The Death of Lord Nelson | Page 2

ordered to keep off the entrance
of Cadiz. His LORDSHIP now retired with the Fleet to the vicinity of
Cape St. Mary's, about fifty or sixty miles westward of Cadiz; keeping
up a constant communication with the frigates in shore, by means of
three or four ships of the line placed at convenient intervals for
distinguishing the signals of each other. This distance from, the
Enemy's port was preserved by His LORDSHIP, to prevent them from
being speedily acquainted with the force of the Fleet under his
command; and that he might avoid the necessity of bearing up in bad
weather, and running with the Fleet through the Straits of Gibraltar
when the westerly gales prevailed: as the inconvenience of being forced
into the Mediterranean, had been felt by former Commanders in Chief;
and would now have afforded a favourable opportunity to the Enemy of

effecting their escape from Cadiz, or at all events have rendered their
obtaining supplies less difficult.
On the 1st of October Admiral LOUIS joined the Fleet, with a part of
his squadron (the Canopus, Spencer, and Tigre), from before Cadiz;
and departed the next day with those ships, the Queen, and the Zealous,
for Gibraltar, to procure a supply of provisions, stores, and water,
which they were much in want of. On the 4th he rejoined with his
squadron; having received intelligence from the Euryalus by telegraph,
that the French ships in Cadiz were embarking their troops, and
preparing to sail. Lord NELSON however conceived this to be merely
intended as a stratagem, to draw him nearer to Cadiz, for the purpose of
obtaining a knowledge of his force; and therefore directed Admiral
LOUIS to proceed in the execution of the orders before delivered to
him.
Between the 7th and the 13th, His LORDSHIP was reinforced by the
Royal Sovereign, Belleisle, Defiance, Agamemnon, and Africa, from
England, and the Leviathan from Gibraltar. The Agamemnon, Sir
EDWARD BERRY, joined on the 13th;[1] with intelligence that she
had been chased on the coast of Portugal a few days before by an
Enemy's squadron, consisting of six sail of the line.
On the 13th in the evening, Sir ROBERT CALDER, in his Majesty's
ship the Prince of Wales, parted company with the Fleet, on his return
to England. His departure Lord NELSON had some days before
evinced an anxious wish to procrastinate, and was heard that very day
to declare his firm belief that the Combined Fleets would be at sea in
the course of ten days or a fortnight.[2]
On the 18th the Donegal, Captain MALCOLM, left the Fleet for
Gibraltar. On the 19th his Majesty's ships the Colossus, Mars, Defence,
and Agamemnon, formed the cordon of communication with the
frigates in shore: the Fleet was lying to. About half past nine in the
morning, the Mars, being one of the ships nearest to the Fleet, repeated
the signal from the ships further in shore, that "the Enemy were coming
out of port." Lord NELSON immediately ordered the general signal to
be made, with two guns, for a chace in the south-east quarter. The wind
was now very light; and the breezes partial, mostly from the
south-south-west. The Fleet made all possible sail; and about two
o'clock the Colossus and Mars repeated signals from the ships in shore,

communicating the welcome intelligence of "the Enemy being at sea."
This cheered the minds of all on board, with the prospect of realizing
those hopes of meeting the Enemy which had been so long and so
sanguinely entertained. It was well known to His LORDSHIP, that all
the Enemy's ships had the iron hoops on their masts painted black;
whereas the British ships, with the exception of the Belleisle and
Polyphemus, had theirs painted yellow: and as he considered that this
would serve for a very good mark of distinction in the heat of battle, he
made known this circumstance to the Fleet, and ordered the Belleisle
and Polyphemus to paint their hoops yellow; but the evening being far
advanced when the signal was made to them for this purpose, His
LORDSHIP, fearing that it might not be distinctly understood, sent the
Entreprenante cutter to them to communicate the order.
During the night the Fleet continued steering to the south-east under all
sail, in expectation of seeing the Enemy; and at day-break on the 20th
found itself in the entrance of the Straits of Gibraltar, but nothing of the
Enemy to be discovered. The Fleet now wore, and made sail to the
north-west; and at seven in the morning the Phoebe was seen making
signals for "the Enemy bearing north." At eight o'clock the Victory
hove to; and Admiral COLLINGWOOD, with the Captains of the Mars,
Colossus, and Defence, came on board, to receive instructions from His
LORDSHIP; at eleven minutes