The Story of Nelson | Page 7

`San Josef' and `Salvador del Mundo' of 112, the others being of 80
and 74-guns. For nearly an hour we pounded away at them, till
Captain Collingwood, in the `Excellent,' came up, and gave us a
helping hand by pouring a tremendous broadside into the `San
Nicolas.'
"Our captain now let us fall close alongside that ship, and then he
called for boarders, and away we dashed into her. Right through her
we went; her flag was hauled down, and then, more boarders coming
up, on we dashed aboard the big `San Joseph,' and in a little time we
had her also. We followed our captain to the quarterdeck, and then the
Spanish officers assembled, and their captain and all of them presented
their swords to Commodore Nelson. As he received them he gave them

to one of his barge-men, William Fearney, who, with no little pleasure,
tucked them under his arm, just as you see in the picture in the Painted
Hall yonder. All the seven ships were taken, and if the Spaniards had
had any pluck we should have taken the remainder; but they hadn't,
and made off while we were unable to follow. That is the worst of
fighting with cowards. If they had been brave men they would have
stopped to fight, and we should have captured every one of their ships.
That was the battle of Saint Vincent. The commodore was made an
admiral and a knight, and now everybody in England, high and low,
rich and poor, had heard of him, and sung his praises.
"You've seen a picture of Sir Horatio Nelson, as he was then, in a boat
attacked by Spaniards, and his coxswain, John Sykes, defending him,
and receiving on his own head the blow made at him by one of the
enemy. I'll tell you how it was:--
"His flag was flying on board the `Theseus,' and he had command of
the inner squadron blockading Cadiz. The Spanish gunboats had
annoyed us, and he resolved to attack them with the boats at night. In
we pulled. In the admiral's barge there were only his ten barge-men--I
was one of them--Captain Freemantle, and his coxswain, John Sykes,
when suddenly we found ourselves close up with a Spanish launch
carrying twenty-six men or more. To run was not in our nature, so we
tackled to with the launch. It was desperate work, and the Spaniards
fought well. Sir Horatio was foremost in the fight; but the enemy
seemed to know who he was, and aimed many a blow at his head. Sykes,
not thinking of himself, defended him as a bear does her whelps. Blow
after blow he warded off, till at last his own arm was disabled. Still,
instead of getting over to the other side of the boat, he stood by the
admiral. Down came another Spaniard's sword which Sir Horatio
could not ward off, but Sykes sprung forward and received the blow on
his own head, which it laid open. This did not make us less determined
to beat the enemy. One after the other we cut them down till we killed
eighteen, wounded the rest, and towed their launch off in triumph. It
will just show you how the men who served with him loved the admiral.
That was a desperate fight in a small way, let me tell you; but before
long we had still worse work to go through.

"Many men are thought a great deal of if they gain one victory. Nelson
never but once suffered a defeat. It was at the island of Teneriffe. He
was sent there, by Sir John Jervis, with a squadron to cut out a rich
Manilla ship returning to Spain, which lay in the harbour of Santa
Cruz. Our squadron consisted of four ships of the line, three frigates,
and the `Fox' cutter. Our first attempt at landing failed, and then the
admiral, who never would be beaten, against the orders of Sir John
himself; determined to take command of the expedition on shore.
Midnight was the time chosen for the attack. The orders were, that all
the boats should land at a big mole which runs out from the town.
Away we pulled; the night was very dark, the boats got separated, and
when we reached the mole there were only four or five boats there. A
heavy fire was at once opened on us, but the admiral would not be
turned back. Drawing his sword, he was springing on shore, but the
same moment he was struck by a musket ball, and fell back into the
arms of his step-son, Lieutenant Kisbet. The lieutenant and one of our
men bound up his arm, while all those who could be collected jumped
into the boat to shove her off. It