CHAPTER VIII.

A "GLORIOUS DAY'S RENOWN."

The fight began about ten o'clock, the thunder of war increasing till twelve, at which time it probably roared its loudest. By one o'clock four of the Danish vessels--block ships they were--had been silenced. And now occurred one of those little inter-acts which serve so well to show our national hero in his true colours.

Sir Hyde Parker, the reader will remember, was outside the great sand bank, through which Nelson's division was so successfully steered, so at this distance no very clear notion of the battle that was raging could be obtained; but noticing that four of the enemy's vessels had ceased firing, probably he imagined that the battle was won, and that further havoc was unnecessary. At all events he hoisted the signal to cease firing. A man with one eye can see as much as a man with two if he is looking. On this occasion Nelson did not see that signal--when his head was turned the other way. This is strange, but true!

Tom Bure, who, though commander, was acting as lieutenant, was standing near to Nelson, and called his attention to Sir Hyde Parker's signal.

"It is the signal to leave off action, my lord," said Tom.

Nelson walked up and down his quarterdeck jerking his "flipper," which showed he was terribly angry and excited. And that was the reason why he verbally consigned the good Sir Hyde's signal to a warmer place than the hottest part of this great battle.

"Besides, Foley," he added, turning to his captain, "I have only one eye, so have a right to be blind sometimes."

Then he put his telescope to his eye, and turned it towards Parker's ship.

"Never a signal do I see," he said.

Foley laughed, for the glass was at the admiral's blind eye.

"Hang such signals," Nelson cried. "Make mine for closer action, and nail the colours to the mast."

Fainter and fainter rolled the thunder of the Danes, till, just before two o'clock, it had ceased all along their line of battle.

The Danes, however, had fought most bravely, even those prames on which the flag had been struck had kept on firing till the last, being constantly reinforced by fresh batches of men from the shore.

From his previous great exertions, want of sleep and rest, Nelson was irritable, and this irregular action on the part of the Danes angered him beyond measure. He sat down therefore, with, however, no appearance of hurry, and wrote that famous letter of his to the Crown Prince of Denmark. It is worth repeating even in a story, and ran thus:

"Vice-Admiral Lord Nelson has been commanded to spare Denmark when she no longer resists. The line of defence which covers her shores has struck to the British flag; but if the firing is continued on the part of Denmark he must set on fire all the prizes he has taken, without having the power of saving the brave men who have so nobly defended them."

A wafer was suggested to seal this letter withal, but Nelson must have wax. Want of formality might have suggested impatience or nervousness to the Crown Prince.

The half-hour that intervened ere an answer came was probably felt to be one of the longest ever Nelson experienced. For his ships, albeit victorious, were in a terrible plight, and it would take all the seamanship that even British sailors could boast of to get them out.

The answer came at last, however, and was all that could be desired.

Nelson went on shore next day, and was hailed with cheers by the multitude who came to receive him by the waterside. The prisoners and wounded were sent on shore, and the prizes nearly all burned. No less than thirteen of the Danes' vessels altogether were destroyed--our losses, though severe, amounting to no less than 300 killed, and 850 wounded. But the Danes had at the lowest estimate over 1,700 killed, and nearly 4,000 taken prisoners.

Tom Campbell, our Scottish poet, author of so many well-known spirited lays, such as "Ye Mariners of England," gives us the following poem on this great naval action:

BATTLE OF THE BALTIC.

I.

"Of Nelson and the North, Sing the glorious day's renown, When to battle fierce went forth All the might of Denmark's Crown, And her arms along the deep proudly shone; By each gun a lighted brand, In a bold, determined hand, And the Prince of all the land Led them on.

II.

"Like leviathans afloat Lay their bulwarks on the brine, While the sign of battle flew On the lofty British line. It was ten of April morn, by the chime; As they drifted on their path, There was silence deep as death, And the boldest held his breath For a time.

III.

"But the might of England flushed To anticipate the scene; And her van the fleeter rushed O'er the deadly space between. 'Hearts of oak!' our captain cried; when each gun From its adamantine lips Spread a death-shade round the ships, Like the hurricane eclipse Of the sun.

IV.

"Again! Again! Again! And the havoc did not slack, Till a feeble cheer the Dane To our cheering sent us back. Their shots along the deep slowly boom, Then ceased, and all is wail As they strike the shattered sail, Or in conflagration pale Light the gloom.

V.

"Out spoke the Victor then As he hailed them o'er the wave, 'Ye are brothers, ye are men, And we conquer but to save: So peace instead of death let us bring. But yield, proud foe, thy fleet, With the crews at England's feet, And make submission meet To our King.'

VI.

"Then Denmark blessed our Chief That he gave her wounds repose, And the sounds of joy and grief From her people wildly rose As death withdrew his shadow from the day. While the sun looked smiling bright O'er a wide and woful sight, Where the fires of funeral light Died away.

VII.

"Now joy Old England raise! For the tidings of thy might, By the festal cities' blaze, While the wine-cup shines in light. And yet amidst that joy and uproar, Let us think of them that sleep, Full many a fathom deep. By thy wild and stormy steep Elsinore!

VIII.

"Brave hearts! to Britain's pride Once so faithful and so true, On the deck of fame that died, With the gallant good Riou. Soft sigh the winds of Heaven o'er their grave, While the billow mournful rolls, And the mermaid's song condoles, Singing glory to the souls Of the brave!"

The death of the "gallant good Riou," whom Britain so deeply mourned, was both affecting and romantic. He was captain of the _Amazon_, and with the rest of the frigates, that were doing but little apparent good, hauled off or retreated from the actual ground of battle on seeing Sir Hyde Parker's "silly signal." These frigates, however, were being terribly mauled, yet Riou thought only of the disgrace, as he termed it, of having to retire.

"What will Nelson think of us?" he said again and again.

The fire under which the _Amazon_ then lay was very heavy. The captain himself was wounded in the head, and leant bleeding against a gun.

Soon after a shot killed his clerk, who stood near; and another smashed a batch of marines, who were hauling in the main-brace.

"Boys!" cried Riou, "we can now but die together."

These were the last words e'er he spoke. He fell dead next moment. "That shot," says Colonel Stewart, "lost to Britain one of its greatest honours, and to society a character of singular worth, resembling in no small measure the heroes of old romance."

Poor Riou!

* * * * *

That was a wonderful voyage made by our fleet through the intricate passage between the islands of Amoy and Saltholm, and full of danger. It astonished the Northern Powers, who no longer felt themselves safe from Nelson anywhere.

A mere show of force sufficed to bring the King of Sweden to his knees. Before, however, this show was made before Carlscrona, Nelson had an adventure which is well worthy of being related here, bringing out, as it does, the hero's character for pluck and derring-do in the most vivid of colouring.

The ship in which he made the difficult passage between the two islands just named was the _St. George_. For her greater lightness and safety her guns had been removed into an American vessel, requisitioned or chartered unceremoniously for the purpose. She got safely through, but was detained by contrary winds from joining the rest of the fleet, now far ahead. When, therefore, intelligence was received that Sir Hyde Parker had sighted the Swedish fleet, Nelson's anxiety knew neither bounds nor limits.

Says Mr. Brierly, "The moment he received the account he ordered a boat to be manned, and without even waiting for a boat cloak, cold though it was, jumped into her and ordered me to go with him..... All I had ever seen or heard of him could not half so clearly prove to me the singular and unbounded zeal of this truly great man. His anxiety in the boat for nearly six hours, lest the fleet should have sailed before he got on board one of them, and lest we should not catch the Swedish squadron, is beyond all conception.

"It was extremely cold, and I wished him to put on a great coat of mine that was in the boat.

"'No,' he cried, 'I am not cold; my anxiety for my country will keep me warm. Do you think the fleet has sailed?'

"'I should suppose not, my lord.'

"'If they have, we shall follow them on to Carlscrona in the boat.'

"At midnight Nelson, much to his relief, reached his flagship, the _Elephant_, and his sailors were overjoyed to see him; for Nelson was worth a fleet in himself."

* * * *

The Swedes made peace therefore.

The Russians did not see their way to fight.

And so the great Northern Confederacy was smashed up, and never formed again, and our brave tars could still sing

"Rule Britannia, Britannia rules the waves, Britons never, never, NEVER shall be slaves."

The fleet, having now boldly accomplished its mission, and proved the truth of Nelson's words, that "guns are the best negotiators, and always speak to the point," &c., returned once more to England.