Malta, which are now waiting there for protection to England; but unless the representation above-mentioned comes from Captain Gore, the Medusa is to remain on the service she is at present employed upon. I am, &c. NELSON AND BRONTE. TO CAPTAIN JOHN GORE, H. M. SHIP MEDUSA. [Original, in the possession of the Right Hon. John Wilson Croker.] Sir, Victory, at Sea, 30th October, 1804. I herewith transmit you the copy of a letter of this date, to Sir Richard Strachan, relative to the Medusa's being sent to Rendezvous No. 97, for the purpose of taking the Trade from Malta to England, upon your representing her as unfit to remain longer in this Country. I shall therefore only observe, that, as at this moment the service of a Frigate is very much wanted outside the Straits, you will judge the propriety of remaining as long on your present station as the state of the Medusa will permit, and afterwards make the necessary representations to Sir Richard Strachan, who will consequently comply with my before-mentioned letter. I am, Sir, &c. NELSON AND Bronte. TO CAPTAIN GORE, H. M. SHIP MEDUSA. [Original, in the possession of the Right Hon. John Wilson Croker.] Sir, Victory, at Sea, 1st November, 1804. I have received your letter of the 19th September last, together with copies of the several orders, the Medusa's defects, Daily-progress, and Log-Book, &c., therein-mentioned, and very much approve of your not having a particular repair done to the Medusa, from the reasons communicated in your said letter. I am sorry to find La Sophie in so bad a state, and shall, as soon as possible, take an opportunity of getting her repaired, and placed on service more adapted to her qualifications. Your ordering one of the Gun-Boats to be equipped, and given in charge to Lieutenant Lloyd, of the Guerrier, very fully meets my approbation, as well as every part of your conduct communicated in your said letter. Indeed, your zealous and prudent attention to the good of his Majesty's service, cannot fail to be always gratifying to, Sir, &c. NELSON AND Bronte. TO CAPTAIN GORE, H. M. SHIP MEDUSA. [Original, in the possession of the Right Hon. John Wilson Croker.] Sir, Victory, at Sea, 1st November, 1804. I have received your letter of the 18th September, with a copy of a letter from Captain Pearse, of his Majesty's Sloop Halcyon, and of your letters to Mr. Frere, and to the Captain-General at Cadiz, relative to the capture of some BullockVessels by a French Privateer, between Ceuta and Tetuan, and within the protection of Neutrality; and also respecting some British Sailors confined in prison at Ceuta. In answer to which, I very much approve of the forbearance of Captain Pearse, and the steps you have taken to prevent similar acts of piracy being tolerated by the Spanish Government. I am, &c. NELSON AND BRONTE. Sir, TO WILLIAM MARSDEN, ESQ., ADMIRALTY. [Original, in the Admiralty.] Victory, at Sea, 1st November, 1804. I herewith transmit you a letter from Captain Gore, of his Majesty's Ship Medusa, dated the 18th September last, together with copies of his letters, &c., to Mr. Matra, ConsulGeneral at Tangier, and that Consul's answer, which you will please to lay before the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty for their consideration. Captain Gore's representations and remonstrances to Mr. Matra, appear to me extremely proper, and to have been very necessary; for if his Majesty's Ministers and Consuls abroad are not particularly attentive to the Ships of War using the different Ports, and see that they receive every right and privilege of Neutrality, his Majesty's Flag will be insulted, and his Subjects deprived of the right they are entitled to. Their Lordships will, therefore, judge how far Mr. Matra's conduct has been consistent on the present occasion. I am, &c. NELSON AND BRONTE. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE EARL CAMDEN. [From Clarke and M'Arthur, vol. ii. p. 391.] 3rd November, 1803. Sardinia, if it be possible, becomes every day in greater misery. The Stamenti, which is formed of proportions of the Nobles, Clergy, and the People, have dismissed themselves. They were summoned to meet in June or July; the two first Classes met, but the number of the last Class did not arrive until the Viceroy had opened the Session; when, instead of conciliating and promising to assist them in the formation of such regulations as might benefit the Island, he stated at once the distresses of the Government, and asked for one million of dollars. The last Class, finding that nothing was wanted of them but money, never filled up the legal numbers. The Clergy and Nobles agreed to the demand; but the meeting not being legal, no money could be raised. Yet as the Clergy and nobles had consented to the supply, 50 or 60,000 dollars have been squeezed out of them, not one farthing of which has gone to the real wants of the Island. The Clergy and Nobles are now, I hear, very much disgusted at being forced to pay this money, whilst the people pay nothing. This is the present state of Sardinia; it cannot last. I am, &c. NELSON AND BRONTE. TO LAMBTON ESTE, ESQ. [Autograph in the possession of Dr. Lambton Este, who has obligingly communicated the following particulars of Lord Nelson: "4th November, 1804. "On joining the Victory, in my first interviews with Nelson, he complained of frequent pains in his right side, from former injuries,-that many warnings and inabilities made him conscious of his shattered frame, and anxious for repose. The sight of his remaining eye was fast failing him; a thick opaque membrane had grown over and into a part of the transparent cornea, and, as far as it extended, was an obstacle to vision in the only eye left to him. His thoughts, his ambition, evidently tended to the Admiralty-to the management of the Naval Service of his Country. In his cabin, with his confidential friends, he occasionally alluded to what he would do if he were in power:' his anxiety, in either alternative, of retaining his command in the Mediterranean, or of returning to employment at home, seemed to be, to get all his known, tried, and experienced people around him. Addressing Dr. Scott, jocosely, as he generally did, and remarking on his knowledge of Spanish, and of Spanish affairs, he would exclaim, Ah, my dear Doctor! give me knowledge practically acquired experience! experience! experience! and practical men!' "In one of the early conferences with his Lordship, he told me he had been upwards of twenty months afloat, without putting a foot on shore; that he had made all his arrangements to return to England in about two months from the time he spoke; that the Superb, Captain Keats, would convey him home; that he was glad I had joined him; that he wished me to remain with him, and to return with him to England in the Autumn. His sentiments continued unaltered, in this respect, through September and part of October, when intelligence arrived of an approaching War with Spain. " "On the 1st of November he sent for me, after breakfast, and exclaimed, 'Oh, my good fellow! I have abandoned the idea of going to England, at present. I shall not go yet, and when I may go is quite uncertain-must depend upon events, and upon my own precarious health; at the same time, I am doing you an evident injustice, by detaining you here so long in uncertainty.' A little pause followed, and I commenced by saying, My Lord, if I could be of further use, I should prefer remaining in uncertainty with your Lordship, to Anticipating the remainder of my an swer, he turned upon me, abruptly, and exclaimed, "But my wish is that you should go, I am anxious that you should go, and go without further delay!' My Lord, I am ready to start at this moment's notice,' was my reply. From his short, sharp, emphatic manner, I was apprehensive I had given offence, and felt uneasy and embarrassed. Oh, not quite so soon as that! I shall want a day or two, at least,' he said, to prepare for you; but the point is settled, and being settled, we shall both know what to be at; I shall set to work accordingly, and forthwith. To tell you the truth, I am not entirely disinterested in this wish of mine. Go home; get confirmed in your appointment, according to my desire, and return to me as soon afterwards as you can. Should I retain my command in the Mediterranean, with the powers already conceded to me, I shall demand your re appointment, and require your assistance in Italy, Naples, Sicily, and in the Islands, and perhaps also in your former scenes of action to the Eastward, where there may be more occupation for us all hereafter than we just now foresee, or may expect. If, in the course of events, I should return to England, and realize my anticipations, you must let me see you at Merton as soon as you know of my arrival there. The Termagant Sloop will be going to Lisbon-she has had a long spell of service. I shall send you in her; you will find Captain Pettet a very worthy, agreeable companion. He has risen from humble origin by his own merits, with a little of my assistance; he has a family, too, to maintain from his pay. The papers and states of the Fleet, which had been accumulating for some time, he had intended to take home himself. I shall send them by you,' he said, 'together with my dispatches and letters.' He then gave me A the following letter, addressed to Mr. Chamberlain, the Agent at Lisbon. signal was made for the Termagant to move up to the Victory, and Captain Pettet, repaired on board; having received his instructions, and dined with the Admiral, we, shortly after dinner, took leave, and removed from the Victory to the Termagant. "Here a trifling incident occurred, illustrative of the character of Nelson, and of his modes of proceeding. After the death of Mr. Lock, at Malta, I found myself in charge of the Affairs, with a large outfit provided for the Levant. As soon as the message was transmitted to me in the Lazaretto at Malta, by Sir Alexander Ball, that I was to join Lord Nelson in the Fleet off Toulon, I began to consider what I could do that might prove useful or gratifying to Lord Nelson, and to his associates, who, I knew, were in want of Naval stores, and who had been during many months afloat, exposed to rough usage and privations, in a tedious blockade. These consisted of two large tierces of the finest English porter, in bottles, thirtysix dozen in each; tongues, Bayonne hams, and some India pickles, &c.; all of which I sent on board the Phoebe Frigate, as presents for the Victory. When Lord Nelson saw the packages, he exclaimed, What's all this lumber? What the devil have you got here ?' He seemed hurt at my explanation, 'Only a little ammunition for the Fleet, my Lord;' but directed them to be stowed away carefully; and be told old Gaetano, his Italian steward, to look well after them. Days and weeks passed away, without any of the porter or tongues or hams appearing, either on the Admiral's table, or in the Ward-room of the Victory. This seemed strange, but no remark was made. Soon after we got on board the Termagant, a boat arrived with a letter to Captain Pettet, and one to myself, of which I give the purport, if not the exact words, from memory:-'I have tasted and reserved some of your princely and delicious presents. Had we returned together in the Superb, these should have afforded consolation to all on board that Ship, on our homeward voyage. As our destinies are altered, I have taken the liberty of sending them to Captain Pettet, to whom they will prove highly acceptable; and before you have been long on board, I trust you will think with me, that they could not have been more worthily bestowed. I have added a few bottles of fine Marsala, lately sent me by Woodhouse from Sicily, that you may have the pleasure of drinking my health in my absence,' &c. &c. "Off Cadiz, we joined Admiral Sir John Orde, who, a martyr to the gout, was then in bed, and had not quitted his cabin since he left England, and could not see us, and I delivered to Captain Robinson the following letter to Mr. Chamberlain :] TO H. CHAMBERLAIN, ESQ., AGENT FOR THE PACKETS AT Victory, November 4th, 1804. Sir, Mr. Este has charge of my dispatches for the Admiralty, I have therefore to request that you will get him on board the first Packet bound for England. As no fever or ill health is in the Fleet, I hope the Termagant being directed not to communicate with Gibraltar, or any Ships who have had any communication, since the sickness, with that place, will not be |