BATTLE OF CAPE ST. VINCENT

Otago Witness, Issue 2692, 18 October 1905, Page 19 (Supplement)

BATTLE OF CAPE ST. VINCENT

from unpleasantnesses arising from asserting his position, Nelson soon found himself in conflict with his admiral, the American colonists, and the West Indian planters. The Navigation Laws of Cromwell were in force, and now that the independence of the colonies had been recognised, the colonists, according to law, were foreigners, and therefore not entitled to trade with the British West Indies except to the limited extent allowed by the Navigation Laws. Sir Richard Hughes and the military authorities had not b>.tn enforcing the laws, so Nelson was in a dilemma ; but deeming that when a conflict of authority arose, it was his duty to enforce the laws of his country, he seized ships engaged in illicit trade. For doing this he suffered social ostracism, and writs for damage to the extent of £4000 were taken out against him. Subscriptions were raised to prosecute him, and to avoid arrest he had to keep himself confined to his ship for seven weeks. "On the day that the case of the seized ships came up he was able to be present in court only by the safe conduct of the judge." The case went in Nelson's favour, and Hughes was afterwards thanked for enforcing the laws ! As a result of his independent action, Nelson wrote: "'At this moment there are nearly 50 sail employed in the trade between the Islands of St. Kitts, Nevis, and America which are truly British built, owned, and navigated. Had I been an idle spectator, my firm belief is that not a single vessel would have belonged to these islands in the foreign trade." In March, 1787, he married at Nevis Mrs Nisbet, a doctor's widow; and in June he sailed for England, and cast anchor at Spithead on July 4. For the next five years Nelson's life does not possess much interest for the general reader. Why he did nob receive employment during this period need not be discussed here. But events following one

another with dramatic swiftness made his employment imperative. On January 21, 1793, Louis XVI. was sent to the scaffold; on the 30th, Nelson was appointed to the Agamemnon ; and on February 1 , the Republic declared war against Great Britain and Holland.