is desperate emergency Lord Cochrane ordered every
stitch of sail to be suddenly taken in, and the three ships of the
enemy, one being on the weather, another on the lee beam, and the third
nearly on the weather quarter, unable to get their canvas off and haul
to the wind, shot miles away to leeward. The _Pallas_ on this wore
round and made sail on the opposite tack. The enemy, however, were soon
again in chase, but night coming on, a lantern in a cask was put
overboard, and the _Pallas_, altering her course, got clear of her
pursuers, and reached Plymouth in safety. As he sailed up the harbour
Lord Cochrane had a gold candlestick, five feet in height, fixed to the
mast-head, and, as may be supposed, he never after this had any
difficulty in manning his ship, when gold candlesticks were to be picked
up, in addition to "pewter" and "cobs," the nickname given by seamen to
silver and dollars. They have always been found ready to volunteer on
board dashing frigates sent to stations where such prizes were supposed
to abound.

The last important action was that known as the Battle of the Baltic.
Napoleon had induced the Northern powers of Denmark, Sweden, and Russia
to form a league, denominated an armed neutrality, for the French being
unable to keep the sea, he hoped under their flags to obtain provisions
and ammunition for his armies. To counteract this formidable
confederacy, the English sent a fleet of 18 sail of the line, with a few
frigates, and a number of bomb-vessels and gunboats, in the first place
to attack the Danish fleet, and then to take in hand the other two
confederates. After many delays, and attempts to induce the Danes to
come to terms, on the 2nd of April, 1801, a portion of the fleet, which
had been intrusted by Sir Hyde Parker to Lord Nelson, appeared before
Copenhagen, and commenced an attack on the floating batteries and forts
prepared by the Danes for the defence of their city. There is not space
to give the details of the battle. The Danes fought heroically, their
floating batteries being remanned over and over again from the shore.
After three hours' cannonading, from which both parties suffered
severely, Sir Hyde Parker, understanding that two of the British
line-of-battle ships were in distress, threw out a signal for
discontinuing the action. On its being reported to Nelson, he shrugged
his shoulders, repeating the words, "Leave off action? Now, damn me if
I do. You know, Foley, I ha