and in October we were joined by Lord Nelson in his
favourite ship the _Victory_. We all knew pretty well that something
would be done, but we little guessed how great was the work in which we
were about to engage. The French and Spanish fleets were inside Cadiz
harbour, and we wanted to get them out to fight them. This was a
difficult matter, for they did not like our looks. That is not
surprising, particularly when they knew who we had got to command us.
Lord Nelson, however, was not to be defeated in his object. Placing a
small squadron inshore, he stationed other ships at convenient distances
for signalling, while the main body of the fleet withdrew to a distance
of eighteen leagues or so from the land.

The enemy were deceived, and at length, on the 19th and 20th, their
whole fleet had got out of the harbour. No sooner was Lord Nelson
informed of this, than he stood in with his entire fleet towards them.

At daybreak on the memorable 21st October 1805, the combined French and
Spanish fleets were in sight, about twelve miles off, the centre of the
enemy's fleet bearing about east by south of ours. At 6 a.m. we could
from the deck see the enemy's fleet, and, as I afterwards learned, the
_Victory_ was at that time about seven leagues distant from Cape
Trafalgar. At about 10 a.m. the French Admiral Villeneuve had managed
to form his fleet in close order of battle; but owing to the lightness
of the wind, some of the ships were to windward and some to leeward of
their proper stations--the whole being somewhat in the form of a
crescent. We had at an early hour formed into two columns, and bore up
towards the enemy. The _Victory_ led the weather division, in which was
our ship. We had studden sails alow and aloft; but the wind was so
light that we went through the water scarcely more than two knots an
hour. I am not about to give an account of the battle of Trafalgar, for
that is the celebrated action we were then going to fight. It has been
too often well described for me to have any excuse for making the
attempt. Indeed, when once it began, even the officers knew very little
about the matter, and the men engaged in working the guns knew nothing
beyond what they and their actual opponents were about. All I know is,
that Lord Nelson was afraid the enemy would try and get back into Cadiz,
and in order to prevent him, he resolved to pass through the van of his
line.

At 11:40 a.m. Lord Nelson ordered that ev