ch had remained where they were. The following morning,
July 23d, Nelson abandoned the attempt upon the fort, recalling the
frigates; and, as the wind did not yet serve to approach the shore, he
continued under sail during that day and the next. The members of the
landing-party rejoined their proper ships.

Troubridge's failure to act at once upon his own judgment, and seize
the heights above the fort, instead of waiting until he could
communicate with the admiral, whereby were lost more than three
invaluable hours, excites surprise, in view of the extremely high
value set upon him as an officer by St. Vincent and Nelson; and is the
more singular because the latter, in certain "Recommendations," dated
July 17, had indicated the heights, as well as the fort, among the
objects to be secured. It is, of course, possible that these
Recommendations were not given out; but even so, the formal orders
issued gave ample discretion. This hesitation was wholly contrary to
Nelson's own readiness to assume responsibility, and probably accounts
for his subsequent remark, in a private letter, that had he himself
been present this first attempt would not have failed. Occurring in an
officer of Troubridge's high standing, and contrasted with Nelson's
action at St. Vincent, as well as on many other occasions, the
incident serves to bring out forcibly the characteristic eminence of
the latter,--the distinction between a really great captain and the
best type of a simply accomplished and gallant officer. It may safely
be said that had Nelson been in the frigates that morning, and thought
as Troubridge thought, he would either have had the heights without
waiting for orders, or, to use his own words on a former occasion,
would have "been in a confounded scrape."

His first plan having miscarried, Nelson was nevertheless unwilling to
forsake the enterprise wholly, without attempting a direct assault
upon the town itself. Meantime the enemy was not idle, but employed
the delay caused by the wind to collect a greater force, and to
develop further the preparations to repel attack. At half-past five in
the evening of July 24 the squadron reached an anchorage two or three
miles north of Santa Cruz, and all boats were ordered prepared for a
night expedition. Captain Freemantle, of the frigate "Seahorse," had
with him his wife, whom he had lately married; and with them Nelson,
who intended to lead the attack in person, supped that evening. He was