Nelson

HORATIO, VISCOUNT, (něl's un,) the most illustrious of English admirals, was B. in co. Norfolk, 1758. He entered the navy while a boy, and before attaining his majority had earned for himself the rank of post captain, and in 1779 effected the surrender of San Juan. He afterward served as second in command in the W. Indies, where he terribly hara ed the French cruisers off Martin i que. We next hear of him doing good work in the Mediterranean, at the siege and bombardment, and at the storming of Calvi, where he led the attack, and lost his right eye. In 1797, he bore his share in the destruction of the Spanish fleet, off St. Vincent, by Sir John Jervis (afterward Earl St. Vincent). He next blockaded Cadiz; thence sailed to Teneriffe, and in carrying the Spanish batteries there, lost his right arm. By this period, N. had fought in 120 actions at sea. In 1798, he was given the Mediterranean command, and, on Aug. 1, destroyed the French fleet in the Bay of Aboukir. This brilliant victory-the Battle of the Nile-put a stop to Napoleon's designs on Egypt, and gave to N. the well-won honors of the peerage. In 1801, we hear of his appearance before Copenhagen (Denmark being at that time in alliance with France), where he destroyed the Danish fleet and land-batteries, and shelled the city. On Oct. 21, 1805, he crowned his glory by annihilating the French fleet off the Bay of Trafalgar. Shot through the shoulder by a French rifleman during the hottest of the fight, N. lingered for three hours; when, learning that the day was won, he died composed ly, his last words being. " Thank God, I've done my duty! " Nel's on, THOMAS, an American general of the Revolutionary epoch, B. at York, Virginia, in 1738, was educated at Cambridge University, Eng., and, as a member of the Congre of 1775, signed the Declaration of Independence. After holding for a period the chief command of the forces of the State, he became its governor in 1781. D. 1789. Nelson, in Kentucky, a central co.; area, 300 sq. m.; C. Bards town. Pop. 14,804.-In Virginia, a central co.; area, 340 sq. m.; C. Livings ton. Pop. 13,898. Nelumbiaceæ, (ne-lum-be-a'se-e.) [From Nelumbium, the typical gen. (Bot.) An O. of beautiful water plants, all. Nympha les. They have an elongated horizontal root-stock, from which are sent up long cylindrical leaf-stalks, bearing the plate-like leaves in a peltate manner on their summit. These leaves are circular in outline, with radiating venation, and covered on the upper surface with a glancous bloom. The flowers are also borne on long stalks, traversed, like those of the leaves, by a number of air-canals, regularly disposed. The calyx consists of four to five deciduous sepals,and the corolla of numerous deciduous petals, arranged in several rows. See Lotus. [s. 636]