ing," which had come
into fashion with the competition craze, more speedily than by any
ordinary mode of imparting instruction.

So, in accordance with his promise, Dad called on his friend Captain
Gifford the same afternoon in quest of the experienced "coach" or
coachman, whom that gentleman had previously recommended, warranted to
possess the ability to drive knowledge into my head at a sufficient rate
to ensure my "weathering," the examiners when I went before them; and,
ere the close of this memorable week in which I was introduced to
Admiral Sir Charles Napier and got my nomination, I was in as high a
state of "cram" as any Strasbourg goose destined to contribute his quota
to a _pate_ of fat livers.

"Dear, dear, my poor boy!" as mother said to me, "what a lot you have to
learn, to be sure!"

My mother was right you will say when you hear all. I was "a poor boy,"
indeed, and no mistake.

Latin, French, Arithmetic and Algebra, not forgetting my old enemy
Euclid and his compromising propositions, with a synopsis of English
History, and the physical and political geography of the globe, besides
a lot of lesser "ologies," of no interest to anyone save my coach and
myself, but all of which were included in the list of subjects laid down
by the Admiralty as incumbent for every would-be naval cadet to acquire,
were forced into my unfortunate cranium day and night without the
slightest cessation.

The only let off I had were a few hours allowed me for sleep and
refreshment, my hard task-master, the aforesaid coach, an old Cambridge
wrangler, never giving me a moment's respite, insisting, on the
contrary, that he would give _me_ up instead altogether if I once
stopped work!

For the time being I lived in a world of facts and figures, breathing
nothing but dates and exuding mathematical and other data at almost
every pore; so that, by the end of the month I felt myself transformed
into a sort of portable human cyclopaedia, containing a heterogeneous
mass of information of all kinds, as superficial as it was varied.

The knowledge I acquired in this way, however, was only skin deep, so to
to speak, exemplifying the truth of the old adage "lightly come, lightly
go;" for albeit this hot-bed process of imparting learning served its
turn in enabling me to pass the crucial ordeal to which I was subjected,
I verily believe that I could not have answered satisfactorily one tithe
of the questions a fortnight after the dread