Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1880-05-19
SAILOR PRINCES.
Princes Albert Victor and George
and Their Experiences as
Naval Cadets.
New York wOrld.l

New York World.l
No news has yet been received Of
the Atalanta, but the Bacchante,
bearing the future king of England
and his brother, has reached home
safely forty-eight hours ahead of the
date prescribed for her return when
she set out in September last. The
voyage has been an extensive one.
taking in Gibraltar, Palermo and
Messina, Madeira and Teneriffe, Bar
BADGES and the West India islands
and the Bermudas. The idea of pro
longing it so as to allow the princes to
visit Halifax, Quebec, Ottawa and
Niagara was abandoned. The young
princes, as sympathizing readers viii
doubtless be sorry to learn, were ter
ribly seasick" during the earlier part
of the voyage, and though Captain
Lord Charles T. NJ. d. Scott
did not prescribe any of the
heroic remedies for that failing in
youthful subjects which have been re-
cited by The Old Sailor" he GER
tainly obeyed instructions as to Civ
ing them a fair experience of life on
the ocean wave. The Baechante
weighed anchor and left Madeira on
the afternoon of November %, while
"a violent gale" was blowing. Princes
Albert Victor and George were treat
ed throughout the cruise as ordinary
midshipmen, taking the regular round
of duties, messing with their comrades
and distinguished only by special and
separate sleeping accommodations,
with an eye doubtless to the risk of
their being ''cut down" in their sleep
after the fashion cOmmemorated by
Capt. Marryat. Special allowances
were made to the captain and the
ward-rOOm and gun-rOOm messes for
such expenditure as may be directly
consequent upon entertaining guests
who may visit the ship on account of
her having the princes on board -
The cabin of the princes was that
which, had the ship been
a flag ship, would have
been devoted to the use
of the admirals secretary, and com
municated with that of their tutor,
the Rev. John Neale Dalton. The
sole ornaments were portraits with
autographs of their parents, of their
grandmother, the queen, and their
aunt, the Princess Beatrice, and the
furniture consisted of two swinging
cots supported by stanchions and two
sea-chests with regulation outfits
"one-dress coat, vest and trOwsers, y
zone bible, one prayer-boOk, one set
of blacking-brushes, and zone scrub
bing-brush." The Bacchante's ward
room and cabin room, thanks to the
Princess of Wales, were made quite
gay with a series of portraits and of
Autographs after Birket Foster aud a
"a sankee Organ-harmonium," while
Lord Charles SCOTS quarters were
very highly embellished, conspicuous
among the decorations being groups Of
Bacchantes from casts in the British
museum, mounted in blue velvet
frames, and affixed to velvet back
grounds. The Bacchante is a new
unarmored corvette Of 4l30 tons, with
very powerful engines $3.50 horse
power and sixteen guns, though
none of these weapons were 'armor-
piercing" She carried q crew of285
all told, the midshipmen numbering
ID, and besides the two royal cadets
there were two lords and an "honora-
ble." The two princes were entered
as cadets in June, 1877, and followed
the regular routine, serving four
terms 1.-TWO years in all on the train
ing ship Britannia, and then passing a
final examination and joining a sea-
going ship. The large ferret vessels
like the Thunderer and Dreadnought
do not carry either cadets or midship-
men, nor are cadets borne by gun YES
sells and ships of smaller type, as it
is necessary hat naval aspirants
should be well taken care of by an
officer Of mature experience. The
cadet is usually a twelvemonth on
board ship before he qualities as mid
shipman, and he does not pass out OF
the naval instructors hands until he
secures a commission as sub-lieu-
ko..ae