TO CAPTAIN OTWAY, GIBRALTAR. [Autograph in the possession of Rear-Admiral Inglefield, C.B.] Victory, September 30th, 1805. My dear Sir, -Commissioner I must not call you. When you are done with Gibraltar, I think you had better come to the Victory, or any Ship more agreeable to you in the Fleet, in order to be ready for a passage to England. Several will soon go. I only beg of you to be assured of my sincere disposition to meet your wishes; and believe me ever, your most obliged, humble servant, NELSON AND Bronte. I met Décade off Scilly the 20th, with a fair and fresh gale. TO CAPTAIN SOTHERON, H.M. SHIP EXCELLENT, NAPLES. [From a copy in the Elliot papers.] My dear Sotheron, Victory, September 30th, 1805. Captain. . . .'s son is adrift in Italy, at Naples, or Rome; we think, very probably, in prison for debt. His father is very anxious to save the lad. He was Lieutenant of the Hydra and ran away with an opera-dancer from Malta. Pray try, with Mr. Elliot, at Naples, and with Mr. Jackson, at Rome, to get word of Mr...... Captain. . . . . will pay the bills he has drawn for on England-supposed to be two or three hundred pounds-and if now a few more is necessary to liberate the youth, I will be answerable. All we want is to save him from perdition. If you will, my dear Sotheron, undertake this task of inquiry, it will save me the no small trouble of writing two letters. Let me have a good account of your health. I assure you I long to relieve you, and to get your Ship home. It will not I hope be much longer deferred.-Ever, my dear Sir, with the greatest esteem, your much obliged friend, NELSON ANd Bronte. TO HIS EXCELLENCY HUGh elliot, esQ. My dear Sir, [Autograph in the Elliot papers.] Victory, September 30th, 1805. Vice-Admiral Collingwood told me, when I joined the Fleet, of some application of some letter of yours, which mentioned that the Russian Minister at Naples had spoke to you, about a force of Frigates being sent to watch the French Frigate and Brigs at Genoa. I did not fail, before I left the Mediterranean in July, to point out to the Admiralty the necessity of having a Squadron of Frigates to watch those gentry, which their Lordships approved of; and when they are pleased to direct a proper force for all the services required, your Excellency may rest assured they shall be properly applied. I hear the Enemy have launched the Line-of-Battle Ship at Genoa, and that she is got to Toulon, where is also the Hannibal, and another, making the number three. If this is so, a force is necessary of Line-of-battle Ships and Frigates to attend them. The Russians are in such great force that I ought to have no fears to the Eastward of Sicily, or, indeed, anywhere the Russian Troops may be afloat. The Enemy's force at Cadiz, ready for sea, is thirty-five or thirty-six Sail of the Line. I have twenty-three with me, and six occasionally at Gibraltar and Tetuan, to get supplies; and to keep an eye upon the Ships at Carthagena. The French have left one of their old Seventy-fours for the Spaniards to repair, and put their men into the Santa Anna, of 112 guns. From my soul I hope they will soon come forth. Twenty-five days was my extent, from the Victory to the Victory, and I own I want much more rest; but it was thought right to desire me to come forth, and I obeyed. I felt much rejoiced that the Excellent had not been removed, and I shall certainly not order her away until I can replace her. Amazon will be with me in about one month. Lord Minto I saw several times: he is very well. I beg my most dutiful and humble respects may be presented to my benefactors, their Sicilian Majesties. Only assure them that neither time, distance, or situation, can shake my sincere attachment to them, their family, and Kingdoms; and, with my best respects to Mrs. Elliot, believe me ever your most obliged friend and humble servant, NELSON and Bronte. TO LADY HAMILTON. [From Lord Nelson's Letters to Lady Hamilton, vol. ii. p. 100.] Victory, October 1st, 1805. My dearest Emma, It is a relief to me, to take up the pen, and write you a line; for I have had, about four o'clock this morning, one of my dreadful spasms, which has almost enervated me. It is very odd; I was hardly ever better than yesterday. Fremantle' stayed with me till eight o'clock, and I slept uncommonly well; but was awoke with this disorder. My opinion of its effect, some one day, has never altered. However, it is entirely gone off, and I am only quite weak. The good people of England will not believe that rest of body and mind is necessary for me! But perhaps this spasm may not come again these six months. I had been writing seven hours yesterday; perhaps that had some hand in bringing it upon me. I joined the Fleet late on the evening of the 28th of September, but could not communicate with them until the next morning. I believe my arrival was most welcome, not only to the Commander of the Fleet, but also to every individual in it; and, when I came to explain to them the 'Nelson touch,' it was like an electric shock. Some shed tears, all approved -'It was new-it was singular-it was simple !'; and, from Admirals downwards, it was repeated-It must succeed, if ever they will allow us to get at them! You are, my Lord, surrounded by friends whom you inspire with confidence.' Some may be Judas's; but the majority are certainly much pleased with my commanding them3. Captain Fremantle, of the Neptune. 2 If the following Letters from the King and Queen of Naples, the former in answer to a letter to His Majesty of the 18th of June, and the latter in reply to his letter to Her Majesty of the 21st July (Vide vol. vi., pp. 460, 480) reached Lord Nelson-they were the last he ever received from them. "Mon bien digne Milord,-Je profite avec empressement pour écrire cette lettre, et vous remercier de celle que vous m'avez écrite le 21 Juillet, de Gibral TO VISCOUNT CASTLEREAGH, SECRETARY FOR THE WAR DEPARTMENT. [From Clarke and M'Arthur, vol. ii. p. 429.] My Lord, October 1st, 1805. The far greater part of the Combined Fleets is in the Harbour, and indeed none can be called in the Bay of Cadiz ; they lie in such a position abreast of the Town, and many entirely open, over the narrow strip of land, that Congreve's rockets, if they will go one mile and a half, must do execution. Even should no Ships be burnt, yet it would make Cadiz so very disagreeable, that they would rather risk an Action than remain in Port. I do assure your Lordship, that myself and many thousands in the Fleet will feel under the greatest obligations to Colonel Congreve. But I think, with your Lordship's assistance, we have a better chance of forcing tar. Je ne puis, mon cher Amiral, assez vous dire le plaisir que m'a causé de vous savoir plus près de nous, et je ne puis assez vous prier de ne point quitter la Méditerranée dans l'actuelle urgence où nous sommes. Le seul savoir notre héros Nelson dans la Méditerranée anime le courage de chacun, et contribue au bien de toutes les opérations qui vont avoir lieu. Je vous remercie pour les productions des endroits que vous avez parcourus; j'y ai vu une nouvelle preuve de vos inombrables attentions. Mes chers enfans, qui tous vous chérissent et respectent, me chargent de vous faire leurs complimens; nous ferons tous des vœux pour votre prosperité, gloire et bonheur. Je vous fais bien mon compliment de ce que après un si pénible voyage les santés des gens de votre escadre se soient si bien conservé ; cela prouve bien votre attention et zèle. Je vois que la crise generale s'approche: Dieu veuille que ce soit en bien. Je vous prie bien de nouveau ne quittez point la Méditerranée, car toute notre confiance est en vous; et croyez moi pour la vie avec la plus sincère éternelle estime, confiance, et attachement, votre bien attachée amie, "Le 5 Septembre, 1805." "CHARLOTTE. "Mio caro Duca, e 'stimabile Amico,-Ho ricevuto la vostra lettera del 18 Giugno, e con vero piacere della medesima ho rilevato che siete ritornato nelle nostre vicinanze: la vostra presenza nei nostri mari è di una gran' tranquillità per me nelle difficili circostanze nelle quali si troviamo. Voi conoscete me ed i miei sentimenti, che sono invariabbili, e dureranno fin' che havrò vita; vi auguro dunque i massimi vantaggi e glorie, ma sempre in nostra vicinanza. Tutta la mia famiglia pensa come me, ed ugualmente vi augura tutti i possibbili e felici successi. Credetemi intanto, caro Milord, con vera stima, e riconoscenza sempre lo stesso, vostro costante, vero, affezzionato amico, "Belvedere, 28 Agosto, 1805." FERDINANDO. them out by want of provisions: it is said hunger will break through stone walls-ours is only a wall of wood. The French are sending provisions of all kinds from Nantes, Bordeaux, and other Ports in the Bay, in Danish Vessels, called of course Danish property, to Ayamonte, Conil, Algeziras, and other little Ports from Cape St. Mary's to Algeziras; whence it would be conveyed in their Coasting Boats without the smallest interruption to Cadiz, and thus the Fleets be supplied with provisions for any expedition. Vice-Admiral Collingwood has most properly directed their being detained and sent to Gibraltar, to be libelled in the Vice-Court of Admiralty. I have followed so good an example. I am able enough to see the propriety and necessity of the measure, without which the blockade of Cadiz is nugatory, and we should only have the odium of the measure, without any benefit to us, or real distress to our Enemies. There never was a place so proper to be blockaded, at this moment, as Cadiz. I have, therefore, to request that your Lordship will take the proper measures, that the Officers under my orders may not get into any pecuniary scrape by their obedience; and, should it be thought proper to allow the Enemy's Fleet to be victualled, that I may be informed as soon as possible. . . .I can have nothing, as an Admiral, to say upon the propriety of granting licences; but from what your Lordship told me of the intentions of Ministers respecting the Neutral trade, it strikes me, some day it may be urged that it was not for the sake of blockade, but for the purpose of taking all the trade into her own hands, that Great Britain excluded the Neutrals. Your Lordship's wisdom will readily conceive all that Neutral Courts may urge at this apparent injustice, and of might overcoming right. I am, &c., Sir, NELSON AND BRONTE. TO WILLIAM MARSDEN, ESQ., ADMIRALTY. [Original in the Admiralty.] Victory, off Cadiz, 2nd October, 1805. You will please to acquaint the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty that I arrived off here on the evening of the |