230 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1805. 



where the reception he received, 

 .from the crown to tlie meanest citi- 

 zen, was such as to console iiim for 

 the fatigues and disappointments he 

 had endured, and must have been 

 the more gratifying to him, as he 

 saw that his want of success in the 

 main object of his late cruize, was 

 attributed to its true cause ; and that 

 a reflecting and a grateful people 

 saw in his conduct, upon that oc- 

 casion, a public service as useful 

 as any, though, perhaps, generallj' 

 speaking, less splendid than some of 

 his former brilliant achievements. 

 Scenes of activity, however, yet 

 awaited the hero, and the year was 

 not to pass over without witnessing 

 a further, though fatal, proof of his 

 energy and prowess ! 



We are now to relurn to admiral 

 Villeneuve, who had nearly accom- 

 plished the object of his precipitate 

 flight from the West Indies, and 

 had almost reached a friendly port 

 in Europe, without the so much 

 dreaded encounter with a BritisU 

 force: — but it was decreed, that 

 that event should not take place be- 

 fore he suffered yet additional dis- 

 grace and shame. His ileet, now in- 

 creased to twenty sail of the line, 

 French and Spanish, three large 

 ships armed cnjintc^^we frigates, and 

 three brigs, fell in with the English 

 squadron, under the command of 

 admiral sir Robert Calder, consisting 

 of 15 sail of the line, two frigates, 



tlie enemy fighting the whole timfl 

 with the most determined resolution. 

 At the end of that |>eriod, two of 

 the enemy's ships of the line, the St. 

 Raphael of 84 guns, and the El 

 J^irme of 74, having been captured, 

 sir Robert Calder deemed it neces- 

 sary to bring to the squadron, to 

 cover them : a measure rendered 

 still more necessary by the state of 

 the weather, which was so foggy as 

 to prevent the English ships seeing 

 the vessels a-hcador a-stern of them; 

 of course it was impossible to ma- 

 noLUvre with any effect, and all the 

 advantage which could be derived 

 from superiority of naval tactics, 

 was no longer to be looked for» 

 The wind'and weather were, during 

 the whole day, highly favourable to 

 the enemy. The nigbt was spent by 

 both fleets in the necessary repairs, 

 and the following morning, the com- 

 bined squadrons seemed disposed to 

 renew the action, which it was com. 

 pletely in their power to have done, 

 having the advantajie of the wind ; 

 but they never approached nearer 

 the British line than four leagues, 

 the English admiral constantly keep- 

 ing such a course, as would best 

 protect the captured ships, and the 

 Windsor Castle, one of his own, 

 which had been so much crippled in 

 the action, as obliged it to be taken 

 in tow by aline of battle ship. Re- 

 peatedly, in the course of the day, 

 tlie enemy bare up in order of bat. 



a cutter, and a lugger, and which tie, and as often hauled their wind, 



was cruizing off Cape Finisterre, in 

 the hope of intercepting the enemy. 

 This event took place on the 22d of 

 July,threedaysafterlordNclson had 

 reached Gibraltar, on his return 

 from the West Indies. 



An action immcdiataly took place, 

 which was begun by the English ad- 

 miral, with skill, intrepidity and 

 judgment, and lasted four hours, 



upon perceiving no disposition lu 

 the English admiral to avoid him. 

 At night Ihe fleets v^ere abowt six 

 leagues asunder, and when day 

 broke, on the 24th, the enemy were 

 seen -tecring away about south east, 

 under easy sail, and kept this course 

 till six in the evening, when they 

 could no longer be distinguished. 

 Thus terminated an affair, in 



which 



