hed alongside of the "San Nicolas," her bow touching
the lee (starboard) quarter of the Spanish vessel, her spritsail yard
hooking in the other's mizzen shrouds. Commander Berry, a very young
man, who had lately been first lieutenant of the "Captain," leaped
actively into the mizzen chains, the first on board the enemy; he was
quickly supported by others, who passed over by the spritsail yard.
The captain of the ship was in the act of following, at the head of
his men, when Nelson stopped him. "No, Miller," he said, "_I_ must
have that honour;" and he directed him to remain. One of the soldiers
of the Sixty-ninth Regiment, who were serving on board as marines,
broke open the upper quarter-gallery window of the "San Nicolas," and
through this Nelson entered, with a crowd of followers, to find
himself in the cabin of the enemy's ship. The doors being fastened,
they were held there a few moments, while Spanish officers from the
quarter-deck discharged their pistols at them; but the doors were soon
broken down, and the party, after firing a volley, sallied on the spar
deck, which the enemy yielded to them,--a Spanish commodore falling by
the wheel as he retreated. Berry had by this time reached the poop,
where he hauled down the colors, while Nelson passed to the forward
part of the ship, meeting on his way several Spanish officers, who,
being by this time in the hands of British seamen, gave up to him
their swords. The Spanish guns on the lower decks still continued
firing for some moments, apparently at the "Prince George," which had
passed to leeward of the "Captain," and now kept her batteries playing
upon the hull of the "San Nicolas" forward of the part where the
"Captain" touched her.

At this moment a small-arm fire was opened from the stern galleries of
the "San Josef" upon the British party in the "San Nicolas." Nelson
caused the soldiers to reply to it, and ordered reinforcements sent to
him from the "Captain." Parties were stationed at the hatchways of the
"San Nicolas" to control the enemy and keep them below decks, and then
the boarders charged again for the Spanish three-decker. Nelson was
helped by Berry into her main chains; but he had got no farther before
a Spanish officer put his head over the rail and said they
surrendered. "From this most welcome information," continues Nelson,
in his narrative, "it was not long before I was on the quarter-deck,
when the Spanish captain, with a bow, presented me his sw