"Having, by a gale of wind, sustained some trifling damage, I anchored a small part of his majesty's fleet under my orders, off this island; and was surprised to hear, by an officer sent by the governor, that admittance was to be refused to the flag of his Britannic majesty into this port. When I reflect that my most gracious sovereign is the oldest, I believe, and certainly the most faithful, ally which his majesty of Sardinia ever had, I could feel the sorrow which it must have been to his majesty to have given such an order; and also for your excellency, who has to direct it's execution. I cannot but look at Afric's shore; where the followers of Mahomet are performing the part of the good Samaritan, which I look for in vain at St. Peter's, where it is said the Christian religion is professed. May God Almighty bless your excellency, is the sincere wish of your most obedient servant, "Horatio Nelson." It is not improbable, that this letter immediately occasioned a little secret assistance to be bestowed. Certain it is, that some aid was actually received, or they could not so soon have conveniently taken their departure. They now steered for their appointed rendezvous, which they reached on the 4th of June; and were joined, next day, by La Mutine, Captain Hardy, who was charged with orders to the admiral, and brought the highly acceptable information, that Captain Troubridge, with ten sail of the line, and a fifty-gun ship, had been detached to reinforce him. The knowledge of this circumstance diffused universal joy throughout the little squadron; which could scarcely be felt in a superlative degree by the heroic commander himself, who was now about to obtain what it had been the business of his life to acquire, an opportunity of evincing the ability with which he felt conscious of having been gifted by Heaven. In the exultation of his open and generous heart, he observed to Captain Berry, that he should soon be a match for any hostile fleet in the Mediterranean; and his only desire would then be, to encounter one.