Page:The Naval Officer (1829), vol. 1.djvu/95

 mind; I liked to judge of causes and effects; and I was secretly pleased at seeing the effect of a raking-shot.

Towards four the firing began to abate, the smoke cleared away, and the calm sea became ruffled with an increasing breeze. The two hostile fleets were quiet spectators of each other's disasters. We retained possession of nineteen or twenty sail of the line. Some of the enemy's ships were seen running away into Cadiz; while four others passed to-windward of our fleet, and made their escape. <A boat going from our ship to one near us, I jumped into her, and learned the death of Lord Nelson, which I communicated to the captain, who, after paying a tribute to the memory of that great man, looked at me with much complacency. I was the only youngster that had been particularly active, and he immediately despatched me with a message to a ship at a short distance. The first-lieutenant asked if he should not send an officer of more experience.