TO VICE-ADMIRAL COLLINGWOOD.

[Autograph in the possession of the Hon. Mrs. Newnham Collingwood.]

My dear Coll.,

Victory, October 9th, 1805.

The Master of the Lord Duncan has brought his invoice, which I send you. There is also 392,000 lbs. of bread at Gibraltar. The bread dispose of, and whatever else is wanted in your Line from this Ship. I have not got the account of what is embarked in the Shield, except some stores for the Canopus, and Ships in your Line. To-morrow will be

fine.

Yours faithfully,

NELSON AND BRONTE.

Malabar's bread, of course, take out of her, and the other good things".

* Vice-Admiral Collingwood wrote to Lord Nelson on the 9th of October :"Dreadnought, October 9th, 1805.

"My dear Lord, "I have a just sense of your Lordship's kindness to me, and the full confidence you have reposed in me inspires me with the most lively gratitude. I hope it will not be long before there is an opportunity of showing your Lordship that it has not been misplaced. I am going as soon as possible on board the Royal Sovereign. I have had a little distress about two Lieutenants being senior to my First Lieutenant, Clavell, who is, indeed, my right arm, and the spirit that puts everything in motion. But I hope your Lordship will appoint them to this Ship-their names are Palmer and Hewson-and then I will take my Signal Lieutenant, whose name is Brice Gilliland, and who is very desirous to go into the Sovereign. "I had made the distribution which would have filled the Ships complete from the Lord Duncan, but this morning they have sent to tell me all the bread, which was on his invoice, was taken out at Gibraltar. I will hasten this business as much as possible. I have the honour to be your Lordship's most obedient and most humble servant, CUTHB. COLLINGWOOD.

"As soon as the Officers get their appointments, they will move. Mr. Clavell wants none, as his Commission moves with me."-Autograph in the Nelson Papers.

Repeating Frigaten,

GRDER OF BATTLE AND SAILING.

From a Cogy in the possession of Miss Bolton, of Burnham.]

Larboard Division.

* The Ships thus marked by the Editor were in the Battle of Trafalgar on the 21st, together with the Belleisle, Captain Hargood, who joined the Fleet the 10th, and the Africa, Captain Digby, who joined on the 14th of October.

TO VICE-ADMIRAL COLLINGWOOD.

[Autograph in the possession of the Hon. Mrs. Newnham Collingwood.]

I have sent you, my dear Coll., a letter, which you may send or not to Mr. Gambier. He was too warm-but it was

on this occasion well meant. I don't know this Captain Dunbar, but he has acted most exceedingly wrong, as far as my judgment goes.

Victory, October 8th, 1805.

The Royal Sovereign is very deep. She has eleven cables, three of which shall go to Gibraltar, and the money will go on board of a Frigate. I am sure you will admire her as a far better Ship than the Victory. You need not hurry yourself, but change at your leisure.

I send you Captain Blackwood's letter; and, as I hope Weazle has joined, he will have five Frigates and a Brig: they surely cannot escape us. I wish we could get a fine day, and clear our Transports, at least of the bread, and by that time water will come. Niger is with the Transports. Sovereign's cables can go into the Malabar. I shall be glad to see you mounted in her. I send you my Plan of Attack, as far as a man dare venture to guess at the very uncertain position the Enemy may be found in. But, my dear friend, it is to place you perfectly at ease respecting my intentions, and to give full scope to your judgment for carrying them into effect. We can, my dear Coll., have no little jealousies. We have only one great object in view, that of annihilating our Enemies, and getting a glorious Peace for our Country. No man has more confidence in another than I have in you: and no man will render your services more justice than your very old friend,

NELSON AND BRONTE.

P.S.-Keep Blackwood's letter: the Schooner goes off Cadiz from you, and if you have not disposed of the Paper of the 23rd, send them to Blackwood.

TO CAPTAIN THE HON. HENRY BLACKWOOD, H. M. SHIP

EURYALUS.

[From Blackwood's Magazine for July, 1833.]

Victory, October 9th, 1805, A.M., Cadiz, due East, 19 leagues.

My dear Sir,

Many thanks for your letter of yesterday. Let us have them out. The Weazle, I hope, has joined, although you don't mention her. Keep the Schooner'; she will be useful in the night close in shore; and as Weazle sails faster, you can send her to me with accounts when you can't communicate by signals; I should never wish to be more than fortyeight hours without hearing from you. Hydra you can victual and water out of the other Frigates, who are all full. There were no letters for you in the Royal Sovereign; at least none came to the Victory. Collingwood has got the Paper of the 23rd; if he has not lent it, I have desired him to send it to you. Agamemnon, Belleisle, and very probably London, are at this moment on their passage; therefore, if Mr. Decrés means to come forth (if he would take my advice, which I dare say he won't), he had better come out directly. Those who know more of Cadiz than either you or I do, say, that after those Levanters, come several days of fine weather, sea-breezes Westerly, land wind at night; and that if the Enemy are bound into the Mediterranean they would come out at night, which they have always done, placing Frigates on the Porpoises and Diamond, and the Shoal off Cadiz, run to the Southward, and catch the seabreezes at the Mouth of the Gut, and push through whilst we might have little wind in the offing. In short, watch all points, and all winds and weathers, for I shall depend upon you. Remember me to Capel, Parker, Mundy, and Captain Prowse, and be assured I am ever

And always yours,

NELSON AND BRONTE.

7 The Pickle Schooner. This Vessel brought to England the dispatch announcing the Battle of Trafalgar.

8 The Minister of Marine, who was supposed to have intended to take the command of the Combined Fleets at Cadiz.

• Captains of the Phoebe, Amazon, Hydra, and Sirius, under Captain Blackwood's orders.

PRIVATE DIARY.

[From Dr. Beatty's "Narrative of the death of Lord Nelson," p. 96.]

Wednesday, October 9th.

Fresh breezes Easterly. Received an account from Blackwood, that the French Ships had all bent their top-gallant sails. Sent the Pickle to him, with orders to keep a good look-out. Sent Admiral Collingwood the Nelson touch'. At night wind Westerly.

TO VICE-ADMIRAL COLLINGWOOD.

[Autograph in the possession of the Hon. Mrs. Newnham Collingwood.] Victory, October 10th, 1805.

My dear Coll., The Enemy's Fleet are all but out of the harbour-perhaps, this night, with the Northerly wind, they may come forth, and with the Westerly sea-breeze to-morrow go into the Mediterranean. I hope we shall have got as much out of the Transports to-day as we want-not that I am in any hurry to send them away. They must take their chance when we pursue. If the weather is fine, and we have plenty of drift, I shall lay to all night. I believe I mentioned before, when any of the Transports are done with emptying, they should hoist their Ensign at the mast-head, that the Ships may send empty wine-pipes, hoops, staves, and condemned provisions.

The Master of the Shields Transport has not been near me, nor do I know what he has got in, besides the few stores for Canopus, Revenge, Prince, Achille, &c. Perhaps, he has gone to you as a countryman"; if so, it is well, and you can dispose of him. The bread of course will all be taken, and what other things are wanted, salt provisions, including flour, to about four months: the rest will go into Gibraltar. Malabar, I suppose, will be the best Ship to take Royal Sovereign's cables. Ever, my dear Collingwood, your most sincere friend, NELSON AND BRONTE.

• In Dr. Beatty's Narrative "the Nelson truth,” and he says that "it is to be presumed his Lordship meant the Instructions" in p. 89 ante. The letter in p. 60 ante, proves that the word is properly corrected in the text.

• Admiral Collingwood was a native of Newcastle-on-Tyne, and was born on the 26th of September, 1750, just eight years before Nelson.

VOL. VII.

H