Enough has been said, perhaps, about the games to indicate what an important place they are assigned in the general programme of the Britannia, and with what keenness and uniform success they are pursued. As the editor remarks, in the opening number of the magazine, no school has such a variety of fixtures; “we want a whole Bell’s Life to ourselves,” he says.
The playing fields could scarcely be surpassed, one would imagine: a good idea of their extent and quality and also of the amount of work entailed in their construction may be obtained from the illustrations. That high bank which separates the two cricket grounds, and the smaller one at the further side of the upper ground, mean a lot of navvies’ work; but no expense or trouble has been spared in the matter, the Admiralty possibly holding the view that if, as was said by a great soldier, British military victories are won on the playing fields at Eton, they are not going to give the Navy any excuse for not winning victories on the score of inefficient playing fields! Certainly, money so expended is money well spent. Since the early days of the Britannia a complete revolution has taken place in the matter of recognised recreation for both soldiers and sailors—officers and men. Formerly they had to do as best they could, by private subscriptions, both for indoor and outdoor games; now a large sum is voted annually for the purpose, and the Britannia games and playing fields bear witness that the Admiralty is not behind the times in this respect.
VIEW FROM THE NEW COLLEGE.
Photo: Smale & Son, Dartmouth.
CHAPTER IX.
CONCLUSION.
Forty-Six Years’ Record—Internal Arrangements—Swimming Baths—“On Their Honour”—No More Sails—The Revenge as a Picture—The Isis and Aurora—Lieutenants’ Adventure—Scotch Hospitality—Shooting Instruction—“Good Fishing”—A Creditable Record—The Cost of the Britannia—The Instructional Staff—An Excellent Arrangement—A Heavy Responsibility—Discharged Right Well—The New Scheme—Utilitarian Buildings—The Racer Again—Popularity of Practical Mechanics—No Half Measures.
HAVING followed the story of the Britannia from her cradle—but not to her grave, as interment would be premature at present—it only remains to add a few details and remarks on the general arrangements as now existing, and on the results of the work performed in the training of young officers during the period of forty-six years since the institution of the Illustrious under Captain Harris, together with a brief description of the new scheme which is now in operation, concurrently with the last days of the Britannia.
The arrangements and general condition of the two ships which constitute the establishment, as the result of many years of experience and successive improvements under various captains, are such as to impress most favourably anyone who has had experience in naval discipline and the adaptation of ships to such purposes. Whatever may be the views held by various officers and others as to the advisability of using a stationary ship in preference to a college—and they are many and diverse, as we have seen—there can be but one opinion as to the high state of perfection which has been attained in the Britannia, whether from a sanitary, a disciplinary, or an educational point of view.