The Story of the "Britannia" The training ship for naval cadets. With some account of previous methods of naval education, and of the new scheme of 1903.

CHAPTER II.

Chapter 2112 wordsPublic domain

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