the world had ever seen was assembled at Boulogne, on the French coast of the English Channel. The French admiral, Villeneuve, was ordered to feign an attack on the West Indies and to decoy Lord Nelson across the ocean; then to evade him, and return to throw Napoleon’s grand army across the channel for the purpose of moving upon London and destroying the power of Great Britain. Villeneuve moved as directed. Lord Nelson, completely deceived, crossed the ocean, and did not discover his mistake until he reached the West Indies. Villeneuve was in turn deceived. Rebuffed in an indecisive action with an inferior naval force under Sir Robert Calder, and deceived by the maneuvers of the English Channel fleet under Lord Collingwood, he steered for the coast of Spain in disobedience of Napoleon’s orders. While waiting for reinforcements and repairing his vessels, he lost the favorable moment. Lord Nelson returned and was, indeed, before him. Then came the battle of Trafalgar, and the navy which the purchase money of Louisiana had helped to build was destroyed.
Had the genius of Napoleon been able to reach out over the ocean as it reached out over the land, the history of the world would have been different. Hereafter his thunderbolts could reach only the continent of Europe.
When he learned that Villeneuve had disobeyed his orders, he burst into a vehement passion: "What a navy! What sacrifices for nothing! What an admiral! All hope is gone. That Villeneuve, instead of entering the Channel, has taken refuge in Ferrol ! It is all over. Daru, sit down and write. (Alison s History of Europe, vol. 9, p. 63.) Checking his anger, he was calm upon the instant and dictated to his secretary, Daru, the orders by which the entire force of France was thrown with rapidity and precision across the continent of Europe to meet the foes which the combinations of Pitt were accumulating in his rear. Ulm was captured and Austerlitz won.
