THE BATTLE OF COPENHAGEN. 77 



the action closed. His message from the prince was to inquire what was the object of 

 Nelson's note ? Nelson replied that " it was humanity ; he consented that the wounded 

 Danes should be taken on shore, and that he on his part would take his prisoners out 

 of the vessels and burn or carry off his prizes as he thought fit. He presented his 

 humblest duty to the prince, saying- that he should consider this the greatest victory 

 he ever gained if it might be the cause of a happy reconciliation between the two 

 countries." This proposal was accepted in the course of the evening, and a suspension 

 of hostilities for twenty-four hours agreed upon, during which it was resolved that Nelson 

 should land and negotiate in person with the prince. 



Accordingly next morning he landed, being protected by a strong guard from the 

 possible vengeance of the Danish population. " The battle so dreadfully destructive to the 

 Danes was in sight of the city ; the whole of the succeeding day was employed in landing 

 the wounded, and there was scarcely a house without its cause for mourning. It was 

 no new thing for Nelson to show himself regardless of danger, and it is to the honour 

 of Denmark that the populace suffered themselves to be restrained. Some difficulty 

 occurred in adjusting the duration -of the armistice. He required sixteen weeks, giving, 

 like a seaman, the true reason, that he might have time to act against the Russian fleet 

 and return. This not being acceded to, a hint was thrown out by one of the Danish 

 commissioners of the renewal of hostilities. ( Renew hostilities !' said he to the interpreter, 

 'tell him we are ready at a moment; ready to bombard this very night!' Fourteen 

 weeks were at length agreed upon; the death of the Emperor Paul intervened, and the 

 Northern Confederacy was destroyed. Nelson was raised to the rank of viscount, and, 

 indeed, had not the Government dealt out honours to him slowly and by degrees, their 

 stock would long ere that have been exhausted/'' The grand sea battle in which he saved 

 his country and lost his life has been already described in these pages. 



CHAPTER V. 

 THE HISTORY OF SHIPS AND SHIPPING INTERESTS (continued}. 



Sarly Paddle-boats Worked by Animal Power Blasco de Garay's Experiment Solomon de Caus-David Ramsey's Engines 

 The Marquis of Worcester A Horse-boat Boats worked by Water By Springs By Gunpowder Patrick Miller's 

 Triple Vessel - Double Vessels worked by Capstans The First Practical Steam-boatSymington's Engines The Second 

 Steamer The Charlotte Dimdas American Enterprise James Rumsey's Oar-boats worked by Steam Poor Pitch- 

 Before his Age- Robert Fulton His Torpedo Experiments Wonderful Submarine Boat Experiments at Brest and 

 Deal His first Steam-boat- Breaks in Pieces Trip of the Clermont, the first American Steamer Opposition to his 

 Vessels A Pendulum-boat -The first Steam War-shipHenry Bell's Comet. 



THE employment of animal power in the propulsion of vessels is of very ancient 

 date, and we shall see that steam-power was proposed for the same purpose as soon as the 

 steam-engine had been utilised for pumping mines, although it was some time before it 

 could be applied practically and profitably. We are told that " in some very ancient 

 manuscripts extant in the King of France's library, it is said that the boats by which 



