The _Donegal_, three months later, was in the thick of the fighting in the brilliantly successful battle in the West Indies, when Vice-Admiral Sir John Duckworth, with a squadron detached by Collingwood off Cadiz, on special service, captured or destroyed an entire French squadron of five ships of the line from Brest, including the finest three-decker in the world, the great 110-gun ship _L’Impérial_, so named in honour of Napoleon himself. It was in this battle that the British flagship _Superb_ led down into the fight with a portrait of Nelson lashed to the mizen stay, and her band playing “Nelson of the Nile.” Three of the five French ships lowered their colours to Captain Malcolm and the _Donegal_. First she led off with a rattling exchange of broadsides with the mighty French flagship _L’Impérial_. Then she fastened on a second French ship, and after a sharp set to at close quarters made her give in. Passing on, the _Donegal_ engaged another French ship till her colours in turn came down. Then she ran on board one more Frenchman, the _Jupiter_, a ship that had already been hotly engaged. The _Jupiter_ surrendered to the _Donegal_ after next to no defence. Such was the _Donegal’s_ work that day, in a battle that is really unique in the completeness of its results, but which, owing to its having taken place within three months of Trafalgar, the world paid little heed to at the time, and we have since quite forgotten—lost sight of in the dazzling lustre of the greater event near home. Until after Waterloo had been won, the _Donegal_ helped to keep the seas for England, and on more than one occasion with shotted guns in the face of the enemy. Our second _Donegal_, a wooden 91-gun two-decker, built in the Fifties of the last century, was one of the very last sent afloat of our old “wooden walls.” She still exists, under the name of the _Vernon_, torpedo school ship at Portsmouth. * * * * * The direct association between the _Donegal_ of the Royal Navy and County Donegal came into existence first of all in the case of the present armour-clad cruiser, the _Donegal_ of King Edward’s fleet. She is a sister ship of the _Kent_, and was launched and named by the Duchess of Abercorn, as wife of the Lord Lieutenant of Donegal, and at express desire of the King. The _Donegal_ of to-day was the second ship of our county cruisers to receive the honour of a special county presentation in commemoration of the name she bore. The presentation was made before the assembled officers and men of the ship by the Marquess of Hamilton, as M.P. for Derry City, and comprised a service of silver plate, inscribed as the gift of “the King’s subjects in the County of Donegal and the City of Derry.”[12] IX ON BOARD OUR FLAGSHIPS AT TRAFALGAR CAPTAIN HARDY AND THOSE WHO MANNED THE _VICTORY_