Right glad were we when on June 24th, 1799, we bore up to Naples and anchored in the Bay with a noble fleet of eighteen sail of the line, which were joined on the next day by two-and-twenty gun-and-mortar vessels, that had been lying at the Islands. These sail of the line for the most part had assembled off Maritimo, the little island at the west point of Sicily, where the fate of a Punic War was settled in the battle of the Ægatian Islands, so fatal to Carthage. Maritimo, the chaplain was careful to impress upon us, was one of them. We left Palermo for Naples the first time on June 13th, with the Hereditary Prince on board to accompany the Admiral, and represent his father at the imminent occupation of Naples. But that evening of the 13th, at nine o'clock, a lieutenant arrived who had been landed westward of Palermo by the sloop of war _Petrel_, which had not been able to beat up to the city against the stiff easterly breeze, any more than we had been able to get away from it. So that there was nothing for it but to put back to Palermo on the 15th, land the Prince and all the troops we had taken on board, and on to Maritimo, whither the Admiral bade Captain Ball from Malta and Captain Troubridge from Naples to join him with all their ships. I believe the _Petrel_ carried the orders to Captain Ball to raise the Malta blockade; and to Naples, there being no fear of the enemy, there was a constant run of small craft. Our news was that the French had passed the Straits, and been seen off Minorca--nineteen of the line. On the 20th we had a despatch from Admiral Lord St. Vincent that twelve British ships of the line had entered the Straits from the Channel, and were standing for Mahon, whence they would at once start off in search of Bruix, who had disappeared. We learnt also that Lord Keith was the new Commander-in-chief, Lord St. Vincent having resigned. The Admiral was convinced that Naples was the destination of the French, and at once started to throw himself upon them. He was equally convinced that no harm would come to Sicily, with Keith's fine fleet in hot pursuit of the French, and wrote to Sir William that he should be back in eight days and to calm Her Majesty's distress. He was his old self again, almost back to health, and full of spirits at the prospect of meeting the French fleet. With Admiral Lord Keith behind him to look after the future of the two Kingdoms, he was ready to fight the French till every ship he had was sunk. We were off Palermo on the 21st, but did not enter the harbour; we only lay to for a couple of hours, while the Admiral went ashore to see Her Majesty and afterwards brought Sir William and Lady Hamilton on board, the latter with baggage. Nor could the Admiral's expectation of finding the French fleet at Naples bring a shadow of anxiety to her rosy, laughing face. "If the French are there, Nelson," she said, "there will be another Nile, and we shall be there to see it this time."