and violent gusts of wind, which rushing down the ravines, frequently take a ship's topmasts over the side without a moment's warning. Such was the place which Nelson was going to attack with one thousand men, for his ships could be of little use; and dastardly must that people be who would have surrendered to thrice that number of the best troops in the world. The plan was, however, laid, under a supposition that the Spaniards would have conducted themselves on this, as they had done on other occasions.

Nelson proposed, by landing to the northward, to make themselves masters of a fort within gunshot of the town, and then send a summons to the Governor. This plan was rendered abortive by the frigates meeting with a gale of wind in the offing, and with a calm and a strong and contrary current in shore, and day-break surprised them before they could effect their purpose.

Trowbridge and Bowen, with Captain Oldfield of the marines, were intrusted with this part of the enterprise; we may therefore be assured that it failed only from insurmountable causes.

Consulting again with Nelson it was determined to obtain possession of the heights above the fort, in which had they succeeded, little advantage would have been gained without artillery, which they could not have carried with them, and would not have found there. The men however were landed, and the ships of the line stood in to batter the forts, but calms prevented their gaining a po

sition nearer than three miles, and the men were

re-embarked.

On the 24th of July another attack was made. He anchored his ships about two miles north of the town, as if intending to land there, but this was a feint: the whole force had assembled alongside of the Seahorse, where Nelson made his final arrangements, and at eleven at night pulled in for the shore in six divisions, conducted by the respective captains of the squadron; Freemantle and Bowen remained with Nelson.

The mole head was the great rendezvous; here they were to land and proceed to the Prado. At half past one, being close in shore, they were discovered by the enemy, when Nelson directed the boats to separate to their respective points of attack, and giving a hearty cheer they pushed in for the landing place.

The Spaniards were prepared, and received them with a heavy fire of great guns and musketry. The night was dark, the surf high, and the beach, as we have described, so rough, that in the clearest day no boat could have landed with dry ammunition. The current swept many of them to leeward of the mole, and unable to find it they landed where they could, their boats were stove, and their powder destroyed.

Nelson's, Thompson's, Bowen's, and some other boats, found the mole head, landed, and took it: but here their work had only began; a high wall and palisade impeded their advance, while a heavy

battery plied them with round, grape, and musketry: here was the great slaughter of our men. As Nelson stepped out of his boat a shot struck the steps, but whether that or a splinter of the stone struck his arm seems doubtful; at Teneriffe the Author was assured it was the latter. The wounded hero was supported by his son-inlaw, the present Captain Josiah Nisbet, and to his attention probably owed his life; a boat's crew was instantly collected, and they pulled off to the nearest ship of war. As they rowed mournfully along in the dark and squally night, a horrid shriek proceeded from the Fox cutter, which having received a shot in her side, instantly sunk, and with her ninety-seven seamen and marines. The boat in which Nelson lay flew to their assistance, and was instrumental in saving many. Coming at length alongside the Seahorse, Nelson refused to be taken on board, lest, as he said, he should alarm Mrs. Freemantle, whose husband was still on shore, and his fate unknown: bleeding, and suffering that agony of pain, which in half an hour succeeds the infliction of a gun-shot wound, the hero was taken to the Theseus, where he walked up the side without assistance, and immediately ordered the surgeon to prepare his instruments and perform the amputation.

In the mean while Trowbridge with his party having missed the mole, landed to leeward, and was more fortunate than his brethren: he got immediately under the battery on the south side