despatches. God send me such good luck! The day is fine, and the sight magnificently beautiful. I expect before this hour to-morrow to carry General Decres on board the Victory in my barge, which I have just painted nicely for him,

"Monday morning, 21st,

"The last 24 hours has been most anxious work for me; but we have kept sight of them, and at this moment bearing up to come to action. Lord N. 27 sail of the line. French 33 or 34. I wish the six we have at Gibraltar were here. My signal just made on board the Victory; I hope, to order me into a vacant line-ofbattle ship. My dearest dear Harriet, your husband will not disgrace your love or name: if he dies, his last breath will be devoted to the dearest best of wives. Take care of my boy; make him a better man than his father.

"Most and ever affectionately,
"H. B."

Lord Nelson called Blackwood on board the Victory. He then informed him that he had intended moving him from command of the Euryalus into the Ajax or Thunderer, then without Captains, but that, on reflection, he was convinced that Blackwood would be of more essential service in the command of the light squadron. He had selected him for it-the highest proof of confidence that could have been shewn. How admirably Blackwood had done his all-important and difficult duty in watching the enemy, we have seen; and among the manifold and imminent perils to which the victorious fleet was exposed, through that tempestuous weather, in which so many of the captured ships perished, the conduct of the Euryalus proved that Nelson indeed had known his man, and that his resources were equal to all emergencies. He remained five hours and a half on board the Victory, nor left it till the enemy had opened their fire, Nelson's last words to him being," God bless you, Blackwood-I shall never see you more!" The following letters speak for themselves, and shew that the brave heart of him who wrote them was the seat of all noble sentiments, and of all tender affections.

"The first hour since yesterday morning that I could call my own, is now before me to be devoted to my dearest wife, who, thank God, is not a husband out of pocket. My heart is however sad, my Harriet, and penetrated with the deepest anguish and sorrow. A victory, and such a one as was never before achieved, took place yesterday in the course of five hours; but at such an expense, in the loss of the most gallant of men-the best and kindest of friends, as renders it to me a victory I could hardly have ever wished to witness on such terms. After performing wonders by his noble example and coolness, Lord Nelson was wounded by a French sharp-shooter, and expired in three hours after, boundlessly beloved, regretted, and honoured. To any but yourself I would not at such a moment write what I feel; but you know, and enter into my inmost mind. I do not hesitate to say, that in my life I never was 80 shocked, grieved, or entirely overcome, as upon my flying to the Victory, even before the action was over, to find our hero in the grasp of death. His unfortunate decorations of innumerable stars, and his unbounded gallantry, caused his death. And such an Admiral has the country lost, and every man and officer so good, so kind, so considerate a friend, as was never equalled. I thank God he lived to know that such a victory, under circumstances so disadvantageous, never was before accomplished. All seemed as if inspired by one common sentiment, to conquer or die. The enemy, to do them justice, appeared no less so. They awaited the attack of the British with coolness, and they fought in a way that must do them honour. As a spectator, who saw all that was done on both sides, I must ever do them the justice to say this. They are, however, beat, and I trust it may be the means of hastening on a peace. Bonaparte, I firmly believe, forced them to sea to try his luck, and what it might procure for him. They had the flower of the combined fleet, and I hope it will convince Europe at large, that he has not yet learnt enough to cope with the English at sea. No history can record such a brilliant and complete victory. At

twelve o'clock yesterday it commenced, and ended about five; leaving in our hands nineteen sail of the line, one of which afterwards blew upthe Achille, a French ship. They were attacked in a way no other Admiral ever before conceived an idea of, and equally surprised them. Lord N., though it was not his station, would lead, supported by Captains Harvey and Freemantle in Temeraire and Neptune. He went into the very thickest of it, was successful in his first and great object, and has left cause for every man who has a heart to feel and a mind to reflect, never, never to forget him. I left off in my last, telling you I was called to obey the signal on board the Victory, and imagined it was to take the command of one of the vacant line-of-battle ships. It was, however, only to talk and explain to me what he expected from the frigates in and after the action; to thank me, which he did but too lavishly, too kindly, for the service I had afforded him, the intelligence and look-out we had kept; and to tell me, if he lived, he should send me home with the despatches. Have I not, therefore, but too much cause to lament so considerate, so kind a man? How entirely has he acted up to the letter I send you, which I know you will keep and value, the issue has proved; and how glad I am to possess it I cannot express. I staid with him till the enemy commenced their fire on the Victory. When he sent me away, he said at parting, we should meet no more;" he made me witness his will; and I left him with a heavy heart. The loss in the Victory, and I believe in nearly all the ships, has been sufficient to convince us the enemy have learnt to fight better than ever they did; and I hope it is not an injustice to the second in command, who is now on board Euryalus, and who fought like a hero, that the fleet under any other never could have performed what they did under Lord N.; but under him it seemed like inspiration. To give you an idea of the man and the heart he had, the last signal he made was such as would immortalize his name. He saw the enemy were determined to see it out, and as if he had not already inspired every one with ardour and valour like himself,

he made the following general signal by Sir Home Popham's telegraph, viz.

England expects that every man will do his duty.' This was of course conveyed by general signals from his ship; and the alacrity with which the individual ships answered it, proved how entirely they entered into his feelings and wishes. Would to God he had lived to see his prizes, and the admirals he has taken-three in all, and among them the French commander-in-chief, Admiral Villeneuve, and not Decres, as I thought. I am so depressed with both the public loss, and my own private loss in such a friend, that really the victory and all the other advantages are lost in the mournful chasm and cause for sorrow in the death of this great and much loved hero. I can scarcely credit he is no more, and that we have, in sight of the Spanish shore, so complete and unheard-of a victory. Ever since last evening we have had a most dreadful gale of wind, and it is with difficulty the ships who tow them keep off shore. Three, I fear, must be lost, and with them many hundred souls each. What horrid scourge is war! I must now impart, my dearest life, my hopes and doubts as to our soon meeting. Hardy, whose grief and despair for the loss of such a friend as Lord N. is quite touching, told me he should name to Lord Collingwood the intention of Lord N. to send me home; and as the account must go in a fast sailer and strong frigate, I hope I may be the lucky man to bear Hardy company with the joyful tidings. Admiral Collingwood, who has hoisted his flag here for a week or so, his own ship being dismasted, is a reserved, but a pleasing, good man; and as he fought like an angel, I like much to hear as yet he has said nothing on the subject; but as Lord N.'s body is to be carried to England, it must be in a safe ship. The work we have before us, with such a disabled fleet, and in such weather, is no trifle. I hope it will mend, and that the ships and prisoners may be all saved; but at present most anxious is our situation. Since Saturday I have not had my clothes off. I am tired to death, but should have been miserable had any opportunity occurred and you had not heard.

Wednesday, 23d.

"Last nightand this day, my dearest Harriet, has been trying to the whole fleet, but more so to the Admiral who has the charge. It has blown a hurricane, but, strange to say, we have as yet lost but one ship-one of our finest prizes-La Redoubtable; but which I feel the more, as so many poor souls were lost. But this is not all. The remains of the French and Spanish fleet have rallied, and are at this moment but a few miles from us-their object, of course, to recover some captured ships, or take some of the disabled English; but they will be disappointed, for I think and hope we shall have another touch at them ere long. We are now lying between them and our prizes, with eleven complete line-of-battle ships, besides more ready to come to us if we want them. The Admiral is still on board my ship; and we are leading the fleet, which, you will believe, suits my taste. The enemy appear to have about thirteen ships and some frigates; therefore I trust they may fall an easy prey, and the Admiral has a strong desire to put a finisher to the affair. My astonishment is that they had exertion enough to come out again; it shews, however, they are no longer a navy to be despised as we used to do, though I have always given them more credit for vigour and determination than most others. I trust they may persevere, and we shall then convince Mr Bonaparte, that even with his best discipline, we can give them such an overthrow as the annals of history cannot produce. Lord C. appeared delighted with EuryaJus, and will not, I hope, leave her, if another action takes place, where he will see so much better what to do than if engaged himself.

the shore. How very unfortunate that after so signal, so unheard of a victory, we shall have none of the enemy's ships to shew in England! I suppose that if two or three of our prizes are saved, it will be the utmost extent. Thank God, that almost all the very badly crippled English have as yet kept off shore, though, if the gale lasts, I cannot conceive that they will be much longer able to preserve a distance. But Providence directs it all, and it is all for the best. The melancholy sights we experienced yesterday of ships driven on shore, others burning, and the rest that we have been forced to sink, (after withdrawing as many men as we could,) for fear of their again falling into the hands of the enemy, cannot be described. Close to the port of Cadiz, I had to destroy the Santissima Trinidada, Spanish ship of 100 guns; the St Anne, a ship of the same size and class, was also destroyed. All this, my dearest Harriet, will make you sad as well as myself; but could you witness the grief and anxiety of Admiral Collingwood, (who has done all that an admiral could do,) you would be very deeply affected. But we cannot help it, and still less avert the hand of Providence, who in the first instance gave us so great a victory. The enemy will, however, be nineteen ships minus, and I do not think we shall be one, which, after all, is wonderful; though we should have liked, after so many perils, to have shewn in Old England the fruits of our labours. What is to become of our disabled ships (having no port in the Mediterranean nearer than Malta) I know not; which Admiral Collingwood appears very much to feel, and the more so as he is little acquainted with the Mediterranean. I am happy that I have been enabled to render him any service, and had he not come on board here, even our own fleet might not have been saved. From the disabled state of most of the ships, they could not be collected, so that we have been doing nothing else but running to all points, the ship covered with signals, to try and get them together, and off from the shore, in which I hope at last we shall succeed. The French commander-in-chief Villeneuve is at this moment at my elbow; he was

brought hither yesterday from one of our ships; and I hope and believe, from what transpired last night, that I shall carry him and the two other captive admirals to England. I find, however, that I am not to carry Captain Hardy with Admiral Colling wood's public letter. That is to be despatched the moment some reports are collected from our ships. The despair and astonishment of Admiral Villeneuve at so many having fallen, cannot easily be conceived. Dear must Lord Nelson's memory ever be to all. His place as an Admiral cannot, in my opinion, ever be filled up. Hitherto my head from employment has been in such a gale of wind, that I have not been able to devote a thought almost to the loss of such a friend. On the day of action, he not only gave me the command of all the frigates for the purpose of assisting disabled ships; but he also gave me a latitude seldom or ever given, that of making any use I pleased of his name in ordering any of the sternmost line-of-battle ships, to do what struck me as best. I wish to God he had yielded to my entreaties to come on board my ship. We might all, then, have preserved (vain thought!) the kindest of friends, and the country the greatest Admiral ever was; but he would not listen to it, and I did not take my leave of him till the shot were flying over and over the Victory.

"Villeneuve says he never saw any thing like the irresistible fire of our ships; but that of the Victory, supported by Neptune and Temeraire, was what he could not have formed any judgment of; but I did what I could to render him and his ships all the service in my power during the heat of the action. I went down among them all, and took the Royal Sovereign in tow, which enabled him to keep his broadside on the enemy; all of this without firing a shot from Euryalus, which was difficult to prevent, but, had I permitted it, I could not have performed the service. But when I remember how many are the gallant instances of heroism performed by many of the fleet, which cannot all be noticed, how little ought I to expect to see my name in his letter! Therefore, if he does not do it, I assure you I shall

feel satisfied with his private acknowledgments, which have been most gratifying. In the performance of this service we were fortunate; for though the rigging and sails were damaged, I did not lose a man. Lord Collingwood told me last night he was thinking to send me home; and if I go I shall have to carry the three Admirals, as well as the body of poor Lord Nelson, at whose funeral, please God, I shall offer my services as a sincere mourner.

cr

Saturday, 26th. "The gale continues with a violence which alarms me for the safety of some of our disabled ships. I never saw such bad weather in these Southern latitudes: and how it will distress Collingwood to relate the melancholy tale of the loss of our prizes, possibly that of some of our own crippled ships! It is hard, indeed, that so splendid, so unheard-of a victory should have been attended with so dreadful a stroke to us as well as to the enemy; many thousands of whom, I may say, perished by fire and water. The Pickle schooner is this moment going to England with the public despatches, or as soon as we can get a boat on board, for it yet blows a hurricane; it will carry back the duplicates, as well as the captive Admirals, the trophies, &c.

"I do not send you the two letters of Lord Nelson I intended, for fear this vessel might be taken; but I will transcribe one of them. Poor dear ill-fated man, not to have lived long enough to see the fruits of his noble exertions! Though, since he was to die of his wound, it is better that it took place previous to the loss of his prizes. No man ever died more gloriously, or more sincerely regretted. He was the bravest, most generous, kindest of men!"

Blackwood's services were not forgotten by Collingwood in his letter, but mentioned in that simple style so characteristic of that good and great man. "The Royal Sovereign having lost her masts, excepting the tottering foremast, I called the Euryalus to me, while the action yet continued, which ship lying within hail, made my signals, a service which Captain Blackwood performed with great attention. After the action I shifted my flag to her, that

I might more easily communicate my orders, and towed the Royal Sovereign out to eastward." So satis. fied was he with the exertions of every one on board the Euryalus and all can conceive the difficulty of a frigate towing a ship of three decks dismasted in action, and all the while repeating the admiral's signals while her own crew were forbidden to fire-that he promoted Lieutenant Quash (since dead as post-captain), and two midshipmen to be lieutenants, Mr Baillie, and that excellent officer, now Captain Hercules Robinson. In a letter to Blackwood himself, the Admiral most warmly acknowledged his obligations. "Whatever I could say of you, or your services, and the benefit I received from them, was well deserved, for in the intricate situation of our affairs, and anxious time I had when in the Euryalus, I received from you an aid which is not often to be obtained, and I consider it a part, a material part of my good fortune, that I embarked in your ship." Nelson, as all the world knows, with his dying words, had requested that, after the action, the fleet might be brought to anchor; but it was universally admitted by the service that, in such weather, that was impossible; and that Collingwood did all that Nelson himself could have done, had he survived the great battle. Blackwood brought to England despatches from Collingwood, (with Villeneuve and Majendie on board,) in which the Admiral again expressed, "his high obligations to that officer for his zeal and activity and great assistance;" and at the funeral of England's greatest hero, when so many heroes "did celebrate his obsequies," and a grateful country bathed his bier in tears, he was train-bearer to Sir Peter Parker, the chief mourner.

In the ensuing year, 1806, his rank not permitting him to continue in the command of a frigate-the names of the Brilliant, the Penelope, and the Euryalus, will be for ever memorable-he was nominated by Lord Barham to command the Ajax, of 80 guns, in the Mediterranean, under the orders of Lord Colling wood, and joined his Lordship off Cadiz, on the anniversary of the battle of Trafalgar. Early in the following year, the Ajax was to form

one of a squadron under Sir John Duckworth, on the expedition up the Dardanelles against Constantinople; but at the mouth of the Straits, during the night of the 14th of February, she was found to be on fire, and in a short time lamentably perished with half her crew. It appeared, on a court of enquiry, that the fire broke out in the bread-room, both the purser's steward and his mate having been in a state of intoxication; and it is needless to add, "that it was proved before the court, that every possible precaution had been taken before the fire was discovered, and after it every possible exertion used by Captain Blackwood and his officers for the preservation of the ship," a judgment afterwards corroborated by a Court-Martial, before whom they were fully and honourably acquitted.

"Royal George, off the Dardanelles, "February 17, 1807.

"YOUR husband, my beloved Harriet, is safe, but Ajax is no more. Melancholy and wretched as you may suppose I am at such a loss in all ways, and on the eve of such a service, having to lament 300 men, many of my best officers, and some of my finest youngsters, it is yet some consolation to feel how happy the communication of my safety will make my dearest wife and friends; and were it not for that, and having, thank God, the fullest means to clear my character, which, as far as a Court of Enquiry could do, has been effected; and that my existence is necessary to the happiness of so dear and affectionate a wife, and to the support of my family, such a misfortune as I have experienced leaves little relish for life. Yet, after being so mercifully spared with 400 others, and unmutilated, as well as the recollection, that had the event occurred the night before, when it blew a gale, not a soul could have escaped, it is almost ungrateful to that Divine Providence who protected us to express such a feeling. But, in spite of all the fortitude and courage I thought I possessed, unhappy am I, when I think that I have lost so many good officers, and men and boys, with every thing we had on board; yet the consolation I shall derive from the possession of so