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AUTHENTIC NARRATIVE 
 
 OF THE 
 
 DEATH 
 
 OF 
 
 LORD NELSON: 
 
 COMPRISING 
 
 SEVERAL IXTERESTING CIRCUMSTANCES TRECEDING, 
 ATTENDING, AND SUBSEQUENT TO, THAT EVENT ; 
 
 TOGETHER WITH 
 
 THE PROFESSIONAL RECORD 
 
 OF iiis lordship's fatal wound. 
 
 By WILLIAM l^EATTY, M.D. 
 
 F.R.S. F.L.S. &C.&C. 
 Member of the Royal Colleges of Physicians of London and Edinburgh ; Physician 
 Extraordinary to His Majesty for Scotland; late Physician of the Clianuel Fleet, 
 and Physician of Greenwich Hospital. 
 
 THIRD EDITION, 
 
 WITH ADDITIONS, NOTES, &C. 
 
 LONDON : 
 
 PUBLISHED BY W. MASON, 
 
 PICKETT-STRl^rT, STRAND. 
 
 1825. 
 
 > > , > > 
 
 

 2>0lob 
 
 t. white, printer, 
 johitson's court, fleet street. 
 
 • •••••• 
 
 • • • • •• 
 ••• •••• • 
 
/ l> 
 
 a 
 
 PREFACE 
 
 TO THE THIRD EDITION. 
 
 In consequence of the various quotations 
 from^ and allusions to the contents of the fol- 
 lowing pages^ which have appeared in some 
 recent publications on the Naval History of 
 this country^ the Author feels called upon to 
 publish a new Edition thereof and has availed 
 himself of the opportunity to subjoin Notes in 
 reference to some animadversions set forth in 
 one of the works above adverted to^ on a par- 
 ticular passage of this Narrative, which was 
 originally published soon after the memo- 
 rable Battle off' Trafalgar. It contains 
 an recount of the most interesting incidents 
 / liOhich occurred on board the Victory^ bearing 
 the flag of the Commander in Chief \ from the 
 time of her sailing from England, in the 
 month of September, till the day of battle 
 inclusively ; with a detail of. the particulars 
 of Lord 1!^elson's Death, the mode adopted 
 
IV 
 
 for presei'ving His Lordship's Remains 
 during the subsequent tedious passage of the 
 Victory to England^ and the actual condition 
 of the Body whefiit was deposited in Greenwich 
 Hospital, This brief statement of facts and 
 incidents was deemed at that epoch a seasonable 
 though an inconsiderable tribute of respect to 
 the memory of the departed Hero^ as well as 
 an important professional document which the 
 British Nation had a positive right to expect 
 from the medical officer who had the melancholy 
 honour of being his chief professional at- 
 tendant on that responsible occasion: and 
 is presumed to be not unappropriately con- 
 cluded by observations on the state of His 
 Lordship's health for some time previous to 
 his fall ; with his habits of Ife, and other in- 
 dications conveying a strong inference that few 
 men had a greater prospect of attaining old 
 age, a conclusion widely at variance mth the 
 opinion generally entertained on that subject. 
 
 Royal Infirmary, Greenwich Hospital, 
 ^Ist October, 1824. 
 
NARRATIVE. 
 
 Lord Nelson sailed from St. Helens 
 in the Victory, with the Euryalus fri- 
 gate, on the morning of the 15th of Sep- 
 tember 1805, to take the command of 
 the British Fleet cruizing before Cadiz. 
 On the 18th he appeared off Plymouth; 
 where he was joined by his Majesty's ships 
 Thunder and Ajax, with which he pro- 
 ceeded for his destined station. On the 
 20th he communicated by private signal 
 with the squadron under the command 
 of Rear- Admiral Stirling, which passed 
 within a few miles of the Victory; and 
 the same day at noon, spoke his Majesty's 
 ship Le Decade, bearing the flag of Rear- 
 
 B 
 
2 
 
 Admiral Sir Richaud Bickerton, then 
 on his return to England. 
 
 Some bad weather and adverse winds 
 were experienced by the Victory in cross- 
 ing the Bay of Biscay, and on the 27th 
 Cape St. Vincent was seen. Lord Nelson 
 had dispatched the Euryalus ahead on the 
 preceding day, to acquaint Admiral Col- 
 LiNGwooD with his approach; and to di- 
 rect that no salute should take place, nor 
 any pubhc compliments be paid to his flag, 
 on his assuming the command, in order 
 that the Enemy might be kept ignorant 
 of a reinforcement being received by the 
 British Fleet. In the evening of the 28th, 
 the Victory joined the Fleet ; now con- 
 sisting of twenty-seven ships of the line, 
 including the Victory, Ajax, and Thun- 
 derer : the city of Cadiz was seen distant 
 about fifteen miles, with the Combined 
 Fleets at anchor ; and Admiral Louis, with 
 five or six ships under his command, close 
 in shore, watching the motions of the 
 Enemy. 
 
On the 29th, prompt and decisive 
 measures were adopted to prevent the 
 Enemy from receiving any supplies of 
 provisions by sea, which His Lordship 
 was informed they were very much dis- 
 tressed for : cruizers were stationed off the 
 Capes St. Vincent, St. Mary's, and Tra- 
 falgar; and the frigates Euryalus and 
 Hydra were ordered to keep off the en- 
 trance of Cadiz. His Lordship now 
 retired with the Fleet to the vicinity of 
 Cape St. Mary's, about fifty or sixty miles 
 westward of Cadiz ; keeping up a con- 
 stant communication with the frigates in 
 shore, by means of three or four ships of 
 the line placed at convenient intervals for 
 distinguishing the signals of each other. 
 This distance from the Enemy's port was 
 preserved by His Lordship, to prevent 
 them from being speedily acquainted with 
 the force of the Fleet under his command ; 
 and that he might avoid the necessity of 
 bearing up in bad weather, and running 
 with the Fleet through the Straits of 
 
Gibraltar when the westerly gales prevail- 
 ed : as the inconvenience of beino; forced 
 into the Mediterranean, had been felt by 
 former Commanders in Chief ; and would 
 now have afforded a favourable opportu- 
 nity to the Enemy of effecting their escape 
 from Cadiz, or at all events have rendered 
 their obtaining supplies less difficult. 
 
 On the 1st of October Admiral Louis 
 joined the Fleet, with a part of his squa- 
 dron (the CanopuSj Spencer, and Tigre), 
 from before Cadiz ; and departed the next 
 day wdth those ships, the Queen, and the 
 Zealous, for Gibraltar, to procure a supply 
 of provisions, stores, and water, which they 
 were much in want of. On the 4th he 
 rejoined with his squadron ; having re- 
 ceived intelligence from the Euryalus by 
 telegraph, that the French ships in Cadiz 
 were embarking their troops, and prepar- 
 ing to sail. Lord Nelson however con- 
 ceived this to be merely intended as a 
 stratagem to draw him nearer to Cadiz, 
 for the purpose of obtaining an accurate 
 
5 
 
 knowledge of his force ; and therefore di- 
 rected Admiral Louis to proceed in t|ie 
 execution of the orders before delivered to 
 him. 
 
 Between the 7th and the 13th, His 
 Lordship was reinforced by the Royal 
 Sovereign, Bellisle, Defiance, Agamemnon, 
 and Africa, from England, and the Le- 
 viathan from Gibraltar. The Agamem- 
 non, Sir Edward Berry, joined on the 
 13th ; ^ with intelligence that she had been 
 chased on the coast of Portugal a few days 
 before by an Enemy's squadron, consisting 
 of six sail of the line. 
 
 On the 13tliin the evening, Sir Robert 
 Calder, in his Majesty's ship the Prince 
 
 ^ By this ship His Lordship received some news- 
 papers from England, one of which contained a para- 
 graph stating that General Mack was about to be 
 appointed to the command of the Austrian armies in 
 Germany. On reading this, His Lordship made the 
 following observation : " I know General Mack too 
 well. He sold the King of Naples ; and if he be now 
 entrusted with an important command, he will certainly 
 betray the Austrian monarchy." 
 
6 
 
 of Wales, parted company with the Fleet, 
 ou his return to England. His departure 
 Lord Nelson had some days before 
 evinced an anxious wish to procrastinate, 
 and was heard that very day to declare 
 his firm belief that the Combined Fleets 
 would be at sea in the course of ten days 
 or a fortnight. ^ 
 
 On the 18th the Donegal, Captain 
 Malcolm, left the Fleet for Gibraltar. 
 On the 19th his Majesty's ships the Co- 
 lossus, Mars, Defence, and Agamemnon, 
 formed the cordon of communication with 
 the frigates in shore: the Fleet was lying to. 
 About half past nine in the morning, the 
 
 ^ Captain Hardy left England in a bad state of 
 health, with which he had been afflicted during the 
 last twelve months ; but was now in a progressive state 
 of amendment. Lord Nelson asked the Surgeon this 
 day, *' how long he thought it might be before Captain 
 Hardy's perfect recovery;" and on the Surgeon's 
 answering that '' he hoped not more than a fortnight 
 — " Ah !" replied His Lordship, ** before a fortnight 
 the Enemy will be at sea, the business will be done, 
 and we shall be looking out for England." 
 
MarSj being one of the ships nearest to 
 the Fleet, repeated the signal from the 
 ships further in shore, that " the Enemy 
 were coming out of port/' Lord Nelson 
 immediately ordered the general signal to 
 be made, with two guns, for a chace in the 
 south-east quarter. The wind was now 
 very light ; and the breezes partial, mostly 
 from the south-south-west. The Fleet made 
 all possible sail ; and about two o'clock 
 the Colossus and Mars repeated signals 
 from the ships in shore, communicating 
 the welcome intelligence of '' the Enemy 
 being at sea.'' This cheered the minds ol 
 all on board, with the prospect of realiz- 
 ing those hopes of meeting the Enemy 
 which had been so long and so sanguinely 
 entertained. It was well known to His 
 Lordship, that all the Enemy's ships had 
 the iron hoops on their masts painted 
 black ; whereas the British ships, with the 
 exception of the Bellisle and Polyphemus, 
 had theirs painted yellow : and as he con- 
 sidered that this would serve for a ver}^ 
 
8 
 
 good mark of distinction in the heat of 
 battle, he made known this circumstance 
 to the Fleet, and accordingly ordered the 
 Bellisle and Polyphemus to paint their 
 hoops yellow; but the evening being far 
 advanced when the signal was made to 
 them for this purpose. His Lordship 
 fearing that it might not be distinctly un- 
 derstood, sent the Entreprenante cutter to 
 them to communicate the order. 
 
 During the night the Fleet continued 
 steering to the south-east under all sail, in 
 expectation of seeing the Enemy ; and at 
 day-break on the 20th found itself in the 
 entrance of the Straits of Gibraltar, but 
 nothing of the Enemy to be discovered. 
 The Fleet now wore, and made sail to the 
 north-west; and at seven in the morning 
 the Phoebe was seen making signals for 
 ^Vthe Enemy bearing north.'' At eight 
 o'clock the Victory hove to ; and Admiral 
 CoLLiNGWOOD, with the Captains of the 
 Mars, Colossus, and Defence, came on 
 board, to receive instructions from His 
 
9 
 
 Lordship: at eleven minutes past nine 
 they returned to their respective ships, and 
 the Fleet made sail again to the northvi^ard. 
 
 In the afternoon the wind increased, 
 and blew fresh from the south-west; which 
 excited much apprehension on board the 
 Victory, lest the Enemy might be forced 
 to return to port. The look-out ships, 
 however, made several signals for seeing 
 them, and to report their force and bear- 
 ings. His Lordship was at this time 
 on the poop ; and turning round, and ob- 
 serving a group of Midshipmen assem- 
 bled together, he said to them with a smile, 
 " This day or to-morrow will be a fortunate 
 one for you, young men,'' alluding to their 
 being promoted in the event of a victory. 
 
 A little before sunset the Euryalus 
 communicated intelligence by telegraph, 
 that " the Enemy appeared determined to 
 go to the westward."' His Lordship upon 
 this ordered it to be signified to Captain 
 Blackwood (of that ship) by signal, that 
 " he depended on the Euryalus for keeping 
 
 c 
 
10 
 
 sight of the Enemy during the night/' The 
 night signals were so clearly and distinctly 
 arranged by His Lordship, and so well 
 understood by the respective Captains, that 
 the Enemy's motions continued to be made 
 known to him with the greatest facility 
 throughout the night : a certain number of 
 guns, with false fires and blue lights, an- 
 nounced their altering their course, wear- 
 ing, and making or shortening sail; and 
 signals communicating such changes were 
 repeated by the look-out ships, from the 
 Euryalus to the Victory. 
 
 The Enemy wore twice during the 
 night : which evolution was considered by 
 His Lordship as shewing an intention, on 
 their part, of keeping the port of Cadiz 
 open ; and made him apprehend that on 
 seeing the British Fleet, they would effect 
 their retreat thither before he could bring 
 them to a general action. He was there- 
 fore very careful not to approach their 
 Fleet near enough to be seen by them be- 
 fore morning. 
 
11 
 
 The British Fleet wore about two 
 o'clock in the morning ; and stood on the 
 larboard tack with their heads to the north- 
 ward, carrying their topsails and foresails, 
 and anxiously expecting the dawn of day. 
 When that period arrived, the Combined 
 Fleets were distinctly seen from the Vic- 
 tory's deck, formed in a close line of battle 
 ahead on the starboard tack, standing to 
 the south, and about twelve miles to lee- 
 ward. They consisted of thirty-three ships 
 of the line; four of which w^ere three- 
 deckers, and one of seventy guns : the 
 strength of the British Fleet was twenty- 
 seven ships of the line; seven of which 
 were three-deckers, and three of sixty- 
 four guns. Lord Nelson had, on the 
 10th, issued written Instructions to the 
 Admirals and Captains of the Fleet indi- 
 vidually, pointing out his intended mode 
 of attack in the event of meeting the 
 Enemy ;^ and now, previously to appear- 
 
 ' These InstmctioDS will be found at the end of the 
 Narrative. 
 
12 
 
 ing himself on deck, he directed Captain 
 Hardy to make the necessary signals for 
 the order and disposition of the Fleet ac- 
 cordingly. 
 
 His Lordship came upon deck soon 
 after day-light : he was dressed as usual in 
 his Admiral's frock-coat, bearing on the 
 left breast four stars of different orders 
 which he always wore with his common 
 apparel.^ He displayed excellent spirits, 
 and expressed his pleasure at the prospect 
 of giving a fatal blow to the naval power 
 of France and Spain ; and spoke with con- 
 fidence of obtaining a signal victory not- 
 withstanding the inferiority of the British 
 Fleet, declaring to Captain Hardy, that 
 " he would not be contented with capturing 
 less than twenty sail of the line/' He 
 
 4 His Lordship did not wear his sword in the Bat- 
 tle of Trafalgar : it had been laken from the place where 
 it hung up in his cabin, and was laid ready on his table ; 
 but it is supposed he forgot to call for it. This was 
 the only action in which he ever appeared without a 
 sword. 
 
1^ 
 
 afterwards pleasantly observed that " the 
 21st of October was the happiest day in 
 the year among his familj'^/' but did not 
 assign the reason of this.^ His Lordship 
 had previously entertained a strong pre- 
 sentiment that this would prove the auspi- 
 cious day ; and had several times said to 
 Captain Hardy and Doctor Scott (Chap- 
 lain of the ship, and Foreign Secretary to 
 the Commander in Chief, whose intimate 
 friendship he enjoyed), " The 21st of Octo- 
 ber will be our day. 
 
 The wind was now from the west ; but 
 the breezes were very light, with a long 
 heavy swell running. The signal being made 
 for bearing down upon the Enemy in two 
 
 ^ It has been since recollected that on the 2 1st of 
 October 1757, His Lordship's maternal uncle, Captain 
 Suckling, in the Dreadnought, in company with two 
 other line of battle ships, attacked and beat off a French 
 squadron of four sail of the line and three frigates, off 
 Cape FranQois. The French Commodore was towed 
 into Cape Fran9ois ; and the English ships, being too 
 much disabled to follow up their success, bore away to 
 Jamaica to refit. 
 
14' 
 
 lines, the British Fleet set all possible sail. 
 The lee line, consisting of thirteen ships, 
 was led bj Admiral Collingwood in the 
 Royal Sovereign ; and the weather line, 
 composed of fourteen ships, by the Com- 
 mander in Chief in the Victory. His 
 Lordship had ascended the poop, to have 
 a better view of both lines of the British 
 Fleet : and while there, gave directions for 
 takino; down from his cabin the different 
 fixtures and decorations, amongst which 
 there was the portrait of Lady Hamilton : 
 addressing himself in an affable manner on 
 the occasion to the persons to be employed 
 in this business. Shortly after this he 
 quitted the poop, and retired to his cabin 
 for a few minutes : where he committed to 
 paper the following short but devout and 
 fervent ejaculation, which must be uni- 
 versally admired as highly characteristic of 
 the Christian hero : 
 
 ^' May the great God whom I 
 worship, grant to my Country, 
 
15 
 
 and for the benefit of Europe in 
 general^ a great and glorious vic- 
 tory ; may no misconduct in any 
 one tarnish it, and may humanity 
 after victory be the predominant 
 feature in the British Fleet ! For 
 myself individually, I commit my 
 life to Him that made me ; and 
 may His blessing alight on my 
 endeavours for serving my Coun- 
 try faithfully ! To Him I resign 
 myself, and the just cause w^hich 
 is entrusted to me to defend. 
 Amen, Amen, Amen/'^ 
 
 This prayer and the codicil-f-lo his will 
 were both written with His Lordship's 
 own hand, within three hours before the 
 commencement of the engagement. 
 
 # 
 
 The original MS. of this truly divine effusion is 
 appended to the codicil of His Lordship*S will, and 
 may be seen at Doctors' Commons. 
 
 t Vide, page 99. 
 
16 
 
 As the Victory drew near to the 
 Enemy, His Lordship, accompanied by 
 Captain Hardy, and the Captains of the 
 four frigates (Euryalus, Naiad, Sirius, and 
 Phcebe) who had been called on board by 
 signal to receive instructions, visited the 
 different decks of the ship. He addressed 
 himself to the officers and people at their 
 several quarters, admonishing them against 
 firing a single shot without being sure of 
 their object ; and expressed himself to the 
 former highly satisfied with the arrange- 
 ments made at their respective stations. 
 
 It was now plainly perceived by all on 
 board the Victor}^ that from the very com- 
 pact line which the Enemy had formed, 
 they were determined to make one great 
 effort to recover in some measure their 
 long-lost naval reputation. They wore in 
 succession about twenty minutes past seven 
 o'clock ; and stood on the larboard tack, 
 with their heads toward Cadiz. They had 
 a good deal of sail set ; steering about two 
 points from the wind, keeping their top-sails 
 shivering. Their van was particularly 
 
17 
 
 closed, having the Santissima Trinidada 
 and the Bucentaur the ninth and tent ships, 
 the latter the flag-ship of Admiral Ville- 
 NEUVE : but as the Adniirals of the Com- 
 bined Fleets declined shewing their flags 
 till the heat of the battle was over, the for- 
 mer of these ships was only distinguished 
 from the rest by her having four decks ; 
 and Lord Nelson ordered the Victory to 
 be steered for her bow. 
 
 Several Officers of the ship now com- 
 municated to each other their fears and 
 anxiety for His Lordship's personal 
 safety, to which every other consideration 
 seemed to give way. Indeed all were con- 
 fident of gaining a glorious victory, but the 
 apprehensions for His Lordship were 
 great and general ; and the Surgeon made 
 known to Doctor Scott his fears that His 
 Lordship would be made the object of 
 the Enemy's marksmen, and his desire 
 that he might be entreated by somebody 
 to cover the stars on his coat with a hand- 
 kerchief. Doctor ScoTT and Mr. Scott 
 
 D 
 
18 
 
 Public Secretary) both observed, how- 
 ever, that such a request would have no 
 effect ; and that they also knew His Lord- 
 ship's feelings on that subject so well, that 
 they were sure he would be greatly dis- 
 pleased with whoever should take the 
 liberty of recommending any change in 
 his dress on this account : and when the 
 Surgeon declared to Mr. Scott that he 
 would avail himself of the opportunity of 
 making his sick-report for the day,^ to sub- 
 
 ' The Victory's sick-report for this day numbered 
 only ten convalescents, who all attended their respec- 
 tive quarters during the battle ; and the whole Fleet 
 was in a high state of health. Indeed the excellent 
 health enjoyed by the crew of the Victory from De- 
 cember J 804 up to this period, is perhaps unprece- 
 dented : and is attributable solely to Captain Hardy's 
 attention to their subordination, temperance, warm 
 clothing, and cleanliness; together with the means daily 
 adopted to obviate the effects of moisture, and to ac- 
 complish the thorough ventilation of every part of the 
 ship. 
 
 The Victory arrived at Spithead from the memor- 
 able and arduous chace of the Enemies' Fleets to Egypt 
 and the West Indies, in August 1805 : and notwith- 
 standing the operation of the unfavourable circum- 
 
19 
 
 mit his sentiments to the Admiral, Mr. 
 Scott observed, " Take care, Doctor, 
 what you are about; I would not be the 
 man to mention such a matter to him/' 
 The Surgeon notwithstanding persisted in 
 his design, and remained on deck to find a 
 proper opportunity for addressing His 
 Lordship; but this never occurred: as 
 His LoiiDSHiP continued occupied with 
 the Captains of the frigates (to whom he 
 w^as explaining his intentions respecting the 
 services they were to perform during the 
 battle) till a short time before the Enemy 
 
 stances of rapid change of climate, and the privation 
 of refreshments experienced in that chace, as well as 
 frequent increase of numbers (as in the West Indies 
 there were at one time embarked in her above 990 
 souls), there was not now a single hospital-patient on 
 board, nor did any occur during the several weeks of 
 her stay in England ; with which Lord Nelson express- 
 ed himself much gratified when he joined the ship again, 
 on the 14th of September at St. Helen's. The Vic- 
 tory's casualties from the 29th of December 1 804 to the 
 20th of October following, were only five fatal cases (one 
 of these by accidental injury), and only two patients sent 
 to a naval hospital. 
 
20 
 
 opened their fire on the Royal Sovereign, 
 when Lord Nelson ordered every indi- 
 vidual not stationed on the quarter-deck or 
 poop to repair to their proper quarters ; 
 and the Surgeon, much concerned at this 
 disappointment, retired from the deck with 
 several other Officers/ 
 
 The boats on the quarters of the ship, 
 being found in the way of the guns, were 
 now lowered down, and towed astern. 
 Captain Blackwood, of the Eurj^alus, 
 remained on board the Victory till a few 
 minutes before the Enemy began to fire 
 upon her. He represented to His Lord- 
 ship, that his flag-ship would be singled out 
 and much pressed by the Enemy ; and sug- 
 gested the propriety therefore of permitting 
 one or two ships of his line to go ahead of 
 the Victory, and lead her into action, 
 
 ^ It has been reported, but erroneously, that His 
 Lordship was actually requested by his Officers to 
 change his dress, or to cover his stars; in fact nothing 
 took place on this point farther than is recited in the 
 text. 
 
21 
 
 which might be the means of drawing in 
 some measure the Enemy^s attention from 
 her. To this Lord Nelson assented, and 
 at half past nine o'clock he ordered the 
 Temeraire and Leviathan by signal (the 
 former of which ships, being close to the 
 Victory, was hailed by His Lordship) to 
 go ahead for that purpose ; but from the 
 light breeze that prevailed they were un- 
 able, notwithstanding their utmost efforts, 
 to attain their intended stations. Captain 
 Blackwood foresaw that this would be 
 the case ; and as the Victory still continued 
 to carry all her sail, he wished Captain 
 Hardy to submit to His Lordship, that 
 unless her sail was in some degree shortened, 
 the two ships just mentioned could not 
 succeed in getting ahead previously to the 
 Enemy's line being forced : this however 
 Captain Hardy declined doing, as he con- 
 ceived His Lordship's ardour to get into 
 battle would on no account suffer such a 
 measure.^ 
 
 ^ His LoRDSHir just at this time found fault with 
 
£2 
 
 About halt' an hour before the Enemy 
 opened their fire, the memorable telegra- 
 phic signal was made, that " England 
 
 EXPECTS EVERY MAN WILL DO HIS 
 
 DUTY,^' which was spread and received 
 throughout the Fleet with enthusiasm. It 
 is impossible adequately to describe by 
 any language, the lively emotions excited 
 in the crew of the Victory when this pro- 
 pitious communication was made known 
 to them : confidence and resolution were 
 strongly pourtrayed in the countenance of 
 all ; and the sentiment generally expressed 
 to each other was, that they would prove to 
 their Country that day, how well British 
 seamen could " do their duty'' when led 
 to battle by their revered Admiral. The 
 signal was afterwards made to " prepare to 
 anchor after the close of the day ;'' and 
 
 the Officer commanding on the forecastle, because the 
 lee (or starboard) lower studding-sail had not been set 
 sooner; a circumstance which, though trivial in itself, 
 shews how well Captain Hardy knew His Lord- 
 ship's sentiments. 
 
23 
 
 union-jacks were hoisted at the fore-top- 
 mast and top-gallant-stays of each ship, to 
 serve as a distinction from the Enemy's, in 
 conformity with orders previously issued 
 by the Commander in Chief, By His 
 Lordship's directions also, the different 
 divisions of the Fleet hoisted the St. 
 George's or white ensign, being the co- 
 lours of the Commander in Chief: this 
 was done to prevent confusion from occur- 
 ring during the battle, through a variety of 
 national flags. 
 
 The Royal Sovereign now made the 
 signal by telegraph, that "the Enemy's 
 Commander in Chief was in a frigate." 
 This mistake arose from one of their fri- 
 gates making many signals. Lord Nelson 
 ordered his line to be steered about two 
 points more to the northward than that of 
 his Second in Command, for the purpose of 
 cutting off the retreat of the Enemy's van 
 to the port of Cadiz ; which was the rea- 
 son of the three leading ships of Admiral 
 Collingwood's line being engaged with 
 
24 
 
 the Enemy previously to those of the Com- 
 mander in Chief's hne. 
 
 The Enemy began to fire on the Royal 
 Sovereign at thirty minutes past eleven 
 o'clock ; in ten minutes after which she 
 placed herself under the stern of the St. 
 Anna, and commenced a fire on her. 
 Lieutenant Pasco, Signal Officer of the 
 Victory, was heard to say while looking 
 through his glass, " There is a top-gallant- 
 yard gone/' His Lordship eagerly asked, 
 *' Whose top-gallant-yard is that gone ? Is 
 it the Royal Sovereign's ?" and on being 
 answered by Lieutenant Pasco in the ne- 
 gative, and that it was the Enemy's he 
 smiled, and said: " Collingwood is doing 
 well." ' 
 
 At fifty minutes past eleven the Enemy 
 opened their fire on the Commander in 
 Chief. They shewed great coolness in the 
 
 \ His Lordship in a few minutes after this called 
 Lieutenant Pasco, Mr. Ogilvie, and some other 
 Officers, near him, and desired them to set their watches 
 by the time of that which His Lordship wore. 
 
25 
 
 commencement of the battle ; for as the 
 Victory approached their hne, their ships 
 lying immediately ahead of her and across 
 her bows fired only one gun at a time, to 
 ascertain whether she was yet within their 
 range. This was frequently repeated by 
 eight or nine of their ships, till at length a 
 shot passed through the Victory's main- 
 top-gallant-sail ; the hole in which being 
 perceived by the Enemy, the}^ immediately 
 opened their broadsides, supporting an aw- 
 ful and tremendous fire. In a very short 
 time afterwards, Mr. Scott, Public Secre- 
 tary to the Commander in Chief, was killed 
 by a cannon-shot while in conversation 
 with Captain Hardy. Lord Nelson 
 being then near them. Captain Adair of 
 the Marines, with the assistance of a Sea- 
 man, endeavoured to remove the body from 
 His Lordship's sight : but he had already 
 observed the fall of his Secretar}^ ; and now 
 said with anxiety, " Is that poor Scott that 
 is gone?" and on being answered in the 
 affirmative by Captain Adair he replied, 
 
 " Poor fellow !" 
 » 
 
 E 
 
26 
 
 Lord Nelson and Captain Hardy 
 walked the quarter-deck in conversation 
 for some time after this, while the Ene- 
 my kept up an incessant raking fire. A 
 double-headed shot struck one of the parties 
 of Marines drawn up on the poop, and 
 killed eight of them ; when His Lord- 
 ship, perceiving this, ordered Captain 
 Adair to disperse his men round the 
 ship, that they might not suffer so much 
 from being together. In a few minutes 
 afterwards a shot struck the fore-brace-bits 
 on the quarter-deck, and passed between 
 Lord Nelson and Captain Hardy; a 
 splinter from the bits bruising Captain 
 Hardy's foot, and tearing the buckle 
 from his shoe.* They both instantly 
 
 * The author of a recent publication on *^ The 
 Naval History of Great Britain," inserted the follow- 
 ing observation on this paragraph, at page 293, of his 
 third volume, which however he has since recalled by a 
 notice in his " Corrigenda," a copy of which will be seen 
 on the other side. 
 
 Page 293. — *' Dr. B. states that it was Captain 
 Hardy's shoe from which the buckle was torn, and that 
 
27 
 
 stopped ; and were observed by the Of- 
 ficers on deck to survey each other with 
 inquiring looks, each supposing the other 
 to be wounded. His Lordship then 
 smiled, and said : " This is too warm work. 
 Hardy, to last long;'" and declared that 
 " through all the battles he had been in, he 
 had never witnessed more cool courage than 
 was displayed by the Victory's crew on this 
 occasion/' 
 
 The Victory by this time, having ap- 
 
 his foot was bruised in consequence. If that be true 
 (and we see no reason to doubt it), both the Admiral and 
 the Captain must have been struck by a splinter ; for the 
 fact as represented in the text, is grounded on the posi- 
 tive assertion of two of the officers who were standing by 
 Lord Nelson and Captain Hardy, when the shot 
 passed between them. 
 
 ** I owe an apology to sir Thomas Hardy and 
 doctor Beatty for having doubted the accuracy of 
 the latter's statement respecting the wound received by 
 the former. And yet a reference to the note will show, 
 that I had no less authority than the ' positive asser- 
 tion of two of the officers, who were standing by Lord 
 Nelson and Captain Hardy when the shot passed 
 between them.'" 
 
28 
 
 proached close to the Enemy's van, had 
 suffered very severely without firing a 
 single gun, excepting one accidentally dis- 
 charged whilst going down to the Ene- 
 my : she had lost about twenty men killed, 
 and had about thirty wounded. Her mizen- 
 topmast, and all her studding-sails and 
 their booms, on both sides were shot away ; 
 the Enemy ''s fire being chiefly directed at 
 her rigging, with a view to disable her be- 
 / fore she could close with them.^ At four 
 minutes past twelve o'clock she opened her 
 \ fire, from both sides of her decks, upon the 
 I Enemy ; when Captain Hardy represented 
 j to His Lordship, that " it appeared im- 
 practicable to pass through the Enemy's 
 line without going on board some one of 
 r their ships." Lord Nelson answered," T 
 I cannot help it : it does not signify which 
 ■ we run on board of; go on board which 
 \ you please ; take your choice/' 
 
 ^ The Enemy's fire continued to be pointed so high 
 throughout the engagement, that the Victory did not 
 lose a man on her lower deck ; and had only two wound- 
 ed on that deck, and these by musket-balls. 
 
29 
 
 At twenty minutes past twelve, the 
 tiller-ropes being shot away, Mr, Atkin- 
 son, the Master, was ordered below to get 
 the helm put to port ; which being done, 
 the Victorv was soon run on board the 
 Redoutable of seventy -four guns. On com- 
 ing alongside and nearly on board of her, 
 that ship fired her broadside into the Vic- 
 tory, and immediately let down her lower- 
 deck ports ; which, as has been since learnt, 
 was done to prevent her from being boarded 
 through them by the Victory's crew. She 
 never fired a great gun after this single 
 broadside. A few minutes after this, the 
 Temeraire fell likew ise on board of the Re- 
 doutable, on the side opposite to the Vic- 
 tory ; having also an Enemy's ship, said to 
 be La Fougueux, on board of her on her 
 other side: so that the extraordinary and 
 unprecedented circumstance occurred here, 
 of four ships of the line being on hoard of 
 each other in the heat of battle; forming as 
 compact a tier as if they had been moored 
 together, their heads lying all the same 
 
so 
 
 way. The Temeraire, as was just before 
 mentioned, was between the Redoutable 
 and La Fougueux. The Redoutable com- 
 menced a heavy fire of musketry from the 
 tops, which was continued for a consider- 
 able time with destructive effect to the Vic- 
 tory's crew : her great guns however being 
 silent, it was supposed at different times 
 that she had surrendered ; and in conse- 
 quence of this opinion, the Victory twice 
 ceased firing upon her, by orders trans- 
 mitted from the quarter-deck. 
 
 At this period, scarcely a person in the 
 Victory escaped unhurt who was exposed 
 on the upper deck to the Enemy's mus- 
 ketry : but there were frequent huzzas and 
 cheers heard from between the decks, in 
 token of the surrender of different of the 
 Enemy's ships. An incessant fire was kept 
 up from both sides of the Victory : her lar- 
 board guns played upon the Santissima 
 Trinidada and the Bucentaur ; and the star- 
 board guns of the middle and lower decks 
 were depressed, and fired with a diminished 
 
31 
 
 charge of powder, and three shot each, into 
 the Redoutable. This mode of firing was 
 adopted by Lieutenants Williams, King, 
 Yule, and Brown, to obviate the danger 
 of the Temeraire's suffering from the Vic- 
 tory's shot passing through the Redoutable ; 
 which must have been the case if the usual 
 quantity of powder, and the common eleva- 
 tion, had been given to the guns A cir- 
 cumstance occurred in this situation, which 
 shewed in a most striking manner the cool 
 intrepidity of the Officers and men stationed 
 on the lower deck of the Victory. When 
 the guns on this deck were run out, their 
 muzzles came into contact with the Re- 
 doutable's side ; and consequently at every 
 discharge there was reason to fear that the 
 Enemy would take fire, and both the Vic- 
 tory and the Temeraire be involved in her 
 flames. Here then was seen the astonish- 
 ing spectacle of the fireman of each gun 
 standing ready with a bucket full of water, 
 which as soon as his gun was discharged 
 he dashed into the Enemy through the 
 holes made in her side by the shot. 
 
32 
 
 /' It was from this ship (the Redoutable) 
 that Lord Nelson received his mortal 
 wound. About fifteen minutes past one 
 o'clock, which was in the heat of the en- 
 gagement, he was walking the middle of 
 the quarter-deck with Captain Hardy, and 
 in the act of turning near the hatchway 
 with his face towards the poop of the Vic- 
 tory, when the fatal ball was fired from the 
 Enemy's mizen-top ; which, from the situa- 
 tion of the two ships (then on board of each 
 other), was brought just abaft, and rather 
 below, the Victory's main-yard, and of 
 course not more than fifteen yards distant 
 from that part of the deck where His 
 Lordship stood. The ball struck the 
 epaulette on his left shoulder, and pene- 
 trated his chest. He fell with his face on 
 the deck. Captain Hardy, who was on 
 his right (the side furthest from the Re- 
 doutable ) and advanced some steps before 
 His Lordship, on turning round, saw the 
 Serjeant Major (Secker) of Marines with 
 two Seamen raising him from the deck ; 
 where he had fallen on the same spot on 
 
33 
 
 which his Secretary had been killed a 
 little before, with whose blood His Lord- 
 ship's clothes were much stained. Captain 
 Hardy expressed a hope that he was not 
 severely wounded ; to which the gallant 
 Chief replied : " They have done for me at 
 last. Hardy." — " I hope not/' answered 
 Captain Hardy. " Yes/' replied His 
 Lordship; " my backbone is shot 
 through.'' 
 
 Captain Hardy desired the Seamen 
 to convey His Lordship to the cockpit; 
 and now two incidents occurred strikingly 
 characteristic of this great man, and strong- 
 ly marking that energy and reflection which 
 in his heroic mind rose superior even to the 
 immediate consideration of his own awful 
 condition. While the men were carrying 
 him down the ladder frora the middle deck, 
 His Lordship remarked that the tiller- 
 ropes were not yet replaced ; and desired 
 one of the Midshipmen stationed there 
 to go upon the quarter-deck and remind 
 Captain Hardy of that circumstance, and 
 
34 
 
 request that new ones should be imme- 
 diately rove. Having thus expressed him- 
 self, he took his handkerchief from his 
 pocket and covered his face with it, that 
 he might be conveyed to the cockpit at 
 this crisis unnoticed by the crew^/ 
 
 Several wounded Officers, and about 
 forty men, were likewise carried to the Sur- 
 geon for assistance just at this time ; and 
 some others had breathed their last dur- 
 ing their conveyance below. Among the 
 latter were Lieutenant William Andrew 
 Ram, and Mr. Whipple Captain's Clerk. 
 The Surgeon had just examined these two 
 Officers, and found that they were dead, 
 when his attention was arrested by several 
 of the wounded calling to him, " Mr. 
 Beatty, Lord Nelson is here : Mr. 
 Beatty, the Admiral is wounded.'' The 
 Surgeon now, on looking round, saw the 
 handkerchief fall from His Lordship's 
 face; when the stars on his coat, which 
 also had been covered by it, appeared. 
 Mr. Burke the Purser, and the Surgeon^ 
 
 4. 
 
35 
 
 ran immediately to the assistance of His 
 Lordship, and took him from the arms of 
 the Seamen who had carried liirn below. 
 In conveying him to one of the Midship- 
 men's births, they stumbled, but recovered 
 themselves without falling. Lord Nelson 
 then inquired who were supporting him ; 
 and when the Surgeon informed him. His 
 Lordship replied, """ Ah, Mr. Beatty ! 
 you can do nothing for me. I have but a 
 short time to live : my back is shot through.^" 
 The Surgeon said, '' he hoped the wound 
 was not so dangerous as His Lordship 
 imagined, and that he might still survive 
 long to enjoy his glorious victory.'' The ' 
 Reverend Doctor Scott, who had been 
 absent in another part of the cockpit admi- 
 nistering lemonade to the wounded, now 
 came instantly to His Lordship ; and in 
 the anguish of grief wrung his hands, and 
 said: "Alas, Beatty, how prophetic you 
 were !" alluding to the apprehensions ex- 
 pressed by the Surgeon for His Lord- 
 ship's safety previous to the battle. 
 
36 
 
 His Lordship was laid upon a bed 
 stripped of his clothes, and covered with a 
 sheet. While this was effecting, he said to 
 Doctor Scott,/' Doctor, I told you so. 
 Doctor, I am gone ;/ and after a short pause 
 he added in a low voice,; " I have to leave 
 Lady Hamilton, and my adopted daugh- 
 ter HoRATiA, as a legacy to my Country. y^ 
 The Surgeon then examined the Avound, as- 
 suring His Lordship that he would not 
 put him to much pain in endeavouring to 
 discover the course of the ball ; which he 
 soon found had penetrated deep into the 
 chest, and had probably lodged in the spine. 
 This being explained to His Lordship, 
 he replied, " he was confident his back was 
 shot through."' The back Avas then ex- 
 amined externally, but without any injury 
 being perceived ; on which His Lord- 
 ship was requested by the Surgeon to 
 make him acquainted with all his sensa- 
 tions. He replied, that " he felt a gush of 
 blood every minute within his breast : that 
 he had no feeling in the lower part of his 
 
 :sM 
 
37 
 
 body : and that his breathing was difficult, 
 and attended with very severe pain about 
 that part of the spine where he was con- 
 jSdent that the ball had struck ; for/" said 
 he, " I felt it break my back/' These 
 symptoms, but more particularly the gush 
 of blood which His Lordship complained 
 of, together with the state of his pulse, in- 
 dicated to the Surgeon the hopeless situa- 
 tion of the case ; but till after the victory 
 was ascertained and announced to His 
 Lordship, the true nature of his wound was 
 concealed by the Surgeon from all on board 
 except only Captain Hardy, Doctor 
 Scott, Mr. Burke, and Messrs. Smith and 
 Westemburg the Assistant Surgeons. 
 
 The Victory's crew cheered whenever 
 they observed an Enem3^'s ship surrender. 
 On one of these occasions. Lord Nelson 
 anxiously inquired what was the cause of 
 it ; when Lieutenant Pasco, who lay wound- 
 ed at some distance from His Lordship, 
 raised himself up, and told him that another 
 ship had struck, which appeared to give 
 
38 
 
 him much satisfaction. He now felt an ar- 
 dent thirst ; and frequently called for drink, 
 and to be fanned with paper, making use 
 of these words : " Fan, fan,'' and " Drink, 
 drink/' This he continued to repeat when 
 he wished for drink or the refreshment of 
 cool air, till a very few^ minutes before he 
 expired. Lemonade, and wine and water, 
 w^re given to him occasionally. He evinced 
 great solicitude for the event of the battle, 
 and fears for the safety of his friend Captain 
 Hardy. Doctor Scott and Mr. Burke 
 used every argument they could suggest, 
 to relieve his anxiety. Mr. Burke told 
 him " the Enemy were decisively defeated, 
 and that he hoped His Lordship would 
 still live to be himself the bearer of the joy- 
 ful tidings to his country." He replied. 
 It is nonsense, Mr. Burke, to suppose I 
 can live : my sufferings are great, but they 
 will all be soon over.''/ Doctor Scott en- 
 treated His Lordship " not to despair of 
 living," and said " he trusted that Divine 
 Providence would restore him once more 
 
 A< 
 
39 
 
 to his dear Country and friends/'--*^ Ah, 
 Doctor '/' rephed His Lordship, ^'it is all 
 over ; it is all over/' 
 
 Many messages were sent to Captain 
 Hardy by the Surgeon, requesting his 
 attendance on His Lordship; who became 
 impatient to see him, and often exclaimed : 
 '^ Will no one bring Hardy to me? He 
 must be killed : he is surely destroyed.'^ 
 The Captain's Aid-de-camp, Mr. Bulk- 
 ley, now came below, and stated that 
 "circumstances respecting the Fleet re- 
 quired Captain Hardy's presence on deck, 
 but that he would avail himself of the first 
 favourable moment to visit His Lordship." 
 On hearing him deliver this message to the 
 Surgeon, His Lordship inquired who had 
 brought it. Mr. Burke answered, " It is 
 Mr. BuLKLEY, my Lord.''—" It is his 
 voice," replied His Lordship : he then said 
 to the young gentleman, " Remember me 
 to your father.'' 
 
 An hour and ten minutes however 
 
 V 
 
40 
 
 elapsed from the time of His Lordship's 
 being wounded, before Captain Hardy^s 
 first interview with him in the cockpit; the 
 particulars of which are nearly as follow. 
 They shook hands affectionately, and Lord 
 Nelson said : " Well, Hardy, how goes 
 the battle ? How goes the day with us V* — 
 " Ver}^ well, my Lord," replied Captain 
 Hardy : *' we have oot twelve or fourteen 
 of the Enemy's ships in our possession ; 
 but five of their van have tacked, and 
 shew an intention of bearing down upon 
 the Victory. I have therefore called 
 two or three of our fresh ships round us, 
 and have no doubt of giving them a drub- 
 bing/'-^* I hope,'' said His Lordship, 
 " none of our ships have struck. Hardy.*' 
 " No, my Lord," replied Captain Hardy ; 
 " there is no fear of that.'' Lord Nelson 
 then said : " I am a dead man, Haiidy. 
 I am going fast : it will be all over 
 with me soon. Come nearer to me.'' Mr. 
 Burke was about to withdraw at the com- 
 
41 
 
 mencement of this conversation ; but His 
 Lordship, perceiving his intention, desired 
 he would remain. Captain Hardy ob- 
 served, that " he hoped Mr. Beatty could 
 yet hold out some prospect of life."' — " Oh ! 
 no,'^ answered His Lordship ; " it is im^ 
 possible. My back is shot through. Be- 
 atty will tell you so.'' Captain Hardy 
 then returned on deck, and at parting 
 shook hands again with his revered friend 
 and commander. 
 
 His Lordship now requested the Sur- 
 geon, who had been previously absent a 
 short time attending Mr. Rivers, to return 
 to the wounded, and give his assistance to 
 such of them as he could be useful to ; 
 /« for/' said he, " you can do nothing for 
 me."' The Surgeon assured him that the 
 Assistant Surgeons were doing every thing 
 that could be effected at that moment for 
 the wounded men ; but on His Lord- 
 ship's several times repeating his injunc- 
 tions to that effect, he reluctantly withdrew, 
 leaving the Admiral in the care of Doctor 
 
 G 
 
42 
 
 Scott, and Mr. Burke, with two of His 
 Lordship's domestics, in attendance. 
 When the Surgeon had been absent a few 
 minutes, assisting Lieutenants Peake and 
 Reeves of the Marines, who were wounded, 
 he was called by Dr. Scott to His Lord- 
 ship, who said ; " Ah, Mr. Beatty ! I have 
 sent for you to say, what I forgot to tell 
 you before, that all power of motion and 
 feeling below my breast are gone ; and 
 you^'' continued he, " very w^ell know I can 
 live but a very short time./^ The emphatic 
 manner in which he pronounced these last 
 w^ords, left no doubt in the Surgeon's mind, 
 that he adverted to the case of a man who 
 had some months before accidentally re- 
 ceived a mortal injury of the spine, by a 
 fall on board the Victory, and had laboured 
 under similar privations of feeling and 
 muscular motion. This case had evidently 
 made a great impression, at the time, on 
 His LoRDsmp's mind : he was then anxious 
 to know the cause of such symptoms, which 
 was accordingly explained to him ; and he 
 
43 
 
 now appeared to apply the situation and 
 fate of this man to himself. "* The Surgeon 
 answered, " My Lord, you told me so 
 before : but he now examined the extremi- 
 ties, to ascertain the fact; when His Lord- 
 ship said, " Ah, Beatty ! I am too certain 
 of it: Scott and Burke have tried it al- 
 ready. You know I am gone.^' The Sur- 
 geon replied ;/" My Lord, unhappily for 
 our Country, nothing can be done for you ;^/ 
 and having felt himself called on to make 
 this declaration, he was so much affected, 
 that he turned round and withdrew a few 
 steps to conceal his emotions. His Lord- 
 
 4 The instance here alluded to occurred in the month 
 of July, in the Victory's return to Europe from the West 
 Indies ; and the man survived the injury thirteen days. 
 His Lordship, during the whole of that time, manifested 
 much anxiety at the protracted sufferings of an individual 
 whose dissolution was certain, and was expected every 
 hour. From the time of his receiving the injury until 
 his death, Lord Nelson daily visited and conversed 
 with this unfortunate man. 
 
44 
 
 SHIP said : " I know it. I feel something 
 rising in my breast,'' putting his hand on 
 his left side, " which tells me I am gone./^ 
 Drink was recommended liberally, and 
 Doctor Scott and Mr. Burke fanned him 
 with paper. He often exclaimed, " God 
 be praised, I have done my duty;" and 
 upon the Surgeon's inquiring whether his 
 pain was still very great, he declared, ^^ it 
 continued so very severe, that he wished he 
 was dead. Yet,'/ said he in a lower voice, 
 \" one would like to live a little longer too.'!/ 
 The Surgeon finding it impossible to 
 render His Lordship any further assist- 
 ance left him, to attend Lieutenant Bligh, 
 Messrs. Smith and Westphall Midship- 
 men, and some Seamen, recently wound- 
 ed. Captain Hardy now came to the 
 cockpit to see His Lordship a second 
 time, which was after an interval of about 
 fifty minutes from the conclusion of his 
 first visit. Before he quitted the deck, 
 
45 
 
 however, he sent Lieutenant Hills to 
 acquaint Admiral Colliistgwood with the 
 lamentable circumstance of Lord Nelson^s 
 being wounded/ Lord Nelson and Cap- 
 tain Hardy shook hands again: and 
 while the Captain retained His Lord- 
 ship's hand, he congratulated him even 
 in the arms of Death on his brilhant vic- 
 tor}^ : " which/' he said, '' was complete ; 
 though he did not know hpw many of the 
 Enemy were captured, as it was impossible 
 to perceive every ship distinctly. He was 
 certain however of fourteen or fifteen having 
 surrendered/' His Lordship answered, 
 " That is well, but I bargained for twenty /' 
 and then emphatically exclaimed, " Anchor, 
 
 ^ Captain Hardy deemed it his duty to give this 
 information to Admiral Collingwood as soon as the fate 
 of the day was decided ; but thinking that His Lordship 
 might feel some repugnance to this communication, he 
 left directions for Lieutenant Hills to be detained on 
 deck at his return, till he himself (Captain Hardy) 
 should come up from the cockpit. Lieutenant Hills 
 was dispatched on this mission from the Victory, at the 
 very time when the Enemy's van ships that had tacked 
 were passing her to windward and firing at her. 
 
46 
 
 Hardy, anchor!'' To this the Captain 
 rephed : " I suppose, my Lord, Admiral 
 Colli NGwooD will now take upon himself 
 the direction of affairs." — " Not while I 
 live, 1 hope, Hardy !" cried the dying 
 Chief; and at that moment endeavoured 
 ineffectually to raise himself from the bed. 
 " No," added he ; " do you anchor, Har- 
 dy." Captain Hardy then said : " Shall 
 we make the signal. Sir?"— " Yes," answered 
 His Lordship; " for if I live, I'll anchor."^ 
 The energetic manner in which he uttered 
 these his last orders to Captain Hardy, 
 accompanied with his efforts to raise him- 
 self, evinced his determination never to 
 resign the command while he retained the 
 exercise of his transcendant faculties, and 
 that he expected Captain Hardy still to carry 
 
 ^ Meaning that in case of His Lordship's surviving 
 till all resistance on the part of the Enemy had ceased. 
 Captain Hardy was then to anchor the British Fleet 
 and the prizes, if it should be found practicable. But 
 on His Lordship's death the command, of course^ 
 instantly devolved on Admiral Collingwood. 
 
47 
 
 into effect the suggestions of his exalted 
 mind ; a sense of his duty overcoming 
 the pains of death. He then told Captain 
 Hardy, " he felt that in a few minutes he 
 should be no more ;'Vadding in a low tone, 
 " Don't throw me overboard, Hardy/' 
 The Captain answered : '' Oh ! no certainly 
 not,"—" Then,'' replied His Lordship, 
 " you know what to do ;''^ and after a short 
 pause he added, " Kiss me. Hardy/' The 
 Captain now knelt down, and kissed his 
 cheek ; when His Lordship said,/^ Now I 
 am satisfied. Than^k God, I have^done my 
 duty. /^^ Captain Hardy stood for a minute 
 or two in silent contemplation : he then 
 knelt down again, and kissed His Lord- 
 ship's forehead. His Lordship said : 
 " Who is that ?" The Captain answered : 
 " It is Hardy;" to which His Lordship 
 replied, " God bless you, Hardy !'* After 
 
 ' Alluding to some wishes previously expressed by 
 His Lordship to Captain Hardy respecting the place 
 of his interment. 
 
 ■.> 1 
 
 C-J 
 
 // 
 
 Ml ^ - '^tii^ixA.^. 1" 
 
48 
 
 this affecting scene Captain Hardy with- 
 drew and returned to the quarter-deck, 
 having spent about eight minutes in this 
 his last interview with his dying friend. 
 
 Lord Nelson now desired Mr. Che- 
 valier, his Steward, to turn him upon his 
 right side; whidi being effected, His 
 Lordship said /" I wish I had not left the 
 deck, for I shall soon be gone./ He after- 
 wards became very low ; his breathing was 
 oppressed and his voice faint. He said to 
 Doctor Scott,/' Doctor, I have not been 
 a great sinner;" and after a short pause, 
 /" Remember^ that I leave Lady Hamilton 
 and my daughter Horatia as a legac}^ lo 
 my Country : and," added he, " never 
 forget Horatia/' His thirst now increased ; 
 and he called for, " JDrink, drink,'' '' Fan, 
 fan,'' and " Rub, rub f addressing himself 
 in the last case to Doctor Scott, who had 
 been rubbing His Lordship's breast with 
 his hand from w hich he found rehef. These 
 Avords he spoke in a very rapid manner, 
 
49 
 
 which rendered his articulation difficult: 
 but he every now and then, with evident 
 increase of pain, made a greater effort 
 with his vocal powers, and nronounced dis- 
 tinctly these last words ;/ '^ Thank God, 
 I have done rny duty;'/ and this pious 
 expression he continued to repeat as long 
 as he was able to give it utterance. 
 
 His Lordship became speechless in 
 about fifteen minutes after Captain Hardy 
 left him. Doctor Scott and Mr. Burke, 
 who had all along sustained the bed under 
 his shoulders (which raised him in nearly 
 a semi-recumbent posture, the only one 
 that was supportable to him), forbore to 
 disturb him by speaking to him ; and when 
 he had remained speechless about five 
 minutes. His Lordship's Steward went to 
 the Surgeon, who had been a short time 
 occupied with the wounded in another 
 part of the cockpit, and stated his appre- 
 hensions that His Lordship was dying. The 
 Surgeon immediately repaired to him, and 
 found him on the verge of dissolution. He 
 
 H 
 
50 
 
 knelt down by his side, and took up his 
 hand ; which was cold, and the pulse gone 
 from the wrist. On the Surgeon's laying his 
 hand on his forehead, which was likewise 
 cold, His Lordship opened his eyes, looked 
 up, and shut them again. The Surgeon 
 again left him, and returned to the wounded 
 who required his assistance ; but was not 
 absent five minutes before the Steward an- 
 nounced to him that " he believed His 
 Lordship had expired/' The Surgeon 
 returned, and found that the report was but 
 too well founded : His Lordship had 
 breathed his last, at thirty minutes past 
 four o'clock : at which momentous period 
 Doctor Scott was in the act of rubbing 
 His Lordhip's breast and Mr. Burke sup- 
 porting the bed under his shoulders;* 
 which offices they had been engaged in for 
 a considerable time. 
 
 ^ It must occur to the reader, that from the nature 
 of the scene passing in the cockpit, and the noise of the 
 guns, the whole of His Lordship's expressions could 
 
51 
 
 Thus died this matchless Hero, after 
 performing, in a short but brilliant and 
 and well-filled life, a series of naval exploits 
 unexampled in any age of the world. 
 None of the sons of Fame ever evinced 
 greater zeal to promote the honour and in- 
 terest of his King and Country ; none ever 
 served them with more devoted ness and 
 glory, or with more successful and import- 
 ant results. His character will for ever 
 shed a lustre over the annals of this na- 
 tion, to whose enemies his very name was 
 a terror. In the battle off Cape St. 
 Vincent, his unprecedented personal 
 prowess will long be recorded with ad- 
 miration among his profession. The 
 shores of Aboukir and Copenhagen 
 subsequently witnessed those stupendous 
 achievements which struck the whole civi- 
 lized world with astonishment. Still these 
 were only preludes to the Battle of 
 
 not be borne in mind, nor even distinctly heard, by the 
 different persons attending him. The most interesting 
 parts are here detailed. 
 
52 
 
 Trafalgar: in which he shone with a 
 majesty of dignity as far surpassing even 
 his own former renown, as that renown 
 had aheady exceeded every thing else 
 to be found in the pages of naval history ; 
 the transcendantly brightest star in a ga- 
 laxy of heroes. His splendid example 
 will operate as an everlasting impulse to 
 the enterprising genius of the British 
 Navy.^ 
 
 From the time of His Lordship^s 
 being wounded till his death, a period of 
 about two hours and forty-five minutes 
 elapsed ; but a knowledge of the decisive 
 victory which was gained, he acquired of 
 Captain Hardy within the first hour-and- 
 a-quarter of this period. A partial can- 
 nonade, however, was still maintained, in 
 consequence of theEnemy's running ships 
 
 » Immediately after His Lordship expired, 
 Captain Hardy went on board the Royal Sovereign, 
 to communicate tbe melancholy event, and the nature 
 of His Lordship's last orders, to Admiral Colling- 
 wood. 
 
53 
 
 passing the British at different points; and 
 the last distant guns which were fired at 
 their van ships that were making off, were 
 heard a minute or two before His Lord- 
 ship expired. 
 
 A STEADY and continued fire was kept 
 up by the Victory^s starboard guns on the 
 Redou table, for about fifteen minutes after 
 Lord Nelson was wounded; in which 
 short period Captain Adair and about 
 eighteen Seamen and Marines were killed, 
 and Lieutenant Bligh, Mr. Palmer 
 Midshipman, and twenty Seamen and 
 Marines, wounded, by the Enemy's mus- 
 ketry alone. The Redoutable had been 
 on fire twice, in her fore-chains and on her 
 forecastle: she had likewise succeeded in 
 throwing a few hand-grenades into the 
 Victory, which "set fire to some ropes 
 and canvas on the booms. The cry of 
 " Fire !" was now circulated throughout the 
 ship, and even reached the cockpit, with- 
 out producing the degree of sensation which 
 might be expected on such an awful oc- 
 
54 
 
 casion: the crew soon extinguished the 
 fire on the booms, and then immediately 
 turned their attention to that on board the 
 Enemy; which they likewise put out by 
 throwing buckets of water fi^om the gang- 
 way into the Enemy's chains and fore- 
 castle, thus furnishing another admirable 
 instance of deliberate intrepidity. iit 
 thirty minutes past one o'clock, tbfe Rer~ 
 doutable's musketry having ceased, and 
 her colours being struck^ the Victory's 
 men endeavoured to get on board her: but 
 this was found impracticable; for, though 
 The two ships were still in contact, yet the 
 top-sides or upper-works of both fell in so 
 much on their upper decks, that there was 
 a great space (perhaps fourteen feet or 
 more) between their gangways; and the 
 Enemy s ports being down, she could not 
 oe boarded from the Victory*s lower nor 
 middle deck, .^Several Seamen volunteered 
 tneir services to Lieutenant Quilliam, to 
 jump overboard, swim under the Redout- 
 able's bows, and endeavour to get up there ; 
 
55 
 
 but Captain Hardy refused to permit this. 
 The prize however, and the Victory, fell 
 off from each other; and their separation 
 was believed to be the eiSFect of the con- 
 cussion produced by the Victory's fire, as- 
 sisted by the helm of the latter being put 
 to starboard. 
 
 Messrs. Ogilvie and Colling- 
 W00D5 Midshipmen of the Victory, were 
 sent in a small boat to take charge of 
 the prize, which they effected.^ After 
 this, the ships of the Enemy's van that 
 had shewn a disposition to attack the Vic- 
 tory, passed to windward ; and fired their 
 broadsides not only into her and the Te- 
 meraire, but also into the French and 
 Spanish captured ships indiscriminately : 
 and they were seen to back or shiver their 
 topsails for the purpose of doing this with 
 
 ^ The Redoutable lay alongside and still foul of 
 the Temeraire for some time after this, and till several 
 Seamen were sent from the latter to the assistance of 
 the two Officers and men belonging to the Victory who 
 had before taken possession of the prize. 
 
56 
 
 more precision." The two Midshipmen of 
 the Victory had just boarded the Redout- 
 able, and got their men out of the boat, 
 when a shot from the Enemy's van ships 
 that were making off cut the boat adrift. 
 About ten minutes after taking possession 
 of her, a Midshipman came to her from the 
 Temeraire ; and had hardly ascended the 
 poop, when a shot from one of those ships 
 took off his leg. The French Officers, see- 
 ing the firing continued on the prize by 
 their own countrymen, entreated the Eng- 
 lish Midshipmen to quit the deck, and ac- 
 company them below. The unfortunate 
 Midshipman of the Temeraire was carried 
 to the French Surgeon, who was ordered 
 to give his immediate attendance to him 
 in preference to his own wounded : his leg 
 w^as amputated, but he died the same 
 
 ^ These were the ships commanded by Admiral 
 DUMANNOIR, and afterwards captured by the squadron 
 under the command of Sir Richard Strachan. They 
 were nearly half an hour in passing to windward, during 
 the whole of which time they continued firing on the 
 British ships. 
 
57 
 
 night. The Redoutable suffered so much 
 from shot received between wind and water, 
 that she sunk while in tow of the Swiftsure 
 on the following evening, when the gale 
 came on ; and out of a crew originally con- 
 sisting of more than eight hundred men, 
 about a hundred and thirty only were saved : 
 but she had lost above three hundred in 
 the battle.^ 
 
 It is by no means certain, though high- 
 ly probable, that Lord Nelson was parti- 
 cularly aimed at by the Enemy. There 
 were only two Frenchmen left alive in the 
 mizen-top of the Redoutable at the time 
 of His Lordship's being wounded, and 
 by the hands of one of these he fell. These 
 men continued firing at Captains Hardy 
 and Adair, Lieutenant Rotely of the 
 Marines, and some of the Midshipmen on 
 the Victory's poop, and indeed at every 
 
 3 About twenty of the Redoutable's guns were dis- 
 mounted in the action. Those on that side of her 
 lower deck opposed to the Victory, were all dismounted 
 except five or six. 
 
 I 
 
58 
 
 one who appeared on deck for some time 
 afterwards. At Jength one of them was 
 killed by a musket-ball : and on the other's 
 then attempting to make his escape from 
 the top down the rigging, Mr. Pollard 
 (Midshipman) fired his musket at him, and 
 shot him in the back; when he fell dead 
 from the shrouds, on the Redoutable's poop. 
 
 The writer of this will not attempt to 
 depict the heart-rending sorrow, and me- 
 lancholy gloom, which pervaded the breast 
 and the countenance of every individual on 
 board the Victory when His Lordship's 
 death became generally known. The an- 
 guish felt by all for such a loss, rendered 
 doubly heavy to them^ is more easy to be 
 conceived than described: by his lamented 
 fall they were at once deprived of their 
 adored commander, and their friend and 
 patron. 
 
 The battle was fought in soundings 
 about sixteen miles to the westward of Cape 
 Trafalgar; and if fortunately there had 
 been more wind in the beginning of the 
 
59 
 
 action, it is very probable that Lord 
 Nelson would still have been saved to his 
 Country, and that every ship of the line 
 composing the Combined Fleets would have 
 been either captured or destroyed : for had 
 the Victory been going fast through the 
 water, she must have dismasted the Redout- 
 able, and would of course have passed on 
 to attack another ship ; consequently His 
 Lordship would not have been so long nor 
 so much exposed to the Enemy's musketry. 
 From the same circumstance of there being 
 but little wind, several of the Enemy's ships 
 made off before the rear and bad-sailing 
 ships of the British lines could come up to 
 secure them. 
 
 The Victory had no musketry in her 
 tops: as His Lordship had a strong aver- 
 sion to small arms being placed there, 
 from the danger of their setting fire to 
 the sails ; which indeed was illustrated on 
 this occasion by the destruction of the 
 French ship TAchille, which took fire in 
 the fore-top early in this battle. It is a 
 
60 
 
 species of warfare by which individuals 
 may suffer, and now and then a Commander 
 be picked off: but it can hardly ever decide 
 the fate of a general engagement ; and a 
 circumstance in many respects similar to 
 that of the Victory's running on board of 
 the Redoutable, may not occur again in 
 the course of centuries. The loss sustained 
 by the Victory amounted to fifty-five killed, 
 and a hundred and two wounded;^ and it 
 is highly honourable to the discipline and 
 established regulations of the ship, that not 
 one casualty from accident or explosion oc- 
 curred on board during the engagement. 
 
 On the day after the battle, as soon as 
 circumstances permitted the Surgeon to 
 devote a portion of his attention to the 
 care of Lord Nelson's mortal Remains, 
 measures were adopted to preserve them as 
 effectually as the means then on board the 
 
 4 Many of those who were slightly wounded did 
 not apply for assistance till after the public return of 
 killed and wounded had been transmitted to Admiral 
 CoLLiNGWOOD, which therefore reports a smaller num- 
 ber than here stated. * 
 
61 
 
 Victory allowed. On the Surgeon's ex- 
 amining the nature of the wound, and the 
 course of the ball, a quantity of blood was 
 evacuated from the left side of the breast : 
 none had escaped before. The ball was 
 traced by a probe to the spine, but its lodg- 
 ment could not at that time be discovered. 
 There was no lead on board to make a 
 coffin: a cask called a leaguer, which is of 
 the largest size on shipboard, was therefore 
 chosen for the reception of the Body; which, 
 after the hair had been cut off, was stripped 
 of the clothes except the shirt, and put 
 into it, and the cask was then filled with 
 brandy.^ 
 
 5 Brandy was recommended by the Surgeon in 
 preference to rum, of which spirit also their was plenty 
 on board. This circumstance is here noticed merely 
 because an opinion was found to prevail very generally 
 on the Victory's arrival in England, that rum preserves 
 a corpse much longer and more perfectly than any other 
 spirit, and ought therefore to have been used : but this 
 idea is erroneous, for there are several kinds of spirit 
 much better for that purpose than rum ; and as their 
 fitness in this respect arises from their degree of strength, 
 on which alone their antisceptic quality depends, brandy 
 is superior. Spirit of wine, however, is certainly by far 
 the best, wh en it can be procured. 
 
62 
 
 In the evening after this melancholy 
 task was accomplished, the gale came on 
 with violence from the south-west^ and 
 continued that night and the succeeding 
 day without any abatement. During this 
 boisterous weather. Lord Nelson's Body 
 remained under the charge of a sentinel on 
 the middle deck. The cask was placed on 
 its end, having a closed aperture at its top 
 and another below; the object of which 
 was, that as a frequent renewal of the spirit 
 was thought necessary, the old could thus 
 be drawn off below and a fresh quantity 
 introduced above, without moving the cask, 
 or occasioning the least agitation of the 
 Body. On the 24th there was a disengage- 
 ment of air from the Body to such a degree, 
 that the sentinel became alarmed on see- 
 ing the head of the cask raised : he there- 
 fore applied to the Officers, who were un- 
 der the necessity of having the cask spiled 
 to give the air a discharge. After this, no 
 considerable collection of air took place. 
 The spirit was drawn off once, and the cask 
 filled again, before the arrival of the Vic- 
 
63 
 
 tory at Gibraltar (on the 28th of October) : 
 where spirit of wine was procured; and the 
 cask, shewing a deficit produced by the 
 Body^'s absorbing a considerable quantity 
 of the brandy 5 was then filled up with it. 
 
 On the 29th the Victory's Seamen and 
 Marines dangerously wounded in the action, 
 were sent on shore to the naval hospital at 
 Gibraltar. The interval between this day 
 and the 2d of November was employed in 
 repairing the damage sustained by the ship, 
 erecting jury-masts, fitting her rigging, and 
 completing her in every respect for the 
 voyage to England. On the 2d of No- 
 vember, preparations were made on board 
 to receive the wounded from the hospital, 
 who had unanimously entreated Captain 
 Hardy not to leave them behind : but 
 their embarkation could not be effected 
 this day ; and the Victory being ordered to 
 quit the anchorage in Gibraltar Bay, to 
 make room for the disabled ships and 
 prizes daily arriving, she sailed in the 
 evening for Tetuan Bay, for the purpose 
 
64 
 
 of taking on board a supply of fresh water, 
 and there awaiting a favourable wind to 
 pass the Straits. During the night, how- 
 ever, and before the Victory gained the 
 coast of Barbary, the wind, which had 
 blown for several days from the west, 
 shifted to the eastward, and a fresh breeze 
 sprung up ; she in consequence changed her 
 course, and stood back again for Gibral- 
 tar, where she arrived early in the morn- 
 ing. She then lay-to in the bay without 
 anchoring, and the boats were immediately 
 sent on shore for the wounded ; who were all 
 brought off by noon, except five of the worst 
 cases who could not with propriety be re- 
 moved.^ In the afternoon the Victory and 
 Bellisle sailed from Gibraltar Bay, and 
 
 ^ Of the Victory's wounded, three died before she 
 reached Gibraltar, one on the day of her arrival there, 
 and another at the naval hospital at that place a few 
 days afterwards: all the rest got well on board except 
 the five left at Gibraltar, and five others not perfectly 
 recovered from their wounds in January following ; 
 when the Victory being put out of commission at 
 Chatham, they were sent to the Sussex hospital-ship 
 at Sheerness. 
 
65 
 
 passed through the Straits during the night 
 of the 4th. The next day at noon they 
 joined the squadron under the command of 
 Admiral Colling wood, then cruizing off 
 Cadiz; from which they parted company 
 the same evening, and pursued their course 
 together for England. 
 
 When the Victory had proceeded some 
 weeks on her voyage, adverse winds and 
 tempestuous weather having prolonged the 
 passage much beyond the period that is 
 generally expected, it was thought proper 
 to draw off the spirit from the cask con- 
 taining Lord Nelson^s Body, and renew 
 it ; and this was done twice. On these oc- 
 casions brandy was used in the proportion 
 of two-thirds to one of spirit of wine. 
 
 At length the Victorj'^ arrived at Spit- 
 head, after a tedious passage of nearly five 
 weeks from Gibraltar: and as no instruc- 
 tions respecting His Lordship's Remains 
 were received at Portsmouth while the 
 ship remained there, and orders being 
 transmitted to Captain Hardy for her 
 
66 
 
 to proceed to the Nore, the Surgeon repre- 
 sented to him the necessity of examin- 
 ing the state of the Body ; common re- 
 port giving some reason to believe that it 
 was intended to He in state at Greenwich 
 Hospital, and to be exposed on the occasion 
 to the view of the public. On the 11th of 
 December, therefore, the day on which the 
 Victory sailed from Spithead for the Nore, 
 Lord Nelson's Body was taken from the 
 cask in which it had been kept since the 
 day after his death. On inspecting it exter- 
 nally, it exhibited a state of perfect pre- 
 servation, without being in the smallest de- 
 gree offensive. There were, however, some 
 appearances that induced the Surgeon to 
 examine the condition of the bowels ; which 
 were found to be much decayed, and likely 
 in a short time to communicate the process 
 of putrefaction to the rest of the Body : the 
 parts already injured were therefore re- 
 moved. It was at this time that the fatal 
 ball was discovered : it had passed through 
 the spine, and lodged in the muscles of the 
 
67 
 
 back, towards the right side, and a httle 
 below the shoulder-blade. A very consi- 
 derable portion of the gold-lace, pad, and 
 lining of the epaulette, with a piece of the 
 coat, was found attached to the ball: the 
 lace of the epaulette was as firmly so, as if 
 it had been inserted into the metal while in 
 a state of fusion/ 
 
 The following is the professional Re- 
 port on His Lordship's wound and death, 
 made by the Surgeon on this occasion : 
 
 " His Majesty's Ship Victory , at Sea, 
 I \th December J IS05. 
 
 " About the middle of the action with 
 the Combined Fleets on the 21st of Octo- 
 ber last, the late illustrious Commander in 
 Chief Lord Nelson was mortally wound- 
 ed in the left breast by a musket-ball, sup- 
 posed to be fired from the mizen-top of La 
 Redoutable French ship of the line, which 
 the Victory fell on board of early in the 
 
 ' The ball was not fired from a rifle-piece. 
 
68 
 
 battle. His Lordship was in the act of 
 turning on the quarter-deck with his face 
 towards the Enemy, when he received his 
 wound: he instantly fell ; and was carried 
 to the cockpit, where he lived about two 
 hours.^ On being brought below, he com- 
 plained of acute pain about the sixth or 
 seventh dorsal vertebra, and of privation 
 of sense and motion of the body and infe- 
 rior extremities. His respiration was short 
 and difficult; pulse weak, small, and irregu- 
 lar. He frequently declared his back was 
 shot through, that he felt ever}'^ instant a 
 gush of blood within his breast, and that 
 he had sensations which indicated to him 
 the approach of death. In the course of 
 an hour his pulse became indistinct, and 
 was gradually lost in the arm. His extre- 
 mities and forehead became soon after- 
 wards cold. He retained his wonted 
 
 8 It was not deemed necessary to insert in this Re- 
 port the precise time which His Lordship survived his 
 wound. This, as before stated, was in reality two hours 
 and three Quarters. 
 
69 
 
 energy of mind, and exercise of his facul- 
 ties, till the last moment of his existence; 
 and when the victory as signal as decisive 
 was announced to him, he expressed his 
 pious acknowledgments, and heart-felt sa- 
 tisfaction at the glorious event, in the most 
 emphatic language. He then delivered 
 his last orders with his usual precision, and 
 in a few minutes afterwards expired with- 
 out a struggle. 
 
 '^ Course and site of the Ball, as ascertained 
 
 since death. 
 
 " The ball struck the fore part of His 
 Lordship's ej)aulette; and entered the left 
 shoulder immediately before the processus 
 acromion scapulee, which it slightly frac- 
 tured. It then descended obliquely into 
 the thorax, fracturing the second and third 
 ribs : and after penetrating the left lobe of 
 the lungs, and dividing in its passage a 
 large branch of the pulmonary artery, it 
 entered the left side of the spine between 
 the sixth and seventh dorsal vertebra, frac- 
 
70 
 
 tured the left transverse process of the sixth 
 dorsal vertebra, wounded the medulla spi- 
 nahs, and fracturing the right transverse 
 process of the seventh vertebra, made its 
 way from the right side of the spine, di- 
 recting its course through the muscles of 
 the back; and lodged therein, about two 
 inches below the inferior angle of the right 
 scapula. On removing the ball, a portion 
 of the gold-lace and pad of the epaulette, 
 together with a small piece of His Lord- 
 SHJp's coat, was found firmly attached 
 to it.^ 
 
 " W. Beatty." 
 
 9 Fig. 1. in the annexed Plate represents the Ball 
 in the exact state in which it was extracted. Drawn by 
 Mr. W. E. Devis, who was then on board the Victory. 
 
 Fig. 2. (drawn also by Mr. Devis) shews the Ball 
 in its present state ; as set in crystal by Mr. Yonge, and 
 presented to the Writer of this Narrative by Sir Thomas 
 Hardy. 
 
 The Ball, in perforating the epaulette, passed 
 through many of the silk cords supporting the 
 bullions, and through the pad and a doubling of silk 
 besides ; as the bag of the pad was composed of yellow 
 silk. 
 
I'lCi J. . 
 
 a Picc-c of tTio CoO't 
 
 7> Tho Ball 
 
 crcD ^re/suns in the Sail iy stnfanq cufains-t3criCy 
 
 d/ Gol3 Lace ^xc-cl ztl tTi-e^SaZl 
 & TjjCcc- (?/" tThey SvUc fyaxl 
 ffJ.ace' of thj:Sn.llion/ 
 
 
 Bn 2 
 
 1* J 4t^ 
 
 
 
 
 t 
 
 / 
 
 CI 
 
 . "> ^ 
 
 ,y^-j',,fj,^L.v>«lfc-. 
 
 .J[ j£ ' -~ '^'-.^t 
 
 
 ^^ 
 
 
 y 
 
 ^ 
 
 Y'///^/y. 
 
 Ti^.a^iho^ct clirecL- Try W. B en.tpf r:" ctT J 8 G 6 . 
 
^Q> 
 
71 
 
 The Remains were wrapped in cotton 
 vestments, and rolled from head to foot 
 with bandages of the same material, in the 
 ancient mode of embalming. The Body 
 was then put into a leaden coffin, filled 
 with brandy holding in solution camphor 
 and myrrh/ This coffin was inclosed in a 
 wooden one, and placed in the after-part 
 of His Lordship's cabin; where it re- 
 mained till the 21st of December, when 
 an order was received from the Admiralty 
 for the removal of the Body. The coffin 
 that had been made from the mainmast 
 of the French Commander's ship UOrient, 
 and presented to His Lordship by his 
 friend Captain Hollowell, after the battle 
 of the Nile, being then received on board, 
 the leaden coffin was opened, and the Body 
 taken out ; when it was found still in most 
 excellent condition, and completely plas- 
 
 * The stock of spirit of wine on board was ex- 
 hausted ; and from the sound state of the Body, brandy 
 was judged sufficient for its preservation. 
 
tic. The features were somewhat tu- 
 mid, from absorption of the spirit; but 
 on using friction with a napkin, they 
 resumed in a great degree their natural 
 character. All the Officers of the ship, 
 and several of His Lordship's friends, as 
 well as some of Captain Hardy's, who 
 had come on board the Victory that day 
 from the shore, were present at the time 
 of the Body's being removed from the 
 leaden coffin ; and witnessed its undecay- 
 ed state after a lapse of two months since 
 death, which excited the surprise of all 
 who beheld it. This was the last time 
 the mortal part of the lamented Hero was 
 seen by human eyes; as the Body, after 
 being dressed in a shirt, stockings, uni- 
 form small-clothes and waistcoat, neck- 
 cloth, and night-cap, was then placed 
 in the shell made from L'Orient's mast, and 
 covered with the shrouding. This was in- 
 closed in a leaden coffin ; which was sol- 
 dered up immediately, and put into an- 
 other wooden shell ; in which manner it 
 
73 
 
 was sent out of the Victory into Com- 
 missioner Gre Y^s yacht, which was brought 
 alongside the ship for that purpose. In this 
 vessel the Hero's Remains were conveyed 
 to Greenwich Hospital, attended by the 
 Reverend Dr. Scott, and Messrs. Tysojst 
 and Whitby. 
 
 Lord Nelson had often talked with 
 Captain Hardy on the subject of his be- 
 ing killed in battle, which appeared indeed 
 to be a favourite topic of conversation with 
 him. He was always prepared to lay down 
 his life in the service of his Country ; and 
 whenever it should please Providence to 
 remove him from this world, it was the 
 most ambitious wish of his soul to die in 
 the fight, and in the very hour of a great 
 and signal victory. In this he was grati- 
 fied: his end was glorious; and he died 
 as he had lived, one of the greatest among 
 men. 
 
 The following Prayer, found in His 
 Lordship's memorandum-book, — and writ- 
 ten with his own hand on the night of 
 
74 
 
 his leaving Merton, at one of the places 
 where he changed horses (supposed to be 
 Guildford) on his way to join the Vic- 
 tory at Portsmouth,— is highly illustrative 
 of those sentiments of combined piety 
 and patriotic heroism with which he was 
 inspired : 
 
 '*' Friday Night, 1 3th September. 
 
 " Friday night, at half past ten, drove 
 from dear, dear Merton, where I left all 
 which I hold dear in the world, to go to 
 serve my King and Country. May the 
 great God whom I adore, enable me to 
 fulfil the expectations of my Country I and 
 if it is His good pleasure that I should 
 return, my thanks will never cease being of- 
 fered up to the throne of His mercy. But 
 if it is His good providence to cut short 
 my days upon earth, I bow with the great- 
 est submission ; relying that he will protect 
 those, so dear to me, that I may leave be- 
 hind. His will be done! 
 
 " Amen, amen, amen/' 
 
75 
 
 His Lordship had on several occa- 
 sions told Captain Hardy, that if he should 
 fall in battle in a foreign climate, he wish- 
 ed his body to be conveyed to England ; 
 and that if his Country should think pro- 
 per to inter him at the public expence, he 
 wished to be buried in Saint Paul's, as well 
 as that his monument should be erected 
 there. He explained his reasons for pre- 
 ferring Saint Paul's to Westminster Abbey, 
 ' which were rather curious : he said that 
 he remembered hearing it stated as an old 
 tradition when he was a boy, that West- 
 minster Abbey was built on a spot where 
 once existed a deep morass ; and he thought 
 it likely that the lapse of time would re- 
 duce the ground on which it now stands 
 to its primitive state of a swamp, without 
 leaving a trace of the Abbey. He added, 
 that his own actual observations confirmed 
 the probability of this event. He also repeat- 
 ed to Captain Hardy several times dur- 
 ing the last two years of his life: " Should 
 I be killed, Hardy, and my Country 
 
76 
 
 not bury me, you know what to do with 
 me;'' meaning that his body was in that 
 case to be laid by the side of his Fa- 
 ther's, in his native village of Burnham 
 Thorpe in Norfolk: and this, as has been 
 before mentioned (in page 47) j he adverted 
 to in his last moments. 
 £ An opinion has been very generally en- 
 tertained, that Lord Nelson's state of 
 health and supposed infirmities, arising 
 from his former wounds and hard services, 
 precluded the probabinty of his long sur- 
 viving the battle of Trafalgar, had he for- 
 tunately escaped the Enemy's shot: but 
 the Writer of this narrative can confidently 
 assert that His Lordship's health was uni- 
 formly good, with the exception of some 
 slight attacks of indisposition arising from 
 accidental causes; which never continued 
 above two or three days, nor confined him 
 in any degree with respect to either exercise 
 or regimen:^ and during the last twelve 
 
 ^ These complaints were the consequence of in- 
 digestion, brought on by casually writing for several 
 
77 
 
 months of his hfe, he complained only three 
 times in this way. It is true, that His 
 Lordship, about the meridian of life, had 
 been subject to frequent fits of the gout: 
 which disease, however, as well as his con- 
 stitutional tendency to it, he totally over- 
 came by abstaining for the space of nearly 
 two years from animal food, and wine and 
 all other fermented drink; confining his 
 diet to vegetables, and commonly milk and 
 water. And it is also a fact, that early in 
 life, when he first went to sea, he left off the 
 use of salt, which he then believed to be 
 the sole cause of scurvy, and never took it 
 afterwards with his food. 
 
 His Lordship used a great deal of 
 exercise, generally walking on deck six or 
 seven hours in the day. He always rose 
 early, for the most part shortly after day- 
 hours together. His Lordship had one of these 
 attacks from that cause a few days before the battle, but 
 on resuming his accustomed exercise he got rid of it. 
 This attack alarmed him, as he attributed it to sudden 
 and violent spasm ; but it was merely an unpleasant 
 symptom (globus hystericus) attending indigestion, 
 
78 
 
 break. He breakfasted in summer about 
 six, and at seven in winter: and if not 
 occupied in reading or writing dispatches, 
 or examining into the details of the Fleet, he 
 walked on the quarter-deck the greater part 
 of the forenoon; going down to his cabin 
 occasionally to commit to paper such inci- 
 dents or reflections as occurred to him dur- 
 ing that time, and as might be hereafter 
 useful to the service of his country. He 
 dined generally about half past two o'clock. 
 At his table there were seldom less than 
 eight or nine persons, consisting of the dif- 
 ferent Officers of the ship : and when the 
 weather and the service permitted, he very 
 often had several of the Admirals and Cap- 
 tains in the Fleet to dine with him ; who 
 were mostly invited by signal, the rotation 
 of seniority being commonly observed by 
 His Lordship in these invitations. A- 
 dinner he was alike affable and attentive 
 to every one: he ate very sparingly him- 
 self; the liver and wing of a fowl, and a 
 small plate of macaroni, in general com- 
 
79 
 
 posing his meal, during which he occasion- 
 ally took a glass of Champagne. He never 
 exceeded four glasses of wine after din- 
 ner, and seldom drank three; and even 
 these were diluted with water. 
 
 Few men subject to the vicissitudes of 
 a naval life, equalled His Lordship in 
 such an habitual systematic mode of living. 
 He possessed such a wonderful activity of 
 mind, as even prevented him from taking 
 ordinary repose, seldom enjoying two hours 
 of uninterrupted sleep ; and on several oc- 
 casions he did not quit the deck during the 
 whole night. At these times he took no 
 pains to protect himself from the effects of 
 wet, or the night-air ; wearing only a thin 
 great coat : and he has frequently, after 
 having his clothes wet through with rain, 
 refused to have them changed, saying that 
 the leather waistcoat which he wore over 
 his flannel one would secure him from com- 
 plaint. He seldom wore boots, and was 
 consequently very liable to have his feet 
 wet. When this occurred he has often been 
 
80 
 
 known to go down to his cabin, throw off 
 his shoes, and walk on the carpet in his 
 stockings for the purpose of drying the feet 
 of them. He chose rather to adopt this 
 uncomfortable expedient than to require 
 his servant's personal assistance to put 
 on dry stockings ; which, from his hav- 
 ing only one hand, he could not himself 
 conveniently effect. 
 
 From all these circumstances it may be 
 inferred, that though Lord Nelson's con- 
 stitution was not of that kind which is 
 generally denominated strong, yet it was 
 not very susceptible of complaint from the 
 common occasional causes of disease so in- 
 cidental to a naval life. The only bodily 
 pain which His Lordship felt in conse- 
 quence of his many wounds, was a slight 
 rheumatic affection of the stump of his am- 
 putated arm on any sudden variation in the 
 state of the weather; which is generally 
 experienced by those who have the misfor- 
 tune to lose a limb after the middle age. 
 His Lordship usually predicted an altera- 
 

 81 
 
 tion in the weather with as mucli certainty 
 from feeling transient pains in this stump, 
 as he could by his marine barometer; from 
 the indications of which latter he kept a 
 diary of the atmospheric changes, which 
 was written with his own hand. 
 ^ His Lordship had lost his right eye 
 by a contusion which he received at the 
 siege of Calvi, in the island of Corsica. The 
 vision of the other was likewise consider- 
 ably impaired : he always therefore wore a 
 green shade over his forehead, to defend 
 this eye from the effect of strong light; but 
 as he was in the habit of looking much 
 through a spy glass while on deck, there is 
 little .doubt, that had he hved a few years 
 longer, and continued at sea, he would have 
 eventually become Wind/ 
 
 The Surgeon hadj on the occasion of 
 opening His Lordship's Body, an oppor- 
 tunity of acquiring an accurate knowledge 
 of the sound and healthy state of the 
 thoracic and abdominal viscera, none of 
 which appeared to have ever been the seat 
 
 M' 
 
 ^r 
 
82 
 
 of injflaiiimation or disease. There were no 
 morbid indications to be seen; other than 
 those unavoidably attending the human 
 body six weeks after death, even under cir- 
 cumstances more favourable to its preser- 
 vation. The heart was small, and dense in 
 its substance; its valves, pericardium, and 
 the large vessels, were sound, and firm 
 in their structure. The lungs were sound, 
 and free from adhesions. The liver was 
 very small, in its colour natural, firm in its 
 texture, and every way free from the small- 
 est appearance of disorganization. The 
 stomach as well as the spleen and other 
 abdominal contents/ was alike free from the 
 traces of diseased/Indeed all the vital parts 
 were so perfectly healthy in their appear- 
 ance, and so small, that they resembled 
 more those of a youth, than of a man who 
 had attained his forty-seventh year ; which 
 state of the body, associated with settled 
 habits favourable to health, affords good 
 reason to believe His Lordshil' mififht 
 have lived to an advanced age. / 
 
83 
 
 The immediate cause of His Lord- 
 ship's death was a wound of the left puhno- 
 nary artery, which poured out its blood / 
 into the cavit}^ of the chest. The quantity 
 of blood thus effused did not appear to be 
 very great: but as the hemorrhage was 
 from a vessel so near the heart, and the 
 blood was consequently lost in a very short 
 time, it produced death sooner than would 
 have been effected by a larger quantity of 
 blood lost from an artery in a more remote 
 part of the body. The injury done to the 
 spine must of itself have proved mortal, 
 but His Lordship might perhaps have 
 survived this alone for two or three days ; 
 though his existence protracted even for 
 that short period would have been miserable 
 to himself, and highly distressing to the feel- 
 ings of all around him. 
 
 W. Beatty. 
 
 V 
 
84 
 
 - H. M. S. VICTORY. 
 
 •* October Q.\st, 1805. In sight of the Combined 
 Fleets of France and Spain, distant about ten miles. 
 
 " ^'\ HERE AS the eminent services of 
 Emma Hamilton, widow of the Right 
 Honourable Sir William Hamilton, 
 have been of the greatest service to my 
 King and Country, to my knowledge, 
 without ever receiving any reward from 
 either our King or Country : 
 
 " First, that slie obtained the King of 
 Spain's letter, in 1796, to his brother the 
 King of Naples, acquainting him of his 
 intention to declare war against England ; 
 from which letter the ministry sent out or- 
 ders to the then Sir John Jervis, to strike 
 a stroke, if opportunity offered, against 
 either the arsenals of Spain or her fleets :~ 
 that neither of these was done, is not the 
 fault of Lady Hamilton ; the opportunity 
 might have been offered :^ 
 
 ^ This phrase has been subjected to misconstruc- 
 tion ; to the Writer of these pages, however, both the 
 
85 
 
 " Secondly: the British Fleet under 
 my command could never have returned 
 the second time to Egypt, had not Lady 
 Hamilton's influence with the Queen 
 of Naples caused letters to be wrote to 
 the Governor of Syracuse, that he was to 
 encourage the Fleet's being supplied with 
 every thing, should they put into any port 
 in Sicily. We put into Syracuse, and re- 
 ceived every supply ; went to Egypt, and 
 destroyed the French Fleet : 
 
 " Could I have rewarded these ser- 
 vices, I would not now call upon my Coun- 
 try ; but as that has not been in my power, 
 I leave Emma Lady Hamilton therefore 
 a legacy to my King and Country, that 
 they will give her an ample provision to 
 maintain her rank in life. 
 
 ** I also leave to the beneficence of my 
 Country my adopted Daughter, Hohatia 
 Nelson Thompson ; and I desire she will 
 use in future the name of Nelson only. 
 
 purport and expression of it seem very clear, thus : 
 ** might have been offered," (though it was not). 
 
86 
 
 " These are the only favours I ask of 
 my King and Country, at this moment 
 when I am going to fight their battle. 
 May God bless my King and Country, and 
 all those I hold dear ! My Relations it is 
 needless to mention : they will of course be 
 amply provided for. 
 
 " Nelson and Bronte. 
 
 " Witness' ^^'^^^ " 
 
 S Henry Black 
 T. M. Hardy." 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
sp 
 
 INSTRUCTIONS 
 
 Issued by Lord Nelson to the Admirals and 
 Captains of his Fleet, se'oeral days previous to 
 the Battle^ 
 
 Victory, off Cadiz, lOtli October, 1805. 
 
 General Memorandum sent to the Commanders 
 
 of Ships, 
 
 Thinking it almost impossible to bring a Fleet 
 of forty sail of the line into a line of battle in 
 variable winds, thick weather, and other circum- 
 stances which must occur, without such a loss of 
 time that the opportunity would probably be 
 lost of bringing the Enemy to battle in such a 
 manner as to make the business decisive, I have 
 therefore made up my mind to keep the Fleet in 
 that position of sailing, with the exception of 
 the First and Second in Command, that the or- 
 der of sailing is to be the order of battle : plac- 
 ing the Fleet in two lines, of sixteen ships each, 
 with an advanced squadron of eight of the fast- 
 
 n 
 
90 
 
 est-sailing two-decked ships; which will always 
 make, if wanted, a line of twenty-four sail, on 
 whichever line the Commander in Chief may 
 direct. 
 
 The Second in Command will, after my in- 
 tentions are made known to him, have the entire 
 direction of his line ; to make the attack upon 
 the Enemy, and to follow up the blow until they 
 are captured or destroyed. 
 
 If the Enemy's Fleet should be seen to wind- 
 ward in line of battle, and that the two lines and 
 advanced squadron could fetch them, they will 
 probably be so extended that their van could 
 not succour their rear : I should therefore pro- 
 bably make the Second in Command's signal 
 to lead through about their twelfth ship from 
 their rear ; or wherever he could fetch, if not able 
 to get so far advanced. My line would lead 
 through about their centre : and the advanced 
 squadron to cut three or four ships ahead of their 
 centre, so as to ensure getting at their Commander 
 in Chief, on vv^liom every effort must be made to 
 capture. 
 
 The whole impression of the British Fleet 
 mu^ be, to overpower from two or three ships 
 ahead of their Commander in Chief (sup- 
 
 J 
 
91 
 
 posed to be in the centre) to the rear of their 
 
 Fleet. 
 
 I WILL suppose twenty sail of the Enemy's 
 line to be untouched: it must be some time be- 
 fore they could perform a manoeuvre to bring 
 their force compact to attack any part of the 
 British Fleet engaged, or to succour their own 
 ships; which indeed would be impossible, with- 
 out mixing with the ships engaged. The Ene- 
 my's Fleet is supposed to consist of forty-six sail 
 of the line; British, forty:' if either is less, only a 
 proportional number of enemy's ships are to be 
 cutoff; British to be one-fourth superior to the 
 
 Enemy cut off. 
 
 Something must be left to chance: nothing 
 is sure in a sea-fight, beyond all others; shot will 
 carry away masts and yards of friends as well as 
 foes: but I look with confidence to a victoij 
 before the van of the Enemy could succour their 
 rear; and then that the British Fleet would 
 most of them be ready to receive their twenty 
 sail of the line, or to pursue them should they 
 endeavour to make off. 
 
 1 With such an inferiority of force as this His LoRDSHiP 
 confidently expected not only to gain a decisive victory, 
 but (to use his own favourite phrase) " completely to anm. 
 hilate the Enemi/s Fleet ?" 
 
92 
 
 If the van of the Enemy tack, the captured 
 ships must run to leeward of the British Fleet : 
 if the Enemy wear, the British must place them- 
 selves between the Enemy and captured, and 
 disabled British ships: and should the Enemy 
 close, I have no fear for the result. 
 
 The Second in Command will, in all possible 
 things, direct the movements of his line, by keep- 
 ing them so compact as the nature of the circum- 
 stances wall admit. Captains are to look to their 
 particular line as their rallying point; but in 
 case signals cannot be seen or clearly under- 
 stood, no Captain can do very wrong if he places 
 his ship alongside that of an Enemy. 
 
 Plan of the intended attack from to-wind- 
 ward, the Enemy in Hne of battle ready to receive 
 an attack: 
 
 Advanced squadron. 
 W^eatheiline. 
 
 . ' British, 
 " Lee line. 
 
 Enemy's line. 
 
 The divisions of the British Fleet will be brought 
 nearly within gun-shot of the Enemy's centre. 
 The signal will be made for the lee line to bear 
 up together ; to set all their sail^ even studding 
 
9S 
 
 sails, in order to get as quickly as possible to the 
 Enemy's line ; and to cut through, beginning 
 from the twelfth ship from the Enemy's rear. 
 Some ships may not get through their exact 
 place, but they will always be at hand to as- 
 sist their friends. If any are thrown in the rear 
 of the Enemy, they will effectually complete the 
 business of twelve sail of the Enemy. 
 
 Should the Enemy wear together, or bear up 
 and sail large, still the twelve ships composing 
 in the first position the Enemy's rear, are to 
 be the object of attack of the lee line, unless 
 otherwise directed by the Commander in Chief: 
 which is scarcely to be expected ; as the entire 
 management of the lee line, after the intentions 
 of the Commander in Chief are signified, is in- 
 tended to be left to the Admiral commanding 
 that line. 
 
 The remainder of the Enemy's Fleet, thirty- 
 four sail, are to be left to the management of the 
 Commander in Chief; who will endeavour to 
 take care that the movements of the Second in 
 Command are as little interrupted as possible. 
 
 NELSON AND BRONTE • 
 
 By Command of the Vice- Admiral. 
 
 John Scott. 
 
95 
 
 The following interesting Extracts are accurately 
 copied from His Lordship's Memorandum Book, 
 written entirely with his own hand^ and may be 
 also seen at Doctors^ Commons* 
 
 Saturday, September 14th, 1805. At six 
 o'clock arrived at Portsmouth ; and having ar- 
 ranged all my business, embarked at the bathing- 
 machines with Mr. Rose and Mr. Canning, vfho 
 dined with me. At two got on board the Victory, 
 at St. Helen's. 
 
 Wednesday, Sept. 25, J 805. Light airs 
 southerly. Saw the rock of Lisbon S. S. E. 
 ten leagues. At sunset the Captain of the Con- 
 stance came on board, and sent my letters for 
 England to Lisbon, and wrote to Captain Sut- 
 tON*^ and the Consul. The Enemy's Fleet had 
 not left Cadiz the 18th of this month, therefore 
 I yet hope they will wait my arrival. 
 
 Saturday, Sept. 28th, 1805. Fresh breezes 
 at N. N. W. At day-light bore up, and made 
 
 '^ Of his Majesty's ship Amphlon, then in the Tac>-us. 
 
96- 
 
 sail. At nine saw the iEtna cruising. At 
 noon saw eighteen sail. Nearly calm. In the 
 evening joined the Fleet under Vice-Admiral 
 CoLLiNGWOOD. Saw the Enemy's Fleet in 
 Cadiz^ amounting to thirty-five or thirty-six sail 
 of the line. 
 
 Sunday, Sept. 29th. Fine weather. Gave 
 out the necessary orders for the Fleet. Sent 
 Euryalus to watch the Enemy with the Hydra off 
 Cadiz. 
 
 Wednesday, October 9th. Fresh breezes 
 easterly. Received an account from Blackwood, 
 that the French ships had all bent their top- 
 gallant-sails. Sent the Pickle to him, with or- 
 ders to keep a good look-out. Sent Admiral 
 CoLLiNGwooD the Nelson truth.^ At night wind 
 westerly. 
 
 Monday, Oct. 14th. Fine weather : west- 
 erly wind. Sent Amphion to Gibraltar and 
 Algiers. Enemy at the harbour's n«)uth.. 
 Placed Defence and Agamemnon from seven 
 to ten leagues west of Cadiz ; and Mars and 
 Colossus five leagues east of the Fleet, whose 
 
 ^ It is presumed that His Lordship here meant the pre- 
 ceding Instructions, which were transmitted the next day to 
 the whole Fleet. 
 
97 
 
 station is from fifteen to twenty west of Cadiz : 
 and by this chain I hope to have a constant 
 communication with the frigates off Cadiz. 
 
 Wedndsday^ Oct. l6th. Moderate breezes 
 westerly. All the forenoon employed form- 
 ing the Fleet into the order of sailing. At noon 
 fresh breezes W. S. W. and squally. In the 
 evening fresh gales. The Enemy as before, by 
 signal from Weazle. 
 
 Thursday, Oct. 17th. Moderate breezes 
 north-westerly. Sent the Donegal to Gibraltar, 
 to get a ground-tier of casks. Received accounts 
 by the Diligent storeship, that Sir Richard 
 Strachan was supposed in sight of the French 
 Rochefort squadron ; which I hope is true. 
 
 Friday, Oct. 18th. Fine weather : wmd east- 
 erly. The Combined Fleets cannot have finer 
 w eather to put to sea. 
 
 Saturday, Oct. 19th. Fine weather : wind 
 easterly. At half-past nine the Mars, being one 
 of the look-out ships, made the signal that the 
 Enemy were coming out of port. Made the 
 signal for a general chace S. E. Wind at south ; 
 Cadiz bearing E.S.E. by compass, distance six- 
 teen leagues. At three the Colossus made the 
 signal that the Enemy's Fleet was at sea. In 
 
 o 
 
98 
 
 the evening made the signal to observe my mo- 
 tions during the night ; for the Britannia, Prince, 
 and Dreadnought, to take stations as most con- 
 venient ; and for Mars, Orion, Belleisle, Levi- 
 athan, , Bellerophon, and Polyphemus, to go 
 ahead during the night, and to carry a light, 
 standing for the Straits' mouth. 
 
 Sunday, Oct. 29th. Fresh breezes S. S.W., 
 and rainy. Communicated with Phoebe, De- 
 fence, and Colossus, who saw near forty sail 
 of ships of war outside of Cadiz yesterday even- 
 ing ; but the wind being southerly, they could 
 not get to the mouth of the Straits. We were 
 between Trafalgar and Cape Spartel. The fri- 
 gates made the signal that they saw nine sail 
 outside the harbour. Sent the frigates instruc- 
 tions for their guidance ; and placed the Defence, 
 Colossus, and Mars, between me and the frigates. 
 At noon fresh gales, and heavy rain : Cadiz N. E. 
 nine leagues. In the afternoon Captain Black- 
 wood telegraphed that the Enemy seemed deter- 
 mined to go to the westward ; — and that they 
 shall 7iot do, if in the power of Nelson and 
 Bronte to prevent them. At five telegraphed 
 Captain Blackwood, that I relied lipon his 
 keeping sight of the Enemy. At ^yQ o'clock 
 
99 
 
 Naiad made the signal for thirty-one sail of the 
 Enemy N. N. E. The frigates and look-out ship 
 kept sight of the Enemy most admirably all the 
 night, and told me by signal which tack they 
 were upon. At eight we wore, and stood to the 
 S. VV. ; and at four wore and stood to the N. E. 
 
 Monday, Oct. 21st. At day-light saw Ene« 
 my's Combined Fleets from east to E. S. E. 
 Bore away. Made the signal for order of sailing, 
 and to prepare for battle. The Enemy with their 
 heads to the southward. At seven the Enemy 
 wearing in succession. 
 
 THE END. 
 
 L.ot C. 
 
Directions to the Binder for placing the Plates. 
 
 Portrait of Lord Nelson to face the Title. 
 Representation of the Ball to face page 70. 
 
 ERRATUM. 
 
 Page 1, line 8, for ' Thunder,' read ' Thunderer.' 
 
 T. White, Printer, 
 2, Johnson's-court, Fleet-street. 
 
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