542 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 



1805. 



the beam. Before the fire opened, 

 every alternate ship was about a 

 cable's length to windward of the 

 second a-head and a.stern, forming 

 a kind of double line, and appeared, 

 ■when on their beam, to loavea very 

 little interval between them ; and this 

 •without crowding their ships. Ad- 

 miral Villeneuve was in the Buceii- 

 taure in the centre, and the Prince 

 of Asturias bore Gravina's flag in 

 the rear ; but the French and Spa- 

 nish ships were mixed without any 

 apparent regard to order of natio- 

 nal i^quadron. 



As the mode of our attack had 

 been previously determined on, and 

 communicated to the flag officers and 

 captains, few signals were necessary; 

 and none were made, except to di- 

 rect close order as the lines bore 

 down. 



The commander in chief in the 

 Victory led the weather column, 

 and the Royal SoYcreign, which bore 

 my flag, the lee. 



The action began at 12 o'clock, 

 by the leading ships of the columns 

 breaking through the enemy's line ; 

 the commander in chief about the 

 tenth ship from the van, the second 

 in command about the twelfth from 

 the rear, leaving the van of the ene- 

 my unoccupied, the succeeding ships 

 breaking through, in all parts, astern 

 of their leaders, and engaging the 

 eiicmy at the muzzles of their guns : 

 the conflict was severe ; the enemy's 

 ships were fought with a gallantry 

 hiiihly honourable to their otticers; 

 but the attack on them was irresisti- 

 ble, and it pleased t'le Almighty Dis- 

 poser of events to grant his majesty's 

 arras a complete and glorious victo- 

 ry : about three P. M. many of the 

 enemy's ships having struck their 

 colours, their line gave way ; admiral 



GravLna, with ten ships, joining their 

 frigates to leeward, stood towards 

 Cadiz. The five headmost ships in 

 their van tacked, and standing to the 

 southward, to windward of the 

 British line, were engaged and the 

 sternmost of them taken; the others 

 Avent off, leaving to his majesty's 

 squadron nineteen ships of the line, 

 (of which two are first rates, the 

 Santissima Trinidada, and the Santa 

 Anna,) with three flag-officers, viz. 

 admiral Villeneuve, the commander 

 in chief; Don Ignatio Maria D'Aliva, 

 vice-admiral ; and the Spanish rear- 

 admiral, Don Baltazar Hidalgo Cis- 

 neros. 



After such a victory it may ap- 

 pear unnecessary to enter into en- 

 comiums on the particular parts 

 taken by the several commanders ; 

 the conclusion says more on the sub- 

 ject than I have language to express ; 

 the spirit which animated all was the 

 same ; when all exert themselves zea- 

 lously in their country's service, all 

 deserve that their high merits should 

 stand recorded ; and never was high 

 merit more conspicuous than in the 

 battle I have described. 



The Achille (a French 74), after 

 having surrendered, by some mis-' 

 management of the Frenchmen, 

 took fire, and blew up ; 200 of 

 her men were saved by the ten- 

 dcrs. 



A circumstance occurred during 

 the action, which so strongly marks 

 the invincible spirit of British sea- 

 men, when engaging the enemies of 

 their country, that I cannot resist 

 the pleasure I have in making it 

 known to their lordships. The Te- 

 meraire was boarded, by accident or 

 design, by a French ship on one 

 side, and a Spaniard on the other; 

 the contest was vigorous, but in the 



end, 



