Friday Oct 18th fine Weather Wind Easterly the Combined
fleets cannot have finer Wt. to put to Sea.
Saturday Oct 19th fine Wt. Wind Easterly at ½ pt:
9 the Mars being one of the look out Ships made the Signal that the Enemy were
coming out of Port made the Signal for a general Chase SE. Wind at South Cadiz bearing ESE by Compass
distance 16 Leagues. At three the
Colossus made the Signal that the Enemy fleet was at Sea in the Evening made
Sigls to Observe my motions during the night, for the Britannia
Prince & Dreadnought they being heavy sailers to take Stations as
Convenient and for Mars, Orion Bellisle Leviathan, Bellerophon & Polyphemus
to go ahead during the Night and to carry a light Standing for the Streights
Mouth
Sunday Oct 20th 1805
Fresh Breezes SSW and rainy.
Communicated with Phoebe, Defence and Colossus, who saw near forty sail
of ships of War outside of Cadiz yesterday evening, but the wind being
Southerly they could not get to the Mouth of the Straits. We were between Trafalgar and Cape
Spartel. The frigates made the signal
that they saw 9 sail outside the Harbour; gave the Frigates instructions for
their guidance, and placed Defence, Colossus and Mars between me and the
Frigates. At noon fresh gales and heavy
rain, Cadiz NE 9 Leagues. In the afternoon
Captain Blackwood telegraphed that the Enemy seemed determined to go to the
Westward; and that they shall not do if in the power of Nelson and Bronte to
prevent them.
at 5 Telegraph’d Capt. Bd. that I rely’d upon his
keeping sight of the Enemy at 5 o’Clock Naiad made the signal for 31 Sail of
the Enemy NNE. The frigates and Look out
Ships kept sight of the Enemy most admirably all night and told me by Signals
which tack they were upon. At 8 We wore
& stood to the SW and at 4am wore and stood to the NE.
From the National Archives, catalogue reference PROB 1/22
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I love these entries. You can really get a feel for Nelson's excitement and tension, from the harder press of his pen upon the paper.
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