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CAPTAINS AT TRAFALGAR.

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dear, how much better it is to let others tell our story for us, after simply gratifying our nearest and most anxious friends in a few particulars which concern ourselves singly. Morris and the officers of the 'Colossus' will tell you that 'Orion' made the 'Swiftsure' strike her colours; but it is my duty to say, that I only gave the finishing blow to the opponent of a friend, who had then two others to occupy him. The moment I heard of claims I offered 'L'Intrépide' to any who would take the credit of her, disavowing all pretensions to her myself; but they would none of them take my prisoners from me, although having in all eleven hundred men on board I could have spared some of them very willingly. Bayntun, however, who suffered much from 'L'Intrépide,' can give you the best account of her finale. The boasters, in this as in all such cases, will boast themselves into disrepute, although they may get some sugarplums in the interim. These rewards will never excite my envy. My present reward is the conscientious discharge of all the duty I could seize to my share, not only on that day but during the whole time which succeeded. The merit I have in my own eyes (between ourselves) has no competition; for it is, not fighting, not hurrying into battle with a shadow; but reserving my strength for the substance— a lesson taught me by Lord Howe, and afterwards well exemplified to me by Sir Andrew Douglas.

6

CHAPTER V.

February 20. with a very stiff

WHILST we were jogging along this morning, breeze and topgallant masts down (indeed, ours were on deck to be repaired), the admiral gained information of six vessels having got out of Cadiz, three of which were frigates, and that they were steering away west. Observing him wear and make all sail in such a strong wind, I got on the alert, and made sail a-head directly, just at the moment he was making the Tigre,' and 'Unité's' signals to chase N.-W. Being very anxious to make a third, I still pushed on, and at length he made my signal to chase also. Our rendezvous is Cape St. Vincent, I believe; but as we have no other orders than the signal to go in chase of these vessels, the Lord knows from whence you may next hear of me. We all three sail well, and are going at this minute a very good eleven miles an hour. I confess I hope we may be led away at least to the Madeiras, whether we get sight of these vessels or not; because we shall pass our time in life and exertion, and by the period of our return our final destination will be settled. We cannot have a better commodore than Hallowell, and I had rather he were in the command of our little squadron than myself.

Off Cape St. Vincent: February 28.

I don't know what instructions our excellent commodore had by signal, or what information he has got, not having myself communicated with him owing to the bad weather; but not having seen anything of the vessels we came in search of, I conclude his object is now to work back to the admiral.

March 10.

Our now continuing to blockade Cadiz with the whole fleet is ridiculous: for it is said in the admiral's public

1806

CAPTAIN HARDY.

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despatches, that, out of the ten sail which got into Cadiz, six are wrecks; and yet, not having any single direction from the Admiralty, he does not know how to proceed. In the meantime we are carrying a great deal of sail backwards and forwards, and wearing the hearts out of both ships and ships' companies to no one evident purpose whatever.

March 2.

I am pleased with B.'s asking after Hardy from a wish, as I can see, to show him any civility in his power. There are few whom I would do more to serve, had I the power, than Hardy, short as has been my acquaintance with him. I know him well, however, through the admiration of those who so long served under Lord Nelson; and his pleasing manner of forwarding the service as Lord Nelson's organ, sealed at once that regard for him I had felt by anticipation. By attention to him would I prefer paying my respect to the memory of his friend, his patron, I may almost say his father, the great Lord Nelson! and the more so that the sacred right to which his situation in the action entitled him, and more particularly the noble conduct of the ever dear 'Victory,' even after the fatal wound received by our chief, became the portion of another. Had not Hardy been guided by an excess of delicacy, he might have procured Lord Nelson's signature to the accounts of the battle, and have made all those arrangements previously intended by his Lordship; and in return for this delicacy he is passed by unobserved, and consigned as it were to the tomb of his friend. I hardly know how I have been led into this subject, but it always excites me, and to you my feelings run from my pen as they arise in my bosom.

March 26.

If my ship were ordered to be paid off in the summary way in which Lord St. V's. board used to practise these things, it would perhaps be the greatest favour they could do for me. I confess I despair of ever getting 'Orion' refitted now, as she should be to be upon equal terms with her neighbours; and if she is to be worked out in her present condition, according to the system of rigour and economy, it

will be best to look out for another in better plight at once. God knows my love of peace and dear dear home, very far exceeds my love of honour and glory; although I have a just estimation of those articles as accompaniments.

..

It

is best therefore to confine my wish to the thing I most desire; which is, that 'Orion' may be paid off, and the Captain again turned into the Squire. But I am so fagged, I must go to bed and make up for being all last night in chase of what we imagined to be a French squadron. We were at quarters from dusk till between three and four o'clock, when we came up with two running ships from Glasgow, who told us that the other three we had seen in the evening chased them until they saw us, and were, as they judged, three French line-of-battle ships. We have looked for them all today without success, and I am inclined to think they are the frigates we came in search of.

Madeira: April 4, 1806.

We arrived here yesterday evening, and are to sail again for Cadiz to-morrow evening. Graham Moore also came in here yesterday evening, having been blown out in the morning, which is very common at this place, because we, in fact, anchor upon the side of a sugar-loaf. I am going to dine with one of the merchants to-day, and to see all the (Good Friday) show of the morning; and to-morrow, if we stay, I am to dine with another merchant. God knows I would prefer a long ride over the island, viewing the variety and beauty of the works of nature, to seeing a number of Englishmen eating and drinking. But there is hardly any choice in so short a stay here, and I must give my sanction to the order of the day. Madeira is certainly a very fine fertile island; producing at this season the common variety of vegetables and corn, besides the fruit in summer; but how very inferior, as a residence, is the Valla Famosa we dined at on Friday. We had, however, a well set-out and excellent dinner in a delightfully cool room, and a gentlemanlike welcome after an extremely hot walk; and we sailed lightly down the hill again to our ship, having crammed ourselves with peas, beans, spinach, and other vegetables, of which we cleared all the dishes, and without having too much of the

...

1806

AT MADEIRA.

95

good wines which were put before us forced down our throats to convince us of our being welcome. I think Mr. Murdock one of the most gentlemanlike old men I have ever met with abroad in the character of an English merchant. Mr. Gordon, with whom we all dined yesterday (for it is the fashion of the place to take all your officers if you please, and all captains are thus asked as of course), described himself in his address to me at parting: 'I am a man of plain manners and but few words, but I must assure you that it has given me sincere pleasure to have made your acquaintance; I shall be very happy to see you at Madeira again hereafter, and if you think of anything which I can do for you at any time, I shall have great satisfaction in obeying your wishes.' In addition to this I had a firm grasp of the hand, which I thought would have detained me all night.

Off Cadiz: April 15.

Since I added my last say to this letter, we learned the report, and afterwards, by a Portuguese seventy-four, the confirmation, of Sir John Duckworth's victory; but such has been the weather since we rejoined Lord C. here on the 12th, that we have had no communication.

April 18.

In answer to the question you sometimes put to me, 'Did I do right?' I say, 'Yes, in all and everything.' Every part of your conduct is evidently directed by an honest, upright heart; which is the best possible guide, and makes, in my opinion, a wise unerring head.

Well I know how much you would prefer the character of 'sailor' to 'lady's man'; but I wished much that your desire to like Hardy should not lead you to expect too much beforehand.

April 21.

But when you give the reins to your vivid imagination, dear Jane, it positively runs away with you before you observe it. Consider for a moment how many men, much superior to me in every respect as officers, pass through a whole life of severe attention to duty, without any of the sort of applause which attracts public notice, and you will not