TRAFALGAR. 11 



Within a few minutes of Lord Nelson's fall, several officers and about forty men 

 were either killed or wounded from this source. But a few minutes afterwards the 

 Redoubtable fell on board the Temeraire, the French ship's bowsprit passing over the 

 British ship. Now came one of the warmest episodes of the fight. The crew of the 

 Tem&raire lashed their vessel to their assailants' ship, and poured in a raking fire. But 

 the French captain, having discovered that owing, perhaps, to the sympathy exhibited 

 for the dying hero on board the Victory, and her excessive losses in men her 

 quarter-deck was quite deserted, now ordered an attempt at boarding the latter. This 

 cost our flag-ship the lives of Captain Adair and eighteen men, but at the same moment 

 the Temeraire opened fire on the Redoubtable with such effect that Captain Lucas and 

 200 men were themselves placed hors de combat. 



In the contest we have been relating, the coolness of the Victory's men was signally 

 evinced. " When the guns on the lower deck were run out, their muzzles came in 

 contact with the sides of the Redoubtable, and now was seen an astounding spectacle. 

 Knowing that there was danger of the French ship taking fire, the fireman of each 

 gun on board the British ship stood ready with a bucketful of water to dash into 

 the hole made by the shot of his gun thus beautifully illustrating Nelson's prayer, 

 'that the British might be distinguished by humanity in victory.' Less considerate 

 than her antagonise, the Redoubtable threw hand-grenades from her tops, which, falling 

 on board herself, set fire to her, . . . and the flame communicated with the fore- 

 sail of the Temeraire^ and caught some ropes and canvas on the booms of the Victory, 

 risking the destruction of all ; but by immense exertions the fire was subdued in the 

 British ships, whose crews lent their assistance to extinguish the flames on board the 

 Redoubtable, by throwing buckets of water upon her chains and forecastle." * 



Setting aside, for the purpose of clearness, the episode of the taking of the Fougueux, 

 which got foul of the Temeraire and speedily surrendered, we find, five minutes later, 

 the main and mizen masts of the Redoubtable falling the former in such a way across 

 the Temeraire that it formed a bridge, over which the boarding-party passed and took 

 quiet possession. Captain Lucas had so stoutly defended his flag, that, out of a crew of 

 643, only 123 were in a condition to continue the fight; 522 were lying killed or 

 wounded. The Bucetitaure soon met her fate, after being defended with nearly equal 

 bravery. The French admiral, Villeneuve, who was on board, said bitterly, just before 

 surrendering, " Le Bucentaure a rempli sci, tdcJie ; la mienne nest pas encore achevee." 



Let the reader remember that the above are but a few episodes of the most complete 

 and glorious victory ever obtained in naval warfare. Without the loss of one single 

 vessel to the conqueror, more than half the ships of the enemy were captured or 

 destroyed, while the remainder escaped into harbour to rot in utter uselessness. Twenty- 

 one vessels were lost for ever to France and Spain. It is to be hoped and believed that 

 no such contest will ever again be needed ; but should it be needed, it will have to be 

 fought by very different means. The instance of four great ships locked together, 

 dealing death and destruction to each other, has never been paralleled. Imagine that 



* "Annals of the Wars of the Nineteenth Century," by the Hon. Sir Edward Cust, D.C.L., &c. 



