the life of horatio lord nelson-第60章

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is　judgment　might　be　erroneous；　under　all　circumstances　he　was　right　in　having　formed　it。　〃I　have　consulted　no　man；〃　said　he　to　the　Admiralty；　〃therefore　the　whole　blame　of　ignorance　in　forming　my　judgment　must　rest　with　me。　I　would　allow　no　man　to　take　from　me　an　atom　of　my　glory　had　I　fallen　in　with　the　French　fleet；　nor　do　I　desire　any　man　to　partake　any　of　the　responsibility。　All　is　mine；　right　or　wrong。〃　Then　stating　the　grounds　upon　which　he　had　proceeded；　he　added；　〃At　this　moment　of　sorrow；　I　still　feel　that　I　have　acted　right。〃　In　the　same　spirit　he　said　to　Sir　Alexander　Ball：　〃When　I　call　to　remembrance　all　the　circumstances；　I　approve；　if　nobody　else　does；　of　my　own　conduct。〃

Baffled　thus；　he　bore　up　for　Malta；　and　met　intelligence　from　Naples　that　the　French；　having　been　dispersed　in　a　gale；　had　put　back　to　Toulon。　From　the　same　quarter　he　learned　that　a　great　number　of　saddles　and　muskets　had　been　embarked；　and　this　confirmed　him　in　his　opinion　that　Egypt　was　their　destination。　That　they　should　have　put　him　back　in　consequence　of　storms　which　he　had　weathered；　gave　him　a　consoling　sense　of　British　superiority。　〃These　gentlemen；〃　said　he；　〃are　not　accustomed　to　a　Gulf　of　Lyons　gale：　we　have　buffeted　them　for　one…and…twenty　months；　and　not　carried　away　a　spar。〃　He；　however；　who　had　so　often　braved　these　gales；　was　now；　though　not　mastered　by　them；　vexatiously　thwarted　and　impeded；　and　on　February　27th　he　was　compelled　to　anchor　in　Pula　Bay　in　the　Gulf　of　Cagliari。　From　the　21st　of　January　the　fleet　had　remained　ready　for　battle；　without　a　bulk…head　up　night　or　day。　He　anchored　here　that　he　might　not　be　driven　to　leeward。　As　soon　as　the　weather　moderated　he　put　to　sea　again；　and　after　again　beating　about　against　contrary　winds；　another　gale　drove　him　to　anchor　in　the　Gulf　of　Palma　on　the　8th　of　March。　This　he　made　his　rendezvous：　he　knew　that　the　French　troops　still　remained　embarked；　and　wishing　to　lead　them　into　a　belief　that　he　was　stationed　upon　the　Spanish　coast；　he　made　his　appearance　off　Barcelona　with　that　intent。　About　the　end　of　the　month　he　began　to　fear　that　the　plan　of　the　expedition　was　abandoned；　and　sailing　once　more　towards　his　old　station　off　Toulon　on　the　4th　of　April；　he　met　the　PHOEBE；　with　news　that　Villeneuve　had　put　to　sea　on　the　last　of　March；　with　eleven　ships　of　the　line；　seven　frigates；　and　two　brigs。　When　last　seen　they　were　steering　towards　the　coast　of　Africa。　Nelson　first　covered　the　channel　between　Sardinia　and　Barbary；　so　as　to　satisfy　himself　that　Villeneuve　was　not　taking　the　same　route　for　Egypt　which　Gantheaume　had　taken　before　him；　when　he　attempted　to　carry　reinforcements　thither。　Certain　of　this；　he　bore　up　on　the　7th　for　Palermo；　lest　the　French　should　pass　to　the　north　of　Corsica；　and　he　despatched　cruisers　in　all　directions。　On　the　11th　he　felt　assured　that　they　were　not　gone　down　the　Mediterranean；　and　sending　off　frigates　to　Gibraltar；　to　Lisbon；　and　to　Admiral　Cornwallis；　who　commanded　the　squadron　off　Brest；　he　endeavoured　to　get　to　the　westward；　beating　against　westerly　winds。　After　five　days　a　neutral　gave　intelligence　that　the　French　had　been　seen　off　Cape　de　Gatte　on　the　7th。　It　was　soon　after　ascertained　that　they　had　passed　the　Straits　of　Gibraltar　on　the　day　following；　and　Nelson；　knowing　that　they　might　already　be　half　way　to　Ireland　or　to　Jamaica；　exclaimed　that　he　was　miserable。　One　gleam　of　comfort　only　came　across　him　in　the　reflection；　that　his　vigilance　had　rendered　it　impossible　for　them　to　undertake　any　expedition　in　the　Mediterranean。

Eight　days　after　this　certain　intelligence　had　been　obtained；　he　described　his　state　of　mind　thus　forcibly　in　writing　to　the　governor　of　Malta：　〃My　good　fortune；　my　dear　Ball；　seems　flown　away。　I　cannot　get　a　fair　wind；　or　even　a　side…wind。　Dead　foul！Dead　foul！　But　my　mind　is　fully　made　up　what　to　do　when　I　leave　the　supposing　there　is　no　certain　account　of　the　enemy's　destination。　I　believe　this　ill…luck　will　go　near　to　kill　me；　but　as　these　are　times　for　exertion；　I　must　not　be　cast　down；　whatever　I　may　feel。〃　In　spite　of　every　exertion　which　could　be　made　by　all　the　zeal　and　all　the　skill　of　British　seamen；　he　did　not　get　in　sight　of　Gibraltar　till　the　30th　of　April；　and　the　wind　was　then　so　adverse　that　it　was　impossible　to　pass　the　Gut。　He　anchored　in　Mazari　Bay；　on　the　Barbary　shore；　obtained　supplies　from　Tetuan；　and　when；　on　the　5th；　a　breeze　from　the　eastward　sprang　up　at　last；　sailed　once　more；　hoping　to　hear　of　the　enemy　from　Sir　John　Orde；　who　commanded　off　Cadiz；　or　from　Lisbon。　〃If　nothing　is　heard　of　them；〃　said　he　to　the　Admiralty；　〃I　shall　probably　think　the　rumours　which　have　been　spread　are　true；　that　their　object　is　the　West　Indies；　and；　in　that　case；　I　think　it　my　duty　to　follow　themor　to　the　Antipodes；　should　I　believe　that　to　be　their　destination。〃　At　the　time　when　this　resolution　was　taken；　the　physician　of　the　fleet　had　ordered　him　to　return　to　England　before　the　hot　months。

Nelson　had　formed　his　judgment　of　their　destination；　and　made　up　his　mind　accordingly；　when　Donald　Campbell；　at　that　time　an　admiral　in　the　Portuguese　service；　the　same　person　who　had　given　important　tidings　to　Earl　St。　Vincent　of　the　movements　of　that　fleet　from　which　he　won　his　title；　a　second　time　gave　timely　and　momentous　intelligence　to　the　flag　of　his　country。　He　went　on　board　the　VICTORY；　and　communicated　to　Nelson　his　certain　knowledge　that　the　combined　Spanish　and　French　fleets　were　bound　for　the　West　Indies。　Hitherto　all　things　had　favoured　the　enemy。　While　the　British　commander　was　beating　up　again　strong　southerly　and　westerly　gales；　they　had　wind　to　their　wish　from　the　N。E。；　and　had　done　in　nine　days　what　he　was　a　whole　month　in　accomplishing。　Villeneuve；　finding　the　Spaniards　at　Carthagena　were　not　in　a　fit　state　of　equipment　to　join　him；　dared　not　wait；　but　hastened　on　to　Cadiz。　Sir　John　Orde　necessarily　retired　at　his　approach。　Admiral　Gravina；　with　six　Spanish　ships　of　the　line　and　two　French；　come　out　to　him；　and　they　sailed　without　a　moment's　loss　of　time。　They　had　about　three　thousand　French　troops　on　board；　and　fifteen　hundred　Spanish：　six　hundred　were　under　orders；　expecting　them　at　Martinique；　and　one　thousand　at　Guadaloupe。　General　Lauriston　commanded　the　troops。　The　combined　fleet　now　consisted　of　eighteen　sail　of　the　line；　six　forty…four　gun　frigates；　one　of　twenty…six　guns；　three　corvettes；　and　a　brig。　They　were　joined　afterwards　by　two　new　French　line…of…battle　ships；　and　one　forty…four。　Nelson　pursued　them　with　ten　sail　of　the　line　and　three　frigates。　〃Take　you　a　Frenchman　apiece；〃　said　he　to　his　captains；　〃and　leave　me　the　Spaniards：　when　I　haul　down　my　colours；　I　expect　you　to　do　the　same；　and　not　till　then。〃

The　enemy　had　five…and…thirty　days'　start；　but　he　calculated　that　he　should　gain　eight　or　ten　days　upon　them　by　his　exertions。　May　15th　he　made　Madeira；　and　on　June　4th　reached　Barbadoes；　whither　he　had　sent　despatches　before　him；　and　where　he　found　Admiral　Cochrane；　with　two　ships；　part　of　our　squadron　in　those　seas　being　at　Jamaica。　He　found　here　also　accounts　that　the　combined　fleets　had　been　seen　from　St。　Lucia　on　the　28th；　standing　to　the　southward；　and　that　Tobago　and　Trinidad　were　their　objects。　This　Nelson　doubted；　but　he　was　alone　in　his　opinion；　and　yielded　it　with　these　foreboding　words：　〃If　your　intelligence　proves　false；　you　lose　me　the　French　fleet。〃　Sir　W。　Myers　offered　to　embark　here　with　2000　troops；　they　were　taken　on　board；　and　the　next　morning　he　sailed　for　Tobago。　Here　accident　confirmed　the　false　intelligence　which　had；　whether　from　intention　or　error；　misled　him。　A　merchant　at　Tobago；　in　the　general　alarm；　not　knowing　whether　this　fleet　was　friend　or　foe；　sent　out　a　schooner　to　reconnoitre；　and　acquaint　him　by　signal。　The　signal　which　he　had　chosen　happened　to　be　the　very　one　which　had　been　appointed　by　Col。　Shipley　of　the　engineers　to　signify　that　the　enemy　were　at　Trinidad；　and　as　this　was　at　the　close　of　the　day；　there　was　no　opportunity　of　discovering　the　mistake。　An　American　brig　was　met　with　about　the　same　time；　the　master　of　which；　with　that　propensity　to　deceive　the　English　and　assist　the　French　in　any　manner　which　has　been　but　too　common　among　his　countryme