"will every day and every hour be stronger : 66 we shall never be so good a match for "them as at this moment. The only con"sideration is, how to get at them with the "least risk to our ships.-Here your are, "with almost the safety,-certainly with "the honour, of England, more intrusted "to you, than ever yet fell to the lot of any "British officer. On your decision de"pends whether our country shall be de"graded in the eyes of Europe, or whether "she shall rear her head higher than ever. "Again I do repeat, never did our country depend so much upon the success of any

"fleet as on this. How best to honour her, "and abate the pride of her enemies, must "be the subject of your deepest consider"ation."

Supposing him to force the passage of the Sound, Nelson thought some damage might be done among the masts and yards; though, perhaps, not one of them but would be serviceable again. "If the wind be fair," said he," and you determine to attack the "ships and Crown Islands, you must ex

"pect the natural issue of such a battle"ships crippled, and, perhaps, one or two "lost; for the wind which carries you in, "will most probably not bring out a crip"pled ship. This mode I call taking the "bull by the horns. It, however, will not 66 prevent the Revel ships, or the Swedes, "from joining the Danes: and to prevent "this, is, in my humble opinion, a measure "absolutely necessary; and still to attack "Copenhagen." For this he proposed two modes. One was, to pass Cronenburgh, taking the risk of danger; take the deepest and straitest channel along the Middle Grounds; and then coming down, the Garbar, or King's Channel, attack the Danish line of floating batteries and ships, as might be found convenient. This would prevent a junction, and might give an opportunity of bombarding Copenhagen. Or to take the passage of the Belt, which might be accomplished in four or five days; and then the attack by Draco might be made, and the junction of the Russians prevented. Supposing them through the Belt,

he proposed that a detachment of the fleet should be sent to destroy the Russian squadron at Revel; and that the business at Copenhagen should be attempted with the remainder. "The measure, " he said,

might be thought bold; but the boldest "measures are the safest."

The pilots, as men who had nothing but safety to think of, were terrified by the formidable report of the batteries of Elsineur, and the tremendous preparations which our negotiators, who were now returned from their fruitless mission, had witnessed. They, therefore, persuaded Sir Hyde to prefer the passage of the Belt. "Let it be by the Sound, by the Belt, or

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any how," cried Nelson, "only lose not "an hour!" On the 26th they sailed for the Belt: such was the habitual reserve of Sir Hyde that his own captain, the captain of the fleet, did not know which course he had resolved to take till the fleet were getting under weigh. When Capt. Domett was thus apprised of it, he felt it his duty to represent to the admiral his belief that,

if that course were persevered in, the ultimate object would be totally defeated: it was liable to long delays, and to accidents of ships grounding; in the whole fleet there were only one captain, and one pilot, who knew any thing of this formidable passage, (as it was then deemed) and their knowledge was very slight: their instructions did not authorize them to attempt it; -supposing them safe through the Belts, the heavy ships could not come over the Grounds to attack Copenhagen; and light vessels would have no effect on such a line of defence as had been prepared against them. Domett urged these reasons so forcibly that Sir Hyde's opinion was shaken, and he consented to bring the fleet to, and send for Nelson on board. There can be little doubt but that the expedition would have failed, if Capt. Domett had not thus timely and earnestly given his advice.Nelson entirely agreed with him; and it was finally determined to take the passage of the Sound,-and the fleet returned to its former anchorage.

The next day was more idly expended in despatching a flag of truce to the governor of Cronenburgh Castle, to ask whether he had received orders to fire at the British fleet; as the admiral must consider the first gun to be a declaration of war on the part of Denmark. A soldier-like and becoming answer was returned to this formality. The governor said, that the British minister had not been sent away from Copenhagen, but had obtained a passport at his own demand. He himself, as a soldier, could not meddle with politics; but he was not at liberty to suffer a fleet, of which the intention was not yet known, to approach the guns of the castle which he had the honour to command: and he requested, if the British admiral should think proper to make any proposals to the King of Denmark, that he might be apprized of it before the fleet approached nearer. During this intercourse, a Dane, who came on board the commander's ship, having occasion to express his business in writing, found the pen blunt; and, holding it up,