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less
imposes itself upon his general course with all the force inseparable
from hereditary disposition. A man of talent, he educates himself to
acquirements which in his rival have the character of perception; and
only under the spur of emergency does he rise to the height of
greatness. Both were great general officers, a claim which can scarcely
be advanced for Saumarez and Exmouth, able, brilliant, and devoted as
they were. Saumarez was the steadfast, skilful, accomplished master of
his profession, but one whose aptitudes and tastes placed him in the
great organization of the fleet, as a principal subordinate rather than
as head. Exmouth was the typical, innate seaman, intensely active, whose
instincts are those of the partisan warrior, and who shines most in the
freedom of detached service. All bore a conspicuous part in the greatest
war of modern times, with honor such that their names will be remembered
as long as naval history endures.
FOOTNOTES:
[15] Fleetwood Hugo Pellew, in "Our Naval Heroes."
[16] This _Queen Charlotte_ was the successor of the ship which carried
Howe's flag on the First of June, and which had been destroyed by fire
off Leghorn in 1800.
Index
Aboukir Bay, 405.
Age, standard of, a factor in efficiency, 70.
_Albany_, sloop, 327, 328.
Alexandria, 403; 404;
battle off, 405-408; 410.
Algeciras, allied fleet anchored at, 289;
French ships anchor off, 415;
Saumarez starts for, 415;
Saumarez finds French ships moored at, 415;
_Hannibal_ re-anchors at, 419;
crowded with eager sight-seers, 419;
renewed battle off, 420.
Algiers, battle of, 428;
policy of, 462,463;
Nelson denounces, 463;
refuses demand of Lord Exmouth in regard to treatment of captives, 464;
Italian coral fishermen slaughtered on coast of, 464;
Lord Exmouth demands release of Christian slaves in, 464;
its system of defences, 465;
navy of, in port, 466;
Capt. Warde examines defences in port of, 466;
Lord Exmouth sails against, 468;
battle at bay of, 470-473.
Algiers, Dey of, 463;
consults the Porte, 464;
makes submission to Exmouth, 473;
delivers up Christian slaves, 473, 474.
_Alligator_, ship, 266.
Altavela, 244.
_Amazon_, ship, 456;
fight of, with _Droits de l'Homme_, 456, 457;
wreck of, 458, 459.
Amiens, Peace of, 460.
Anglo-Dutch war, marks period of transition in naval warfare, 12.
Anglo-Saxon predominance, beginning of the struggl
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