About the 8th of May, amidst these pleasing attentions of his gallant brethren in arms, and the grateful inhabitants who owed so much to his lordship's protecting influence, he received letters from England which filled him with extreme concern. He learned, by these, that his noble friend, the Earl of St. Vincent--who had accepted a challenge sent by Sir John Orde, immediately after his return home, for having appointed his lordship, instead of himself, the senior officer, to the command of the squadron which had so successfully destroyed the French fleet; an intended duel, happily prevented by the interposition of the law, and the still stronger efficacy, it is said, of a positive royal injunction--now made a claim to prize-money, as commander in chief, after having quitted the Mediterranean station on account of ill health. His lordship, who always felt warmly, vehemently protested against the admission of this claim, in a powerful protest, addressed to his confidential friend, Mr. Davison. It is to be lamented that this unfortunate affair, which was afterwards litigated, and finally decided against the earl, should have in any degree abated that ardent friendship which had, so much to their reciprocal honour and advantage, as well as to the benefit and glory of their country, heretofore subsisted between the two first naval heroes in the world! Information, it appears, had reached Lord Keith, so long since as the beginning of April, respecting the intention of these Spanish ships at Palermo: for Lord Nelson, in a letter dated on board the Foudroyant, at Malta, 10th May 1800, observes that he has received his lordship's intelligence from Mahon, of the 3d of April, on that subject, which is perfectly correct; and had already ordered that, in case of their preparing to leave the port, express-boats should be sent in all directions with the necessary information for their being pursued, as well as written to Mahon on the occasion. These ships, however, it may be proper here to remark, though they could not elude the vigilance of Lord Nelson, who had narrowly watched them for upwards of seventeen months, certainly effected their escape from Palermo, very shortly after his departure; and, to his lordship's infinite mortification and regret, arrived safely in Spain, long before he reached England.