May.

1798. Vanguard's was a very indifferent ship's company, the w latter ship, in less than four days, got up a jury foremast and jury main and mizen topmasts, fished her bowsprit, and performed other necessary repairs; and on the next morning, the 27th, the squadron again put to sea. The three ships now steered for the rendezvous off Toulon, which they reached on the 31st. The rear-admiral, by this time, was fully acquainted with the sailing of the french armament, reported to consist of 15 sail of the line, 10 or 12 frigates, and 200 transports, with upwards of 40000 troops on board, commanded by general Buonaparte; but nothing was known of its destination.

June.

On the 5th of June the 16-gun brig-sloop Mutine, captain Thomas Masterman Hardy, joined, with the highly gratifying intelligence, that she had, on the 30th, parted from a squadron of 10 sail of the line and a 50-gun ship, that was on its way to join the rear-admiral. The brig also brought sir Horatio full directions, when that junction was effected, to do what he so ardently desired to do, proceed in quest of the Toulon fleet. Immediately the three 74s and brig, spreading themselves, kept a sharp look-out; and, in so doing, fell in with 15 sail of richly-laden spanish merchantmen. The Alexander and Orion each captured one; but the rear-admiral, having his mind bent on nobler game, would not permit any more of the vessels to be molested. On the 7th, at noon, the two squadrons that were so desirous to join, gained a mast-head sight of each other, and by sunset were united.

About three weeks after rear-admiral Nelson had been detached by earl St.-Vincent, a reinforcement from England, consisting of eight sail of the line, under rear-admiral sir Roger Curtis, in the Princeof-Wales 98, joined the fleet off Cadiz; and on the same evening (May 24) the in-shore squadron of nine sail of the line, commanded by that active officer, captain Troubridge, having been relieved by an equal number of ships, sailed, in compliance with orders

from home, to strengthen the force under rear-admiral 1798. Nelson. The exchange between the two squadrons June. had been so admirably conducted, that the Spaniards, the next morning, were not aware that it had taken place; nor, of course, that the british admiral off the port had either detached, or been joined by, any ships.

Since his departure from earl St.-Vincent's fleet, captain Troubridge had been joined by the Audacious 74 and Leander 50; making the force under rear-admiral Nelson, now consisting of the

amount to thirteen 74-gun ships, and one 50, with, instead of four or five frigates, one brig-sloop only; and yet the service intrusted to the rear-admiral, as we shall presently see, was one, the very success of which might depend on the facility of reconnoitring, and gaining intelligence of, the enemy's movements.

Nelson's instructions from his commander in chief were dated on the 21st of May. In these he was ordered "to proceed in quest of the armament preparing by the enemy at Toulon and Genoa; the object whereof appears to be either an attack upon Naples or Sicily, the conveyance of an army to some part of the coast of Spain for the purpose of marching towards Portugal, or to pass through the Straits, with a view of proceeding to Ireland." In some additional instructions of the same date, the rear

1798. admiral is told, that he may pursue the french June. squadron to "any part of the Mediterranean, Adriatic, Morea, Archipelago, or even into the Black Sea."

It is clear, from the tenour of these instructions, that the british government were quite in the dark as to the real, or, at all events, the primary destination of the Toulon fleet. But, that their surmise that the fleet would pass the Straits was not wholly without foundation, will appear from the following extract of a letter addressed, under date of the 18th of April, 1798, by Buonaparte to the french directory: “ Il serait possible, après l'expédition que le gouvernement projette dans la Méditerranée, de faire passer les quatorze vaisseaux* à Brest."+ At all events rear-admiral Nelson was left entirely to his own discretion, as to the course to be steered in pursuit of the fleet, which he had been ordered by his instructions to use his utmost endeavour to "take, sink, burn, or destroy." The circumstance of the French having quitted port with a north-west wind rendered it likely, in his opinion, that their course was up the Mediterranean. Accordingly the british fleet, as soon as a provoking calm would allow it to make sail, steered towards the island of Corsica. On the 12th the fleet arrived off Cape Corse, and in the evening lay to off the isle of Elba; whence the Mutine was despatched for intelligence to Civita-Vecchia. It was the rearadmiral's intention, we are told, in case he overtook the french fleet, to make three divisions of his own, thus:

Two of these divisions, according to the plan laid down, were to attack the ships of war; and the third,

* It was calculated, we believe, that the late british ship Berwick might be got ready.

Victoires et Conquêtes, tome ix. p. 75.

to pursue and run down, or otherwise destroy, the 1798. transports. A contest between nine small 74s and a June. 50, on one side, and one three-decker and twelve 80s and 74s, four or five of them the largest two-decked ships in the world, on the other, however much desired by, could scarcely have ended to the advantage of, the admiral in command of the former.

Pursuing their course along the shore of Tuscany, the British passed the small island of Gianuti, with a fine breeze at north-north-west. Here the Leander spoke a moorish vessel, that gave information (which, by the by, was incorrect) that the french fleet was at Syracuse, in Sicily. About this time the Mutine joined, without having gained any intelligence. On the morning of the 17th the British stood into the bay of Naples; and captain Troubridge was sent, along with captain Hardy in the Mutine, to obtain what information could be collected from the british ambassador. All sir William Hamilton could tell was, that the French had not entered that port, but had coasted the island of Sardinia and proceeded to the southward, probably to Malta.

With this guide for a course, the british fleet again set sail; but light airs, during the two succeeding days, retarded its progress, making it the morning of the 20th ere the celebrated Straits of Messina were entered. From the british consul at the latter port intelligence was received, that the French had possessed themselves of Malta and Goza, and that their fleet was lying at anchor off the lastnamed island. A fresh breeze at north-west and a rapid current soon carried the British clear of the Straits, and the island of Malta was now their destination. At daybreak on the 22d, however, when the fleet was about 12 leagues south-east of Cape Passero, in Sicily, the Mutine learnt from a genoese, or rather, we believe, a ragusian brig, which had the day before passed through the fleet unnoticed, that the French had quitted Malta on the 18th, with the same wind that was then blowing. Alex

1798. andria now seemed the next probable destination of June. the enemy; and immediately the british fleet bore up and steered south-east, under all sail.

From the 22d to the 28th three vessels only were spoken, one from the Archipelago, and two from Alexandria; but no french fleet had they seen, or even heard of. Days like these would have been insufferably tedious, had not the seamen, by the excellent regulations adopted in the fleet, a daily employment that, while it heightened their spirits, augmented their powers. The exercise of great guns and small arms, if properly persevered in, excites among the crew an emulation, that makes them doubly anxious to give practical proofs of their skill: they look forward to the day of battle, as the knights of old did to the day of tournament; and, when it comes, their well-grounded confidence displays itself in the shattered sides and deserted decks of their opponents.

On the 28th the British came in sight of the city of Alexandria; and the empty state of the two harbours, except as to a turkish ship of the line, four frigates, and some merchant vessels, confirmed the account they had last received. On arriving off the Pharos, or castle that guards the entrance of the eastern harbour, the Mutine was sent in for intelligence. After some delay, captain Hardy was allowed to land, and was conducted, under a guard, to the governor. The latter expressed his surprise, as well as uneasiness, at the appearance of so formidable a british force; and, on the object's being explained to him, was yet more alarmed, declaring his determination to resist the attempt of either power to land.

The British were now somewhat at a stand. At length a retrograde movement was resolved on, taking a more northerly course. On the 29th the fleet steered to the north-east, with a fresh breeze from north-north-west. In consequence of the continuance of north-westerly weather, it took the ships, under