(if nobody else does) of my own conduct, in acting as I have done. We know the success of a man's measures is the criterion by which we judge of the wisdom or folly of his measures. I have done my best. I feel I have done right; and should Ministers think otherwise, they must get somebody else of more wisdom; for greater zeal I will turn my back on no man. The following are the circumstances which made me form my opinion; and the situation in which I found Egypt, warrants the judgment I had formed. On these points it is fair to judge me, and not upon what it is now known the French Fleet have done. The winds had blown from N.E. to S.E. for a fortnight before they sailed; therefore, it was fair to presume they were not bound to the Westward. On the 17th, they came out of Toulon with gentle breezes at N.N.W., and lay between [Giens?] and the Hieres Islands till the gale set in on the 18th, in the afternoon. Had they been bound to Naples, it would have been better for them to have gone to the Eastward, along their own Coast in fine weather, with friendly ports open to them. If Cagliari was their object, although I think of very great importance, yet their Fleet ran the risk of a Battle, and the event, I fancy, they hardly doubt. Almost as much might be said of Sicily; for if the French Army took Naples, the King would, I think, subscribe to such terms as Buonaparte would dictate however, I did not choose to run that risk, but assured myself they had neither gone to Sardinia, Naples, nor Sicily. The French sailed with a strong gale at N.W. and N.N.W., steering South or S. W., on the 19th. One of their Ships put into Ajaccio, crippled. On the 21st, Boyle saw a French Frigate off the South end of Sardinia, probably looking for stragglers; they might have been crippled and dispersed in the very heavy gale in which they left their own shore. On the 25th, I was off Cagliari; on the 30th, the Seahorse joined from Naples; the same day, I passed the Faro. On the 2nd of February, was off the Morea; on the 7th, was off Alexandria, where we found three Turkish Frigates, not more than 300 bad soldiers, and, in short, not the least probability of making a defence had they been so inclined; but 600 Troops would, without any difficulty, have taken the place. The Consul told Captain Hallowell, that, taking us for the French Fleet, the Governor : and Capitan Bey gave all up for lost. The Frigates intended to fire their guns. The works are precisely in the state we left them, and one week's work of the French would make it as strong as ever. The Turks and Mamelukes are at war in Upper Egypt; and the Albanians have left the Mamelukes, who would not pay them, and are now with the Turks. These Troops would certainly join, (at least, the greater number,) the French Army. Thus, the Mamelukes for their friends, (at least for the moment,) no Turkish Army which would oppose them-Cairo would fall as easily as Alexandria; and I calculate the French, with the junction of part of the Albanians, would, within a week, have an Army of 13,000 men; and we know there would be no difficulty for single Polaccas to sail from the shores of Italy with 300 or 400 men in each, (single Ships;) and that, in the Northerly winds, they would have a fair chance of not being seen, and even if seen, not be overtaken by the Russian Ships. Thus, 20,000 men would be fixed again in Egypt, with the whole people in their favour. Who would turn them out? Therefore, from the whole which I know, I have not a shade of doubt, but that Egypt was the original destination of the Toulon Fleet, when they sailed January 17th, 1805. You are tired of my reasoning; but I naturally am anxious that my friends should see fairly before them what has guided my proceedings; and, be I right or wrong, I have acted to the best of my judgment; and I am ever, my dear Ball, yours most faithfully, NELSON AND Bronte. TO WILLIAM MARSDEN, ESQ., ADMIRALTY. [Original, in the Admiralty, and Autograph Draught in the possession of Mrs. Hogarth, of Yarmouth.] Sir, Victory, off the West End of Candia, February 12th, 1805. In addition to my letter of January 29th, off the Faro of Messina, I have to inform you, that on the 31st, the Seahorse joined me from Naples, at which place they had not heard of the Enemy's having sailed from Toulon. The same day, having detached the Seahorse, Hydra, Active, Bittern, Morgiana, and Termagant in all directions from Tunis to Toulon, both on the Italian shore, and to the Westward of Sardinia, the Fleet beat through the Faro-a thing unprecedented in nautical history; but although the danger from the rapidity of the current was great, yet so was the object of my pursuit; and I relied with confidence on the zeal and ability of the Fleet under my command. In the evening, I sent the Phoebe to Coron in the Morea for information, and on the 2nd of February, I was off the Morea; but no intelligence could be obtained of the French Fleet: but the Pacha told Captain Capel that the French Ambassador had left Constantinople on the 17th or 18th January. On February 7th, I was off Alexandria; and from the information I received from the Pro-Consul, Mr. Briggs, there can be no doubt but six hundred men would, without assist ance, occupy Alexandria. Three Turkish Frigates were in the Port, and not more than 300 bad Troops in the Town; indeed, nothing was less thought of than any resistance. The fortifications were precisely as left them by the British Army. Mr. Briggs further informed me, that the War still continued in Upper Egypt between the Turks and Mamelukes; that the former were in possession of Cairo, as the Albanians had left the Mamelukes, (they being no longer able to pay them,) and joined the Turks; and that Elfi Bey and Osman Bey had united together. From this information, with the knowledge that Lesseps, the French Consul in Egypt, had repeatedly told the Mamelukes, Whenever you want five thousand men to assist you, let me know, and in thirty days, the First Consul will land them in Egypt;' and when I take into consideration the importance of Egypt to France, and the injury we should sustain by her possessing that Country, I have not the smallest doubt but that the destination of the French Armament which left Toulon the 17th, and the Coast of France the 18th January, was Alexandria; and, under all the circumstances which I have stated, I trust their Lordships will approve of my having gone to Egypt in search of the French Fleet. I am, Sir, &c., NELSON AND BRONTE. TO VISCOUNT MELVILLE, FIRST LORD OF THE ADMIRALTY. [From Clarke and M'Arthur, vol. ii. p. 396.] 14th February, 1805. Feeling, as I do, that I am entirely responsible to my King and Country for the whole of my conduct, I find no difficulty at this moment, when I am so unhappy at not finding the French Fleet, nor having obtained the smallest information where they are, to lay before you the whole of the reasons which induced me to pursue the line of conduct I have done. I have consulted no man, therefore the whole blame of ignorance in forming my judgment must rest with me. I would allow no man to take from me an atom of my glory, had I fallen in with the French Fleet, nor do I desire any man to partake of any of the responsibility—all is mine, right or wrong. Therefore, I shall now state my reasons, after seeing that Sardinia, Naples, and Sicily were safe, for believing that Egypt was the destination of the French Fleet; and at this moment of sorrow, I still feel that I have acted right. 1. The wind had blown from N.E. to S.E. for fourteen days before they sailed; therefore they might without difficulty have gone to the Westward. 2. They came out with gentle breezes at N.W. and N.N.W. Had they been bound to Naples, the most natural thing for them to have done would have been to run along their own shore to the Eastward, where they would have had Ports every twenty leagues of Coast to take shelter in. 3. They bore away in the evening of the 18th, with a strong gale at N. W. or N.N.W. steering S. or S. b W. It blew so hard that the Seahorse went more than thirteen knots an hour, to get out of their way. Desirable as Sardinia' is for them, they could get it without risking their Fleet, although certainly not so quickly as by attacking Cagliari . . . . . however, I left nothing to chance in that respect, and therefore went off Cagliari.... Having afterwards gone to Sicily, both to Palermo and Messina, and thereby given encouragement for a defence, and knowing all was safe "In a letter to Mr. Consul Magnon, Lord Nelson gave it as his opinion, that if the weather had been fine, he should have fallen in with the French Fleet off e Island of Toro."-Clarke and M'Arthur, vol. ii. p. 396. at Naples, I had only the Morea and Egypt to look to: for although I knew one of the French Ships was crippled, yet I considered the character of Buonaparte; and that the orders given by him, on the banks of the Seine, would not take into consideration winds or weather; nor indeed could the accident of even three or four Ships alter, in my opinion, a destination of importance: therefore such an accident did not weigh in my mind, and I went first to the Morea, and then to Egypt. The result of my inquiries at Coron and Alexandria confirm me in my former opinion; and therefore, my Lord, if my obstinacy or ignorance is so gross, I should be the first to recommend your superseding me; but, on the contrary, if, as I flatter myself, it should be found that my ideas of the probable destination of the French Fleet were well founded, in the opinion of his Majesty's Ministers, then I shall hope for the consolation of having my conduct approved by his Majesty; who will, I am sure, weigh my whole proceedings in the scale of justice. The Pacha of Coron informed me, that the French Ambassador was to leave Constantinople on the 17th or 18th of January, which tallying with the sailing of the French Fleet, might probably be a plan of Buonaparte not to subject himself to the charge of invading the Country of a friendly Power, as the French Government had been charged with, when he went before to Egypt. I am, &c. NELSON AND Bronte. Sir, TO WILLIAM MARSDEN, ESQ., ADMIRALTY. [Original in the Admiralty.] Victory, at Sea, 18th February, 1805. It being six years in April next since His Majesty's Ship Royal Sovereign was coppered, and it being extremely foul and worn off in many parts, I request you will be pleased to communicate the same to the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, and acquaint them that she has very much retarded the Squadron in its pursuit of the Enemy to Alexandria. I therefore submit to their Lordships the propriety of ordering her to England, and replacing her with |