this place; but shall use every means in my power of obtaining a knowledge thereof, which shall be transmitted to you for their Lordships' information accordingly. I am, &c., NELSON AND Bronte. TO HIS EXCELLENCY HUGH ELLIOT, ESQ., NAPLES. [Autograph, in the Elliot Papers.] My dear Sir, Victory, September 2nd, 1803. I have no small Vessels on this station: therefore I have no means of sending you any account of ourselves. We are here buffeting the winds and waves, expecting one of these days that the French will put to sea. I only wish I could know to a certainty where they are bound. I think either to the Westward, or they will make a push at Messina, and as winter approaches, we can be sure of nothing in so short a run. You know from Colonel Lyard and Sir Alexander Ball, and General Villettes, the state of the fortifications at Messina, and the total neglect of every means for the defence of the place. Was any English Governor so notoriously to neglect his duty (unless he is ordered to resign to the Enemy) he would lose his head. Instead of the sixteen Gun-boats being ready to act, and exercising every day in the Straits, they have not a man belonging to them; and from being hauled up upon the shore, and exposed to the sun, are so much out of repair, that it would take an age to prepare them for service. The Governor says, that he is ordered to make no show of preparing for defence. If that is so, I have done. The French will soon be there. Surely, the best mode of keeping an Enemy out, is to convince him that you have both the means and the inclination; and from the accounts sent me from Messina, there are neither means nor inclination to prevent the French possessing themselves of it any day. They have Privateers enough at Messina, and in Sicily, to carry men enough, where no resistance can be intended. These conclusions are drawn from the information sent me. I can know nothing of my own knowledge. General Villettes also writes me, that the French are advanced to Cotrone, and that is further than they were before, and of course contrary to their promises. But I have done my duty in representing these matters, and it remains only for me to lament that it is of no avail. Does Naples trust to Russia? I sincerely hope that Russia will go to War to defend her; but even supposing that to be the case, would not Russia be better pleased to see exertions, instead of supineness? and, I am sure, that John Bull would go any length to secure those who have spirit enough to resist the French yoke. If General Vial goes to Messina, I do not expect it will belong to Naples all this month. He will send [query, say] to the General-only send 500 men. Would the Neapolitan Troops fire upon them? I say, No: for if they did, they would know that their King, and the whole Kingdom of Naples, would be lost. I said before that I never would mention Sicily again; but my heart bleeds to hear what I do from Messina; and, as sure as you live, it is lost, unless other means are taken to prevent it than are followed at present. I send you the Gibraltar, Captain Ryves, to take the Monmouth's station. If a Ship is not wanted absolutely at Naples, you will be so good as to tell Captain Ryves so in writing, that he may join me; for I have no force to spare for idleness. If it is necessary to secure the safety of the Royal Family, then it is doubly necessary to secure them a place of retreat, and Sicily will be gone if the French get to Messina. What can prevent their sending 50,000 men, if necessary, into Sicily? Then the good Sovereigns are slaves, and God only knows what else may happen. Sardinia is on the eve of being invaded, and although all the people know it there, yet no step is taken to prevent them. However, I will not trouble you with other people's concerns; I shall write to Mr. Jackson. With respect to the Barbary States, I have received such an instruction from England, that I can decide nothing about Algiers till Mr. Falcon comes up; and I fear it will turn out that his story is not quite correct. If so, it alters the whole face of the VOL. V. 4 Minister at the Court of Sardinia. matter. I am instructed to inquire into the circumstances, and if his report is well-founded, to insist on his being received again. Now it turns out, that after the Dey's rage was over, and before Mr. Falcon sailed, the Dey wished him to remain. The Dey has since quarrelled with the French: therefore, it is our interest to keep well with him. Respecting the Maltese passports, our Government should give them our Cut, and then the Barbary States would have no excuse for taking the poor people. However, I shall endeavour to do all in my power. My station is here; and here I shall remain till the French come out, if it is a year, provided our Ships are not worn out. I can readily conceive Sir John Acton's feelings. I shall write him a line, and I beg of your Excellency to present my humble duty to their Majesties, and all the Royal Family; and believe me, &c., NELSON AND BRONTE. I send you a letter from your brother. Sir, TO SIR EVAN NEPEAN, BART., ADMIRALTY. [Original, in the Admiralty.] Victory, off Toulon, 2nd September, 1803. I herewith transmit you a copy of a letter of this date to His Majesty's Consul-General at Sicily, which you will please to lay before the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty for their information; and at the same time acquaint their Lordships, that, immediately on my arrival at Gibraltar, I ordered the Tourterelle to take the Convoy from that place to England, and to call off Cadiz for such Trade as might also be there that on my arrival at Malta I ordered the Cyclops to proceed with the Trade from thence bound into the Adriatic, and to bring the Merchant-Ships from the different Ports there to Malta. I also ordered the Anson and Stately (after cruizing on their station till the 16th July) to take the Trade from Malta to Smyrna, with directions to bring all our Levant Merchant-Vessels to Valette harbour; and, in passing through The "Mediterranean Passes," issued by our Government, were cut or indented at the top. the Faro of Messina on the 20th June last, I sent a letter to the Merchants there, acquainting them that a Convoy would soon sail from Malta to England, and enclosed them a letter to the Senior Officer at Malta, directing them to send a Ship of War to Messina for their Trade, in the event of their making application for Convoy, copies of which accompany this; that immediately on my arrival off Toulon, hearing that an English Merchant Ship was blocked up at Cività Vecchia by a French Privateer, I sent the Weazel to convoy her from thence to Malta, that she might avail herself of the protection of the Blonde and Experiment, then under orders to proceed to England with the Trade; but I since understand that she left Cività Vecchia with the Phoebe, and took an early opportunity of parting from her, and as she has not been heard of, I conclude she has been captured by the Enemy. On the 2nd ultimo, I sent the Termagant Sloop to the different Spanish Ports in these Seas, to collect the Trade and convoy them to Gibraltar, for the purpose of proceeding with the first Convoy to England. I have to beg their Lordships will not impute blame to me, (as I also understand that several of the Merchant Ships in the Adriatic sailed after they heard of the War, without waiting for convoy for these Ships,) and that they may be assured every attention in my power shall be paid to the Trade of His Majesty's Subjects in these Seas. But if the Masters of Merchant Ships will act of themselves, without allowing the Commander-in-Chief to exercise his judgment and discretion in collecting the Trade from the different places, many of our Ships must inevitably fall into the hands of the Enemy. I am, &c., NELSON AND BRONTE. TO JAMES TOUGH, ESQ., H.M. CONSUL-GENERAL IN SICILY. Sir, [From a Copy in the Admiralty.] Victory, off Toulon, 2nd September, 1803. A Convoy will sail from Malta on the 25th Instant, or as soon after as possible for England; and, therefore, if there are any Vessels intended to avail themselves of such protection, they must be at Malta by that time: you will please to inform the Merchants of Sicily, and desire them to acquaint the senior Naval Officer at Malta, on what day the Ships from the different Ports of Sicily will be ready, that he may send a Ship of War for them. The Merchant Ships, I understand, have been in the habit of proceeding without Convoy to England and Malta. The consequence has been that several have fallen into the hands of the Enemy; I must therefore desire you will be so good as acquaint the Merchants of Sicily, that should any of their Trade proceed without Convoy, after this public notice, I shall send an account to Lloyd's CoffeeHouse of the circumstance. I am, &c., NELSON AND BRONTE. TO CAPTAIN CHARLES MARSH SCHOMBERG, HIS MAJESTY'S SHIP MADRAS, OR THE SENIOR OFFICER AT MALTA. Sir, [Letter-Book.] Victory, off Toulon, 2nd September, 1803. I am to desire you will please to acquaint the Merchants at Malta, that a Convoy will sail from thence for England on the 1st October, or as soon after as possible; and you are, immediately on the receipt hereof, to employ his Majesty's Ships Cyclops and Charon, in collecting the Trade from Sicily, who are intended to proceed with the said Convoy, which you are to dispatch as early after the 1st of October, as circumstances will admit, under the escort appointed for that purpose. I am, &c., NELSON AND Bronte TO PETER WILKIE, ESQ., AGENT VICTUALLER AT MALTA. Sir, [Letter-Book.] Victory, off Toulon, 6th September, 1803. I have received your letter of the 8th ultimo, and as the Captain of the Fleet has so fully wrote you on the subject of provisions, &c., for His Majesty's Ships under my command, it is only necessary for me to request that you will not purchase any more rice, sugar, or raisins, till you receive further |