Admiral Horatio Nelson's one-sleeved undershirt, possibly the only piece of the British war hero's clothing still in private hands, will be auctioned off next month in London, Sotheby's said on Friday.

    The beige undershirt, with an "N" embroidered inside the neck and its right sleeve cut short, is expected to fetch between $500,000 (281,700 pounds) and $900,000.

    Other Nelson relics and rare letters, including a 10-page epistle to his mistress Emma Hamilton, will be placed on the auction block as part of a collection celebrating the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar.

    The one-armed, one-eyed admiral became a national hero after repelling the French and the Spanish in the legendary battle that ended Napoleon's chances of crossing the English Channel.

    "Anyone who beats the French usually goes down well," said Michael Grist, the Sotheby's expert in charge of the sale. "In one battle, in one day, he literally saved England. And that's the reason he's atop a statue in Trafalgar Square."

    An unpublished letter discussing his naval plans three days before the Trafalgar battle could fetch as much as $54,000, while the letter to his beloved Emma could command as much as $108,000. The items are on display in New York over the weekend before their sale in London on October 5.

    Nelson remains a figure of enduring fascination 200 years after he was killed in the Battle of Trafalgar, Grist said.

    "He was remarkably brave in battle, but he also wanted recognition for this, and was remarkably weak in his personal life," Grist said. "He'd face the French and Spanish fleet much easier than he would face his first wife."

　

世界著名的索思比拍卖公司9月23日表示，被誉为近百年来世界10大军事统帅之一的英国著名军事家霍雷肖·纳尔逊上将的一件汗衫将于下个月在伦敦被拍卖。

    据路透社9月24日报道，纳尔逊在拿破仑战争期间担任英国海军司令、被誉为“英国皇家海军之魂”。而即将于下月被拍卖的一件领口内侧绣有字母“N”的米黄色汗衫，很可能是由私人保存的惟一一件纳尔逊上将的衣物。

    因为纳尔逊上将在战斗中失去了右臂，所以这件汗衫右边的袖子也相应地被裁掉了。据拍卖行估计，这件只有一只袖子的汗衫最后拍得的价格应该在50万美元至90万美元之间。另外，作为庆祝特拉法尔加海战200周年收藏品的一部分，纳尔逊上将的其它一些遗物和珍贵信件也将同时进行拍卖，其中还包括一封纳尔逊写给他情人艾玛·汉密尔顿女士长达10页的私人信件。

    报道说，其中一封未公开的纳尔逊上将在特拉法尔加海战开始前3天，论述其海军计划的信件预计能拍得5.4万美元；而那封给艾玛的信则能拍得10.8万美元的高价。这些珍贵藏品将于10月5日在伦敦进行拍卖，目前正在纽约展出。

    1758年9月，纳尔逊出生于英国诺福克郡伯纳姆索埔镇，是有史以来最伟大的海军指挥官之一。

    纳尔逊拥有英勇品格和高超的航海技术，由他统领的英国海军取得了一系列历史性重大胜利。由于作战勇猛，他相继失去了一条手臂和一只眼睛，因而成为一位独臂独眼的海军统帅。1805年10月21日，他领导的英国皇家海军舰队同法国、西班牙联合舰队展开了风帆战舰时代规模最大的特拉法尔加海战。英国海军最终大获全胜，由此确立了英国长达1个多世纪的海上霸主地位，而他也在此次战役中献出了生命。