lly-boat, commanded by Lieutenant Hardy, was lowered, and away she
pulled to try and pick up the poor fellow. The boat was within range of
the enemy's guns: the man was not to be seen. The captain had been
anxiously watching all that took place. `I'll not lose Hardy,' he
exclaimed. `Back the main-topsail!' No order was ever obeyed more
readily, and soon we were dropping back towards our boat, and towards
the enemy. We fully expected to be brought to action, but we did not
care for that; we got back Mr Hardy and our boat, when what was our
astonishment to see the headmost Spaniard shorten sail to wait for his
consort. There can be no doubt he thought we had assistance not far
off. The Spaniards were very timid of us in those days--they had good
reason to be so. With flying colours we sailed out of the Straits,
laughing at our enemy.

"Both officers and men were constantly being shifted from ship to ship
in those days; and, as soon as we reached Cadiz we found ourselves
transferred to the `Captain,' a fine seventy-four. Captain Nelson
hoisted his pennant, as commodore, on board of her, with Captain Miller
under him. You have heard speak of the battle of Saint Vincent. Sir
John Jervis, who was made Earl Saint Vincent, was our admiral, and
Commodore Nelson was second in command. He was now going to show all
the world what he really was. The Spaniards had twice as many ships as
we had. They were much bigger, and carried heavier guns; but what did
Nelson or we care for that. It is the men who fight the battles, and
Nelson knew the stuff British seamen are made of.

"Early in the morning of the 14th of February, the Spanish fleet hove in
sight, and we bore down on them. They were in line, that is, one
following the other. We managed to break that line, and cut off one
part from the other, just as you cut a snake in two. We followed the
head, the biggest part. That part bore away before the wind to join the
tail. The `Captain' was instantly wore round, instead of tacking,
according to a signal just then made by the admiral, and away, after
them we went, followed by the `Culloden,' `Blenheim,' and `Diadem.' The
`Captain' was in the rear of the British line; but by the manoeuvre just
performed, we came up with the Spaniards, and in a short time we and the
`Blenheim' were tooth and nail with no less than seven Spanish
line-of-battle ships--one, the `Santissima Trinidade,' of 130 guns, and
the `San Josef' and