ur and welfare, and
his discernment was clear and decisive. His death was deservedly and
deeply felt by every man in the fleet. I must not omit that when the
Commander of the French fleet, Admiral Villeneuve, was brought alongside
us instead of the _Victory_, he was informed it was not Nelson's ship. "My
God," said he, "you are all Nelsons!"(5)

On mustering our ship's company after we were tolerably in order, we found
we had twenty-six killed and fifty-eight wounded, the captain included,
who, as soon as we arrived, went on shore. We sent our wounded men to the
hospital, and began to refit. Our rudder was unshipped, or rather the
wreck of it, to be spliced. On the fourth morning, at daylight, during a
fog, we were not a little astonished at finding ourselves bombarded, and
the shells and shot flying fast and thick amongst us. We had taken the
precaution of keeping our guns towards the enemy shotted, but fortunately
for us and for those people who were amusing themselves in the enemy's
gun-boats, the fog was so dense that we neither could see them or they us.
However, we fired as nearly as we could judge in the direction from whence
their shells came, and I presume we must have done some execution among
them. After our second broadside all was silent. We had only a few ropes
shot away and one man wounded. The shells fell either short or over us on
shore, where they did no injury. The shot were the most destructive. After
this freak, which might have proved serious, we had additional guard boats
during night.

The Governor, General Fox, sent an invitation to all the officers of the
fleet requesting their company to a ball at the Government House. I
understood it was well attended, and the ladies very amiable. I, having
received a wound in the left hand, which was painful, did not attend.
Before we sailed we had several dinner-parties and made excursions to St.
George's and other caves. One afternoon I had been rambling with another
brother officer over the Rock, when, as we reached the O'Hara Tower, we
were overtaken by a thunder-storm. As we stood in the tower, which, as
Paddy would say, is no tower at all, we saw the thunder-clouds descend
under us, and could distinctly see the lightning. It was to us a novel and
awful scene. We soon removed from our position, as the small building
under which we had taken shelter had been formerly struck by lightning,
and we began to be apprehensive of its second visit. In descending