Nothing, in the eyes of some people, can be commended in the poor old Brit. or the place where she is moored. The captains are all incapable, the officers and masters are worse, the position is insanitary, and nothing is right, in short, except the excellent officers which this dreadful institution turns out! It would not be precisely fulsome if some credit were accorded to the captains and officers for this result, and a small share to the Admiralty for selecting, as a rule, the right men for the post.
However, to quote our friend the editor of the Britannia Magazine, “it is not well to be cynical!”
At Easter, 1902, the Britannia Magazine says:—“Rumours of an increased number in the next entry of cadets are rife, which intelligence, while possibly gladdening the hearts of some hundreds of parents, who are naturally selfishly interested, brings to the authorities’ notice that the additional number have somehow to be accommodated. Various suggestions have been made, but none, to our mind, feasible. A third term cadet has it from the best quarters that a brig is to be moored astern of the Britannia. Another has heard that the senior term captains are to relieve the marine orderlies from their tedious night watch keeping in order to save hammock space.”
The rumour was not without some foundation; but, fortunately, none of the drastic measures alluded to above were found to be necessary.
On March 7th, 1902, the King and Queen came down to lay the foundation-stone of the new College. This was, of course, a tremendous fête day for Dartmouth generally, and the Britannia in particular. Their Majesties arrived in a special train at Kingswear, and crossed the harbour in the Great Western Railway Company’s little steamer the Dolphin, which was profusely decorated. A large wooden pavilion was erected near the site of the College, handsomely hung with [!-- original location of full page illustration --] [!-- blank page --] flags, etc., of various colours. The foundation-stone is a block of Cornish granite, which is to form the base of a column 60 feet high on the left of the main entrance. The casket to contain the coins and records, and the mallet, were made of oak from the old Britannia, and there was, of course, a silver trowel, which was designed by the architect, Mr. Aston Webb.
THE KING’S VISIT, MARCH 7, 1902.
Photo: Russell & Sons, Southsea.
All was going off swimmingly, when it was discovered that the medals, which the King, after declaring the stone “well and truly laid,” was to present to sundry persons, had been left on board the ancient and much-bedizened Dolphin!
What was to be done? The failure of the captain of the Britannia, or whoever was responsible, to produce the medals at the proper moment would, of course, be immediately followed by the mandate, “Off with his head!” or at the least, “To the Tower with the knave!”