were opened to the disorganized state of their young protégés by the private and confidential returns of captains, and by the necessity for repeated discharges from the service, in addition to resignations without end, what did they do? They set to work to form a training establishment, hoping thereby to break in the youngsters before they went into sea-going ships, and to start them in a groove with such correct and beautiful notions that they could not go wrong. The idea was a good one; but let us see how they strove to carry it out. Twice as many cadets were nominated; but all nearly of the same independent or aristocratic classes as those who were daily breaking down, or voluntarily leaving the service; and these, after passing a very difficult examination at the Royal Naval College, at Portsmouth, were transferred first to the Illustrious, and subsequently to the Britannia, under the command of one of the most indulgent, soft-hearted, but nevertheless correct, captains to be found in the service. A staff of instructors was appointed of a first-class order, and soon the cadets numbered over two hundred. Imagine, reader, particularly if you happen to have been an old first lieutenant, what a rookery a ship so blessed must be! Imagine, we say, two hundred of the wildest of the creation, of the average age of thirteen, assembled in one ship, having a few old sloping petty officers to watch over them! You, who have been often heard to say that the small half dozen in your ship gave you more trouble than all the rest of the ship's company put together, only picture to yourself two hundred such, possessed of exuberant spirits, and setting everything at defiance! The reverend instructors, while the boys were in class, perhaps, had sufficient influence to keep hilariousness within bounds; but no sooner were the school hours over than the noise resembled more nearly what might be expected were Satan's prisoners to break loose than any other. The Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, "good easy souls." flattered themselves that three or six months of this training would fit these boys to go to sea. Doubtless it did; but how? Ask any one now serving whether the youngsters who have been "broken in" on board the training ship are not ten times more ungovernable than any other they ever had to deal with. Descend unseen into the gunrooms of the ships in which they are located, and you will hear much more than you wish, but only what you might expect from so ruinous and insane a system. Had the Britannia been placed under the command of a rigid disciplinarian, assisted by eight or ten lieutenants of the same stern mould, other results might have been obtained, but under a free and easy regime, and with the smallest possible resemblance to a man-of-war, nothing could have been anticipated but a sudden collapse. That that consummation is not

far distant is pretty evident.

Strong symptoms of immorality having manifested themselves, in an unmistakeable form among the cadets, the Admiralty came to the determination to move the ship from the supposed contaminating influences of a sea-port town; and the Britannia will shortly be moored in Portland harbour; but had strict discipline been maintained on board the ship; had the son of the duke and the son of the commoner been under close surveillance, the influences of a sea-port town would not have been so fearfully developed.

But the Illustrious and Britannia were, at best, only designed as the forerunners of a permanent establishment on shore. There had been a Royal Naval College, which in 1833 was declared to be a failure; and in the face of that failure it would have been difficult to have persuaded the Admiralty to ask for a vote sufficient to build a college suitable for training the whole of the future midshipmen of the navy. The old Royal Naval College was altogether upon too limited a scale. It was calculated only for about 120

students, and one of the main causes of its dissolution was its inadequate character. It had besides a naval governor, who paid such particular attention to the sons of the great, that at length it became so extremely aristocratic, or plutocratic in its members that the sons of poor officers who had been eligible, stood no chance. The Naval College was never popular with the navy, for the collegians, on joining the service after a course of two or three years' study, and with two years' sea-time, were considered conceited of their acquirements, and were perhaps less inclined to devote themselves to the attainment of practical knowledge than others who joined the service from school.

The necessity, however, now irresistibly forces itself upon those who are charged with the government of the navy. They cannot, if they would, avoid seeing that if the officers of the British navy are to be expected to keep pace with those of foreign navies, a solid foundation of instruction must be laid.

The Britannia is an undoubted failure, as far as regards breakingin, or training for the quarter-deck. The cadets have unquestionably made good progress in such professional studies as mathematics, drawing, French, nautical astronomy, geography, history, steam, &c.; but the most indispensable requisite in a naval officer-discipline, has made a decidedly retrograde movement. Boys to be trained up for naval officers should be taken in hand at eleven years of age, when their minds and habits are in a plastic state, which will admit of their being formed into a proper shape.

The best training school ever yet known in England for sailorsand an officer is only a refined sailor-was the Old Upper School of Greenwich. Boys were admitted into that establishment between the ages of eleven and twelve; and until the committee of the Council of Education got their finger into the pie, it is well known that finer, better disciplined lads never stepped on board a ship. A small proportion only entered the navy, and those chiefly as masters' assistants, where they now form the élite of the class of masters. Some fortunate ones were enabled to change the line, and become midshipmen, from whence they rose to be captains, and are now known as some of the most valuable in the rank. Their education was exclusively directed to the seafaring profession. Grammar and orthography were accomplishments held subservient to mathematics, and the principles and practice of navigation; but discipline was the capital of the column." The boys were kept under strict control, and inured to what were termed hardships. Strong-handed boatswains and mates flourished their rattans, and used them occasionally freely, although seldom needlessly, or with undue severity. The boys were discharged at fifteen. Shipowners were eager to get thom

for apprentices, and the finest merchant ships soon came under their command. The Council of Education stepped in however. Inspectors of Schools visited the establishment, and without discerning the benefits attending the rough system, substituted a very mild code. "Moral discipline" superseded the more homely application of the rod. The canes were broken, and so were the windows. Boys were expelled for misconduct, by which their parents were punished, because the namby pamby system forbade the only punishment which strong-minded boys feared. Eventually more grammar was taught, and French introduced. Innumerable improvements, socalled, have been made, or are to be made; but when all is finished we doubt whether the results will be anything like so satisfactory as they were when the boys wore rough shirts, and were early initiated into the hardships which invariably attend a life at sea.

The Admiralty have no option but to supply the demand now experienced in the navy for good, well grounded, well disciplined officers. A college for naval officers has become a sine quâ non, and we would submit a few hints for the consideration of those who will be entrusted with its organization.

The college for royal naval students should be situated in some fine airy situation, as near the sea shore as may be, and should be calculated to receive six hundred or more scholars. There is no necessity for locating it near a royal dockyard, or in any seaport. The boys will see enough of dockyards and ships when they have finished their course of study.

The age for admission should be from eleven to twelve, at which age a boy begins to have an idea of the profession he should like. His intellect is also then sufficiently developed to afford a good indication of its strength. After passing a stiffish examination in the rudiments of learning, he should be taught, as he would at a private school, the English and French languages, classics, mathematics, geography, history, arithmetic, &c., and at the age of thirteen he should undergo a certain test prior to being selected for strictly nautical training. If at that age, or previously, the lad evinced a dislike to the naval profession, or should be deemed unfit for the sea, his friends should be called upon to remove him.

When fairly entered for the naval service, his attention should be directed to those subjects which would be most useful to him in the naval profession. French is indispensable to an accomplished naval officer, and to this should be added German and Italian. At the age of fifteen the cadet, for such he might be called after passing the tests at thirteen, should be sent to sea in an instruction frigate, to the East Indies or Pacific, in order to teach him his duty as a seaman and as an officer. One year under a good captain would suffice for this purpose, at the expiration of which, provided he came up to a fair standard of proficiency, he would be fit to go on board a manof-war as a junior officer, or if found unfit discharged from the service altogether.

Great care should be taken to avoid any unnecessary interference with the civilian principal of the college. Had the old Naval College not had a naval governor it might possibly have been still in existence. Education is never well conducted except by a regularly

visitors, committees, or executive officers, the less efficient will he be. The principals of the great public schools, as Eton, Rugby, &c., are supreme, and so also should be the principal of the Naval College.

When the collegians merge into cadets, naval rule might possibly be beneficial, but while the student is under general educational training, the principal should be answerable as well for the discipline as the teaching.

The education should be paid for. In the old College, as well as in the Wellington College, students were and are admitted upon a graduated scale of charges-graduated according to the rank or presumed means of the parent. The son of the admiral and the son of the lieutenant should be treated in all respects alike, but the scale of payments should be regulated by the respective depth of their pocket. Orphans of meritorious officers, under special circumstances, might be educated gratuitously. A certain proportion of nominations would of course be reserved for the sons of civilians, but care should be taken that the wealthy element should not preponderate as it did in the Naval College; and all should be restricted to a certain moderate allowance of pocket-money, and be clothed in the same description of dress. Based upon such principles, nothing but an unfortunate choice of a professor or principal could stand in the way of complete success; and surely, when so many scores of thousands of pounds are being ungrudgingly expended upon the training of boys for the navy, a tithe of the amount-for the College would, to a great extent, be self-supporting ought not to be objected to for the more important business of training young officers.

But, as the old adage goes, "While the grass grows the steed

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starves." What is to be done to meet the immediate wants of the naval service? The Britannia can hardly be trusted in the meanwhile, although, under a new and firmer hand, many of the faults inherent to a ship-college might be in a great degree overcome. Isolated in Portland Harbour from the various disturbances of a seaport town, the cadets will be more likely to take a right direction but as there is nothing like opposition in effecting improvements, we would suggest that within the next six months one hundred Naval Cadetships should be thrown open to public competition; and that those chosen should receive direct appointments to sea-going ships. Attached to these cadetships should be a rate of pay adequate to the maintenance of the successful competitors in the service. The rule which applies to the candidates for the artillery might be adopted in the navy; but the extreme limit of age for the latter should be fifteen.

The time has arrived for the abolition of the class of Master; and all who join the navy as officers should have an equal chance of gaining the highest rank in the service. Whenever we have another naval war it will be shorter but far more decisive than any ever yet seen. Much will depend upon the first blow. We shall have brave and skilful opponents, and every day adds to the knowledge of deadly contrivances. The British navy must be supreme or nothing. Great Britain must be a first-rate maritime power, or her sun will set for Let all, therefore, who feel as Britons, cordially unite in placing the British navy, whether as regards ships, officers, seamen

ever.

A VISIT TO THE NASHVILLE AND THE TUSCARORA.

WE have lately been amused with the presence of two American ships of war at Southampton; one from the Confederate and the other from the Federal States. The Nashville, as we all remember put in at this commercial port after having burnt the Harvey Birch and landed the prisoners taken out of that unfortunate ship. The Tuscarora also recently arrived there, and both vessels have created a rather strong sensation there and indeed throughout the country generally. This feeling however is not traceable to any qualities possessed by the ships alluded to, but to the pranks of their officers and men; all kinds of absurd attempts have been attributed to the officers and men of the Federal steamer to destroy in some way or other the vessel of the Confederates. Men have been discovered at unseasonable hours lurking about armed, and having blue lights in their possession within the precincts of the Company's Docks. They have been accused of all sorts of stupid acts for which they were very properly turned out of the premises. What they expected to do to the Nashville, situated as she is, jammed up between two steamers of the Peninsular and Oriental Company, is more than we can imagine. Perhaps conduct more undignified, and less in keeping with the usages of a national ship of war has seldom been exhibited in any neutral port. To such an extent has the proceedings of the belligerents been carried that a strong body of English seamen were drafted from Portsmouth to strengthen the crew of the Dauntless stationed at Southampton, and this together with the firm conduct exhibited by the authorities of the port, has been sufficient to prevent our waters being disgraced by their squabbles.

A few days since, like many others, we were induced to pay a visit to these vessels, and ascertain the nature of their equipment, general appearance and discipline; if for no other reason than a desire to know the sort of vessels this country would be likely to have to contend with in the event of a war with America and as the difficulty is only, in all probability, put off until a more favorable opportunity, we offer the result of our observations for the benefit

of our readers.

as a

With respect to the Nashville we have but little to say, as she is not worthy to be called a vessel of war. She was improvised by the Southerners, by taking her from commercial pursuits, and armed with a couple of useless guns, manned and sent to sea privateer. Her hull however is well formed for speed, but her deck being encumbered with an elaborate series of wooden erections looking like so many gigantic hencoops, but called hurricane houses, very materially diminishes her utility as a vessel

of war.

With reference to the Tuscarora the case is somewhat different, as she came amongst us as an armed cruiser, mounting twelve guns, belonging to the Federal States. As she claimed the honour of saluting our flag, and as such was entitled to receive the honour of a salute in U. S. MAG., No. 399, Feb., 1862.

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