conscious of the imminent danger to which he was about to expose
himself and his followers; it is indeed scarcely possible that he
could, in undertaking the adventure, have expected to succeed, except
through some happy accident skilfully improved,--the deserved good
fortune which had so often attended him. It was not so much the hope
of victory that moved him, as the feeling that to retreat baffled,
without a further effort, would be worse than defeat. This in fact was
the reason which he afterwards gave. "Although I felt the second
attack a forlorn hope, yet the honour of our Country called for the
attack, and that I should command it. I never expected to return."
"Your partiality will give me credit," he wrote to Jervis, "that all
has hitherto been done which was possible, but without effect: this
night I, humble as I am, command the whole, destined to land under the
batteries of the town, and to-morrow my head will probably be crowned
with either laurel or cypress. I have only to recommend Josiah Nisbet
[his stepson] to you and my Country." He urged Nisbet not to go in the
boats, on the ground that his mother should not run the risk of losing
both husband and son in one night, and that in the absence of Captain
Miller, who was going in charge of a division of men, Nisbet's duties
with the ship demanded his remaining. Nisbet steadily refused, and his
presence was the immediate means of saving the admiral's life.

At eleven P.M. the boats shoved off, carrying a thousand men. The
orders were for all to land at the mole, the intention being to storm
it, and the batteries covering it, in a body, and to fight their way,
thus massed, to the great square, which was designated as the place
for rallying. A considerable sea was running and the night dark, so
that the Spaniards did not discover the assailants till they were
within half gunshot. The bells of the place then began to ring, and a
heavy fire opened, amid which the British pushed vigorously forward.
Many, however, missed the mole. Nelson's own boat reached it with four
or five besides, and the parties from these succeeded in carrying the
mole itself, advancing to its head and spiking the guns; but there
they were met with such a sustained fire of musketry and grape from
the citadel and the neighboring houses, that they could get no
farther. Many were killed and wounded, and the rest after a struggle
had to retreat.

Troubridge, with a number of others who missed the