left behind. On the 4th of June he reached the rendezvous, and, not
finding the frigates, waited. The next morning, by the arrival of the
"Mutine," he learned that he was to expect the reinforcement, which
converted his division into a fleet, and enlarged his mission from one
of mere reconnoissance to the duty of overtaking and destroying a
great maritime expedition.

Besides this good news, the "Mutine" brought word of another
misfortune, more irretrievable than the loss of spars. She had fallen
in with the frigates three days before, and the senior captain had
told Hardy that he was going with them to Gibraltar, persuaded that
the condition of the flagship, which he had seen, would necessitate
her return to an arsenal for repairs. "I thought Hope would have known
me better," commented Nelson, when he became aware of a step which
materially affected, in fact probably entirely changed, the course of
events, and most seriously embarrassed all his subsequent movements.
This untimely and precipitate action, and his remark, illustrate
conspicuously the differences between men, and exemplify the peculiar
energy and unrelaxing forward impulse which eminently fitted Nelson
for his present high charge.

The inconvenience and danger arising from the frigates' departure was
instantly felt. "Nothing," wrote Saumarez, "can equal our anxiety to
fall in with the reinforcement. Our squadron has been, these two days,
detached in all directions, without falling in with them; and there is
strong reason to fear they think us returned to Gibraltar"--from
Hope's reports. Such were the risks springing from misplaced caution,
more ruinous than the most daring venture, and which from beginning to
end well-nigh wrecked the great attempt upon which the Admiralty, St.
Vincent, and Nelson had staked so much. In further consequence, the
line-of-battle ships became separated by stretching too far apart in
their anxious care to find Troubridge, and when he joined the
"Vanguard," on the 7th, the "Orion" and "Alexander" were not in sight.
The French having so long a start, and there being now with him
eleven seventy-fours, Nelson with characteristic promptness would not
delay an instant. The fifty-gun ship "Leander," which had come with
Troubridge, was directed to wait forty-eight hours for the two
absentees, with a memorandum of the course about to be followed.
Confident that single ships would be able to overtake a squadron whose
route they knew,