Chapter X: “a Melancholy Situation”

The month of September was spent in blockading Cadiz. The _Canopus_, as already stated, was one of the squadron of five told off to keep close in shore and watch the port. So close were they that one time the _Tigre_ nearly ran aground and had to be towed off. The log on September 16th gives an account of what could be seen of the enemy’s fleet.

“We stood in till all the enemy’s fleet were open of the town, and had an opportunity of distinctly counting them. Their whole force consisted of thirty-three sail of the line and five frigates, all apparently quite ready for sea, with the exception of two ships of the line; one of which (French) had her topmasts struck, and main top-gallant mast down on the deck; the other (Spanish) had her foremast struck and fore-stay slack as if doing something to the bowsprit. Of the ships of the line seventeen were French and sixteen Spanish, of which last two were three-deckers. The frigates were all French, and one of them appeared to have a poop. We saw also at the Carracas three large ships (two of them appearing to be three-deckers) and two small ones, all of them in a considerable state of forwardness in point of rigging.”

On September 28 the _Victory_ arrived from England, with Nelson on board, and three days later the _Canopus_ joined the main part of the fleet, and was almost immediately told off to take her turn in the duty of fetching water from Gibraltar. The story of the month of October, with its hopes, fears, and disappointments, is best told by Francis Austen himself in the following letter to Mary Gibson:

“_Canopus_ AT SEA, OFF GIBRALTAR, _October 15, 1805_.

“MY DEAREST MARY,--Having now got over the hurry and bustle
which unavoidably attends every ship while in the act of
compleating provisions, water and stores, I think it high
time to devote some part of my attention to your amusement,
and to be in a state of preparation for any opportunity which
may offer of dispatching letters to England. But in order to
make myself understood I must endeavour to be methodical, and
therefore shall commence the account I have now to send you
from the date of my last, which was finished and forwarded by
the _Nimble_ brig on the 2nd of this month. We had then just
joined the fleet from the inshore squadron, and, I believe
I mentioned, were about to quit it again for Gibraltar and
Tetuan. We sailed that evening with four other ships of the
line, a frigate, and five merchant vessels under convoy, and on
the following morning fell in with the _Euryalus_, which we had
left off Cadiz to watch the enemy. Captain Blackwood informed
us by signal that he had received information by a Swedish
ship from Cadiz that the troops had all embarked on board the
men-of-war, and it was reported they were to sail with the
first easterly wind. Though much confidence could not be placed
on the accuracy and authenticity of this intelligence, it was,
however, of such a nature as to induce Admiral Louis to return
with four of the ships to Lord Nelson, leaving the _Zealous_
and _Endymion_ (both of them crippled ships) to proceed with
the convoy to Gibraltar. We rejoined the Commander-in-Chief on
the morning of the 5th, and were again dispatched in the course
of the day.

“The wind being directly against us, and blowing very strong,
we were not able to reach Gibraltar until the 9th, when every
exertion was made to get on board such supplies of stores and
provisions as we were in want of, and the Rock could supply.
This was effected in three days, at which time the wind changed
to the westward and became favourable for our watering at
Tetuan, where we anchored on the evening of the 12th. We sailed
again last night to return to the fleet, having got on board in
the course of two days, with our own boats alone, 300 tons of
water, and every other ship had got a proportionate quantity.
You will judge from this that we have not been idle. We are now
expecting a wind to take us out of the Mediterranean again, and
hope to accomplish it in the course of the next twenty-four
hours; at present it is nearly calm, but appearances indicate
an easterly wind. We are, of course, very anxious to get back
to the fleet for fear the enemy should be moving, for the idea
of their doing so while we are absent is by no means pleasant.
Having borne our share in a tedious chace and anxious blockade,
it would be mortifying indeed to find ourselves at last thrown
out of any share of credit or emolument which would result from
an action. Such, I hope, will not be our lot, though, if they
do venture out at all, it must happen to some one, as a part of
the fleet will be constantly sent in to compleat as fast as the
others arrive from having performed that duty.

“Our stay at Gibraltar was not productive of much gaiety to us;
we dined only twice on shore, and both times with General Fox,
the Governor. We had engagements for several succeeding days
on our hands; but this change of wind making it necessary for
us to move off, our friends were left to lament our absence,
and eat the fatted calf without us. I believe I have mentioned
in a former letter that the young lady _I admired so much_
(Miss Smith) was married to the Colonel Keen, whom Sutton will
not acknowledge as an acquaintance. As a matter of civility,
I called with the Admiral Louis to make them a morning visit,
but we were not fortunate enough to find them at home, which,
of course, _I_ very much regretted. The last evening of our
stay at Gibraltar we went, after dining with the General,
to see _Othello_ performed by some of the officers of the
garrison. The theatre is small, but very neatly fitted up; the
dresses and scenery appeared good, and I might say the same
of the acting could I have seen or heard anything of it; but,
although I was honoured with a seat in the Governor’s box at
the commencement of the performance, yet I did not long profit
by it, for one of his aide-de-camps, happening to be married,
and his lady happening also to come in during the first scene,
I was obliged to resign my situation, happy to have it in my
power to accommodate a fair one. The play was _Othello_, and
by what I have been able to collect from the opinions of those
who were more advantageously situated for seeing and hearing
than myself, I did not experience a very severe loss from
my complaisance. I believe the Admiral was not much better
amused than I was, for, at the expiration of the first act, he
proposed departing, which I very readily agreed to, as I had
for some time found the house insufferably close and hot. I
hardly need add that the evening was not quite so productive
of pleasure to me as the last theatrical representation I
had witnessed, which was at Covent Garden some time in the
beginning of February last, when I had the honour of being
seated by a fair young lady, with whom I became slightly
acquainted the preceding year at Ramsgate.

“Do you happen to recollect anything of the evening? I think
you do, and that you will not readily forget it.

“_October 18._--The hopes with which I had flattered myself of
getting out of the Straits two days ago have not been realised,
and, from the circumstances which have since occurred, it is
very uncertain when we shall get to the fleet again. The wind
on the evening of the 15th came to the westward and forced us
back to Tetuan, where we remained till yesterday evening, at
which time a frigate came over with orders for Admiral Louis
to give protection to a convoy then collected at Gibraltar for
Malta, as far as Cartagena, after which he is to return to
the Commander-in-Chief. We accordingly came over to the Rock
this morning, and are now proceeding as fast as possible with
the trade to the eastward. Our force consists of five sail
of the line and three frigates, which last we shall leave in
charge of the convoy as soon as we have seen them safe past
the Cartagena squadron. I can’t say I much like the prospect.
I do not expect to derive any advantage from it, and it puts
us completely out of the way in case the enemy should make an
attempt to get to sea, which is by no means improbable, if he
knows Lord Nelson’s force is weakened by the detachment of so
many ships. It is since I last wrote to you I believe that your
No. 3 has come to hand; it was brought by Brigadier-General
Tilson, and was enclosed under cover from Henry. It has been
months on the journey. There are still three of yours missing,
Nos. 5, 6 and 7, some of which I suppose are gone to seek me
in the West Indies, but I trust they will do so in vain there.
We have heard from the fleet off Cadiz, and learn that it has
been reinforced by the arrival of five men-of-war from England,
some of which I hope have brought letters, or they might as
well have stayed away. Sir Robert Calder is gone home in the
_Prince of Wales_, which I am sorry has happened during our
absence, as by it a very fine opportunity of writing has been
lost, which is always a source of regret to me when it occurs.
I cannot, however, accuse myself of any neglect, and you will,
I hope, as readily acquit me of it; indeed, when you know the
circumstances, I am sure you will, though I daresay you will
feel rather disappointed to hear a man-of-war has arrived from
the Cadiz fleet and find no letter arrived from me, unless you
happened to recollect that I expected to go to Gibraltar and,
therefore, would probably have been absent when she left the
station.

“_October 21._--We have just bid adieu to the convoy, without
attending them quite so far as was originally intended, having
this day received intelligence, by a vessel despatched in
pursuit of us, that on Saturday, 19th, the enemy’s fleet was
actually under way, and coming out of Cadiz.

“Our situation is peculiarly unpleasant and distressing,
for if they escape Lord Nelson’s vigilance and get into the
Mediterranean, which is not very likely, we shall be obliged,
with our small force, to keep out of their way; and on the
other hand, should an action take place, it must be decided
long before we could possibly get down even were the wind fair,
which at present it is not. As I have no doubt but the event
would be highly honourable to our arms, and be at the same
time productive of some good prizes, I shall have to lament
our absence on such an occasion on a double account, the loss
of pecuniary advantage as well as of professional credit. And
after having been so many months in a state of constant and
unremitting fag, to be at last cut out by a parcel of folk just
come from their homes, where some of them were sitting at their
ease the greater part of last war, and the whole of this, till
just now, is particularly hard and annoying.

“You, perhaps, may not feel this so forcibly as I do, and in
your satisfaction at my having avoided the danger of battle may
not much regret my losing the credit of having contributed to
gain a victory; not so myself!

“I do not profess to like fighting for its own sake, but if
there have been an action with the combined fleets I shall ever
consider the day on which I sailed from the squadron as the
most inauspicious one of my life.

“_October 27_, off Tetuan.--Alas! my dearest Mary, all my fears
are but too fully justified. The fleets have met, and, after a
very severe contest, a most decisive victory has been gained
by the English twenty-seven over the enemy’s thirty-three.
Seventeen of the ships are taken and one is burnt; but I
am truly sorry to add that this splendid affair has cost
us many lives, and amongst them the most invaluable one to
the nation, that of our gallant, and ever-to-be-regreted,
Commander-in-Chief, Lord Nelson, who was mortally wounded by
a musket shot, and only lived long enough to know his fleet
successful. In a public point of view, I consider his loss as
the greatest which could have occurred; nor do I hesitate to
say there is not an Admiral on the list so eminently calculated
for the command of a fleet as he was. I never heard of his
equal, nor do I expect again to see such a man. To the soundest
judgment he united prompt decision and speedy execution of his
plans; and he possessed in a superior degree the happy talent
of making every class of persons pleased with their situation
and eager to exert themselves in forwarding the public service.
As a national benefit I cannot but rejoice that our arms have
been once again successful, but at the same time I cannot help
feeling how very unfortunate we have been to be away at such
a moment, and, by a fatal combination of unfortunate though
unavoidable events, to lose all share in the glory of a day
which surpasses all which ever went before, is what I cannot
think of with any degree of patience; but, as I cannot write
upon that subject without complaining, I will drop it for the
present, till time and reflection reconcile me a little more to
what I know is now inevitable.

“We arrived off the Rock of Gibraltar two days ago, and
having heard of the action as well as that our fleet was in
want of assistance to repair their damages and secure their
prizes, we proceeded on with a fine, fresh wind at east to run
through the Straits; but before we were out of sight of
the garrison the wind chopped round to the westward, directly
in our teeth, and came on to blow a very heavy gale of wind,
which effectually prevented our proceeding. We bore away for
this place and wait a change of wind and weather, not a little
anxious for our friends outside, who could have been but ill
prepared to encounter such a severe storm as they must have
experienced on a lee shore, and probably with crippled masts.
Indeed, I hardly expect to hear they have all escaped.

“Off Cadiz, _October 31_.--Having at length effected our escape
from the Mediterranean prison and rejoined our friends, I will
proceed to such particulars as have come to my ears relative to
the action, and present situation of our ships. The object of
the enemy was avowedly to get into the Mediterranean, but at
the same time they did not, as their conduct proved, wish to
avoid a battle, expecting, no doubt, their superiority would
have ensured them at least a _drawn_ action, and that they
would have disabled our fleet so much as to deprive us of the
means to prevent their proceeding to Toulon; but in this they
were fortunately mistaken. Indeed, they acknowledge that they
had considered Lord Nelson’s whole force as only twenty-seven,
and knowing that he had detached six into the Mediterranean
expected to find him with only twenty-one ships, and the
irregular mass in which our ships bore down to the attack
prevented their counting them, so that till after the action
was closed the French Admiral did not discover how great a
force he had encountered. The van of our fleet which led the
attack have suffered very much, especially the _Victory_,
_Royal Sovereign_, _Téméraire_, _Belleisle_, _Mars_, and
_Bellerophon_; but some of the rear vessels hardly got into
action at all. Had we been there our station would have been
the fifth ship from the van, and I trust we should have had our
share.

“The battle was hardly concluded when the weather set in so
stormy (and continued so for nearly a week) as to prevent our
taking possession of many ships which had surrendered, and of
keeping several others. Nineteen are known to have struck;
four of which have since got into Cadiz; three are in our
possession; and the rest, to the number of twelve, are either
burnt, sunk, or driven on shore. Of thirteen, which are now in
Cadiz, out of their whole force the greatest part have lost
nearly all their masts, and are so completely disabled as to
make it impossible they can be again ready for service during
the winter. On the whole, therefore, we may fairly consider
their loss as equal to twenty sail of the line.

“Our ships have been so much dispersed since the action, by
the blowing weather, that Admiral Collingwood has not yet
been able to collect reports of their damages or loss; but he
has strong reason to hope every ship has been able to keep
off the shore, and are now in safety. The action appears in
general to have been obstinately contested, and has doubtless
been unusually bloody; but it has also been so decisive as to
make it improbable the Spaniards or French will again risque a
meeting with a British fleet. Had it taken place in the open
sea, away from the rocks, shoals, and leeshores there is no
doubt but every ship would have been taken, but we engaged them
under every disadvantage of situation.

“I was on board the _Euryalus_ yesterday, in which ship Admiral
Collingwood has his flag at present, and was introduced to the
French Admiral Villeneuve, who is a prisoner there. He appears
to be about forty-five years of age, of dark complexion,
with rather an unmeaning countenance, and has not much the
appearance of a gentleman. He is, however, so much of a
Frenchman as to bear his misfortunes with cheerfulness.

“I do not yet know in what way we are to be employed, but
imagine that, as the _Canopus_ is a perfect ship at present,
we shall be left with such others as are fit to remain at sea,
to watch the enemy in the port; while those ships which have
been damaged will go to Gibraltar to refit. Many of them will,
I daresay, be sent home, as well because proper masts cannot be
procured for them here, as that it will now be unnecessary to
keep so large a fleet on this station.

“By the death of Lord Nelson I have again lost all chance of
a frigate. I had asked his lordship to appoint me to one when
he had the opportunity, and, though I had no positive promise
from him, I have reason to believe he would have attended to my
wishes. Of Admiral Collingwood I do not know enough to allow of
my making a similar request; and not having been in the action
I have no claims of service to urge in support of my wishes.
I must, therefore, remain in the _Canopus_, though on many
accounts I am more than ever anxious to get into a frigate.

“_November 4._--We have just rejoined the fleet after having
been detached to examine the coast and assist distressed
ships, and hear the _Euryalus_ is to sail very shortly for
England with the Admiral’s despatches, containing, I presume,
the details of the action, with the particular loss of each
ship, all of which you will learn from the public papers more
correctly than I can possibly relate them, for, indeed, I have
as yet learnt scarce anything more than I have already given
you.

“I am anxiously expecting letters from England, and as our
last news from Lisbon mentioned four packets being due I hope
soon to hear of their arrival, and to be again blessed with the
sight of a well-known handwriting, which is always a cordial
to my heart, and never surely did I stand more in need of some
such support. I yesterday received a letter from Henry, dated
the 1st of October, which was brought out by Captain MacKay of
the _Scout_, who is an acquaintance of mine, and an intimate
friend of my brother Charles. The _Scout_ came away on too
short a notice to admit of Henry’s writing to you or he would
have done it. He sends me pleasing accounts of all my family,
which is, of course, gratifying to me.

“I must now, my dearest love, bid you farewell, having said
all I had got to say. Make my kindest remembrances to all your
family at Ramsgate and elsewhere.”

Miss Gibson must, indeed, have been hard-hearted if she did not acquit her lover of neglect on receiving such a letter as this while he was on active service. It is written, as was usual, on one large sheet of notepaper, the “envelope,” that is the fourth page, full, except where the folds come outside, and the whole crossed in the fine, neat handwriting of the day, very like that of Jane Austen herself.

The scene in Cadiz Bay, after the action of Trafalgar, can be imagined from the few facts given in the log of the _Canopus_ on her arrival from Tetuan.

“_October 30_, at 11, saw a French ship of the line dismasted at the entrance of the harbour. On standing in to reconnoitre the position of the enemy’s ship it was judged impossible to bring her out with the wind as it was, and that it was not worth the risque of disabling one of the squadron in an attempt to destroy her. She appeared to be warping fast in, and to have a great length of hawser laid out. The batteries fired several shells over us.

“_31st._--Passed the _Juno_ and a Spanish 74 at anchor. The Spanish vessel, _San Ildefonso_, had lost all her masts, but was then getting up jury masts.

“At a quarter past four, closed the _Euryalus_, having Vice-Admiral Collingwood’s flag, shortened sail and hove to. The Admiral (also the Captain) went on board the _Euryalus_. Several ships at anchor around us.

“A French frigate and brig, with flags of truce, in the squadron.

“At four we had passed the _Ajax_, _Leviathan_, and _Orion_ at anchor, all of them, to appearance, but little damaged in the action. The _Leviathan_ was fishing her main yard, and the _Ajax_ shifting her fore-top mast. A large ship, supposed to be the _Téméraire_, was at anchor to the northward of San Luca, with fore and mizen-top masts gone; and eight others were seen from the masthead to the W.N.W.

“_November 1._--Saw the wreck of a ship lying on the Marragotes shoal.

“_November 19._--Saw the _Téméraire_, _Royal Sovereign_, _Tonnant_, _Leviathan_, and _Mars_. These five ships are returning here under jury masts, having suffered considerably in the action of the 21st ult.

“The _Sovereign_ was in tow of the _Leviathan_, which seemed to be the most perfect ship of the whole.”

The _Canopus_, as Francis Austen foresaw, was left at Cadiz with those ships which had suffered but slightly, as well as those which had shared their own hard fate of being out of the action altogether. Here they stayed till the end of the month, awaiting further developments.