at sea will cure all our complaints, which, that it may very soon do, is the sincere wish of, my dear Lord, your most faithful, NELSON AND Bronte. Mr. Fulton, who has been recommended to you and myself by poor Locker, has just been with me. He is Acting-Purser of the Gibraltar, in the room of Mr. Grant; and requests me to intercede with your Lordship that in case Mr. Grant does not come out, he may be confirmed for her. Sir, TO SIR EVAN NEPEAN, BART., ADMIRALTY. [Original, in the Admiralty.] Amphion, off Toulon, 12th July, 1803. Several Prisoners having been sent to Malta in the French Prizes captured by his Majesty's Ships and Vessels on this Station, and put in quarantine in Valette harbour, and there being no Commissary or person at that place authorized by Government to take charge of such Prisoners, or to supply them with provisions, you will please to acquaint the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, that I have appointed a Mr. Chapman to act as Commissary of Prisoners till some person shall be appointed from England, or he receives further orders from me, which I hope will meet their Lordships' approbation. This gentleman (who I have not seen) belonged to the Secretary of State's Office, and was sent to Malta by Lord Hobart, to act pro tempore as Secretary to the Civil Commissioner, and is recommended to me by Sir Alexander Ball. I am, &c. NELSON AND BRONTE. Sir, TO SIR EVAN NEPEAN, BART., ADMIRALTY. [Original, in the Admiralty.] Amphion, off Toulon, 12th July, 1803. Inclosed is an extract of a Memorandum, sent by RearAdmiral Sir Richard Bickerton to Malta, (who is gone to that place to make good the defects of the Kent,) for the raising five hundred Maltese for his Majesty's Navy. The bounty His old friend, Commodore Locker. to be given is left blank for the Rear-Admiral (after he has consulted with Sir Alexander Ball on the subject) to determine. I am, therefore, to request you will please to lay the inclosure above-mentioned before the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty for their consideration; and if they approve thereof, that directions may be given for the payment and due execution thereof accordingly. I am, Sir, &c. NELSON AND BRONTE. Sir, TO SIR EVAN NEPEAN, BART, ADMIRALTY. [Letter-Book.] Amphion, off Toulon, 12th July, 1803. A number of Midshipmen belonging to his Majesty's Ships and Vessels under my command, who have served their time, and are desirous to pass for Lieutenants, have requested my permission to go to England for that purpose, in order that they may be in the way of promotion. You will be pleased to acquaint their Lordships, that I have not thought proper to comply with their request, until I shall be informed whether this regulation is to be considered in force, and whether those Midshipmen who have served their time, and are desirous to pass for Lieutenants, shall be discharged from their Ships, and sent to England to pass their examination accordingly. I beg, with due deference, to observe to their Lordships the great hardship and inconvenience which this measure subjects the Midshipmen to, and may be attended with great disadvantage to his Majesty's Service in these seas. I am, Sir, &c., NELSON AND BRONTE. TO ADMIRAL THE EARL OF ST. VINCENT, K.B. [Autograph, in the possession of Vice-Admiral Sir William Parker, Bart., G.C.B.] Off Toulon, July 13th, 1803. My dear Lord, The Monmouth and Agincourt are certainly, for the men they have, most extraordinarily well-manned Ships; but, in point of sailing, the Britannia was, in her last days, a flyer compared to them. I verily believe, that a French Seventyfour, main-topsail to the mast, would beat them in turning to windward; but their men would be a sufficient number, filled up with landsmen, to man a Three-decker: therefore, if the Admiralty direct particular Ships to be sent home, when others are sent out, I hope these two will be amongst the first. When a Winter's cruize comes, they never can keep company with the Squadron. Ever, my dear Lord, yours faithfully, NELSON AND Bronte. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE HENRY ADDINGTON. [From Clarke and M'Arthur, vol. ii. p. 320.] Off Toulon, 16th July, 1803. I send you some Papers relative to, and some Letters from, Odessa, a Russian Port in the Black Sea, of which the Duke de Richelieu is Governor. You will know much better than I can tell you, how this emigrant Duke has been courted by Buonaparte through his Minister in Russia. We must recollect that he is a Frenchman, and his ultimate views probably turn in getting back some of his estates in France. It appears odd it should so happen, that a Frenchman should be appointed Governor of a place where the French are to have so much intercourse. From all I have heard before I left England, I cannot help thinking that Russia and France understand each other about the Turkish Dominions. If so, Egypt will be the price; this Mr. Bourgoin is a very clever fellow, and knows his business; I take him to be nephew to the Minister who was in Denmark. The French trade in the Levant did not answer in the Peace;-all the letters I have say so (more than 100), and many houses in Marseilles have stopped payment. Forgive my suggestions, but they will naturally obtrude themselves, I meant merely to send the Papers. I am, &c., NELSON AND Bronte. TO CAPTAIN JAMES HILLYAR,' H. M. SHIP NIGER. [Order Book.] Amphion, off Toulon, 20th July, 1803. You are hereby required and directed to proceed immediately with his Majesty's Ship Niger under your command towards Genoa and Leghorn, and endeavour by every means in your power, to ascertain the number of Troops that are collected at those places, and in their vicinity, and whether there are any Vessels assembling for their embarkation. You are also to use your utmost endeavours to obtain such intelligence of the Enemy's movements and intentions, as you may judge necessary for my information. You are also to endeavour to find out whether the Hannibal or any French Frigates are in the harbours of Genoa, Leghorn, Porto Ferraio, or St. Fiorenzo. Having so done, you are to return and join me on my Rendezvous off this place, in fourteen or sixteen days from the time you shall leave the Fleet on the above service. NELSON AND BRONTE. TO ADMIRAL THE EARL OF ST. VINCENT, K.B. [Autograph, in the possession of Vice-Admiral Sir William Parker, Bart., G.C.B.] My dear Lord, Amphion, July 21st, 1803. As the Medusa is going to Gibraltar, and to look out to the Westward of the Straits, I send my letters to take their chance of a conveyance to England. It is not in my power to send any Line of Battle Ships to the Westward, for your Lordship will know that I am endeavouring to keep the generality of them patched up for the service here. The strength of the N.W. gales does not seem to have diminished since we were here last. I expect Victory about the end of the month, for less than a three weeks' passage from Malta is not to be expected at this season. The Redbridge Schooner I ordered to sail July 1st, and she is not arrived: Lieutenant is, I believe, a very bad tool, besides, to work with. 1 Afterwards Rear-Admiral Sir James Hillyar, K.C.B., K.C.H.: he died in July 1843. I am keeping the Fleet West from Cape Sicie from ten to fifteen leagues, to intercept anything which may come from the Westward, and two Frigates are off the Harbour. Ever, my dear Lord, wishing you health and comfort, I am your most faithful servant, NELSON AND BRONTE. I do not think the Toulon Squadron will move till joined by something from Brest. TO CAPTAIN JOHN GORE, H.M. SHIP MEDUSA. [Order-Book.] Amphion, off Toulon, 21st July, 1803. Whereas there is reason to believe that a Squadron of the Enemy's Ships of War are coming from the West Indies or from Brest, to join the Fleet in Toulon; You are, therefore, hereby required and directed to take your route from Cape Spartel towards Madeira, from thence to Cape St. Vincent, and to Cape Spartel, and to use every possible endeavour to gain such intelligence of the Enemy's movements and intentions as you may judge necessary for my information, which you are to forward to me by a Sloop of War from Gibraltar; but should you fall in with an Enemy's Squadron steering for the Mediterranean, you are in that case to join me on my Rendezvous off Toulon without a moment's loss of time, sending a Boat into Gibraltar to acquaint any of the Squadron which may be there with such information, that if of the Line they may join me immediately. You are to continue on this service till further orders, returning to Gibraltar at the expiration of six weeks from the time of your leaving Cape Spartel, if you should not have gained any information which might make it necessary for my being acquainted with it before that time. NELSON AND BRONTE. |