to fill and stand on, made sail ahead. In luffing up to avoid Captain Collingwood's salute, the San-Nicolas ran foul of the San-Josef, whose mizenmast had already been shot away, and who had received considerable other damage, by the well-directed fire in succession of the Captain, Culloden, Blenheim, and Prince-George, of the latter in particular.

As soon as the Excellent was sufficiently advanced to be clear of her, the Captain luffed up as close to the wind as her shattered condition would admit ; when her fore topmast, which had already been severely shot through, fell over the side. In this unmanageable state, with her wheel shot away, and all her sails, shrouds, and running rigging, more or less cut ; with the Blenheim ahead, and the Culloden crippled astern, no alternative remained but to board the Spanish two-decker. As a well-judged preparative, the Captain reopened, within less than 20 yards, her larboard broadside, the heavy fire from which the San-Nicolas returned with spirit for several minutes ; when the Captain suddenly put her helm a-starboard, and, on coming to, hooked with her larboard cat-head the starboard quarter-gallery of the San-Nicolas, and with her spritsail yard the latter's mizen rigging. We prefer giving what immediately ensued in the words of Commodore Nelson himself. " The soldiers of the 69th," he says, "with an alacrity which will ever do them credit, and Lieutenant Pearson, of the same regiment, were almost the foremost on this service. The first man who jumped into the enemy's mizen chains, was Captain Berry, late my first lieutenant: (Captain Miller was in the very act of going also, but I directed him to remain;) he was supported from our spritsail yard, which hooked in the mizen-rigging. A soldier of the 69th regiment having broke the upper quarter-gallery window, I jumped in myself ; and was followed by others as fast as possible. I found the cabin-doors fastened: and some Spanish officers fired their pistols : but, having broke open the doors, the soldiers fired ; and the Spanish brigadier (commodore with a distinguishing pendant) fell, as retreating to the quarterdeck. I pushed immediately onwards for the quarterdeck ; where I found Captain Berry in possession of the poop, and the Spanish ensign hauling down. I passed with my people and Lieutenant Pearson, on the larboard gangway, to the forecastle; where I met two or three Spanish officers, prisoners to my seamen : they delivered me their swords. A fire of pistols, or muskets, opening from the admiral's stern-gallery, of the San-Josef, I directed the soldiers to fire into her stern ; and calling to Captain Miller, ordered him to send more men into the San-Nicolas ; and directed my people to board the first-rate, which was done in an instant, Captain Berry assisting me into the main chains. At this moment, a Spanish officer looked over the quarterdeck rail, and said they surrendered. From this most welcome intelligence, it was not long before I was on the quarterdeck ; where the Spanish

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