We received the following little anecdote from a letter of a gentleman
now at the head of the medical profession, with which he favoured us
shortly after perusing Salmonia. "I was (says our friend) at the Naval
Hospital, at Yarmouth, on the morning when Nelson, after the battle of
Copenhagen (having sent the wounded before him,) arrived at the Roads,
and landed on the jutty. The populace soon surrounded him, and the
military were drawn up in the market-place ready to receive him; but
making his way through the crowd, and the dust, and the clamour, he went
straight to the hospital. I went round the wards with him, and was much
interested in observing his demeanour to the sailors; he stopped at every
bed, and to every man he had something kind and cheering to say. At
length, he stopped opposite a bed on which a sailor was lying who had
lost his right arm close to the shoulder-joint, and the following short
dialogue passed between, them:"--_Nelson_. "Well, Jack, what's the
matter with you?"--_Sailor_. "Lost my right arm, your honour."--Nelson
paused, looked down at his own empty sleeve, then at the sailor,
and said playfully, "Well, Jack, then you and I are spoiled for
fishermen--cheer up, my brave fellow." And he passed briskly on to the
next bed; but these few words had a magical effect upon the poor fellow,
for I saw his eyes sparkle with delight as Nelson turned away and pursued
his course through the wards. As this was the only occasion on which I
saw Nelson, I may, possibly, overrate the value of the incident.--_Q.
Rev._
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