former 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 communicated to each other their sentiments of anxiety for his Lordship's personal safety, to which every other consideration seemed to give way. Indeed, all were confident 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 handkerchief. Doctor Scott and Mr. Scott (Public Secretary) both observed, however, that such request would have no effect, as they knew his Lordship's sentiments on the subject so well, that they were sure he would be highly displeased 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 sickreport for the day, to submit his sentiments to the Admiral, Mr. Scott replied, 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 Lordship continued occupied with the Captains of the Frigates, (to whom he was explaining his intentions respecting the services they were to perform during the Battle,) till a short time before the Enemy opened their fire on the Royal Sovereign, when Lord Nelson ordered all persons not stationed on the quarterdeck 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, tack, consisting of 33 Sail of the Line, five Frigates, and two Brigs, our Fleet to windward of them about five leagues. 6.30 wore and hove-to, saw the land about Cape Trafalgar N.E. 7.45 Victory made our signal for a Captain. At 8 Captain went on board the Admiral-wore and hove-to-Admiral S.W. b. S. one milecentre of the Enemy's Fleet S.E. b. E. four leagues, forming the line on the larboard tack-our Fleet running down under all sail."-Sirius' Log. A.M. Moderate breezes and cloudy. At 5 wore towards the Enemy, and up fore, and foretopsail yard, and made sail. At 8 the Enemy bore .... 4 or 5 leagues, the Commander-in-Chief W.S.W. 2 or 3 leagues. At 9 the Fleet made sail towards the Enemy, which had formed their line, and appeared ready for battle. At 10 the Commander-in-Chief made the signal to prepare for Action, with a number of other signals, which were answered by the Fleet. At noon the Commander-in-Chief was within about 2 leagues of the Enemy, which kept their former Station."-Pickle's Log. "At daylight saw the Enemy in line of battle bearing from S.S.E. to East-our Fleet ahead, steering towards the Enemy. At 8 light winds-still continuing the same under all sail. At noon the centre of the Enemy's Fleet, bearing E.S.E. about six miles, consisting of one four-decker, two three-deckers, 30 two-deckers, six Frigates, and two Brigs, under the command of the French Admiral Villeneuve and Spanish Admiral Gravina."-Naiad's Log. The Naiad's Log, which contains the only minute account of the Signals made on the 21st of October that has fallen under the Editor's observation, shews that the following signals were made between 6 A.M. and Noon on that day: VOL. VII. No. Signal. being found in the way of the guns, were now lowered down and towed astern. Captain Blackwood of the Euryalus, remained on board the Victory till a few minutes before the Enemy began the fire upon her. He represented to his Lordship that his Flag-Ship would be singled out, and much pressed by the Enemy; and suggested the propriety therefore of permitting one or two Ships of his Line to go ahead of the Victory, and lead her into Action, which might be the means of drawing in some measure the Enemy's attention from her. To this Lord Nelson assented, and at half-nine o'clock, he ordered the Téméraire and Leviathan by signal (the former of Telegraph, Admiralty, or accompanying Telegraph, or Pendants. Purport. By whom To whom 13 Admiralty Prepare for battle Command- General 76 Admiralty Bear up, sail large on Victory General 6 50 Bear up, sail large on Victory the course steered by Admiral, or that pointed out by Com pass Signal Shorten sail, and carry Victory Answered by the Prince immediately Answered and com plied with imme Victory 642 Admiralty with white The chase, or strange Victory 307 Admiralty and S. pen dant, red War fly, over yellow Telegraph 63 Admiralty, England expects that Victory General 11 35 Repeated the Sig. nal to the Thunderer, with her No. immediately Repeated by the preparative Repeated by the Naiad immedi take place immedi ately after the close ately, and com. plied with of day * The Pendants show that this signal was made to the Africa. which Ships, being close to the Victory, was hailed by his Lordship,) to go a-head for that purpose; but from the light breeze that prevailed, they were unable, 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 acquaint his Lordship, that unless her sail was in some degree shortened, the two Ships just mentioned could not succeed in getting a-head previously to the Enemy's Line being forced. This, however, Captain Hardy declined doing, as he conceived his Lordship's ardour to get into battle would on no account suffer such a measure." Mr. James relates this circumstance rather differently:"Captain Black wood undertook the delicate task of broaching the matter to the Admiral. He did so; and Lord Nelson, smiling significantly at Captain Hardy, replied, 'Oh yes, let her go a-head;' meaning, if she could. At about 9h. 40m. A. M. the Téméraire was accordingly hailed, to take her station ahead of the Victory. At about the same time Lieutenant John Yule, who then commanded upon the forecastle, observing that the lee or starboard lower studding-sail was improperly set, caused it to be taken in for the purpose of setting it afresh. The instant this was done, Lord Nelson ran forward, and rated the Lieutenant severely for having, as he supposed, begun to shorten sail without the Captain's orders. The studding-sail was quickly replaced; and the Victory, as the gallant Chief intended, continued to lead the column"." But Captain Blackwood's own statement differs from both these accounts : "About ten o'clock, Lord Nelson's anxiety to close with the Enemy became very apparent: he frequently remarked that they put a good face upon it; but always quickly added, 'I'll give them such a dressing as they never had before, regretting at the same time the vicinity of the land. At that critical moment I ventured to represent to his Lordship, the value of such a life as his, and particularly in the present battle; and I proposed hoisting his Flag in the Euryalus, whence he could better see what was going on, as well as what to order in case of necessity. But he would not hear of it, and gave as his reason the force of example; and probably he was right. My next object, therefore, was to endeavour to induce his Lordship to allow the Téméraire, Neptune, and Leviathan to lead into Action before the Victory, which was then the headmost. 7 Beatty's Narrative, p. 18. 8"But not, it is believed, as stated in a popular little work, [Dr. Beatty's Narrative]" by his Lordship." To this Captain Chamier, the Editor of the last Edition of James's Naval History, has added,— "When the Téméraire ranged up on the Victory's quarter in order to pass her and lead, Lord Nelson hailed her; and speaking, as he always did, with a slight nasal intonation, said, I'll thank you, Captain Harvey, to keep in your proper station, which is astern of the Victory." Naval History, vol. iv. pp. 32, 33, After much conversation, in which I ventured to give it as the joint opinion of Captain Hardy and myself, how advantageous it would be to the Fleet for his Lordship to keep as long as possible out of the Battle, he at length consented to allow the Téméraire which was then sailing abreast of the Victory, to go a-head, and hailed Captain Harvey to say such were his intentions, if the Téméraire could pass the Victory. Captain Harvey being rather out of hail, his Lordship sent me to communicate his wishes, which I did; when, on returning to the Victory, I found him doing all he could to increase rather than diminish sail, so that the Téméraire could not pass the Victory: consequently when they came within gun-shot of the Enemy, Captain Harvey, finding his efforts ineffectual, was obliged to take his station astern of the Admiral'." To these statements it may for the first time be added, that at fifteen minutes after Noon, the Téméraire was expressly ordered by signal to take her station astern of the Victory. Mr. James proceeds: "The direction in which the Combined Fleet now lay, with a home-port scarcely seven leagues off on the lee bow, and the evident forging ahead of the Ships, whereby that distance was every minute diminishing, induced Lord Nelson to steer a trifle more to the northward, and to telegraph his Second in Command, I intend to pass through the Van of the Enemy's Line, to prevent him from getting into Cadiz.' The reserved order of that Line, in the prevailing state of the wind, had produced another danger to be guarded against: it had brought the shoals of San-Pedro and Trafalgar under the lee of both Fleets. Accordingly, at 11h. 30 m. A. M., the Victory made the signal (No. 63, with the preparative) for the British Fleet to prepare to anchor at the close of day." 3 "During the five hours and a half," says Captain Blackwood, "that I remained on board the Victory, in which I was not ten times from his side, he frequently asked me, what I should consider as a Victory? the certainty of which he never for an instant seemed to doubt, although from the situation of the land he questioned the possibility of the subsequent preservation of the Prizes. My answer was, 'That considering the handsome way in which the Battle was offered by the Enemy, their apparent determination for a fair trial of strength, and the proximity of the land, I thought if fourteen Ships were captured, it would be a glorious result; to which he always replied, 'I shall not, Blackwood, be satisfied with anything short of twenty5.' 1 Clarke and M'Arthur, vol. ii. p. 445. "At 12.15 Victory 269, Téméraire, with the Victory's pendant."—Conqueror's Log. 3 According to the Naiad's log, this signal was not made until 12 o'clock, nearly half an hour after the memorable telegraphic signal "England expects," &c. James's Naval History, vol. iv. p. 34. Clarke and M'Arthur, vol. ii. p. 443. At thirty-five minutes past eleven", Lord Nelson ordered that Signal to be made to his Fleet, which will ever form the watchword of Englishmen, and be coexistent with the English language and the British Empire:-ENGLAND EXPECTS THAT EVERY MAN WILL DO HIS DUTY". There are several relations of the circumstances connected with this memorable Signal. Captain Blackwood says, "I was walking with him, on the poop, when he said, 'I'll now amuse the Fleet with a signal;' and he asked me, if I did not think there was one yet wanting?' I answered, that I thought the whole of the Fleet seemed very clearly to understand what they were about, and to vie with each other who should first get nearest to the Victory or Royal Sovereign. These words were scarcely uttered, when his last well-known Signal was made, ENGLAND EXPECTS EVERY MAN WILL DO HIS DUTY. The shout with which it was received throughout the Fleet was truly sublime. Now,' said Lord Nelson, 'I can do no more. We must trust to the great Disposer of all events, and the justice of our cause. I thank God for this great opportunity of doing my duty"."" Mr. James, after mentioning that the signal to prepare to anchor had been made at 11h. 30m., says, "This done, no other signal seemed wanting, when Lord Nelson remarked, that he must give the Fleet something by way of a fillip. After musing awhile, he said, 'Suppose we telegraph that "Nelson expects every man to do his duty?" The Officer, whom he was then addressing, suggested whether it would not be better, England expects,' &c. Lord Nelson rapturously exclaimed, Certainly, certainly; and, at 11h. 40 m. A. M., up went to the Victory's mizen topgallantmast-head, the first flag of the celebrated telegraphic message, 'ENGLAND EXPECTS THAT EVERY MAN WILL DO HIS DUTY; a signal which, the instant its signification became fully known, was greeted with three cheers on board of every Ship in the Fleet, and excited among both Officers and Men the most lively enthusiasm "." • Naiad's Log. 7 This glorious sentiment, so characteristic of every aspiration of Nelson's mind, was conveyed by Sir Home Popham's telegraphic code of signals, in the following manner : Nos. 253 269 863 261 471 958 220 374 4 21 19 24. ENGLAND EXPECTS THAT EVERY MAN WILL DO HIS DUT Y. It is very surprising that the inheritors of Nelson's name and honours have not adopted the Hero's immortal words for their Motto. How much more significant, and with what far more glorious events is that Signal associated, than the anomalous palm-tree, growing out of the sea, in their Arms, and the punning Motto of * Palmam qui meruit ferat," which was not, as has been generally said, chosen for NELSON by his Sovereign, and which therefore loses all its prestige and interest. It is not too late to make the change. 8 Clarke and M'Arthur, vol. ii. p. 443. • James's Naval History, iv. 34. |