The officers who commanded the _Britannia_ during the 'seventies were as follow:-- Captain John Corbett, appointed September 19th, 1867. (He held the appointment for nearly four years, but this is unusual.) Captain the Hon. F. A. C. Foley, appointed August 31st, 1871. Captain William Graham, appointed August 31st, 1874. Captain Henry Fairfax, appointed August 31st, 1877. The total number of cadets entered during this decade was 731, who are accounted for as follows:-- ACTIVE LIST. Captains, 100; commanders, 162; lieutenants, 50. RETIRED LIST. Captains, 11; commanders, 38; lieutenants, 28. thus leaving 339, or 46 per cent., to be reckoned as dead or removed from the Navy List. CHAPTER VI. THE "BRITANNIA" IN THE 'EIGHTIES. Competition Reintroduced--Reduction of Numbers--A Ferocious Examination--The _Britannia_ in the _Times_--"Rule of Thumb" Instruction--"Fire" and "Sword"--"Veritas" at Sea--The _Britannia Magazine_--Editorial Introduction--The Politics of Naval Cadets--Editorial Difficulties--A Questionable Pseudonym--Popular Advertisements--The _Wave_--A True Prediction--An Original Poem--Jones Takes a Lesson to Heart--The _Wave's_ Holiday Trip--A Warning to the Reckless--"First Catch Your Cadet!"--Ambulance Lessons--How to Tell a Toadstool--The Electric Light--Another Committee--It Makes Recommendations--Also Suggestions--Very Unpractical--Captains in the 'Eighties--Statistical Results--A Rapid Rise. This period of our story commences with a considerable reduction in the number of entries; and, as was the case in 1870, this reduction coincides with the introduction of competition, but with more rigorous conditions, both with respect to the proportion of nominations to entries and the nature of the examination. The test examination had already been made more stringent, as stated by Mr. Ward Hunt in the House of Commons, the total number of marks being 1,200, and French a compulsory subject, to the exclusion of geography; indeed, the farce of minimising the importance of the former did not long survive. The number of marks necessary for passing had been augmented, six-tenths, or 720 in the aggregate, being laid down as a minimum, which is a pretty strict test. However, it being considered necessary, apparently, to reduce the entries, a new circular appeared, in January, 1881, of which the principal conditions were as follow:-- Appointments to naval cadetships to be made by limited competition, except four annually to sons of gentlemen in the Colonies, and five Service nominations, selected by the Admiralty from sons of officers of the Army, Navy, and Royal Marines who have been killed in action, lost at sea, killed on duty, or died within six months of injuries received in action or on duty. These cadets will be admitted on passing the preliminary examination, as detailed below.