Oddly Preserved

In a Brandy Cask: Horatio Nelson

Admiral HORATIO NELSON had one of naval history's more famous deaths on the deck of HMS Victory in 1805 at Trafalgar, dying even as he defeated Napoleon's fleet.

There was an odd epilogue: Nelson's body was packed in a cask of brandy to preserve it for the long trip back to England. At a stopover in Gibralter the unfortunate admiral was transferred to a casket filled with distilled wine, further preserving his remains. Upon his body's arrival in London, Nelson was given a hero's funeral and entombment in St. Paul's Cathedral.

An old rumor has it that on the trip back from Trafalgar, thirsty sailors snuck drinks from the brandy cask carrying Nelson's corpse. Nelson experts now consider this to be unlikely. But the rumor gave rise to a lively phrase for illicit drinking: "tapping the Admiral."