the great object that was always before him, his duty to his country; he therefore anxiously inquired for Captain Hardy, to know whether the annihilation of the enemy might be depended on; but it was upwards of an hour before our officer could, at so critical a period, leave the deck, and Lord Nelson became apprehensive that his brave associate was dead. The crew of the Victory were now heard to cheer, and he anxiously demanded the cause; when Lieutenant Pasco, who lay wounded near him, said that one of their opponents had struck. A gleam of devout joy lighted up the countenance of Nelson; and as the crew repeated their cheers, and marked the progress of his victory, his satisfaction visibly encreased. “Will no one,” exclaimed he, “bring Hardy to me? He must be killed; I am certain he is dead.” His wishes were at length gratified; Captain Hardy soon afterwards descended to the cockpit, and anxiously strove to conceal the feelings with which he had been struggling. “How does the day go with us, Hardy?” “Ten ships, my Lord, have struck.” “But none of ours, I hope?” “There is no fear, my dear Lord, of that. Five of their van have tacked, and shew an intention of bearing down upon us; but I have called some of our fresh ships around the Victory, and have no doubt of your complete success.” Having said this, he found himself unable any longer to suppress the yearnings of a brave and affectionate heart, and hurried away for a time to conceal the bitterness of his sorrow.
For about fifteen minutes after Lord Nelson received his mortal wound, the Redoubtable continued to sustain the fire of the two British 3-deckers, she herself pouring in constant discharges of musketry upon the decks of her antagonists. To obviate the danger of the Temeraire’s suffering from the Victory’s shot passing through the French ship, the starboard guns of the former were depressed, and fired with a diminished charge of powder, and three shot each, into the enemy. The larboard guns of the Victory were occasionally used in returning the fire of the Santissima Trinidada, Bucentaure, and other ships in the van, from whose shot, during the progress of the battle, she received considerable injury.
At length, after having been twice in flames herself, and by throwing combustibles occasioned a fire among
