A NATIONAL HEIRLOOM.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 100, 5 January 1912, Page 4

A NATIONAL HEIRLOOM.

It is strange that a log-book of Xelson's Victory should have remained in private hands for more than a century, Tliis is not the official log of the Victory, which is preserved at the Public Record Office, but the rough "deck kg." kept by the sailing master, from which the official log was compiled by the, navigating officer. The oflicial log, however, does hot contain a Word' of the signals made by the Victory to the fleet on October- 20 and *2l. 1803. and these arc included ill the deck log, a rough book in canvas binding, bearing on the back the stronglyprinted title, "His Majesty's Ship Victory's Log-book, Xo. 10, *1303." The •"remarks" which brighten the quaint mathematics of Nelson's favorite sailingmaster. Thomas Atkinson, present an unadorned but vivid picture of the events at Trafalgar, a record which makes a log a priceless national heirloom. The story of the battle contains the bald statement that'"about 1.15 the Eigh Honorable Lord Viscount Xelson, •K. 8., • and Commander-in-Chief, was wounded in the' shoulder." Similar brief entries describe the. course of events during the next three hours. "Partial firing continued," the log states, "until 4.30, when a victory having been reported to the Rip-lit Honorable Lord Viscount Xelson, K. 8., and Commander-in-Chief, he then died of his wounds." The log goes on simply to describe the damage suffered by the, ves-, sel, the busy sailor having no time for comments, though his heart must have been very full. The same straightforward language, eloquent in its unaffected simplicity serves to narrate the anchoring of the Victory in Dover Eoads on December 13, and the parting with her glorious burden on December "22. "Came alongside Commissioned Grey's yacht from Sheerness," states the record, "and received the remains of the late Lord Viscount Xelson, K. 8., Vice-Admiral of the White." There was no time for tears. This wonderful record was preserved by members of the Atkinson family until a few weeks ago, when it was offered for sale in London. There was danger of it falling into sacrilegious hands, but happily it was purchased by an Englishman. Some day it is to be hoped it will become one of the precious possessions of the nation.