red in a line four miles long in
front of the town, and was further supported by the forts on shore.

This great force was to be engaged by the squadron of Admiral Nelson
alone, as that of Sir Hyde Parker remained outside menacing the
formidable Crown Batteries and preventing these from adding their fire
to that of the fleet and other shore batteries upon Nelson's squadron.

The _Caesar_, the leading ship of the fleet, had been directed to sail
right past the line of ships and to operate against a detached fort
standing on a spit of land on the right flank of the Danish position.
This fort mounted many guns, much superior to those of the Caesar in
weight, but the crew were in high spirits at the prospect of a fight,
little as they understood the cause for which they were engaged.
Stripping to the waist, they clustered round the guns, each officer at
his post, Harry, with two other midshipmen, being upon the
quarter-deck near the captain to carry orders from him as might be
required to different parts of the ship. As the _Caesar_ passed along
the line of ships to take up her position she was saluted by a storm
of fire from the Danish vessels, to which she made no reply. She
suffered, however, but little injury, although shot and shell whistled
between the masts and struck the water on all sides of her, several
striking the hull with a dull, crashing sound, while her sails were
pierced with holes. Harry felt that he was rather pale, and was
disgusted with himself at the feeling of discomfort which he
experienced. But there is nothing that tries the nerves more than
standing the fire of an enemy before it is time to set to work to
reply. As soon as orders were given for the _Caesar's_ fire to be
opened, directly the guns could be brought to bear, and the roar of
her cannon answered those of the fort, the feeling of uneasiness on
Harry's part disappeared, and was succeeded by that of the excitement
of battle. The din was prodigious. Along the whole line the British
fleet was engaged, and the boom of the heavy guns of the ships, forts,
and batteries, and the rattle of musketry from the tops of the ships,
kept up a deep roar like that of incessant thunder.

"The water is very shallow, sir," the first lieutenant reported to the
captain. "There are but two fathoms under her foot. The wind, too, is
dropping so much that we have scarcely steerage-way, and the current
is sweeping us along fast."

"Prepare to anchor, Mr. Franci