“Old Ironsides” was the _Britannia’s_ every-day name in Nelson’s fleet, due to the fact, it is said, that the _Britannia_ was the oldest man-of-war in the fighting line of the Navy. The veteran three-decker on the 21st of October, 1805, had been afloat just forty-three years and two days. She was our second _Britannia_, and the first three-decker launched in George the Third’s reign, the launch taking place at Portsmouth Dockyard on the 19th of October, 1762, in the presence of twenty thousand spectators, “who all had the pleasure of seeing as fine a launch as ever was seen.” Trafalgar was the _Britannia’s_ fifth battle. She had had her first meeting with the enemy as flagship of the Second in Command in the “Grand Fleet” under Lord Howe, which achieved the relief of Gibraltar in 1782—a feat that nowadays perhaps we think little of, but which was thought enough of at the time for such a personage as Frederick the Great to write an autograph letter of congratulation on it to the British Admiral. After that she had taken part at Lord Hood’s occupation of Toulon, in Admiral Hotham’s two actions off Genoa and off Hyères, as commander-in-chief’s flagship, and on the 14th of February, 1797, “Glorious Valentine’s Day,” as flagship of the second in command in the battle off Cape St. Vincent.[20] At Trafalgar the _Britannia_ went into action as the fifth or sixth ship astern of the _Victory_. She had three of the enemy’s ships firing on her as she ranged forward into the battle under full sail. She broke the enemy’s line, firing both broadsides as she drove through, after which she engaged an 80-gun ship and promptly dismasted her opponent. A little later, we are told, a French officer “was seen to wave a white handkerchief from the quarter-deck in token of surrender.” Leaving another of our ships to take possession, the _Britannia_ passed on forthwith to deal with others of the enemy, and was constantly engaged, we are told, sometimes with two or three ships of the enemy at once and fighting on both broadsides. This is how the _Britannia’s_ log records her part at Trafalgar, in the dry, matter-of-fact style usual with such documents:— “12.50. We began to engage three of the enemy’s ships, having opened their fire upon us while running down. 1.10. Observed the ship we were engaging on our larboard quarter totally dismasted, continued our course in order to break through the centre of the enemy’s line, engaging on both sides in passing between their ships. At 3 passed through the line. 4.30. Hauled to the wind on the larboard tack per signal. 5.30. Ceased firing. Observed the _Achille_, a French line-of-battle ship, on fire, which soon after blew up.”