The Story of the Britannia""

y-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-

sort of common-sense, viva voce examination as to his probable fitness for the Royal Navy; and among other questions propounded to him, by way of ascertaining his general acquaintance with h

T OF

ation, "Lord Nelson and Lord Selborne, sir." If this boy was not accepted, it must have

t changes which have occurred in the constitution and administration of the Navy during this period; and particularly,

nder which a lad could enter the Navy, in th

ke their ships anywhere, and win against odds when they got there. Indeed, it was the men who were feared by our enemies; our ships were often inferior to

bout to commission a ship, who would have perhaps eight or ten such youngsters on his books; their pay all went into the captain's pocket, forming, in fact, a considerable

is own relatives: sons, young brothers, nephews, and so on; failing these, the sons, brothers, or ne

s in the early part of the century an alternative which was probably open to those who could command a certain amount of interest.

anomalous official designation by which they were distinguished-"Volunteers per Order"-and also in the more common and popular appellation of "King's Letter Boys"; and it is quite conceivable that, when a captain had sailed from England with his snug

it is here that the most absurd incongruities existed; for it was not considered in the least degree necessary that the applicants should

rsery being borne on ship's books, and shifted fro

, was born in December, 1775, and entered as captain's servant when five years old, being kept on various ships' books for years. His father, meanwhile, hav

rch, 1772, was entered as midshipman on the 21st May, 1779, when he was only seven years old; and it is stated that he actually took part

lson's victories to the last decade of the nineteenth century, was borne on a ship's books from th

ually entered at three years of age, and e

ars old are quite numerous; and, of course, the c

s not fair, however, to saddle them with responsibility for the results of absurd regulations, which it was well known at headquarters must tend to such abuses; the whole system was a farc

y of entries in Nelson's time, though that great man himself was

egard to entry, how did the youngster

the junior officers. The seamanship of those days was pretty readily picked up by a lad who kept his eyes open and was eager to learn; a state of war was far more frequent than quiet times; ships were a

ocess of education of a certain kind, as applied by the midshipmen and o

ape" with a good pliant cane, and who, having inculcated obedience by this stern method, took care that his scholars should know how to use thei

r too great a favourite of fortune

s a truer picture. Another valuable piece of education was imparted by Murphy, his senior, in the form of a hiding for not comprehending the significance of the captain's hint at the dinner table,

hen someone said, "Hand me that monkey's tail, youngster"; from which it was argued

lso in the senior ranks. Captains barely out of their teens, with grey-haired first-lieutenants to dry-nurse them; so-called midshipmen of any age up to thirty-five; and so on. Looking back on those

ve it, of getting into the Navy; and a way, moreover, which was fenced about with very precise regulations as to age, and involved a course of pr

l College, standing just to the southward of the Commander-in-Chief's house; but comparatively fe

existence in the Record Office a letter from the Lords of the Admiralty to the Navy Board-which was a kind of ex

at sea, instead of the Establishment now in force for Voluntiers on board His Majesty's ships; We do hereby desire and direct you to consider and lay before us, as soon as conveniently may be, a draught or plan of such a building as you shall judge may be proper for the reception not only of the afo

er Boys only, as no other youngsters were shipped at that time under this title; and, in fact, the completion

ns, estimate, and recommendation of site complete, on the 12th; that is to say, allowing for Sunday, they took only seven clear days about it! Probably, however, the matter had been under consideration previously, pending the approval of the sche

r, three Ushers, and a French Master for their instruction, with a plan of proper outhouses for their accommodation; and you having also transmitted to us an estimate of the charge of the said building, with the plan of the south part of His Majesty's Dockyard at Portsmouth, wherein is described a place in the south-east angle of the said yard, where, in your opinion, the said building may be most

gne

on, Jo.

T. Lyttleton

scientific training for young naval officers before sending them to sea. The death-knell of the "pitchfork" system is here sounded, though fa

appears to have dragged on heavily. Improvements and additions were carried out meanwhile, and it was not until the

ever, was prolonged during the process of building, the large study, now the billiard-room, and a small infirmary, being added. Over the latter were subsequently built some more rooms, including that now used as a

1807, when the whole scheme was reorganised, and the name

: Geometry, navigation, writing and arithmetic, French and drawing, fen

ematical

hematical

nd French

nd dancin

geon (for at

right respectively, who received 10s. per lesson (presumably to a class), while a boatswain and gunne

L ACADEMY, POR

in connection with the Academy. He was bound to pay frequent visits thereto, and to satisfy himself that the

a warrant to the Clerk of the Cheque, in the Dockyard, au

plain, or "fiel

if to turn u

ic)? bureaux

s 2 0 0

spelling or a rabid "Francophobe"; a long time afterwards the Governor of the Academy

the Academy appears to have flourished on the whole, and to have

B." and "Hon. C. D.," is given, evidently as a guide for arriving at an average expenditure. All the students paid ￡25 per annum for their board; the total expenses of the "Hon.

ed "Hon. C. D."; but in these accounts "ale-house" scores are not included.

the Admiralty, consisting of no less than forty-one articles or paragraphs. The whole scheme had appa

ies at that period concerning the entry and education of young naval officers; and it is, therefore

e Appe

and gentlemen, on going to sea, were made to perform seamen's duties, but had the privil

scholars, which are rendered with great regularity and exactness, the remarks of the head master being sometimes very quaint. One pupil is described as b

by prescription adopted a stereotyped form of report to the Secretary to the Admiralty, which

at upon my frequent visiting the Academy I find the latter are very diligent, and give due attention to their business, and the methods used

r, and a report made to the Admiralty whether he was "found to have made such progress in his educ

sent to sea, the head master gave a

he Plan of Mathematical Learning, and made a manuscript copy ther

arning, by no less a person than the celebrated Captain Philip Bowes Vere Broke, of whose exploit in the Shannon, when he capture

e, he wave

ow, my lad

ir playing Yankee-

PAGE OF BR

portentous size and thickness, filled from end to end with problems in various subjects, be

. V. Broke, a Student there: 1792." The subjects comprise arithmetic, geometry, plane trigonometry, the use of the terrestrial globes,

ROM BROK

, the students, as we have seen, were taught French and dr

nder this, he was evidently not among the most brilliant scholars, for not a few finished in two and a half years, and some in considerably less. The master, certainly, says of Broke, in his las

SS VOLUNTEERS, EARLY

in the possession

p's company up to an admirable state of discipline and efficiency, he fought the famous d

evidence, that many captains maintained a prejudice against these lads, as being still Volunteers per Order; and we do not need, as will be seen, to go back as far as the eighteenth century to find many who held that a lad sent straight to sea from school was likely to become more speedily efficient than one who had been previously trained. This curious paradox was as tenacious of life as mi

OOK: FORTIFICATION PL