vice.' But never mind; I am superior to those who could treat me so. When am I to be relieved? Seventy-six days since my last letter from the Admiralty. Poor Admiral Campbell sailed yesterday for England, very ill with debility, hectic fever, &c., but he cheered up on going away. I shall not trouble you with all my conjectures about Sir John Orde's never communicating with me for the three weeks he has been off Cadiz. I am ever, my dear Ball, yours most faith fully, A Man of War is in sight, South. NELSON AND Bronte. TO WILLIAM MARSDEN, ESQ., ADMIRALTY. [Original, in the Admiralty. "Wednesday, 13th December. P.M. At 10, shortened sail, and came to in Pula Roads, in the Gulf of Cagliari. Squadron anchored and moored per Signal."] Sir, Victory, in Pula Bay, Sardinia, 14th December, 1804. I herewith transmit you a copy of an acting order which I have this day given to Mr. George Magrath, Surgeon of his Majesty's Ship Victory, to be Surgeon of his Majesty's Naval Hospital at Gibraltar, in the room of the late Mr. William Burd, which you will be so good as lay before the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty for their information; and I beg that you will acquaint their Lordships, that the conduct and very great professional abilities of this deserving Officer, merits my most full and entire approbation; not only in the discharge of his duty as Surgeon of the Victory, which reflects great credit on his knowledge, but also in several particular Surgical cases which he has performed with infinite judgment and skill. I therefore presume to hope their Lordships will confirm the appointment, as none can fill his intended [situation] with more credit to himself and benefit to the Public service. I am, Sir, &c. NELSON AND Bronte. 4 Now Sir George Magrath, K.H. Mr. Magrath was succeeded as Surgeon of the Victory, by Mr. William (afterwards Dr. Sir William) Beatty, who was previously Surgeon of the Spencer. TO COMMISSIONER OTWAY, GIBRALTAR. [Autograph, in the possession of Rear-Admiral Inglefield, C.B.] Sir, Victory, 14th December, 1804. Having thought it proper to appoint a Captain and Officers to the Spanish Frigate Amphitrite,' I have therefore to request that you will give such directions as may be necessary for surveying her hull, masts, and stores; and you will also be pleased to place her on the same establishment as the Endymion. I am, Sir, &c. NELSON AND BRONTE. TO CAPTAIN SAMUEL SUTTON, H.M. SHIP AMPHION. [Autograph, in the possession of Captain Ives Sutton.] My dear Sutton, Victory, December 14th, 1804. The Purser of the Niger will be appointed to the Amphion, and will go down the very first opportunity after his survey. I have had a letter from Lieutenant Gates, saying that he wishes to go to England, and that he is a supernumerary Lieutenant on board the Amphion, she being only allowed three in War. If that is so, you may discharge him, writing an account to the Admiralty of your reasons, and directing his attendance at the Admiralty. For your and Hardy's sake,' I wish you had been more fortunate; for my own, if you can destroy Privateers and Ships of War, I care not for Prizes. I do not think you will have a Spanish War. I rejoice you like the Amphion; so do I the Victory. Not a Ship here can beat her in moderate weather. We shall see and feel the French Fleet very soon. I am, dear Sutton, always your obliged and faithful friend, NELSON AND Bronte. The Amphitrite was detained, or rather captured, by the Donegal, off Cadiz, on the 23rd of October, vide p. 292, post. Lord Nelson promoted Sir William Bolton into the Amphitrite. 6 Captains Sutton and Hardy had agreed to share Prize-money, by which arrangement the latter gained some thousand pounds. TO VICE-ADMIRAL SIR JOHN ORDE, BART., COMMANDER-INCHIEF OF A SQUADRON OFF CADIZ. Sir, [From a Copy in the Admiralty.] Victory, in Pula Bay, Sardinia, 16th December, 1804. Yesterday I received the honour of your letter, dated November 17th, off Cadiz, by his Majesty's Ship Anson, in which you are pleased to inform me that you arrived off that Port, in the Chief Command of a Squadron of his Majesty's Ships, and shall probably continue on that station some time. I have, therefore, only to request that you will have the goodness to give me timely information when you are likely to leave the station off Cadiz, that I may, as I am directed by the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, place a proper Squadron on that part of the station, hitherto under my orders. I have the honour to be, &c. NELSON AND BRONTE. TO HIS EXCELLENCY HUGH ELLIOT, ESQ. [Autograph, in the Elliot Papers. "Monday, 17th December. A.M. At 5, weighed and made sail out of Pula Roads, as did the Squadron. Termagant rejoined." "Tuesday, 18th December. P.M. At 1.30, anchored in the Gulf of Palma. Squadron anchored here." "Wednesday, 19th December. P.M. At 1, unmoored at 4, weighed and made sail out of Palma."] Sir, Victory, December 19th, 1804. I send your Excellency a letter from Captain Corbet, of his Majesty's Sloop Bittern, together with the account of the Master, taken upon oath; and your Excellency will not fail to acquaint the Chevalier Micheroux of my surprise, as I am sure it will be of yours, to find that no complaint was preferred against the Officer of the Bittern, from the Minister or Consul of any Nation, of the Vessels boarded, for no French Vessel was boarded; and the Chevalier will, I hope, be desired by your Excellency to be more circumspect in accusing his Majesty's Officers, and be sure that the French Minister speaks truth, before he makes his complaint to your Excellency. I have the honour to be, &c. Vide p. 224, ante. NELSON AND BRONTE. TO HIS EXCELLENCY HUGH ELLIOT, ESQ. My dear Sir, [Autograph, in the Elliot Papers.] Victory, December 19th, 1804. Since I wrote you last November, I have not had any Vessel with the Fleet which I could detach to Naples, and I have been the less anxious, as I heard from Captain Cracraft, of the Anson, that everything was as usual when he left it, November 7th. The Termagant is the first Vessel which has come to me, and I send Captain Pettet to inquire how you get on. Since the Spanish hostilities-for I hardly know whether I am to call it War-I have not had the smallest communication with the Continent; therefore I am in most total darkness. I received yesterday the enclosed from Sir John Orde. I have learnt not to be surprised at anything; but the sending an Officer to such a point, to take, if it is a Spanish War, the whole harvest, after all my toils (God knows unprofitable enough for I am a much poorer man than when we started in the Amphion,') seems a little hard; but patienza. I suppose Sir John, in the end, will command here. I am but very, very so-so. My cough, if not soon removed, will stay by me for ever. On the 12th, the French Fleet were safe in Toulon; but I am firmly of opinion before this day fortnight they will be at sea. What would I give to know their destination! But I must take my chance, and I hope my usual good fortune will attend me. On the 14th of January, I shall be at Madalena; therefore if you want to send over in a Neapolitan Corvette any dispatches, it will be sure to find me there for some days-perhaps, a fortnight or upwards. That position secures Sicily and Naples, and you will assure their Majesties that must be an object ever most near my heart. It is now ninety days since I have heard from England; it is rather long at these critical times. Sir John Orde has three Cutters, and four or five fine Brigs attached to his Squadron; but, no; not one for me. Such things are. I am ever, my dear Sir, your Excellency's most faithful and obedient servant, NELSON AND Bronte. 1 Mr. Elliot accompanied Lord Nelson from England in the Victory and Amphion. VOL. VI. U TO HIS EXCELLENCY HUGH ELLIOT, ESQ. Private. My dear Sir, [Autograph, in the Elliot Papers.] Victory, December 19th, 1804. William is very well, and Captain Parker likes him very much. The Amazon has been so little with us, that I have not seen him; but I shall, very probably, before this letter goes off. Anything like complaints against the Sicilian Government vexes me very much; but the encouragement of what can be called nothing short of piracy in the Governor of Syracuse, is indeed of very serious import. You shall have the result of the Court of Inquiry upon Lieutenant Spencer as soon as I get it; but I hear from a gentleman who was passenger in her, that the Privateer came out of the Neutral Port, and within the limits of the Neutral Territory, fired upon the Convoy. I sincerely hope it will turn out so. If so, the punishment was well merited; and Chevalier Micheroux will get a rebuke from you, for not maintaining the Neutrality in Sicily. I am ever, my dear Sir, with most sincere good wishes, your most faithful and obliged, NELSON AND Bronte. Pray return me Mr. Hunter's letter from Madrid; and in case I should be superseded, desire the letter to be sent to England after me. TO THE QUEEN OF THE TWO SICILIES. [From Clarke and M'Arthur, vol. ii. p. 392.] Gulf of Palma, 19th December, 1804. Although I have addressed a letter to the King, to assure him of my unalterable attachment, yet I cannot resist declaring the same to your Majesty, for my obligations are equal to both, and so is my gratitude. Never, perhaps, was Europe more critically situated than at this moment, and never was the probability of universal Monarchy more nearly being Vide p. 214, ante. |