reports of Vessels from Toulon, taken by Termagant, eleven Sail of the Line, and nine Frigates and Corvettes-twenty Sail of Ships in the whole. I shall only hope to fall in with them. I should be unworthy of my Command if I dared to doubt the event with such a fine Fleet as I have the happiness of commanding. God bless you, my dear Ball, and believe me ever your most sincere and faithful friend. NELSON AND Bronte. ΤΟ [Autograph draught, in the possession of the Reverend Henry Girdlestone.] Victory, February 1st, 1805. Sir, As it is of the utmost importance that the Fleet should not be separated at this very important crisis, I rely that most particular attention will be paid in order to prevent it. But should such a circumstance unavoidably take place, it is absolutely impossible for me to point out precisely the place where the Fleet may be found, as my movements must depend upon such information as I may receive. My present intention is to proceed off Coron, where the Phoebe is gone for information; then off Goza of Candia; then probably to Alexandria; and not finding the Enemy in any of those places, then to return to the Westward. You must therefore exercise your judgment, and, as a last resource, go off Valetta harbour, and remain there, until you hear from, or of me; but you are not upon any consideration, short of absolute distress, to go into the harbour, but be ready to join me the first information you may be able to obtain where to find me. I am, Sir, &c. NELSON AND Bronte. Sir, TO WILLIAM MARSDEN, ESQ., ADMIRALTY. [Original, in the Admiralty.] Victory, at Sea, 4th February, 1805. The Commissioners for taking care of Sick and Wounded Seamen, having requested that I would cause a further con tract to be entered into with Mr. John Broadbent, Merchant at Messina, for twenty thousand gallons of lemon juice, in addition to the thirty thousand previously agreed for by Doctor Snipe at one shilling per gallon, cask included, I beg you will be so good as acquaint the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, that I sent Doctor Snipe, late Physician of the Fleet to Messina, with directions to contract with the said Mr. Broadbent for twenty thousand gallons of lemon juice for Home consumption, and ten thousand gallons for the use of the Fleet under my command, which he has with much attention and regard to the Public interest settled for at eighteen pence per gallon, instead of one shilling, formerly contracted for. This increased price is found, upon the most strict inquiry, to be just and necessary to cover the unavoidable expense attending the squeezing the lemons, which Mr. Broadbent was not aware of on his entering into the first Contract, and consequently will be a considerable loser by it. I therefore judge it necessary to send you the copy of Mr. Broadbent's letter to Doctor Snipe, and also of the late Physician's letter to me on this subject, and request you will be pleased to lay them before their Lordships for their information, and move them to give the necessary directions to the Commissioners of the Sick and Hurt Board, to allow Mr. Broadbent sixpence more per gallon for the thirty thousand gallons at first contracted for, that he may not be a loser from the integrity of his conduct. Mr. Broadbent, from every information I have received, is an honest upright man, and very justly entitled to their Lordships' consideration on the present occasion. Doctor Snipe, as he is going home, will furnish the Sick and Hurt Board with the Contracts, and such further information on this subject as the Commissioners may deem necessary. I am, Sir, &c. NELSON AND Bronte. TO SAMUEL BRIGGS, ESQ., BRITISH PRO-CONSUL AT ALEXANDRIA. [Duplicate, in the possession of Samuel Briggs, Esq.] Victory, February 4th, 1805. Sir, If the French are arrived before me, you will, of course, not receive this letter; if they are not arrived, it is my opinion they are dispersed and crippled in the bad weather they have experienced since their leaving Toulon. I have wrote the Governor of Alexandria to be upon his guard against a visit from those gentry; for, as a week ago they had not either arrived in Sardinia, Naples, or Sicily, I still think their destination is either Egypt or the Morea. I may chance to fall in with them on my return; for I shall pursue the route I think they will take; but, as the Governor is now put upon his guard, I hope he will take every means in his power for the defence of Alexandria; and in particular, to have Vessels ready to sink, to prevent the entrance of the French Fleet into the old Port, until the obstructions were removed, which would give me time to get at them. The French Fleet sailed on the 18th January, with from 8000 to 10,000 Troops embarked. On the 19th, they had a very heavy gale of wind to the Westward of Corsica and Sardinia. One Ship of 80 guns put into Ajaccio, crippled; three others were seen steering for St. Fiorenzo. On the 21st, some of them were seen off the South end of Sardinia. But I know that, on the 28th, they had neither been in Sardinia or Naples, and I was at Messina on the 30th; therefore, they are either returned to Toulon, or are, I fear, arrived in Egypt. But even in that case, if Alexandria is properly defended, it cannot have yet fallen into their hands, or their Fleet got into the Port. If the Enemy is not here, I shall not remain one moment on the Coast; you will, therefore, by the return of the Boat, give me all the information you have. I shall be much obliged to you to send my letter, when opportunity efforts, to Major Misset, at Cairo. I am, Sir, with great respect, &c. NELSON AND Bronte. TO SAMUEL BRIGGS, ESQ., BRITISH PRO-CONSUL AT ALEXANDRIA. [Autograph, in the possession of Samuel Briggs, Esq.] Dear Sir, Victory, February 4th, 1805. I sent a Frigate with my letters two days ago; but I see that she is still to leeward, and cannot get up, therefore, I send Duplicates. If nothing is known of the French Fleet at Alexandria, I shall instantly return to the Westward; therefore, I beg that the Boat may not be detained, nor must any communication be had with the Officer, so as to put the Ship in quarantine. The Officer is ordered not to wait more than thirty minutes; for you will readily believe my anxiety to find out the Enemy's Fleet. I am, dear Sir, with great respect, &c. NELSON AND BRONTE. There is very little news as to the active movements of the contending parties. A Continental War is looked upon as certain. TO WILLIAM MARSDEN, ESQ., ADMIRALTY. [Original, in the Admiralty. February 8th [i. e., 7th.] P.M. At 6, the Pharos of Alexandria bore S.E. b S., distance 7 leagues."-Victory's Log.] Sir, Victory, at Sea, 8th February, 1805. I herewith transmit you, for the information of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, a letter from Captain Adair of the Marines belonging to the Victory, Inspecting Officer for raising Recruits in this Country for the Royal Marines, together with a List, Number 1, including those Recruits placed to the Companies of such as have died and deserted on this station, and of those placed to the respective Divisions, agreeable to their Lordships' instructions, communicated to me in your letter of the 14th September 1804. Number 2 contains the names of the Recruits sent home in the Kent and Triumph, agreeably to Sir Evan Nepean's letter to me, dated the 29th September 1803, an extract of which accompanies this, directing me to send to England by every opportunity the surplus Recruits that might be raised more than was necessary to complete the different Ships of the Squadron; and in order to meet their Lordships' intentions, (knowing that Marines were much wanted in England,) I suffered the new raised Recruits on board the Kent and Triumph to go to England in those Ships, although the Ship's complements remaining on the station were not all complete. And I beg, with due deference, to state, from my experience in the Mediterranean, that Italians (who in any other Country are faithful, steady men) are not good for anything so near home, as they are constantly crying after it; and, consequently, seek for opportunities to desert whenever the Ships go into Port. It will not, however, during the period of contagion in the different Ports of the Mediterranean, (as great caution is necessary in receiving Foreigners on board the Fleet,) be possible to raise so great a number as otherwise would have been done, from the very [great] and unremitted attention of Captain Adair to this service-most probably not more than may be sufficient to keep the complements of the different Ships complete. Number 3 contains the names of the new raised men serving on board the Ships named in the margin,' who will be placed to vacant Companies or Divisions the moment those Ships join, and the regular Returns are made to Captain Adair, which shall afterwards be transmitted to you for their Lordships' information. I am, Sir, &c. NELSON AND BRONTE. TO SIR ALEXANDER JOHN BALL, BART., MALTA. [Autograph, in the possession of Miss Collinson.] My dear Ball, Victory, off Gozo of Candia, February 11th, 1805. Although I have not yet heard of the French Fleet, and remain in total ignorance where they are got to, yet to this moment I am more confirmed in my opinion, from communicating with Alexandria, that Egypt was the destination of the French Armament from Toulon; and when I call all the circumstances which I know at this moment, I approve 1 Excellent, Juno, Phoebe, Active, Termagant. |