length in getting the boat afloat; for it had grounded with the falling

tide. Nisbet took one of the oars and ordered the steersman to go close
under the guns of the battery, that they might be safe from its

tremendous fire. Hearing his voice, Nelson roused himself, and desired
to be lifted up in the boat that he might look about him. Nisbet raised

him up; but nothing could be seen except the firing of the guns on
shore, and what could be discerned by their flashes upon a stormy sea.

In a few minutes a general shriek was heard from the crew of the FOX,
which had received a shot under water, and went down. Ninety-seven men

were lost in her: 83 were saved, many by Nelson himself, whose exertions
on this occasion greatly increased the pain and danger of his wound. The

first ship which the boat could reach happened to be the SEAHORSE; but
nothing could induce him to go on board, though he was assured that if

they attempted to row to another ship it might be at the risk of his
life. "I had rather suffer death," he replied, "than alarm Mrs.

Freemantle, by letting her see me in this state, when I can give her no
tidings whatever of her husband." They pushed on for the THESEUS. When

they came alongside he peremptorily refused all assistance in getting on
board, so impatient was he that the boat should return, in hopes that it

might save a few more from the FOX. He desired to have only a single
rope thrown over the side, which he twisted round his left hand, saying

"Let me alone; I have yet my legs left and one arm. Tell the surgeon to
make haste and get his instruments. I know I must lose my right arm, so

the sooner it is off the better." The spirit which he displayed in
jumping up the ship's side astonished everybody.

Freemantle had been severely" target="_blank" title="ad.剧烈地；严格地">severely wounded in the right arm soon after the
admiral. He was fortunate enough to find a boat on the beach, and got

instantly to his ship. Thompson was wounded: Bowen killed, to the great
regret of Nelson: as was also one of his own officers, Lieutenant

Weatherhead, who had followed him from the AGAMEMNON, and whom he
greatly and deservedly esteemed. Troubridge, meantime, fortunately for

his party, missed the mole in the darkness, but pushed on shore under
the batteries, close to the south end of the citadel. Captain Waller, of

the EMERALD, and two or three other boats, landed at the same time. The
surf was so high that many others put back. The boats were instantly

filled with water and stove against the rocks; and most of the
ammunition in the men's pouches was wetted. Having collected a few men

they pushed on to the great square, hoping there to find the admiral and
the rest of the force. The ladders were all lost, so that they could

make no immediate attempt on the citadel; but they sent a sergeant with
two of the town's-people to summon it: this messenger never returned;

and Troubridge having waited about an hour in painfulexpectation of his
friends, marched to join Captains Hood and Miller, who had effected

their landing to the south-west. They then endeavoured to procure some
intelligence of the admiral and the rest of the officers, but without

success. By daybreak they had gathered together about eighty marines,
eighty pikemen, and one hundred and eighty small-arm seamen; all the

survivors of those who had made good their landing. They obtained some
ammunition from the prisoners whom they had taken, and marched on to try

what could be done at the citadel without ladders. They found all the
streets commanded by field-pieces, and several thousand Spaniards, with

about a hundred French, under arms, approaching by every avenue. Finding
himself without provisions, the powder wet, and no possibility of

obtaining either stores or reinforcements from the ships, the boats
being lost, Troubridge with great presence of mind, sent Captain Samuel

Hood with a flag of truce to the governor to say he was prepared to burn
the town, and would instantly set fire to it if the Spaniards approached

one inch nearer. This, however, if he were compelled to do it, he should
do with regret, for he had no wish to injure the inhabitants;and he was

ready to treat upon these terms--that the British troops should re-
embark, with all their arms of every kind, and take their own boats, if

they were saved, or be provided with such others as might be wanting;
they, on their part, engaging that the squadron should not molest the

town, or any of the Canary Islands: all prisoners on both sides to be
given up. When these terms were proposed the governor made answer, that

the English ought to surrender as prisoners of war; but Captain Hood
replied, he was instructed to say, that if the terms were not accepted

in five minutes, Captain Troubridge would set the town on fire and
attack the Spaniards at the point of the bayonet. Satisfied with his

success, which was indeed sufficiently complete, and respecting, like a
brave and honourable man, the gallantry of his enemy, the Spaniard

acceded to the proposal, found boats to re-embark them, their own
having all been dashed to pieces in landing, and before they parted gave

every man a loaf and a pint of wine.
"And here," says Nelson in his journal, "it is right we should notice

the noble and generous conduct of Don Juan Antonio Gutierrez, the Spanish
governor. The moment the terms were agreed to, he directed our wounded men

to be received into the hospitals, and all our people to be supplied with
the best provisions that could be procured; and made it known that

the ships were at liberty to send on shore and purchase whatever
refreshments they were in want of during the time they might be off the

island." A youth, by name Don Bernardo Collagon, stripped himself of his
shirt to make bandages for one of those Englishmen against whom, not an

hour before, he had been engaged in battle. Nelson wrote to thank the
governor for the humanity which he had displayed. Presents were

interchanged between them. Sir Horatio offered to take charge of his
despatches for the Spanish Government, and thus actually became the first

messenger to Spain of his own defeat.
The total loss of the English in killed, wounded, and drowned,

amounted to 250. Nelson made no mention of his own wound in his official
despatches; but in a private letter to Lord St. Vincent--the first which

he wrote with his left hand--he shows himself to have been deeply
affected by the failure of this enterprise. "I am become," he said, "a

burthen to my friends, and useless to my country; but by my last letter
you will perceive my anxiety for the promotion of my son-in-law, Josiah

Nisbet. When I leave your command I become dead to the world--"I go
hence, and am no more seen." If from poor Bowen's loss, you think it

proper to oblige me, I rest confident you will do it. The boy is under
obligations to me, but he repaid me by bringing me from the mole of

Santa Cruz. I hope you will be able to give me a frigate to convey the
remains of my carcass to England." "A left-handed admiral," he said

in a subsequent letter, "will never again be considered as useful;
therefore the sooner I get to a very humblecottage the better, and make

room for a sounder man to serve the state." His first letter to Lady
Nelson was written under the same opinion, but in a more cheerful

strain. "It was the chance of war," said he, "and I have great reason to
be thankful: and I know it will add much to your pleasure to find that

Josiah, under God's providence, was principallyinstrumental in saving
my life. I shall not be surprised if I am neglected and forgotten:

probably I shall no longer be considered as useful; however, I shall
feel rich if I continue to enjoy your affection. I beg neither you nor

my father will think much of this mishap; my mind has long been made up
to such an event."

His son-in-law, according to his wish, was immediately promoted; and
honours enough to heal his wounded spirit awaited him in England.

Letters were addressed to him by the first lord of the Admiralty, and by
his steady friend the Duke of Clarence, to congratulate him on his

return, covered as he was with glory. He assured the Duke, in his reply,
that not a scrap of that ardour with which he had hitherto served his

king had been shot away. The freedom of the cities of Bristol and London
were transmitted to him; he was invested with the Order of the Bath, and

received a pension of L1000 a-year. The memorial which, as a matter of
form, he was called upon to present on this occasion, exhibited an

extraordinary catalogue of services performed during the war. It stated
that he had been in four actions with the fleets of the enemy, and in

three actions with boats employed in cutting out of harbour, in
destroying vessels, and in taking three towns. He had served on shore

with the army four months, and commanded the batteries at the sieges of
Basti and Calvi: he had assisted at the capture of seven sail of the

line, six frigates, four corvettes, and eleven privateers: taken and
destroyed near fifty sail of merchant vessels, and actually been engaged

against the enemy upwards of a hundred and twenty times, in which
service he had lost his right eye and right arm, and been severely" target="_blank" title="ad.剧烈地；严格地">severely

wounded and bruised in his body.
His sufferings from the lost limb were long and painful. A nerve had

been taken up in one of the ligatures at the time of the operation; and
the ligature, according to the practice of the French surgeons, was of

silk instead of waxed thread; this produced a constantirritation and
discharge; and the ends of the ligature being pulled every day, in hopes