hips were obliged to strike yards and top-masts. This gale
continued till the 20th, when his lordship put to sea; and, on the 24th,
in the morning, arrived off Maritimo.

In a letter of this day's date, to the Earl of St. Vincent, his lordship
observes that, not having been yet joined by Captain Ball or Admiral
Duckworth, he has only to remain on the north side of Maritimo, to keep
covering Palermo, which shall be protected to the last, and to wait the
earl's orders for regulating his future proceedings. "Your lordship," he
adds, "may depend, that the squadron under my command shall never fall
into the hands of the enemy; and, before one is destroyed, I have little
doubt but the enemy will have their wings so completely clipped, that
they may be easily overtaken." Yet, at this period, it is to be
observed, his lordship had only five British ships of the line, with
three Portuguese, La Minerve Neapolitan frigate, L'Entreprennante
cutter, and the Incendiary fireship. In a postscript, his lordship
concludes--"No doubt, by this time, the Austrians are at Leghorn; and,
if this event had not happened, we should have been in Naples."

Lord Nelson remained at sea till the latter end of May; when, having on
the 28th been informed, off Trappano, by the Earl of St. Vincent, that
he might, from the then state of the French and Spanish fleets, act as
he thought best, in the situation of affairs; his lordship determined on
returning to Palermo, for the purpose of completing the provisions of
his squadron to six months, with as much wine as they could stow, that
they might be in momentary readiness to act as circumstances should
require. In the mean time, by continuing on the coast of Sicily, to
cover the blockade of Naples, he was certain of preserving the former
from any attack; to which it would not only be more exposed, were the
ships withdrawn, but the spirits of the people receive such a damp that
they would make little or no resistance.

On the 30th, Lord Nelson arrived at Palermo; and, having learned that
the Bey of Tunis had stopped several vessels with his lordship's
passports, he immediately wrote a very spirited letter to Mr. Magra, the
consul, and another to the bey, which he dispatched in the Earl of St.
Vincent cutter on the 4th of June. In these letters, however, he again
offers his services, as the mediator of a truce, or peace, with his
Sicilian Majesty, as well as with the Portuguese; and observes, that the
Marqui