Sir, TO SIR EVAN NEPEAN, BART., ADMIRALTY. [Original, in the Admiralty.] Victory, at Sea, 6th December, 1803. I herewith transmit you a letter from Mr. Joseph King,' Boatswain of the Guerrier, Sheer-hulk at Gibraltar, dated the 3rd ultimo, requesting for the reasons therein set forth, that I would appoint him Boatswain of the Dock-Yard at that place, which you will please to lay before the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty for their consideration; and to say that I believe Mr. King to be a very deserving good man. I am, &c., NELSON AND BRONTE. TO HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE DUKE OF CLARENCE. [From Clarke and M'Arthur, vol. ii. p. 341.] Off Toulon, December 7th, 1803. The French Fleet keep us waiting for them during a long and severe winter's cruise; and such a place as all the Gulf of Lyons, for gales of wind from the N.W. to N.E., I never saw ; but by always going away large, we generally lose much of their force and the heavy sea of the gulf. However, by the great care and attention of every Captain, we have suffered much less than could have been expected. I hope now to be allowed to call Keats my friend. He is very much recovered, and cheerful; he is a treasure to the Service. By the French Papers, which we have to November 19th, we are in momentary expectation of Buonaparte's descent upon England; and although I can have no fears for the event, yet there is, I hope, a natural anxiety to hear what is passing at so critical a moment, when everything we hold dear in this world is at stake. I trust in God, Buonaparte will be destroyed, and that then the French may be brought, if the Powers of Europe have either spirit or honour, to reasonable terms of Peace: that this may be soon, and with honour to our Country, is my fervent prayer, and shall ever be my most ardent endeavour. I am, &c., NELSON AND BRONTE. 1 Vide vol. i. p. 257. Sir, TO SIR EVAN NEPEAN, BART., ADMIRALTY. [Original, in the Admiralty.] Victory, at Sea, 10th December, 1803. Having judged it necessary to proceed with the Squadron to the Madalena Islands, in order to complete the wood and water of the respective Ships, and to procure such refreshments for their Companies as the place would afford, you will please to acquaint the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, that, from the very handsome supply of dollars from Captain Hardy, of the Victory, and the disinterested services of Mr. Richard Bromley, Purser of the Belleisle, the Companies of the Ships named in the margin were supplied with as many bullocks, (sheep for the use of the sick,) and onions, as our short stay would admit of, under the circumstances which they were to be procured. I feel much indebted to Captain Hardy for supplying money for that purpose, (bills on the Victualling-Board not being negotiable,) and particularly so to Mr. Bromley, whose trouble on the occasion has only been rewarded by my approbation; I therefore take the liberty of mentioning him as very deserving of promotion, and hope their Lordships will bear him in recollection as a candidate for a First or Second Rate. Complete vouchers for the whole of this purchase are gone to the Commissioners of Victualling, who will no doubt signify their approbation of the transaction. I am, Sir, &c., NELSON AND Bronte. TO THE RESPECTIVE CAPTAINS AND COMMANDERS OF H. M. SHIPS AND VESSELS ON THE MEDITERRANEAN STATION. [Order-Book.] Victory, at Sea, 10th December, 1803. Whereas, Robert Dwyer, a Private Marine belonging to His Majesty's Ship Belleisle was, by the sentence of a CourtMartial held on him the 4th ultimo, to receive 500 lashes for 2 Victory, Kent, Canopus, Superb, Belleisle, Triumph, Renown, Stately, Cameleon. disobedience of orders and insolence to his Superior Officer, crimes of the most serious nature, and for which the delinquent no doubt looked forward to the awful sentence of death being pronounced upon him, instead of the corporal punishment above-mentioned: and, although the said Robert Dwyer has received only part of his punishment, yet it being the first offence of a public nature which has been brought to trial since my taking upon me the command of His Majesty's Fleet in the Mediterranean, and the respective Captains having particularly mentioned to me the very orderly conduct and good behaviour of their Ships' Companies, I am, therefore, induced from these circumstances to remit the remainder of the said Robert Dwyer's punishment; but I must desire it to be perfectly understood, and to warn the respective Ships' Companies against the commission of crimes of a similar or any other nature, as well as against the shameful disgraceful crime of Desertion, as the sentence of the Court-Martial for either of these offences, be it death or otherwise, will most certainly be inflicted without mitigation. NELSON AND Bronte. TO THE CAPTAIN OF ANY OF HIS MAJESTY'S SHIPS WHO MAY BE IN SEARCH OF ME. [Letter-Book. Tolare Roads, on the South side of Sardinia.] "Saturday, 10th December. At 3·15 P.M. the Fleet anchored in Sir, Victory, Gulf of Palma, December 11th, 1803. I am at anchor in the Gulf of Palma, which I prefer to St. Pierres indeed, we were not able to get in for the bad weather. In your passage round you must not pass between the Vacca and Antioco, but may safely pass between Toro and Vacca. I am Sir, &c., NELSON AND BRONTE. N.B.-If you have intelligence of importance to communicate, a Boat can come through the bridge of Antioco, at the North end. The Boat must be a small one. To be put under a cover and left for any other Ship which may come to St. Pierres in search of me. TO ALEXANDER DAVISON, ESQ. [Autograph, in the possession of Colonel Davison.] My dear Davison, Victory, Gulf of Palma, December 12th, 1803. By the Excellent I received all your truly kind and friendly letters, and duplicate of one by Lisbon, with all your kind present of pamphlets, &c., for which I am truly obliged to you; and I only wish I had the power of returning your continued kindness in any manner, but that is impossible. I rejoice to hear such good accounts of your new House,3 and I wish I could pass fifty thousand pounds through it. However, my name shall stand in it, if only for £10, and I sincerely hope every success will attend it. You deserve everything which your most sincere friends can wish you. Your letter of July 13th only arrived in the Excellent, with a packet of newspapers sent to Plymouth. I have signed the Proxy for Lord Moira, and in doing it, I have broke through a resolution I made, never to give a Proxy; nor could anything have induced me to swerve from it, but to such a man as Lord Moira. Whether he is in or out of Office, my opinion of him is formed for ability, honour, and strict integrity, which nothing can shake, even should ever we unfortunately differ on any particular point. I wish, my dear Davison, that I had the power, as I have the inclination, to have named you Agent for the Prizes taken by the Victory, but they all know my wishes; and if they will not, I cannot help it. It has fretted me not a little. My Secretary, Mr. Scott, who is a good man, perfectly understands that if we take any part of the French Fleet, and I am offered to name the Agent, which I do not expect, that I shall name you, and that although his name will not appear in the Agency, that I had settled with you that a part of the Agency, such as I thought just, should go to him for his trouble in this Country; and if he was satisfied to do all the business in this Country, that the Agency being five per cent. on the nett proceeds, two per cent. should go to him for his trouble, and three per cent. to you for making the distribution, and that sum The Banking Honse of Alexander Davison, Noel, Templer, Middleton, Johnson, and Wedgwood, 34, Pall Mall. you would pay him, with which he seemed perfectly satisfied, and so I hope will you; but I assure you I do not expect any offer of the kind will be made me. They are all nearly strangers to me, and have their own friends and connexions. Dear Lady Hamilton tells me of all your kindness to her, and I am truly sensible of it. I shall not enlarge on that topic; you know what I must feel. I wish I could be useful to Mr. Lucas, who Mr. Sparrow has recommended, but the Sceptre is gone to the East Indies: so finishes that matter. You will remember me kindly to Nepean. I hope your news from that quarter is correct. My crazy Fleet are getting in a very indifferent state, and others will soon follow. The finest Ships in the Service will soon be destroyed. I know well enough that if I was to go into Malta, I should save the Ships during this bad season; but if I am to watch the French, I must be at sea, and if at sea, must have bad weather; and if the Ships are not fit to stand bad weather, they are useless. I do not say much; but I do not believe that Lord St. Vincent would have kept the sea with such Ships. But my time of service is nearly over. A natural anxiety, of course, must attend my station; but, my dear friend, my eyesight fails me most dreadfully. I firmly believe that, in a very few years, I shall be stone-blind. It is this only, of all my maladies, that makes me unhappy; but God's will be done. If I am successful against the French, I shall ask my retreat; and if I am not, I hope I shall never live to see it; for no personal exertion on my part shall be spared. I can only again and again thank you for all your kindness; and to beg you to believe me for ever, with the sincerest friendship, yours most faithfully, NELSON AND BRONTE. Be so good as to order my account to be made up, that I may know what I am in your debt. TO ADMIRAL THE EARL OF ST. VINCENT, K.B. [Autograph, in the possession of Vice-Admiral Sir William Parker, Bart., G.C.B.] Victory, Gulf of Palma, December 12th, 1803. My dear Lord, I have received your kind letters by the Excellent, who joined me on the 24th of November, Captain Sotheron |