situation,” for the _Captain_ was being peppered by five vessels of the enemy’s fleet, and shortly afterwards was rendered absolutely incapable—not a sail, shroud, or rope left, with a topmast and the steering-wheel shot away. As Dr. Bennett sings(6)— “Ringed round by five three-deckers, she had fought through all the fight, And now, a log upon the waves, she lay—a glorious sight— All crippled, but still full of fight, for still her broadsides roared, Still death and wounds, fear and defeat, into the Don she poured.” Two of Nelson’s antagonists were now nearly _hors de combat_, one of them, the _San Nicolas_, in trying to escape from Collingwood’s fire, having got foul of the _San Josef_. Nelson resolved in an instant to board and capture _both_—an unparalleled feat, which, however, was accomplished, although “To get at the _San Josef_, it seemed beyond a hope; Out then our admiral spoke, and well his words our blood could stir— ‘In, boarders, to their seventy-four! We’ll make a bridge of her.’” The “bridge” was soon taken; but a steady fire of musketry was poured upon them from the _San Josef_. Nelson directed his people to fire into the stern, and sending for more boarders, led the way up the main-chains, exclaiming, “Westminster Abbey or victory!” In a few moments the officers and crew surrendered; and on the quarter-deck of a Spanish first-rate he received the swords of the vanquished, which he handed to William Fearney, one of his bargemen, who tucked them, with the greatest _sang-froid_, in a perfect sheaf under his arm. The _Victory_ came up at the moment, and saluted the conquerors with hearty cheers. It will be hardly necessary here to point out the altered circumstances of naval warfare at the present day. A wooden vessel of the old type, with large and numerous portholes, and affording other opportunities for entering or climbing the sides, is a very different affair to the modern smooth-walled iron vessel, on which a fly would hardly get a foothold, with few openings or weak points, and where the grappling-iron would be useless. Apart from this, with heavy guns carrying with great accuracy, and the facilities afforded by steam, we shall seldom hear, in the future, of a fight at close quarters; skilful manœuvring, impossible with a sailing vessel, will doubtless be more in vogue. [Illustration: ROCKS NEAR CAPE ST. VINCENT.] Meantime, the _Victory_ had not been idle. In conjunction with two of the fleet, she had succeeded in silencing the _Salvador del Mundi_, a first-rate of 112 guns. When, after the fight, Nelson went on board the _Victory_, Sir John Jervis took him to his arms, and insisted that he should keep the sword taken from the Spanish rear-admiral. When it was hinted, during some private conversation, that Nelson’s move was unauthorised, Jervis had to admit the fact, but promised to forgive any such breach of orders, accompanied with the same measure of success.