[him]-that is the only fear I have. My friend Colonel Stewart's brother is most heartily welcome, if it is at my disposal, to live in the Navy House. Apropos, Mr. Taylor has wrote to me about the houses belonging to the Naval Yard. Will you do what is proper on this occasion? If we have an Arsenal, the Officers certainly should have their houses. Mr. Elliot, I find, thinks Sicily quite safe, and Naples almost fit to bid defiance to all Buonaparte's power. I laugh at what I read. I know them well, and so do you. This beating off the Tunisians will have a very good effect, and dispose them to resist other invaders. Again and again, only tell me your wants and wishes, and they shall be complied with as fast as my means will allow; being ever, my dear Ball-ever your faithful friend, NELSON AND BRONTE. TO J. B. GIBERT, ESQ., HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY'S CONSUL AT Sir, BARCELONA. [Letter-Book.] Victory, off Toulon, 6th October, 1803. In obedience to his Majesty's orders, notified in the 'London Gazette' of the 16th August last, for the Blockade of the Ports of Genoa and Especia, I have to inform you, that I have issued to the Fleet under my command the order,3 of which I inclose a copy, and you will have the goodness to communicate it to the Governor where you reside, and to all the Foreign Consuls, and others interested, in order that none may plead ignorance of the Blockade, or the consequences of the breach of it. I am, &c. NELSON AND BRONTE. Some Ships belonging to Tunis, with which State Naples was at War, appear to have been repulsed in attempting to land in Sicily. * Vide p. 219. TO CAPTAIN SCHOMBERG, H. M. SHIP MADRAS, MALTA. [From Clarke and M'Arthur, vol. ii. p. 327.] Off Toulon, 7th October, 1803. At this distance it is impossible for me to regulate every thing with exactness; therefore I can only repeat to you, Captain Cracraft, and any other your Seniors, that it is my earnest desire to give every possible expedition in getting our Trade safe to and from the Adriatic and Levant, and affording Sir Alexander Ball and General Villettes Convoys for bullocks and corn. . . We must all in our several stations exert ourselves to the utmost, and not be nonsensical in saying, I have an order for this, that, or the other,' if the King's service clearly marks what ought to be done: I am well convinced of your zeal. I am, &c., NELSON AND BRONTE. TO LIEUTENANT WILLIAM PEMBERTON, RESIDENT AGENT OF Sir, TRANSPORTS, MALTA. [From a Copy in the Admiralty.] Victory, off Toulon, 7th October, 1803. I have received your letter of the 27th ultimo, acquainting me that a Transport had sailed to Corfu, and that two were ready to proceed to Tunis, for cattle for the Army and Island; also, that General Villettes had expressed a wish to have two Transports, for the sole purpose of bringing cattle for the use of the Army at Malta; I have therefore to desire that you will wait upon Sir Alexander Ball and know from him what Transports he will require for the use of the Island, and after having received his instructions on that head, you are to appropriate the number he may judge necessary for bringing cattle for the use of the Island, and also two Transports agreeably to General Villettes' desire, for the sole purpose of bringing cattle for the use of the Army. The Transports for the service of the Fleet will, eight months out of the year, be at the disposal of the General and Sir Alexander Ball; therefore, take this into the calculation in consulting with them, which you are to acquaint General Villettes of, immediately on receipt hereof, as it is my particular wish that the inhabitants and Army should have every necessary accommodation afforded them; and in doing so, that Government should not be put to undue expense, or the Transports for the above service remain unemployed. I am, &c., NELSON AND BRONTE. Sir, TO SIR EVAN NEPEAN, BART., ADMIRALTY. [Original, in the Admiralty.] Victory, off Toulon, 7th October, 1803. I have had the honour of receiving your letter of the 27th August, desiring me on the Ambuscade's being purchased, to appoint Captain Durban to the rank of Post-Captain, Lieutenant Yarker' to be Commander, and Mr. G. Greensills to be Lieutenant. I was sorry that having waited till the 5th of October, I then appointed Captain Durban to the Ambuscade and Lieutenant William Layman to the Weazle, which I trust (not knowing their Lordships' wishes respecting any other Officers) that they will be pleased to confirm; but their Lordships may be assured that the very first vacancy (which I trust will not be many days) Lieutenant Yarker and Mr. G. Greensill shall be appointed. As I am sure their Lordships know the very happy consequences of a Fleet looking up to a Commander-in-Chief for promotion, that they will excuse my not having reduced Lieutenant Layman from the Acting rank I had given him, as he would not have been with me had he not been an Officer of acknowledged abilities and merit. I am, &c., NELSON AND BRONTE. P.S.-The Commissions shall be delivered to Captain Stuart and the Hon. Captain Elliot, and the fees received for them as marked thereon. ♦ Lieutenant Robert Yarker was made a Commander in 1805, was Posted in April 1808, and died between 1816 and 1820. Lord Nelson appointed Mr. George Greensill, who was a Midshipman of the Donegal, to be a Lieutenant of that Ship on the 10th of October 1803: he was promoted to Commander in February 1812, and died in that rank between 1820 and 1822. TO NATHANIEL TAYLOR, ESQ., NAVAL STOREKEEPER, MALTA. [Letter-Book.] Victory, off Toulon, 7th October, 1803. Sir, I have received your letters of the 4th and 23rd ultimo, with the Instructions, &c., therein mentioned, and must desire whenever you may judge it necessary, consistent with the said Instructions, to muster the Crews of his Majesty's Ships and Vessels, as they arrive at Malta, that you will apply to the Captains thereof to furnish you with a Boat for that purpose, and that I do not feel justified to make any addition to your establishment of Clerks. Having so recently left England, those things ought to have been perfectly understood and settled by the Navy Board, to whom you must make application on the circumstances above mentioned. On the subject of the sails and other stores mentioned in your said letter of the 23rd ultimo, being damp, owing to the Storehouses being in bad repair, I am to desire that you will use every means necessary to put the Storehouses in a proper condition for keeping the sails, &c. dry, as serious losses and consequences may arise from their being otherwise. But in making this repair which you have represented as absolutely necessary, you are to pay the most strict regard to economy, and procure such vouchers for so doing as will satisfy the Navy Board with the correctness thereof, and that Government has not been put to any unnecessary or improper expenses. tainly think that English weights are preferable to Maltese, and ought to be used for his Majesty's stores, provided the alteration is not attended with inconvenience to the Inhabitants who you may have occasion to deal with. I observe the propriety of the Officers of his Majesty's Yard at Malta being accommodated with houses contiguous to their duty, and have wrote Sir Alexander Ball on the subject. I am, &c., NELSON AND Bronte. Sir, TO SIR EVAN NEPEAN, BART., ADMIRALTY [Original, in the Admiralty.] Victory, off Toulon, 7th October, 1803. Yesterday evening I received their Lordships' order of the 24th August last, directing that the complements of His Majesty's Ships and Vessels under my command may be forthwith completed to the War establishment, and to enter and bear as many more men in addition to their present complements as may be necessary for that purpose. You will please to acquaint their Lordships that directions shall be given accordingly; but upon this subject I must beg to observe that there is but little probability of procuring men in this Country, as there appears no inclination in the Maltese to enter into the Navy. The means to induce them shall, however, be held out, and everything done that remains with me, for that purpose. I enclose you for their Lordships' information, extracts of three letters from Sir Alexander Ball on this subject, together with a Proclamation issued at Malta for the purpose of procuring Maltese for the Fleet; but I am sorry to observe that there are not more than four in the Squadron at present off this place, nor is there, as their Lordships will observe, from the extracts above mentioned, any probability of procuring more Maltese for the Navy, so that the very considerable number of Seamen wanted to complete the complement of the Ships here, must be looked for from some other quarter. I am, &c., NELSON AND BRONTE. Sir, TO SIR EVAN NEPEAN, BART., ADMIRALTY. [Original, in the Admiralty.] Victory, off Toulon, 7th October, 1803. I received, by the Childers, fifty-four printed Admiralty orders, dated the 30th June last, with the two additional Instructions under His Majesty's Signet and Sign Manual, dated the 24th of that month, therein mentioned, directing the Commanders of His Majesty's Ships and Privateers, not to |