Of the opening scene on the enemy's side at that point, we have a vivid narrative from a French officer--Captain Lucas of the _Redoutable_, a ship destined to fill a large part in the _Temeraire's_ story.[101] 'At half-past eleven,' says Captain Lucas,--giving the time, as it would appear, according to his own watch, which was slow,--'the fleet hoisted its colours, and those of the _Redoutable_ were done in an imposing manner, the drums and fifes playing, and the soldiers[102] presenting arms as the flag was hoisted. The enemy's column, which was directed against our fleet, was now on the port side, and the flagship _Bucentaure_ began firing. I ordered a number of the chief gunners to mount to the forecastle and told them to notice how many of our ships fired badly. They found that all their shots carried too low. I then ordered them to aim at dismasting, and above all to aim well. At a quarter to twelve the _Redoutable_ opened fire with a shot from the first gun-division which cut through the foretopsail yard of the _Victory_, causing it to lie over the foremast, whilst shouts of joy resounded all over the ship.' Lord Nelson held his fire. No notice was taken of the firing of the French and Spaniards, except that, in response to the enemy's opening shots, the whole British fleet simultaneously hoisted their colours. Nelson showed a Vice-Admiral of the White's flag at the fore in the _Victory_; Collingwood the flag of a Vice-Admiral of the Blue at the fore in the _Royal Sovereign_; Lord Northesk, the third in command, a Rear-Admiral of the White's flag at the mizen of the _Britannia_. All the ships in both divisions displayed the White Ensign at the peak, and, by Nelson's particular order, to ensure that there should be no firing into friends in the smoke and confusion of battle, and in case colours got shot away, every ship flew at least two other British flags besides their ensigns: Jacks or Union flags, one on the foretopmast stay and one on the main-topmast stay. Some ships showed more; the _Victory_, for instance, flew five British flags; the _Orion_ flew (including her ensign) four. A young officer of the _Neptune_, the ship next astern to the _Temeraire_, Midshipman Badcock, thus describes what things were like near him about this time. 'Lord Nelson's van was strong: three three-deckers--_Victory_, _Temeraire_, _Neptune_--and four seventy-fours, their jib-booms nearly over the others' taffrails, the bands playing "God Save the King," "Rule, Britannia," and "Britons Strike Home"; the crews stationed on the forecastle of the different ships, cheering the ship ahead of them when the enemy began to fire, sent those feelings to our hearts that ensured victory.'[103] 'The _Temeraire_ at this moment,' Captain Harvey himself says, in a letter to his wife after the battle, 'almost touched the stern of the _Victory_, which station she had taken about a quarter of an hour previous to the enemy having commenced their fire upon the _Victory_.'