按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!
ed to be far inferior in number; and it was not till the whole had been arranged; and the siege publicly undertaken; that Nelson received certain information of the great superiority of the garrison。 This intelligence he kept secret; fearing lest; if so fair a pretext were afforded; the attempt would be abandoned。 〃My own honour;〃 said he to his wife; 〃Lord Hood's honour; and the honour of our country; must have been sacrificed had I mentioned what I knew; therefore you will believe what must have been my feelings during the whole siege; when I had often proposals made to me to write to Lord Hood to raise it。〃 Those very persons who thus advised him; were rewarded for their conduct at the siege of Bastia: Nelson; by whom it may truly be affirmed that Bastia was taken; received no reward。 Lord Hood's thanks to him; both public and private; were; as he himself said; the handsomest which man could give; but his signal merits were not so mentioned in the despatches as to make them sufficiently known to the nation; nor to obtain for him from government those honours to which they so amply entitled him。 This could only have arisen from the haste in which the despatches were written; certainly not from any deliberate purpose; for Lord Hood was uniformly his steady and sincere friend。
One of the cartel's ships; which carried the garrison of Bastia to Toulon; brought back intelligence that the French were about to sail from that port;…such exertions had they made to repair the damage done at the evacuation; and to fit out a fleet。 The intelligence was speedily verified。 Lord Hood sailed in quest of them toward the islands of Hieres。 The AGAMEMNON was with him。 〃I pray God;〃 said Nelson; writing to his wife; 〃that we may meet their fleet。 If any accident should happen to me; I am sure my conduct will be such as will entitle you to the royal favour; not that I have the least idea but I shall return to you; and full of honour: if not; the Lord's will be done。 My name shall never be a disgrace to those who may belong to me。 The little I have; I have given to you; except a small annuityI wish it was more; but I have never got a farthing dishonestly: it descends from clean hands。 Whatever fate awaits me; I pray God to bless you; and preserve you; for your son's sake。〃 With a mind thus prepared; and thus confident; his hopes and wishes seemed on the point of being gratified; when the enemy were discovered close under the land; near St。 Tropez。 The wind fell; and prevented Lord Hood from getting between them and the shore; as he designed: boats came out from Antibes and other places to their assistance; and towed them within the shoals in Gourjean Roads; where they were protected by the batteries on isles St。 Honore and St。 Marguerite; and on Cape Garousse。 Here the English admiral planned a new mode of attack; meaning to double on five of the nearest ships; but the wind again died away; and it was found that they had anchored in compact order; guarding the only passage for large ships。 There was no way of effecting this passage; except by towing or warping the vessels; and this rendered the attempt impracticable。 For this time the enemy escaped; but Nelson bore in mind the admirable plan of attack which Lord Hood had devised; and there came a day when they felt its tremendous effects。
The AGAMEMNON was now despatched to co…operate at the siege of Calvi with General Sir Charles Stuart; an officer who; unfortunately for his country; never had an adequate field allotted him far the display of those eminent talents which were; to all who knew him; so conspicuous。 Nelson had less responsibility here than at Bastia; and was acting with a man after his own heart; who was never sparing of himself; and slept every night in the advanced battery。 But the service was not less hard than that of the former siege。 〃We will fag ourselves to death;〃 said he to Lord Hood; 〃before any blame shall lie at our doors。 I trust it will not be forgotten; that twenty…five pieces of heavy ordnance have been dragged to the different batteries; mounted; and; all but three; fought by seamen; except one artilleryman to point the guns。〃 The climate proved more destructive than the service; for this was during the lion sun; as they call our season of the dog…days。 Of 2000 men; above half were sick; and the rest like so many phantoms。 Nelson described himself as the reed among the oaks; bowing before the storm when they were laid low by it。 〃All the prevailing disorders have attacked me;〃 said he; 〃but I have not strength enough for them to fasten on。〃 The loss from the enemy was not great; but Nelson received a serious injury: a shot struck the ground near him; and drove the sand and small gravel into one of his eyes。 He spoke of it slightly at the time: writing the same day to Lord Hood; he only said that he bad got a little hurt that morning; not much; and the next day; he said; he should be able to attend his duty in the evening。 In fact; he suffered it to confine him only one day; but the sight was lost。
After the fall of Calvi; his services were; by a strange omission; altogether overlooked; and his name was not even mentioned in the list of wounded。 This was no ways imputable to the admiral; for he sent home to government Nelson's journal of the siege; that they might fully understand the nature of his indefatigable and unequalled exertions。 If those exertions were not rewarded in the conspicuous manner which they deserved; the fault was in the administration of the day; not in Lord Hood。 Nelson felt himself neglected。 〃One hundred and ten days;〃 said he; 〃I have been actually engaged at sea and on shore against the enemy; three actions against ships; two against Bastia in my ship; four boat actions; and two villages taken; and twelve sail of vessels burnt。 I do not know that any one has done more。 I have had the comfort to be always applauded by my Commander…in…Chief; but never to be rewarded; and; what is more mortifying; for services in which I have been wounded; others have been praised; who; at the same time; were actually in bed; far from the scene of action。 They have not done me justice。 But never mind; I'll have a GAZETTE of my own。〃 How amply was this second…sight of glory realised!
The health of his ship's company had now; in his own words; been miserably torn to pieces by as hard service as a ship's crew ever performed: 150 were in their beds when he left Calvi; of them he lost 54 and believed that the constitutions of the rest were entirely destroyed。 He was now sent with despatches to Mr。 Drake; at Genoa; and had his first interview with the Doge。 The French had; at this time; taken possession of Vado Bay; in the Genoese territory; and Nelson foresaw that; if their thoughts were bent on the invasion of Italy; they would accomplish it the ensuing spring。 〃The allied powers;〃 he said; 〃were jealous of each other; and none but England was hearty in the cause。〃 His wish was for peace on fair terms; because England he thought was draining herself to maintain allies who would not fight for themselves。 Lord Hood had now returned to England; and the command devolved on Admiral Hotham。 The affairs of the Mediterranean wore at this time a gloomy aspect。 The