enemy's ships, while several others were in sight at a
distance ahead. We kept on our course, and after having fired a
broadside into the Superb's opponent, (which, however, was already
nearly silenced), continued the chase, followed by the Venerable; but,
when nearly the length of Trafalgar, our wounded masts complained so
much, that we were under the necessity of close-reefing the
main-top-sail, and taking in the fore-top-sail. The Admiral was also
anxious to get his squadron round him, that he might, with his
collected force, reach Cadiz before the morning, and cut the enemy off
from the only port in which they could find security.

"The easterly wind, which, although blowing with great violence in the
Straits, is seldom felt close in shore on either the Spanish or
African coasts, entirely failed us as we hauled round Cape Trafalgar,
and left our ship rolling heavily in the swell, to the great danger of
our masts. At half-past twelve o'clock one of the Spanish
three-deckers blew up, with a tremendous explosion, and soon after the
other. They had previously separated, after their masts had fallen,
and the rigging was consumed; and they were seen for some time
burning at a distance from each other, before their fatal termination.

"As the Admiral and myself were looking over the chart together, in
order to shape our course for Cadiz, we heard an alarming cry of
'Fire!' and, running out upon deck, were enveloped in a thick
sulphrueous smoke, which seemed to pervade every part of the ship.
Soon, however, we found it clear away, and ascertained the cause to
be, that we had run into the column of smoke and vapour arising from
the explosion of the Spanish ship, which, being too dense to rise, lay
along the surface of the water. We gradually emerged from this, and
were relieved from our apprehensions of sharing the fate of our
unhappy enemies.

"At the dawn of day we saw the Venerable close to a French
line-of-battle ship, and drawing up with her by the aid of a light air
off the Spanish shore. At five o'clock the Venerable opened her fire
upon the enemy. The breeze dying away, the two ships were enveloped in
a cloud of smoke. The Caesar, at the distance of about a mile and a
half, was perfectly becalmed. The boats were sent ahead, in hopes of
being able to tow her within gun-shot of the enemy. In the course of a
short time, a light breeze having dispersed the dense cloud of smoke
which the fire of the two ships had occas