for
their gallant conduct on Valentine's Day.

A reinforcement had now arrived from England; and the whole fleet,
consisting of twenty-one sail of the line, resumed the blockade of
Cadiz, where they arrived on the 2nd of April, and found there the
whole Spanish fleet of twenty-six sail of the line. Sir Horatio
Nelson, who at first commanded the advanced squadron, was ordered up
to Elba; and Sir James, in the Orion, succeeded in his room; during
which time the two Spanish frigates Nimfa and Elena were captured by
the Irresistible, Captain Martin, who chased them by signal from the
Orion. Sir James on this occasion sent a flag of truce, and entered
into correspondence with the Spanish admiral Mazarredo; which, we need
only add, completely succeeded, and met with the high approbation of
the commander-in-chief, as will appear from the following extracts of
letters from Earl St. Vincent to Saumarez.

Ville de Paris, 11th May 1797.

You approve yourself so able in the diplomatique, that you need
no assistance from me: in truth, a better despatch could not
have been penn'd than yours of yesterday to Don Joseph De
Mazarredo.

13th May.

I very much admire your last letter to Mazarredo, as I have done
all the former.

27th May.

I like your letter so much better than mine, of which I enclose
a copy, that I desire you will send it on immediately.

Ville de Paris, 30th May 1797.

It is impossible for any man to have acquitted himself with
greater ability than you have done during the time you commanded
the blockade; for which I return you my best thanks. Your last
letter to Mazarredo is a masterpiece; and you will perceive, by
the enclosed copy of my letter to him, in answer to his comment
on our suspicion about the seamen from Trinidad, that I profited
by your hint relative to the prisoners landed at Lagos. Your
lash on the destruction of the Spanish ships he bears with
Spanish stoicism: _nous verrons_.

The following communication from Sir James Saumarez to the
commander-in-chief will elucidate the foregoing extracts:

(Secret.) Orion, 27th May, 1797.

Seeing the cutter on her way to the advanced squadron this
morning, I waited to send the flag of truce till she joined. I
had prepared the enclosed for Don Mazarredo, but was happy to
find you had been pleased to take up the business. I therefore
confined my letter solely to t