care, live yet to do good service to the State. My cough is very bad; and my side, where I was struck on the 14th of February, is very much swelled; at times, a lump as large as my fist, brought on occasionally by violent coughing; but I hope and believe my lungs are yet safe. Sir William Bolton is just arrived from Malta. I am preparing to send him a cruise, where he will have the best chance I can give him of making ten thousand pounds. He is a very attentive, good, young man. I have not heard from Naples this age. I have, in fact, no Small Craft to send for news. If I am soon to go home, I shall be with you before this letter. . . . . As our means of communicating are cut off, I have only to beg you will not believe the idle rumours of Battles, &c. . . . . TO COMMISSIONER OTWAY, GIBRALTAR. [Autograph, in the possession of Rear Admiral Inglefield, C.B.] Victory, November 24th, 1804. My dear Sir, Yesterday the Childers brought me your letter of the 5th, and I have dispatched her to Gibraltar; for I have not heard from that place since October 22nd. I had then a letter from one of the great men of the Rock-Joe King. He says all the Clerks except one are dead; that he is fatigued with burying the dead; and that they are all much obliged by Mr. Pownall's attention. I therefore am anxious to hear that even the Rock is in our possession. I send Mr. Jones, Boatswain of the Victory. He is an invaluable man; and should you want a Builder, I can say as much, or more, for Mr. Bunce, Carpenter of the Victory. Nature, I am sure, has fitted him for such a place. Keats dines here to-day, and I will see if he chooses to send his man, which I thought he had arranged with you, when with the Fleet. You are so attentive to all our wants, that I am sure you will very soon procure canvas for us. Captain 5 Boatswain of the Dock Yard at Gibraltar. Vide vol. i. P. 257. • Mr. Edward Pownall, the Naval Officer at Gibraltar. Hardy has a mizen-topsail made of Neapolitan canvas. It has been five months in wear, and as we have the custom of laying-to with that sail, it has had much wear, and we find it very excellent, and far preferable to English canvas; for as there is no gum or size to fill up the pores, it does not mildew. Captain Hardy desires me to say that our top-lining is of Neapolitan canvas, which bears the beating much better than the harsh English canvas. I fear Mr. James, at Naples has not been latterly so correct in the materials for making beds; but none of these people can be trusted. Will you write about Mr. Lawson to the Navy Board? He must consider that he cannot be an Agent, if appointed Master-Attendant. I never saw Mr. Eaton, but my opinion of him was formed some years ago; and from all I hear, I have no reason to alter it. He is, as Burke said of a noble Marquis, a giant in promises, a pigmy in performances.' I have repeatedly wrote to the Navy Board about Muster-paper. How can they expect the regular Monthly Books? But I will renew the application, although, in general, they attend more to a Brother Commissioner than a Sailor-man. I much fear, my dear Commissioner, that I did not pay you all that attention that I wished. Our weather was bad, and I had you not on board the Victory, (although our friend took more real care of you than I could,) which was wrong. We have a report of three Spanish Frigates being off Cape de Gatte. I have sent Hallowell to take them, with Fisgard and Niger; and if the report is true, he will do it. I congratulate you upon your very fortunate escape from Gibraltar; and that good fortune in every other way may equally attend you, is the very sincere wish of, my dear Sir, your much obliged, NELSON AND BRONTE. The Schooner, with the Boatswain, and working foreman of the Blacksmiths, will go to Malta in a few days. TO SIR ALEXANDER JOHN BALL, BART. [Autograph, in the possession of Sir William Keith Ball, Bart.] Most Secret. My dear Ball, Victory, November 25th, 1804. A Lieutenant, late of the Bittern, who came down in the Childers, told me, that in the Mouth of the Adriatic they fell in with the Algerine Fleet, consisting of three Frigates and nine Corvettes; but as Captain Corbet has not mentioned it, I should almost doubt it, but from the circumstantial account Lieutenant Nicholas' gave. Now, if this is really so, I should like to know it, and if they are still at sea, for I have the very greatest inclination, if I could lay my hands upon the whole Fleet, to way-lay them, for they have, in my opinion, insulted us beyond what we ought to have suffered. I never would have given up a single point, for it only encourages them in their more insolent demands. But if you can tell me that his Cruizers have this year taken a single Maltese Vessel, I will try and take or destroy his whole Fleet, for I can stretch over to the Coast of Barbary, between Tunis and Algiers; but I will not strike unless I can hit him hard, for I would sooner allow two or three of his small Cruizers to pass unmolested than to give the scoundrel an idea of my intentions. All or none, is my motto. I shall send the Schooner in a few days; this SetteeR is the Majorca Packet, and sails very fast. She would be, I should think, a more effectual Vessel for taking the small Privateers upon the Coast of Sicily than any of the Schooners, and would, with very little expense, make a proper Malta Government Vessel. I am ever, my dear Ball, most faithfully yours, NELSON AND BRONTE. Capel thinks the French Fleet is upon the point of sailing from Toulon. I am ready for them. Vide p. 199, ante. • A Spanish Settee, which was captured by the Prize Schooner Bona Adventura, a few days before. Sir, TO WILLIAM MARSDEN, ESQ., ADMIRALTY. [Original, in the Admiralty.] Victory, at Sea, 26th November, 1804. Having, in my letter of the 20th instant, acquainted you, for the information of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, that the Squadron under my command had detained the Spanish Schooner Ventura, which appeared in every respect well calculated for the service of this Country, you will please to acquaint their Lordships that as Vessels of her description are particularly wanted for the service of Malta, I have ordered her to be commissioned, and placed under the immediate direction of Sir Alexander Ball; and as Officers who have been employed in such Vessels are best calculated to command them, I have, at his own request, and the particular recommendation of Captain Sotheron, appointed Lieutenant Edward Giles,' of the Excellent, who has been on this kind of service before; and have given Mr. Andrew Reddie,' of the Victory, an order to act as Lieutenant of the Excellent, in his room. I herewith transmit you copies of the said Acting Orders, which I request you will be so good as to lay before the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty for their information, and move their Lordships to confirm them. am, &c. NELSON AND Bronte. I TO COMMISSIONER OTWAY, GIBRALTAR. [Autograph, in the possession of Rear-Admiral Inglefield, C.B.] My dear Sir, Victory, December 1st, 1804. The Schooner is far too heavily gunned; therefore I beg the four eight-pounders may be taken from her, and if her barricado could be nearly all taken away, she would be much better for the service she is destined for, of sailing and rowing. When you get supplies of copper, I would have her Lieutenant Edward Giles obtained that rank in March 1799, became a Retired Commander in December 1830, and died about 1842. 1 Mr. Andrew Reddie died a Lieutenant between 1809 and 1814. coppered, or she would require a clean tallowed bottom every six weeks. Hallowell has not been very fortunate. Tigre, Fisgard, and Niger have taken, in toto, about £20,000. Admiral Campbell has been very unwell, but is better. I hope Malta agrees with you. Nothing from England for seventytwo days! I am, my dear Sir, ever your most obliged, humble servant, NELSON AND Bronte. Sir, TO WILLIAM MARSDEN, ESQ., ADMIRALTY. [Original, in the Admiralty.] Victory, at Sea, 1st December, 1804. I herewith transmit you the copy of a letter from Captain Corbet, of his Majesty's Sloop Bittern, together with the one therein alluded to, addressed to Captain Cracraft, of the Anson, giving an account of the capture of a small Privateer, mounting one gun, by the Boats of the said Sloop, on the Coast of Ragusa, which you will please to lay before the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty for their information. I am concerned to observe that piracy is so much sanctioned in these seas by the Neutral Powers, which nothing but the strongest remonstrances can prevent. I am, Sir, &c. NELSON AND BRONTE. TO CAPTAIN KEATS, H.M. SHIP SUPERB. [Autograph, in the possession of the Rev. Richard Keats.] My dear Sir, Victory, December 3rd, 1804. I suppose, by the arrival of Sir John Orde2 in our vicinity, that I may very soon be your troublesome guest; therefore, that I may not hurry your Ship too much, I shall, with your leave, send some of my wine to the Superb this morning— fourteen casks, and about eleven or twelve cases; but, my * Vice-Admiral Sir John Orde, who has been frequently mentioned, was appointed Commander-in-Chief of a Squadron off Cadiz, which station had previously formed part of Lord Nelson's command, in October 1804. * Lord Nelson intended to return to England in the Superb. |