ilor, who, surveying the enemy through an
open port, offered the comment, "What a fine sight, Bill, yon ships would
make at Spithead!"

It is curious to reflect how exactly both British and French invert on
sea their land tactics. French infantry attack in column, and are met by
British infantry in line; and the line, with its steadfast courage and
wide front of fire, crushes the column. On sea, on the other hand, the
British attack in column, and the French meet the attack in line; but the
column wins. But it must be admitted that the peril of this method of
attack is enormous. The leading ship approaches, stern on, to a line of
fire which, if steady enough, may well crush her by its concentration of
flame. Attack in column, in fact, means that the leading ships are
sacrificed to secure victory for the ships in the rear. The risks of
this method of attack at Trafalgar were enormously increased by the light
and uncertain quality of the wind. Collingwood, in the _Royal
Sovereign_, and Nelson, in the _Victory_, as a matter of fact, drifted
slowly rather than sailed, stern on to the broadsides of their enemy.
The leading British ships, with their stately heights of swelling canvas,
moved into the raking fire of the far-stretching Franco-Spanish line at a
speed of about two knots an hour. His officers knew that Nelson's ship,
carrying the flag of the commander-in-chief, as it came slowly on, would
be the mark for every French gunner, and must pass through a tempest of
flame before it could fire a shot in reply; and Blackwood begged Nelson
to let the _Temeraire_--"the fighting _Temeraire_"--take the _Victory's_
place at the head of the column. "Oh yes, let her go ahead," answered
Nelson, with a queer smile; and the _Temeraire_ was hailed, and ordered
to take the lead. But Nelson meant that the _Temeraire_ should take the
_Victory's_ place only if she could, and he watched grimly to see that
not a sheet was let fly or a sail shortened to give the _Temeraire_ a
chance of passing; and so the _Victory_ kept its proud and perilous lead.

Collingwood led the lee division, and had the honour of beginning the
mighty drama of Trafalgar. The _Royal Sovereign_ was newly coppered,
and, with every inch of canvas outspread, got so far ahead of her
followers, that after Collingwood had broken into the French line, he
sustained its fire, unhelped, for nearly twenty minutes before the
_Belleisle_, the ship next following, could fi