ve only one eye--I have a right to be blind
sometimes;" then putting the glass to his blind eye, in that mood of
mind which sports with bitterness, he exclaimed, "I really do not see
the signal--keep mine for closer battle flying! That's the way I answer
such signals. Nail mine to the mast."

At 1:30 p.m. the Danish fire slackened, and at 2 p.m. ceased along
nearly the whole of the line. Among the British officers who fell was
the gallant Captain Riou, who was cut in two while carrying his frigate,
the _Amazon_, into action. After the flags of all the chief batteries
had been struck, some of the lighter vessels that had got adrift fired
on the boats which approached to take possession of them. Nelson
prepared a letter to send to the Crown Prince of Denmark, threatening to
destroy the prizes unless this proceeding was put a stop to. He
concluded his letter, "The brave Danes are the brothers and should never
be the enemies of England." A wafer was then given him, but he ordered
a candle to be brought from the cock-pit, and sealed the letter with
wax, affixing a larger seal than is ordinarily used, remarking as he did
so, "This is no time to appear hurried and informal."

The remainder of the batteries having at length ceased firing, a flag of
truce arrived from the shore, when the action, which had continued for
five hours, was brought to a close, the total loss of killed being 255,
and of wounded 688. The Danish loss amounted to between 1600 and 1800.
The result of the victory was the secession of Denmark from the league,
and the Emperor of Russia dying soon afterwards, the armed neutrality
was dissolved.

Napoleon now began to hope more ardently than ever that he should ere
long land his victorious legions on British ground. To carry them over,
he had collected a large flotilla, chiefly at Boulogne. By Lord
Nelson's orders, a desperate attempt was made by the boats of the
squadron to destroy them. Some were gun brigs of between 200 and 250
tons; others were flats, vessels capable of carrying a crew of 30 men
and 150 soldiers, with either a mortar or a long 24-pounder, as well as
swivels and small-arms. Though some few were captured, all attempts at
their destruction failed. The British cruisers, however, kept too good
a watch to allow them to put to sea.

Numerous cutting-out expeditions took place during the war, in which
both officers and men displayed the greatest possible amount of courage
and deter