the lid of my chest, I went
down to the messroom, but not before I had somehow got muddled and
gone into an officer's cabin, as I thought (I found out afterwards
that it was the barber's shop), out of which I retreated, not
daring to look whether its occupant was there, expecting in all
probability the nearest movable object hurled at my head. After
mess there was not much to do except pace the deck and ask fellows
their names (which was not unfrequently answered by "What's
yours?"). When the bugle sounded we had to turn in; but I found
that getting into a hammock for the first time is not one of the
easiest things, and after several vague attempts, which generally
ended in getting in at one side and out at the other, I was at
last helped in by my servant; and when once in, dare not move in
case I should be capsized. After we had turned in about a quarter
of an hour the next fellow to me began to swing most violently,
which swung me also, and in the fray my pillow fell down; and I
decided that it was safer to do without, as I was told that I
should not get helped in again. Shortly after this I fell asleep;
and as this little history is only about my first night, I must
end at sleep.
New.
[Illustration: CADET MESSROOM.
_Photo: Smale & Son, Dartmouth._]
It is sad to be compelled to say that this pseudonym cannot be
accepted as genuine. Observe, that the writer represents himself as
arriving on January 25th, so that in February, when the first number
was published, he would, in the parlance of former days, have been a
"cheeky new fellow," and it is extremely improbable that any cadet in
that humble position would venture upon so bold a step as a
contribution to the magazine. And as to "pacing the deck and asking
fellows their names"; shade of Marryat! What would happen to a "new"
who so presumed?
Furthermore, the writer's familiarity with steam pinnaces and
hatchways is not altogether compatible with "newdom." No doubt he
enclosed his card to the editor, "not necessarily for publication, but
as a guarantee of good faith"; but we are all well aware of the heroic
inviolability of editors under these circumstances, and a team of wild
horses would probably prove quite futile.
The following is a specimen of the style of advertisement inserted for
the special delectation and advantage of "news":--
Stodge! Stodgers!! Stodged!!! In the magnificent and capacious
shop kept by Cadet Corporal Baker, amongst a large and
miscellaneous assortment of sweets, the following will be found
delicious:--
Yellow and pink snakes, warranted to last the most experienced
sucker half an hour, and to give him an awful stomach-ache, all of
which enjoyment can be obtained for the ridiculously small sum of
one halfpenny!
Manila cigars.--These will be found extremely mild, and there is
not the slightest danger of the most utter novice in the noble art
of smoking being turned up; and there is also the subtle delight
of greening the cadet corporals that you are smoking. The cost is
one-eighth of a penny, but they are retailed at a halfpenny.
The grammar of the last "par" cannot be commended; the writer is weak
in the matter of conjunctions. But one must not be hypercritical over
advertisements.
In May, 1884, the _Wave_, a small barque-rigged vessel of about 300
tons, and 250 horse-power, arrived to take the place of the ancient
_Dapper_, before alluded to. She was not much larger than her
predecessor, but had considerably more steaming power, and was of
finer dimensions. She was afterwards relegated to steam instruction
only, but when first instituted was designed for instruction in
working yards, masts, and sails, tacking and wearing ship, steering,
use of log and lead, etc.
"The poor old _Dapper_," says the _Britannia Magazine_ of this date,
"looks very sad in winter garb alongside her new sister, who has taken
all the life from her, and we suppose her funeral is not far off."
There is another paragraph concerning the arrival of the _Wave_, which
hints, in the most delicate and refined manner, at certain
possibilities:--
"The _Wave_ has really started at last, and now we shall all have to
order basins, or else have her commander foul of us when we are at
sea, and the ship's side is nicely polished."
This foreshadowing was, as we shall see, only too literally fulfilled.
The magazine was frequently made the publishing medium of verses, the
authorship of which is usually religiously veiled; youthful poets are
proverbially shy, and prefer to blush unseen. The following is the
pioneer poem:--
YE MIDDLE WATCHE RELIEFE.
Rouse him out at dead of night,
Take away his bedclothes,
Shove his head from left to right,
Hit him on his red nose.
Tug his hair and pull his ear;
Whisper to him, "Zounds, sir!
Come, turn out now! don't you hear?
Or I will let you down, sir!"
Ease away his foremost clews,
Round his hammock wander,
Tell him gently the (false) news,
"Here is the commander!"
See him start and ope his eye,
Eye that hath no vision;
Watch the sentry standing by
Laughing in derision.
Seize him smartly by the neck,
Turn his hammock over;
Leave him there upon the deck,
He will soon recover.
Lash him round the arms in time,
Douse him well with water.
Should he still to sleep incline,
Haul the lashing tauter.
Should this treatment not succeed,
Take no further bother;
Go and seek the rest you need;
Turn thou in, my brother!
The moral--that the midshipman of the preceding watch should turn in
without being duly relieved--is questionable; but the hypothetical
conditions under which he is ultimately recommended to adopt this
course are certainly exceptional. No one could, with any show of
justice, accuse him of having failed to make use of every legitimate
device to rouse his relief!
Contributions were invited, as has been hinted in the editorial
preface, from fellows who have gone to sea; and one of these avails
himself of the opportunity to draw a comparison between his reception
on board his first sea-going ship and that usually accorded to a fresh
arrival on board the _Britannia_; considerably to the detriment of the
latter.
He presented himself, in fear and trembling, on a cold and wet
evening, to the officer of the watch, who received him with great
courtesy: "Oh, you must be Jones? Come and report yourself to the
first lieutenant. What a beastly night for you to join!" "No. 1"
greets him with, "You poor little chap, you must be frozen!" calls a
senior of the gunroom, and gives strict injunctions that Jones is to
be made as happy as possible immediately; and the officer of the watch
invites him to share his "watch" dinner at eight o'clock.
Jones, pondering over these things, makes some resolutions concerning
his future conduct towards his juniors; which, let us hope, he did not
fail to carry out.
The prosperity and popularity of the beagles in November, 1884, may be
inferred from the fact that on one occasion there were no fewer than
thirty-four mounted followers, including seven or eight officers of
the ship; and a great following on foot besides. Of course, by this
time "drags" and badgers had long been abandoned, and the swift and
legitimate hare was always the object of pursuit. There usually
appeared to be little difficulty in starting one, and not a few
instances have occurred of the hounds getting on a fresh scent
crossing the original one.
November is a good month for beagles; but scarcely as well suited for
a trip in the _Wave_. This diversion was, however, arranged on
November 8th, 1884, this being a holiday in honour of the Prince of
Wales' birthday.
The excursion was to Plymouth, and a good number of light-hearted
youngsters put down their names for it, recking little of the vagaries
of Channel weather at this season.
Perhaps the most appropriate and heartfelt description of the cruise
is contained in a poem (a long way after Longfellow), which appeared
subsequently in the magazine:--
THE "WAVE'S" TRIP TO PLYMOUTH.
It was the little tender _Wave_
That sailed the wintry sea;
She had on board a score cadets,
A goodly companee.
Bright were their hopes on that winter morn
As they thought of their coming trip;
Gaily they skipped along the decks
Of the "_Brit_" and the "other ship."
The helmsman stood beside the wheel,
Where "Deeds, not words" is writ,
And mentioned to his dearest chum,
"We'll have a time of it!"
And so we had, for, once outside
And in the troubled sea,
The _Wave_ by waves was tossed about
In manner strange to see.
Colder and louder blew the gale
(Force _five_) from the south-west;
But the gallant boiler boiled away,
And the engines did their best.
Down came the storm, and smote amain
The vessel in its strength;
She shuddered and paused, like a frighted steed,
Then leaped her cable's length.
"Come hither! Come hither! my dear cadet,
And do not look so pale;
For we can weather the roughest sea,
And this is _not_ a gale!"
He wrapped him up in his warmest coat
Against the stinging blast;
He raised the collar round his throat,
And leaned against the mast.
"Oh, steward, I hear a small bell ring!
Oh, say, what may it be?"
He answered in a cheery tone:
"The bell, sir? That's for tea!"
"Oh, steward, I hear the sound of plates!
Oh, say, what may it be?"
"What, don't you want your supper, sir?"
"No, thank you: none for me!"
"Oh, steward, I feel a rumbling pain!
Oh, say, what may it be?"
'Twas the tribute claimed from all the "new"
To Neptune's realm--the sea!
Over the vessel's leeward side
Steadfastly then looked he.
We didn't ask what he wanted there,
For we could plainly see.
Then that sailor clasped his hands, and wished
That safe on land was he;
And he thought of cadets at peace on shore,
Or under Dartmouth's lee.
How few of those who saw us sail,
And out of Dartmouth steam,
Could know our joy to see the Start
Broad on the starboard beam!
"Oh, joy! I see a light ahead.
Oh, say, what may it be?"
'Twas the welcome gleam of the breakwater light,
And west-nor'-west steered we.
And ever the fitful gusts between
We heard the leadsman's voice:
"Mark ten!" "Deep eight!" "And a quarter seven!"
Which made our hearts rejoice.
When anchored safe in Plymouth Sound
We came round by degrees--
With tea, then bed, then ten o'clock:
"Out lights, sir, if you please!"
Such was the winter trip of the _Wave_
On that dull November day;
But that we had a merry time
How few of us could say!
The writer, it will be noticed, has adhered very closely to the
pattern he selected, quoting one verse in its entirety, and displaying
a certain recklessness in respect of the number of feet in a line
which is so characteristic of Longfellow.
There were many other cruises, both winter and summer, in the _Wave_
after this, and apparently the weather was more propitious, for we do
not hear any more sad wailings about it; though one of the party, on
this first occasion, was heard to declare that if he were twenty years
in the ship he would not again be caught going for a "pleasure trip"
such as this in the winter months.
The magazine was not confined to descriptions of this kind, or
laudatory articles and accounts of successful sports, etc.--of which
more anon--but warnings, editorial and otherwise, on various points of
conduct and etiquette are not infrequent.
A letter, signed "A Cadet," enlarges on the undesirability of certain
prevalent pranks when travelling by rail:--
If the cadets continue to play the fool with the porters, shoot
off catapults and squibs at travellers, etc., they will be getting
all leave stopped, or a corporal in attendance; or the railway
company will refuse to stop the trains at the level, and they will
have to walk round from Kingswear Station.
This last allusion is to the accommodation of having certain trains
stopped opposite the ship for the convenience of officers and cadets.
Those who are not acquainted with the locality may not be aware that
the railway does not run into Dartmouth, Kingswear, on the opposite
side of the harbour, being the terminus.
Curiously enough, there is a letter in the same number from an
outsider on precisely the same subject over the signature "Old
Meddler," who is evidently a somewhat irascible old gentleman residing
in Torquay. He concludes his letter as follows:--
I don't know whether corporal punishment has been abolished on
board the _Britannia_; probably, like many good things, it has.
But I carry a good stout cane myself.
This ferocious old boy would, however, have first to "catch his
cadet"!
The editor takes occasion to remark that "Old Meddler's" letter would
not have been inserted but for the corroborative remarks of "A Cadet."
Whether or not the double warning was productive of beneficial results
is not stated. Probably, as long as the world lasts, boys and young
men will continue to exercise their ingenuity in this fashion, to
their own gratification and the discomfort of their fellow creatures.
It is their nature to!
A number of the cadets had been through a course of "first-aid"
instruction, under the St. John Ambulance Association, and here is an
account of the result:--
A fellow broke his arm up in the field the other day, and the
medical staff turned it to splendid account and lectured to a
crowded audience over the prostrate body of the wounded cadet.
"Now, what do you call this?"
"Broken arm, sir!"
"How do you know it is broken?"
"Because we waggled it about, sir."
"Simple or compound fracture?"
"Simple, sir."
"Why?"
"Because he did it so easily, sir!"
"What ought I to do?"
Then came out a volley of all the stored up information acquired
at the late classes:
"Stick a mustard plaster on the back of his neck, sir!"
"Put him in a hot bath, sir!"
"Walk him up and down as fast as you can, sir!"
"Hold him up by the heels, sir!"
"Tie him to a broom-handle, two billiard cues, and a rifle, sir!"
"Tickle his nose with a feather, sir!" and so on.
The prostrate hero must have had lively anticipations during this
exchange of ideas!
We are not informed what course would be adopted by a "first-aid"
cadet under certain alarming conditions which apparently might arise
when out "mushrooming," though it is recorded in the magazine that the
process by which a cadet distinguishes a mushroom from a toadstool is
to eat it. If he dies, it is a toadstool; if he lives, it is a
mushroom!
Towards the end of the 'eighties the electric light was installed on
board both ships, and the only marvel is that it was not done earlier.
Those who have experienced the endless worry of lamps and candles on
board ship will understand what a boon the electric light is.
The dynamo was first placed on board the _Hindostan_; but a wooden
vessel is one huge conductor of sound and vibration, and before long
it was shifted to a small vessel specially provided, and moored just
above the ships. This was, in fact, one of the old mortar vessels
constructed for use in the Baltic during the Crimean War.
[Illustration: CAPTAIN BOWDEN-SMITH.
(Now Admiral Sir N. Bowden-Smith, K.C.B.)]
No one who has thus far perused these pages will be surprised to learn
that the 'eighties did not pass without a committee being specially
appointed to consider the vexed question of naval education. There has
always existed, as we have seen, a sort of chronic dissatisfaction
with the existing condition of affairs; and this again reached a
climax in 1885.
On March 26th in that year the Admiralty appointed a committee,
constituted as follows:--
Vice-Admiral W. G. Luard; Commander the Right Hon. the Earl of
Dalhousie; W. D. Niven, Esq., Director of Studies at the Royal
Naval College; Rev. J. M. Wilson, Head Master of Clifton College;
Rev. W. Rogers, Rector of St. Botolph; and Captain Charles
Johnstone.
POINTS TO BE CONSIDERED.
(_a_) Limits of age and subjects of examination for the entry of
cadets.
(_b_) Course of study and instructional arrangements on board the
_Britannia_.
(_c_, _d_ and _e_ concern later examinations not connected with
the _Britannia_.)
(_f_) To consider and offer opinions or suggestions for the
improvement of the education of naval executive officers.
In their report the committee point out what they consider to be
defects in the present system:--
(1) The failure to get the best material in the country. The
material is good, but it is not the best that could be had; and we
feel convinced that the special preparation of boys before coming
to the _Britannia_ does not tend to improve that material.
(2) The attempt to teach in the _Britannia_ what cannot be
properly learnt at the age of the cadets on board; the result
being that the knowledge is mechanical, and that the principles
are unintelligently acquired and soon forgotten.
They also fall foul of the seamanship instruction, and consider the
_Wave_ of very little use, as she is not well adapted for drills, and
cannot conveniently go out for more than a day at a time.
They recommend that a ship-rigged corvette should be substituted, to
be moored abreast the present ships, with a bridge across, so that her
upper deck would be available as a playground during short intervals
when the cadets cannot land.
Under the head of Suggestions, they are bold enough to advocate the
abolition of nominations, which they think place artificial
difficulties in the way of getting into the Navy; and they suggest
that the first test should be the lower certificate of the Oxford and
Cambridge Local boards, at about the age of 15, with a further
examination at 16 by the Civil Service Commissioners, after which the
cadet should have one year's training in practical navigation and
seamanship, in a stationary ship or a college. And they consider the
Solent a more suitable place for a training-ship than Dartmouth, as
the harbour at the latter place would be inconvenient, if not
dangerous, for sailing brigs, which they consider necessary.
[Illustration: POOP OF THE "BRITANNIA." CADETS AT PRAYERS.
_Photo: W. M. Crockett, Plymouth._]
Well, the result of all this inquiry and suggestion appears to be, so
far as the _Britannia_ is concerned, almost nil.
Admiralty nomination continues to be the necessary initial step for
entry: there are no Oxford and Cambridge Local certificates required,
the _Wave_ is retained, no brigs are attached, nor is a ship-rigged
corvette moored alongside with a bridge across; finally, the
_Britannia_ remains at Dartmouth.
A "recommendation"--apart from "suggestions"--is that nominations
should be given at any age after 11 (this with the view of previous
preparation); and yet one of the defects said to exist in the present
system is special preparation before coming to the _Britannia_!
It is a fact that recommendations of specially appointed committees
are very rarely acted upon to any great extent; they are frequently
very unpractical, or they involve extra expenditure, to which the
Admiralty demur.
[Illustration: CAPTAIN F. G. D. BEDFORD.
(Now Admiral Sir F. G. D. Bedford, G.C.B.)
_Photo: Smale & Son, Dartmouth._]
The suggestion of the Solent as a more suitable locality than
Dartmouth appears to require a good deal of explanation; the
committee, in the same breath almost, deprecates the want of a
spacious deck for the boys to run about on during short intervals of
recreation, when they _cannot land_. There would be plenty of long
intervals in the Solent without landing!
It is obvious that if a stationary ship, instead of a college, is
used, she must be so placed that easy communication with the shore is
never interrupted by weather.
And then the brigs. Why _brigs_? Why not a steam vessel, larger and
more commodious than the _Wave_, and fully rigged? She would be able
to sail in and out of Dartmouth sometimes, when there happened to be a
"soldier's wind"--by no means unfrequent there--and at other times
there is the screw to fall back upon.
The suggested substitute for nominations also strikes one as
impractical in the extreme. Where are the boys to go after they have
intimated their desire to enter the Navy, and have produced an Oxford
and Cambridge Local certificate? There must be a list of such
candidates at the Admiralty, and they would be scattered all over the
kingdom at various schools when notice would have to be given of the
examination by the Civil Service Commissioners.
On the whole, one gets somewhat weary of committees; and very weary
work indeed is the reading of the thousands of questions and answers
so scrupulously recorded in the Blue Book.
Meanwhile, the _Britannia_ got on pretty well in the 'eighties, and
turned out the usual proportion of efficient executive officers. Out
of 763 who presented themselves for the passing out examination, 36,
or 4·7 per cent., failed; which, considering that the _Britannia_ is
admittedly a probationary establishment, and that it was being
constantly alleged at this time that the cadets could not learn their
work properly, is a very small proportion of failures.
The officers who commanded the _Britannia_ during the 'eighties were
as follow:--
Captain R. Wells, appointed August 31st, 1880.
Captain N. Bowden-Smith, appointed September 20th, 1883.
Captain F. G. D. Bedford, appointed August 16th, 1886.
Captain Noel S. F. Digby, appointed September 7th, 1889.
The total number of entries during this period was 883, of whom the
Navy List gives the following record:--
ACTIVE LIST.
Captains, 5; commanders, 132; lieutenants, 431.
RETIRED LIST.
Lieutenants, 21.
A total of 589, leaving a balance of 294, or 33 per cent., to be
accounted for as dead or removed from the Navy List.
One of the cadets of the 'eighties--the Hon. Horace L. A. Hood--has
gone up the ladder in remarkably quick time. He entered July 15th,
1883, and in the examinations for sub-lieutenants he was awarded a
first class in every subject, obtaining an aggregate of 4,398 marks
out of a possible 4,600; for this he was immediately promoted to
lieutenant, April 2nd, 1890. He served in a gunboat on the Nile during
Lord Kitchener's operations in 1898, and for his services there was
promoted to commander November 15th, 1898, finally obtaining captain's
rank January 1st, 1903, in less than 20 years from entry as cadet, at
the early age of about three-and-thirty.
[Illustration: THE SCHOONER YACHT "SYREN."
_Photo: W. M. Crockett, Plymouth._]