Shots will carry away the masts[7] and yards of friends as well as foes; but I look with confidence to a victory before the van of the enemy could succour their rear;[8] and then the British fleet would most of them be ready to receive their twenty sail of the line, or to pursue them, should they endeavour to make off.
If the van of the enemy tacks, the captured ships must run to leeward of the British fleet; if the enemy wears, the British must place themselves between the enemy and the captured and disabled British ships; and should the enemy close, I have no fears as to the result.
The second in command will, in all possible things, direct the movements of his line, by keeping them as compact as the nature of the circumstances will admit.

Captains are to look to their particular line as their rallying point.

But in case signals can neither be seen nor perfectly understood, no captain can do very wrong if he places his ship alongside that of an enemy.
Of the intended attack from to-windward, the enemy in the line of battle ready to attack.
[Illustration][9] The divisions of the British fleet[10] will be brought nearly within gunshot of the enemy's centre.

The signal will most probably be made for the lee line to bear up together, to set all their sails, even steering sails[11] in order to get as quickly as possible to the enemy's line and to cut through, beginning from the twelfth ship from the enemy's rear.[12] Some ships may not get through their exact place; but they will always be at hand to assist their friends; and if any are thrown round the rear of the enemy, they will effectually complete the business of twelve sail of the enemy.[13] Should the enemy wear together, or bear up and sail large, still the twelve ships, composing in the first position the enemy's rear, are to be _the_ object of attack of the lee line, unless otherwise directed by the commander-in-chief; which is scarcely to be expected, as the entire management of the lee line, after the intention of the commander-in-chief is signified, is intended to be left to the judgment of the admiral commanding that line.
The remainder of the enemy's fleet, thirty-four sail, are to be left to the management of the commander-in-chief, who will endeavour to take care that the movements of the second in command are as little interrupted as possible.
FOOTNOTES: [1] Sir Harris Nicolas states that he took his text from an 'Autograph [he means holograph] draught in the possession of Vice-Admiral Sir George Mundy, K.C.B., except the words in italics which were added by Mr.Scott, Lord Nelson's secretary: and from the original issued to Captain Hope of the Defence, now in possession of his son, Captain Hope, R.N.' [2] Lord Nelson originally wrote here but deleted 'in fact command his line and.'-- Nicolas.
[3] Lord Nelson originally wrote here but deleted 'I shall suppose them forty-six sail in the line of battle.'-- Nicolas.
[4] Originally 'your' but deleted .-- _Ibid_.
[5] Originally 'you' but deleted .-- _Ibid_.
[6] In the upper margin of the paper Lord Nelson wrote and Mr.Scott added to it a reference, as marked in the text--'the enemy's fleet is supposed to consist of 46 sail of the line, British fleet 40.

If either be less, only a proportionate number of enemy's ships are to be cut off: B.to be 1/4 superior to the E.cut off .-- _Ibid_.
[7] The Barham copy reads 'a mast.' [8] Originally 'friends.'-- Nicolas.
[9] This is the only diagram found in either of Nelson's memoranda.