The Battle and the Breeze

by R. M. Ballantyne

  CHAPTER SIX.

  THE BATTLE OF THE NILE.

  After Napoleon Bonaparte had effected his landing in Egypt, the Frenchfleet was permitted to remain at Alexandria for some time, and thusafforded Nelson the opportunity he had sought for so long.

  For many previous days he had been almost unable, from anxiety, to takesleep or food, but now he ordered dinner to be served, whilepreparations were being made for battle, and when his officers rose toleave the table, he said to them:--

  "Before this time to-morrow, I shall have gained a peerage orWestminster Abbey."

  The French had found it impossible to enter the neglected and ruinedport of Alexandria. Admiral Brueys had, by command of Napoleon, offereda reward of 10,000 livres to any native pilot who would safely conveythe squadron in, but not one was found who would venture to take chargeof a single vessel that drew more than twenty feet. The gallant admiralwas compelled, therefore, to anchor in Aboukir Bay, and chose thestrongest position that was possible in the circumstances. He rangedhis ships in a compact line of battle, in such a manner that the leadingvessel lay close to a shoal, while the remainder of the fleet formed acurve along the line of deep water so that it was thought to beimpossible to turn it by any means in a South Westerly direction, andsome of the French, who were best able to judge, said that they held aposition so strong that they could bid defiance to a force more thandouble their own. The presumption was not unreasonable, for the Frenchhad the advantage of the English in ships, guns, and men, but they hadomitted to take into their calculations the fact that the English fleetwas commanded by one whose promptitude in action, readiness andeccentricity of resource, and utter disregard of consequences when whathe deemed the path to victory lay before him, might have been equalled;but certainly could not have been surpassed, by Bonaparte himself.

  The French force consisted of thirteen ships of the line and fourfrigates, carrying in all 1196 guns and 11,230 men. The English hadthirteen ships of the line and a fifty-gun ship, carrying in all 1012guns and 8068 men. All the English line-of-battle ships wereseventy-fours. Three of the French ships carried eighty-eight guns, andone, _L'Orient_, was a monster three-decker with 120 guns.

  In order to give the reader a better idea of the forces engaged on bothsides, we give the following list of ships. It is right, however, toadd that one of those belonging to the English (the _Culloden_) ranaground on a shoal when about to go into action, and took no part in thefight.

  ENGLISH SHIPS.

  +===+===============+=============================+====+===+===========+Y YNames YCommanders YGunsYMenY Y+---+---------------+-----------------------------+----+---+-----------+Y 1.YVanguard YAdmiral Nelson, Captain BerryY 74Y595Y Y+---+---------------+-----------------------------+----+---+-----------+Y 2.YMinotaur YThos. Louis Y 74Y640Y Y+---+---------------+-----------------------------+----+---+-----------+Y 3.YTheseus YR.W. Millar Y 74Y590Y Y+---+---------------+-----------------------------+----+---+-----------+Y 4.YAlexander YA.J. Ball Y 74Y590Y Y+---+---------------+-----------------------------+----+---+-----------+Y 5.YSwiftsure YB Hallowell Y 74Y590Y Y+---+---------------+-----------------------------+----+---+-----------+Y 6.YAudacious YD Gould Y 74Y590Y Y+---+---------------+-----------------------------+----+---+-----------+Y 7.YDefence YJ Peyton Y 74Y590Y Y+---+---------------+-----------------------------+----+---+-----------+Y 8.YZealous YS Hood Y 74Y590Y Y+---+---------------+-----------------------------+----+---+-----------+Y 9.YOrion YSir James Saumarez Y 74Y590Y Y+---+---------------+-----------------------------+----+---+-----------+Y10.YGoliath YThomas Foley Y 74Y590Y Y+---+---------------+-----------------------------+----+---+-----------+Y11.YMajestic YG.B. Westcott Y 74Y590Y Y+---+---------------+-----------------------------+----+---+-----------+Y12.YBellerophon YH.D.E. Darby Y 74Y590Y Y+---+---------------+-----------------------------+----+---+-----------+Y13.YCulloden YT Trowbridge Y 74Y590YNot engagedY+---+---------------+-----------------------------+----+---+-----------+Y14.YLeander YT.B. Thomson Y 50Y343Y Y+---+---------------+-----------------------------+----+---+-----------+Y15.YLa Mutine, BrigY Y Y Y Y+===+===============+=============================+====+===+===========+

  FRENCH SHIPS.

  +===+====================+==============+====+====+===============+Y YNames YCommanders YGunsYMen Y Y+---+--------------------+--------------+----+----+---------------+Y 1.YL'Orient YAdmiral BrueysY 120Y1010YBurnt Y+---+--------------------+--------------+----+----+---------------+Y 2.YLe Franklin Y Y 80Y 800YTaken Y+---+--------------------+--------------+----+----+---------------+Y 3.YLe Tonnant Y Y 80Y 800YTaken Y+---+--------------------+--------------+----+----+---------------+Y 4.YLe Guillaume Tell Y Y 80Y 800YEscaped Y+---+--------------------+--------------+----+----+---------------+Y 5.YLe Conquerant Y Y 74Y 700YTaken Y+---+--------------------+--------------+----+----+---------------+Y 6.YLe Spartiate Y Y 74Y 700YTaken Y+---+--------------------+--------------+----+----+---------------+Y 7.YL'Aquilon Y Y 74Y 700YTaken Y+---+--------------------+--------------+----+----+---------------+Y 8.YLe Souverain Peuple Y Y 74Y 700YTaken Y+---+--------------------+--------------+----+----+---------------+Y 9.YL'Heureux Y Y 74Y 700YTaken Y+---+--------------------+--------------+----+----+---------------+Y10.YLe Timoleon Y Y 74Y 700YBurnt Y+---+--------------------+--------------+----+----+---------------+Y11.YLe Mercure Y Y 74Y 700YTaken Y+---+--------------------+--------------+----+----+---------------+Y12.YLe Genereux Y Y 74Y 700YEscaped Y+---+--------------------+--------------+----+----+---------------+Y13.YLe Guerrier Y Y 74Y 600YTaken Y+---+--------------------+--------------+----+----+---------------+Y14.YLa Diane (Frigate) Y Y 48Y 300YEscaped Y+---+--------------------+--------------+----+----+---------------+Y15.YLa Justice (Frigate)Y Y 44Y 300YEscaped Y+---+--------------------+--------------+----+----+---------------+Y16.YL'Artemise (Frigate)Y Y 36Y 250YBurnt Y+---+--------------------+--------------+----+----+---------------+Y17.YLa Serieux (Frigate)Y Y 36Y 250YDismasted, sunkY+===+====================+==============+====+====+===============+

  Such were the forces that met to engage in deadly conflict on the 1st ofAugust 1798, with not only national but world-wide interest pending onthe issue, for the battle of the Nile was one of the leading battles ofthe world.

  When Nelson perceived the position of the enemy, his fertile and activemind at once evolved a characteristic course of action. Where there wasroom, he said, for an enemy's ship to swing, there was room for one ofhis to anchor. He therefore at once formed the plan of doubling on theFrench ships, stationing one of his ships on the bow and another on thequarter of each of the enemy.

  Nelson immediately explained his intended course to his officers. Ithad been his custom during the whole time he was engaged in searchingfor the French fleet, to have his captains as frequently as possible onboard the _Vanguard_, when he explained to them his opinions as to thebest mode of attack in all the various positions in which it waspossible or probable that the enemy might be found. Hence they knewtheir commander's tactics so well, that when the hour for actionarrived, no time was lost in the tedious operation of signalling orders.He had such confidence in all his officers, that after thor
oughlyexplaining his intended plan of attack, he merely said to them, "Form asis most convenient for mutual support, and anchor by the stern. Firstgain the victory, and then make the best use of it you can."

  When Captain Berry, perceiving the boldness of the plan, said, "If wesucceed, what will the world say?" Nelson replied, "There is no _if_ inthe case; that we shall succeed is certain: who may live to tell thestory is a very different question!"

  Nelson possessed in an eminent degree the power of infusing into his menthe irresistible confidence that animated his own bosom. There wasprobably not a man in the British fleet who did not sail into AboukirBay on that memorable day with a feeling of certainty that the battlewas as good as gained before it was begun. The cool, quiet,self-possessed manner in which the British tars went to work at thebeginning must have been very impressive to the enemy; for, as theyadvanced, they did not even condescend to fire a shot in reply to thestorm of shot and shell to which the leading ships were treated by thebatteries on an island in the bay, and by the broadsides of the wholeFrench fleet at half gunshot-range, the men being too busily engaged infurling the sails aloft, attending to the braces below, and preparing tocast anchor!

  Nelson's fleet did not all enter the bay at once, but each vessel lostno time in taking up position as it arrived; and as, one after another,they bore down on the enemy, anchored close alongside, and opened fire,the thunder of the French fleet was quickly and increasingly augmentedby the British, until the full tide of battle was reached, and theshores of Egypt trembled under the incessant rolling roar of dreadfulwar; while sheets of flame shot forth and rent the thick clouds whichenwrapped the contending fleets, and hung incumbent over the bay.

  An attempt was made by a French brig to decoy the English ships towardsa shoal before they entered Aboukir Bay, but it failed because Nelsoneither knew the danger or saw through the device.

  It seemed as if the _Zealous_ (Captain Hood) was to have the honour ofcommencing the action, but Captain Foley passed her in the _Goliath_,and successfully accomplished that feat which the French had deemedimpossible, and had done their best to guard against. Instead ofattacking the leading ship--the _Guerrier_--outside, he sailed round herbows, passed between her and the shore, and cast anchor. Before hecould bring up, however, he had drifted down to the second ship of theenemy's line--the _Conquerant_--and opened fire. It had been rightlyconjectured that the landward guns of the enemy would not be manned, oreven ready for action. The _Goliath_, therefore, made short and sharpwork of her foe. In ten minutes the masts of the _Conquerant_ were shotaway! The _Zealous_ was laid alongside the _Guerrier_, and in twelveminutes that vessel was totally disabled. Next came the _Orion_ (Sir J.Saumarez), which went into action in splendid style. Perceiving that afrigate lying farther inshore was annoying the _Goliath_, she sailedtowards her, giving the _Guerrier_ a taste of her larboard guns as longas they would bear upon her, then dismasted and sunk the frigate, hauledround towards the French line, and anchoring between the _Franklin_ andthe _Souverain Peuple_, received and returned the fire of both.

  In like manner the _Audacious_ (Captain Gould) justified her name byattacking the _Guerrier_ and _Conquerant_ at once, and, when the latterstruck passed on to the _Souverain Peuple_.

  The unfortunate _Guerrier_ was also worthy of her title, for she borethe brunt of the battle. Every ship that passed her appeared to deem ita duty to give her a broadside before settling down to its particularplace in the line, and finding its own special antagonist orantagonists--for several of the English ships engaged two of the enemyat once. The _Theseus_ (Captain Miller), after bringing down the mainand mizzen-masts of the _Guerrier_, anchored inside the _Spartiate_ andengaged her.

  Meanwhile, on the other side of this vessel, Nelson's ship, the_Vanguard_, bore down on the foe with six flags flying in differentparts of the rigging, to guard against the possibility of his coloursbeing shot away! She opened a tremendous fire on the _Spartiate_ athalf pistol-range. The muscular British tars wrought with heroic energyat the guns. In a few minutes six of these guns, which stood on thefore-part of the _Vanguard's_ deck, were left without a man, and threetimes afterwards were these six guns cleared of men--so terrific was thefire of the enemy.

  Other four of the British vessels sailed ahead of the _Vanguard_ and gotinto action. One of these--the _Bellerophon_ (Captain Darby)--engagedthe gigantic _L'Orient_, which was so disproportionately large that theweight of ball from her lower deck alone exceeded that from the wholebroadside of her assailant. The result was that the _Bellerophon_ wasoverpowered, 200 of her men were killed or wounded, all her masts andcables were shot away, and she drifted out of the line. Her place,however, was taken by the _Swiftsure_, which not only assailed the_L'Orient_ on the bow, but at the same time opened a steady fire on thequarter of the _Franklin_.

  Before this time, however, the shades of night had fallen on the scene.The battle began at half-past six in the evening--half-an-hourafterwards daylight was gone, and the deadly fight was lighted only bythe lurid and fitful flashing of the guns.

  Those vessels of the English squadron which happened to be in rear weresome leagues astern when the fight began, and it was so dark when theyentered that extreme difficulty was experienced in getting in. One ofthese--the _Culloden_ (Captain Trowbridge)--sounded carefully as shewent, but got aground, where she remained helpless during the action,despite the efforts of the _Leander_ and _La Mutine_ brig to get heroff. She served, however, as a beacon to the _Alexander_ and_Swiftsure_.

  The latter ship, on entering the bay, fell in with the drifting anddisabled _Bellerophon_, which was at first supposed to be one of theenemy, because she did not show the signal ordered by Nelson to behoisted by his ships at the mizzen peak. This arose, of course, fromthe masts having been shot away. Captain Hallowell wisely refrainedfrom firing on her, saying that, if she was an enemy, she was too muchdisabled to escape. He passed on, therefore, and, as we have said, tookthe station and the duty from which the other had been driven.

  The huge _L'Orient_ was now surrounded. Captain Ball, in the_Alexander_, anchored on her larboard quarter, and, besides raking herwith his guns, kept up a steady fire of musketry on her decks. CaptainThomson also, in the _Leander_, took up such a position that he couldfire into her and the _Franklin_ at the same time.

  Standing in the midst of death and destruction, the hero of the Nile didnot escape scathless. He remained unhurt, however, until he knew thatvictory was certain. The first and second ships of the enemy's linewere disabled, as we have said, at the commencement of the action, andthe third, fourth, and fifth were taken between eight and nine; so thatNelson could not have much, if any, doubt as to the issue of the battle.

  Suddenly he received a wound on the head from a piece of langridge shot,and fell into the arms of Captain Berry. A large flap of skin was cutfrom the bone and fell over his sound eye,--the other having been lostin a previous engagement. The flow of blood was very great, and, beingthus totally blinded, he thought that he had received a mortal wound.He was immediately carried down to the cockpit.

  The cockpit of a man-of-war lies in that part of the ship which is belowwater, and is never visited by the light of day. Being safe also fromthe visitation of shot or shell, it has been selected as the place towhich the wounded are conveyed during an action to have their woundsdressed and limbs amputated by the surgeons--whose hands at such seasonsare, as may easily be supposed, much too full. No pen can describeadequately the horrors of that dimly-lighted place, with its flickeringlights, glittering knives, bloody tables and decks, and mangled men,whose groans of agony burst forth in spite of their utmost efforts torepress them. Here, in the midst of dead, dying, and suffering men, thegreat Admiral sat down to wait his turn.

  The surgeon was engaged in dressing the wounds of a sailor when he wasbrought down. On learning who it was that required his services, hequitted the man who was under his hands. "No," said Nelson, refusinghis proffered assistance, "no; I will take my turn with m
y bravefellows." Accordingly, there he remained, persistently refusing aid,until every man who had been previously wounded had been attended to!When his turn came, it was found that his wound was merely superficialand heartfelt was the joy expressed by the wounded men and the crew ofthe _Vanguard_ when this was made known.

  But before this had been ascertained, and while he believed himself tobe dying, Nelson called the chaplain, and gave him his last remembranceto Lady Nelson, appointed a successor to Captain Berry, who was to go toEngland with the news of the victory, and made other arrangements inanticipation of his death. But his hour had not yet come. When thesurgeon pronounced his hurt to be superficial, he refused to take therest which was recommended, and at once sent for his secretary to writedespatches.

  While he was thus engaged, a cry was heard which rose above the din ofbattle, proclaiming that the _L'Orient_ was on fire. In the confusionthat followed, Nelson found his way upon deck unassisted, and, to theastonishment of every one, appeared on the quarter-deck, and gave ordersto lower the boats, and send relief to the enemy.

  But before describing the scene that followed, we shall turn aside for alittle to watch more closely the proceedings of Captain Westcott in the_Majestic_, and the personal deeds of Bill Bowls and his messmates.