Addington's Administration. You know, my dear friend, that I could not get a Ship with me; no, not even the Victory. Captain Sothern I never saw but once; therefore I could not ask for him. Nothing, Sir Andrew ought to know, would give me more sincere pleasure than to have, not merely the Plantagenet, but Captain Hamond." It must be desirable to have our friends round us. I am with perfect strangers, although I believe very good men. For Heaven's sake, do not let him think that I neglect him for a moment, or that I should not, upon every occasion be happy to meet his wishes, upon every subject. Pray explain that I have no influence. It is But never mind: we shall all have our day. most true. I do not think we shall have a Spanish War, although they are fitting sixteen or eighteen Sail of the Line at Cadiz. Prizes I never sought for, and I hope never shall. All my object and wish is to meet the Enemy's Fleet, and then I hope to get a little rest; for I am really fagged-always tossed about, and always sea-sick. I wish you would get rid of the gout. You will never be able to run after Buonaparte. Are Colonels allowed to ride? But as sure as he would have come, had we not been prepared, so sure he will not come, now we are. If he does, his destruction will give us an honourable Peace. I am truly sorry to hear that my friend Nepean' has been ill. I hope, from my heart, that he will, far away, weather all his enemies, or false friends. With every sincere good wish for your health and happiness, believe me for ever your most obliged and faithful friend, NELSON AND BRONTE. Query, if Captain Frank Sotheron. Vide iv. p. 381. 5 Now Vice-Admiral Sir Graham Eden Hamond, Bart., K.C.B., son of Sir Andrew Suape Hamond, Bart. • Mr. Davison was appointed Lieutenant-Colonel of the Loyal Britons, a Westminster Volunteer Corps, on the 12th of August 1803. Sir Evan Nepean, Bart., Secretary to the Admiralty. TO SIR ALEXANDER JOHN BALL, BART., MALTA. [Autograph, in the possession of Sir William Keith Ball, Bart.] My dear Ball, Victory, January 16th, 1804. I have nothing in the shape of a small Vessel, or your letters for Egypt should have been sent from the Fleet. The orders for the Cutter's return to England were most peremptory, and I cannot bring myself to believe very civil. However, the Vessel was useless; she sailed so ill that she was always in tow. The Childers carried my letters to Gibraltar, for I could not trust them in the Cutter. Either Spider or Renard can go to Egypt; and their Commanders have secret orders, not to be opened till the Vessel arrives at a certain place. I feel very much my inability to comply with your wishes in sending a Vessel to Egypt, but I cannot help myself. With respect to a Convoy to Odessa, no Ship of War is to go into the Black Sea, but as there will most probably be Ships in the Convoy, more certainly expected to go up the Levant, the same Ship of War can convoy to the entrance of the Dardanelles the Vessels for the Black Sea; and if the time can be nearly fixed when they will arrive at the entrance of the Dardanelles on their return, a Vessel of War shall certainly be ready to bring them to Malta. The Convoys bound to and from Smyrna, must give and take a little time each with the Malta trade; therefore, I hope your Vessels will be ready to proceed with the Smyrna trade. The Admiralty think I have a great many Vessels to the Eastward of Sicily. Your interrogatories respecting Quarantine have been given out, and a Memorandum to enforce it. The French Fleet being safe, the 5th, I judged it a most convenient moment to stand over to Algiers, to support Keats, who, I expect, arrived there yesterday, with the appearance of the Fleet. My mind is prepared for either alternative. I have left but little to negotiate upon: my demands are as moderate as is possible, considering how we have been insulted, and never will be receded from in the smallest degree; and I am sure Captain Keats will conduct himself to my satisfaction. Mr. Falcon has nothing to say in the business till he is reinstated. The Hired Armed Cutter, British Fair, Lieutenant Price. It is difficult to say what may be the destination of the Toulon Fleet. Circumstances may even make it necessary to alter its destination by Buonaparte; Egypt or Ireland, and I rather lean to the latter destination. Sardinia is to be taken; but that will be done from Corsica. Narcissus and Active are off Toulon, and my present distance is nothing, be the Enemy bound either to the Southward or out of the Mediterranean. I do not believe you will get a single man to garrison Alexandria from our Government. It is not difficult to see, and I wrote Mr. A.' so in June, that the Mamelukes going to England will get them into a cleft stick, and it will require much address to keep clear of offending either Turks or Mamelukes. I do not know Mr. Drummond, but I am told he is not likely to make the Porte understand the intended purity of our Cabinet. My dear Ball, you are fit to govern; and when we get Sardinia (and if we do not the French will) they ought to make you Viceroy. When we have that Island, we shall hold a fine footing in the Mediterranean. I hope we shall not in another Treaty abandon it; we suffered enough by it in the Treaty of Amiens. The Spaniards are fitting sixteen Sail of the Line at Cadiz-rather say assembling; six are gone from Carthagena, and some from Ferrol. I thank you for your papers, which I have turned over to good Captain Hardy. Your caricatures Murray will return. I have no doubt but the circulation of Leibnitz's Memoir' will assist in opening the eyes of Europe; but they are blindfolded, and dare not pull off the bandage. I shall detach the Niger the moment I can guess at the result of my first [visit?] to Algiers: she has two mails, and is full of stores for the Fleet, which we have not had an opportunity of taking out. I have to thank you again and again for your kind present of oranges, which are very fine. Ever, my dear Ball, yours most faithfully, NELSON AND BRONTE. Mr. Addington. Vide p. 111, ante. Apparently an account, then lately published in England, of the Memoir addressed by the celebrated German philosopher, Leibnitz, to Louis XIV., recommending to that Monarch, the conquest of Egypt as conducive to the establishment of supreme authority over the Governments of Europe. January 19th, 1804. The Dey is violent, and will yield no one point; therefore I have no further business here. Time and opportunity will make him repent. N. AND B. As the letters from Constantinople may relate to the Greek Vessel taken by Captain Hillyar, or some other interesting topic, you have my full permission to read them, and then forward them to me. January 19th, 1804. Ever yours truly, NELSON AND Bronte. TO THE RESPECTIVE FLAG OFFICERS, CAPTAINS, AND COMMANDERS, OF HIS MAJESTY'S SHIPS AND VESSELS ON THE MEDITERRANEAN STATION. [Order Book.] Memorandum. Victory, at Sea, 16th January, 1804. The Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty having resolved that a change of the Numeral Flags described in page 14, of the Day Signal-Book, shall immediately take place, I have it in command from their Lordships to send you a painted copy of the Flags as now altered, and to desire that you will paste the same on the 14th page of the day Signal-Book in your possession, and to use the altered Numeral Flags instead of the Numeral Flags at present in use, until you receive further orders. And their Lordships having reason to apprehend that Officers under the rank of Commanders have been permitted to take, or have otherwise obtained, copies of the Signals described in the Day and Night Signal-Books above mentioned, direct me to give the strictest injunctions that such improper proceedings may not take place in future, and that you recal such copies of the said Signal-Books as may be in the possession of Officers for whom they are not intended.. I am, therefore, to desire you will pay the most implicit obedience to their Lordships' direction before recited. NELSON AND Bronte. TO CAPTAIN KEATS, H.M. SHIP SUPERB. [From a Copy, in the Admiralty. "Tuesday, 17th January, A.M. At 6:30 the extremes of the Coast of Barbary, from S.E. to W. b. S. At 8, Cape Caxine bore S.S.W., distance six leagues."—Victory's Log.] My dear Sir, Victory, past 8 A.M., 17th January, 1804. You We just see you, although not near enough to communicate; therefore I put down two or three things as they occur. will not bring out any person for me to send to England from the Dey, upon any account, nor any letter to England, which may tend to prolong the business. All must now be settled, and if so, you may take a letter for England, or myself. If you do not think that the presence of the Fleet is longer necessary, I am anxious with this wind to return under St. Sebastians. You will settle all matters as far as is possible, and leave nothing for any pretence of sending messages to me. You have my confidence. The Consul being received according to my instructions, the collecting all the Maltese together may be a work of some time, which Mr. Falcon can do, if the principle of restitution is agreed upon. It blows so strong at 9 o'clock, that we can see nothing; therefore I send the Niger with this letter. You need only say, 'We go on well or ill; stay off here, or you may go.' The Dey will not know but every day we may re-appear. I beg my compliments to Mr. Falcon; there were no letters for him on board the Seahorse. I am ever, my dear Sir, your most faithful servant, NELSON AND BRONTE. TO CAPTAIN KEATS, H.M. SHIP SUPERB. [From a Copy in the Admiralty. "Noon, Tuesday, 17th January. The Light House on the Mole Head of Algiers bore S.S.W. W., distance four or five leagues; Squadron in Company."-Victory's Log.] My dear Sir, Victory, off Algiers, January 17th, 1804. I approve very much of all your conduct; but with respect to Mr. Falcon's not being received, that is a point I can never give up; for if that is given up, he will always remove any Consul who does not please. I can appoint no other: at the |