TO THE COMMISSIONERS OF THE VICTUALLING BOARD. Gentlemen, [Letter-Book.] Palermo, November 14th, 1799. I have received by post your answer to my letter from the Bay of Naples, in which you beg me to accept your acknowledgments for the trouble I had taken in investigating the report made by Mr. Lock, on the subject of the purchase of fresh beef. I must own, that I conceived your letter couched in terms of such coldness, as a little surprised me; but it was not till this moment of the departure of Captain Hardy, that I have heard a report, circulated by Mr. Lock, that you had received a letter from him on this subject, and that you had thanked him for having saved Government 40 per cent. If it is true, which I cannot believe, that you have wrote Mr. Lock any letters on this subject, I desire to say, and not to be misunderstood, that the conduct of the Board is very reprehensible, and scandalous in its treatment to me, the Commanding Officer of his Majesty's Fleet in the Mediterranean. I hope you will send these expressions to our superiors, the Board of Admiralty; for if it is true, which I cannot believe, it would make it more scandalous not to have sent me copies of these letters. I will never, for any power on earth, retract a syllable of what I have wrote in this letter. I defy any insinuations against my honour. Nelson is as far from doing a scandalous or mean action as the heavens are above the earth. I will now tell you the result of the inquiry of an honest man, a faithful servant of his King and Country, was, (from the papers I sent to your Board,) that the accusation of Mr. Lock was malicious and scandalous; and if any Board or individual apply any softer terms to the papers sent you by me, I desire to apply the same terms to them. I have ever treated all Boards, and every individual, with the greatest respect and consideration; but when my honour, or that of my brave friends is concerned, I will never stop till the examination is made; for Mr. Lock would not, or could not, (which I believe,) but both are equally criminal, bring forward any single point of accusation. I therefore demand that you will direct (subject to my inspection) a strict and impartial inquiry to be made into this saving of 40 per cent. I have only to observe, that Mr. Lock never made any complaint of the price, until I wrote a Note to say that I should not interfere in the purchase-that he that sold the best and cheapest, would, of course, be the seller.' I have desired Captain Hardy to call on your Board on this subject, as he was Captain of the Foudroyant at this time, and knows perfectly my opinion of Mr. Lock. I had every inclination to serve him, but never at the expense of the State, by giving a monopoly against a competition. I am, Gentlemen, your most obedient servant, BRONTE NELSON. TO CHARLES LOCK, ESQ., CONSUL, NAPLES. [Letter Book.] Sir, Palermo, November 15th, 1799. You having told Sir William Hamilton that your conduct respecting the purchase of fresh beef had not been disapproved of at home, and, as Captain Hardy understood you, that you had been thanked for saving Government 40 per cent., I do, therefore, in consequence of these reports circulated by you, demand in my situation as Commanding his Majesty's Fleet in the Mediterranean, from you, as his Majesty's Consul for the Kingdom of Naples, copies of all Public letters' which you have wrote respecting the Fleet under my command, and of all the answers which you have received to those letters, in order that I may know what steps it may be proper for me to take. I am, &c., ▾ Vide vol. iii. p. 420. BRONTE NELSON. The Commissioner of the Victualling Board, in reply to this letter, on the 20th of December, said, "After declaring to your Lordship that we never had any correspondence with Mr. Lock on the subject to which it relates, we submit to your Lordship's own reflection the manner in which you have thought proper to arraign the conduct of this Board merely upon a rumour, the authenticity of which you twice profess yourself to disbelieve."—Original in the Nelson Papers. • Mr. Lock complied with this demand. Vide p. 129, infra. TO COMMISSIONER INGLEFIELD, GIBRALTAR. [Letter-Book.] My dear Sir, Palermo, November 15th, 1799. I have sent everything from the Foudroyant to the Ships in Egypt, for no other Ship has any stores; therefore you will be so good as to ship the proportion of stores demanded in such Ship as the Commanding Sea-officer may appoint. I can only say, my dear Commissioner, that we are all in distress, and I know not who is in the best state. I am in desperation about Malta, and know not which way to turn. I look anxiously towards Minorca, and the Russians, at Naples; for you know the importance of getting Malta from the French. As this is what I call a flying letter, I have only to say what is truth and comes from the heart, is, that I am your sincere and affectionate friend, BRONTE NELSON. I must beg your assistance in getting the ordnance stores forwarded also. TO HIS EXCELLENCY THE MARQUIS DE NIZA. [Letter-Book.] My dear Marquis, Palermo, 15th November, 1799. I have this moment received your letters by the Foudroyant, of the 6th and 7th, which I have sent to General Acton, and I hope the mast will be immediately ordered for the Principe Real. I trust that Commodore Troubridge will be soon here, when I shall send him to relieve you; for I am, I can assure you, perfectly sensible of your exertion, and loyal and proper disobedience of the orders of his Royal Highness, who, I am sure, as a faithful and attached Ally of my most gracious Sovereign, will highly approve [of it.] I hope that the General at Minorca, and also the Russian Admiral and General at Naples, will soon send you sufficient force for the reduction of La Valetta, and place the Grand Master firmly in his seat. A brig is said to be in sight. November 17th.-The brig is from Naples: 3000 Russians would sail for Malta on the 17th, therefore, for Heaven's sake, do not take a man from the Island till their arrival. I expect also the troops from Minorca; and I should wish, for your sake, that your Marines could be left. It would, I am sure, flatter the Prince of Brazil, to have an opportunity of assisting in placing the Grand Master in Malta. I would not have this matter of the Russians being so near, talked of, as it is possible, as a last effort, the garrison may not only make a sortie and destroy our battery, but drive us from the Island; therefore the more private this account is kept the better. I expect every moment Commodore Troubridge, who shall instantly come to your relief. Your Excellency's conduct as an Officer and as a man, in every situation, has been most grateful to my feelings; but your conduct since you have been off Malta, will stamp your character as a Sea-officer, second to none in Europe. If it is of any value, you have my warmest gratitude for your support of me on every occasion; and believe me, for ever, my dear Marquis, your affectionate friend, BRONTE NELSON. TO HIS EXCELLENCY LE CHEVALIER LIZAKOVITZ. [Letter-Book. The Foudroyant having returned to Palermo on the 17th of November, Lord Nelson's Flag was rehoisted on board of her.] Dear Sir, Palermo, 17th November, 1799. I know not how to sufficiently thank your Excellency for all your kindness towards me, for I never receive any details from Tuscany but from you. I earnestly hope that Prince Suwarrow will be completely successful in Switzerland, and that we shall be the same in Holland. I then think the war must be brought to a happy issue. My great object now is to see the French drove out of La Valetta, and the illustrious Grand Master in quiet possession. For this purpose I have been to Minorca, to arrange with our Generals a plan of operations. with the Russian Admiral and General at Naples. As yet I have had no answer from Naples, but I look for it every left moment. All our affairs in this Island are exactly as you us. The King has been a little unwell, but is now perfectly recovered. Sir William and Lady Hamilton feel equally obliged as myself for all your most interesting letters. We beg our best respects to Madame Lizakovitz, and believe me, dear Sir, your Excellency's most obliged BRONTE NELSON. TO HIS EXCELLENCY SIR JOHN ACTON, BART. [Letter Book.] Palermo, November 18th, 1799. The moment I can get a Corvette she shall carry the Consul to Tunis; therefore be so good as to keep him ready at a moment's warning. Your Excellency's last observation, about a new disposition when Malta is taken, that the Flag of the Order is to be hoisted instead of the three Flags, appears to convey that my sentiments of respect for his Sicilian Majesty's flag were lessened. I send you two papers, on which my order to good Captain Ball was founded. If I have erred, it is not too late to call back my order, and if you think so, I shall be happy to meet your Excellency, and the Ministers of England and Russia, on this subject. There is not, I can assure you, that man on earth, who would so strongly unite the two Monarchs whom we serve as myself, and may perdition seize the wretch who would do the least thing towards lessening that harmony! And could it ever happen that any English Minister wanted to make me an instrument of hurting the feelings of his Sicilian Majesty, I would give up my commission sooner than do it. I am open to your Excellency, and I think you are so to me. The interest of our Sovereigns requires it, and I am sure that we both only think of uniting the Courts of London and Naples still closer together. I am placed in such a situation—a Subject of one King by birth, and, as far as is consistent with my allegiance to that King, a voluntary Subject of his Sicilian Majesty that if any man attempted to separate my two Kings, by all that is sacred, I should consider even putting that man to death as a meritorious act. Therefore, my dear Sir John, never, never for a |