WITHOUT PREJUDICE

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 23, 21 October 1921, Page 4

WITHOUT PREJUDICE

NOTES AT RANDOM

(By

T.D.H.)

“England expects that every man will o'o his duty.”

This is Trafalgar Day and in honour of the great sailor of the past and the great sailor we have with us to-day as our Governor-General it is fitting that my notes should be appropriate to the occasion.

As Nelson gave his signal out it was "Nelson confides that every man will do hie duty.” Lieutenant Pascoe, his flag-lielutenant, found ho would have, to spell out the. words "Nelson" and "confides,” so he asked his chief if he might substitute "England” and "expects,” and Nelson said by all means to do so.

“I am a dying man, but I die happy-. I am going, I hope and trust, lo join Nelson, the greatest hero (1m world has produced.”—This was said, not: by an Englishman, but by Admiral Gravina, the Spanish Commander-in-Chief at Trafalgar, as he lay dying, mortally wounded. and shows how even his enemies admired Britain’s greatest naval hero.

Thei British seaman will tell you that the three rows of white tape on his collar stand for Nelson’s three victories—the Nile, Copenhagen, and Trafalgar. They would have do'nc so, no doubt, but for the fact Hint that idea never occurred to the committee who designed the) uniform in 1959. They suggested two rows of tape, but the Admiralty for some unknown reason prescribed three. A member of the committee said years after, be was sure the idea of three victories never occurred to anybody. But, of course, everybody knows to-day that that must have been at the back of the Admiraltv’s mind unbeknown to it.

Another naval tradition with ns little foundation is that the throe buttons on a midshipman’s sleeve are to keep him from using it to wipe his nose—from which supposition lie derives his inelegant nickname of "Snotty.”

What wtjs Nelson like as a midshipman? lie was a frail and delicate lad, and this was what Captain Suckling thought when asked by his brother-in-law, the Rev. Edmund Nelson, to give his boy a chance: "What h=u poor little Horatio done:, that he, being so weak, should be sent to rough it at sea? But let him ' come, and if a cannon ball takes off his head, ho will at least be provided for.”

It was his trust and confidence in those who served under him that made the French Admiral Villeneuve- exclaim of the British at Trafalgar, that they were all Nelsons. Just before leaving England. Nelson had been invited to choose his officers, and replied to the First Lord of the Admiralty: "Choose yourself, my Lord; the same spirit actuates the whole profession; you cannot choose wrong.”

It seems that:it was at first proposed to send Nelson’s body tack by a fast frigate, but the whole ship’s company of the Victory protested cn masse. A. letter written by a marine on board tells what happened: "They behaved well to us, for they wanted to take Lord Nelson from us, but we told captain as we brought him out we would bring him home; so it was, and he was put into a cask of spirits.”

It was Nelson’s victories which defeated Napoleon’s dreams. It is curious that, letters are preserved showing both Napoleon and Nelson guessing what the other would do in 1805, during tho chase after the French Admiral Villeneuve. Napoleon wrote what he thought: was in Nelson’s mind at the time, and Nelson was doing the same thing in regard to the great French soldier. I give the extracts below. Napoleon, it will be seen, was wrong in his c-timate, whereas Nelson not only divined what: his enemy would do?but actually stated what Napoleon’s mistaken estimate of his (Nelson’s) own action would be. Napoleon wrote:

“I think that the arrival of Nelson may lend Villeneuve to return to Europe. . . . When Nelson learns Villeneuve has left (he Windward Islands he will go to Jamaica.”

This would have suited Napoleon’s plans for it would have got Nelson out of the way for at least a month. Nelson’s letter show's how he summed up the possibilities of the situation. It reads: So far from being ... I believe my opinions to be very fallible, and therefore I may he mistaken that- the enemy’s fleet is gone to Europe, hut I cannot bring myself to think otherwise notwithstanding the variety of opinions which different people of good judgment form, but ... it is to be considered that the enemy will net give me credit for quitting the West Indies for this month to come.

So Nelson read his enemy s mind very accurately—and ns on other occasions frustrated his schemes.

No man was better served by fortune than Nelson, and no man relied less on it.

In London, before ho left for Trafalgar, Nelson met the artist West at Sir William Beeehey’s. He said he knew little Of art, but added: "I never pass a. paint shop where your ‘Death of Wolfe’ is in the window without being stopped by it” Aasked why he painted no more such pictures, West replied that there were no more such subjects. “Damn it,” said Nelson, "I never thought of that.” "But, my Lord,” added the artist, "I fear your intrepidity will yet furnish me with such another scene, and if it should I will most certain y aval myself of it.” “Will yon! A ill you cried Nelson, pouring out bumpers and knocking his glass against Wests. hen I hope 1 shall die m the next battle Those were prophetic words, but at the moment I cannot say whether West ever painted the picture or not.

When Nelson left the old George Hotel in Portsmouth to embark for Irafalgar the streets were so crowded that he went bv the back door down Penny Street to Southsca Beach, where a boat was waiting. The crowd found this out an( J rushed round, everyone shaking his hand who oould reach it, and cheering heartil.v the boat pushed off. Nelson stood and waved his hat to this last of England for him. “I had their huzzas beiore he said V 1 Hardy, who vvas with him. "I have their 'hearts now.’

"However his services be received it is uot right in an officer to slacken his zeal.”—That was what Nelson once wrote in his young days. “Thank God’ I have done my duty,” he said as ho lay dying. "This,”' we are told, “he repeated us long as the power of speech remained. Tho last words caught by Dr. Scott, who was bending close over him were God and my country.’ ”

And having had my say with these anecdotes of the man who to my mind stands for all that is most characteristic, of Ihe Britisher at his best, 1 know nothing better to place at the foot of column to-day than these brief lines ot Sir Henry Ncwbolt’s:—

FOR A TRAFALGAR CENOTAPH, lover of England stand awhile and gaze With thankful heart, and lips refrained

I'ri'iii praise; Thev rest beyond the speech of 'human

pride . . Who served with Nelson and with Nrvtson died.