TEtE EOYAIj AETILLEUY INSTITUTION. 
245 
Prom thence his Majesty went to the Boyal Military Academy, where he 
saw a very curious model of a fortification, together with the lines of 
approach, parallels, and saps, explained in a very military-like manner by 
the inspector of the Academy, Capt. Smith, who is said to have been 12 
years in the Prussian Service. His Majesty then viewed the drawings and 
other exercises of the Upper Academy, explained by Dr Pollock,* Pro¬ 
fessor of Artillery and Eortification; after which he returned into the grand 
room of the Academy, and was regaled with a breakfast and repast/'’ 
To George III. is attributed the annual privilege still enjoyed by the 
Arsenal workmen of observing the second Saturday in July as a “Bean 
Eeast ” holiday. According to a local tradition, the king, shortly after 
his accession to the throne, was paying an incognito visit to the Woolwich 
Warren, when he chanced to come across a party of the Ordnance labourers 
seated on the grass and discussing their dinner of beans and bacon. 
Entering into conversation with them, in his characteristic manner, George 
III. partook of the men's dinner, and then (after disclosing himself as 
king) promised to obtain for them an annual holiday to commemorate the 
royal bean-feast in the Woolwich Warren. Such is the story. I have 
ineffectually tried to find some official corroboration of it, but all records 
are silent on the subject. Newcastle and many other English towns, have 
annual “Bean Beasts” holidays, and, were it not for the time of year 
specified in the legend, I should be inclined to attempt a more far-fetched 
explanation, and to connect this annual holiday at Woolwich with an 
ancient source, viz. that of the old Epiphany festival of Bean .King which 
superseded the Saturnalia, on the introduction of Christianity into England. 
Towards the middle of the eighteenth century, it appears that convicts 
were extensively employed upon the works in the Warren, and a newspaper 
of September, 1777, mentions that, “The Place where the Convicts are 
now at Work near Woolwich Warren is inclosing on the Land Side with a 
Brick Wall, so that Spectators will soon (if not already) be barred the 
Sight of those miserable Wretches on the Land Side, except at a distance.” 
In Hasted's “ History of Kent, 1778,” there occurs the following de¬ 
scription of the Warren. “ There is both a civil and military branch of 
the office of Ordnance established at Woolwich. The civil branch is under 
the conduct of a Storekeeper, Clerk of the Survey, Clerk of the Cheque, 
Clerk of the Eoundery, and other officers, who have many inferior servants 
and workmen under them. The military branch of the Office of Ordnance 
is under the direction of a chief Engineer, who ranks as Colonel; two 
Directors, who rank as Lieutenant-Colonels ; four Sub-Directors, as Majors* 
The Engineers in ordinary rank as Captains; the Engineers extraordinary, 
as Captain-lieutenants; and the Sub-engineers, as lieutenants. Besides 
which there are several Practitioner Engineers. Under the direction of 
this office, in a place called the Warren , artillery of all kinds and dimensions 
are cast; and afterwards proved before the principal Engineers and Officers 
of the Board of Ordnance, to which many of the Nobility and Gentry are 
often invited, who are afterwards sumptuously entertained by them.” 
# Dr Pollock succeeded Mr Muller (upon superannuation) as Professor of Fortifications, on the 
1st July, 1766 .—Board of Ordnance Select Orders, June 22, 1766, 
