NELSON'S EARLY YEARS AT SEA--HIS FIRST COMMAND
Before, however, war had actually begun, Great Britain and Spain
agreed to come to terms, so Horatio was not yet to "smell powder."
Very shortly afterwards the _Raisonable_ was paid off, and Captain
Suckling got the command of the _Triumph_, 74 guns, then the
guardship in the Medway. To this ship his nephew followed him, and
was on her books for the next two years. During this time, however,
the boy, in order to gain experience in his profession, by his
uncle's advice went a cruise to the West Indies on board a
merchantman. On this voyage he shipped as a volunteer, and as a
common seaman he shared the hard work and rough life of a fore-mast
hand.
Life in the forecastle of a merchant ship was, of course, very
uncomfortable, but it had its advantages, and he returned after a
year's experience, to use his own words, "a practical seaman."
On rejoining the _Triumph_ his uncle took care that his time should
not be wasted, and among other duties he was continually employed in
the cutter and long-boat. Thus he not only became a good pilot,
"confident of himself among rocks and sands," as he afterwards wrote,
but he was at the same time learning the lessons of responsibility
and self-reliance.
Shortly after this, an expedition to the North Pole was fitted out,
and although an order was given that no boys were wanted, Nelson so
earnestly begged Captain Lutwidge, the commander of the expedition,
to let him come, that his wish was granted, and he sailed as the
captain's coxswain, a position for which his lessons in managing a
small boat, learnt in the Medway, quite fitted him, in spite of his
youth.
In these Arctic seas our hero came neat ending his life. One clear
moonlight night, while the ship was lying ice-bound, he and another
midshipman, armed with a rusty musket between them, slipped down over
the side and started off over the frozen sea to try to shoot a Polar
bear.
They had to wait some time before one was sighted, but at length a
huge white fellow appeared. The middy took careful aim, pulled the
trigger, but the musket missed fire.
"Never mind!" shouted young Horatio; "do but let me get a blow at him
with the butt end and we shall have him." So saying, he dashed off
with raised gun, determined to come to close quarters. Fortunately
at this moment the noise of a gun from the ship broke the stillness
of the Arctic night, and so startled the bear that, with a defiant
growl, he turned tail and shambled off over the frozen snow.
When the boys got back to the ship, Captain Lutwidge, who had
witnessed the scene and been thoroughly alarmed for their safety,
spoke somewhat sharply to them for this piece of daring folly. Asked
what he meant by it, Horatio, with the pout of his lip peculiar to
him, could think of no other excuse than that "he wished to kill the
bear that he might carry the skin to his father."
On his return from the Pole, he was as eager as ever for more
service, and at his own wish he was transhipped, with scarcely a day
on shore, to a small ship, the _Seahorse_, under orders to sail for
the East Indies.
From the extremes of cold he was to go direct to the extremes of
heat. "Nothing less than such a distant voyage could in the least
satisfy my desire of maritime knowledge," he afterwards explained.
On the _Seahorse_ he at first did the work of an ordinary seaman
aloft, but in a short time he was finally rated as midshipman and
placed on the quarter-deck. We are told that he started from England
a thick-set, athletic young man, with a ruddy-brown face and healthy
complexion.
The frozen Pole was, however, kinder to him than the sun and heat of
India. After two years he was invalided home, his life despaired of,
and it was probably owing to the nursing and tender care of Captain
Pigot of the _Dolphin_, in which ship he made the return voyage, that
our future admiral owed his life.
He arrived in England three years from the time of his departure, no
longer stout and strong as he had started, but a mere living
skeleton, for some time scarcely able to use his limbs.
When he had recovered, his next duty was that of acting lieutenant of
the _Worcester_, 64 guns, then going out to Gibraltar on convoy duty.
Nothing of special interest happened while on this ship, but the
young man always after remembered with pride the words of his
captain, "that he felt as easy when Nelson was upon deck, as any
officer of the ship."
Some six months after joining the _Worcester_, another rung of the
ladder was reached, another milestone on the road to fame was left
behind, for on the 8th April 1777 he passed his examination for
lieutenant.
Two days later he got his commission to the _Lowestoffe_, a frigate
of 32 guns. Once again he visited the West Indies; but whereas
before he had shared the hardships and labour of a common seaman in
the merchant service, this time he sailed as a full-fledged ward-room
officer in the Royal Navy.
Great Britain was now at war with her revolted American colonies,
which were soon to be known as the United States.
Promotion on such a station was always rapid, and a frigate, being
both fast-sailing and active, was considered a grand school for a
young officer.
But even a frigate was not active enough for Nelson's mind, and he
soon managed to be transferred to the schooner which acted as tender
to the _Lowestoffe_. Here he was able to put into practice the
lessons in pilotage learned in the Medway. There was much
responsibility laid on his shoulders, and his position gave scope for
the fearless self-reliance which he already was seen to possess.
Before leaving the Lowestoffe he had distinguished himself by an act
of skilful seamanship and great bravery.
The frigate had captured a Yankee privateer, and the first lieutenant
had been sent to board the prize. There was a heavy sea running at
the time, and after one or two attempts the boat was obliged to
return, having failed in her object.
[Illustration: There was a heavy sea running]
"Have I no officer in the ship who can board her?" exclaimed the
captain.
"It is my turn now! If I come back, it is yours," said Nelson,
stopping another officer who had hurried to the side, and jumping
into the boat himself.
Then, as always, he was "the first on every service, whether by day
or night," and his zeal and love of duty were bringing their reward,
for promotion was coming fast.
Joining the _Bristol_, Sir Peter Parker's flagship, as third
lieutenant, in July, he had risen to be first by September. The
admiral took a great liking to the eager young lieutenant, and,
showing the greatest interest in him and in another young officer,
afterwards to become famous as Lord Collingwood, did his best to
bring the two young men forward. Both more than bore out their
chief's sound judgment, and showed that the fine old sailor had not
been mistaken in his men.
At twenty, Nelson was a commander, while a year later he was
post-captain of the _Hinchinbrook_.
Great Britain was by this time at war with both France and Spain, and
there was a great deal of fighting on shore, in which Nelson had his
share and showed great courage.
In the words of an eye-witness, "he did more than his duty; when
anything was to be done, he saw no difficulties."
The climate was a trying one, the work hard, and the food often
scarce, and there was little wonder that his health gave way. For a
long time he refused to leave his post, until finally, almost at
death's door, he was carried to the admiral's house in Jamaica. Here
he had always been treated almost like a son of the house, and now,
thanks to Lady Parker's care and nursing, he partly recovered, and
was at length able to return to England.
After some nine months' illness, he began to feel a little better,
and the first thing he thought of was to apply for a new ship.
The Admiralty gave him the command of the _Albemarle_, a frigate of
28 guns, and though still an invalid, and often in great pain, Nelson
was glad to be employed again, and entered on his new duties with
cheerfulness.
He had the power of winning men's hearts, and his new ship's company,
both officers and men, soon showed that they would do anything to
serve him.
After visiting the Baltic, where he was afterwards to become so
famous, the _Albemarle_ sailed for Quebec, and while on this station
Nelson soon gave a proof of his skill and coolness in the face of
danger.
His little frigate was met and chased one day by a whole French
squadron. Escape seemed impossible, but holding on under every
stitch of canvas, Nelson coolly threaded his way among the shoals and
sands of Boston Bay, where the big French vessels were afraid to
follow for fear of running aground. One frigate, indeed, tried to do
so, but on the _Albemarle_ clearing for action, thought better of it,
and afraid to attack single-handed, turned back and rejoined the
other ships. Well might Lord Hood declare that the young captain
"knew as much about naval tactics as any officer in the fleet!"
A midshipman on Lord Hood's flagship, no less a person than our
future king, William IV., thus gives his early impressions of our
hero, whom he met now for the first time, and with whom he formed a
lasting friendship. To him the commander of the _Albemarle_ appeared
"the merest boy of a captain," but he adds, "there was something
irresistibly pleasing in his address and conversation, _and an
enthusiasm that showed he was no common being_."
Peace was soon after declared, and the "boy captain" returned with
Hood to England. Of money from the capture of the enemies' vessels
he had little, but of honour, which he prized far above riches, he
had had his share.
On the _Albemarle_ being paid off, his whole ship's company showed
the affection they felt for her captain by offering, if he could get
another ship, to enter her immediately. Nelson was much touched by
this devotion, but he had earned a rest, and after being presented to
his sovereign by Hood, he returned once more to his father's quiet
rectory, to wait till the Admiralty should again call on his
services. While thus on half-pay, and being eager to gain any
knowledge likely to help him in his profession, he got leave of
absence to visit France, in order to learn the language.
Of this holiday he writes: "I hate their country and their manners;"
and this view he never altered. To the day of his death the man who
broke and destroyed the power of France "hated a Frenchman like the
devil."