Читать книгу The Story of the "Britannia" - Edward Phillips Statham - Страница 7

Table of Contents

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Experiment—Institution of Cadets’ Training Ship—Captain Harris Suffers for His Zeal—Commendatory Letters—He is Superseded—The New Admiralty Circular—General Approval of the Scheme—The Staff of the Illustrious—Lieutenant George S. Nares—Disciplinary Methods—The Cadets’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.

THE story of the institution of a training ship for naval cadets, through which all must, of necessity, pass satisfactorily before being allowed to go to sea, is inseparably connected with the name of one man, but for whose energy, ability, and urgent and repeated representations it is quite safe to assume that this step would have been postponed for some years, though it was no doubt inevitable in the end.

The name of this man is Captain Robert Harris; and without some account of his personality and services the story of the Britannia would indeed be incomplete.

He was the son of James Harris, an independent gentleman, of Wittersham Hall, Kent, and was born on July 9th, 1809. He entered the Navy, in 1822, as a “First Class Volunteer,” and went to sea on board the Euryalus, in which vessel he served as a midshipman during the little war with Algiers in 1824; and was at Navarino, also as a midshipman, in the Cambrian, October 20th, 1827, and when she was wrecked, in January, 1828. He returned to England early in 1829, and was borne on the books of the Royal George yacht for some time, during which, however, he was in reality serving in one of her tenders, the Onyx or Pantaloon, on the coast of South America, the West Indies, the coast of Spain, and the Channel. He was promoted to lieutenant May 21st, 1833, and in December of the same year was appointed to the Excellent, recently established as a school of gunnery, at Portsmouth, commanded by Captain (afterwards Admiral Sir Thomas) Hastings, who was always his staunch friend.

CAPTAIN HARRIS.

In 1836 Harris was appointed gunnery lieutenant of the Melville, serving in her under Captains Douglas and Dundas.

He was specially promoted to commander, June 8th, 1841, for his services at the capture of the Bogue Forts, in China, February 26th, 1841. After studying for a time on half-pay at the Royal Naval College, he commanded the Flying Fish in the experimental Brig Squadron, and afterwards on the West Coast of Africa, from 1844 to 1846, subsequently serving in the Ganges, from which he was promoted to captain, October 19th, 1849. He was appointed flag captain to Sir W. F. Martin, in the Prince Regent, in 1851, and left her in 1852.

Two years later Captain Harris received the appointment which he was destined to hold for the long period of eight years—for it was practically continuous, though in two different vessels—and in which he performed the valuable services in connection with which his name is best known in the service.

In 1854, during the Crimean War, Sir James Graham, then First Lord of the Admiralty, conceived the plan of establishing at Portsmouth a training ship for young seamen, in order to provide a better class of men to fill the vacancies in the Fleet. They were shipped under the name of “novices,” and were popularly known as “Jemmy Graham’s novices,” the scheme being probably regarded with some disapprobation, not untinged with ridicule, by many of the old “shellbacks” in the Service—the usual fate of innovations, however well conceived and beneficial. The Illustrious, a two-decker, was appropriated for this purpose, and Captain Harris was placed in command.

He had already, beyond doubt, an excellent reputation at headquarters as a most zealous and capable officer, whose heart was in his work; and he speedily proved that his selection for this special duty was a peculiarly happy one. He possessed in a marked degree the somewhat rare gift of being able to combine with unflinching strictness the power of winning the goodwill of his subordinates; and so zealously and effectually did he perform his office that “Jemmy Graham’s novices” were soon better known as Captain Harris’s seamen, eagerly sought for, when vacancies were to be filled in the Mediterranean, as well-conducted, well-trained lads, requiring but little experience in a sea-going ship to make them efficient able seamen.

Lord Fitzhardinge, writing to Captain Harris some years later, says:—

They came to a sea-going ship perfect in the various drills, and were good artillerymen. You were naturally anxious for sea service in time of war; but Sir James Graham, after consulting with myself on the subject, came to the decision that your services, as recruiting officer and teacher of the new raised men, could not be dispensed with.

A writer in Fraser’s Magazine for April, 1855, on “The Naval School on board the Illustrious,” speaks in terms of the highest eulogy of the excellent management and good tone prevailing on board, and mentions that the captain gave the young men under him an occasional evening’s amusement, in the form of easy lectures on astronomy, etc., illustrated by a magic lantern. Describing his arrival on board, the writer says: “The captain is on the quarter-deck, awaiting his visitors; he is a tall, upright, good-looking man, having an air of much activity and determination, but being apparently on the best of terms with those about him”; a description which those who were personally acquainted with Captain Harris will endorse. Probably his popularity with his subordinates was due in no small measure to the conscientiousness which marked his discharge of every duty. They knew him to be incapable of an act of injustice; and while he exacted a punctual performance of duty from every man under him, he set them an example which could not fail to win their respect.

VICE-ADMIRAL SIR ROBERT HARRIS, K.C.B., K.C.M.G., AS A MIDSHIPMAN.

Great as was his success in the training of young seamen, Captain Harris was not content to rest on the laurels he had earned. If previous training proved so beneficial to seamen, why not institute a similar school for officers? The Royal Naval College was, as we have seen, only available for a certain proportion of young aspirants for the service, many going straight to sea, and even this had, nearly twenty years since, been for some reason abolished. Why not revive a training school under a new aspect, in which every cadet should be compelled to undergo a course of instruction before going to sea?

Having conceived this idea, Captain Harris proceeded to urge its adoption, but met with small encouragement at first. Old officers, some of whom had possibly been instrumental in bringing about the closing of the College, opposed the notion strenuously, holding the opinion that a lad had a better chance of turning out a good seaman and officer if sent to sea straight from school.

The captain of the training ship had, however, the courage of his convictions; and an opportunity presented itself before long of demonstrating this fact. He had a son, for whom he obtained a nomination as naval cadet; and he immediately applied for permission to have the boy for twelve months under training before going to sea. This was conceded, with the result that Robert Hastings Harris (now Vice-Admiral Sir Robert H. Harris, K.C.B., K.C.M.G.) was, on January 10th, 1856, entered on the books of the Illustrious, and received his training in seamanship with the novices, and instruction in navigation and nautical astronomy on board the Victory, under the Rev. Robert M. Inskip.

Sir Robert Harris was thus, as he remarks in a letter to the present writer, “the initial cause of the Britannia system”; for had he proved to be a failure nothing more would have been heard of the scheme, certainly for many years.

As a matter of fact, he must have afforded in his own person convincing evidence of the value of the proposed system; for it was only six weeks after the expiration of his twelve months’ training that a circular was issued from the Admiralty, inaugurating an entirely new régime for the education and examination of young naval officers, and including a period of compulsory training in a stationary ship prior to being sent to sea.

The story of the Britannia, strictly speaking, commences thus on January 10th, 1856; the Admiralty circular, however, was dated February 23rd, 1857.

Before proceeding to deal with the development of the new scheme, it will be convenient to complete our sketch of the career of Captain Harris in general terms, though it may be necessary to refer to him again later on. His command of the two ships—the Illustrious up to January 1st, 1859, when he was transferred to the Britannia—extended, as has been stated, over eight years, terminating in October, 1862, when he was superseded.

During this long period there is abundant evidence that he rendered most important services to the Navy, and, like many other good men, he suffered in a certain degree through the very fact of his efficiency. He was debarred from the advantages accruing to services at sea, and from obtaining subsequently a more important harbour command, such as the Excellent, for which, as an able gunnery officer, he was certainly eligible.

The high esteem in which Captain Harris was held by well-known officers of superior rank and the excellent results of his able management of the cadets’ training ship are testified by numerous communications from such men as Admirals Sir W. F. Martin, Sir Thomas Hastings, Sir Sydney Dacres, Sir John Erskine, Sir Richard Smart, and others; while his contemporaries, in command of sea-going ships, are unanimous in their praise of the qualifications and conduct of the youngsters sent to sea in the early days of the Illustrious and Britannia.

Sir Charles Wood, then First Lord of the Admiralty, writing on July 17th, 1857, when the new circular was about to come into force, says:—

I believe that, with the staff you will have, we shall commence the work with as good a prospect of success as can be ensured, by putting it in the best hands.

And writing again on April 21st, 1858:—

I am very glad to hear so promising an account of the first trial, and I may add success, of your education on board the Illustrious. I hope that the present Board will carry out the work in the same spirit in which it was conceived; and I am well aware that they could not have so able an instrument as yourself in the very responsible position which you occupy.

Sir William Martin, then in command in the Mediterranean, writes on January 18th, 1861:—

On the whole, all whose opinions are much esteemed are convinced that you have done great good. There is no man in England whose opportunity of doing good to our country for ages to come is greater than yours; and assuredly the Navy is greatly your debtor.

Sir Sydney Dacres, on September 14th, 1862, writes:—

I must write to congratulate you on the success that has attended your exertions in working out such an important change in the education and training of our young gentlemen, as the system pursued in the Illustrious and Britannia most certainly has proved itself to be. The last three years’ experience has convinced me of the vast improvement of the present system over the old plan of bringing boys from their homes, often without even the rudiments of education, and hardly knowing what order meant. I am sure your great satisfaction must be in looking at the very small number of your boys that have got into serious scrapes, and the manner in which, as a rule, they are spoken of by their superiors; and I cannot conclude, my dear Harris, without adding what is a great pleasure to me, that without exception they all look back with esteem and respect on their captain, who was ever ready to be kind and considerate whilst training them in the right way.

Those who were under Captain Harris—and there are not a few still living—will assuredly endorse this statement; their recollection is that of a superior who, while most emphatically captain of his ship, exercised his authority with never-failing kindness to all, and of whom a disparaging word was never uttered.

Captain Harris, as has already been stated, suffered for his efficiency. His request to be appointed to a sea-going ship was, in fact, refused on the ground that he was doing such good work in the Britannia; and when he was superseded, in October, 1862, without being given another command, he not unnaturally felt that some more practical appreciation of his long and valuable services might well have been displayed.

This apparent injustice remains unexplained; he was not again employed, and died at Southsea, on January 15th, 1865.

Captain Harris married, in 1843, Sophia, daughter of Captain Penruddocke, of the Scots Guards, leaving three sons and two daughters.

Captain Harris was, no doubt, consulted as to the framing of the new regulations, and great indeed must have been his satisfaction on finding his long-cherished scheme adopted at headquarters.

The circular was to come into force in May, 1857; that is to say, it would affect naval cadets who were to join in August of that year. It commences with regulations for the new “five yearly” examination for lieutenant, which does not come within our scope; and the details dealing with the entry of naval cadets will be found in the appendix.[2]

[2] See Appendix II.

The minimum time on the training ship, it will be noticed, was three months; any cadet who felt that he was competent might present himself at the first quarterly examination after joining, and if he passed, would be discharged. The maximum time was one year, and this could only apply to cadets who were under fourteen on joining; the others were bound to present themselves for examination either at the second or third quarterly examination, according to age.

No time was lost in preparing the Illustrious for her new purpose; dockyard hands were speedily at work, and an efficient staff selected to assist Captain Harris, so as to commence, as Sir Charles Wood says in his letter, already quoted, with as good a prospect of success as could be assured, by putting the work into the best hands.

Not the least prominent among the new appointments was the Rev. Robert Inskip, who was transferred from the Victory as principal naval instructor. He had long been associated with Captain Harris in advocating the new scheme, and was, in fact, Cadet Harris’s master during his year of training.

With two such enthusiasts at the head of affairs, there was likely to be no lack of “go” about the start; and although the idea was by no means in universal favour among the captains and admirals of those days, the new step attracted attention in many quarters, and was the subject of laudatory leaders in the Times and other “dailies,” to say nothing of magazine articles.

The keynote in these publications is the same throughout: while approving of the general scheme—which perhaps in most instances the writers were not very well qualified to discuss—they all with one accord declare that no man could be so well fitted for the post of commander as Captain Harris.

“Parents may well rejoice,” says a writer in Fraser’s Magazine (September, 1857), “to have it in their power to bestow on their children the results of the long experience of a man who has passed through all the dangers of the position with credit to himself and advantage to his country.”

The Illustrious was moored off Haslar Creek, on the west side of Portsmouth Harbour, near the entrance, and there on August 5th, 1857, the first batch of cadets, twenty-three in number, joined her.

The staff was as follows:—

Captain Robert Harris.

Lieutenant Geo. Y. Paterson.

Lieutenant Marcus Lowther (in command of Sealark, brig). Lieutenant F. T. Thomson (in command of Bullfinch, tender). Chaplain and Naval Instructor Rev. W. R. Jolley. Chaplain and Naval Instructor Rev. R. M. Inskip. Naval Instructor Kempster M. Knapp.

It is not easy to obtain very precise information as to the routine, but a good deal may be deduced from the subjects of study, as laid down in the Admiralty circular; and the general principle, no doubt, was alternate days at study and seamanship.

The recollection of some survivors of the first batch of cadets is entirely favourable to the ship; very great pains were taken with their education, there was little or no bullying, and the food was good and plentiful.

Lieutenant George S. Nares,[3] when he joined in January, 1858, was placed specially in charge of the cadets, and remained there for about five years (in Illustrious and Britannia), as Captain Harris’s senior executive and right-hand man. Before he joined the cadets were in charge of a gunner; of course the actual instructors in practical seamanship were seamen petty officers, the lieutenants superintending, and conducting the examinations in this branch.

[3] Now Vice-Admiral Sir George S. Nares, K.C.B., etc.

Probably Lieutenant Nares was as good a man as could have been obtained for the post of senior executive. Like his captain, he could combine the fortiter in re with the suaviter in modo, and was always liked by the youngsters, in spite of being compelled to come down on them pretty sharply at times. He was a thoroughly practical seaman, and his seamanship book was always considered the most complete and useful work of the kind in existence. He also patented a life-saving kite, for rescuing people from a wreck on a lee shore, which was ingenious, and perhaps deserved more attention than it received.

Ideas have altered considerably in regard to discipline since those days; and the arrangement at the time was that the cadets should be placed in charge of ships’ corporals for disciplinary purposes. These men were, of course, taken from the ordinary ships’ police, and great care was no doubt exercised in their selection; but there are obvious pitfalls in such a system, both for the corporals and the cadets, into which both not infrequently tumbled.

A corporal who was apt to be too familiar would suffer from the enmity of some, while with others he would be on terms of undue intimacy; a man who was in the least degree retiring, or afraid to assert his authority when necessary, would speedily find himself fitted with an appropriate nickname, which would be shouted after him from hammocks in some obscure corner of the cockpit.

Whether the corporals were open to bribery or not is doubtful; some probably were, and in any case it could not be expected that men of this class would exercise their authority with the strictly judicial mind of an officer of education and experience, especially when dealing with young gentlemen who were their superiors by birth, and would in a few months become so in discipline.

However, good or bad, there they were, and there they remained, as an institution, for years, taking a lion’s share in the discipline of the establishment, while at the same time some at least were permitted to keep a little store of “tuck” and odds and ends, which they sold to the youngsters at a heavy profit.

The prevailing impression left on the minds of some survivors of the early training ship days is that the ship was “run” by the corporals. This, however, is probably over stating the case; youngsters are not able to discriminate accurately in such matters, and the fact that they were brought into more close and frequent contact with the corporals than with the superior officers would be liable to mislead them as to the influence really exercised by the latter.

A vast amount of power was, however, undoubtedly vested in the corporals, who were able, if so disposed, to spite a cadet who might be obnoxious to them in a hundred ways: and, on the other hand, to favour those who thought it worth while to make up to them, calling “Good-night, Corporal Smith!” as he passed under their hammocks, in place of the muttered nickname or ribald rhyme indulged in by the more reckless. As, for instance, the following, aimed at the supposed verdance of the corporals in the matter of seamanship:—

Corporal Stumps and Corporal Taylor

Went to sea in an old tin bailer:

Stumps took the oars and Taylor the sails,

And that is how they got on in the gales.

Withering sarcasm, from some young hero who had just learned to make a bowline knot, and climb over the “futtocks” without blenching!

Needless to say, seamanship days were more in favour with the majority than those devoted to the solution of problems in spherical trigonometry or the pursuit of the unspeakable “X.” The seamanship, pure and simple, of those days contained much that was attractive to youth. Going aloft to loose, furl, or reef the topsails; sitting astride of the yardarm, in the post of honour, and calling “Light out to windward” or “Haul out to leeward” in an authoritative, if shrill and immature, voice; learning intricate knots, and getting well besmeared with tar and grease in the process of splicing a rope or stropping a block: all these were welcome instructions, during which time would fly.

Then there were occasional cruises in the Sealark brig, when the first lieutenant would take out some of the more advanced cadets and make them work the vessel, learning to “haul, reef, and steer,” like Dibdin’s proverbial “jolly tar”; though it is doubtful whether any of them could aspire to the counsel of perfection laid down in the same song, and “laugh at the winds as they roar.”

A playing-field for the cadets was provided at Haslar; but what they played and how they played is more or less a matter of conjecture, as no records are forthcoming. Certainly, there could have been nothing like the systematic pursuit of cricket and excellent coaching which has since become a sine quâ non in every big school, and which was to be very enthusiastically carried out on the Britannia. Nine boys out of ten, however, will play some kind of cricket if they get a chance, and the sort of cricket played by most naval men and boys in those days was not exactly “county form.” Here and there you will come across a lad who cannot help playing cricket well, and appears always to be in good trim, even after a long voyage; and no doubt there were some such among the early cadets: indeed, it is certain that there were, for there are those who can recollect them.

On board the ship one game in particular was in favour; it was exclusively a sea play, and probably is not known in shore schools. It rejoices in the title of “sling the monkey.” The boy who was selected to represent the intelligent quadrumanus was seated in a bowline-knot formed at the end of a rope from a stay overhead, just long enough to permit his feet to touch the deck when at rest. He, and all the others who joined in the game, were armed with a hard-knotted handkerchief, or sometimes a bit of rope—anything in the form of what was known as a “cob” or a “togey”—and the mutual effort of the monkey and the crowd was to get in a good one with the “cob.” The monkey, naturally, came in for pretty severe punishment, which he would endeavour to repay, swinging wildly in the air as he rushed at his tormentors, who had a good chance at him as he swung back, more or less helpless; eventually, however, he would get a resounding whack in on one of the others, who was then installed in his place.

New comers were, of course, subjected to inquisitorial treatment, which gradually took a more or less traditional form as time went on and numbers increased; sometimes they were made to “pay their footing” the first time they went aloft—a time-honoured custom in the Navy, as Captain Marryat testifies; but if the toll took the form of cash, it would certainly bring down condign punishment on the tax gatherer if detected; probably the exaction of “tuck” was the prevailing practice.

Captain Harris had, however, usually a very accurate idea as to what went on in his ship, especially while the number of boys was small, and it is safe to assume that nothing like vicious bullying was carried on.

Meanwhile he and his executive officers, together with the two naval instructors—for Mr. Jolley only did chaplain’s duty—had all their work cut out; the whole system being an untried innovation, everything had to be organised de novo, and it naturally took some time to make all run smoothly.

Mr. Inskip, who remained altogether thirteen years in the two ships, is a very well remembered character among the earlier cadets. He took an immense interest in the lads, and knew them all intimately, discoursing with them on all kinds of subjects out of study hours. It was no uncommon occurrence to see his keen, good-humoured face the centre of a little crowd of cadets, pacing the deck with him, some walking backwards in front, and following up behind as he went back—many of them taller than he was, for he was a little man, with a large heart; and many were the strange sea-tales related during these pleasing promenades. He always had a kindly word for any lad whom he might casually encounter: “Well, Smith, we tackled that chronometer this morning, didn’t we?” or, “How does the Great Circle sailing get on?” He was a very capable instructor, with the knack of imparting his knowledge to others, and many a problem of formidable aspect at starting would assume quite a kindly guise under his hand, as he stood by the black board and dexterously chalked in meridians, parallels, and what not; or came behind some blunderer and reduced the chaos of his mind—and his diagram—to something like order.

One of Mr. Inskip’s sea yarns may be given here as a sample; it is to be presumed that he occasionally amused himself by trying how much the ordinary cadet would swallow—or pretend to swallow.

He related how, when he first went to sea—apparently in some other capacity than that of naval instructor—his outfitter deemed it a good plan to place a layer of bricks at the bottom of his chest. This appeared peculiar, no particular reason being assigned for it. However, he went to sea, bricks and all. When becalmed one day in the tropics, the ship being, of course, surrounded by voracious sharks of enormous dimensions, he suddenly recollected his bricks, and was seized with a remarkable inspiration. Hurrying down to his chest, he took several bricks to the galley, and got the cook to heat them; then wrapping them up, all hot, in a blanket, he watched his opportunity when a monster shark approached, and threw the bundle overboard. The shark immediately seized and bolted it, and apparently felt quite happy—as, indeed, any reasonable shark would under the circumstances. After a time, however, the hot bricks came through the blanket, and the fun began, the monster’s agonies being described in the most graphic style!

REV. R. M. INSKIP AND MR. K. KNAPP.

Mr. Knapp, his assistant, was an equally capable man, but a different character altogether. Very kind of heart and painstaking in his work, he was, at the same time, of an exceedingly irritable temperament, and anything in the shape of inattention or fidgeting among his pupils would certainly bring down retribution in some form on the offender. He possessed remarkable skill in drawing a large circle on the black board—a proceeding very constantly required, of course, in demonstrating problems in nautical astronomy, etc.—and would, unaided by a string or pivot of any kind, produce, after a few preliminary flourishes, like a golfer “addressing” his ball, a perfect circle with one rapid sweep of his hand, and then, after regarding it with a complacent twinkle in his eye for a few moments, dot in the centre with unfailing accuracy. “Knapp’s circles” became a by-word in his class, and all would watch with breathless interest the few little trial strokes in the air, followed by the swift and masterly consummation, which would often be hailed with a murmur of applause, not unpleasing to the master. Those who used to be in his class will recall, however, some occasions on which, after a few preparatory flourishes, he would suddenly drop his arm, and walk, with quick, impatient stride, round the class-room, his hands clasped in front, the chalk in one, and a two-foot rule, resting in the hollow of his arm, in the other. The old hands knew very well what was coming, and sat still as mice while Mr. Knapp perambulated behind their chairs, until, coming to the unfortunate who was fidgeting with his parallel rulers or some such thing—whack! would come the edge of the Gunter’s scale across his knuckles! “Oh, sir!” the victim would exclaim; but, with never a word, the instructor would complete his circuit of the room, and draw a better circle than ever, to the accompaniment of suppressed sniggering at the expense of the fidgeter.

These little amenities did not, however, militate in the least against a very general appreciation of Mr. Knapp’s many good qualities, and as time went on it came to be regarded as an excellent thing to be put in “Knapp’s study,” his boys usually coming well to the front in passing out, besides learning some valuable lessons in repose of deportment.

Although there is, unfortunately, a great dearth of actual record during these times, there is abundant evidence of an implicit nature that the new experiment was turning out a complete success. The letter of Sir Charles Wood to Captain Harris, already quoted, after the training-ship had been established about nine months, testifies to the fact in no stinted terms; and in July, 1858, the staff was increased by two naval instructors, Messrs. J. G. D. Barton and W. D. Hay.

Moreover, about the end of 1857 the ship was devoted exclusively to the training of cadets, the novices being abolished for the time.

Among Captain Harris’s pupils was Prince Alfred (the late Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha), who entered the Service August 31st, 1858.

He did not, however, take up his quarters on board the Illustrious, but attended daily for instruction in seamanship, navigation, etc.

MODEL OF THE FIRST “BRITANNIA,” BUILT IN 1682.

Photo: Cassell & Co., Ltd.

He evidently retained a lasting impression of the excellence of the instruction he had received in the training-ship, for on March 23rd, 1862, when he was getting on towards the time of his examination for sub-lieutenant, he writes to Captain Harris thanking him for a number of questions and answers in seamanship, for which he had evidently applied, and which he states will be invaluable to him for his examination.

Towards the end of 1858 it became apparent that a larger and more commodious ship would soon be required for the increasing number of cadets, the batches necessarily overlapping one another, and the vessel selected for the purpose was the Britannia, a fine three-decked ship of 2,616 tons, carrying 120 guns. She was launched as far back as 1820, and was a large vessel for that time, and considered an excellent sailer. The name has since been associated with the training of young officers, no modern vessel having received it until quite recently.

MODEL OF THE THIRD “BRITANNIA,” BUILT IN 1762.

There were several previous Britannias, as would naturally be expected, the first being launched in 1682. She was of 1,739 tons, and carried twenty-four brass 42-pounders, thirty 18-pounders, twenty 9-pounders, fifteen 5½-pounders, and five 3-pounders, a formidable armament in those days. She was broken up in 1715, and her successor was launched in 1719. She was of 1,869 tons, and carried 100 guns.

The third Britannia dates from 1762, and was also a 100 gun ship, measuring 2,091 tons. This vessel was a very bad sailer, but was constantly in commission, taking part in the action off Cape St. Vincent in 1797, and finally being present at Trafalgar, where she carried the flag of Rear-Admiral the Earl of Northesk, and had ten men killed, and forty-two wounded. Her name was, for some reason, changed after this to St. George.

The fourth Britannia, selected to take the place of the Illustrious, carried the flag of Admiral Dundas in the Crimean War, in the early days of steam, when several sailing line-of-battle ships were employed, being usually towed into action by steamers; she took part in the bombardment of Sevastopol, October 17th, 1854, and at the close of the war was laid up, until the necessary alterations were taken in hand, in 1858, to fit her for her new duties.

All being ready by the end of the year, on January 1st, 1859, during the absence of the cadets for their Christmas leave, Captain Harris shifted his pennant from the Illustrious to her successor, thus commencing a new epoch in the history of the cadets’ training ship.