alarmed. The Sardinians, generally speaking, are attached to us; yet there are French intriguers amongst them, and I understand they hope to bring about a revolt before this invasion. In whatever I can be useful to their Majesties, they may command me; but the destroying of the French Fleet is the greatest service I can render to them, to Europe, and our own Country. The Chart of Sardinia which you sent me, is a most excellent one. I am, &c. NELSON AND BRONTE. TO SIR JOHN ACTON, BART., NAPLES. [From Clarke and M'Arthur, vol. ii. p. 345.] 29th December, 1803. I am much obliged for all the news you are so good as to tell me, but the assurances of the present French Government are not to be depended upon: their system is to lull those whom they wish to destroy into a fatal security. In no other light can they wish for the disarming of the Calabrians; they would then have an open road to the Coast opposite to Sicily; and as I am touching upon this subject, should unhappily the King find it proper to quit Naples, although the Court and the greater part of the Royal Family should go to Palermo, yet the Head-quarters with the King ought to be at Messina, in order to communicate freely with the Kingdom of Naples. So much advantage would arise from it, that I am sure it will strike your Excellency; and with the Calabrians in arms, what good effects may not be expected! I am fully aware, my dear Sir John, of the delicacy of touching upon this subject, but my heart is with you, and I could not resist it. I observe what your Excellency says respecting the European Powers; it was a desire of aggrandizement in some of the great ones that lost them everything, even much of their own possessions. I have my fears that Russia will not come forward as she ought; but if she and the Emperor were to join, I think Buonaparte would tumble from his station, and Europe get an honourable Peace. That the French should hate you, is the highest compliment they can pay: if you had advised the King to degrade himself, they would have despised you, VOL. V. Ꮓ and his honour would have been lost, which now, thanks to your Excellency, is preserved entire..... I shall conclude by merely repeating, that you are sure of me in time of need; and I hope to be more at my ease after the Battle with the French Fleet. I think they cannot much longer remain in Port, and it would be a very dangerous experiment to leave them, on the presumption that they would not come to sea. I am, &c. NELSON AND BRONTE. TO THE QUEEN OF NAPLES. [From "Recollections of the Life of the Reverend Dr. Scott," p. 113.] Victory, December 29th, 1803. Madam, Yesterday evening I had the honour of receiving your Majesty's gracious and flattering letter of the 10th December; and it is only possible for me to repeat my assurances, that my orders for the safety of the Two Sicilies will be always exactly executed, and to this end my whole soul goes in unison with my orders. The Gibraltar shall not be sent away; for I would rather fight twice our number of forces, than risk for a moment the seeing your Royal person and Family fall into the hands of the French. I see no hope of a permanent Peace for Europe, during the life of Buonaparte. I ardently wish, therefore, that it would please God to take him from the world. Your Majesty's letter to my dear and good Lady Hamilton shall set out by the first opportunity. Her attachment to your Majesty is as lively as ever. Her heart is incapable of the slightest change; and whether in prosperity, or in adversity, she is always your devoted servant; and such, permit me to say, remains your faithful, NELSON AND Bronte. I beg to be allowed to present my humble respects to the Princesses and to Prince Leopold. TO CAPTAIN ROSS DONNELLY, H. M. SHIP NARCISSUS. [Order-Book.] Victory, Madalena Islands, 29th December, 1803. You are hereby required and directed to proceed with all possible expedition in His Majesty's Ship under your command, off the harbour of Toulon, in order to ascertain whether the Enemy's Ships are still in Port, and immediately after join me on my rendezvous No 97, under Cape St. Sebastians, with an account thereof; unless, from the state of the weather, you should judge that the Squadron has not been able to obtain that situation, in which case, you will stand over to Asinara, and endeavour to effect a communication with me. Should you fall in with any of His Majesty's Ships, you will acquaint their Commanders with my present anchorage, and that I shall leave this the moment a change of wind takes place, and proceed to Rendezvous No. 97, before mentioned, a copy of which you will give to any of the Captains who may not have received it. NELSON AND BRONTE. TO HIS EXCELLENCY ADMIRAL SIR JOHN WARREN, K.B., [From Clarke and M‘Arthur, vol. ii. p. 346.] [About the end of December, 1803.] It would be so much for the honour of Russia to go to War with the Corsican, that I hope the Emperor has decided upon it long before this time. If he does not, his protegés, Naples and Sardinia, will be lost. I am, &c. NELSON AND Bronte. TO CAPTAIN WILLIAM PARKER, H.M. SHIP AMAZON. Sir, [Letter-Book.] Victory, Madalena Islands, 30th December, 1803. I have this moment received a set of vouchers for five live bullocks, 300 pounds of onions, and six bags of hay, procured for the Company of his Majesty's Ship Amazon, under your command; and I must desire to acquaint you that the onions ought not to have been purchased without my particular orders for so doing; and I see no reason for the purchase of hay for bullocks which have been killed so immediately. I am, &c. NELSON AND BRONTE, TO MAJOR-GENERAL VILLETTES, MALTA. [From Clarke and M'Arthur, vol. ii. p. 347. "On the 31st of December, 1803, in an official letter to General Villettes, Lord Nelson expressed a wish to know whether, if the French should possess themselves of those Islands, the General could send a number of men, not exceeding 1000, to retake them, which the Admiral was of opinion would be an easy thing, with such assistance as he could give from the Fleet, if it were done before the French had a sufficient length of time to fortify themselves, or to induce the inhabitants to co-operate. And this was supported on the same day by the following private letter:"] 31st December, 1803. In the request I have made for more Troops, in case the French from Corsica should take possession of these Islands, in order to deprive us of the harbour, I have thought it better to make it entirely official, that it may not be misunderstood. If you think you can with propriety spare the Troops for such a service, you will of course have them ready for embarkation at the shortest notice; but I hope that the French will remain quiet. They have, however threatened the Sardinians if they do not shut their Ports to us. I am, &c. NELSON AND Bronte. TO LIEUTENANT-GENERAL SIR THOMAS TRIGGE, K.B., [From Clarke and M'Arthur, vol. ii. p. 347.] [About 31st December, 1803.] I am sorry to be obliged to take Donegal from your vicinity for a few weeks, but the absence of Kent, Stately, and Gibraltar, which are never likely to be of any service again in this Country, renders it absolutely necessary, with the present Fleet of the Enemy. They are now ten to our seven, and, although I have no fears for the result of a Battle, with our present force, yet if I could have more, and had not, I should consider myself very reprehensible. The conduct of the French Privateers from Algiers and Tariffa is very blamcable, and calls loudly for reformation. I am, &c. NELSON AND BRONTE. 8 TO CAPTAIN FREMANTLE. [From Clarke and M'Arthur, vol. ii. p. 354.] About the beginning of January, 1804. I trust, my dear Fremantle, in God and in English valour. We are enough in England, if true to ourselves. He may by chance injure us, but can never conquer a determined people. It would be well if the generality of Englishmen would remember that they who know the whole machine, can better keep it going than we who only see a very small part. Although I am naturally anxious for the issue of the attempt, yet I cannot doubt of the final event-it will be the ruin of that infamous Buonaparte, and give us an honourable Peace. I should most assuredly rejoice to have you here, but we none of us see the inside of a Port: I have twice taken shelter under the Madalena Islands on the North end of Sardinia, which form a very fine anchorage. The Village, I am told, for I have not set my foot out of the Victory, contains forty or fifty small houses. As to Malta, it is a perfectly useless place for Great Britain; and as a Naval Port to refit in, I would much sooner undertake to answer for the Toulon Fleet from St. Helens, than from Malta; I never dare venture to carry the Fleet there. I know your friends think differently from me, but they talk of what they know nothing about in that respect, and I know it from dear-bought experience. During the winter, generally 8" List of the British and French Fleets in the Mediterranean at the close of 1803, as sent by Lord Nelson:-FRENCH (as given in a list found on board a captured French schooner): Neptune, 80; Formidable, 80; Indomptable, 80; Mont Blanc, 74; Scipion, 74; Intrepide, 71; Atlas, 74; Hannibal, 74; Swiftsure, 74; Berwick, 74.-BRITISH: Victory, 100; Canopus, 80; Superb, 74; Belleisle, 74; Excellent, 74; Triumph, 74; Renown, 74. Early in the ensuing year, the Royal Sovereign, for the Flag of Sir Richard Bickerton, and the Leviathan, were sent to the Mediterranean."-Clarke and M'Arthur, vol. ii. p. 347. Afterwards Vice-Admiral Sir Thomas Francis Fremantle, who has been so often mentioned. |