TRAFALGAR RELICS

Taranaki Daily News, 10 December 1931, Page 12

TRAFALGAR RELICS

NEW NELSON COLLECTION. SPECIAL ROOM AT LLOYD’S. (N.Z. Herald Correspondent.) London, October 22. Since the war there has come into ■die possession of Lloyd’s a choice collection of relics, prints and manuscript* relating to Lord Nelson and his fellowofficers. A strong room panelled with oak, with a wide frieze on which are painted the distinguishing pendants of all the British ehips present at Trafalgar, is now the repository of these relics. Prominent in the room is a large portion of the service of plate presented by Lloyd’s to Nelson to commemorate the battles of the Nile and Copenhagen. Specimens of the medals struck in honour of these victories are also shown, and other medale include one which is perhaps most rare, although of leas intrinsic worth, the pewter medal awarded to Royal Marines forming the guard of honour at the opening of the Nelson Monument in Trafalgar Square in 1844. Among the Nelson documents framed annd on view the earliest is dated November 19, 1788, and is a direction by Nelson, then a captain, and the Rev. William Nelson to the Bank of England to sell 3 per cent, consols. The latest is dated October 17, 1805, four days before Trafalgar, and contains certain instructions to Captain Richard Grindall, of the Prince. Nearby may be seen the sword of honour presented by Lloyd’s to Captain Grindall. One of the first autograph letters signed “Nelson and Bronte 1 ’ is dated February 11, 1801, a signature he only adopted in the previous month. Visitors may also note the development of lefthand writing after the admiral lost his right arm. Two letters of particular

1 j personal interest may be seen; one M . from Nelson’s father to Lady Hamilton - in August, 1801, and the other a. poig--1 nant letter from Lady Nelson in 1806, - acknowledging a presentation from - Lloyd’s. 1 In a special case at one end of tne f room is the original master’s log o i H.M.S. Euralus, the ship which repeated . Nelson’s signals to the rest of the flee 1 at Trafalgar. This log book g l ™ B , a 1 vivid narrative of the events of t e r battle, and one line reads: “At 11.00 re- . peated Lord Nelson’s telegraph message: 1 England expects that every man will do s his duty.” “Telegraph” was the prefix a denoting a personal message to the neet, - as distinct from an ordinary signal. It f is a curious fact that the signal code e contained every word but duty, whic s had therefore to be spelt out by alphabet flags. No doubt it was a. word that s Nelson and his “band of brothers took tl for granted ae a rule. v A relic of human interest m the teles scope presented by the captain of the - Spanish ship Monarca to Lieutenant E. s F. Thomas, R.N., of the Bellerophon. r The Monarca etruck her ooloura to the

latter ship and Lieutenant Thomas went on board to take possession of the prize. The telescope was given him by the Spanish captain, in recognition of the courteous and humane treatment received