of Entry — Captain’s Servants — King’s Letter Boys — Lord Dundonald — A Warrior at Eight — Sir P. W. P. Wallis — Absurd Regulations — Education at a Discount — Midshipman Easy — Peter Simple — The “Pitchfork” System — The Royal Naval Academy — Letter to the Navy Board — Commendable Promptitude — The Scheme Approved — Delay in Building — Scheme of Instruction — Uniform Instituted — Scholars’ Expenses — Rules and Orders — “They are cursed troublesome” — Commissioner’s Report — Entry and Final Certificates — Captain Broke’s Work Book — A Comprehensive Course — A Successful Institution

1 CHAPTER II. THE ROYAL NAVAL COLLEGE. New Brooms — Radical Changes — The Academy Closed — Wanted, a Professor — James Inman — An Enthusiastic Scholar — His Love of Fair Play — Senior Wrangler — Antarctic Astronomer — Appointed Professor — “Inman’s Tables” — The College Opens — A Master’s Untimely Optimism — A Poser for Their Lordships — The New Course of Studies — John Irving, Silver Medallist — A Mathematician’s Device — The Rod and the “Black Hole” — New Regulations — Commissioned Officers Admitted — Elastic Hours of Study — The End Approaches — The “late” Royal Naval College — Inman’s Pension — Sir H. Keppel’s Recollections — The Box Seat — A Retaliatory Cascade — Sir W. R. Mends — Alleged Toadying — Sir G. R. Mundy’s Letters — Keeping a “Mess” — The “Black Hole” in Being — “A Blow-out,” and After — Sir B. J. Sulivan — Bullying Studious Juniors — A Discouraging Experience — The Captain Converted — The College and the Excellent — Professor Main — The “Pitchfork” System Again — A Slender Equipment — Naval Cadets — Haphazard Methods — A Little More Detail 16 CHAPTER III. THE “ILLUSTRIOUS.” Captain Robert Harris — His Birth and Career — Appointed to the Illustrious — “Jemmy Graham’s Novices” — A Model School for Seamen — A Visit to the Illustrious — Why not Train Young Officers? — Opposition of Old Officers — Cadet Robert H. Harris — A Successful Experiment — Institution of Cadets’ Training Ship — Captain Harris Suffers for His Zeal — Commendatory Letters — He is Superseded — The New Admiralty Circular — General Approval of the Scheme — The Staff of the Illustrious — Lieutenant George S. Nares — Disciplinary Methods — The Cadets’ Corporals — Withering Sarcasm — Old-fashioned Seamanship — Cricket — “Sling the Monkey” — Rev. R. M. Inskip — His Sea Yarns — Mr. Kempster Knapp — “Knapp’s Circles” — Penalty of Fidgeting — Prince Alfred — Enter the Britannia — Her Predecessors 35 CHAPTER IV. THE “BRITANNIA” IN THE ’SIXTIES. A “Three-decker” — Arrangements on Board — The Morning Drum — Persuasive Corporals — “Cockpit Mess” — “Cheeky New Fellows” — Important Modifications — Sea-going Training-ship — A Dead Letter — The Question of Locality — Portland Selected — Its