reaks, and
the masts yellow.

We now mustered twenty-seven sail of the line, four frigates, and a
schooner, and were waiting impatiently for the joyful signal from the
frigates that the enemy were coming out of harbour. On the afternoon of
the 20th of October, 1805, our longing eyes were blessed with the signal.
We cleared for quarters and were in high spirits. At daylight we had the
felicity to see them from the deck, and counted thirty-three sail of the
line and three large frigates. They extended in line ahead.

[Illustration: THE BATTLE OF TRAFALGAR. [_C. Stansfield, R.A., Pinxit._]

We answered with alacrity the signal to make all sail for the enemy,
preserving our order of sailing. The sails appeared to know their places
and were spread like magic. The wind was very light, and it was nearly
noon before we closed with the enemy. We remarked they had formed their
ships alternately French and Spanish. All our ships that had bands were
playing "Rule Britannia," "Downfall of Paris," etc. Our own struck up
"Britons, strike home." We were so slow in moving through the water in
consequence of the lightness of the wind that some of the enemy's ships
gave us a royal salute before we could break their line, and we lost two
of the band and had nine wounded before we opened our fire. The telegraph
signal was flying from the masthead of the _Victory_, "England expects
every man to do his duty." It was answered with three hearty cheers from
each ship, which must have shaken the nerve of the enemy. We were saved
the trouble of taking in our studding-sails, as our opponents had the
civility to effect it by shot before we got into their line. At length we
had the honour of nestling His Majesty's ship between a French and a
Spanish seventy-four, and so close that a biscuit might have been thrown
on the decks of either of them. Our guns were all double-shotted. The
order was given to fire; being so close every shot was poured into their
hulls, down came the Frenchman's mizzen-mast, and after our second
broadside the Spaniard's fore and cross-jack yards. A Spanish three-decker
now crossed our bows and gave us a raking broadside which knocked away the
fore and main top-masts, the main and fore-yards with the jib-boom and
sprit-sail yard, part of the head, and killed and wounded twenty-two of
the men. One midshipman was cut literally in half. This was the more
provoking as we could not return her the compliment, having full
employme