s disabled. Still, instead of getting over
to the other side of the boat, he stood by the admiral. Down came
another Spaniard's sword which Sir Horatio could not ward off, but Sykes
sprung forward and received the blow on his own head, which it laid
open. This did not make us less determined to beat the enemy. One
after the other we cut them down till we killed eighteen, wounded the
rest, and towed their launch off in triumph. It will just show you how
the men who served with him loved the admiral. That was a desperate
fight in a small way, let me tell you; but before long we had still
worse work to go through.

"Many men are thought a great deal of if they gain one victory. Nelson
never but once suffered a defeat. It was at the island of Teneriffe.
He was sent there, by Sir John Jervis, with a squadron to cut out a rich
Manilla ship returning to Spain, which lay in the harbour of Santa Cruz.
Our squadron consisted of four ships of the line, three frigates, and
the `Fox' cutter. Our first attempt at landing failed, and then the
admiral, who never would be beaten, against the orders of Sir John
himself, determined to take command of the expedition on shore.
Midnight was the time chosen for the attack. The orders were, that all
the boats should land at a big mole which runs out from the town. Away
we pulled; the night was very dark, the boats got separated, and when we
reached the mole there were only four or five boats there. A heavy fire
was at once opened on us, but the admiral would not be turned back.
Drawing his sword, he was springing on shore, but the same moment he was
struck by a musket ball, and fell back into the arms of his step-son,
Lieutenant Nisbet. The lieutenant and one of our men bound up his arm,
while all those who could be collected jumped into the boat to shove her
off. It was difficult work, for she had grounded. We pulled close
under the battery to avoid the heavy fire from it. As we moved on, all
we could see was the bright flashes from the guns extending in a long
line in front of us. On again pulling out, a fearful cry was raised.
It came from the `Fox' cutter. A shot had struck her between wind and
water, and down she went, leaving her crew struggling in the waves. The
admiral had just before been lifted up in the stern-sheets by Mr Nisbet
to look about him.

"`Give way, lads--give way,' he shouted, forgetting his own desperate
wound. `We must save them.'

"Soon we were