On the bottom of this singular present was pasted a certificate written on paper, to the following effect: “I do hereby certify, that every part of this coffin is made of the wood and iron of l’Orient, most of which was picked up by his Majesty’s ship under my command, in the Bay of Aboukir.
“Swiftsure, May 23, 1799.”
The astonishment that prevailed amongst the crew of the Vanguard, Lord Nelson’s flag ship, when they were actually convinced it was a coffin which had been thus conveyed on board, will be long remembered by their officers: “We shall have hot work of it indeed,” said one of the seamen; “you see the Admiral intends to fight till he is killed, and there he is to be buried.” Lord Nelson highly appreciated the present, and for some time had it placed upright, with the lid on, against the bulk-head of his cabin, behind the chair on which he sat at dinner, and viewed it with the undaunted mind of a great warrior. At length, by the tears and entreaties of an old servant, he was prevailed on to allow its being carried below. When his Lordship left the Vanguard, the coffin was removed into the Foudroyant, where it remained for many days on the gratings of the quarter-deck. Whilst his officers were one day looking at it, he came out of the cabin: “You may look at it, Gentlemen” said the hero, “as long as you please; but depend on it none of you shall have it.”
In the month of June, 1799, Lord Nelson having been reinforced by a squadron under Rear-Admiral Duckworth, proceeded to Naples, where he arrived on the 24th, and found that a treaty had been signed between Cardinal Ruffo, and the insurgent Neapolitans, by which the latter consented to
- ↑ It has been stated in several publications, that the words of the above mentioned certificate were engraved upon a brass plate affixed to the coffin; so far from that having been the case, Captain Hallowell carefully avoided using any material that did not actually belong to the mast. He therefore had staples made of the spikes drawn from the cheeks; these staples were driven into the edge of the coffin, and when the lid was put on, toggles were put into the staples to secure it down, and thus prevent the necessity of using nails or screws for that purpose. The nails in the coffin were also made from the spikes taken from the mast.
