“August 16.—Thirty-five sail of the line in company. Victory and Superb parted company for England.”
We read from a contemporary writer that Nelson arrived “filled with mortification, which those who first conversed with him after his arrival state to have amounted almost to anguish, at his disappointment” at having missed Villeneuve in the West Indies.
“August 17.—Ville de Paris made signal to Prince of Wales (Sir R. Calder) to part company, on service previously denoted. Made sail (southwards) in company with squadron of nineteen sail of the line.”
“On 20th Naiad brought intelligence that the French fleet had sailed from Ferrol on the 13th.”
“On 22nd, off Peninsular coast, Admiral Calder signalled ‘Prepare for battle.’”
This was almost on the very spot of his indecisive fight of July 23. Calder’s “order of battle” gives very full details on various contingencies, making a sharp contrast with those signed “Nelson and Bronté,” in which the ships’ stations only are set down, the rest of the orders being given in the plan of attack well known as the “Nelson Touch.”
In the log of 24th “the enemy’s fleet of twenty-eight sail of the line were off Cape St. Vincent on the 18th, when they fell in with and destroyed four sail of merchantmen, under convoy of the Halcyon, which narrowly escaped capture. In the afternoon, the Euryalus, with despatches from V. A. Collingwood, reported that the combined fleet anchored in Cadiz on the 21st, making in all thirty-four sail of the line.”
With the enemy in Cadiz the only thing to be done was to wait until they came out. On the 30th the log records: “Joined Vice-Admiral Collingwood’s squadron of five sail of the line.” The fleet wore and stood off, while Canopus, Spencer, Tigre, Leviathan and Donegal were ordered to cruise in sight of Cadiz. This plan of keeping a squadron close in shore was followed throughout September, while the fleet awaited the arrival of Nelson from England, and the enemy watched for an opportunity to get out, either to meet the British fleet or to pass them on the way into the Mediterranean.
An extract from the Naval Chronicle shows something of popular feeling in England at this juncture. The remarks on Nelson as contrasted with those of a few months later, after Trafalgar had been fought and won, are more amusing than instructive.
“The arrival of Lord Nelson and Sir Robert Calder’s action are the principal events of the last month which have occupied the public mind. It has been said that the former, with Sir Sydney Smith, is soon to embark on some desperate project against the enemy, and we most sincerely wish to see his lordship employed at the present moment in the defence of our own shores. Should the mad project of invasion ever be attempted, the public would feel additional security from having the Hero of the Nile off our own coast. But we greatly lament that ill-judged and over-weening popularity which tends to make another demigod of Lord Nelson at the expense of all other officers in the Service, many of whom possess equal merit and equal abilities and equal gallantry with the noble Admiral.