The entreaties of Captain Savage were in vain. He beheld with mixed feelings of disappointment, gratitude, and admiration, his humane and heroic commander leave his ship at the head of the perilous enterprise with that smile on his manly countenance which denoted a full determination to face every danger. The boats had not proceeded far before a storm arose directly off the land, against which no boats could make way, and it was with some difficulty they regained the ships. It was afterwards fully ascertained from various sources that these gun-vessels had been moored in that position with rivetted chains, having no person on board them, in order to tempt an attack; and that the plan was, to let the boats take possession, and then open a destructive fire from the batteries, which were kept several nights lined with troops for the purpose. Had not a merciful interposition of Providence prevented the advance of the boats, there can be no doubt that many, if not all the lives of the assailants, would have been sacrificed!
We shall leave the feelings of Earl St. Vincent, when the truth came out, as well as those of Captain Savage and all concerned, to the imagination of the reader.
CHAPTER X.
1797—1798.
Sir Horatio Nelson resumes the command of the advanced squadron.—Bombardment of Cadiz.—Nelson sails for Teneriffe.—Saumarez resumes the command.—Escorts a convoy to Gibraltar.—Refits at Lisbon, and returns.—Conducts the negotiation for exchange of prisoners.—Sir W. Parker relieves Sir James.—He arrives at Gibraltar.—Is attached to Nelson's squadron.—Proceeds off Toulon.—A storm.—Vanguard dismasted.—Great exertions of the Orion and Alexander in refitting the Vanguard at St. Pierre.—Sailing of the Toulon fleet.—Nelson reinforced by ten sail of the line.—Pursues the enemy unsuccessfully.—Proceedings of the fleet in a journal addressed by Sir James to his family.—French fleet discovered in Aboukir Bay.—Battle of the Nile.—Diagram of ditto.—Conduct of the Orion.—Saumarez wounded.—Writes to Nelson.—Goes on board the Vanguard.—Occurrences there.—Remarks on the name of the second in command being left out in Nelson's despatches.—On the mode of attack.—Various letters and orders.—Sir James's account of the battle, in a letter to Lady Saumarez.
Rear-admiral Sir Horatio Nelson having resumed the command of the advanced squadron, Earl St. Vincent determined to bombard the city of Cadiz, for the double purpose of inducing the Spanish admiral Mazarredo, who had now twenty-eight sail of the line, to put to sea: the Earl wished moreover to employ the minds of the seamen, which had become unsettled by the baneful example of those in England. Accordingly the Thunder bomb, covered by the boats of the squadron, made the first attempt; but her mortar was discovered to have been injured in retreating: she was assailed by the Spaniards, when after a desperate struggle she was rescued, and the Spanish commanding-officer, Don Miguel Tyrason, was eventually made prisoner by Nelson, who also captured a number of men and two mortar-boats.
On the 5th July, another bombardment took place by the Thunder, Terror, and Strombolo, which being judiciously placed, their fire produced a considerable effect on both the town and shipping, and obliged the Spanish admirals to remove their fleet out of shell-range. This attack, like the first, ended in an encounter between the gun-boats. The third attempt, which was to have taken place on the 8th, was rendered abortive by a strong gale blowing off the shore.
On the 15th, Nelson having been detached with a squadron of three sail of the line, a fifty, and three frigates, on the unfortunate expedition to Teneriffe, the command of the advanced squadron again devolved on Sir James Saumarez. Nothing could surpass the zeal and intrepidity with which he performed this arduous duty. On the 18th August he escorted a convoy to Gibraltar, and having refreshed his crew and refitted his ship, he resumed his duty off Cadiz, sometimes at anchor off the harbour, and under sail when obliged by the weather. On the 15th November he was relieved, in order to refit at Lisbon, and entered the Tagus on the 25th, returning about the same day in the next month to the blockade of Cadiz, which was almost entirely intrusted to him. Such indeed were his vigilance and activity, that nothing escaped during that period. He displayed, moreover, great tact and address in several communications with the Spanish admiral on the subject of the exchange of prisoners, to the entire satisfaction of Earl St. Vincent, the commander-in-chief, who had always reposed the most implicit confidence in his judgment.