and on his return from thence to the Channel, was sent under
the Victory, and communicated to Lord Nelson his certain knowledge that the combined French and Spanish squadrons were bound for the West Indies. Hitherto all things had favoured the enemy. While the British commander was beating against contrary gales, they had had a fair wind from the N.E., and had done in nine days what he was a whole month in accomplishing. M. Villeneuve, finding the Spaniards at Carthagena were not in a state of equipment to join him, dared not wait, but hastened on to Cadiz. Sir John Orde necessarily retired at his approach. Admiral Gravina, with six Spanish ships of the line, and two French, came out to him, and they sailed without a moment’s loss of time. They had about 4,500 troops on board; 600 were under orders expecting them at Martinique, and 1000 at Guadaloupe. The combined fleets now consisted of eighteen sail of the line, seven large frigates, and four smaller vessels, to which two French line-of-battle ships, and one of 44 guns, were afterwards added. Nelson pursued them with the following vessels: Victory, 100 guns, bearing his Lordship’s flag, and commanded by Captain Thomas Masterman Hardy; Canopus, 80, the flag-ship of Sir Thos. Louis, commanded by Captain F. W. Austen; Superb, 74, Captain Richard Goodwin Keats; Spencer, 74, Hon. Robert Stopford; Belleisle, 74, Captain William Hargood; Conqueror, 74, Captain Israel Pellew; Tigre, 80, Captain Benjamin Hallowell; Leviathan, 74, Captain Henry William Bayntun; Donegal, 74, Captain Pulteney Malcolm; Swiftsure, 74, Captain Mark Robinson*; and the Amazon, Amphion, and Decade frigates.
The enemy had thirty-five days’ start; but Lord Nelson calculated that he should gain eight or ten days upon them by his exertions. He reached Madeira, May 15, and on June 4th arrived at Barbadoes, whither he had sent despatches before him, and where he was joined by Rear-Admiral Cochrane with two ships of the line. He found here also accounts that the combined fleets had been seen from St. Lucia on the 28th of the preceding month, standing to the southward, and that Tobago and Trinidad were their objects. This his Lordship doubted; but yielded his opinion with these foreboding words:– “If your intelligence proves false, you lose me the French fleet.” After taking on board 2000 troops under Sir William Myers, he immediately sailed for Tobago. At that island accident confirmed the false intelligence which had, whether from intention or error, misled him. A merchant, in the general alarm, not knowing whether this fleet was friend or foe, sent out a schooner to reconnoitre, and acquaint him by signal. The signal which he had chosen happened to be the very one which had been appointed by Colonel Shipley of the engineers, to signify that the enemy were at Trinidad; and as this happened at the close of day, there was no opportunity of discovering the mistake. An American brig was met with about the same time; the master of which, with that propensity to deceive the English and assist their enemies in any manner, which has been but too common among his countrymen, affirmed that he had been boarded off Grenada a few days before by the French, who were stand-
