1797 - Sir John Jervis off Cape St.-Vincent


 
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Naval History of Great Britain - Vol II
1797 Sir John Jervis off Cape St.-Vincent 37

At about 1 h. p.m., just as the rearmost ship of that part of the British line, which was still on the starboard tack, had advanced so far ahead, as to leave an open sea to leeward of the Spanish weather division, then passing in the contrary direction, the advanced ships of the latter, as the last effort to join their lee division, bore up together. Scarcely was the movement made, ere it caught the attention of one, who was as quick in foreseeing the consequences of its success, as he was ready, in obedience to the spirit, if not the letter, of a signal just made, in devising the means for its failure. That signal (No. 41) had been hoisted on board the Victory at 51 m. past noon, and directed the ships of the fleet " to take suitable stations for mutual support, and engage the enemy, as coming up in succession." *

Commodore Nelson, accordingly, directed Captain Miller to wear the Captain. The latter was soon round ; and, passing between the Diadem and Excellent ; ran athwart the bows of the Spanish ships as far as the sixth from the rear, reckoning the outside or leewardmost ships. The sixth or most advanced ship was known, from her four tiers of ports, to be the Santisima-Trinidad ; and four of the remaining five ships were the San-Josef, Salvador-del-Mundo, (three-deckers,) San-Nicolas, and San-Ysidro. The fifth ship was a three-decker, and, we believe, the Mexicano ; but the exact stations of any of these

* That the Captain wore out of the line in compliance with any signal is, we know, contrary to received opinion ; but the following stands as an entry in the log-book of a flag-ship then at no great distance from her. " At 1, Sir John Jervis made the signal for the English fleet to form line as most convenient. On this, the Captain pressed all sail from her station of sailing, and stood on and fell into our van ahead of us." Although the signal here specified was No. 31 instead of 41, there is every reason to suppose that the latter, the first signal not having been made since 11 a.m., was the signal to which the entry had reference.

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