lies in my power, complete in every respect for real service. On the 20th, at night, I fell in with the Latona, having on board his Excellency Lord St. Helens, with whom I had three hours' conversation; and their Lordships may rely that everything shall be done on my part to promote the happy termination of his Lordship's mission. I have the honour, &c. NELSON AND BRONTE.

The Shannon reported the Swedish Fleet, top-gallant masts struck generally, but got up on particular days, seven Sail of the Line, and three Frigates. I have a report from Vessels spoke, that the Swedish Flotilla is returned to Stockholm.

TO EVAN NEPEAN, ESQ., ADMIRALTY.

[Letter-Book.]

Sir,

St. George, 23rd May, 1801.

On the 20th, a Russian Frigate, having on board RearAdmiral Tchitchagoff, delivered me copies of answers to Sir Hyde Parker's letter of April 26th; and having had a good deal of conversation with the Rear-Admiral, we exchanged the Declarations sent herewith, which, I feel, is in strict compliance with the spirit of part of their Lordships' orders of April 17th.

I also send copies of letters, which I have judged it proper to write to the Swedish Admiral. The Russian Frigate sailed at eight o'clock in the morning for Petersburgh, and the Latona parted company at twelve at night. I have sent two Small craft with the Latona, in order to keep up a constant communication. I have the honour, &c.

NELSON AND BRONTE.

TO HIS EXCELLENCY ADMIRAL CRONSTEDT, CARLSCRONA.

[Letter-Book.]

St. George, at Sea, 23rd May, 1801.

Sir,

In the correspondence which your Excellency has held with the late Commander-in-Chief of the British Fleet in the

Baltic, I do not see, in return to his Declaration that the trade of Sweden in the Cattegat and Baltic would be allowed to pass unmolested by the British Cruizers, any return of Declarations on the part of Sweden, I have therefore to request, that your Excellency will return an explicit Declaration, that the trade of Great Britain shall not be molested, in any manner, in the Cattegat and Baltic by the Swedes.

Your Excellency's judgment will show the necessity of this mutual Declaration. I have the honour, &c.

NELSON AND BRONTE.

TO EVAN NEPEAN, ESQ., ADMIRALTY.

[Letter-Book. "The keeping his Fleet continually on the alert, and thus amply furnishing it with fresh water and provisions, were the objects of his Lordship's unremitted care; and to this may in a great measure be ascribed the uniform good health and discipline which prevailed. Another point to which he gave nearly equal attention, was his economy of the resources of his Fleet in regard to stores; their consumption was as remarkable for its smallness in the Baltic, as it was in the Fleet that was afterwards under his command in the Mediterranean. His hour of rising was four or five o'clock, and of going to rest about ten; breakfast was never later than six, and generally nearer to five o'clock. A midshipman or two were always of the party; and I have known him send during the middle watch to invite the little fellows to breakfast with him, when relieved. At table with them, he would enter into their boyish jokes, and be the most youthful of the party. At dinner he invariably had every Officer of his Ship in their turn, and was both a polite and hospitable host. The whole ordinary business of the Fleet was invariably dispatched, as it had been by Earl St. Vincent, before eight o'clock. The great command of time which Lord Nelson thus gave himself, and the alertness which this example imparted throughout the Fleet, can only be understood by those who witnessed it, or who know the value of early hours. The Russian Frigate Venus, with Admiral Tchitchagoff on board, met us on our return to Bornholm; she had been in search of us, with the answer to some pacific overtures that had passed between Sir Hyde Parker and the Russian Government, and which was of the most friendly description. Lord St. Helens also met us in the Latona, on his way to Petersburgh on a special mission. At Rostock not an hour was lost in procuring fresh provisions for the Fleet. The greatest veneration was here shown to the name of Nelson; and some distant inland Towns of Mecklenburg sent even Deputations, with their public books of record, to have his name written in them by himself. Boats were constantly rowing round his Flag-ship, the St. George, with persons of respectability in them, anxious to catch a sight of this illustrious man. He did not again land whilst in the Baltic; his health was not good, and his mind was not at ease: with him, mind and health invariably sympathized."-Colonel Stewart's Narrative.]

St. George, off Rostock, 24th May, 1801.

Sir, Having joined Rear-Admiral Totty off Bornholm yesterday morning at three o'clock, and in the course of the day

having arranged the business of the Squadron, and placed under his command the Ships named in the margin,' exclusive of the Small craft, which are kept generally at anchor under Bornholm, under the direction of Captain Inman, who has had great merit in keeping them in proper discipline, and as no person at Bornholm could give them money for their bills, or, indeed, take them, I have directed Captain Inman to bring some of them to Rostock; and I must draw for money and supply them. As this proceeding may not be strictly regular, yet as all difficulties give way with me to the benefit of the King's service, I trust their Lordships will take care that I may not be censured for irregularity by the different Boards, if what I do is really for the good of the service.

Having sent the Ganges, Defence, and Veteran to water in Kioge Bay, I left Rear-Admiral Totty in the evening, and anchored here this afternoon with eight sail of the Line, a Frigate, &c. I am so anxious to acquaint their Lordships with the apparent favourable change in the language of the Court of Russia, and of the observations made by Captain Fremantle on the state of the Russian Fleet, that I send the Speedwell; as I am of opinion their Lordships cannot be too minutely acquainted with every circumstance that passes in these critical times. I have the honour to be, &c.

NELSON AND BRONTE.

TO EVAN NEPEAN, ESQ., ADMIRALTY.

[Letter Book.]

St. George, May 24th, 1801.

Sir,

Not wishing to detain Lord St. Helens one moment, I gave to his Lordship all the papers I had received from Rear-Admiral Tchitchagoff and from Captain Fremantle, and directed the Lynx to bring them to me the next day, when Lord St. Helens would have had time to copy them, and to write his letter for England. But, as the Lynx is not arrived, and the

1 Saturn, Zealous, Powerful, Vengeance, Ramilies, Bellona, Ruby, Raisonnable, Shannon, Jamaica, Cruizer, and Lynx.

wind perfectly fair for passing the Belt, I have determined to send off the Speedwell, and to recite, as well as my memory will allow, the tenour of the papers sent me, and the conversation which passed with the Russian Admiral.

No. 1, was a very civil letter from Count Pahlen, saying that he was directed by the Emperor to send Admiral Tchitchagoff to hold a confidential communication with the Commander-in-Chief of the British Fleet, supposed to be (of course) Sir Hyde Parker, and that I might give full credit to all he said on this occasion. He began by stating the ardent desire the Emperor had shown from the moment he had commenced his reign, to return to his ancient amity between Russia and Great Britain, and that he fully expected a similar desire on the part of Great Britain; that Lord Hawkesbury's letter was announcing that hostilities would not be carried on in the Baltic, and that such orders had been sent to Sir Hyde Parker; that Sir Hyde Parker's letter was amicable, but held forth a threat, that it could only remain so, in case the British Shipping were immediately given up; and that this threat was in opposition to Lord St. Helens' letter. To which I replied, that Sir Hyde Parker's instructions were drawn up in forty-eight hours after it was known the death of the Emperor. Paul; and that, certainly, he was instructed to send to Petersburg, to learn the disposition of the Court of Petersburg, and whether our Ships had been restored, in order that he might regulate his conduct by that of Russia; but that Sir Hyde Parker had shown the utmost complaisance to the wishes of the Emperor of Russia, by abstaining from all hostility against the trade of the Powers in the Baltic; and that the spirit of the instructions were- if the Emperor wishes to be sincere friends with us, that then we wished to be sincere friends with him; which Admiral Tchitchagoff having asserted in the name of the Emperor, I said-if that is the case, and you will declare it in writing, I will make your Court perfectly at ease about the disposition of my most gracious Sovereign.' And the Admiral having made the strongest declaration of the desire, on the part of the Emperor, to return to his ancient amity with Great Britain, and to see the peace of the North re-established, I then gave him the paper transmitted herewith; on receiving which, he said he

could almost assure me that his Emperor would order the immediate restitution of the British shipping. As I knew Lord St. Helens was on the point of arriving, I did not choose to enter into the subjects of Danish and Swedish [Ships] detained, which he wished to have had my opinion. upon: I only generally said, that the Treaty of December last was looked upon, in England, by all ranks, as a most scandalous attempt to injure Great Britain. We parted the best possible friends. I have the honour to be, &c. NELSON AND Bronte.

TO WILLIAM BECKFORD, ESQ.

[Autograph, in the possession of the Duchess of Hamilton and Brandon.]

My dear Sir,

St. George, Bay of Rostock, May 24th, 1801. This day week was at Revel, in the Gulf of Finland.

I have to give you many thanks for your truly kind and friendly letter of April 29th. It is not tiresome being congratulated on good fortune from those you believe sincere, but it is far different if you know the writers hate you, and wish you had miscarried; and, as I have had so many proofs of your real kindness for me I feel truly gratified by your remembrance. I hope Lord St Helens will arrange amicably our affairs with the Northern Powers; and as to France, if she dares to stir off her shores, I only wish our seamen to meet them half seas over. As to myself, I am knocked up, and only want to enjoy, during this negotiation, a little repose, to enable me, if better men will not come forth, to meet these Northern blades. They do not want for courage, that is certain; but in the management of their Fleet, they would, I am [sure,] miserably fail; and two-thirds of their numbers must beat them, if we make use of the skill God Almighty has blessed us with. I trust I shall be, in eight or ten days, in London, and shall have the greatest pleasure in apprising you personally with what esteem and real regard I feel myself your truly obliged,

NELSON AND BRONTE. My patronage to Mr. Tomkins is not worth a farthing;