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
The Russian admiral not complying with Lord Nelson's request, as to the
restoration of the Leander, his lordship immediately addressed the
Chevalier Italinskoy, the Russian minister at the court of their
Sicilian Majesties, on the subject: informing him that, whenever the
admiral chose to send the Leander to Minorca, the ship would be
received. "But," says his lordship, "after even my word not being taken,
by his excellency, I cannot again subject myself to a refusal of giving
up the Leander, agreeable to the intention of the emperor; though the
form of order, on this occasion, was not arrived." His lordship also
sent Captain Drummond, with the particulars of this refusal, to Lord
Keith; observing, that he should now wait till the Russian admiral sent
the Leander to Mahon. Captain Drummond was desired, on failure of
meeting with Lord Keith, to proceed immediately to England, and deliver
his lordship's letter to the secretary of the Admiralty, acquainting him
with the cause of his arrival.
On the 28th, Lord Nelson transmitted to Captain Hope, at the request of
his Sicilian Majesty, a diamond ring of considerable value: for having,
as it was expressly stated, embarked his Majesty and the Prince Royal in
his barge, on the night of December 21, 1798; and which his majesty
desired might be accepted, by Captain Hope, as a mark of his royal
gratitude. This, and other similar presents of rings and gold boxes,
were sent by Sir John Acton, to Sir William Hamilton, from his Sicilian
Majesty; with a request that his excellency would have the goodness to
present them to the Duke of Bronte, that he might distribute them
according to the note enclosed, and in the name of his Sicilian Majesty,
as a small mark of his royal gratitude to the several English
commanders. The pleasure which this agreeable task afforded Lord
Nelson's excellent heart, may be judged of by the following effusion of
it's feelings, addressed to Captain Hood on the occasion. "My dear
Hood, I never had greater pleasure, than in executing his Sicilian
Majesty's orders, for sending you a box from his majesty; and, as the
dispatch expresses it--To Captain Hood, for services in the Gulph of
Naples, and at Salerno; for his operations on shore, and his care of the
castles of Naples." In afterwards describing these presents from his
Sicilian Majesty, on writing to England, his lordship informs Mr.
Nepean, that each of the captains had a very valuable gold box, set
round with diamonds. In the centre of that given to Commodore
Troubridge, was his majesty's portrait; and, to him, he also gave an
elegant ring. In the centre of the others, were his majesty's cypher of
f.r. neatly set in diamonds. His majesty, he adds, has also
presented Captain Thomas Masterman Hardy, his lordship's captain in the
Foudroyant, with an elegant box, set round with a double row of
diamonds, and his portrait in the centre, and an elegant diamond ring;
and, to Mr. Tyson, his lordship's secretary, a diamond ring of great
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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