(1) The failure to get the best material in the country. The material is good, but it is not the best that could be had; and we feel convinced that the special preparation of boys before coming to the _Britannia_ does not tend to improve that material. (2) The attempt to teach in the _Britannia_ what cannot be properly learnt at the age of the cadets on board; the result being that the knowledge is mechanical, and that the principles are unintelligently acquired and soon forgotten. They also fall foul of the seamanship instruction, and consider the _Wave_ of very little use, as she is not well adapted for drills, and cannot conveniently go out for more than a day at a time. They recommend that a ship-rigged corvette should be substituted, to be moored abreast the present ships, with a bridge across, so that her upper deck would be available as a playground during short intervals when the cadets cannot land. Under the head of Suggestions, they are bold enough to advocate the abolition of nominations, which they think place artificial difficulties in the way of getting into the Navy; and they suggest that the first test should be the lower certificate of the Oxford and Cambridge Local boards, at about the age of 15, with a further examination at 16 by the Civil Service Commissioners, after which the cadet should have one year's training in practical navigation and seamanship, in a stationary ship or a college. And they consider the Solent a more suitable place for a training-ship than Dartmouth, as the harbour at the latter place would be inconvenient, if not dangerous, for sailing brigs, which they consider necessary. [Illustration: POOP OF THE "BRITANNIA." CADETS AT PRAYERS. _Photo: W. M. Crockett, Plymouth._] Well, the result of all this inquiry and suggestion appears to be, so far as the _Britannia_ is concerned, almost nil. Admiralty nomination continues to be the necessary initial step for entry: there are no Oxford and Cambridge Local certificates required, the _Wave_ is retained, no brigs are attached, nor is a ship-rigged corvette moored alongside with a bridge across; finally, the _Britannia_ remains at Dartmouth. A "recommendation"--apart from "suggestions"--is that nominations should be given at any age after 11 (this with the view of previous preparation); and yet one of the defects said to exist in the present system is special preparation before coming to the _Britannia_! It is a fact that recommendations of specially appointed committees are very rarely acted upon to any great extent; they are frequently very unpractical, or they involve extra expenditure, to which the Admiralty demur. [Illustration: CAPTAIN F. G. D. BEDFORD. (Now Admiral Sir F. G. D. Bedford, G.C.B.) _Photo: Smale & Son, Dartmouth._]