[Transcriber's note: the source book was in extremely poor condition,
with its illustrations in varying states of wear and tear.]
[Frontispiece: Nelson at the Battle of Copenhagen (page 75)]
THE CHILDREN'S HEROES SERIES
THE STORY OF
NELSON
BY EDMUND FRANCIS SELLAR
WITH PICTURES BY MONRO S. ORR
LONDON: T. C. & E. C. JACK, LTD.,
35 and 36 Paternoster Row, E.C.
AND EDINBURGH
PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN BY
THOMAS NELSON AND SONS, LTD.
TO
Miss E. RUTH DENT
MY DEAR RUTH,
This little book tells the story of the greatest seaman that the
world has ever known.
I hope it says enough to make you want one day to read for yourself
the many other things about him that I have not room to tell you here.
Yours affectionately,
THE AUTHOR.
CONTENTS
Chapter
I. Early Boyhood--Joins his Ship
II. Nelson's Early Years at Sea--His First Command
III. Nelson in the West Indies--and in the Mediterranean
IV. Battle of St. Vincent
V. Battle of the Nile
VI. In the Mediterranean--and at Home
VII. Battle of Copenhagen
VIII. Napoleon's threatened Invasion of England
IX. Nelson in Chief Command in the Mediterranean--In Pursuit of the
Enemy
X. Trafalgar--Death of Nelson
THE STORY OF NELSON
CHAPTER I
EARLY BOYHOOD--JOINS HIS SHIP
On the 29th of September 1758, or nearly a hundred and fifty years
ago, Horatio Nelson, "the greatest of our heroes and the dearest to
ourselves," was born.
His father was a country clergyman, who lived at Burnham Thorpe, in
the county of Norfolk.
The boy had many brothers and sisters. There were eleven children in
the family, only two of whom, however, lived to grow old.
Horatio as a child was weak and sickly, and all his life he was
delicate. Even after his many years afloat, we are told that he
never quite got over the feeling of seasickness.
Although not a strong boy, there was nothing of the milksop about
him, and at an early age he showed the spirit of absolute
fearlessness which in later years was to stand him in such good stead.
"Fear, grandmamma! I never saw fear; what is it?" he once asked
while quite a little child.
His father, in bringing up his children, trusted entirely to their
own sense of honour, and in this respect Horatio never failed him.
Once, while riding with his brother to school through deep snow,
William, the elder, wanted to turn back, as the drifts were thick,
and in parts dangerous. "No! we must get there if we possibly can.
Remember, we are on our honour to do so," was Horatio's reply; and
his pony and he struggled on, and after some difficulty reached their
journey's end in safety.
[Illustration: His pony and he struggled on]
On another occasion, while at school, he lowered himself with sheets
from a window, and took a quantity of fine ripe pears from the
head-master's favourite tree. On his return to the dormitory he laid
down the spoil before his companions, who had often coveted the
fruit, but had not dared to take it because of the severe flogging
which would probably follow. Our hero refused to eat a single pear,
for greed had not prompted his daring action.
"He only took them," he explained, "because every other boy was
afraid."
Horatio's school days were brief.
At the time when he was twelve years old, Spain suddenly attacked the
Falkland Islands, a British colony in the far South Atlantic, and
forced our colonists to lower their flag. This act naturally aroused
great anger in England, and as a result our ships were immediately
made ready for war.
At this time both Spain and France had mighty fleets, manned by
skilful and brave seamen, and Britain was not yet the all-conquering
power at sea which she afterwards became, thanks to Nelson and his
sailors.
The boy himself wished to go to sea, and on his uncle, Captain
Maurice Suckling, getting command of the _Raisonable_, he begged hard
to be allowed to serve in his uncle's ship.
Mr. Nelson, who had always said that in whatever station his son
might be placed he would, if possible, climb to the top of the tree,
accordingly wrote to his brother-in-law.
"What has poor Horatio done," came the answer, "who is so weak, that
he, above all the rest, should be sent to rough it out at sea?"
Still, his uncle said he might come, though he evidently did not
approve of his choice of a profession. And so, at an age when boys
nowadays have not yet gone to a public school, Nelson said farewell
to lessons, and, no doubt to his great delight, started off alone to
join the _Raisonable_, then lying at Chatham, in the Medway.
No boy going to school for the first time ever had more reason to
feel unhappy.
On leaving the stage-coach at Chatham, he was at a loss where to go,
and how to find his ship. Too shy to ask his way, he was wandering
about feeling very forlorn and miserable, when fortunately a kind
officer saw him, and spoke to him.
On learning that the unhappy-looking youngster was no lost lad, but a
midshipman seeking his ship, the officer, who knew Captain Suckling,
showed Horatio every kindness, and after giving him a good dinner,
finally saw him safely on board the _Raisonable_.
On arrival at the ship another disappointment awaited our hero. His
uncle was away, and nobody on board knew anything about young Nelson,
nor even expected a boy to arrive at all. However, he had to make
the best of it somehow, and with the help of an old sailor, who took
pity on his loneliness, he soon settled down to his new life, and
from that time till the day of his death, except for a few brief
months on shore, his home was on board ship.
These first few hours of misery and loneliness at Chatham Nelson
never forgot.
In later years, remembering his own bitter experiences, he always
made a point of giving a friendly welcome, and speaking a few words
of encouragement and advice, to any young midshipman on first joining
his ship; and he took good care that the boy's start in life should
not be as trying and forlorn as his own had been.