In the _Times_ of August 24th, 1887, there is a letter over the signature "Veritas," in which the writer compares the cost per head per annum in the _Britannia_ with that of the Naval Engineer Training Schools at Portsmouth and Devonport. An engineer student, according to this gentleman, cost the Government about £54 per annum, while a cadet cost £95; and, moreover, the engineer students, he contends, were able to do useful work in the fitting shops, etc., and so saved the Government something in this way. The expense of the _Britannia_ is, he says, incurred in teaching the cadets "knots and splices," and the "now almost obsolete art of seamanship." It is to be feared that the _nom de plume_ which this writer assumes is scarcely justified by such an assertion, as the following details of the curriculum on board the _Britannia_ at this time demonstrate pretty clearly:-- SUBJECTS TAUGHT. Arithmetic. Euclid. Navigation and nautical astronomy. Spherical trigonometry (theoretical). Spherical trigonometry (practical). Charts. Steam. Drawing (model and freehand). Algebra. Plane trigonometry (theoretical). Plane trigonometry (practical). English. Use of instruments. Natural philosophy. French. Drawing (mechanical). Seamanship. Too many subjects, perhaps; but certainly not seamanship to the exclusion of all else, as is clearly implied by "Veritas." Moreover, the art of seamanship--_i.e._ of handling a ship on all occasions to the best advantage--can never become obsolete so long as there are ships afloat; it may change its nature, and the consequent requirements of a good seaman, who is still, however, _par excellence_, the man who can efficiently manage the ship or boat committed to his charge. There are some who should know better than "Veritas"--as, for instance, Captain (now Admiral) Fitzgerald--who at this very time complained that seamanship was too much sacrificed in the _Britannia_ to a multiplicity of other subjects. However, it is time to drop this more or less academic discussion, and see how the general story goes on in the 'eighties. One of the most important events was the establishment of the _Britannia Magazine_, in February, 1884, and its _raison d'être_, together with the hopes and fears of the editor, are clearly set forth in the opening article as follows:-- We are going to have a magazine. Certainly! Every flourishing body has its organ. We have opinions far too good to be limited to sanctuary chairs, far too noble to be confined to the narrow limits of the messroom. Why should we not bring them out to the world?