NELSON. 137 



44. HORATIO NELSON. 



HORATIO NELSON was born at Burnham Thorpe, county of Norfolk, England, 

 September 29, 1758, the fifth son of a clergyman in limited circumstances. Two 

 stories told of his childhood were significant for his future. One winter day he and 

 his elder brother were going to school upon their ponies. The snow was so deep as 

 to hinder their progress and to lead them to return home, where the elder reported 

 that they could not get on. It is stated that the father replied: "If that be so, 

 I have of course nothing to say; but I wish you to try again, and I leave it to your 

 honor not to turn back, unless necessary." On the second attempt the elder brother 

 was for returning, but Horatio persisted, repeating continually: "Remember it 

 was left to our honor," and the difficult journey was successfully accomplished. 

 The other story is to the effect that the master of the school had a fine pear tree 

 covered with ripe fruit, which the boys wanted but dared not pick. Finally 

 Nelson climbed the tree by night, carried off the pears, gave them all to his school- 

 mates, and refused to eat any of them, saying that he had taken them only because 

 the others were afraid. All through life he was picking the fruit of victory and 

 asking little for himself except the honor. 



When Horatio was 12 years of age he suggested to his father the plan of going 

 to sea with his mother's brother, Captain Maurice Suckling, then in command of 

 the Raisonnable, 64 guns, and this plan was carried out. His uncle having been 

 assigned to a station on the river Medway (Thames estuary) saw to it that Horatio 

 got experience on the sea and sent him on a merchantman to the West Indies. 

 His uncle next assigned him to duty in the cutter and decked long-boat attached 

 to the war-vessel. In charge of these boats he became a good pilot of the estuary, 

 and learned confidence and responsibility. At about 16 he went on a north polar 

 expedition. The story is told of his daring pursuit of a polar bear on the ice; 

 he was saved from probable death only by a gun fired from the ship to terrify 

 the animal. Next he went, at his urgent request and through his uncle's in- 

 fluence, on a small naval vessel to the East Indies. Next he served for six months 

 in the Mediterranean, and then passed his examination as lieutenant at the age 

 of 19 years. The young officer was now attached to the naval frigate Lowestoft, 

 Captain William Locker, which went to the Jamaica station. He got himself 

 assigned to a schooner, tender of the Lowestoft, and carefully studied all the passages 

 through the keys north of Cuba. As Captain Locker had to return to England 

 because of illness, he got Nelson transferred to the flagship, under Admiral Sir 

 Peter Parker a move of great advantage to Nelson's future. Nelson's independ- 

 ent career begins with his appointment as post captain to the Hinchinbrook frigate 

 in June 1779, in which he cruised about the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean sea. 

 He convoyed an expedition of 500 men to Nicaragua; but, though his duty was 

 done when the troops were brought to Grey town, he took 47 seamen and marines 

 in boats up the river, captured a small outpost by storm, and urged that Fort 

 San Juan be reduced in the same way; but the military commander preferred 

 the method of siege, though this led to delay and a heavy loss of life from yellow 

 fever, malaria, and dysentery. Nelson himself barely survived the last-named 

 disease; but, returning to England, was recovered by August 1781 sufficiently 

 to enter upon his appointment to the frigate Albemarle for convoy duty in the 

 Baltic and after that to Quebec. Thence he went with Lord Hood's fleet to the 

 West Indies and shortly afterwards home to England. He then spent some months 

 in France. 



