Servants that I should keep a watchful look over any motions of the Enemy that may have a tendency to injure any of the rights and possessions of the Allies of Great Britain in this Country, and signifying to me their Lordships' direction to Lord Hobart on political subjects, have been delivered to me. In this dispatch I propose to confine myself to the communications received from your Lordship on the great importance which you attach to the Island of Sardinia, both as its possession regards the object to which this Country must always look in the Mediterranean, or as its occupation by France would enable that Power to counteract these objects, and assist her own views in that part of the world. "This letter, as well as one of this date which your Lordship will receive from Lord Melville, will apprise your Lordship how much weight is justly given to your remarks and reasoning upon the subject of the Island of Sardinia. Lord Melville's letter, which his Lordship has communicated to me, makes it unnecessary for me to address you on the Naval part of this subject, as connected with that Island; but in addition to the observations contained in that letter, and the instructions which are conveyed to you in it, your Lordship will naturally expect to receive from me an intimation of the probability of our being enabled to detach from this Country Troops to be employed in the Mediterranean. 66 The extensive preparations of the Enemy on the opposite Coasts of France, render it absolutely inexpedient to advise a present reduction of the force in Great Britain and Ireland, by detaching any part of it upon distant expeditions; and until the season of the year shall render the proposed attempt of the Enemy less probable, or until the measures in progress for augmenting the Army shall have taken place, no addition can be made to the force now in the Mediterranean. "Whenever such addition can be made, the King's Ministers consider the objects in that quarter as of the highest importance, and the preventing of the Island of Sardinia from falling into the hands of France, amongst the very first objects to be attended to. As far as the arrival of reinforcements bears upon that subject, I cannot hold out to your Lordship any expectation of that event before the close of the present year. Until such reinforcements may arrive, the instructions from Lord Melville, to which I have alluded, point out the objects to which it is desired your Lordship shall attend, as far as respects the Naval view of the subject. With regard to the Military inquiries to be made, the Memorandum which Captain Leake (who had before been instructed by Lord Harrowby to proceed to Corfu, and the Coast of European Turkey) has received from his Lordship, makes it unnecessary for me to do more, than to desire your Lordship to afford whatever assistance your situation enables you to the inquiries it is suggested that Officer shall make, in case you should think it advisable that he should proceed to Sardinia for that purpose. I entirely concur in the Memorandum alluded to, and to which I refer your Lordship. "Whenever, from Captain Leake's report, or from any other source on which you may depend, your Lordship is enabled to give a more minute and detailed account of the Island of Sardinia, both as the opportunity is afforded to take possession of it, as well as to retain it afterwards, you will give me the earliest information of these circumstances. In the meantime, your Lordship will not omit any means within your power to prevent so serious a misfortune to this Country, as the Islands of Sardinia or Sicily falling into the hands of France. "I will not detain your Lordship further than to thank you for the communica afford his Majesty's Allies in the Mediterranean every protection in my power, consistent with a due attention to the other important duties committed to my care. In answer to which, you will please to acquaint the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty that due regard shall be paid to their instructions above mentioned. I am, &c. NELSON AND BRONTE. tions which have been received from you, and to request a continuance of that correspondence which my predecessor had the advantage of enjoying with your Lordship, on points so essential to his Majesty's interests in that quarter of the globe, in which your Lordship is so desirably and so usefully employed. I have the honour to remain, with great truth and regard, your Lordship's most sincere and faithful, humble servant,-CAMDEN."—(Original, in the possession of the Right Honourable John Wilson Croker.) "Private. "My Lord, FROM EARL CAMDEN TO LORD NELSON. "Downing Street, August 29th, 1804. "I hope your Lordship will permit me to solicit a continuance of that most useful and advantageous correspondence which Lord Hobart had the advantage of possessing with your Lordship; and I trust it is unnecessary to assure you that in intrusting to me your Lordship's sentiments on the political subjects connected with the Mediterranean, you repose them in a person who justly appreciates your opinions, and has the highest admiration of your character. My letter of this date will inform you how much weight the Government gives to your representations on the subject of Sardinia, and I am very sorry to hold out to you only a distant prospect of the arrival of reinforcements in the Mediterranean, as it regards the particular subject of Sardinia, as well as other interesting objects in that quarter. "Your Lordship's dispatches and their inclosures, on the subject of the points in dispute with the Dey of Algiers, have arrived so lately in this country, that I am not enabled to send, by the present conveyance, instructions on that subject. I beg your Lordship, however, to be assured of the high opinion I entertain of your discretion and address in the orders you have given, and in the selection of the persons you employed to execute them. I request your Lordship's permission to take this opportunity to return you my thanks for the attention you were so good as to give to my request about my nephew, Mr. James. I lament he did not accept your offer to allow him to remain in the Mediterranean, and still more, that he has since quitted the Sea for the Land Service. I have the honour to remain, with perfect truth, your Lordship's most obedient, humble servant,-CAMDEN."-(Autograph, in the possession of the Right Honourable John Wilson Croker.) FROM LORD HARROWBY TO LORD NELSON. "Downing Street, 29th August, 1804. "Having had the advantage of perusing the letters which your Lordship had sent to Lord Hawkesbury, I beg to solicit the continuance of your Lordship's correspondence, upon such points as relate to the business of that department which his Majesty has been graciously pleased to intrust to me. "This letter will an Officer of delivered to you by Captain Leake, of the Royal Artillery, merit, who served with the Turkish Army in Egypt; Sir, TO WILLIAM MARSDEN, ESQ., ADMIRALTY. [Original, in the Admiralty.] Victory, at Sea, 10th October, 1804. I have received your letter of the 17th August, signifying to me their Lordships' direction to cause the Recruits raised by Captain Adair for the Royal Marines to be placed to the vacant Companies, in order to ascertain them. In answer thereto, I herewith transmit you a letter from Captain Adair, together with a Return of Recruits that have joined the Victory between the 1st September and 4th instant, which you will please to lay before the Lords Commissioners of the Admihe is directed to proceed upon a Military mission to Albania, and the Morea, for purposes fully detailed in instructions which he will communicate to your Lordship. He is also directed to put himself under your orders, in case you should think it advisable to ascertain with more precision, by the assistance of his professional knowledge, various points respecting the Island of Sardinia, that are specified in a Memorandum which I have put into his hands, or any other points on which you may think it desirable that further information should be obtained. You will, no doubt, be sensible that a mission of this nature will require considerable address and caution in the execution. As, for various reasons, which I cannot now detail, no communication has, or can well be made, to the King of Sardinia, or to his Minister here, upon such a subject, Captain Leake must be considered, in case you think it proper he should proceed, as acting under your Lordship's orders only. The frequent communications which you must necessarily have with different ports of the Island of Sardinia, will enable you to direct the conduct of Captain Leake, and of any Naval Officer whom he may accompany, in such a manner as to give the least possible occasion to jealousy or alarm. It is peculiarly important that no premature suspicion should arise of the occupation, in any contingency, of any part of Sardinia by British Troops, as such a suspicion would only serve to hasten the attack of the French. You will have seen, by Lord Camden's letter, that no sufficient force could at present be spared for that purpose; and the only hope of preserving it, in the meantime, rests upon the Naval defence, which the reinforcement now sent you, may enable you with less inconvenience to station near the Straits of Bonafaccio. 66 Captain Leake is charged with the duplicates of some dispatches, which were sent by a Courier to Mr. Elliot two months ago, and with another dispatch of this date, which it is desirable should reach him without risk, or loss of time. I have directed them to be put under a flying seal, in order that your Lordship may be apprised of his Majesty's sentiments and instructions respecting an object which you have always near at heart, and to which your efforts have so essentially contributed the preservation of the Persons and Dominions of their Sicilian Majesties. I have the honour to be, &c.-HARROWBY. "As there is not time to have this letter copied, your Lordship will have the goodness to excuse the form in which it comes."-(Autograph, in the possession of the Right Honourable John Wilson Croker.) ralty, for their information; and at the same time move their Lordships to give the necessary directions for Captain Adair's being allowed the sum of one guinea and a half for each of the Recruits he has so raised. It is but justice to mention that Captain Adair has, by the most indefatigable exertions, procured the men he has already enlisted without ever going out of the Ship, or sending an Officer for that purpose; consequently, as their Lordships will observe, he is obliged to give a certain pecuniary reward to the people who procure them for him. I must also beg to mention that the Recruits have all been raised from the different places in the Mediterranean, and not enlisted from the Squadron, as I believe was done in many instances by Colonel Flight, during Lord St. Vincent's Command in these seas. If any Officer employed on this service is entitled to an additional consideration for inspecting Recruits, I must beg to recommend Captain Adair as justly deserving it. I am, &c. NELSON AND BRONTE. Sir, TO WILLIAM MARSDEN, ESQ., ADMIRALTY. [Original, in the Admiralty.] Victory, at Sea, 10th October, 1804. I have received your letter of the 4th August, with the inclosure therein mentioned from Mr. Stanley, Consul at Trieste, to the Master of Lloyd's Coffee-house, and signifying their Lordships' direction to call upon the Captain of his Majesty's brig Morgiana to account for his having left his Convoy. In answer thereto, I beg leave to refer you to my letter of the 8th ult.,' with its inclosure from Captain Raynsford of the said Brig, giving a very full and correct account of his proceedings on the occasion alluded to in Mr. Stanley's said letter, which I have, as their Lordships will observe, approved of, and trust his conduct will also meet their approbation. I cannot here omit noticing the very indecent liberty which Mr. Stanley takes with the conduct of Captain Raynsford, which, not only on the present, but on all former occasions that have come within my knowledge, has been highly to that Officer's credit, and the good of his Majesty's Service. I am, &c., NELSON AND BRONTE. Captain Adair was killed in the Victory, at Trafalgar. 7 Vide p. 195, ante. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE EARL CAMDEN, K.G. [Autograph, in the Colonial Office.] My Lord, Victory, October 11th, 1804. I have been honoured with your Lordship's letter of August 29th, and having answered Lord Melville and Lord Harrowby on the subject of Sardinia, it would be a waste of your Lordship's time to repeat again what I have wrote them, and which, of course, will come to your Lordship; and as, from the state of my health, I shall be in England nearly as soon as this letter, I shall then be happy to give your Lordship all the information which, you may suppose, I possess relative to Sardinia, Naples, Sicily, Morea, Barbary States, &c. &c. I send your Lordship the last return of French troops in Corsica and Elba. Captain Leake is going to Malta and Corfu, &c. &c., not thinking it proper he should go to Sardinia, as we possess every information about it, and another Officer's going would probably hasten the French views upon it. I shall always keep a constant watch upon the French in Corsica, that they shall not get over if I can help it. I have, &c. NELSON AND Bronte. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE EARL CAMDEN, K.G. My Lord, [Autograph, in the Colonial Office.] Victory, October 11th, 1804. I have the honour to transmit you my correspondence with the Dey of Algiers, since Mr. M'Donough went there. I have done with him. He wishes to be thought a Marabout. Next Spring it will be thought necessary to turn the thoughts of Ministers towards Algiers; but the more we appear to give way, the more insolent he is. The business of the Veloce was the Ship he sent an Ambassador to England about, in the year 1800, and everything was settled. The Jews who have led him wrong, are now seriously alarmed, but nobody can give your Lordship such correct information as his Ma |