THE LIFE OF NELSON.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13205, 11 February 1905, Page 2

THE LIFE OF NELSON.

■ NAVY LEAGUE PRIZE ESSAY.

Two essays were marked equal for the first prize awarded for tho naval history competition among the upper forms of tho Otago Boys' High School last year under the auspices of the, local branch of tho Navy League. The' following ossay is by A. Henderson, and. we hopo to publish the other in a day or two:— Horatio Nelson was tho fifth son of tlje Rev. Edmund Nelson, vicar of tho village ot Biiruham-Tliorpe, in Norfolk. Horatio was born in tho year 1758, and while very young showed some signs of those qiiuJitios which; in later years, wero to be tho saving of bis nativo country. Sent to £ea ot the ago of 12, auiong his first, voyages was ono of discovery in tho Arctic regions, where, in spite of Irciug a naturally delicate lad, ho showed much enduranoo, once even daring to fight a boar single-handed^ His brilliancy soon made- him conspicuous in tho navy, and after serving in t.hc 'West Indies for somo time, and cruiamg about tho Atlantic, lie was made a post-captain, although lie was only 21 years of ago,and in spite of tho fact that-tho Admiralty at that tiino was sparing of honours to anyone except, a veteran. In his now capacity ho was attached to the Mediterranean squadron, under Admiral .lervis. It was under this admiral that, he fought tlx* battle wSiieh set him on the first rung of tho latJdor of fame. Admiral .lervis was attacking » Spanish force—a -much superior one, too— olf Cape St. 'Vincent, but, being outnumbered by the enemy, lio was in some danger of being cut off and destroyed, wfien the situation was saved by the characteristic energy and iwbmitablo pluck of Nelson, who, dashing among tho enemy's ships, held his own with a number of them, eventually driving them off. In carrying out this exceedingly bold plan Nelson had infringed the orders of his superior; and, without, doubt, had his scheme failed, and if he had returned alive, lie would have been courtmartialled and shot, as was many a good sailor who neglected to carry out to tho very letter somo trivial order of the Admiralty. At the battle of Aboukir Bay, better known as tho battle of the Nile, his infinite resource won for him an almost impossible victory. Tho French battleships were drawn up in line across Aboukir Bay, each ship being attached to tho next by two strong iron cables, and the ends of the line protected by shoals. Above ail, great shore batteries frowned over the ; masts of tho ships, forming a defence impregnable as tho art of man could devise. Nelson, however, saw a woak spot in the Frenchman's armour —the narrow channel between the end of tho lino and the shoals,—and through this lie. resolved to sail. His object was accomplished in safety, and to* the dismay of tho Frenoh Admiral he sailed his ships in two lines, having tho French in between, and almost totally destroyed the fleet, at-the sarno timo silcncinjy tho shore batteries. A few years later tho northern courts of Europe, headed by Denmark, became ratlior aggressive, and Nelson (now Baron Nelson) was sent to Copenhagen to quieten things. Here ho adopted practically the same tactic? as at Aboukir Bay, hut with less success. In sailing round the Danish fleet two of his ships went aground, and so hopeless of success was Sir Hyde Parker, Nelson's superior, that he flow the signal to retire. Nelson, however, when told of the signal, put tho telescope to his blind eye, which had been injured at Calvi, and swore that tliore was no signal (lying. In the end, however, ho _succeeded in fulfilling tho mission on which ho had been sent. Nelson was now at the zenith of his fjime, and was looked up to as tho bead of the British navy. About 1801 England was in fear of an invasion by Napoleon, and her only hopo lay in her navy.' Napoleon himself admitted that the Channel fleet, which was then powerful, was his only barrier from England. Tinder, his orders, however, his admiral, Yillenouve, set sail for the West Indies, leavipg the report that his object was to attack the British possessions there. With all possible speed Nelson was depatcliod after him; but, owing to adverse gales, the British squadron was delayed some weeks, and when it did reach the 'West Indies it was found that tho Fronch had sailed elsewhere. Nelson now began to see something of their plan, and sent a fa6t frigate home with orders to look for the French float reluming, and then made his own way home. Accordingly a fleet, under ►Sir Koliert Calder, w r as sent' out, mooting tho enemy about flic Azores, and retiring after a slight skirmish. Instead of going northward into the Channel, as Napoleon ordered, Yilloneuve enle-rod tho harbour of Cadiz and remained there for somo time, evidently too frightened to como out. After remaining out of sight for days, Nelson would rotlirn, only to -find tho enomv etili in his lair. At last, geaded by tho threats of Napoleon and deceived by the apparent fewness of the English, Villeneuve camo out, and formed his ships in lino of battle in Trafalgar Bay. Nohon promptly attacked, but not. in tho manner expected—byordering each ship to lio abreast one of tho enemy's and to fight till one was sunk. Instead, ho ordered his fleet to form two lines and to sail at right angles to the enemy. When within range, the ships oE tho left lino would sail along one side and tho right lino along tho other sido of a ship, discharging its whole armament, gun by glut, into -tho side of tho enemy. - Taken thus on both sides, they were doomed; but they made a good light of it. Although this great victory won for England respite for somo time, and also shattered the hopes of Napoleon, it deprived our nation of one of her greatest naval heroes; for, while Nelson was passing tho Kodoiibtablci in his flagship Victory, a swarm of sharpshooters in tho former's rigging poured down a murderous hail of lead on the deck of the latter. A stray ■bullet struck Nelson in the shoulder, the wound leading to his death a few hours later. By his own wish he was not buried at sea, but taken home. His remains wero laid in St. Paul's Cathedral, mourned over by tho whole British nation; and though in the navy at that time there wero many sagacious men and excellent seamen, Nelson was inferior to nono in bravery and resource.