Southey's Life of Nelson . and took their stations, in the darkness,in a manner long spoken of with admiration by all whoremembered it. Captain Hallowell, in the SwiftsureJ ashe was bearing down, fell in with what seemed to be astrange sail: Nelson had directed his ships to hoist fourlights horizontally at the mizzen-peak, as soon as it be-came dark; and this vessel had no such , however, with great judgment, ordered hismen not to fire: if she was an enemy, he said, she was intoo disabled a state to escape; but, from her sails beingloose, and the way in which her head was,
Southey's Life of Nelson . and took their stations, in the darkness,in a manner long spoken of with admiration by all whoremembered it. Captain Hallowell, in the SwiftsureJ ashe was bearing down, fell in with what seemed to be astrange sail: Nelson had directed his ships to hoist fourlights horizontally at the mizzen-peak, as soon as it be-came dark; and this vessel had no such , however, with great judgment, ordered hismen not to fire: if she was an enemy, he said, she was intoo disabled a state to escape; but, from her sails beingloose, and the way in which her head was, it was prob-able she might be an English ship. It was the Bellero-phon, overpowered by the huge Orient: her lights hadgone overboard, nearly 200 of her crew were killed orwounded, all her masts and cables had been shot away;and she was drifting out of the line, toward the lee sideof the bay. Her station, at this important time, was occu- 1. Came on sounding. Trying the depth of water as he advanced. 172 The Life of Nelson. BATTLE OF THE NILE BRITISH 14 ships , 1012 guns1 brig FRENCH 13 ships. 1026 guns4 frigates, 152 guns The Life of Nelsoit 173 pied by the Swiftsure, which opened a steady fire on thequarter of the Franklin, and the bows of the FrenchAdmiral. At the same instant, Captain Bell, with theAlexander, passed under his stern, and anchored withinside on his larboard quarter, raking him, and keeping upa severe fire of musketry upon his decks. The last shipwhich arrived to complete the destruction of the enemywas the Leander. Captain Thompson, finding that noth-ing could be done that night to get off the Culloden, ad-vanced with the intention of anchoring athwart-hawseof the Orient. The Franklin was so near her ahead, thatthere was not room for him to pass clear of the two; hetherefore, took his station athwart-hawse of the latter, insuch a position as to rake both The two first ships of the French line had been dis-masted within a quarter of an hour after the commence-
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, bookpublish, booksubjectadmirals
