ose with a
Frenchman, but out-manoeuvre a Russian.'"

Nelson gave personal supervision to the general work of buoying the
Northern Channel. On the morning of April 1st he made a final
examination of the ground in the frigate "Amazon," commanded by
Captain Riou, who fell in the next day's battle. Returning at about
one in the afternoon, he signalled his division to weigh, and, the
wind favoring, the whole passed without accident, the "Amazon"
leading. By nightfall they were again anchored, south of the Middle
Ground, not over two miles from that end of the Danish line. As the
anchor dropped, Nelson called out emphatically, "I will fight them the
moment I have a fair wind." As there were in all thirty-three ships of
war, they were crowded together, and, being within shelling distance
of the mortars on Amag Island, might have received much harm; but the
Danes were too preoccupied with their yet incomplete defences to note
that the few shells thrown dropped among their enemies.

"On board the Elephant," writes Stewart, who with his soldiers had
followed Nelson from the "St. George," "the night of the 1st of April
was an important one. As soon as the fleet was at anchor, the gallant
Nelson sat down to table with a large party of his comrades in arms.
He was in the highest spirits, and drank to a leading wind and to the
success of the ensuing day. Captains Foley, Hardy, Freemantle, Riou,
Inman, Admiral Graves, his Lordship's second in command, and a few
others to whom he was particularly attached, were of this interesting
party; from which every man separated with feelings of admiration for
their great leader, and with anxious impatience to follow him to the
approaching battle. The signal to prepare for action had been made
early in the evening. All the captains retired to their respective
ships, Riou excepted, who with Lord Nelson and Foley arranged the
Order of Battle, and those instructions that were to be issued to each
ship on the succeeding day. These three officers retired between nine
and ten to the after-cabin, and drew up those Orders that have been
generally published, and which ought to be referred to as the best
proof of the arduous nature of the enterprise in which the fleet was
about to be engaged.

"From the previous fatigue of this day, and of the two preceding, Lord
Nelson was so much exhausted while dictating his instructions, that it
was recommended to him by us all, and, indeed, insisted upon by his
o