with his comparatively
small fleet. The French had twelve ships of the line, a frigate, and two
corvettes; the Spaniards, six sail of the line and five frigates; to say
nothing of the Rochfort squadron: while the whole fleet under Lord
Nelson consisted only of ten ships of the line and three frigates. The
French had, also, upwards of ten thousand troops, and the Spaniards more
than two. Notwithstanding this inferior strength, which would have
deterred many a brave man from risking the responsibility of so
hazardous an undertaking, Lord Nelson had resolved that he would follow
them, as he emphatically expressed himself, "even to the Antipodes." The
ships he had were well equipped, and his confidence in all the officers
and men was precisely the same as they themselves felt in their adored
commander--he believed them to be absolutely invincible. The ships which
accompanied his lordship in this memorable pursuit, were--the Victory of
a hundred and ten guns, Vice-Admiral Lord Viscount Nelson, Rear-Admiral
Murray, and Captain Hardy; the Canopus of eighty, Rear-Admiral Louis,
and Captain Austin; Le Tigre of eighty, Captain Hallowell; the Donegal
of eighty, Captain Malcolm; the Spencer of seventy-four, the Honourable
Captain Stopford; the Conqueror of seventy-four, Captain Pellew; the
Superb of seventy-four, Captain Keates; the Belleisle of seventy-four,
Captain Hargood; the Leviathan of seventy-four, Captain Bayntun; the
Swiftsure of seventy-four, Captain Rutherford; the Decade frigate of
thirty-six, Captain Stuart; the Amazon of thirty-eight, Captain Parker;
and the Amphion of thirty-two, Captain Sutton.

His lordship, now in high spirits, since the destination of the enemy
seemed evident, and the wind had shifted in his favour, jocosely
remarked to his assembled captains--"There is just a Frenchman apiece
for each English ship, leaving me out of the question to fight the
Spaniards: and, when I haul down my colours, I expect every captain of
the fleet to do the same; but, not till then."

Having got fairly into the trade winds, they run, on the 21st of May, in
the last twenty-four hours, a hundred and ninety miles. The next day,
they passed the tropic, vulgarly called crossing the line; when Neptune
performed the usual ceremony, to the no small diversion of the fleet.
There were, in the Victory alone, his lordship remarks, who highly
enjoyed the scene, no less than five hundred persons by whom the tropic
had never before b