General Brereton sent his damned intelligence from St. Lucia; nor would I have received it to have acted by it, but I was assured that his information was very correct. It has almost broke my heart, but I must not despair.

TO THE CAPTAINS OF ANY OF HIS MAJESTY'S SHIPS CRUISING OFF THE WESTERN ISLANDS, OR NOT PROCEEDING ON MORE IMPORTANT SERVICE.

Sir,

[From Clarke and M'Arthur, vol. ii. p. 414.]

17th June, 1805.

As I believe the Enemy's Fleet is bound to Europe, and it being very uncertain whether they will go to Ferrol or Cadiz, I beg leave most strongly to recommend your proceeding off Ferrol, with this information, to the Admiral commanding off that Port, in order that he may be upon his guard against a surprise from a superior force. I am, &c.

NELSON AND Bronte.

TO MAJOR-GENERAL VILLETTES, MALTA.

[From Clarke and M'Arthur, vol. ii. p. 415.]

My dear General,

18th June, 1805.

Unwell, and out of humour as I am by my disappointment, yet I will not let a letter go to Malta without writing you a line; and I am sure you will regret, with me, our old acquaintance Brereton's wrong information. Ball will show it to you, it could not be doubted, and, by following it, I lost the opportunity of fighting the Enemy. I am, &c. NELSON AND BRONTE.

TO HIS EXCELLENCY SIR JOHN ACTON, BART.

[From a Press copy in the possession of the Right Hon. John Wilson Croker.] Victory, June 18th, 1805-200 leagues North from Antigua.

My dear Sir John,

I am so far back on my way to the Mediterranean; for although I have not yet met the Enemy, I shall never allow them to get a superiority in the Mediterranean, so as to annoy Sicily, or the other Dominions of your good King. I am very, very unwell, and vexed. But for wrong information, I should have fought the Battle on June 6th. I send your Excellency an extract of a letter, giving an account of my trip. I feel I have done all that mortal man could do; therefore, I must try and be content. My countryman, Gravina, has hitherto had a narrow miss of meeting me. I believe he is an honourable man; but they say, in the West Indies, that he has been most rudely treated by the French at Martinico. What a race I have run after these fellows; but God is just, and I may be repaid for all my moments of anxiety. God bless you, my dear Sir John; and with every good wish, be assured I am ever your most faithful friend,

NELSON AND Bronte, I have wrote a line to the King, to say I am on my return to the Mediterranean.

TO WILLIAM MARSDEN, ESQ., ADMIRALTY.

[Autograph, in the possession of Mrs. Leake.]

My dear Sir,

Victory, June 18th, 1805-200 leagues from Antigua.

Pray send the inclosed. I am, as you may readily believe, very, very unhappy at not having got at the Enemy: they were missed by General Brereton's unlucky information; but I shall be close after them in Europe, and when I have housed them I shall certainly instantly return to England: I want rest. I am ever, my dear Sir, your most obliged friend,

NELSON AND BRONTE.

Admiral Gravina, was born at Naples in April 1747, and is said to have been a natural son of King Charles the Third. Nelson, from the honours and favours he had received from the King of the Two Sicilies, sometimes called his Majesty's subjects his countrymen.

TO HIS EXCELLENCY HUGH ELLIOT, ESQ.

[Autograph, in the Elliot Papers.]

Victory, June 18th, 1805-200 leagues North from Antigua.

My dear Sir,

I am so far on my way to the Mediterranean, and, I believe, following the French Fleet. You will lament the unfortunate intelligence from General Brereton, which led me a wrong road, or June 6th would have been a fighting day for me, and, I trust, a glorious one for our Country. However, I must not despair of getting up with them before they enter the Straits. At least, they will have no time to carry any of their future plans into execution, and do harm to any of the Countries under my charge. I send you a brief account of my trip to the West Indies, and General Brereton's intelligence, which was not, nor could be doubted. It has made me very sorrowful; but I feel that mortal man could not do more to serve my Country, and the common Cause more faithfully. Your son is very well, and improves every day in his profession: Captain Parker likes him very much. If I am able, I will write a line to either the good King or Queen; but if I do not, I beg you will present my humble duty; and believe me ever, my dear Sir, your most obliged and faithful servant,

NELSON AND BRONTE.

TO COMMISSIONER OTWAY, GIBRALTAR.

[From a Press-copy in the possession of the Right Hon. John Wilson Croker.]

My dear Commissioner,

Victory, June 18th, 1805.

I am sure that you who have always taken a lively interest in the success of this Fleet, will be sorry to find that we have not yet had our Battle, and much more so to find that it has been occasioned by wrong information. I send you the unfortunate information, and an extract of a letter giving a brief account of our West Indies trip. Cochrane had but just arrived from Jamaica, where Dacres' had kept all his Ships, except

Rear, afterwards Vice-Admiral James Richard Dacres, Commander-in-Chief at Jamaica. He is mentioned in vol. ii. pp. 334, 393; and a Memoir of his services may be found in the Naval Chronicle, vol. xxvi. He died in January 1810.

Spartiate, which I have brought with me; for I believe the Enemy's force to be fourteen French Sail of the Line, and one or two Spanish. The Diamond Rock was taken June 2nd, and, if our Merchants had not most imprudently sent away their Ships from Antigua on the night of the 7th, this would have been all the mischief that the Combined Fleets would have done by their expedition. We are as healthy as usual, and I hope you continue so at Gibraltar. You will be so good as to communicate our history to General Fox and Admiral Knight, and be assured I am, my dear Commissioner, your most obliged and faithful servant,

NELSON AND BRONTE.

Sir,

TO WILLIAM MARSDEN, ESQ., ADMIRALTY.

[From a Press-copy in the Croker Papers.]

Victory, June 19th, 1805.

I send you a report of a Vessel spoke, which, with the circumstances attending it, can leave me no room to doubt but that I am hard upon the heels of the Enemy's Fleet. In addition, Captain Parker reports to me that there was a note in the American's log, that they supposed them the French Fleet from Martinico. The Master was anxious to know if the French had taken Antigua, as he was bound there, and had traded to that Island many years. The remark of seeing this Fleet in the log of the Vessel, with the difference of the course the Master and Mate supposed the Fleet to be steering, satisfies my mind that there could be no intended deceit in the information, (which sometimes happens;) nor did the Vessel see our Fleet until she had been spoken by the Amazon. I think we cannot be more than eighty leagues from them at this moment, and by carrying every sail, and using my utmost efforts, I shall hope to close with them before they get to either Cadiz or Toulon- to accomplish which most desirable object, nothing shall be wanting on the part of, Sir, your most obedient servant,

NELSON AND Bronte.9

819th June. Noon. Decade and Martin parted."-Victory's Log.

9 The following was enclosed in the above letter; and a fuller Report is in p. 474, post:-"The Vessel Sally, of North Carolina, bound to Antigua, boarded on the

TO CAPTAIN KEATS, H. M. SHIP SUPERB.

My dear Keats,

[Autograph.]

Victory, June 19th, 1805.

I can offer you but little; for, to say the truth, I have been unlucky in not getting anything but a few sheep in the West Indies, of which I beg that you will accept one. I should be very glad to see you when the weather is such as to allow your Gig to pass; but we have been so far fortunate as not to get calms. As the Telegraph told you yesterday, a Fleet of Ships of War were seen on Saturday evening last, standing to the Northward. It was noted in the log of the day by Jonathan, or I should have doubted; and their supposition has noted that it was the French Fleet from Martinico. He wanted to know if they had taken Antigua, as he was bound there. I calculate that we cannot be more than eighty leagues from them; and I think they will keep well to the Southward of the Western Islands, to avoid being seen by our Cruizers. I am ever, my dear Keats, yours most faithfully,

NELSON AND Bronte. I think the Superb is improved in her sailing.

TO CAPTAIN SAMUEL SUTTON, H.M. SHIP AMPHION.

[Autograph, in the possession of Captain Ives Sutton.]

My dear Sutton,

Victory, June 20th, 1805. If we have little wind perhaps you will come on board. Your Gunner will be removed to the Donegal-he is spoken of as a very good man-therefore, he must have his stores ready for survey. I wish you had wrote a line in telegraph figures to Admiral Cochrane to say our information about the French Fleet. Many thanks for the papers. Ever, my dear Sutton, yours faithfully,

NELSON AND BRONTE.

17th June, 1805, by Captain Parker, H. M. S. Amazon, 17 days out, gave the following intelligence:- At 7 P.M., on Saturday evening last, saw about 22 Sail of large Ships steering, Master's account, N.N.E.; Mate's account, N.N.W., in latitude, on Saturday noon, 27° 28′, longitude, 60° 58′ W.-W. PARKER.' (A Copy.) NELSON AND BRONTE."-"17th June. P.M. At 3, the Amazon examined a Schooner; and on joining the Fleet, the Captain of the Ship was signalled on board the Victory."— Signal Log.