all miss significant indications of character, that the same
qualities which led him to the quarter-deck of the "San Josef" had led
him but an hour before from the rear of the fleet to the van to save
the fight,--the same quickness to see opportunity, the same promptness
to seize it, the same audacity to control it. The brilliant crowning
of the day may be but an ornament, but it sits well and fitly upon the
knightly deed that rolled back the tide of battle in the hour of need.

Those Spanish ships of the weather division which were first
encountered by Nelson, after he wore out of the line, bore the brunt
of the fighting. As the whole division continued to stand on close to
the wind, these ships, becoming crippled, dropped astern of their
consorts, and so first received the broadsides of the British van as
that arrived. Being also the leaders in the movement frustrated by
Nelson, they became the most leewardly; and, as the British van on
coming up passed to leeward, this contributed farther to concentrate
fire upon the same vessels. Among them was the "Santisima Trinidad,"
of four decks and one hundred and thirty guns, then the largest ship
of war in the world. When Collingwood passed ahead of Nelson, he
engaged her, but not as near as he wished, and could have done, had
not the "Excellent's" rigging been so cut as to prevent her hauling
close to the wind. She was also brought to action by Sir James
Saumarez, in the "Orion," and towards the close of her contest with
the latter ship showed a British Union Jack,--a token of submission
possibly unauthorized, as it was almost immediately hauled in again.
Besides those boarded by Nelson, two other enemy's ships had already
struck.

It was now after four o'clock, and the other Spanish division, of
eight ships, was heading for the scene and near at hand. Although
effectually blocked in their first attempt to pierce the British line,
these had not received such injury as to detract seriously from their
efficiency. Continuing to stand south-southwest, after the British
began tacking, they at last gained ground sufficiently to come up to
windward, the side on which their other division was. In view of the
now inevitable junction of a great number of comparatively fresh
ships, and of the casualties in his own vessels, Jervis decided to
discontinue the action. He ordered his fleet to form on the starboard
tack, covering the four prizes and the "Captain;" and with this done
the f