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detain or molest any Ships or Vessels belonging to any State in amity with His Majesty, on account of their having on board organzine, thrown, and raw silk, the growth and produce of Italy; or any Neutral Vessels which shall be carrying on trade directly between the Colonies of the Enemy and the Neutral Country to which the Vessel belongs: you will please to acquaint the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty that the said orders shall be issued to the respective FlagOfficers, Captains and Commanders of His Majesty's Ships and Vessels under my orders. I am, &c.,

Sir,

NELSON AND Bronte.

TO SIR EVAN NEPEAN, BART., ADMIRALTY.

[Original, in the Admiralty.]

Victory, off Toulon, 7th October, 1803.

I yesterday received by the Childers their Lordships' order" of the 26th August last, (together with copy of Lord Pelham and Mr. Falcon's letters therein mentioned,) directing me to send a discreet Officer to Algiers, with instructions to demand from the Dey, in His Majesty's name, immediate restitution of the Maltese Vessels mentioned in the said letters, together with their cargoes and the release of their respective crews: You will please to acquaint their Lordships that I will take

"Whereas, the Right Honourable Lord Pelham, one of his Majesty's Principal Secretaries of State, hath, with his letters of the 15th instant, transmitted to us a copy of a letter with its Inclosure, which his Lordship had received from Mr. Consul Falcon, by which it appears that several Maltese Vessels have been captured by the Algerines, and their Crews sent into slavery; and, whereas, his Lordship hath, at the same time, signified to us his Majesty's commands, that the necessary instructions should be sent to the Officer commanding his Majesty's Fleet in the Mediterranean, to demand the immediate restitution of the said Vessels, and their Cargoes, and the release of their Crews; We send your Lordship herewith transcripts of the said letter and its inclosure, and do hereby require and direct you (in addition to our order of the 7th of July last) to take the first opportunity of sending one of the Ships of your Squadron, under the command of a discreet Officer, to Algiers, with instructions to him to demand in his Majesty's name from the Dey, the immediate restitution of the Maltese Vessels above-mentioned, together with their Cargoes, and the release of their respective Crews accordingly. Your Lordship will direct the Officer you may employ on this service to be careful, on his arrival off that place, not to subject himself, or the Ship under his command, to the risk of capture, in case any hostile views towards this Country should be entertained by that Regency. Given under our hands the 26th of August, 1803.-WM. ELLIOT, T. TROUBRIDGE, J. MARKHAM.”—Original.

a very early opportunity of sending a proper Officer to Algiers with instructions conformable to their orders, to demand of the Dey immediate restitution of the Maltese Vessels and cargoes, and the release of their respective Crews, and shall direct the Officer sent on this service not to subject himself or the Ship under his command to the risk of capture on his arrival off Algiers. I am, &c.,

NELSON AND BRONTE.

Sir,

TO SIR EVAN NEPEAN, BART., ADMIRALTY.

[Original, in the Admiralty.]

Victory, off Toulon, 7th October, 1803.

I yesterday received your letter of the 13th August last, with transcript of a dispatch from Mr. A'Court, his Majesty's Chargé d'Affaires at Naples, therein mentioned, respecting two French Vessels which were attacked by the Boats of the Cyclops and Experiment in the Bay of Naples, and beg to refer you to the extracts to Sir John Acton, Bart., mentioned in my letter to you of the 8th July last; and also to request you will be pleased to acquaint their Lordships, that the other Vessel was liberated by my directions at Malta, and sent back to Naples under the authority of my protection; that the most strict orders have been issued to prevent similar proceedings; and that my marked disapprobation was signified to the Commanders of the Cyclops and Experiment, the moment I was made acquainted with their conduct. You will also please to acquaint their Lordships that the Vessel taken by the Spider has been delivered up, and that I have very severely reprimanded Captain . . . . . . of the . . . . ., the captures he made under the Spanish batteries; which have also been given up. I am, &c.

....

for

Sir,

NELSON and Bronte.

TO SIR EVAN NEPEAN, BART., ADMIRALTY.

[Original, in the Admiralty.]

Victory, off Toulon, 7th October, 1803.

Yesterday I received their Lordships' order of the 20th August last, containing directions respecting the Ports of

Genoa and Especia; and you will please to acquaint their Lordships that I had anticipated their order, from the Gazette of the 16th of that month, and given the necessary directions to the respective Flag-Officers, Captains, and Commanders under my command, in consequence; a copy of which is herewith transmitted. The Active, Phoebe, and Childers are under orders, and will proceed from hence to-morrow to block up those Ports. You will also please to acquaint their Lordships, that I have received forty-eight printed orders, dated the 24th August, addressed to the respective Admirals, Captains, Commanders, and Commanding Officers of his Majesty's Ships and Vessels, directing them to seize and destroy all Ships and Vessels belonging to the Countries styling themselves the Italian and Ligurian Republics; which shall be issued to them respectively. I am, &c.

NELSON AND Bronte.

Sir,

TO SIR EVAN NEPEAN, BART., ADMIRALTY.

[From a Copy in the Nelson Papers.]

Victory, off Toulon, 7th October, 1803.

You will please to acquaint their Lordships, that I have placed a Squadron outside the Straits, for the protection of the Trade of his Majesty's subjects, and destruction of the Enemy's Privateers and Cruisers; and that there are also two Sloops of War stationed between Cape Spartel and Ceuta, for protecting our commerce in the Gut. I am, &c.

NELSON AND BRONTE.

TO SIR EVAN NEPEAN, BART., ADMIRALTY.

[Original, in the Admiralty.]

Victory, off Toulon, 7th October, 1803.

Sir,

I have received their Lordships' order, dated the 16th of June last, directing me not to carry or send any Ships or Vessels which may be taken as Prizes, into the Ports of Portugal (except compelled so to do by stress of weather,) or to use any of the said Ports as Naval Stations for the purpose of carrying on from them hostilities against his Majesty's

Enemies. You will please to acquaint the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, that I shall give the necessary directions to the respective Captains and Commanders of his Majesty's Ships and Vessels under my orders, agreeably thereto. I am, &c.

NELSON AND BRONTE.

TO HIS EXCELLENCY MR. JACKSON, MINISTER AT TURIN.

[From Clarke and M'Arthur, vol. ii. p. 329.]

8th October, 1803.

I will write to Mr. Drake the moment the Battle is over; caution him not to believe reports: the French have taken, I suppose, an invisible English Frigate in the Adriatic, or the Levant, or off the Coast of Genoa; but unfortunately for their news-makers, I have lost none. I am, &c.

NELSON AND BRONTE.

Sir,

TO HIS EXCELLENCY HUGH ELLIOT, ESQ.

[Original, in the Elliot Papers.]

Victory, off Toulon, 8th October, 1803.

I herewith transmit for your information, a copy of an order of the 4th instant, issued to the Fleet under my command, for the Blockade of the Ports of Genoa and Port Especia, and request your Excellency will have the goodness to order the same to be communicated to the Foreign Ministers and Consuls at Naples, &c. I have the honour to be, &c.,

NELSON AND BRONTE.

TO NATHANIEL TAYLOR, ESQ., NAVAL STOREKEEPER AT MALTA.

[Order-Book.]

Victory, off Toulon, 8th October, 1803.

Whereas the Squadron under my command are much in want of small cordage, twine, &c., and it being judged for the benefit of his Majesty's Service, as well as a great saving to Government, to have those necessary articles made on board the respective Ships, You are hereby required and directed to

send, by the first Transport coming to join the Fleet, eightyfour butts, well-packed and filled with hemp, if you have them in store. You are to prepare a Transport (if hemp cannot be purchased reasonably at Malta) to be sent up the Adriatic, for the purpose of bringing a load of hemp for his Majesty's Service, acquainting me, or Captain Schomberg, the Senior Officer at Malta, when such Transport shall be ready, that a Convoy may be ordered for her accordingly. All the cordage wanted for the Fleet, at three inches and upwards, must be made at Malta, with the hemp of this Country, (at least, what may be wanted more than the supplies from England,) which will certainly be a very great saving to Government, as well as a ready accommodation to the Ships, as they have occasion for it. You are, therefore, to turn your mind to these circumstances, that ready supplies may be had, and upon the most reasonable terms, and if it can be had cheaper than in England, to purchase a supply for Gibraltar, and even the Dockyards in England. NELSON AND Bronte.

TO HIS EXCELLENCY HUGH ELLIOT, ESQ.
[Autograph, in the Elliot Papers.]

(1.) My dear Sir, Victory, off Toulon, October 8th, 1803. Your Excellency's letters by the Monmouth came to me on the 4th, at night, and I feel truly sensible of your kindness, and the trouble you have taken in detailing to me all the means of precaution, which his Excellency Sir John Acton has taken respecting Sicily, and I fully rely that those measures will be continued, and that neither Sicily nor Naples will want our assistance. God knows, we have occasion enough for our Troops without begging them to be received, and nothing but the strong order I brought out' would have induced General Villettes to part with a man from Malta. General Villettes writes me the same good accounts from Messina as you have done. The information of Captain Durban relative to the Tunisians, by wise precautions, has led to such a happy result, that I trust my Countrymen in Sicily will soon cruize against the Barbary States. I am sure they could soon be brought to it. However, I have been so pleased with Captain Durban Vide p. 96, ante.

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