In Chase of the French Fleet
(1798)
“_No Frigates!--to which has been, and may again, be attributed the
loss of the French Fleet._”
NELSON.
The year 1797 had been a particularly trying one for Nelson both as
regards health and reputation; the succeeding twelve months were to
test his powers of endurance and his skill even more. The services of
the one-eyed, one-armed little man were not to be dispensed with, as
he had suggested in a moment of despondency. He neither retired to “a
very humble cottage,” although he had purchased a small property known
as Round Wood, near Ipswich, nor made room for “a better man.” Truth
to tell, there was no better man, and for once the Admiralty knew
its business. Nelson hoisted his flag as Rear-Admiral of the Blue on
board the _Vanguard_ (74) at Spithead on the 29th March 1798, sailed
for Lisbon with a convoy on the 10th April, and joined his old fleet
off Cadiz on the last day of that month, the times “big with events.”
Within forty-eight hours he was ordered by St Vincent to ascertain the
destination of an immense armament which was preparing at Toulon and
other ports in the Mediterranean. For this important service a squadron
of three sail-of-the-line, including his own ship, three frigates
and a sloop were placed at his disposal. A small French corvette was
captured, and by closely examining each member of the crew it was
ascertained that although Bonaparte had appeared at the great French
port it was not believed he would embark. The most important point of
all, namely, the destination of the expedition, was not revealed: “all
is secret.”
While off Toulon, Nelson encountered one of the worst gales he
ever experienced. His own account of the fight with this universal
enemy lacks the picturesque details given by Captain Berry, of the
_Vanguard_, and we shall therefore quote from Berry’s letter. Nelson
tells his wife that “it was the Almighty’s goodness, to check my
consummate vanity”; his more matter-of-fact captain sees only a natural
cause. Just before sunset on Sunday, the 20th of May, it became evident
that the spell of fine weather, which had been enjoyed hitherto, was
over. The wind increased in violence so much that it became necessary
to furl all the sails with the exception of a main storm-staysail.
“At about two,” says Berry, “the main-topmast went over the side,
with the top-sailyard full of men. I dreaded the inquiry of who were
killed and drowned; fortunately only one man fell overboard, and
one fell on the booms, and was killed on the spot. At half-past two
the mizen-topmast went over the side; the foremast gave an alarming
crack, and at a quarter past three went by the board with a most
tremendous crash, and, what was very extraordinary, it fell in two
pieces across the forecastle. Our situation was really alarming: the
wreck of the fore-topmast and foremast hanging over the side, and
beating against the Ship’s bottom; the best bower-anchor was flung
out of its place, and was also thumping the bottom; the wreck of the
main topmast swinging violently against the main-rigging, every roll
endangering the loss of the mainmast, which we expected to fall every
moment: thus circumstanced, we endeavoured, though with but little
hopes of success, to wear,[24] having no head-sail, and knowing we
were driving on an Enemy’s shore. Fortunately there was a small rag
of the sprit-sail left, and by watching a favourable moment, we got
her on the other tack. The bowsprit did not go, though it was sprung
in three different places. The Ship rolled and laboured dreadfully,
but did not make any water, more than we shipped over all. We cut the
anchor from the bows, and got clear of the wreck, with the loss of a
boat and top-sailyard, etc., and were not apprehensive of our bottom
being damaged.... For want of masts we rolled dreadfully. The storm
did not abate till Tuesday afternoon, which enabled the _Alexander_ to
take us in tow. Our situation on Tuesday night was the most alarming
I ever experienced....” At one time Nelson was of opinion that both
ships would go down, and wished the _Vanguard_ to be cast off. Captain
Alexander Ball, with whom the Rear-Admiral had struck up a slight
acquaintance at St Omer on the occasion of his visit to France in
1783, would not hear of it, and brought the vessels safely to the
shelter of the islands of San Pietro. After being patched up the three
sail-of-the-line again proceeded on their way to Toulon, minus the
smaller craft which had parted company long since, and eventually
returned to St Vincent’s fleet.
Fortune had played Nelson false. The Toulon fleet had escaped on the
19th May. While the three English battle-ships were riding out the
gale it was making for Genoa, Ajaccio, and Civita Vecchia to rally
transports. The destination of the expedition was Egypt; Malta the
first object of prey. Shortly after the signature of the Treaty of
Campo Formio on the 17th October 1797, which pacified the Continent for
a time, Napoleon had returned in triumph to Paris from his victorious
Italian Campaign. He was then appointed by the French Directory
Commander of the Army of England, so called because the purpose for
which it was brought into being was the subjugation of that country.
Napoleon certainly devoted much of his time to the project, but
soon came to the conclusion that the plan was not practicable at
the moment. He dreamed of Oriental conquest, of occupying Egypt and
invading India: “We may change the face of the world!” How could the
command of the Channel be secured when Admiral Lord Bridport commanded
a formidable fleet in those waters and frequently appeared off Brest,
when Admiral Lord Duncan patrolled the North Sea, and the naval
highways of Spithead, the Downs, the Nore, St George’s Channel, and the
Bay of Biscay were strongly guarded by British fleets or divisions?
The Mediterranean seemed the only vulnerable point, for the Earl of St
Vincent’s fleet was alone stationed within striking distance of that
great inland sea.
It is necessary at this point to briefly refer to the naval strength of
Great Britain as compared with that of France. At the beginning of 1798
the Republic possessed fifty-seven sail-of-the-line, forty-six frigates
and seventy-two smaller vessels, to which must be added nine remnants
of the Venetian navy and whatever forces could be commanded from Spain
and Holland. Fourteen sail-of-the-line, seventeen frigates, and three
cutters were on the stocks in French shipyards. During the same year
England had no fewer than one hundred and twenty line-of-battle ships
and over five hundred smaller vessels at her disposal. The recent
mutiny at the Nore had shown that there was some dissatisfaction in
the British naval service, but the ships were not undermanned as in
France, they were in finer condition, and the victories off Cape St
Vincent and Camperdown had acted as a stimulant. If those before the
mast occasionally grumbled, nothing further was heard of organised
insubordination.
The Admiralty had now sent a reinforcement of eight battle-ships
and two fire-ships to the Admiral, who was told “to lose no time
in detaching from your Fleet a Squadron, consisting of twelve
Sail-of-the-line, and a competent number of Frigates, under the
command of some discreet Flag-Officer, into the Mediterranean, with
instructions to him to proceed in quest of the said Armament;[25] and
on falling in with it, or any other Force belonging to the Enemy, to
take or destroy it.” The officer was also “to remain upon this service
so long as the provisions of the said Squadron will last, or as long
as he may be enabled to obtain supplies from any of the ports in the
Mediterranean.” According to later orders supplies were to be exacted
“from the territories of the Grand Duke of Tuscany, the King of the
Two Sicilies, the Ottoman Territory, Malta, and ci-devant Venetian
Dominions now belonging to the Emperor of Germany.” The Dey of Algiers,
the Bey of Tunis, and the Bashaw of Tripoli were also believed to
be friendly. Lord Spencer, First Lord of the Admiralty, suggested
Nelson as the most likely man for this extremely important service.
Several eminent personages claimed to have aided him in his selection,
including Sir Gilbert Elliot and the King.
Sir Horatio was accordingly given command of a squadron which numbered
thirteen line-of-battle ships, all carrying seventy-four guns, and
one fifty-gun ship, the _Leander_. St Vincent’s selection awoke the
ire of Nelson’s two seniors in the Earl’s fleet, namely, Sir William
Parker and Sir John Orde. As we have seen, the Admiral had scarcely a
voice in the matter, and subsequent events abundantly confirmed the
wisdom of the appointment. Unfortunately there were no frigates, “the
eyes of a fleet.” As to the destination of Napoleon and his army of
adventurers, the Rear-Admiral was not far wrong when he wrote to Lord
Spencer on the 15th June, after interrogating the captain of a Tunisian
cruiser who had seen them on the 4th off Trapani, that “If they pass
Sicily, I shall believe they are going on their scheme of possessing
Alexandria, and getting troops to India--a plan concerted with Tippoo
Saib, by no means so difficult as might at first view be imagined; but
be they bound to the Antipodes, your Lordship may rely that I will not
lose a moment in bringing them to Action, and endeavour to destroy
their Transports.” Off Messina he heard that the French had taken
possession of Malta. After discussing the matter with his captains he
decided to sail for Alexandria, which he reached two days before the
enemy’s arrival. He then “stretched the Fleet over to the Coast of
Asia,” and “passed close to the southern side of Candia, but without
seeing one Vessel in our route.” This was the position on the 12th
July, when he was still “without the smallest information of the French
Fleet since their leaving Malta.” A week later the squadron anchored
in Syracuse harbour to obtain water and provisions, set off again on
the 25th, and on the 28th the important news was obtained that about a
month before the French fleet had been seen sailing in the direction of
the south-east from Candia. To Nelson this intelligence meant but one
destination--Alexandria. His surmise was correct: “I attacked at sunset
on the 1st of August, off the Mouth of the Nile.”