“There is a home at Poplar for the reception and care of boys about to be sent to sea under the charge of the shipping officer, who is duly licensed by the Board of Trade. This is a most valuable branch of the school, offering a home to lads returning from sea, who would otherwise fall into the hands of low lodging-house keepers.
“The school authorities constantly receive the most favourable accounts of the lads thus sent to sea, who are well reported on by captains of ships both as regards character and ability in seamanship.
“The result of this experiment, now extending over a period of ten years, proves beyond question that boys can be as speedily and efficiently trained on board a model training ship built on land, as on board a stationary one moored in a harbour or river.
“This opinion has been fully and publicly endorsed by Captain Burney, R.N., Superintendent of the Royal Hospital School at Greenwich, where a large model full-rigged ship (most complete and thorough in all its arrangements) has been built, and by means of which, he maintains, he can prepare boys for sea as efficiently as on board a floating training ship.
“In this, as in many other matters, there is a great deal of popular prejudice to overcome, and perhaps the most effective way to do so would be by inducing the governing bodies of such schools as Eton, Harrow, and Rugby to erect model training ships on their grounds for the use of their boys. It cannot be doubted that these ships would be as popular amongst them as their present School Volunteer Corps undoubtedly are.”
* * * * *
[After many visits to the floating training ships, and inspection of the ‘Endeavour,’ and of the Greenwich School, where 1000 boys are trained for sea without the expense and inconveniences of a ship, I fully concur in the opinions of Captain Brookes and Capt. Burney, C.B., and I consider that the best mode of training boys for the commercial navy is to have a light and roomy building on shore with one or more “tender” brigs for cruising, and plenty of boats, and a good gymnasium and swimming bath. A floating hulk is more costly to maintain. It is inconvenient for education from want of light below, and for exercise all the winter from wet decks above, and moreover, the need of a “tender” for each hulk is already acknowledged, so that her sheet anchor is only sentiment.]
J. Macgregor.
‘ENDEAVOUR.’—(Land Ship.)
About thirty-five years ago, this land-ship, with masts and sails and guns, was set up at the Norwood Poor Law Establishment, by the exertions of the late Sir J. K. Shuttleworth, Bart., and one somewhat similar and useful (to a certain extent) was established in a Union School at Stepney. Of the boys instructed by this means, 95 out of 100 voluntarily entered the Army or Navy, but doubtless the supply for sea life is now better obtained from establishments more distinctly nautical. In the report of the North Surrey District Schools “the mast and shrouds” of the Land Ship there are said to be useful in inducing boys to go to sea. (Times, September 3, 1878.)