A. Santa Ana, Alava’s Flagship B. Bucentaure, Villeneuve’s Flagship P. Principe De Asturias, Gravina’s Flagship R. Redoutable S. Royal Sovereign, Collingwood’s Flagship T. Santisima Trinidad V. Victory, Nelson’s Flagship Recent investigation has shown that Collingwood’s division was much more nearly parallel to the enemy than is indicated in this diagram, and thus in a formation more closely resembling Nelson’s original plan.—_Editor._ ] The commander-in-chief of the allies, Villeneuve, was in the _Bucentaure_, an eighty-gun ship, the twelfth in order from the van of the line. Immediately ahead of him was the huge Spanish four-decker, the _Santisima Trinidad_, a Goliath among ships, which had now come forth to her last battle. Sixth behind the _Bucentaure_, and therefore eighteenth in the order, came a Spanish three-decker, the _Santa Ana_, flying the flag of Vice-Admiral Alava. These two admirals marked the right and left of the allied center, and upon them, therefore, the British leaders respectively directed their course,—Nelson upon the _Bucentaure_, Collingwood upon the _Santa Ana_. The _Royal Sovereign_ had recently been refitted, and with clean new copper easily outsailed her more worn followers. Thus it happened that, as Collingwood came within range, his ship, outstripping the others by three quarters of a mile, entered alone, and for twenty minutes endured, unsupported, the fire of all the hostile ships that could reach her. A proud deed, surely, but surely also not a deed to be commended as a pattern. The first shot of the battle was fired at her by the _Fougueux_, the next astern of the _Santa Ana_. This was just at noon, and with the opening guns the ships of both fleets hoisted their ensigns; the Spaniards also hanging large wooden crosses from their spanker booms. The _Royal Sovereign_ advanced in silence until, ten minutes later, she passed close under the stern of the _Santa Ana_. Then she fired a double-shotted broadside which struck down four hundred of the enemy’s crew, and, luffing rapidly, took her position close alongside, the muzzles of the hostile guns nearly touching. Here the _Royal Sovereign_ underwent the fire not only of her chief antagonist, but of four other ships; three of which belonged to the division of five that ought closely to have knit the _Santa Ana_ to the _Bucentaure_, and so fixed an impassable barrier to the enemy seeking to pierce the center. The fact shows strikingly the looseness of the allied order, these three being all in rear and to leeward of their proper stations.