cially as the French Fleet is attended by no less than eight Frigates; therefore, I shall rejoice to see the Amazon. I am, Sir, &c., NELSON AND BRONTE. TO J. B. GIBERT, ESQ., HIS MAJESTY'S VICE-CONSUL, BARCELONA. Sir, [Letter-Book.] Victory, off Toulon, 25th November, 1803. Captain Staines of his Majesty's Sloop Cameleon, will deliver you two letters, and three for his Excellency Mr. Frere and Mr. Hunter, which you will be good enough to forward by the first opportunity to Madrid. I must beg you will be so obliging as to give me all the political news with respect to the situation of our two Countries, which I am very anxious to know, and hope they remain in every respect friendly to each other. Captain Staines is good enough to undertake the execution of some commissions for me in the stock way, and I shall be much obliged by your friendly assistance in procuring the several articles. I am, &c., NELSON AND BRONTE. TO J. HOOKHAM FRERE, ESQ., MINISTER AT MADRID. [From Clarke and M'Arthur, vol. ii. p. 340.] 28th November, 1803. I have the honour to enclose, for your Excellency's information, two letters which will mark the conduct of the Spaniards towards us, and of which I doubt not but you will seriously complain. I trust that we shall be received in the Spanish Ports in the same manner as the French. I am ready to make large allowances for the miserable situation Spain has placed herself in; but there is a certain line beyond which I cannot submit to be treated with disrespect. We have given up French Vessels taken within gun-shot of the Spanish shore, and yet French Vessels are permitted to attack our Ships from the Spanish shore. Your Excellency may assure the Spanish Government, that in whatever place the Spaniards allow the French to attack us, in that place I shall order the French to be attacked. The old order of 1771, now put in force against us, is infamous; and I trust your Excellency will take proper steps, that the present mode of enforcing it be done away-it is gross partiality and not Neutrality. I am, &c., TO LIEUTENANT NELSON AND BRONTE. [From Clarke and M'Arthur, vol. ii. p. 339.] November, 1803. I have just received your letter, and I am truly sorry that any difference should arise between your Captain, who has the reputation of being one of the bright Officers of the Service, and yourself, a very young man, and a very young Officer, who must naturally have much to learn; therefore the chance is that you are perfectly wrong in the disagreement. However, as your present situation must be very disagreeable, I will certainly take an early opportunity of removing you, provided your conduct to your present Captain be such, that another may not refuse to receive you. I am, &c., NELSON AND BRONTE. TO HIS EXCELLENCY THE FRENCH ADMIRAL. [Letter-Book.] Sir, Victory, at Sea, December 4th, 1803. Although my Flag of Truce was treated so unkindly' when I wished to send you a letter relative to an Exchange of Prisoners, by being kept several hours under Sepet, and then ordered off in a very uncivil manner, which I am sure must have been unknown to you, yet, when the comfort of so many individuals is at stake, I again take this opportunity of offering an Exchange of Prisoners of War; therefore, whenever you please to send to Malta any number of English Prisoners of • Vide ante. War, I will direct as many French to be returned, and I shall be glad of this occasion of allowing of a number of your Officers to return on their parole of honour until they shall be regularly exchanged by an arrangement between our Governments. I have the honour to remain, &c., NELSON AND BRONTE. Sir, TO SIR EVAN NEPEAN, BART., ADMIRALTY. [Original, in the Admiralty.] Victory, at Sea, 4th December, 1803. I herewith transmit you a Report of Survey on the main and mizen rigging belonging to his Majesty's Ship Excellent, together with a memorandum from Captain Sotheron attached to the said Report, which you will please to lay before the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty for their information. It is much to be lamented that a Ship so recently from England, and coming direct abroad from a King's Yard, should have sailed in such a state; the Master-Attendant at Portsmouth must either have been blind to the situation of the rigging, or not have given himself trouble to discover its miserable state. I am, Sir, &c., NELSON AND BRONTE. P.S.-Inclosed is a letter from Captain Conn of the Canopus, to the Captain of the Fleet, by which their Lordships will observe how bare of the necessary stores that Ship is, and that she has no shroud-hawser on board. NELSON AND BRONTE. TO CAPTAIN MOUBRAY, H.M. SHIP ACTIVE. [Letter-Book.] Sir, Victory, at Sea, 5th December, 1803. I have to desire that you will proceed off Toulon, with the Ships under your orders, immediately on receipt of this letter; but if you have any particular object that you may judge it necessary to keep a Frigate for a few days longer in the Gulf of Genoa, in that case you are at liberty either to stay yourself, or leave the Phoebe for that particular service. Herewith you will receive the present probable Rendezvous of the Squadron. You will find orders for your further proceedings on your arrival off Toulon, on board the Frigate watching the Enemy at that Port. I am, &c., NELSON AND BRONTE. P.S.-Immediately on receipt of this, I am to desire you will dispatch Sir William Bolton, in his Majesty's Sloop Childers, to join me at St. Pierres, near the Island of Sardinia. TO CAPTAIN MOUBRAY, H.M. SHIP ACTIVE. [Order-Book.] Secret. Victory, at Sea, 5th December, 1803. Whereas it is of the utmost importance that the Enemy's Squadron in Toulon should be most strictly watched, and that I should be made acquainted with their sailing and route with all dispatch, should they put to sea, You are therefore hereby required and directed to employ his Majesty's Ship Active, under your command, on the above service, together with the Phoebe or any other Ship which may join you from Malta; and as it is my intention to proceed with the Squadron immediately to St. Pierre's, near the Island of Sardinia, (where I shall remain till about the 14th of this month), you will instantly on receipt of this, dispatch His Majesty's Sloop Childers to join me at St. Pierre's; and as the Squadron will leave that Island as soon after the 14th as possible, and proceed direct to the Rendezvous herewith transmitted, where I shall remain, unless deemed necessary to proceed off Algiers-in which case the Squadron will not be longer absent from the enclosed Rendezvous than two or three days at furthest, should the Enemy's Squadron, or any part of it, put to sea in the meantime, or you obtain any intelligence necessary for my immediate information, you are to dispatch a Frigate to St. Pierres, near the Island of Sardinia, with an account thereof, where instructions will be left for her Commander where to find me, should I have quitted that anchorage. And you are also to proceed immediately in the Active to the enclosed Rendezvous, where the Squadron will be found, unless, as is before-mentioned, it should become necessary for me to make my appearance off Algiers for a day or two. You are only to keep the Active and another Frigate for this service, and dispatch any other Ship or Vessel which may join you off Toulon, to St. Pierres, or to the Rendezvous which accompanies this, should you judge that I have left the former place. You are to continue on this service until relieved, or you receive my orders for your further proceedings. I have directed the Honourable Captain Boyle to join me at St. Pierres, the moment he is relieved from watching the Enemy at Toulon. NELSON AND BRONTE. N.B.-The Rendezvous, No 97, alluded to in the above order, is transmitted to you in my letter of this date. TO COMMISSIONER OTWAY, AT GIBRALTAR. [Letter-Book.] Victory, at Sea, 6th December, 1803. Sir, I have received your letters of the 2nd ultimo, on the subject of the scarcity of stores at Gibraltar Yard, which I am very well aware must be the case; but before any could be returned you in the William, Store-Ship, from Malta, the Hindostan will have arrived from England, when you must take a small quantity of such articles of cordage, &c., as may be wanted for the use of His Majesty's Ships in your vicinity; and as the Ships watching the Enemy off Toulon are much in want of spars and sails, the Hindostan must be held in readiness to join me off that place, or on such other Rendezvous as I may find expedient. The Convoy sent for her will have my instructions on that head. I am, &c., NELSON AND BRONTE. |