TO RICHARD FORD, ESQ., AGENT VICTUALLER TO THE [Order-Book.] Victory, at Sea, 27th February, 1804. In order that it may be exactly ascertained what supplies of different species of provisions, wine, and other refreshments can be had for the Fleet under my command at Barcelona and in the neighbourhood of that place, You are hereby required and directed to proceed to Barcelona, and make the most strict inquiry with respect to what supplies of provisions and refreshments can be had for the respective Ships' Companies, and upon what terms they are to be procured, the time required for that purpose, and to what extent? After having obtained such information upon this subject as you may judge necessary to enable you to procure supplies with expedition, you are to proceed to Rosas (where frequent purchases of bullocks, wine, onions, &c., have hitherto been procured for the Squadron), and make the same necessary inquiry on the subject abovementioned, in order that we may, on all future occasions, know what supplies can be drawn from those places, and to what extent; and as wine is wanted for the Ships you will purchase two hundred pipes, together with thirty thousand oranges, and twenty tons of onions for the respective Ships' Companies, and also, fifty good sheep for the use of the sick and convalescent Seamen of the Squadron, paying for the whole either by bills on the Victualling-Board, or ready money, as you may find most to the interest of Government, which I must desire you will bear constantly in mind on all occasions of purchases and disbursement of the Public money. NELSON AND BRONTE. Sir, TO EDWARD GAYNER, ESQ., MERCHANT, ROSAS. [Letter. Book.] Victory, off Cape St. Sebastians, 28th February, 1804. I have this moment received your letter of the 10th, and note of the 12th instant, and from the circumstance you mention of onions vegetating at this season of the year, I recommend your not purchasing any more for the Fleet. I trust the Court of Spain will not prevent the Squadron under my command from having a reasonable number of bullocks for its consumption, with every other refreshment necessary for the Seamen, which the Peace subsisting between our Countries entitles me to expect and demand. I have sent you a letter to Dr. Scott, who you will soon see, accompanied by Mr. Richard Ford, the Agent-Victualler appointed by Government to the Fleet, who will enter upon the subject of supplying wine for the Squadron from Rosas, and of course arrange the business with you as to the quantity and time. required to procure it. If you will be so good as to make out an account of the abatement, which has been made by the Spanish Government, for our former supplies, and also, of the omission in the Superb's voucher, as mentioned in your said letter, Mr. Ford will settle it with you as well as for all future supplies for the Fleet. I am very much obliged for the information communicated in your said letter. I am, Sir, &c., NELSON AND Bronte. TO THE CAPTAINS OF EITHER OF HIS MAJESTY'S SHIPS ABOVE [UNDER] MENTIONED, WHICH MAY FIRST JOIN COMPANY my Victory, at Sea, 28th February, 1804. It is directions that the Captain of either of his Majesty's Ships named in the Margin,' which may first join company with the Juno, in addition to my order of the 25th instant, transmitted to you on that day, proceed off the entrance of Toulon Harbour, for the purpose of ascertaining whether the Enemy's Squadron is still in Port, and afterwards join me, with an account thereof, on the station of the Squadron mentioned in the said order. NELSON AND Bronte. Active, Narcissus, Amazon, Phoebe, Seahorse. VOL. V. FF TO MR. RICHARD FORD, AGENT VICTUALLER TO THE FLEET. [Letter-Book.] Victory, at Sea, 2nd March, 1804. Sir, As wine will soon be wanted for the Fleet under my command, I am to desire you will enter upon the subject with Mr. Edward Gayner, Merchant at Rosas, and endeavour to settle with him for a hundred tuns of good Catalonian wine, upon the most reasonable and advantageous terms for Government; and I am also to desire you will acquaint Mr. Gayner that casks will be wanted for the said wine, and to take care that they are good, well-conditioned, and in proper order, that no loss may happen to Government or the individual, from the wine's leaking out, as it is impossible at this uncertain season to send casks from the different Ships. I am, &c., NELSON AND Bronte. P.S.-As soon as it can be done, the wine casks will be returned. I suppose Mr. Gayner can have no objections to receiving them. You will settle some little error with Mr. Gayner in the Superb's former vouchers, as mentioned in my letter of the 28th ultimo to him. TO HENRY CLARKE, ESQ., BRITISH PROCONSUL AT TUNIS. [From a Copy in the Colonial Office.] Victory, March 2nd, 1804. Sir, The Bey has asked me for one or two Passports for some Vessel or Vessels which are coming from Holland with his presents, (I suppose from the Batavian Republic.) The request seems to me so reasonable that, if the Vessels had been in the Mediterranean, I should have granted the Passports without the smallest difficulty. Luckily, within two hours after the arrival of the Bey's letter, I was sending a Vessel for England, and I enclosed it to Lord Hobart, strongly recommending the granting the Passports. The only difficulty which can occur is Lord Hobart's not knowing how either to describe the Vessels, or to know who to deliver them to; therefore, I would immediately recommend to his Highness to send to England or Holland for his Agent to communicate with Lord Hobart, for I am anxious that his Highness should be gratified as expeditiously as possible. You will also take this opportunity of assuring his Highness of my earnest wish to do everything in my power to accelerate the arrival of the articles from Holland; and also assure him of my high esteem for his person and character. I am, &c., NELSON AND BRONTE. TO CAPTAIN HENRY RICHARDSON, H.M. SHIP JUNO. [Letter-Book.] Sir, Victory, at Sea, 2nd March, 1804. Being particularly anxious that his Majesty's Ships in search of the Squadron should be immediately informed where it is gone to, I am to desire you will most strictly keep His Majesty's Ship Juno on Rendezvous No. 97, about ten leagues due South of Cape St. Sebastians; and I am to desire in addition to my Memorandum of the 28th ultimo, that you acquaint the Captains of his Majesty's Ships named in the margin' (who I understand are together) that it is my directions they proceed off Toulon in company, for the purpose mentioned in the said Memorandum, in their way to join me. I am, &c., NELSON AND BRONTE. TO CAPTAIN DONNELLY, H.M. SHIP NARCISSUS. Victory, at Sea, 4th March, 1804. You are hereby required and directed to proceed immediately with his Majesty's Ship Narcissus, under your command, off Cape Corse, and cruize very diligently between that and Port Especia, for the purpose of obtaining information of the Enemy's movements and expeditions fitting out at Leghorn and Genoa, and also, of their Fleet at Toulon, should it put to sea. Upon your gaining any intelligence which you Narcissus, Active. may deem necessary for my immediate information, you will proceed to Rendezvous No. 100, herewith delivered, where you will find me, or instructions where the Squadron may have gone. You will continue on this service till further orders. NELSON AND BRONTE. TO CAPTAIN FRANK SOTHERON, H.M. SHIP EXCELLENT. [Letter-Book.] Sir, Victory, at Sea, 7th March, 1804. I have received your letter of the 28th February, enclosing one from the Purser of his Majesty's Ship Excellent, under your command, dated the 16th of that month, respecting a hogshead of tobacco, which, after issue, was found two hundred and cleven pounds short of its contents. In answer thereto, I am rather surprised, as the hogshead of tobacco in question, when opened, appeared to want six inches of being full, that the Purser did not immediately represent the circumstance to you, that it might have been weighed in the presence of the proper Officers, and the real deficiency ascertained previous to any issue. I shall, however, transmit the before-mentioned letters to the Commissioners for Victualling, for their consideration. I am, &c., NELSON AND Bronte. TO CAPTAIN MOUBRAY, H. M. SHIP ACTIVE. [Order-Book.] Victory, at Sea, 8th March, 1804. You are hereby required and directed to proceed immediately with his Majesty's Ship Active, under your cómmand, to the Bay of Rosas or Barcelona, as may be found most convenient, in order to afford your Ship's Company every necessary refreshment for the benefit of their health, for which purpose you are to remain at either of the said places for the space of seven days, and during that time you are to cause your people to be supplied with fresh beef every day, with as |