iance," Graves's flagship,
arriving, anchored ahead of the "Monarch," completing the line of nine
British ships. Captain Riou with his light division engaged the
Trekroner, and the Danish blockship next south of it, which was by him
terribly battered. From this moment, and for some time, to use
subsequent words of Nelson, "Here was no manoeuvring: it was downright
fighting."

Meanwhile Parker's division, which had weighed as agreed, was some
four miles off, beating up against Nelson's fair wind. It had not yet
come into action, and the anxious chief, ever doubtful of the result
of a step into which he had been persuaded, contrary, not, perhaps, to
his will, but certainly to his bent, watched the indecisive progress
of the strife with a mind unoccupied by any fighting of his own. Two
things were evident: that Nelson had met with some mishaps, and that
the Danish resistance was more prolonged and sturdier than he had
argued in the Council that it would be. Parker began to talk about
making the signal to leave off action, and the matter was discussed
between himself, his fleet-captain, and Otway, the captain of the
ship. The latter opposed the idea strongly, and at last, as a stay,
obtained the admiral's authority to go on board the "Elephant" and
learn how things were. He shoved off accordingly, but before he
reached Nelson the signal was made.

Nelson at the moment was walking the quarter-deck of the "Elephant,"
which was anchored on the bow of the Danish flagship "Dannebroge,"
engaging her and some floating batteries ahead of her. At this time,
Stewart says, "Few, if any, of the enemy's heavy ships and praams had
ceased to fire;" and, after mentioning various disappointments that
had befallen the smaller British vessels, besides the failure of three
heavy ships to reach their stations, he continues: "The contest, in
general, although from the relaxed state of the enemy's fire, it
might not have given much room for apprehension as to the result, had
certainly not declared itself in favour of either side. Nelson was
sometimes much animated, and at others heroically fine in his
observations. A shot through the mainmast knocked a few splinters
about us. He observed to me, with a smile, 'It is warm work, and this
day may be the last to any of us at a moment;' and then, stopping
short at the gangway, he used an expression never to be erased from my
memory, and said with emotion, 'but mark you, I would not be elsewhere
for