was to move swiftly back to the Channel. It was assumed that the
British squadrons, in alarm for the colonies, would in the meantime
be scattered in pursuit.

_The Pursuit of Villeneuve_

Villeneuve put to sea in a rising gale on January 17, 1805, but
was soon back in port with damaged ships, the only effect being
to send Nelson clear to Egypt in search of him. A successful start
was made on March 30. Refusing to wait for 5 Spanish vessels at
Carthagena, Villeneuve with 11 sail reached Cadiz on April 9, picked
up one French vessel and two Spanish under Admiral Gravina, and
leaving 4 more to follow was off safely on the same night for the
West Indies.

From Gibraltar to the Admiralty in London, Villeneuve's appearance
in the Atlantic created a profound stir. His departure from Cadiz
was known, but not whither he had gone. The five ships on the Cadiz
blockade fell back at once to the Channel. A fast frigate from
Gibraltar carried the warning to Calder off Ferrol and to the Brest
blockade, whence it reached London on April 25. A convoy for Malta
and Sicily with 6000 troops under Gen. Craig--a pledge which Russia
called for before sending her own forces to southern Italy--was already
a week on its way and might fall an easy victim. In consequence of
an upheaval at the Admiralty, Lord Barham, a former naval officer
now nearly 80 years of age, had just begun his memorable 9 months'
administration as First Lord of the Admiralty and director of the
naval war. Immediately a whole series of orders went out to the
fleets to insure the safety of the troop ships, the maintenance of
the Ferrol blockade, an eventual strengthening of forces outside
the Channel, and the safety of the Antilles in case Villeneuve
had gone there.

Where was Nelson? His scout frigates by bad judgment had lost Villeneuve
on the night of March 31 east of Minorca, with no clue to his future
course. Nelson took station between Sardinia and the African coast,
resolved not to move till he "knew something positive." In the
absence of information, the safety of Naples, Sicily, and Egypt
was perhaps not merely an obsession on his part, but a proper
professional concern; but it is strange that no inkling should
have reached him from the Admiralty or elsewhere that a western
movement from Toulon was the only one Napoleon now had in mind.
It was April 18 before he received further news of the enemy, and
not until May 5 was he able to get up to and through the Str