be soon given to us. I have just got a report I have just got a report that appears to have some foundation, that Buonaparte has passed Corsica in a Bombard, steering for France.' No Crusader ever returned with more humility-contrast his going in L'Orient, &c. &c. Again, be assured, that I place the greatest confidence in all you do; and no Commanding officer shall ever have more attention to all your wants and wishes, than will your, &c. NELSON. Should it so happen, after all which I can do, that Mr. Penny still wishes to give up the Tigre-if you have any young man that you wish provided for in that line, send him to me, and I will give him a good Sloop to begin, and advance a Purser of a smaller Ship than yours to the Tigre. My dear Sir, TO CHEVALIER ITALINSKY. [Letter-Book.] Palermo, 24th October, 1799. I am just returned from Minorca, having found that the Enemy's Squadron have put into Ferrol, and allowed our valuable Convoy to pass unmolested. Malta, my dear Sir, is in my thoughts, sleeping and waking. I have talked fully to Sir John Acton on the subject, and his Excellency will write to you fully upon it. The object is dear to my Royal Master, and, of course, it is my duty [for it] to be so to me-in particular, as it will be pleasing to the Grand Master, the faithful Ally of my Sovereign. Could I order British troops from Minorca, they should have been at Malta, ready to co-operate most cordially with the Russian troops; but, alas, they are under the orders of General Fox, who is not yet arrived from England. General Sir James St. Clair, the present Commanding Officer, has prepared 1500 excellent troops, besides the garrison of Messina, with stores of every description, should General Fox approve of the plan we have made; but they will not move without knowing when, and how many Russian troops will be there to co-operate with them. No time should be lost. The 1 Buonaparte arrived at Toulon from Egypt early in October, on board La Muiron, of 28 guns, bearing the Flag of Rear-Admiral Ganteanme, Portuguese Squadron is ordered home, and I have no Ships to relieve them at present. I wish I could be with you and the Admiral for a few minutes to fix all matters. Believe me, there is not a thing that the Admiral could propose, that I would not meet him half-way. The honour and glory of the Emperor Paul is as dear to me, both from my duty and inclination, as that of my own Sovereign; and I am sure that we shall disoblige our Royal Masters, if we do not as cordially unite together for the destruction of the French villains, as they are happily doing in the North Seas, both at sea and on shore. I beg the Admiral will consider this letter as jointly wrote to him and you, as it is more pleasant to me for your upright and honourable heart to interpret for me than a stranger. Our news from Egypt has not been pleasant; but I trust will be of no consequence beyond the moment. With my sincerest regards to Admiral Ouschakoff and Admiral Kartzow, believe me, with the sincerest regard and esteem, your obliged and faithful friend, BRONTE NELSON. TO MR. JOHN PENNY, PURSER, H. M. SHIP LE TIGRE. Sir, [Letter-Book.] Foudroyant, Palermo, 25th October, 1799. I have received your letter of the 7th July last, addressed to the Earl St. Vincent, complaining that the provisions under your charge, as Purser of Le Tigre, have been repeatedly thrown overboard without survey, and some collusively expended by the Master's interference, to cover his neglect, and that large quantities of necessaries have been sent out of the Ship, which you think ought not to have been at your expense, and, in consequence thereof, the necessary money is vastly inadequate to supply the Ship, and requesting to be superseded, as there was no likelihood of these complaints being investigated at an early period; and also your letter of the 1st September, addressed to Lord Keith, requesting to be superseded as Purser of the Tigre, having affairs to transact in England, which require your personal attendance; In answer to which, I have to inform you that I have written to Captain Sir Sidney Smith, desiring him to investigate those complaints, that justice may be done you; and at the same time you will reflect more maturely on the request you have made to be superseded from such a Ship as Le Tigre. I am, &c., NELSON. TO LIEUTENANT THOMAS ENGLAND, ON BOARD THE TURKISHI CORVETTE, AT MESSINA. Sir, [Letter-Book.] Foudroyant, Palermo, 25th October, 1799. I have sent the Valiant transport, laden with provisions, 'powder, shot, &c., to supply the Ships under the command of Sir Sidney Smith for the present, and I desire you will immediately take her under convoy with the Turkish corvette, and proceed to join Sir Sidney with all possible expedition; but should the Turkish corvette not be ready to sail in the space of six hours after the arrival of the said Transport at Messina, you will leave her and repair on board the Transport, and conduct her to Sir Sidney without delay. I am, &c., NELSON. TO CAPTAIN SIR WILLIAM SIDNEY SMITH, H.M. SHIP LE TIGRE. [From a Copy in the Admiralty.] Foudroyant, Palermo, 26th October, 1799. Whereas you have represented to me that it is absolutely necessary for the service on which you are employed on the Coast of Egypt to have Gun-boats to act against the Enemy in the Lakes and Bays near Aboukir, and on the Nile, and that four of those you captured from the Enemy are well adapted to the service for which they are wanted: You are, therefore, hereby required and directed to cause the hulls of the said four Gun-boats, with the boatswain's, gunner's, and carpenter's stores that are on board them to be He was promoted to the rank of Commander in 1813, and died between 1816 and 1820. regularly surveyed, and a valuation put on each of them, delivering into the charge of the Lieutenants appointed to command them, all the stores they may respectively contain, that a regular account may be kept of their expenditure, as they will be answerable to Government for any misapplication of them or the provisions, the same as Lieutenants commanding Gun-boats in England are; and you will transmit to the Commissioners of His Majesty's Navy the account of their several valuations, with the abstract of the Stores of each at the time it was taken, in order to have the same charged against their Commanders, and that they may be paid for. NELSON. TO CAPTAIN BALL, CHIEF OF THE MALTESE. [Letter-Book.] [Apparently about 26th October, 1799.] My dear Ball, General Acton has your letter, and I have begged, almost on my knees, for money, for the present subsistence of the Maltese who bear arms. We shall hear soon to a certainty of at least 5000 Russian troops for the service of Malta. As far as I can, the arrangement is made with General Sir James St. Clair at Minorca; but unfortunately General Fox is hourly expected, and all must be submitted to him. I trust that Niza will not go till I can get not only a proper force to relieve his Ships, but those of his people who are on shore; for if the Marquis should withdraw his people, I do not see how you can hold your ground under La Valetta, and therefore Malta may be lost beyond all our efforts even to land. Under all these circumstances, and those you have pointed out, can it be of real importance to urge the French to a sortie, which, by your account, must succeed, and of course must be highly detrimental to our taking such advantageous positions? therefore, from all I hear, and particularly from yourself, ought the intended battery to be shown? for within a month I hope to see 10,000 men in arms against La Valetta. But I leave all this to your consideration, and only offer my opinion with deference. I have sent for Troubridge and Martin, that I may get a force to relieve the Marquis. I trust to his loyalty and attachment to the cause of the world, against French villany, that he will not abandon you. May God bless you, my dear Ball, and believe me ever your obliged and affectionate friend, BRONTE NELSON. The Chichester store-ship is bringing you wine and some stores, in her way to Corfu, for the Leander. TO LIEUTENANT-GENERAL SIR JAMES ST. CLAIR ERSKINE, MINORCA. [From a Copy in the Admiralty.] My dear Sir James, Palermo, October 26th, 1799. I am in desperation about Malta-we shall lose it, I am afraid, past redemption. I send you copies of Niza's and Ball's letters, also General Acton's, so that you will see I have not been idle. If Ball can hardly keep the inhabitants in hopes of relief by the 500 men landed from our Ships, what must be expected when 400 of them, and four Sail of the Line, will be withdrawn? and if the Islanders are forced again to join the French, we may not find even landing a very easy task, much less to get again our present advantageous position. I therefore entreat for the honour of our King, and for the advantage of the common Cause, that, whether General Fox is arrived or not, at least the garrison of Messina may be ordered to hold post in Malta until a sufficient force can be collected to attack it, which I flatter myself will in time be got together; but while that is effecting, I fear our being obliged to quit the Island; therefore, I am forced to make this representation. I know well enough of what Officers in your situation can do; the delicacy of your feelings on the near approach of General Fox I can readily conceive; but the time you know nothing about; this is a great and important moment, and the only thing to be considered, is His Majesty's Service to stand still for an instant? I have no scruple in declaring what I should do, knowing the importance of possessing Malta to England and her Allies, that if even two regiments were ordered from Minorca, yet it must be con |