consideration, that while
Lord Nelson thus strongly urges the necessity for both services to be
equally strained; Sir Sidney Smith was most feelingly complaining, in
letters dated off Rhodes, 29th September 1799, of the want of a cordial
co-operation in General Koehler: who seems to have regarded Sir Sidney's
gallant exploits on land as an improper interference with the military
department; and to have made the subject of a long and formal complaint,
what all the world has agreed to consider as fairly entitling him to
immortal honour. On the receipt of these letters, which are written with
a noble confidence in the kind and generous sanction of his lordship,
Lord Nelson immediately wrote the following excellent letter to the Duke
of Clarence. It certainly has, being addressed to a brother sailor, some
strong professionalism; but it delicately claims, nevertheless, for Sir
Sidney's conduct, the most decided approbation and applause, from a
very competent judge of the duties of the profession.

"Palermo, 9th Nov. 1799.

"SIR,

"I beg leave to present to your royal highness, Captain Hardy, late
of the Foudroyant: an officer of the most distinguished merit; and,
therefore, highly worthy of your notice. He will tell you of all my
arduous work in this country; and, that all my anxiety is, at
present, taken up with the desire of possessing Malta. But, I fear,
notwithstanding all my exertions, that I shall not get any British
troops from Minorca: without which, the business will be prolonged,
perhaps, till it is relieved; when all the force which we could
collect would be of little use, against the strongest place in
Europe. I am anxiously waiting the arrival of General Fox; and hope
he will not consider the order for the removal of one or two
regiments, of such great consequence as the reduction of Malta, by
keeping them for two months longer in the Mediterranean. On the one
hand, they must, in England, or on the continent, be like a drop of
water in the ocean. By staying here, and employed, they would
liberate us from our enemy close to our door; gratify the Emperor
of Russia; protect our Levant trade; and relieve a squadron of our
ships from the service: besides giving us one eighty-gun ship, two
forty-gun frigates, a Maltese new ship of the line ready for sea,
and two frigates. With these in the scale, I cannot