A playing-field for the cadets was provided at Haslar; but what they played and how they played is more or less a matter of conjecture, as no records are forthcoming. Certainly, there could have been nothing like the systematic pursuit of cricket and excellent coaching which has since become a _sine quâ non_ in every big school, and which was to be very enthusiastically carried out on the _Britannia_. Nine boys out of ten, however, will play some kind of cricket if they get a chance, and the sort of cricket played by most naval men and boys in those days was not exactly "county form." Here and there you will come across a lad who cannot help playing cricket well, and appears always to be in good trim, even after a long voyage; and no doubt there were some such among the early cadets: indeed, it is certain that there were, for there are those who can recollect them. On board the ship one game in particular was in favour; it was exclusively a sea play, and probably is not known in shore schools. It rejoices in the title of "sling the monkey." The boy who was selected to represent the intelligent quadrumanus was seated in a bowline-knot formed at the end of a rope from a stay overhead, just long enough to permit his feet to touch the deck when at rest. He, and all the others who joined in the game, were armed with a hard-knotted handkerchief, or sometimes a bit of rope--anything in the form of what was known as a "cob" or a "togey"--and the mutual effort of the monkey and the crowd was to get in a good one with the "cob." The monkey, naturally, came in for pretty severe punishment, which he would endeavour to repay, swinging wildly in the air as he rushed at his tormentors, who had a good chance at him as he swung back, more or less helpless; eventually, however, he would get a resounding whack in on one of the others, who was then installed in his place. New comers were, of course, subjected to inquisitorial treatment, which gradually took a more or less traditional form as time went on and numbers increased; sometimes they were made to "pay their footing" the first time they went aloft--a time-honoured custom in the Navy, as Captain Marryat testifies; but if the toll took the form of cash, it would certainly bring down condign punishment on the tax gatherer if detected; probably the exaction of "tuck" was the prevailing practice. Captain Harris had, however, usually a very accurate idea as to what went on in his ship, especially while the number of boys was small, and it is safe to assume that nothing like vicious bullying was carried on. Meanwhile he and his executive officers, together with the two naval instructors--for Mr. Jolley only did chaplain's duty--had all their work cut out; the whole system being an untried innovation, everything had to be organised _de novo_, and it naturally took some time to make all run smoothly.