At length, General Fox arrived at Minorca--and at length permitted Col.
Graham to go to Malta, but with means miserably limited. In fact, the
expedition was at a stand for want of money; when Troubridge arriving at
Messina to co-operate in it, and finding this fresh delay, immediately
offered all that he could command of his own. "I procured him, my lord,"
said he to Nelson,"1500 of my cobs--every farthing and every atom of me
shall be devoted to the cause." "What can this mean?" said Nelson, when
he learned that Col. Graham was ordered not to incur any expenses for
stores, or any articles except provisions!--"the cause cannot stand
still for want of a little money. If nobody will pay it, I will sell
Bronte and the Emperor of Russia's box." And he actually pledged Bronte
for L6600 if there should be any difficulty about paying the bills. The
long-delayed expedition was thus, at last, sent forth; but Troubridge
little imagined in what scenes of misery he was to bear his part. He
looked to Sicily for supplies: it was the interest, as well as the duty
of the Sicilian government to use every exertion for furnishing them;
and Nelson and the British ambassador were on the spot to press upon
them the necessity of exertion. But, though Nelson saw with what a
knavish crew the Sicilian court was surrounded, he was blind to
the vices of the court itself; and resigning himself wholly to Lady
Hamilton's influence, never even suspected the crooked policy which
it was remorselessly pursuing. The Maltese and the British in Malta
severely felt it. Troubridge, who had the truest affection for Nelson,
knew his infatuation, and feared that it might prove injurious to his
character, as well as fatal to an enterprise which had begun so well,
and been carried on so patiently.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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