Admiralty. "I transmit a statement of the force I think necessary to
the eastward of Carthagena for performing the services intrusted to my
care, and when I get the lists I shall apportion them as far as their
number will allow, and my judgment will admit." "I hope the Board will
consider this as not wishing to alter any arrangement of theirs, but
as a measure absolutely necessary." Within his own field Nelson was
now, by proved professional genius, above the restraint of Boards; and
when he reached England the new First Lord had the wisdom to admit it,
in this supreme crisis, by giving him full control, within the
resources of the country, over the constitution of the fleet with
which he fought Trafalgar.

Letters left for Bickerton and Collingwood placed them in possession
of his ideas, including the revocation of the Admiralty's order; and,
in an official letter, he earnestly recommended the latter officer to
adhere to his arrangements. Word was also sent forward to Cornwallis,
and to the commander-in-chief at Cork, as well as to the Admiralty, to
notify them of his approach. To the northward of Cape St. Vincent he
met the northerly winds that prevail on the Portuguese coast. Delayed
by these, he was three full weeks making the passage from Gibraltar to
the Channel Fleet, which he joined at 3 P.M. of August 15th,
twenty-five miles west of Ushant. To this point his movements were
finally determined by a frigate, which was spoken on the 12th of
August, and informed him that up to three days before no intelligence
had been received of the enemy's arrival in the Bay of Biscay, or on
the Irish coast. Cornwallis excused him from the customary personal
visit, and authorized him to proceed at once to Portsmouth with the
"Victory," in pursuance of the Admiralty's leave which he so long had
had in his hands. On the morning of August 18th, the long and
fruitless chase of the allied fleet was brought to an end by the
dropping of the "Victory's" anchor at Spithead. To Davison Nelson
summed up his disappointment in the exasperated expression, "--n
General Brereton."[109]

From newspapers received off Ushant he first learned of Calder's
battle, and the public dissatisfaction with the results. He had
undergone too much frustration and anxiety himself not to feel for an
officer who had made a mistake, although it may safely be said that
Calder's mistake was not only one Nelson could not have made, but was
the exact opposite of th