have accounts to April 27th, when they knew nothing of the Enemy. If I hear nothing, I shall proceed to the West Indies. I am, &c. NELSON AND BRONTE. TO CAPTAIN KEATS, H. M. SHIP SUPERB. [Autograph, in the possession of the Reverend Richard Keats.] My dear Keats, I am very much pleased with the cheerfulness with which you are determined to share the fate of the Fleet.' Perhaps none of us would wish for exactly a West India trip; but the call of our Country is far superior to any consideration of self. I will take care that Superb shall have neighbour's fare in everything. I have wrote to the Admiralty that Superb would be sent home before the hurricane months. anxious to get off St. Vincent to meet Amazon from Lisbon, when my route will be fixed. Will you dine here, if we have little wind? And believe me ever, my dear Keats, yours most faithfully, I am NELSON AND Bronte. TO MRS. BOLTON. [Autograph, in the possession of Miss Bolton, of Burnham. "May 9th. P.M. At 9, anchored in Lagos Bay, Squadron and Transports anchored here. Employed getting on board provisions from the Transports."-Victory's Log.] My dear Sister, Victory, May 9th, 1805. God only knows where I may be on July first, and, therefore, I send you a bill for one hundred pounds; and when I get home, I hope to be able to keep Tom2 at College without one farthing's expense to Mr. Bolton; and both you and him may be assured, that I would do more, if in my power. should have been a very rich, instead of a poor man, if Lord Melville had not given the Galleons to Sir John Orde. God I The Superb was so much in want of repair, that it was necessary she should have gone to England. 2 His nephew, Mrs. Bolton's eldest son, afterwards the second Earl Nelson. 3 i. e. removed the Ships which captured the Galleons from his command to that of Sir John Orde, who, consequently, obtained the share of Prize money that would otherwise have belonged to him. bless you, Mr. Bolton, and family; and believe me ever, your most affectionate brother, NELSON AND BRONTE. I have sent Sir William3 a cruize, and I hope he will be more fortunate than he has hitherto been. TO WILLIAM MARSDEN, ESQ., ADMIRALTY. Autograph, in the Admiralty.] Victory, off Cape St. Vincent, May 9th, 1805. Sir, Having received from the Amazon, Captain Hill's* letter of yesterday's date, I shall wait here until Admiral Knight joins, and then proceed to Barbadoes, taking care that he is seen safely inside the Gut; and the Queen and Dragon, I am satisfied can protect them, and it is possible, upon a further consideration, I may add the Royal Sovereign, which would render it impossible for all the force at Carthagena to make an impression upon them. I am now clearing Transports, and victualling the Fleet to five months, and shall bear away the moment I can get hold of the Convoy. Should the Enemy not have gone to the West Indies, I shall return off Cape St. Vincent's, and then act as I may find orders; or, if I receive none, according to the best of my judgment, which I hope their Lordships will approve of. I am, Sir, &c. NELSON AND BRONTE. The Royal Sovereign is ordered to join Admiral Knight. Her son-in-law, Captain Sir William Bolton, of the Amphitrite. "The Louisa, of Baltimore, an American Brig, Peter Billings, Master, intelligence by whom is as follows:- Left Cadiz on Thursday, the 2nd day of May, and informs that five Spanish Line-of Battle Ships, a Spanish Frigate, a French 80-gun Ship, a French 20-gun Ship, and a French Brig of 16 guns, sailed from Cadiz between the 9th and 10th. There appeared off Cadiz, on the 9th, about eleven Sail of the Line and four Frigates, French: that a Spanish Line-of-Battle Ship sailed in the evening after the former, of great value, and touched the ground on going out. At noon of the 10th, there was no more to be seen of the combined Fleet. The reports of their destination were various; by some, it was supposed they were destined for Ireland; and by others, with great probability, for the West Indies, particularly Jamaica. Three thousand Spanish troops, amongst ich there was a great number of Cavalry, embarked on board the Spanish Men TO SIR ALEXANDER JOHN BALL, BART. [Autograph, in the possession of Sir William Keith Ball, Bart.] My dear Ball, Victory, May 10th, 1805, off Lagos. My lot is cast, and I am going to the West Indies, where, although I am late, yet chance may have given them a bad passage, and me a good one: I must hope the best. A number of Troops are now at Lisbon; but, except that they are destined for the Mediterranean, I know nothing. I am still very unwell. May God bless you, my dear Ball; and be assured I am, &c. NELSON AND Bronte. TO REAR-ADMIRAL GEORGE CAMPBELL. [From Clarke and M'Arthur, vol. ii. p. 408.] May 10th, 1805. Here we are, my dear Campbell, clearing Sir John Orde's Transports, which I found in Lagos Bay, completing ourselves to five months; and to-morrow I start for the West Indies. Disappointment has worn me to a skeleton, and I am, in good truth, very, very far from well. Sir Richard Bickerton remains in the Mediterranean, and Admiral Knight, reports say, is to command at Gibraltar. He is at present off Lisbon of-War, and there was great confusion attending their embarkation, and getting the Ships to Sea. The French Ships were supposed to contain from 7000 to 8000 French troops, which were said to be commanded by General Lauriston. The Spanish Squadron is said to be commanded by Admiral Gravina. There appears at present to be great activity in equipping the Ships at Cadiz: two Line-of-Battle Ships were apparently nearly ready for sea-viz., the St. Trinadad, of 130 guns, and the Glory, of 74 guns; many Line-of-Battle Ships were also fitting with great expedition at the Caraccas. Provisions were in general plenty and cheap; seamen were scarce, and were forced with great reluctance on board the Men-of-War. All the Officers of Government appeared to be extremely active and vigilant in forwarding their Squadrons.' A Copy. NELSON AND BRONTE." "Lord Nelson is said to have been informed that the French Fleet had gone to the West Indies, by Rear-Admiral Donald Campbell, of the Portuguese Service, who had commanded the Portuguese Squadron in the Mediterranean in 1799, (vide vol. iv. passim;) and in a letter to Lord Nelson, dated Lisbon, 21st September 1805, he complained of having been deprived of his command by the Portuguese Government, at the instigation of the French Ambassador at Lisbon, on two grounds, one of which was "going on board your Lordship when you passed the Gut, and giving you information where the combined Fleets had gone."-Clarke and M'Arthur, vol. ii. p. 489. with the Convoy of Troops. I wish he would come here; but he has been deceived by false information, that the Combined Squadrons were still in Cadiz-I wish they were; but I am sorry to believe they are now in the West Indies, or just I am, &c. NELSON AND Bronte. TO THE COMMANDER OF ANY OF HIS MAJESTY'S SHIPS OR VESSELS IN SEARCH OF THE MEDITERRANEAN SQUADRON. From a Copy in the Admiralty.” Most Secret. Victory, in Lagos Bay, 10th May, 1805. Str. I desire to acquaint you that I am proceeding with the Squadron, under my command, to the West Indies, in search of the Enemy's Fleet; and request that you will, without a moment's loss of time, communicate the same to the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, and to the Commander-inChief of the Channel Fleet, in the event of your falling in with him I am, Sir, &c. NELSON AND BRonte. N.B.—Barbadoes will be the first place I shall call at. TO WILLIAM MARSDEN, ESQ., ADMIRALTY. Autograph, in the possession of Mrs. Leake.] My dear Sir, Victory, May 10th, 1805. I hope very soon to thank you in person for all your goodness to me; and that you will see me a Victor, shall be the exertion of, my dear Sir, your most obliged and faithful NELSON AND BRONTE. servant, I forgot to mention that the Martin Sloop' goes off this day * The Squadron with which Lord Nelson pursued the Enemy's Fleet of eighteen Ships of the Line to the West Indies, consisted only of ten Sail of the Line-viz., Vietary, Canopus. Superb, Spencer, Donegal, Tigre, Leviathan, Belleisle, Conqueror, and Swiftsure; and three Frigates, Decade, Amphion, and Amazon. The Martin, Captain R. H. Savage, conveyed a letter to Lord Seaforth, Governor of Barbadoes, "requesting him, in case Rear-Admiral Cochrane should not be at Barbadoes, to open and read his official letter, that had been sent to him, and would recommend its being forwarded as expeditiously as possible to the RearAdmiral. He also earnestly begged that an embargo might be laid on all Vessels at Barbadoes, that the Enemy might not be apprised of his arrival, and thereby again escape from his Fleet."-Clarke and M ́Arthur, vol. ii. p. 408. my N. AND B. for Barbadoes to Rear-Admiral Cochrane, to tell him of approach. Mention it to the Board. TO REAR-ADMIRAL KNIGHT. [From Clarke and M‘Arthur, vol. ii. p. 407. May 11th. A.M. At 9-10, weighed under the staystails and jib: in launch and all boats. At 10-30, set the topsails and foresail. At Noon, Squadron in company. P.M. At 4, came into the Squadron H.M. Ship Queen, Rear-Admiral Knight, who saluted with eleven [Qy. 17] guns, which we returned with thirteen. H. M. Ship Dragon and a Convoy of Transports joined. Martin parted. Queen, Royal Sovereign, Dragon, and Transports parted. At 6-50, bore up and made sail. Cape St. Vincent N.W. by N., distance 7 leagues." -Victory's Log.] My dear Admiral, May 11th, 1805. I have only to recommend, in order to make sure of your safe arrival, that you do not go near the land between Cadiz and Cape Trafalgar; but get, as soon as you can, into the latitude of Cape Spartel, before you run for the Strait's Mouth. And I must beg most seriously to call your attention, to carry the Convoy safe into Gibraltar from the numerous Gun-boats and Privateers which cover the Straits: I beg, therefore, to recommend, that the Convoy is not carried near Tariffa, or Cabrita Point, but kept in the middle of the Gut, until Gibraltar bears N.N.E. The being drove to the Eastward is of no consequence if it should be calm, any Vessel may work with ease round Europa Point. And there is only one thing more that I think it my duty to recommend, which is, that the Men-of-War are not suffered to anchor until every Vessel of the Convoy is anchored; for you may rely, that a serious attack will be made upon any stragglers, or on the last Ships of the Convoy, if there should be little wind. I am, &c. NELSON AND BRONTE. * Rear Admiral the Honourable (afterwards Admiral Sir) Alexander Forrester Inglis Cochrane, G.C.B., who died in June 1832. |