1805.] 



Memoirs of Lord Nelfon, 



435 



tlie Spanifh Admiral was able to complete 

 his line of battle, as a numliei of tlie fhips 

 had been feparated from the main body. 

 Seizing, therefore, the critical moment 

 when they were (liil in diforder, by cnrrv- 

 ing a rrefs of Ail the Engiilh Tuddeniy 

 parted through the Spanifh fquadron, af'er 

 which they taclced in fo judicious a man- 

 rer, as to cut off all that portion which had 

 fallen to leeward. About eleven o'clcck 

 the (ignalwas made from the Viftcry for 

 clofe fight, and after a fevere cannonade 

 the following (hip* were captured ; 



1. Salvador del Mundo, nzguns. 



2. San Jofef, 112 guns. 



3. San Nicolas, 80 guns. 



4. San Yfidoro, 74 guns. 



The following account of the condufl 

 of Lord Nelfon upon this occafion was 

 drawn up by an officer of the srmy, who 

 happened 10 be on board at the time : 



" When Sir John Tervis (now Lord St. 

 Vincent) on the 14th of February, 1797, 

 had accomplilhed his bold intention of break- 

 ing the enemy's line, the Spanifh Admiral, 

 who had been frparaten to windward with his 

 main body, Corififting ot eighfeeii fhipsof the 

 line, fiom nine fhips that were cut ofl" to 

 leeward, app-ared to make a movement, as 

 if with a view to join the latter. Ti'ii'. de- 

 fign was completely fruflrated by the timely 

 oppofition of Commodore Nelfon, whou- ila. 

 tion in the rear of the < r'tHh line afl'orded 

 him an opportunity of obferving this man- 

 CEuvre : his fhip, the Captain, had nofooner 

 pafTed the rear of the ene.my's fhips that v/ere 

 to windward, thon he ordered her to wear, 

 and ftood on the other tack towards the 

 enemy, 



" In executing this hold and decifive man- 

 oeuvre, the Commodore reached the fixth fhip 

 from the enemy's rear, which bore the Spa- 

 nifh Admiral's flag the SantilTima Trinidads, 

 of 136 gUi.s, a fhip of four decks, reported 

 •to he the largeflin the world. Notv.ithftand- 

 ing the inequality of force, the Commodore 

 inftantly er.j:agcd this colofi'al opponent, and 

 for a confidcrable time had to contend not 

 only with her, but with her fecond a-hr?.d 

 ana a flern, each of three decks. While he 

 maintained this unequal combat, which was 

 viewed with admiration, mixed with anxiety, 

 his friends were flying to his fupport j the 

 enemy's atlcnion was foon direfled to the 

 CuUodcn, Captain Troubridge, and in a fhort 

 time after to tlie Blenheim, of 90 guns, 

 Captain Frederick, wlio opportunely came to 

 hit affiilance. 



•' i he intrepid conduit of the Commodore 

 ftaggrrcd the .Spanifh Admir.il, who already 

 appeared 10 waver in purfuing his intention 

 uf joining the (hips cut off by the Britith 

 fltct ; when the Culloden's timely arrival, 

 •nd Cuptain Troubridge's fpiriled fupport of 



the Commodore, together with the approach 

 of the Blenheim, followed by Rear- Admiral 

 Parker, witn the Prince George, Orion, Ir- 

 refiflible, and Diadem, not far diftant, deter- 

 mined the Spanifh Admiral to change his de- 

 fign altogether, and to throw out the (ignal 

 for the (hips of his main body to haul their 

 wind, and make fail on the l.irboard-tack. 



" Not a moment was loi in improving the 

 advaiitaee now apparent in favour of the Bri- 

 tifh fquadron As the fhips of Rcar-Admiral 

 Parker's divifion approached the enemy's 

 (hips, in funport of the Captain (Commodore 

 Nelfon's fhip), and her gallant feconds, the 

 Blenheim and Culloden, the cannonade be- 

 came more animated and iniprefTive. In this 

 manner did Commodore Nelfon engage a Spa- 

 nifh three-decker, until he had nearly eir- 

 pended all . heammunition in his (hip, which 

 had fuffered the lofs of her fore-fop-myfl, and 

 received fuch confiderable damage in her fails 

 and rigiiing, that flie was almo(t rendered hori 

 du combat. At this critical period the Spa- 

 nifh three-decker having Icfl; her mizen ma'l, 

 fell on board a Spanifh two-decker, of 84 

 guns, that was her fecond : this lat'er (hip 

 cunfequently now became the Commodore's 

 opp.^nent, and a mfift vigorous fire was kept 

 up for fome time by both fhips within piftol- 

 fliot. 



" It was now that the Commodore's {hip 

 loft many men, and that the damage^: alrea:y 

 fuftairied, through the long and arduous con- 

 flitt which (he had maintained, appeared to 

 render a contimiance of the conteft in the 

 ufiial way precarious, or perhaps imp-jiTible. 

 At this critical moment the C'lmmodorc, 

 from a fudden impuli'e, inft-antly refolved on 

 a hold a-.i) dcclfiv.- i-neafure, and determined, 

 whatever might be tlie event, tq attempt his 

 opponent fword in hand :_ the boarders were 

 fummoned, and orders given to lay his fhip 

 on board the enemy. 



"■ Fortune favour? the brave X Nor on this 

 occalion was (he unmindful uf her favourite. 

 Ralph Willet Miller, the Commodore's cap- 

 tain, fo judicioufly directed the courfe of his 

 fnip, that he laid her aboard the'ftarboard- 

 qujrt-rof the tipanifn eighty-four, her fprit- 

 failyard pafling over the enemy's poop, and 

 hooking in her mizen-fliroiios ; when the 

 word to board being given, the oflicers and 

 feamen t'eiVincd for this perilous duty, head- 

 ed by Lieutenant Berry, together with the 

 detachment of the fixty-ninth regiment, com- 

 roapided by Lieutenant Pearfcn, then doing 

 •Uuty as marines on boarJ the Captain, pafl'ed 

 with rapidity on board the enemy's fhip, and 

 in a fhort time the San Nicholas was in pof- 

 (cflion of her intrepi ) a(railants. 1 he Com- 

 modore's ardour would not permit him to re- 

 main an inactive fpeftatur of this fcene. He 

 wasawaie the attempt was hjzardous, and he 

 thought his prcfcnce might animate his brave 

 toiiipanions, and contribute to the luccels of 

 this bold entcrpnzc : he therefore, as if by 

 znaj^ic impulfc, accompanied the party in this 

 3 I 2 attack, j 



