The allusion to "the Establishment now in force for Voluntiers" is clearly intended to include the King's Letter Boys only, as no other youngsters were shipped at that time under this title; and, in fact, the completion of the Academy was followed by the abolition of the King's letter, but not of the term "Volunteers per Order." No time was lost over the business: the Lords of the Admiralty wrote their letter, as we have seen, on March 3rd, ten days after the Order in Council was signed; and the Navy Board, with most commendable promptitude, posted their letter, with plans, estimate, and recommendation of site complete, on the 12th; that is to say, allowing for Sunday, they took only seven clear days about it! Probably, however, the matter had been under consideration previously, pending the approval of the scheme by the King in Council; but even so, there is an object-lesson to corporations, Government boards, and committees of all sorts and conditions of men; for the Admiralty date their second letter on March 13th, and the whole thing is put through:-- Gentlemen,--You having, with your letter of yesterday's date, transmitted to us the draught of a building which you judge may be proper for an Academy for the reception and better education and training up of forty young gentlemen for His Majesty's Service at sea, instead of the Establishment now in force for Voluntiers on board His Majesty's ships, as also for the reception of a Mathematical Master, three Ushers, and a French Master for their instruction, with a plan of proper outhouses for their accommodation; and you having also transmitted to us an estimate of the charge of the said building, with the plan of the south part of His Majesty's Dockyard at Portsmouth, wherein is described a place in the south-east angle of the said yard, where, in your opinion, the said building may be most conveniently erected; which estimate amounts to Five thousand seven hundred seventy-two pounds, four shillings: We send you the said estimate confirmed by us, and desire and direct you to cause the aforesaid buildings to be gone in hand with, and finished as soon as conveniently may be, at the place and in the manner you have proposed; and herewith we return you the aforesaid draught and plans, &c. (Signed), Torrington, Jo. Cokburne, Cha. Wager, T. Lyttleton, A. Hamilton. These letters are given _in extenso_, as inaugurating a new departure of great importance: a recognition of the necessity for some preliminary scientific training for young naval officers before sending them to sea. The death-knell of the "pitchfork" system is here sounded, though faintly; like many another long-lived system, it died hard, and even struggled into life again, as we shall see, more than a hundred years later.