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broken up, and Nelson and the other superior officers had gone on board their respective ships, the signal was made for the fleet to make sail, and the Edgar (74) was actually leading through the Belt, when Captain Otway came to a knowledge of the measure which had been decided on. Though he was still a young post-captain, his comprehensive mind instantly told him, that if such measures were persevered in, the whole object, of the expedition would be defeated; that, the going round to Copenhagen by the tedious passage of the Belt, would be attended with difficulties which could never be surmounted by even the energies of British seamen, an the whole of the guns and heavy stores belonging to the line-of-battle ships must have been taken out, to enable them to pass the ‘Grounds.’ His situation was extremely delicate; the plan had been decided on by all the sages of the fleet; but with such a conviction on his mind, Captain Otway determined on laying his opinion before the commander-in-chief. Fortunately his intimacy with Sir Hyde Parker greatly facilitated this desirable object; and it was equally fortunate that Sir Hyde was not a man to persevere in an error when pointed out. The interview almost instantly took place, and the admiral as soon became convinced that he was not taking the shortest route to victory, which was speedily acknowledged by the captain of the fleet, the late Sir William Domett. The fleet was again brought to, and Captain Otway was sent to apprise Lord Nelson of the reason. On explaining to his Lordship the alteration that had been made in the route, he exclaimed, ‘I don’t care a d__n by which passage we go, so that we fight them.’ He determined to return with Captain Otway to the commander-in-chief, and, in consequence of the wind blowing fresh, was hoisted out in one of the boats; and on his arrival on board the London, every thing was finally arranged agreeably to the plan suggested by Captain Otway^[1].”

The particulars relating to the attack on the Danish fleet before Copenhagen, we have detailed in our memoir of Sir Thomas Foley^[2].

Owing to the London not forming part of the division ordered to engage the enemy, there appeared at the commencement of the battle but little probability of Captain Otway taking any share in it: yet he became one of the principal actors; and we will venture to say, that his services on that occasion were equal to those of any other officer employed, Lord Nelson’s alone excepted. The early part of the action was viewed by him at a distance: it was an anxious period, and must have been mortifying to all those who, like himself, possessed an ardent desire to signalize themselves in such a contest. When Sir Hyde saw the cri-

1. Ralfe’s Naval Biography, vol. 4. p. 11, et seq.
2. See Vol. I. Part I. note at pp. 365–371.