BATTLE OF THE NILE
Great Britain was now alone in her struggle with France, and
Bonaparte resolved that it should be a war to the death. With Great
Britain defeated, the conqueror would have the whole of Europe at his
feet. First he meant to strike a blow at our power in the East, and
a great number of transports, filled with the best and bravest French
soldiers, sailed for Egypt under escort of the French fleet. From
there they were to go on to India, and with the aid of the rebel
Tippoo, try to drive us out of the country.
To prevent this, Nelson was sent from Cadiz with a large force of
ships.
Heavy weather was met with, during which the _Vanguard_ lost her main
and mizzen top-masts, while her foremast snapped off close to the
deck. So damaged was she that she had to be taken in tow. In the
meantime the frigates of the squadron, thinking the flagship would
have to return to refit at Gibraltar, sailed back to that port.
"I thought Hope" (the commander of the frigates) "would have known me
better," Nelson bitterly said; and in four days the _Vanguard_,
having been what is called "jury-rigged," continued on her way.
The loss of the frigates, "the eyes of the fleet," was a great
misfortune, and in the eight weeks' chase which followed Nelson had
much cause to regret their absence.
Alexandria reached, there was no news of the enemy, though three days
after, while the British were sailing between Cyprus and the island
of Rhodes, they actually arrived.
This Nelson of course did not know, and doubling back he reached
Syracuse, where he anchored, "having gone a round of six hundred
leagues," to use his own words, "and still as ignorant of the
situation as he was twenty-seven days ago."
Already at home people were beginning to murmur, and to wonder what
the great Nelson was about to let the foe escape him in this way.
He himself was very sad at his want of success. "My return to
Syracuse broke my heart; more people die of broken hearts than we are
aware of," he afterwards said.
Again the squadron sailed, and this time the foe were found and
brought to bay.
At length on the 1st of August 1798 the look-out at the mast-head
made the signal that the French were at anchor in Aboukir Bay, 15
miles east of Alexandria, and thus the long pursuit had ended.
In numbers the two fleets were equal, but Brueys, the French admiral,
had larger ships and more guns. To attack him the British would have
to advance through unknown and shallow waters.
Brueys did not believe that our vessels could thread their way among
the shoals which lay between him and the shore, and in this belief he
prepared to meet the attack, which he felt sure must be made from the
more open sea on his rear.
Nelson, who in his early days had been famous for his skill and
daring as a pilot, was to rudely shake this mistaken idea.
The wind blew along the French line, and he was thus able by
attacking their van and centre to throw what force he pleased on a
few ships. All his plans were made, and in order that there might be
no mistake about his orders being quickly understood, the admiral had
caused new signals to be written in the signal-books.
His captains had often met on the _Vanguard_ and talked of the coming
battle. "First gain the victory," Nelson had told them, "and then
make the best use of it you can." Now they were all eager for the
fight, and full of admiration for the admiral's plan of battle. "If
we succeed, what will the world say?" exclaimed Captain Berry.
"There is no _if_ in the case," answered Nelson; "that we shall
succeed is certain: who may live to tell the story, is a very
different question."
At 5.30 p.m.--less than three hours after the enemy had been
sighted--the signal was given to the British fleet to form line of
battle in single column, the ships ranged ahead and astern of each
other.
Captain Hood of the _Zealous_, carefully sounding as he went, with
Captain Foley of the _Goliath_, led the way, the latter ship ahead of
but outside the _Zealous_.
The flagship came sixth in order, so that Nelson could, if he thought
it best to do so, change the plan of attack of the other vessels
which came after him. The _Vanguard_ had six flags flying in
different parts of her rigging, so that her colours might not be shot
away: "_That they should be struck_," to quote Southey, "_no British
admiral considers as a possibility_."
Keeping out of every danger in the way of shoals, the British bore up
to battle; so coolly and steadily did they advance, and so skilfully
did they haul round every danger, that Brueys felt sure they must
have pilots on board.
A brilliant idea here struck Captain Foley. Taking the depth
carefully as he went along, he passed round _on the inside_ of the
leading French ship, and brought up opposite the _Conquerant_, second
of the enemy's line. The _Zealous_, _Orion_, _Theseus_, and
_Audacious_ followed, and placed themselves between the Frenchmen and
the shore. The _Vanguard_, with the other British ships, passed on
the outside.
By this means the French were caught between two fires, and within a
few minutes five French ships were defending themselves against the
attack of eight British, while the other French vessels to leeward
were forced to look on.
The battle was partly hidden by smoke and the fading light. In the
growing darkness the _Bellerophon_ and the _Majestic_ pushed up. The
former drew up abreast of the _Orient_, a ship whose power was double
her own, and with whom she was soon engaged in a desperate single
combat. The _Majestic_, raked by the fire--in which her captain
fell--of the first French ship she met, the _Heureux_, sailed on and
fell upon the _Mercure_, into whose sides she poured a desperate
volley.
For an hour the British ships kept their places, and during the
hottest of the fight Nelson was struck on the forehead, and, for the
time being, was quite blinded.
With the words, "I am killed," he sank into Berry's arms. With
tender care he was carried to the cockpit. Here, as at Santa Cruz,
and as afterwards at Trafalgar, he refused to have his wound looked
to before his humbler messmates had been attended by the surgeons.
When the admiral's time came it was found that the wound was less
serious than at first thought. Rest was ordered, but this the
impatient spirit of Nelson could not stand while the battle was
raging round him and the result was still uncertain.
Meanwhile the other British ships were hastening up to throw their
weight into the balance and turn the scale towards victory.
The gallant Troubridge had the ill fortune of seeing his ship, the
_Culloden_, run aground and stick fast. All efforts to get her off
failed, and she lay there a helpless log, while her captain and crew
longed to be in the thick of the battle.
Unable to fight, Troubridge was yet able to give his comrades great
help, and to play a big part in the victory.
By constant signalling in the growing _darkness_ by means of
lanterns, he warned the other captains of his position, and prevented
them from sharing his own fate. With this beacon in the shape of a
stranded ship to guide them, they were able, by avoiding the way she
had come, to sail on with greater speed and confidence to battle.
Nelson saw the service _Troubridge_ had done, and pitied him greatly
for the accident, while he praised his skill in saving the ship.
"It was Troubridge," said he, "who saved the _Culloden_ when none
that I know in the service would have attempted it."
"Her misfortune was great in getting aground," he wrote to the
Admiralty, "while her more fortunate companions were in full tide of
happiness. Captain Troubridge on shore is superior to captains
afloat: in the midst of his great misfortunes he made those signals
which prevented, certainly, the _Alexander_ and _Swiftsure_ from
running on the shoals. I beg your pardon for writing on a subject
which I verily believe has never entered your lordship's head; but my
heart, as it ought to be, is warm to my gallant friends."
This letter was sent because he heard that the gold medals given to
the captains at the fight might not include Troubridge, whose ship
had not been in action.
[Illustration: The Battle of the Nile]
Pouring their fire on the enemy's centre, the new arrivals, which the
_Culloden_ had guided, put the fate of the battle beyond doubt.
A little before nine, Admiral Brueys' flagship took fire, and at a
quarter to ten she blew up, with a terrific explosion, the flames
illuminating the whole bay, and showing a picture of awful grandeur.
A death-like silence followed the explosion; both sides for the time
ceased firing. Of the brave foemen who fought their ship to the
last, only some seventy were saved by the British crews. Among the
many who perished was the commodore's son, Casa Bianca, a brave boy
of thirteen, the hero of the poem, "The boy stood on the burning
deck," who refused to leave the doomed ship.
When dawn broke over the scene of wreck and ruin, the extent of the
victory was seen.
The leading French ships had struck; the flagship was no more; the
_Tonnant_ was still afloat, but mastless; the _Heureux_ and _Mercure_
ashore.
Three ships of the enemy's line only were still standing, and of
these two escaped under Rear-Admiral Villeneuve. The third, the
_Timoleon_, ran aground, when she was set fire to by her captain, and
went down with her colours flying in all the pride of "no surrender."
The fight had been fierce, and the victory was great. The British
crews, who had been "working and fighting at their hardest for near
twelve hours," no sooner cast anchor than they dropped on deck
completely tired out, and slept where they lay.
On the 2nd of August, "Almighty God having blessed His Majesty's arms
with victory"--so ran the memorandum--a public thanksgiving was held
throughout the fleet.
On the same day, Nelson sent to the captains, officers, and seamen of
the fleet, asking them "to accept the Admiral's most sincere and
cordial thanks for their very gallant behaviour in this glorious
battle."
Honours fell fast upon the victor. Letters of congratulation from
the Czar, the Sultan, the Kings of Sardinia and the two Sicilies
reached him. A grateful country gave him the honour of a peerage,
under the title of Baron Nelson of the Nile, besides a pension of
£2000 a year. The East India Company, who felt that he had saved
India by his victory, made him a present of £10,000.
At home the whole country spoke of little else but of Nelson and his
glorious deeds. Indeed, throughout all Europe the fame of the great
admiral was ringing.