the life of horatio lord nelson-第43节

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！


　this　frigate　from　destruction。　〃What　will　Nelson　think　of　us？〃　was　Riou's　mournful　exclamation　when　he　unwillingly　drew　off。　He　had　been　wounded　in　the　head　by　a　splinter；　and　was　sitting　on　a　gun；　encouraging　his　men；　when；　just　as　the　AMAZON　showed　her　stern　to　the　Trekroner　battery；　his　clerk　was　killed　by　his　side；　and　another　shot　swept　away　several　marines　who　were　hauling　in　the　main…brace。　〃Come；　then；　my　boys！〃　cried　Riou；　〃let　us　die　all　together！〃　The　words　had　scarcely　been　uttered　before　a　raking　shot　cut　him　in　two。　Except　it　had　been　Nelson　himself；　the　British　navy　could　not　have　suffered　a　severer　loss。

The　action　continued　along　the　line　with　unabated　vigour　on　our　side；　and　with　the　most　determined　resolution　on　the　part　of　the　Danes。　They　fought　to　great　advantage；　because　most　of　the　vessels　in　their　line　of　defence　were　without　masts；　the　few　which　had　any　standing　had　their　top…masts　struck；　and　the　hulls　could　not　be　seen　at　intervals。　The　ISIS　must　have　been　destroyed　by　the　superior　weight　of　her　enemy's　fire；　if　Captain　Inman；　in　the　DESIREE　frigate；　had　not　judiciously　taken　a　situation　which　enabled　him　to　rake　the　Dane；　if　the　POLYPHEMUS　had　not　also　relieved　her。　Both　in　the　BELLONA　and　the　ISIS　many　men　were　lost　by　the　bursting　of　their　guns。　The　former　ship　was　about　forty　years　old；　and　these　guns　were　believed　to　be　the　same　which　she　had　first　taken　to　sea：　they　were；　probably；　originally　faulty；　for　the　fragments　were　full　of　little　air…holes。　The　BELLONA　lost　75　men；　the　ISIS；　110；　the　　MONARCH；　210。　She　was；　more　than　any　other　line…of…battle　ship；　exposed　to　the　great　battery；　and　supporting；　at　the　same　time；　the　united　fire　of　the　HOLSTEIN　and　the　ZEALAND；　her　loss　this　day　exceeded　that　of　any　single　ship　during　the　whole　war。　Amid　the　tremendous　carnage　in　this　vessel；　some　of　the　men　displayed　a　singular　instance　of　coolness：　the　pork　and　peas　happened　to　be　in　the　kettle；　a　shot　knocked　its　contents　about；　they　picked　up　the　pieces；　and　ate　and　fought　at　the　same　time。

The　Prince…Royal　had　taken　his　station　upon　one　of　the　batteries；　from　whence　he　beheld　the　action　and　issued　his　orders。　Denmark　had　never　been　engaged　in　so　arduous　a　contest；　and　never　did　the　Danes　more　nobly　display　their　national　couragea　courage　not　more　unhappily　than　impolitically　exerted　in　subserviency　to　the　interests　of　France。　Captain　Thura；　of　the　INDFOEDSRETTEN；　fell　early　in　the　action；　and　all　his　officers；　except　one　lieutenant　and　one　marine　officer；　were　either　killed　or　wounded　In　the　confusion；　the　colours　were　either　struck　or　shot　away；　but　she　was　moored　athwart　one　of　the　batteries　in　such　a　situation　that　the　British　made　no　attempt　to　board　her；　and　a　boat　was　despatched　to　the　prince；　to　inform　him　of　her　situation。　He　turned　to　those　about　him；　and　said；　〃Gentlemen；　Thura　is　killed；　which　of　you　will　take　the　command？〃　Schroedersee；　a　captain　who　had　lately　resigned　on　account　of　extreme　ill…health；　answered　in　a　feeble　voice；　〃I　will！〃　and　hastened　on　board。　The　crew；　perceiving　a　new　commander　coming　alongside；　hoisted　their　colours　again；　and　fired　a　broadside。　Schroedersee；　when　he　came　on　deck；　found　himself　surrounded　by　the　dead　and　wounded；　and　called　to　those　in　the　boat　to　get　quickly　on　board：　a　ball　struck　him　at　that　moment。　A　lieutenant；　who　had　accompanied　him；　then　took　the　command；　and　continued　to　fight　the　ship。　A　youth　of　seventeen；　by　name　Villemoes；　particularly　distinguished　himself　on　this　memorable　day。　He　had　volunteered　to　take　the　command　of　a　floating　battery；　which　was　a　raft；　consisting　merely　of　a　number　of　beams　nailed　together；　with　a　flooring　to　support　the　guns：　it　was　square；　with　a　breast…work　full　of　port…holes；　and　without　masts　carrying　twenty…four　guns；　and　one　hundred　and　twenty　men。　With　this　he　got　under　the　stern　of　the　ELEPHANT；　below　the　reach　of　the　stern…　chasers；　and　under　a　heavy　fire　of　small…arms　from　the　marines；　fought　his　raft；　till　the　truce　was　announced；　with　such　skill　as　well　as　courage；　as　to　excite　Nelson's　warmest　admiration。

Between　one　and　two　the　fire　of　the　Danes　slackened；　about　two　it　ceased　from　the　greater　part　of　their　line；　and　some　of　their　lighter　ships　were　adrift。　It　was；　however；　difficult　to　take　possession　of　those　which　struck；　because　the　batteries　on　Amak　Island　protected　them；　and　because　an　irregular　fire　was　kept　up　from　the　ships　themselves　as　the　boats　approached。　This　arose　from　the　nature　of　the　action：　the　crews　were　continually　reinforced　from　the　shore；　and　fresh　men　coming　on　board；　did　not　inquire　whether　the　flag　had　been　struck；　or；　perhaps；　did　not　heed　it；　many　or　most　of　them　never　having　been　engaged　in　war　beforeknowing　nothing；　therefore；　of　its　laws；　and　thinking　only　of　defending　their　country　to　the　last　extremity。　The　DANBROG　fired　upon　the　ELEPHANT's　boats　in　this　manner；　though　her　commodore　had　removed　her　pendant　and　deserted　her；　though　she　had　struck；　and　though　she　was　in　flames。　After　she　had　been　abandoned　by　the　commodore；　Braun　fought　her　till　he　lost　his　right　hand；　and　then　Captain　Lemming　took　the　command。　This　unexpected　renewal　of　her　fire　made　the　ELEPHANT　and　GLATTON　renew　theirs；　till　she　was　not　only　silenced；　but　nearly　every　man　in　the　praams；　ahead　and　astern　of　her；　was　killed。　When　the　smoke　of　their　guns　died　away；　she　was　seen　drifting　in　flames　before　the　wind：　those　of　her　crew　who　remained　alive；　and　able　to　exert　themselves；　throwing　themselves　out　at　her　port…holes。　Captain　Bertie　of　the　ARDENT　sent　his　launch　to　their　assistance；　and　saved　three…and…　twenty　of　them。

Captain　Rothe　commanded　the　NYEBORG　praam；　and　perceiving　that　she　could　not　much　longer　be　kept　afloat；　made　for　the　inner　road。　As　he　passed　the　line；　he　found　the　AGGERSHUUS　praam　in　a　more　miserable　condition　than　his　own；　her　masts　had　all　gone　by　the　board；　and　she　was　on　the　point　of　sinking。　Rothe　made　fast　a　cable　to　her　stern；　and　towed　her　off；　but　he　could　get　her　no　further　than　a　shoal　called　Stubben；　when　she　sunk；　and　soon　after　he　had　worked　the　NYEBORG　up　to　the　landing…place；　that　vessel　also　sunk　to　her　gunwale。　Never　did　any　vessel　come　out　of　action　in　a　more　dreadful　plight。　The　stump　of　her　foremast　was　the　only　stick　standing；　her　cabin　had　been　stove　in；　every　gun；　except　a　single　one；　was　dismounted；　and　her　deck　was　covered　with　shattered　limbs　and　dead　bodies。

By　half…past　two　the　action　had　ceased　along　that　part　of　the　line　which　was　astern　of　the　ELEPHANT；　but　not　with　the　ships　ahead　and　the　Crown　Batteries。　Nelson；　seeing　the　manner　in　which　his　boats　were　fired　upon　when　they　went　to　take　possession　of　the　prizes；　became　angry；　and　said　he　must　either　send　ashore　to　have　this　irregular　proceeding　stopped；　or　send　a　fire…ship　and　burn　them。　Half　the　shot　from　the　Trekroner；　and　from　the　batteries　at　Amak；　at　this　time；　struck　the　surrendered　ships；　four　of　which　had　got　close　together；　and　the　fire　of　the　English；　in　return；　was　equally　or　even　more　destructive　to　these　poor　devoted　Danes。　Nelson；　who　was　as　humane　as　he　was　brave；　was　shocked　at　the　massacrefor　such　he　called　it；　and　with　a　presence　of　mind　peculiar　to　himself；　and　never　more　signally　displayed　than　now；　he　retired　into　the　stern　gallery；　and　wrote　thus　to　the　Crown　Prince：　〃Vice…Admiral　Lord　Nelson　has　been　commanded　to　spare　Denmark　when　she　no　longer　resists。　The　line　of　defence　which　covered　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　that　he　has　taken；　without　having　the　power　of　saving　the　men　who　have　so　nobly　defended　them。　The　brave　Danes　are　the　brothers；　and　should　never　be　the　enemies；　of　the　English。〃　A　wafer　was　given　him；　but　he　ordered　a　candle　to　be　brought　from　the　cockpit；　and　sealed　the　letter　with　wax；　affixing　a　larger　seal　than　he　ordinarily　used。　〃This；〃　said　he；　〃is　no　time　to　appear　hurried　and　informal。〃　Captain　Sir　Frederick　Thesiger；　who　acted　as　his　aide…de…camp；　carried　this　letter　with　a　flag　of　truce。　Meantime　the　fire　of　the　ships　ahead；　and　the　approach　of　the　RAMILLIES　and　DEFENCE　from　Sir　Hyde's　division；　which　had　now　worked　near　enough　to　alarm　the　enemy；　though　not　to　injure　them；　silenced　the　remainder　of　the　Danish　line　to　the　eastward　of　the　Trekroner。　That　battery；　however；　continued　its　fire。　This　formidable　work；　owing　to　the　want　of　the　ships　which　had　been　destined　to　attack　it；　and　the　inadequate　force　of　Riou's　little　squadron；　was　comparatively　uninjured。　Towards　the　close　of　the　action　it　had　been　manned　with　nearly　fifteen　hundred　men；　and　the　intention　of　storming　it；　for　which　every　preparation　had　been　made；　was　abandoned　as　impracticable。

During　Thesiger's　absence；　Nelson　sent　for　Freemantle；　from　the　GANGES；　and　consulted　with　him　and　Foley　whether　it　was　advisable　to　advance；　with　those　ships　which　had　sustained　least　damage；　against　the　yet　uninjured　part　of　the　Danish　line。　They　were　decidedly　of　opinion　that　the　best　thing　which　could　be　done　was；　while　the　wind　continued　fair；　to　remove　the　fleet　out　of　the　intricate　channel　from　which　it　had　to　retreat。　In　somewhat　more　than　half　an　hour　after　Thesiger　had　been　despatched；　the