occasion, "that through the medium of your influence is the surest way
to get my interest. It is true, and it will ever be, whilst you hold
your present conduct, for you never ask anything that does not do
honour to your feelings, as the best woman, as far as my knowledge
goes, that ever lived, and it must do me honour the complying with
them."

The fleet anchored again on the evening of the 26th of March, six
miles from Cronenburg, and was there detained three days by head winds
and calms. In this interval, Nelson's general plan of operations
having been adopted, he shifted his flag to a lighter ship, the
"Elephant," seventy-four, commanded by Captain Foley, the same who had
led the fleet inside the French line in Aboukir Bay. On the 30th, the
wind coming fair from northwest, the ships weighed and passed
Cronenburg Castle. It had been expected that the Swedish batteries
would open upon them, but, finding they remained silent, the column
inclined to that side, thus going clear of the Danish guns. "More
powder and shot, I believe, never were thrown away," wrote Nelson,
"for not one shot struck a single ship of the British fleet. Some of
our ships fired; but the Elephant did not return a single shot. I hope
to reserve them for a better occasion."

That afternoon they anchored again, about five miles below Copenhagen.
Parker and Nelson, accompanied by several senior officers, went at
once in a schooner to view the defences of the town. "We soon
perceived," wrote Stewart, "that our delay had been of important
advantage to the enemy, who had lined the northern edge of the shoals
near the Crown batteries, and the front of the harbour and arsenal,
with a formidable flotilla. The Trekroner (Three Crowns) Battery"--a
strong work established on piles, whose position will be