It was the morning of October 21, 1805, the
dawn of the greatest day in the naval history of Great Britain.
Let us rapidly trace the events which led up to this scene,--the
prologue to the drama about to be played. The year 1805 was one of
threatening peril to England. Napoleon was then in the ambitious youth
of his power, full of dreams of universal empire, his mind set on an
invasion of the pestilent little island across the channel which should
rival the "Invincible Armada" in power and far surpass it in
performance.
Gigantic had been his preparations. Holland and Belgium were his, their
coast-line added to that of France. In a hundred harbors all was
activity, munitions being collected, and flat-bottomed boats built, in
readiness to carry an invading army to England's shores. The landing of
William the Conqueror in 1066 was to be repeated in 1805. The land
forces were encamped at Boulogne. Here the armament was to meet.
Meanwhile, the allied fleets of France and Spain were to patrol the
Channel, one part of them to keep Nelson at bay, the other part to
escort the flotilla bearing the invading army.
While Napoleon was thus busy, his enemies were not idle. The warships of
England hovered near the French ports, watching all movements, doing
what damage they could.
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