provided for, the same shall be referred to our Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, whose direction thereupon shall be final and have the same force and effect as if herein inserted; I have to request that you will be pleased to move the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to give the necessary directions for myself, and the other Flag Officers, being paid the Flag eighth of such Captures as were made by the Tribune during her cruize from Gibraltar to England, on the occasion before mentioned. I need not point out to their Lordships the serious ill-consequences that may arise to the Service, if Junior Officers, in disobedience of their orders to join a Commander-in-Chief, judge proper to consider the performance of any other service necessary, in preference to that on which they are particularly ordered, (and that they are to receive a reward of one-eighth of all the Captures they may make, for such disobedience of their orders,) as they are too evident to escape their notice; and if, in one instance, the point is given up, a private Captain may find many excuses, and cruize for any length of time without joining his Commander-in-Chief. I am not much in the habit of interfering in Prize concerns, but the present appears a proper instance for Flag Officers doing justice to the Service, as well as for preventing Junior Officers from being guilty of a similar line of imprudence. This case coming so perfectly within the spirit of the Proclamation, and their Lordships' particular cognizance, affords me reason to hope that they will be pleased to give such directions as will make any interference of the law unnecessary. I am, Sir, &c., NELSON ANd Bronte. TO CAPTAIN KEATS, H. M. SHIP SUPERB. [Autograph in the possession of the Rev. Richard Keats.] My dear Keats, Victory, August 17th, 1805 I send you the last batch of newspapers, which will detail to you Sir Robert Calder's Action. By all accounts, I am satisfied their original destination was the Mediterranean, but they heard frequently of our track. If it continues little wind, perhaps you will come on board and stay dinner; you will meet a hearty welcome from, my dear Keats, your most obliged friend, NELSON AND Bronte. P.S.-I shall answer the Officer who may come for Pratique; therefore only give him my Bill of Health, without answering questions. TO WILLIAM MARSDEN, ESQ., ADMIRALTY. [Original in the Admiralty.] "August 17th. P.M. 10.15, anchored at Dunose. August 18th: A.M. at 4, weighed and made sail to Spithead; saluted Admiral Montague in H. M. Ship Royal William. At 8.30, anchored at Spithead; Superb anchored here. P.M. at 4, weighed and made sail for the Motherbank. At 6.14, anchored. Superb anchored here."—Victory's Log. Sir, Victory, at Spithead, 18th August, 1805. You will be pleased to acquaint the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, that on the evening of the 15th inst. I joined the Honorable Admiral Cornwallis off Ushant, with His Majesty's Ships named in the margin; that on doing so I received an order from him to proceed immediately with the Victory and Superb to Spithead, where I arrived this morning. I enclose you for their Lordships' information, a duplicate list of the state of the Ships therein mentioned, the original of which I transmitted to Admiral Cornwallis, not having the honour of paying my respects to him, as he was good enough (being the close of the day when we joined) to send me his order by one of the Cutters, with a request that I would not think of coming out of the Victory at that time of night, but proceed as before mentioned. The Companies of the Victory and Superb are in most perfect health, and only require some vegetables and other refreshments to remove the scurvy. I am, Sir, &c., NELSON ANd Bronte. Victory, Canopus, Superb, Spencer, Belleisle, Spartiate, Conqueror, Tigre, Leviathan, Donegal, Swiftsure. Sir, TO WILLIAM MARSDEN, ESQ., ADMIRALTY. [Original in the Admiralty.] Victory, at Spithead, 18th August, 1805. You will herewith receive an account of specie on board His Majesty's Ships named in the margin, found in the Military chests belonging to the Regiment of Castile, and on board the several detained Spanish Merchant Vessels mentioned in the said list, which you will be pleased to lay before the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, that such directions may be given about its disposal on the arrival of the Ships in Port, which it is on board of, as their Lordships shall think proper. At the same time you will be pleased to acquaint their Lordships that the uncertainty of any of the Squadron (late under my command) returning to England, prevented me from ordering the specie to be put on board the Superb, which otherwise was my intention. I am, Sir, &c., NELSON AND BRONTE. P.S.-The 6808 dollars taken out of a Spanish Vessel by the Spencer, were supplied to the respective Captains, being in distress for money, and for which my Secretary, Mr. Scott, has their bills and receipts, and will deliver them when directed. [Inclosure.] AN ACCOUNT OF SPECIE FOUND ON BOARD THE DIFFERENT SPANISH SHIPS DETAINED BY THE FLEET UNDER THE COMMAND OF THE RIGHT HON. LORD VISCOUNT NELSON, K.B. AND DUKE OF BRONTE, &c. &c., BETWEEN THE 15TH NOVEMBER 1804 AND THE 11TH JANUARY 1805. 15th November, 1804.-To Specie found in the Military Chest be- To Specie found in the Military Chest, belonging to the above Dollars. 37071 3701 To Specie found in the Military Chest, belonging to the above 27th November.-To Specie found on board the Pearl, Spanish Ves- 5th December.-To Specie found on board the Spanish Polacre, Vir- Dollars. 4734 6808 112,307 19,430 1075 Total 151,763 NELSON ANd Bronte. Sir, TO WILLIAM MARSDEN, ESQ., ADMIRALTY. [Original in the Admiralty.] Victory, at Spithead, 18th August, 1805. I must beg you will be good enough to recommend James Marguette (Pilot), the bearer hereof, mentioned in my letter in original and duplicate dated the 10th ult.', to their Lordships' kind attention. He is a most valuable and useful man as a Pilot for the Leeward Islands, and very handsomely volunteered his services to me, as mentioned in my said letters; and as he is a perfect stranger in London, and consequently will be apt to be imposed upon, I must beg that he may be taken particular care of, and put in a way for a speedy passage to Barbadoes. I have paid him, as per Certificate from the Captain of the Victory, at the rate of 5s. per day, from the 14th of June to the date hereof, as he has no money to defray his expenses during his stay in England; and beg, if their Lordships consider him entitled to more, that they will be so good as order him to be paid; and also furnish him with such a further sum as they may think proper, to defray his expenses, and be some compensation for the inconvenience and loss he may sustain in the absence from his Vide vol. vi. p. 470. home. I must also beg, when their Lordships order him a passage in any of His Majesty's Ships, that they will be pleased to direct him to be borne as a Pilot, that he may receive the allowance as such till he arrives at Barbadoes. I am, Sir, &c., NELSON AND BRONTE. TO THE COLLECTOR OF THE CUSTOMS, OR THOSE IT MAY CONCERN. [From a Copy inclosed in the preceding Letter.] Victory, Spithead, August 18th, 1805. The Victory, with the Fleet under my command, left Gibraltar twenty-seven days ago, at which time there was not a fever in the Garrison, nor, as Doctor Fellows told me, any apprehension of one. The Fleet late under my command I left on August 15th with Admiral Cornwallis, at which time they were in the most perfect health. Neither the Victory, or the Superb, have on board even an object for the Hospital, to the truth of which I pledge my word of honour. NELSON ANd Bronte. Sir, TO WILLIAM MARSDEN, ESQ., ADMIRALTY. [Original in the Admiralty.] Victory, at Spithead, 18th August, 1805. I herewith transmit you, for the information of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, a letter from Captain Hardy of the Victory, with the one therein alluded to from the Surgeon of the said Ship, representing the very bad state of Captain Hardy's health, and the necessity of his being permitted to go on shore for a short time, for the recovery thereof. I also enclose you a letter from the Physician of the Mediterranean Fleet on the above subject; and as my personal knowledge of these facts, as well as the reluct |