e sail of the line, and seven frigates, with above 4000
riflemen on board. Our fleet numbered only twenty-seven sail of the
line, and four frigates. We were formed in two lines. Admiral
Collingwood, in the `Royal Sovereign,' led fourteen ships, and Lord
Nelson, in the `Victory,' eleven.

"On the morning of the 21st of October, 1805--you'll not forget that
day, it was a glorious one for England, let me tell you--we sighted the
French and Spanish fleet from the deck of the `Victory' off Cape
Trafalgar. They were formed in a double line in a curve, one ship in
the further line filling up the space left between the ships of the
nearest line. They also were trying to keep the port of Cadiz under
their lee, that they might escape to it. Lord Nelson determined to
break the line in two places. We led the northern line with a light
wind from the south-west. Admiral Collingwood led the southern, and got
into action first, just astern of the `Santa Anna.' We steered so as to
pass between the `Bucentaur' and the `Santissima Trinidade.'

"`Well, there are a lot of the enemy,' exclaimed Tom Collins to me, as I
was standing near the gun he served.

"`Yes, mate,' said I; `and a pretty spectacle they will make at Spithead
when we carry them there.'

"`Ay, that they will,' cried all who heard me, and I believe every man
in the fleet felt as we did.

"We were watching all this time the magnificent way in which the brave
and good Admiral Collingwood stood into action and opened his fire.
That was about noon. There was a general cheer on board our ship and
all the ships of the fleet. At our masthead flew a signal. We soon
knew what it meant. It was--`England expects that every man will do his
duty.' For nearly half an hour the noble Collingwood was alone among
the ships of the enemy before any of his followers could come up. We,
at the same time, had got within long range of the enemy. On we floated
slowly, for the wind was very light, till at last our mainyard-arm was
touching the gaff of the `Bucentaur,' which ship bore the flag of
Admiral Villeneuve; and though our guns were raking her and tearing her
stern to pieces, we had ahead of us in the second line the `Neptune,'
which poured a heavy fire into our bows. Our helm was then put up, and
we fell aboard the `Redoubtable,' while the `Temeraire,' Captain
Blackwood, ranged up on the other side of her, and another French ship
got alongside the `Temeraire.' There we we