the life of horatio lord nelson-第15部分

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〃Now；〃　said　Nelson；〃　had　we　taken　ten　sail；　and　allowed　the　eleventh　to　escape；　when　it　had　been　possible　to　have　got　at　her；　I　could　never　have　called　it　well　done。　Goodall　backed　me；　I　got　him　to　write　to　the　admiral；　but　it　would　not　do。　We　should　have　had　such　a　day　as；　I　believe；　the　annals　of　England　never　produced。〃　In　this　letter　the　character　of　Nelson　fully　manifests　itself。　〃I　wish〃　said　he；　〃to　be　an　admiral；　and　in　the　command　of　the　English　fleet：　I　should　very　soon　either　do　much；　or　be　ruined：　my　disposition　cannot　bear　tame　and　slow　measures。　Sure　I　am；　had　I　commanded　on　the　14th；　that　either　the　whole　French　fleet　would　have　graced　my　triumph；　or　I　should　have　been　in　a　confounded　scrape。〃　What　the　event　would　have　been；　he　knew　from　his　prophetic　feelings　and　his　own　consciousness　of　power；　and　we　also　know　it　now；　for　Aboukir　and　Trafalgar　have　told　it。

The　CA　IRA　and　CENSEUR　probably　defended　themselves　with　more　obstinacy　in　this　action；　from　a　persuasion　that；　if　they　struck；　no　quarter　would　be　given；　because　they　had　fired　red…hot　shot；　and　had　also　a　preparation　sent；　as　they　said；　by　the　convention　from　Paris；　which　seems　to　have　been　of　the　nature　of　the　Greek　fire；　for　it　became　liquid　when　it　was　discharged；　and　water　would　not　extinguish　its　flames。　This　combustible　was　concealed　with　great　care　in　the　captured　ships；　like　the　red…hot　shot；　it　had　been　found　useless　in　battle。　Admiral　Hotham's　action　saved　Corsica　for　the　time；　but　the　victory　had　been　incomplete；　and　the　arrival　at　Toulon　of　six　sail　of　the　line；　two　frigates；　and　two　cutters　from　Brest；　gave　the　French　a　superiority　which；　had　they　known　how　to　use　it；　would　materially　have　endangered　the　British　Mediterranean　fleet。　That　fleet　had　been　greatly　neglected　at　the　Admiralty　during　Lord　Chatham's　administration：　and　it　did　not；　for　some　time；　feel　the　beneficial　effect　of　his　removal。　Lord　Hood　had　gone　home　to　represent　the　real　state　of　affairs；　and　solicit　reinforcements　adequate　to　the　exigencies　of　the　time；　and　the　importance　of　the　scene　of　action。　But　that　fatal　error　of　under…　proportioning　the　force　to　the　service；　that　ruinous　economy；　which；　by　sparing　a　little；　renders　all　that　is　spent　useless；　infected　the　British　councils；　and　Lord　Hood；　not　being　able　to　obtain　such　rein…　forcements　as　he　knew　were　necessary；　resigned　the　command。　〃Surely；〃　said　Nelson；　〃the　people　at　home　have　forgotten　us。〃　Another　Neapolitan　seventy…four　joined　Admiral　Hotham；　and　Nelson　observed　with　sorrow　that　this　was　matter　of　exultation　to　an　English　fleet。　When　the　store…　ships　and　victuallers　from　Gibraltar　arrived；　their　escape　from　the　enemy　was　thought　wonderful；　and　yet；　had　they　not　escaped；　〃the　game；〃　said　Nelson；　〃was　up　here。　At　this　moment　our　operations　are　at　a　stand　for　want　of　ships　to　support　the　Austrians　in　getting　possession　of　the　sea…coast　of　the　king　of　Sardinia；　and　behold　our　admiral　does　not　feel　himself　equal　to　show　himself；　much　less　to　give　assistance　in　their　operations。〃　It　was　reported　that　the　French　were　again　out　with　18　or　20　sail。　The　combined　British　and　Neapolitan　were　but　sixteen；　should　the　enemy　be　only　eighteen；　Nelson　made　no　doubt　of　a　complete　victory；　but　if　they　were　twenty；　he　said；　it　was　not　to　be　expected；　and　a　battle；　without　complete　victory；　would　have　been　destruction；　because　another　mast　was　not　to　be　got　on　that　side　Gibraltar。　At　length　Admiral　Man　arrived　with　a　squadron　from　England。　〃What　they　can　mean　by　sending　him　with　only　five　sail　of　the　line；〃　said　Nelson；　〃is　truly　astonishing；　but　all　men　are　alike；　and　we　in　this　country　do　not　find　any　amendment　or　alteration　　from　the　old　Board　of　Admiralty。　They　should　know　that　half　the　ships　in　the　fleet　require　to　go　to　England；　and　that　long　ago　they　ought　to　have　reinforced　us。〃

About　this　time　Nelson　was　made　colonel　of　marines；　a　mark　of　approbation　which　he　had　long　wished　for　rather　than　expected。　It　came　in　good　season；　for　his　spirits　were　oppressed　by　the　thought　that　his　services　had　not　been　acknowledged　as　they　deserved；　and　it　abated　the　resentful　feeling　which　would　else　have　been　excited　by　the　answer　to　an　application　to　the　War…office。　During　his　four　months'　land　service　in　Corsica；　he　had　lost　all　his　ship　furniture；　owing　to　the　movements　of　a　camp。　Upon　this　he　wrote　to　the　Secretary　at　War；　briefly　stating　what　his　services　on　shore　had　been；　and　saying；　he　trusted　it　was　not　asking　an　improper　thing　to　request　that　the　same　allowance　might　be　made　to　him　which　would　be　made　to　a　land　officer　of　his　rank；　which；　situated　as　he　was；　would　be　that　of　a　brigadier…general：　if　this　could　not　be　accorded；　he　hoped　that　his　additional　expenses　would　be　paid　him。　The　answer　which　he　received　was；　that　〃no　pay　had　ever　been　issued　under　the　direction　of　the　War…office　to　officers　of　the　navy　serving　with　the　army　on　shore。〃

He　now　entered　upon　a　new　line　of　service。　The　Austrian　and　Sardinian　armies；　under　General　de　Vins；　required　a　British　squadron　to　co…operate　with　them　in　driving　the　French　from　the　Riviera　di　Genoa；　and　as　Nelson　had　been　so　much　in　the　habit　of　soldiering；　it　was　immediately　fixed　that　the　brigadier　should　go。　He　sailed　from　St。　Fiorenzo　on　this　destination；　but　fell　in；　off　Cape　del　Mele；　with　the　enemy's　fleet；　who　immediately　gave　his　squadron　chase。　The　chase　lasted　four…and…twenty　hours；　and；　owing　to　the　fickleness　of　the　wind；　the　British　ships　were　sometimes　hard　pressed；　but　the　want　of　skill　on　the　part　of　the　French　gave　Nelson　many　advantages。　Nelson　bent　his　way　back　to　St。　Fiorenzo；　where　the　fleet；　which　was　in　the　midst　of　watering　and　refitting；　had；　for　seven　hours；　the　mortification　of　seeing　him　almost　in　possession　of　the　enemy；　before　the　wind　would　allow　them　to　put　out　to　his　assist…　ance。　The　French；　however；　at　evening；　went　off；　not　choosing　to　approach　nearer　the　shore。　During　the　night；　Admiral　Hotham；　by　great　exertions；　got　under　weigh；　and；　having　sought　the　enemy　four　days；　came　in　sight　of　them　on　the　fifth。　Baffling　winds　and　vexatious　calms；　so　common　in　the　Mediterranean；　rendered　it　impossible　to　close　with　them；　only　a　partial　action　could　be　brought　on；　and　then　the　firing　made　a　perfect　calm。　The　French　being　to　windward；　drew　inshore；　and　the　English　fleet　was　becalmed　six　or　seven　miles　to　the　westward。　L'ALCIDE；　of　seventy…four　guns；　struck；　but　before　she　could　be　taken　possession　of；　a　box　of　combustibles　in　her　fore…top　took　fire；　and　the　unhappy　crew　experienced　how　far　more　perilous　their　inventions　were　to　them…　selves　than　to　their　enemies。　So　rapid　was　the　conflagration；　that　the　French　in　their　official　account　say；　the　hull；　the　masts；　and　sails；　all　seemed　to　take　fire　at　the　same　moment；　and　though　the　English　boats　were　put　out　to　the　assistance　of　the　poor　wretches　on　board；　not　more　than　200　could　be　saved。　The　AGAMEMNON；　and　Captain　Rowley　in　the　CUMBERLAND；　were　just　getting　into　close　action　a　second　time；　when　the　admiral　called　them　off；　the　wind　now　blowing　directly　into　the　Gulf　of　Frejus；　where　the　enemy　anchored　after　the　evening　closed。

Nelson　now　proceeded　to　his　station　with　eight　sail　of　frigates　under　his　command。　Arriving　at　Genoa；　he　had　a　conference　with　Mr。　Drake；　the　British　envoy　to　that　state；　the　result　of　which　was；　that　the　object　of　the　British　must　be　to　put　an　entire　stop　to　all　trade　between　Genoa；　France；　and　the　places　occupied　by　the　French　troops；　for　unless　this　trade　were　stopped；　it　would　be　scarcely　possible　for　the　allied　armies　to　hold　their　situation；　and　impossible　for　them　to　make　any　progress　in　driving　the　enemy　out　of　the　Riviera　di　Genoa。　Mr。　Drake　was　of　opinion　that　even　Nice　might　fall　for　want　of　supplies；　if　the　trade　with　Genoa　were　cut　off。　This　sort　of　blockade　Nelson　could　not　carry　on　without　great　risk　to　himself。　A　captain　in　the　navy；　as　he　represented　to　the　envoy；　is　liable　to　prosecution　for　detention　and　damages。　This　danger　was　increased　by　an　order　which　had　then　lately　been　issued；　by　which；　when　a　neutral　ship　was　detained；　a　complete　specification　of　her　cargo　was　directed　to　be　sent　to　the　secretary　of　the　Admiralty；　and　no　legal　process　instituted　against　her　till　the　pleasure　of　that　board　should　be　communicated。　This　was　requiring　an　impossibility。　The　cargoes　of　ships　detained　upon　this　station；　consisting　chiefly　of　corn；　would　be　spoiled　long　before　the　orders　of　the　Admiralty　could　be　known；　and　then；　if　they　should　happen　to　release　the　vessel；　the　owners　would　look　to　the　captain　for　damages。　Even　the　only　precaution　which　could　be　taken　against　this　danger；　involved　another　danger　not　less　to　be　apprehended：　for　if　the　captain　should　direct　the　cargo　to　be　taken　out；　the　freight　paid　for；　and　the　vessel　released；　the　agent　employed　might　prove　fraudulent；　and　become　bankrupt；　and　in　that　case　the　captain　became　responsible。　Such　things　had　happened：　Nelson　therefore　required；　as　the　only　means　for　carrying　on　that　service；　which　was　judged　essential　to　the　common　cause；　without　exposing　the　officers　to　ruin；　that　the　British　envoy　should　appoint　agents　to　pay　the　freight；　release　the　vessels；　sell　the　cargo；　and　hold　the　amount　till　process　was　had　upon　i