always his opinion, that he would probably have lost his
life, if his brave and most faithful coxswain, John Sykes, whose name
deserves to be coexistent with that of Nelson, had not wilfully
interposed his own head to save him from the blow of a Spanish sabre,
which this generous man plainly perceived must otherwise prove fatal to
his beloved master; and, though the poor fellow thus readily received
the diverted stroke, it inflicted on his skull a very dangerous wound,
which was for some time thought to be incurable. Even before this
unexampled proof of attachment, had that worthy and gallant man saved
Sir Horatio, more than once during the conflict, from the dangerous
blows of his numerous assailants; several of whom Sykes, as well as his
master, had mortally wounded.

Sir John Jervis, in his letter to the Admiralty, on this occasion, dated
the 5th of July 1797, gives the handsomest and the highest possible
encomium to Rear-Admiral Nelson.

"The rear-admiral," says he, "who is always present in the most arduous
enterprises, with the assistance of some other barges, boarded and
carried two of the enemy's gun-boats, and a barge-launch belonging to
some of their ships of war, with the commandant of the flotilla.
Rear-Admiral Nelson's actions speak for themselves; any praise of mine
would fall very short of his merit!"

A second and more effectual bombardment of the city of Cadiz, and the
shipping in the harbour, under the direction of Rear-Admiral Sir Horatio
Nelson, took place on the evening of the 5th of July. The bomb vessels,
arranged by his instructions, suddenly opened a most tremendous
discharge on the town, as well as on the fleet; which was vigorously
kept up, till they had expended the whole of their allotted portion of
shells: when, having greatly annoyed the enemy, and considerably
diminished the force of the warlike preparations which had been
collecting, they retired in good order, without themselves receiving the
smallest injury.

Even these hostile attacks, however, do not appear to have extinguished
civilities between the contending commanders, though they must certainly
have diminished their satisfaction at receiving them.

Two or three days after, thirty Spanish prisoners having been taken in a
ship from the Havannah, with the captain of a Spanish frigate which had
been burnt there, and who was a passenger in the captured vessel,
Rear-Admiral Nelson wrote a letter to Don Josef Mazerendo, dated on