the life of horatio lord nelson-第22章

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few　words；　marking　his　devout　sense　of　the　success　which　had　already　been　obtained。　He　was　now　left　alone；　when　suddenly　a　cry　was　heard　on　the　deck　that　the　ORIENT　was　on　fire。　In　the　confusion　he　found　his　way　up；　unassisted　and　unnoticed；　and；　to　the　astonishment　of　every　one；　appeared　on　the　quarter…decks　where　he　immediately　gave　order　that　the　boats　should　be　sent　to　the　relief　of　the　enemy。

It　was　soon　after　nine　that　the　fire　on；　board　the　ORIENT　broke　out。　Brueys　was　dead；　he　had　received　three　wounds；　yet　would　not　leave　his　post：　a　fourth　cut　him　almost　in　two。　He　desired　not　to　be　carried　below；　but　to　be　left　to　die　upon　deck。　The　flames　soon　mastered　his　ship。　Her　sides　had　just　been　painted；　and　the　oil…jars　　and　paint　buckets　were　lying　on　the　poop。　By　the　prodigious　light　of　this　conflagration；　the　situation　of　the　two　fleets　could　now　be　perceived；　the　colours　of　both　being　clearly　distinguishable。　About　ten　o'clock　the　ship　blew　up；　with　a　shock　which　was　felt　to　the　very　bottom　of　every　vessel。　Many　of　her　officers　and　men　jumped　overboard；　some　clinging　to　the　spars　and　pieces　of　wreck　with　which　the　sea　was　strewn；　others　swimming　to　escape　from　the　destruction　which　they　momently　dreaded。　Some　were　picked　up　by　our　boats；　and　some　even　in　the　heat　and　fury　of　the　action　were　dragged　into　the　lower　ports　of　the　nearest　British　ships　by　the　British　sailors。　The　greater　part　of　her　crew；　however；　stood　the　danger　till　the　last；　and　continued　to　fire　from　the　lower　deck。　This　tremendous　explosion　was　followed　by　a　silence　not　less　awful：　the　firing　immediately　ceased　on　both　sides；　and　the　first　sound　which　broke　the　silence；　was　the　dash　of　her　shattered　masts　and　yards；　falling　into　the　water　from　the　vast　height　to　which　they　had　been　exploded。　It　is　upon　record　that　a　battle　between　two　armies　was　once　broken　off　by　an　earthquake。　Such　an　event　would　be　felt　like　a　miracle；　but　no　incident　in　war；　produced　by　human　means；　has　ever　equalled　the　sublimity　of　this　co…instantaneous　pause；　and　all　its　circumstances。

About　seventy　of　the　ORIENT's　crew　were　saved　by　the　English　boats。　Among　the　many　hundreds　who　perished　were　the　commodore；　Casa…Bianca；　and　his　son；　a　brave　boy；　only　ten　years　old。　They　were　seen　floating　on　a　shattered　mast　when　the　ship　blew　up。　She　had　money　on　board　（the　plunder　of　Malta）　to　the　amount　of　L600；000　sterling。　The　masses　of　burning　wreck；　which　were　scattered　by　the　explosion；　excited　for　some　moments　apprehensions　in　the　English　which　they　had　never　felt　from　any　other　danger。　Two　large　pieces　fell　into　the　main　and　fore　tops　of　the　SWIFTSURE　without　injuring　any　person。　A　port…fire　also　fell　into　the　main…royal　of　the　ALEXANDER；　the　fire　which　it　occasioned　was　speedily　extinguished。　Captain　Ball　had　provided；　as　far　as　human　foresight　could　provide；　against　any　such　danger。　All　the　shrouds　and　sails　of　his　ship；　not　absolutely　necessary　for　its　immediate　management；　were　thoroughly　wetted；　and　so　rolled　up　that　they　were　as　hard　and　as　little　inflammable　as　so　many　solid　cylinders。

　The　firing　recommenced　with　the　ships　to　leeward　of　the　centre；　and　continued　till　about　three。　At　daybreak；　the　GUILLAUME　TELL　and　the　GENEREUX；　the　two　rear　ships　of　the　enemy；　were　the　only　French　ships　of　the　line　which　had　their　colours　flying；　they　cut　their　cables　in　the　forenoon；　not　having　been　engaged；　and　stood　out　to　sea；　and　two　frigates　with　them。　The　ZEALOUS　pursued；　but　as　there　was　no　other　ship　in　a　condition　to　support　Captain　Hood；　he　was　recalled。　It　was　generally　believed　by　the　officers　that　if　Nelson　had　not　been　wounded；　not　one　of　these　ships　could　have　escaped。　The　four　certainly　could　not　if　the　CULLODEN　had　got　into　action；　and　if　the　frigates　belonging　to　the　squadron　had　been　present；　not　one　of　the　enemy's　fleet　would　have　left　Aboukir　Bay。　These　four　vessels；　however；　were　all　that　escaped；　and　the　victory　was　the　most　complete　and　glorious　in　the　annals　of　naval　history。　〃Victory；〃　said　Nelson；　〃is　not　a　name　strong　enough　for　such　a　scene：〃　he　called　it　a　conquest。　Of　thirteen　sail　of　the　line；　nine　were　taken　and　two　burned。　Of　the　four　frigates；　one　was　sunk；　another；　the　ARTEMISE；　was　burned　in　a　villanous　manner　by　her　captain；　M。　Estandlet；　who；　having　fired　a　broadside　at　the　THESEUS；　struck　his　colours；　then　set　fire　to　the　ship　and　escaped　with　most　of　his　crew　to　shore。　The　British　loss；　in　killed　and　wounded；　amounted　to　895　Westcott　was　the　only　captain　who　fell；　3105　of　the　French；　including　the　wounded；　were　sent　on　shore　by　cartel；　and　5225　perished。

As　soon　as　the　conquest　was　completed；　Nelson　sent　orders　through　the　fleet　to　return　thanksgiving　in　every　ship　for　the　victory　with　which　Almighty　God　had　blessed　his　majesty's　arms。　The　French　at　Rosetta；　who　with　miserable　fear　beheld　the　engagement；　were　at　a　loss　to　understand　the　stillness　of　the　fleet　during　the　performance　of　this　solemn　duty；　but　it　seemed　to　affect　many　of　the　prisoners；　officers　as　well　as　men；　and　graceless　and　godless　as　the　officers　were；　some　of　them　remarked　that　it　was　no　wonder　such　order　was　Preserved　in　the　British　navy；　when　the　minds　of　our　men　could　be　Impressed　with　such　sentiments　after　so　great　a　victory；　and　at　a　moment　of　such　confusion。　The　French　at　Rosetta；　seeing　their　four　ships　sail　out　of　the　bay　unmolested；　endeavoured　to　persuade　　themselves　that　they　were　in　possession　of　the　place　of　battle。　But　it　was　in　vain　thus　to　attempt；　against　their　own　secret　and　certain　conviction；　to　deceive　themselves；　and　even　if　they　could　have　succeeded　in　this；　the　bonfires　which　the　Arabs　kindled　along　the　whole　coast；　and　over　the　country；　for　the　three　following　nights；　would　soon　have　undeceived　them。　Thousands　of　Arabs　and　Egyptians　lined　the　shore；　and　covered　the　house　tops　during　the　action；　rejoicing　in　the　destruction　which　had　overtaken　their　invaders。　Long　after　the　battle；　innumerable　bodies　were　seen　floating　about　the　bay；　in　spite　of　all　the　exertions　which　were　made　to　sink　them；　as　well　from　fear　of　pestilence　as　from　the　loathing　and　horror　which　the　sight　occasioned。　Great　numbers　were　cast　up　upon　the　Isle　of　Bekier　（Nelson's　Island；　as　it　has　since　been　called）；　and　our　sailors　raised　mounds　of　sand　over　them。　Even　after　an　interval　of　nearly　three　years　Dr。　Clarke　saw　them；　and　assisted　in　interring　heaps　of　human　bodies；　which；　having　been　thrown　up　by　the　sea　where　there　were　no　jackals　to　devour　them；　presented　a　sight　loathsome　to　humanity。　The　shore；　for　an　extent　of　four　leagues；　was　covered　with　wreck；　and　the　Arabs　found　employment　for　many　days　in　burning　on　the　beach　the　fragments　which　were　cast　up；　for　the　sake　of　the　iron。　Part　of　the　ORIENT's　main…mast　was　picked　up　by　the　SWIFTSURE。　Captain　Hallowell　ordered　his　carpenter　to　make　a　coffin　of　it；　the　iron；　as　well　as　the　wood；　was　taken　from　the　wreck　of　the　same　ship；　it　was　finished　as　well　and　handsomely　as　the　workman's　skill　and　materials　would　permit；　and　Hallowell　then　sent　it　to　the　admiral　with　the　following　letter：〃Sir；　I　have　taken　the　liberty　of　presenting　you　a　coffin　made　from　the　main　mast　of　L'ORIENT；　that　when　you　have　finished　your　military　career　in　this　world　you　may　be　buried　in　one　of　your　trophies。　But　that　that　period　may　be　far　distant　is　the　earnest　wish　of　your　sincere　friend；　Benjamin　Hallowell。〃An　offering　so　strange；　and　yet　so　suited　to　the　occasion；　was　received　by　Nelson　in　the　spirit　with　which　it　was　sent。　As　if　he　felt　it　good　for　him；　now　that　he　was　at　the　summit　of　his　wishes；　to　have　death　before　his　eyes；　he　ordered　the　coffin　to　be　placed　upright　in　his　cabin。　Such　a　piece　of　furniture；　however；　was　more　suitable　to　his　own　feelings　than　to　those　of　his　guests　and　attendants；　and　an　old　favourite　servant　entreated　him　so　earnestly　to　let　it　be　removed；　that　at　length　he　consented　to　have　the　coffin　carried　below；　but　he　gave　strict　orders　that　it　should　be　safely　stowed；　and　reserved　for　the　purpose　for　which　its　brave　and　worthy　donor　had　designed　it。

The　victory　was　complete；　but　Nelson　could　not　pursue　it　as　he　would　have　done　for　want　of　means。　Had　he　been　provided　with　small　craft；　nothing　could　have　prevented　the　destruction　of　the　store…ships　　and　transports　in　the　port　of　Alexandria：　four　bomb…vessels　would　at　that　time　have　burned　the　whole　in　a　few　hours。　〃Were　I　to　die　this　moment。〃　said　he　in　his　despatches　to　the　Admiralty；　〃WANT　OF　FRIGATES　would　be　found　stamped　on　my　heart！　No　words　of　mine　can　express　what　I　have　suffered；　and　am　suffering；　for　want　of　them。〃　He　had　also　to　bear　up　against　great　bodily　suffering：　the　blow　had　so　shaken　his　head；　that　from　its　constant　and　violent　aching；　and　the　perpetual　sickness　which　accompanied　the　pain；　he　could　scarcely　persuade　himself　that　the　skull　was　not　fractured。　Had　it　not　been　for　Troubridge；　Ball；　Hood；　and　Hallowell；　he　　declared　that　he　should　have　sunk　under　the　fatigue　of　refitting　the　squadron。　〃All；〃　he　said；　〃had　done　well；　but　these　officers　were　his　supporters。〃　But；　amidst　his　sufferings　and　exertions；　Nelson　could　yet　think　of　all　the　consequences　of　his　victory；　and　that　no　　advantage　from　it　might　be　lost；　he　despatched　an　officer　overland　to　India；　with　letters　to　the　governor　of　Bombay；　informing　him　of　the　arrival　of　the　French　in　Egypt；　the　total　destruction　of　their　fleet；　and　the　consequent　preservation　of　India　from　any　attempt　against　it　on　the　part　of　this　formidable　armament。　〃He　knew　that　Bombay；〃　he　said；　〃was　their　first　object；　if　they　could　get　there；　but　he　trusted　that　Almighty　God　would　overthrow　in　Egypt　these　pests　of　the　human　race。　Buonaparte　had　never　yet　had　to　contend　with　an　English　officer；　and　he　would　endeavour　to　make　him　respect　us。〃　This　despatch　he　sent　upon　his　own　responsibility；　with　letters　of　credit　upon　the　East　India　Company；　addressed　to　the　British　consuls；　vice…consuls；　and　merchants　on　his　route；　Nelson　saying；　〃that　if　he　had　done　wrong；　he　hoped　the　bills　would　be　paid；　and　he　would　repay　the　Company；　for；　as　an　Englishman；　he　should　be　proud　that　it　had　been　in　his　power　to　put　our　settlements　on　their　guard。〃　The　information　which　by　this　means　reached　India　was　of　great　importance。　Orders　had　just　been　received　for　defensive　preparations；　upon　a　scale　　proportionate　to　the　apprehended　danger；　and　the　extraordinary　expenses　which　would　otherwise　have　been　incurred　were　thus　prevented。

Nelson　was　now　at　the　summit　of　glory；　congratulations；　rewards；　and　honours　were　showered　upon　him　by　all　the　states；　and　princes；　and　powers　to　whom　his　victory　gave　a　respite。　The　first　communication　　of　this　nature　which　he　received　was　from　the　Turkish　sultan；　who；　as　soon　as　the　invasion　of　Egypt　was　known；　had　called　upon　〃all　true　believers　to　take　arms　against　those　swinish　infidels　the　French；　that　they　might　deliver　these　blessed　habitations　from　their　accursed　hands；〃　and　who　had　ordered　his　〃pashas　to　turn　night　into　day　in　their　efforts　to　take　vengeance。〃　The　present　of　〃his　　imperial　majesty；　the　powerful；　formidable；　and　most　magnificent　Grand　Seignior；〃　was　a　pelisse　of　sables；　with　broad　sleeves；　valued　at　5000　dols。；　and　a　diamond　aigrette；　valued　at　18；000　dols。；　the　most　honourable　badge　among　the　Turks；　and　i