酷兔英语
    当前位置:
  1. 首页
  2. 文章
  3. 娱乐英语
  4. 原版小说
  5. 正文

The Life of Horatio Lord Nelson-Part10_Robert Southey(1774-1843)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

0 收藏 0 分享 0 赞

章节正文
文章总共2页


Admiral Hotham's action saved Corsica for the time; but the victory had

been incomplete, and the arrival at Toulon of six sail of the line, two



frigates, and two cutters from Brest, gave the French a superiority

which, had they known how to use it, would materially have endangered



the British Mediterranean fleet. That fleet had been greatly neglected

at the Admiralty during Lord Chatham's administration: and it did not,



for some time, feel the beneficial effect of his removal. Lord Hood had

gone home to represent the real state of affairs, and solicit



reinforcements adequate to the exigencies of the time, and the

importance of the scene of action. But that fatal error of under-



proportioning the force to the service; that ruinous economy, which, by

sparing a little, renders all that is spent useless, infected the



British councils; and Lord Hood, not being able to obtain such rein-

forcements as he knew were necessary, resigned the command. "Surely,"



said Nelson, "the people at home have forgotten us." Another Neapolitan

seventy-four joined Admiral Hotham, and Nelson observed with sorrow



that this was matter of exultation to an English fleet. When the store-

ships and victuallers from Gibraltar arrived, their escape from the



enemy was thought wonderful; and yet, had they not escaped, "the game,"

said Nelson, "was up here. At this moment our operations are at a stand



for want of ships to support the Austrians in getting possession of the

sea-coast of the king of Sardinia; and behold our admiral does not feel



himself equal to show himself, much less to give assistance in their

operations." It was reported that the French were again out with 18 or



20 sail. The combined British and Neapolitan were but sixteen; should

the enemy be only eighteen, Nelson made no doubt of a complete victory;



but if they were twenty, he said, it was not to be expected; and a

battle, without complete victory, would have been destruction, because



another mast was not to be got on that side Gibraltar. At length Admiral

Man arrived with a squadron from England. "What they can mean by sending



him with only five sail of the line," said Nelson, "is truly astonishing;

but all men are alike, and we in this country do not find any



amendment or alteration from the old Board of Admiralty. They should

know that half the ships in the fleet require to go to England; and that



long ago they ought to have reinforced us."

About this time Nelson was made colonel of marines; a mark of



approbation which he had long wished for rather than expected. It came

in good season, for his spirits were oppressed by the thought that his



services had not been acknowledged as they deserved; and it abated the

resentful feeling which would else have been excited by the answer to an



application to the War-office. During his four months' land service in

Corsica, he had lost all his ship furniture, owing to the movements of a



camp. Upon this he wrote to the Secretary at War, briefly stating what

his services on shore had been, and saying, he trusted it was not asking



an improper thing to request that the same allowance might be made to

him which would be made to a land officer of his rank, which, situated



as he was, would be that of a brigadier-general: if this could not be

accorded, he hoped that his additional expenses would be paid him. The



answer which he received was, that "no pay had ever been issued under

the direction of the War-office to officers of the navy serving with the



army on shore."

He now entered upon a new line of service. The Austrian and Sardinian



armies, under General de Vins, required a British squadron to co-operate

with them in driving the French from the Riviera di Genoa; and as Nelson



had been so much in the habit of soldiering, it was immediately fixed

that the brigadier should go. He sailed from St. Fiorenzo on this



destination; but fell in, off Cape del Mele, with the enemy's fleet, who

immediately gave his squadron chase. The chase lasted four-and-twenty



hours; and, owing to the fickleness of the wind, the British ships were

sometimes hard pressed; but the want of skill on the part of the French



gave Nelson many advantages. Nelson bent his way back to St. Fiorenzo,

where the fleet, which was in the midst of watering and refitting, had,



for seven hours, the mortification of seeing him almost in possession of

the enemy, before the wind would allow them to put out to his assist-



ance. The French, however, at evening, went off, not choosing to

approach nearer the shore. During the night, Admiral Hotham, by great



exertions, got under weigh; and, having sought the enemy four days, came

in sight of them on the fifth. Baffling winds and vexatious calms, so



common in the Mediterranean, rendered it impossible to close with them;

only a partial action could be brought on; and then the firing made a



perfect calm. The French being to windward, drew inshore; and the

English fleet was becalmed six or seven miles to the westward. L'ALCIDE,



of seventy-four guns, struck; but before she could be taken possession

of, a box of combustibles in her fore-top took fire, and the unhappy



crew experienced how far more perilous their inventions were to them-




文章总共2页
文章标签:名著  

章节正文
Copyright © 2023 Qeto All rights reserved.
商务合作 | 联系我们 | 关于我们 | 版权声明 | 隐私条款 | 如果智培

京ICP备05059198号-1 京公网安备 11011202003401号