the life of horatio lord nelson-第26部分

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tain　Darby；　passed　ahead；　and　dropped　her　stern　anchor　on　the　starboard　bow　of　the　ORIENT；　seventh　in　the　line；　Brueys'　own　ship；　of　one　hundred　and　twenty　guns；　whose　difference　of　force　was　in　proportion　of　more　than　seven　to　three；　and　whose　weight　of　ball；　from　the　lower　deck　alone；　exceeded　that　from　the　whole　broadside　of　the　BELLEROPHON。　Captain　Peyton；　in　the　DEFENCE；　took　his　station　ahead　of　the　MINOTAUR；　and　engaged　the　FRANKLIN；　the　sixth　in　the　line；　by　which　judicious　movement　the　British　line　remained　unbroken。　The　MAJESTIC；　Captain　Westcott；　got　entangled　with　the　main　rigging　of　one　of　the　French　ships　astern　of　the　ORIENT；　and　suffered　dreadfully　from　that　three…decker's　fire；　but　she　swung　clear；　and　closely　engaging　the　HEUREUX；　the　ninth　ship　on　the　starboard　bow；　received　also　the　fire　of　the　TONNANT；　which　was　the　eighth　in　the　line。　The　other　four　ships　of　the　British　squadron；　having　been　detached　previous　to　the　discovery　of　the　French；　were　at　a　considerable　distance　when　the　action　began。　It　commenced　at　half　after　six；　about　seven　night　closed；　and　there　was　no　other　light　than　that　from　the　fire　of　the　contending　fleets。

Troubridge；　in　the　CULLODEN；　then　foremost　of　the　remaining　ships；　was　two　leagues　astern。　He　came　on　sounding；　as　the　others　had　done：　as　he　advanced；　the　increasing　darkness　increased　the　difficulty　of　the　navigation；　and　suddenly；　after　having　found　eleven　fathoms　water；　before　the　lead　could　be　hove　again　he　was　fast　aground；　nor　could　all　his　own　exertions；　joined　with　those　of　the　LEANDER　and　the　MUTINE　brig；　which　came　to　his　assistance；　get　him　off　in　time　to　bear　a　part　in　the　action。　His　ship；　however；　served　as　a　beacon　to　the　ALEXANDER　and　SWIFTSURE；　which　would　else；　from　the　course　which　they　were　holding；　have　gone　considerably　further　on　the　reef；　and　must　inevitably　have　been　lost。　These　ships　entered　the　bay；　and　took　their　stations　in　the　darkness；　in　a　manner　still　spoken　of　with　admiration　by　all　who　remember　it。　Captain　　Hallowell；　in　the　SWIFTSURE；　as　he　was　bearing　down；　fell　in　with　what　seemed　to　be　a　strange　sail。　Nelson　had　directed　his　ships　to　hoist　four　lights　horizontally　at　the　mizzen　peak　as　soon　as　it　became　dark；　and　this　vessel　had　no　such　distinction。　Hallowell；　however；　with　great　judgment；　ordered　his　men　not　to　fire：　if　she　was　an　enemy；　he　said；　she　was　in　too　disabled　a　state　to　escape；　but　from　her　sails　being　loose；　and　the　way　in　which　her　head　was；　it　was　probable　she　might　be　an　English　ship。　It　was　the　BELLEROPHON；　overpowered　by　the　huge　ORIENT：　her　lights　had　gone　overboard；　nearly　200　of　her　crew　were　killed　or　wounded；　all　her　masts　and　cables　had　been　shot　away；　and　she　was　drifting　out　of　the　line　toward　the　leeside　of　the　bay。　Her　station；　at　this　important　time；　was　occupied　by　the　SWIFTSURE；　which　opened　a　steady　fire　on　the　quarter　of　the　FRANKLIN　and　the　bows　of　the　French　admiral。　At　the　same　instant；　Captain　Ball；　with　the　ALEXANDER；　passed　under　his　stern；　and　anchored　within…side　on　his　larboard　quarter；　raking；　him；　and　keeping　up　a　severe　fire　of　musketry　upon　his　decks。　The　last　ship　which　arrived　to　complete　the　destruction　of　the　enemy　was　the　LEANDER。　Captain　Thompson；　finding　that　nothing　could　be　done　that　night　to　get　off　the　CULLODEN；　advanced　with　the　intention　of　anchoring　athwart…hawse　　of　the　ORIENT。　The　FRANKLIN　was　so　near　her　ahead　that　there　was　not　room　for　him　to　pass　clear　of　the　two；　he　therefore　took　his　station　athwart…hawse　of　the　latter　in　such　a　position　as　to　rake　both。

The　two　first　ships　of　the　French　line　had　been　dismasted　within　a　quarter　of　an　hour　after　the　commencement　of　the　action；　and　the　others　had　in　that　time　suffered　so　severely　that　victory　was　already　certain。　The　third；　fourth；　and　fifth　were　taken　possession　of　at　half…past　eight。

Meantime　Nelson　received　a　severe　wound　on　the　head　from　a　piece　of　langridge　shot。　Captain　Berry　caught　him　in　his　arms　as　he　was　falling。　The　great　effusion　of　blood　occasioned　an　apprehension　that　the　wound　was　mortal：　Nelson　himself　thought　so；　a　large　flap　of　the　skin　of　the　forehead；　cut　from　the　bone；　had　fallen　over　one　eye；　and　the　other　being　blind；　he　was　in　total　darkness。　When　he　was　carried　down；　the　surgeonin　the　midst　of　a　scene　scarcely　to　be　conceived　by　those　who　have　never　seen　a　cockpit　in　time　of　action；　and　the　heroism　which　is　displayed　amid　its　horrors；with　a　natural　and　pardonable　eagerness；　quitted　the　poor　fellow　then　under　his　hands；　that　he　might　instantly　attend　the　admiral。　〃No！〃　said　Nelson；　〃I　will　take　my　turn　with　my　brave　fellows。〃　Nor　would　he　suffer　his　own　wound　to　be　examined　till　every　man　who　had　been　previously　wounded　was　properly　attended　to。　Fully　believing　that　the　wound　was　mortal；　and　that　he　was　about　to　die；　as　he　had　ever　desired；　in　battle；　and　in　victory；　he　called　the　chaplain；　and　desired　him　to　deliver　what　he　supposed　to　be　his　dying　remembrance　to　lady　Nelson；　he　then　sent　for　Captain　Louis　on　board　from　the　MINOTAUR；　that　he　might　thank　him　personally　for　the　great　assistance　which　he　had　rendered　to　the　VANGUARD；　and　ever　mindful　of　those　who　deserved　to　be　his　friends；　appointed　Captain　Hardy　from　the　brig　to　the　command　of　his　own　ship；　Captain　Berry　having　to　go　home　with　the　news　of　the　victory。　When　the　surgeon　came　in　due　time　to　exa…　mine　his　wound　（for　it　was　in　vain　to　entreat　him　to　let　it　be　examined　sooner）；　the　most　anxious　silence　prevailed；　and　the　joy　of　the　wounded　men；　and　of　the　whole　crew；　when　they　heard　that　the　hurt　was　merely　superficial；　gave　Nelson　deeper　pleasure　than　the　unexpected　assurance　that　his　life　was　in　no　danger。　The　surgeon　requested；　and　as　far　as　he　could；　ordered　him　to　remain　quiet；　but　Nelson　could　not　rest。　He　called　for　his　secretary；　Mr。　Campbell；　to　write　the　despatches。　Campbell　had　himself　been　wounded；　and　was　so　affected　at　the　blind　and　suffering　state　of　the　admiral　that　he　was　unable　to　write。　The　chaplain　was　then　sent　for；　but　before　he　came；　Nelson　with　his　characteristic　eagerness　took　the　pen；　and　contrived　to　trace　a　few　words；　marking　his　devout　sense　of　the　success　which　had　already　been　obtained。　He　was　now　left　alone；　when　suddenly　a　cry　was　heard　on　the　deck　that　the　ORIENT　was　on　fire。　In　the　confusion　he　found　his　way　up；　unassisted　and　unnoticed；　and；　to　the　astonishment　of　every　one；　appeared　on　the　quarter…decks　where　he　immediately　gave　order　that　the　boats　should　be　sent　to　the　relief　of　the　enemy。

It　was　soon　after　nine　that　the　fire　on；　board　the　ORIENT　broke　out。　Brueys　was　dead；　he　had　received　three　wounds；　yet　would　not　leave　his　post：　a　fourth　cut　him　almost　in　two。　He　desired　not　to　be　carried　below；　but　to　be　left　to　die　upon　deck。　The　flames　soon　mastered　his　ship。　Her　sides　had　just　been　painted；　and　the　oil…jars　　and　paint　buckets　were　lying　on　the　poop。　By　the　prodigious　light　of　this　conflagration；　the　situation　of　the　two　fleets　could　now　be　perceived；　the　colours　of　both　being　clearly　distinguishable。　About　ten　o'clock　the　ship　blew　up；　with　a　shock　which　was　felt　to　the　very　bottom　of　every　vessel。　Many　of　her　officers　and　men　jumped　overboard；　some　clinging　to　the　spars　and　pieces　of　wreck　with　which　the　sea　was　strewn；　others　swimming　to　escape　from　the　destruction　which　they　momently　dreaded。　Some　were　picked　up　by　our　boats；　and　some　even　in　the　heat　and　fury　of　the　action　were　dragged　into　the　lower　ports　of　the　nearest　British　ships　by　the　British　sailors。　The　greater　part　of　her　crew；　however；　stood　the　danger　till　the　last；　and　continued　to　fire　from　the　lower　deck。　This　tremendous　explosion　was　followed　by　a　silence　not　less　awful：　the　firing　immediately　ceased　on　both　sides；　and　the　first　sound　which　broke　the　silence；　was　the　dash　of　her　shattered　masts　and　yards；　falling　into　the　water　from　the　vast　height　to　which　they　had　been　exploded。　It　is　upon　record　that　a　battle　between　two　armies　was　once　broken　off　by　an　earthquake。　Such　an　event　would　be　felt　like　a　miracle；　but　no　incident　in　war；　produced　by　human　means；　has　ever　equalled　the　sublimity　of　this　co…instantaneous　pause；　and　all　its　circumstances。

About　seventy　of　the　ORIENT's　crew　were　saved　by　the　English　boats。　Among　the　many　hundreds　who　perished　were　the　commodore；　Casa…Bianca；　and　his　son；　a　brave　boy；　only　ten　years　old。　They　were　seen　floating　on　a　shattered　mast　when　the　ship　blew　up。　She　had　money　on　board　（the　plunder　of　Malta）　to　the　amount　of　L600；000　sterling。　The　masses　of　burning　wreck；　which　were　scattered　by　the　explosion；　excited　for　some　moments　apprehensions　in　the　English　which　they　had　never　felt　from　any　other　danger。　Two　large　pieces　fell　into　the　main　and　fore　tops　of　the　SWIFTSURE　without　injuring　any　person。　A　port…fire　also　fell　into　the　main…royal　of　the　ALEXANDER；　the　fire　which　it　occasioned　was　speedily　extinguished。　Captain　Ball　had　provided；　as　far　as　human　foresight　could　provide；　against　any　such　danger。　All　the　shrouds　and　sails　of　his　ship；　not　absolutely　necessary　for　its　immediate　management；　were　thoroughly　wetted；　and　so　rolled　up　that　they　were　as　hard　and　as　little　inflammable　as　so　many　solid　cylinders。

　The　firing　recommenced　with　the　ships　to　leeward　of　the　centre；　and　con