The Life of the Right Honourable Horatio Lord Viscount Nelson, Volume 2Harrison, James
History
The Life of the Right Honourable Horatio Lord Viscount Nelson, Volume 2
Harrison, James
Admirals -- Great Britain -- Biography; Great Britain. Royal Navy -- Biography; Nelson, Horatio Nelson, Viscount, 1758-1805
At noon, on the 31st, having sent the Seahorse off Toulon, round Cape
Corse, and Morgiana, to look into Elba, St. Fiorenzo, and Ajaccio, the
fleet got through the Faro of Messina without any accident. On the 2d of
February, they passed Candia; being unable, from the state of the wind
and weather, to make that island: and, on the 5th, sent forward the
Anson, with letters to the Governor of Alexandria; to the British
resident, Major Bissett; and to the pro-consul, Mr. Briggs. Next day,
his lordship saw the Arab's Tower; and, on the 7th, at seven in the
morning, came within sight of Alexandria, but there were no ships in the
port. His lordship immediately sent Captain Hallowell ashore, with
duplicates of his letters, the Anson being unable to get up. At three
o'clock, Captain Hallowell returned. The Turks, who were very much
alarmed at the appearance of the fleet, had heard nothing of the French;
and were in no condition to defend this most important place from an
attack, by surprise, of even five hundred men. Such is the shocking
supineness of these people! The Turks and Mamelukes were, however, at
war; the former being in possession of Grand Cairo, and the latter of
Upper Egypt. Immediately on the receipt of this intelligence, by Captain
Hallowell, the fleet bore up, and made sail for Malta.
On the 11th, the Phoebe having joined off Candia, was dispatched to
Malta with orders. At daylight, on the 19th, his lordship saw Malta;
and, at eight in the morning, communicated with Vallette. The Phoebe
made the signal for no information; and, at nine, the fleet bore away
for Maritimo. The Superb picked up a boat, and made the signal for
intelligence from Malta: but his lordship would not stop; for he wanted,
he said, no intelligence, but where to find the French fleet. His
anxiety, therefore, may be easily imagined. It was little less, in
fact, than what he had formerly suffered, on his first vain pursuit to
Alexandria. By a vessel met with, in the afternoon, eight days from
Barcelona, his lordship now learned that the French fleet had returned
to Toulon; wanting, however, at that time, three sail of the line and a
frigate. On the 28th, while employed in watering the fleet, at Palla, in
Sardinia, a letter arrived from Captain Munday of the Hydra, dated
February 17th, who had reconnoitred the French fleet in Toulon on the
12th, when it consisted of seventeen sail.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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