enty to thirty leagues from the Cape;
and, not hearing where I may be, in ten days return to
Gibraltar.

Given on board His Majesty's ship Vanguard, at sea, 14th May
1798.
HORATIO NELSON.

To Sir J. Saumarez, Captain of H.M.S. Orion.
By command of the Rear-admiral,
J. CAMPBELL.

On the 17th, off Cape Sicie, the Orion being sent in chase, captured
the Pierre, French corvette, which sailed the evening before from
Toulon, and obtained the following information from the prisoners,
which was immediately sent to the Rear-admiral: viz. "That the enemy's
fleet, consisting of twelve sail of the line, besides six Venetian
ships, were in readiness to sail, with a great number of transports,
having on board both cavalry and infantry, on a secret expedition. The
French general Buonaparte arrived at Toulon ten days ago to command
the expedition, and was to embark in the Sans-culotte, (afterwards
L'Orient,) which ship was said to have three thousand men on board,
including her complement; almost all the line-of-battle ships had
troops on board. Three frigates,--La Juno, La Diane, and La
Justice,--were seen by the corvette this morning, and sailed from
Toulon five days ago."

On the 19th a strong gale blew from the N.W. which being fair for the
enemy, they sailed from Toulon, and, calling off Genoa, stood across
to Cape Corse. This powerful expedition was found to consist of
thirteen sail of the line, six frigates, and transports amounting to
nearly four hundred sail, having on board, including the crews,
forty-eight thousand men. It appears that, although not many leagues
distant from Nelson's squadron, the fleet did not experience a gale
which blew with uncommon violence on the 21st, and in which, after
losing her three top-masts, the Vanguard lost her fore-mast and sprung
her bowsprit; while the Orion and Alexander lost each a main-top-sail,
and it was with difficulty they reached the Bay of St. Pietro in
Sardinia on the following day. Here the squadron had a narrow escape;
for, besides crossing the track of the enemy on the night of the 20th,
they, by being at anchor in this bay, were not discovered by a
detachment which the enemy sent in quest of them, and to which, in
their disabled state, they must have been an easy capture. By the
assistance of the Orion and Alexander the damages of the Vanguard were
repaired in four days!

It has been justly said by Nelson, that "the exertions of Sir James
Sau