An extraordinary and rare glimpse into the daily life of a cadet and midshipman in the Victorian Navy.

After two years at the Britannia Naval College at Dartmouth, Bryan Godfrey Faussett joined his first ship, HMS Dido, in June 1879 when he was just 15. He wrote long letters home to his family and friends, remarkably making copies that have survived. These provide a very rare glimpse into the life of a midshipman in the Royal Navy of Queen Victoria.

His descriptions of West Africa include the death of the Dido's captain and a conference of local kings and chieftains aboard Dido ship that aimed at resolving disputes among them. Dido also spends time on Africa's east coast at the time of the first Boer war and his descriptions of that conflict, in which some of the crew of the Dido were sent to fight, are fascinating.

In his Foreword, Rear Admiral John Lang says: 'Although still a teenager, he writes well, with an eye for a good story. His sense of humour shines through much of his writing, and he was very evidently a congenial colleague among his shipmates. Common themes include his interest in animals, both dead and alive, and we are introduced to monkeys, a leopard, a turtle, buffaloes and even the cockyollie bird!’