your most obedient,

"Horatio Nelson."

This seems the prelude of augmented precaution, and a more rigid
adherence to the closeness of the blockade. It was usual to send,
nightly, a guard of one or two boats, manned and armed, from each ship,
into the very mouth of the harbour. These were supported by some
gun-boats, purposely fitted for the occasion; and which, in case of
attack, depended for their own protection on the interior line of ships
under the command of Rear-Admiral Sir Horatio Nelson. With a view to
enforce a strict attention throughout all the inferior branches of the
service, the rear-admiral was accustomed to be rowed, in his barge,
through these guard-boats, after they had been duly stationed for the
night. Thus officers and men were kept constantly in a state of
alertness; and ready to repel any attack which might be meditated
against them from the blockaded port itself. The Spaniards, too, had
equipped a number of gun-boats and large launches, in which they also
rowed guard during the night, to prevent any nearer approach of the
blockaders; who might, otherwise, they feared, suddenly annoy their
fleet. On these occasions, they sometimes approached each other; and
several little skirmishes had occurred, but none of any importance.

As the Spaniards seemed to be perpetually increasing the number of these
gun-boats and armed launches, the British commander in chief thought it
necessary to give them a timely check. So that, notwithstanding the
occasional civilities of their epistolary correspondence, such are
often the necessary deceptions of war, that hostilities were, perhaps,
all the time, meditating by both parties. Certain it is, that on the
night of the 3d of July, only three days after the date of the above
letter, Rear-Admiral Sir Horatio Nelson received orders actually to
bombard Cadiz, without any polite intimation to the ladies of that city
of the real danger which now awaited them.

His letter to the commander in chief, on this occasion, will inform the
reader how far it was successful.

"Theseus, July 4, 1797.

"SIR,

"In obedience to your orders, the Thunder bomb was placed, by the
good management of Lieutenant Gomley, her present commander,
assisted by Mr. Jackson, master of the Ville de Paris, who
volunteered his able services, within two thousand five hundred
yards of the walls of Cadiz; and the shells were thrown from her,
with muc