before mentioned, at two-thirds, and the others at full allowance of all species of provisions, during their passage to Malta. NELSON AND Bronte TO CAPTAIN RICHARD HUSSEY MOUBRAY, H. M. SHIP ACTIVE. [Order-Book.] Victory, Gulf of Palma, Sardinia, 6th August, 1804. You are hereby required and directed to take his Majesty's Ships named in the margin,' under your command, and proceed immediately with them to Rendezvous No. 102, where you will find the Niger, and most probably the Acheron, and two Transports with water for the Squadron. You will, as early after as possible, reconnoitre the Enemy at Toulon, leaving the Niger and Bombs with the Transports on the said Rendezvous; and you will deliver my letter, here with transmitted, together with a copy of this order, to Captain Hillyar, that he may give them to Captain Hargood, on the Belleisle's joining him, in case she should not have done so previous to your getting there. You will also desire Captain Hillyar to acquaint the Captains of the Belleisle and Kent, or any Vessel that may be in search of me, to remain on Rendezvous No. 102, as I shall proceed with the Squadron to that place this evening, or to-morrow morning early, should the wind continue from the Eastward; but if from the Westward, I shall go to Pula, in order to complete the Squadron with water. You will, therefore, in the event of the Enemy having put to sea from Toulon, take these circumstances into account, and dispatch a Vessel, without a moment's loss of time, with directions to her Commander to look into this anchorage, and at Pula. Not finding the Squadron at either of those places, he must judge from the wind and weather, where it is most likely to fall in with it, in its way to the before-mentioned Rendezvous, and proceed in search of it with the utmost dispatch. NELSON AND Bronte. Phoebe, Seahorse. TO CAPTAIN GORE, H.M. SHIP MEDUSA. [Letter-Book.] Sir, Victory, Gulf of Palma, August 6th, 1804. I have received your letter of the 12th ult., with copies of your two letters to his Excellency the Marquis de Solano, Governor of Cadiz, and to Mr. Frere, his Majesty's Minister at Madrid; also, the several documents which accompanied them, setting forth the enormities and unlicensed outrages of the French Privateers, together with the papers transmitted you by Sir Thomas Trigge on the same subject. In answer thereto, I beg to say, how sensible I am of the interest you have taken on this occasion, for the good and protection of the Trade of his Majesty's Subjects against the unprincipled conduct of the French Pirates; and hope it may in some degree check them in future, though I much fear while Spain and Portugal remain in their present state of quiet and fearful subjection to the tyrannical yoke of France, little else but similar depredations can be expected. Your persevering conduct, however, on this, and on every other occasion, has my entire approbation. I am, &c., NELSON AND BRONTE. Sir, TO CAPTAIN GORE, H.M. SHIP MEDUSA. [Letter-Book.] Victory, Gulf of Palma, 6th August. 1804. I have to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 1st ult., with copies of the several orders, and Log-Book, &c., therein mentioned, and to express my full approbation thereof. I am glad to find the Halcyon is completely repaired, and particularly so, that Captain Pearse's conduct meets your approbation. The inactivity of that Sloop reached me through different channels; but I am satisfied, from your account of the state of the Halcyon, that blame is not imputable to her Commander, and I request you will tell him so. Vide p. 10, ante. I am very much pleased with your having carried Captain Layman to Lisbon, and that he and Captain Whitby were so fortunate as to get a passage to England in the Fisgard, as well as with your exertions to procure men at Lisbon and Oporto; and hope, on some future occasion, you will be more fortunate. You were perfectly right in taking the fifteen supernumeraries from the Poulette, as her Commander will be able to pick up some men, while he is waiting for the Convoy from Lisbon. The station you occupied with the Medusa, La Sophie, and Halcyon, for the protection of the Ambuscade and Convoy, was a very proper one, and such as would not fail to insure their safety. Your intentions to destroy the Enemy's Privateers and other Vessels in the Gut, I hope may be attended with success. At any rate much credit is due for the attempt; and I feel much pleasure in acknowledging the very great service your unwearied exertions and perseverance have rendered to the Trade of his Majesty's Subjects, as well as to the destruction of the Pirates who infest the vicinity of Gibraltar. I am, &c., NELSON AND Bronte. TO THE COMMISSIONERS OF THE TRANSPORT BOARD, LONDON. [Original, in the Record Office of the Tower of London. "Tuesday, 7th August, 1804. At 4:30 A.M., weighed, as did all the Squadron, and made all sail. At 10 P.M., anchored. Wednesday, 8th August, weighed and made sail. At 7:30, anchored in Pula Roads, in the Gulf of Cagliari, with the Squadron. At 1-15, saluted his Majesty's Consul at Cagliari with nine guns, on his coming on board, and again, at 7-15, on his going away."-Victory's Log.] Gentlemen, Victory, at Sea, 7th August, 1804. It having been represented to me by the Captains of the Squadron, that the coals supplied their respective Ships from the Harmony Transport at the Madalena Islands in May last, were nearly one-eighth short of their measure, I wrote to the Officers of Malta Yard, a copy of which letter is herewith enclosed, together with the Report, and my answer thereto, by which it appears that sixty chaldrons of coals were short of the quantity which ought to have been delivered to the respective Pursers of the Squadron before-mentioned, by the fraudulent conduct of Mr. Master of the said Transport; I therefore desire to observe the propriety of a severe example being made of this man, for such a dishonest • practice; and of the very great necessity of giving the most positive instructions to the Masters of all future Transports, sent out to the Fleet with coals, to give just measure in the delivery of them to the respective Ships, and not avail themselves of any false pretence, or the pressing necessity of quick dispatch to rob the individual of his property. I consider Mr.'s conduct the more reprehensible, as the weather was fair, the water smooth, and his Vessel taken alongside each Ship at the Madalena Islands for delivery. The coals are in store at Malta, and I have written the Commissioners for Victualling on the subject, that they may give the respective Pursers credit for the quantity they have been so defrauded of; and have at the same time, directed the Officers of Malta Yard to consider them as Government's and use them accordingly, transmitting to your Board and to the Commissioners for Victualling an account thereof. I am, &c., NELSON AND BRONTE. Sir, TO WILLIAM MARSDEN, ESQ., ADMIRALTY. [Original, in the Admiralty.] Victory, at Sea, 7th August, 1804. Your letter of the 15th May, with the Commissions therein mentioned, appointing me Vice-Admiral of the White Squadron; Sir Richard Bickerton, Bart., Rear-Admiral of the Red; George Campbell, Esq., Rear-Admiral of the White; and George Murray, Esq., Rear-Admiral of the Blue: also a Commission continuing Rear-Admiral Murray Captain of the Fleet under my command, together with one promoting the Honourable Josceline Percy to be Lieutenant of the Medusa. In answer thereto, you will please to acquaint their Lordships, that the Commissions to the Flag-Officers above mentioned have been delivered, and that the Honourable Lieu Fourth son of Algernon, first Earl of Beverley, now a Rear-Admiral of the Blue, and Companion of the Bath. tenant Percy's shall be sent to him the first opportunity going to Gibraltar. My Secretary has been directed to receive the Fees marked on them respectively, and to account to your Office for the same. I am Sir, &c., NELSON AND Bronte. TO WILLIAM MARSDEN, ESQ., ADMIRALTY. [Original, in the Admiralty.] Victory, at Sea, 7th August, 1804. Sir, I have received your letter of the 15th May, inclosing a copy of a representation from the Underwriters at Lloyd's Coffee-House respecting the captures made by the Enemy's Privateers in the Adriatic: also inclosing an extract of a letter from a gentleman at Trieste, stating that the Ship Betsy had been captured by a French Privateer off the Island of Chiozza, in consequence of her having been incautiously left at the entrance of the Gulf by her Convoy, directing me to make inquiry into this circumstance, and report the same to you, for their Lordships' information, and further directions. In answer thereto, you will please to acquaint the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty that the utmost attention has been paid to the protection of our Commerce in the Adriatic and Archipelago, as far as the number of Frigates and Sloops under my command has enabled me, (which their Lordships will observe by the Disposition of the Squadron ;) and I can say, that there never was known, at any one time, so great a number of Vessels of War in the Adriatic as is at this moment under the orders of Captain Cracraft; but certainly, if two small Frigates or large Sloops could be spared, I would place one at Trieste, and another at Venice. Such arrangement is not, however, in my power at present; and to reduce Captain Cracraft's Squadron would leave the entrance to the Adriatic without a sufficient force to prevent the Enemy conveying Troops into the Morea at pleasure. The protection afforded the Enemy's Privateers and Rowboats in the different Neutral Ports in these seas, so contrary to every known law of Neutrality, is extremely destructive to our Commerce, and will certainly prove so in spite of all the |