It was then the system in the royal yachts to retain the officers in her for long periods. One officer had been in the _Osborne_ for fourteen years. I ventured to suggest to the Prince of Wales that under these conditions his acquaintance with the officers of the Fleet was necessarily limited, and that by means of restricting the time of service in the _Osborne_ to two years, he might become acquainted with a succession of officers. With his habitual courtesy and address, the Prince adopted the suggestion. Queen Victoria was, however, a little perturbed by the change. Her Majesty said to me that she hoped I should not endeavour to change the officers in the royal yacht. "No, ma'am," I replied. "I have no such power. I only made a suggestion to the Prince." "You may be right," said the Queen, "but I am an old woman now, and I like to see faces I know about me, and not have to begin again with new faces." We had some excellent boat-racing in the _Osborne_. One famous race was rowed at Cowes between the officers of the royal yachts _Victoria and Albert_ and _Osborne_, in six-oared galleys. Her Majesty Queen Victoria came down to the jetty to witness the contest. The stroke of the _Victoria and Albert_ was my old comrade in the _Marlborough_ and _Bellerophon_, Swinton Holland. I was stroke of the _Osborne's_ crew. At first the _Osborne_ drew ahead--rather, I think, to {153} the Queen's dismay--but eventually the _Victoria and Albert_ won the race, to the delight of Her Majesty. Another great race was rowed between the _Osborne_ six-oared galley and the Dockyard boat. It took place off Southsea, the whole of the foreshore being lined with people. The _Osborne_ won. Her boat was manned by Irish bluejackets whom I had trained myself. While I was commanding the _Osborne_ one of the crew met with a singular accident. We were shooting the seine off Calshot, and, as it fouled, I sent a man down to clear it. When he came up, he said that he had been stabbed through the hand "by some beast." I examined the wound and found that his hand had been pierced right through, and I thought that he must have come upon a nail or a splinter in a piece of wreckage. But when we hauled up the seine, there was a huge sting-ray. I cut out the sting and gave it to the Princess. There is no doubt that the fish had transfixed the man's hand. The sailor is still alive, and is well known in Portsmouth for his political enthusiasms. It was in the same haul that we caught a red mullet weighing about six pounds, the biggest I have ever seen. I ought here to record the very great interest taken by the Royal Family in all matters connected with the Navy. While I was in command of the _Osborne_, the Prince of Wales graciously consented to attend one of the gatherings of members of Parliament who came at my invitation to see something of the Navy. On this occasion they visited Portsmouth Dockyard, where they were shown everything of interest.