But, I have the letter which was wanted to the Prime Minister. never mind; with prudence, we shall do very well. wrote to Davison, by land: who, I am very sorry for; but, he never would take a friend's caution, and he has been severely bit. Your accounts of Merton delight me; and you will long ago have known that I have directed the bills for the alterations to be paid. I never could have intended to have taken it from the hundred pounds a month. You will not hear of my making Prize-money. I have not paid my expenses these last nine months. I shall expect to eat my Christmas dinner at Merton; unless those events happen which I can neither foresee nor prevent. I am not well: and must have rest, for a few months, even should the Country [want me], which, very likely, they will not. News, I can have none. April 9th, Leviathan sailed; so Government don't care much for us. Kiss my dear Horatia, for me! I hope you will have her at Merton; and believe me, &c., NELSON AND BRONTE. TO CAPTAIN PULTENEY MALCOLM, H. M. SHIP KENT. [Letter-Book.] Sir, Victory, at Sea, 1st July, 1804. Having thought proper to appoint Captain White to supersede you in the Kent, I am to desire that you will, immediately after taking command of the Renown, order the Kent to proceed to Salerno, for the purpose of receiving on board the sixty head of bullocks (or more if they can be stowed, for the use of the Fleet) from Mr. Thomas Warrington, with hay sufficient to last them during the passage, as mentioned in my letter to you, dated the 12th ultimo, by which you will govern yourself, in the payment of the said sixty bullocks &c., and also the other forty bullocks from Mr. Warrington, either when the Renown leaves Naples, or by such Vessel, as I may judge proper to send for them. I have to observe, for your information, that the twenty coils of rope sent by the Termagant, run upwards of six hundred fathoms short, Vide vol. v. p. 143. and it is perfectly clear that none has been cut off, as the mark of the hooks is distinctly seen on each end of the rope. A survey has been ordered upon the said rope; and if it is practicable, the reports will be sent to you. At any rate, it will become necessary to state this uncommon deficiency to Mr. James, that an equal quantity may be sent in lieu, and that every inch on board the Kent which may have been received from him, is measured most strictly, before your Boatswain grants receipts for it. You will consider the Renown as employed on the same service as Kent, and remain at Naples with her until you shall be relieved, or receive further directions, as mentioned in my order to you, dated the 26th April last. I am, &c. my NELSON AND Bronte. TO NATHANIEL TAYLOR, ESQ., MALTA. [Letter-Book.] Victory, at Sea, 1st July, 1804. Sir, I have received your letter of the 28th May, acquainting me that it would be necessary to make some purchases of stores, to complete the Niger; in answer thereto, I must desire you will send me an account of the stores, which it may be found necessary to purchase on the above occasion, approved of in the manner mentioned in my letter to you of the 18th ultimo, and continue to do so on all future occasions, where purchases may become absolutely necessary. With respect to lodgings for the Artificers, the Senior Officer can have nothing at all to do with it. You must, therefore, write to the Navy Board on the subject. I am, &c. NELSON AND Bronte, TO CAPTAIN DONNELLY, H. M. SHIP NARCISSUS. [Autograph, formerly in the possession of the late Adam Bromilow, Esq.] My dear Sir, Victory, July 2nd, 1804. I believe your orders are to cruise or anchor, as you may judge best for carrying on the service entrusted to you; therefore, you will act as you see best. Your Boats can be inside, at night, in moderate weather, and in day-time you can work between the Islands; but I should wish you not to be out of the reach of the Fleet in case Monsieur La Touche should come out of his nest. I am obliged by your accounts of Hières Bay. When our Fleets occupied it, the Islands were not fortified. The Enemy, I am sure, want to get some small Ships of War to the Eastward, probably for the invasion of Sardinia; and by disappointment for some time, I think the Fleet will be ordered out to fight close to Toulon, that they may get their crippled Ships in again, and that we must then quit the Coast to repair our damages, and thus have the Coast clear; but my mind is fixed not to fight them, unless with a Westerly wind, outside the Hières, and, with an Easterly wind, to the Westward of Sicie. I am sure, one of these days they will come out; for, besides their degradation to all Europe, Marseilles must suffer for want of her usual commerce. I have only again to repeat, that you will keep under sail, or anchor, as you please; and I am sure you will always be upon your guard against a surprise from a superior force. We have nothing new. Algiers is rather better than it was, but not quite so well as we could wish. Phoebe not joined. With my best regards to all your Squadron, be assured, I am ever, my dear Sir, yours most faithfully, NELSON AND Bronte. TO HIS EXCELLENCY HUGH ELLIOT, ESQ. [Autograph, in the Elliot Papers.] Private. Victory, July 7th, 1804. My dear Sir, Your son William is on board the Amazon, and, I am sure, very happily placed with his money, &c. &c. She is one of the Squadron stationed in Hieres Bay, which, for a few weeks in summer, will stop all their Coasting trade. We have nothing but incessant gales of wind, and I am absolutely worn From Gantheaume's having hoisted his Flag at Brest, I have no doubt but that an attempt will be made to get out. a superiority of force into the Mediterranean. However, our force is diminishing daily. Kent, Renown, and Gibraltar are gone for any further use; Superb and Triumph must go. Several of the Ships want to go into Port to refit; and if I was to do as they do in the Channel, I have not, by that mode of judging, four Sail fit to keep the sea. I absolutely keep them out by management; but the time must come when we shall break up, unless the new Admiralty act very differently from the old, and send out six Sail of the Line, and fifteen Frigates and Sloops; and I do not believe that the late Admiralty have left them one to send. But I must not indulge these thoughts, or I should say much more; but I pay it off with thinking. I am ever, my dear Sir, yours most faithfully, NELSON AND BRONTE. With respect to the Queen's writing to this Minister or that, whether Addington or Pitt, it cannot matter. It depends upon her Majesty's feelings towards the best friend she ever had, and Lady Hamilton has had opportunities of serving her Country which can fall to the lot of very few; and therefore has those claims for personal services which, as I said before, few can have. As Sir William's wife, I believe (indeed am sure) they will give her not one farthing. TO HIS EXCELLENCY HUGH ELLIOT, ESQ. [Autograph, in the Elliot Papers.] My dear Sir, Victory, July 8th, 1804. I was honoured by the Termagant with your Excellency's letter of June 15th. If Russia goes to war with France, I hope it will be her own War, and not joined with us. Such Alliances have never benefited our Country. If the Emperor of Germany joins against France, something good may arise. If not, Russia's going to war in the way I am sure she will, will cause the loss of Naples and Sardinia; for that Court will not send 100,000 men into Italy, and less are useless for any grand purpose. No; Russia will take care of the Ionian Republic, the Morea, and, in the end, Constantinople. The views of Russia are perfectly clear. The French Navy is daily increasing, both at Toulon and Brest, whilst ours is as clearly going down-hill. It will require all Lord Melville's abilities to get our Fleet a-head of that of the French. We made use of the Peace, not to recruit our Navy, but to be the cause of its ruin. Nothing but a speedy Battle, a complete annihilation of the Enemy's Fleets, and a seven years' Peace, can get our Fleet in the order it ought to be; therefore I, for one, do not wish to be shackled with Allies. I am for assisting Europe to the utmost of our power, but no Treaties, which England only keeps. I hope, my dear Sir, your next letters from Naples will give me news to alter my opinion of degenerate Europe; for I am sick at heart at the miserable cringing conduct of the great Powers. But I have done. I wish Acton had followed your advice; but being once gone, will he ever be able to come back again? Not without Naples is actually at War. What could have had no ill effects to resist, may, by bringing Acton back again, cause a War, or rather a pretence for taking Naples; but I am no politician, and have done. I have had nothing from England since April 5th; and if we did not get the French papers, we should be left in total ignorance. The Fleet is as healthy as usual; but if the Admiralty do not very largely reinforce this Fleet, so as to enable me to send some Ships home, and others into Port to refit, it cannot be kept at sea another winter. I am ever, with the greatest respect, your Excellency's most obedient servant, NELSON AND BRONTE. TO CAPTAIN DONNELLY, H. M. SHIP NARCISSUS. [Autograph, formerly in the possession of the late Adam Bromilow, Esq.] Victory, July 8th, 1804. My dear Sir, I send the Seahorse to relieve the Amazon, who must go for water, but before she goes I would have her complete the Thunder-Bomb, (if she has as much on board.) have no immediate prospect of doing much where you are, If you |