had seen him only a few days before in London, and at that time there
was no rumour of his going again to sea.

The station which Nelson had chosen was some fifty or sixty miles to
the west of Cadiz, near Cape St. Marys. At this distance, he hoped to

decoy the enemy out while he guarded against the danger of being caught
with a westerly wind near Cadiz and driven within the Straits. The

blockade of the port was rigorously enforced, in hopes that the combined
fleet might be forced to sea by want. The Danish vessels, therefore,

which were carrying provisions from the French ports in the bay, under
the name of Danish property, to all the little ports from Ayamonte to

Algeziras, from whence they were conveyed in coasting boats to Cadiz,
were seized. Without this proper exertion of power, the blockade would

have been rendered nugatory by the advantage thus taken of the neutral
flag. The supplies from France were thus effectually cut off. There was

now every indication that the enemy would speedilyventure out: officers
and men were in the highest spirits at the prospects of giving them a

decisive blow; such, indeed, as would put an end to all further contest
upon the seas. Theatrical amusements were performed every evening in

most of the ships; and God save the King was the hymn with which the
sports concluded. "I verily believe," said Nelson (writing on the 6th of

October), "that the country will soon be put to some expense on my
account; either a monument, or a new pension and honours; for I have not

the smallest doubt but that a very few days, almost hours, will put us
in battle. The success no man can ensure; but for the fighting them, if

they can be got at, I pledge myself. The sooner the better: I don't like
to have these things upon my mind."

At this time he was not without some cause of anxiety: he was in want
of frigates, and the eyes of the fleet, as he always called them; to the

want of which the enemy before were indebted for their escape, and
Buonaparte for his arrival in Egypt. He had only twenty-three ships;

others were on the way, but they might come too late; and though Nelson
never doubted of victory, mere victory was not what he looked to; he

wanted to annihilate the enemy's fleet. The Carthagena squadron might
effect a junction with this fleet on the one side; and on the other it

was to be expected that a similar attempt would be made by the French
from Brest; in either case a formidable contingency to be apprehended by

the blockading force. The Rochefort squadron did push out, and had
nearly caught the AGAMEMNON and L'AIMABLE in their way to reinforce the

British admiral. Yet Nelson at this time weakened his own fleet. He had
the unpleasant task to perform of sending home Sir Robert Calder, whose

conduct was to be made the subject of a court-martial, in consequence of
the general dissatisfaction which had been felt and expressed at his

imperfect victory. Sir Robert Calder and Sir John Orde, Nelson believed
to be the only two enemies whom he had ever had in his profession; and

from that sensitivedelicacy which distinguished him, this made him the
more scrupulously anxious to show every possible mark of respect and

kindness to Sir Robert. He wished to detain him till after the expected
action, when the services which he might perform, and the triumphant joy

which would be excited, would leave nothing to be apprehended from an
inquiry into the previousengagement. Sir Robert, however, whose situ-

ation was very painful, did not choose to delay a trial from the result
of which he confidently expected a complete justification; and Nelson,

instead of sending him home in a frigate, insisted on his returning in
his own ninety-gun ship--ill as such a ship could at that time be

spared. Nothing could be more honourable than the feeling by which
Nelson was influenced; but, at such a crisis, it ought not to have been

indulged.
On the 9th Nelson sent Collingwood what he called, in his diary, the

Nelson-touch. "I send you," said he, "my plan of attack, as far as a man
dare venture to guess at the very uncertain position the enemy may be

found in; but it is to place you perfectly at ease respecting my
intentions, and to give full scope to your judgment for carrying them

into effect. We can, my dear Coll, have no little jealousies. We have
only one great object in view, that of annihilating our enemies, and

getting a glorious peace for our country. No man has more confidence in
another than I have in you; and no man will render your services more

justice than your very old friend Nelson and Bronte." The order of
sailing was to be the order of battle: the fleet in two lines, with an

advancedsquadron of eight of the fastest-sailing two-deckers. The
second in command, having the entire direction of his line, was to break

through the enemy, about the twelfth ship from their rear: he would lead
through the centre, and the advancedsquadron was to cut off three or

four ahead of the centre. This plan was to be adapted to the strength
of the enemy, so that they should always be one-fourth superior to those

whom they cut off. Nelson said, "That his admirals and captains, knowing
his precise object to be that of a close and decisive action, would

supply any deficiency of signals, and act accordingly. In case signals
cannot be seen or clearly understood, no captain can do wrong if he

places his ship alongside that of an enemy." One of the last orders of
this admirable man was, that the name and family of every officer,

seaman, and marine, who might be killed or wounded in action, should be,
as soon as possible, returned to him, in order to be transmitted to the

chairman of the Patriotic Fund, that the case might be taken into
consideration for the benefit of the sufferer or his family.

About half-past nine in the morning of the 19th, the MARS, being the
nearest to the fleet of the ships which formed the line of communication

with the frigates inshore, repeated the signal that the enemy were
coming out of port. The wind was at this time very light, with partial

breezes, mostly from the S.S.W. Nelson ordered the signal to be made for
a chase in the south-east quarter. About two, the repeating ships

announced that the enemy were at sea. All night the British fleet
continued under all sail, steering to the south-east. At daybreak they

were in the entrance of the Straits, but the enemy were not in sight.
About seven one of the frigates made signal that the enemy were bearing

north. Upon this the VICTORY hove to; and shortly afterwards Nelson made
sail again to the northward. In the afternoon-the wind blew fresh from

the south-west, and the English began to fear that the foe might be
forced to return to port. A little before sunset, however, Blackwood, in

the EURYALUS, telegraphed that they appeared determined to go to the
westward, "And that," said the admiral in his diary, "they shall not

do, if it is in the power of Nelson and Bronte to prevent them." Nelson
had signified to Blackwood that he depended upon him to keep sight of

the enemy. They were observed so well that all their motions were made
known to him; and as they wore twice, he inferred that they were aiming

to keep the port of Cadiz open, and would retreat there as soon as they
saw the British fleet; for this reason he was very careful not to

approach near enough to be seen by them during the night. At daybreak
the combined fleets were distinctly seen from the VICTORY's deck,

formed in a close line of battle ahead, on the starboard tack, about
twelve miles to leeward, and standing to the south. Our fleet consisted

of twenty-seven sail of the line and four frigates; theirs of thirty-
three and seven large frigates. Their superiority was greater in size

and weight of metal than in numbers. They had four thousand troops on
board; and the best riflemen who could be procured, many of them

Tyrolese, were dispersed through the ships. Little did the Tyrolese,
and little did the Spaniards, at that day, imagine what horrors the

wicked tyrant whom they served was preparing for their country.
Soon after daylight Nelson came upon deck. The 21st of October was a

festival in his family, because on that day his uncle, Captain Suckling,
in the DREADNOUGHT, with two other line-of-battle ships, had beaten off

a French squadron of four sail of the line and three frigates. Nelson,
with that sort of superstition from which few persons are entirely

exempt, had more than once expressed his persuasion that this was to be
the day of his battle also; and he was well pleased at seeing his

prediction about to be verified. The wind was now from the west, light
breezes, with a long heavy swell. Signal was made to bear down upon the

enemy in two lines; and the fleet set all sail. Collingwood, in the
ROYAL SOVEREIGN, led the leeline of thirteen ships; the VICTORY led the

weather line of fourteen. Having seen that all was as it should be,
Nelson retired to his cabin, and wrote the following prayer:--

"May the great GOD whom I worship, grant to my country, and for the
benefit of Europe in general, a great and gloriousvictory, and 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 blessingalight on my
endeavours for serving my country faithfully! To Him I resign myself,

and the just cause which is entrusted to me to defend. Amen! Amen!
Amen!"

Having thus discharged his devotional duties, he annexed, in the same