ccount of our deaths, and sent to the hospital, out
of 6000 men. The fleet put to sea on the 18th of May 1803, and is
still at sea; not a ship has been refitted, or recruited, excepting
what has been done at sea, You will readily believe, that all this
must have shaken me. My sight is getting very bad; but _I_ must not
be sick, until after the French fleet is taken, Then, I shall soon
hope to take you by the hand, and have farther recourse to your
skill for my eye.

"I am always glad to hear good accounts of our dear Lady Hamilton.
That she is beloved, wherever she is known, does not surprise me;
the contrary would, very much. I am sure, she feels most sincerely
all your kindness.

"Believe me, for ever, my dear doctor, your much obliged friend,

Nelson and Bronte

Dr. Moseley, Chelsea Hospital."

The account of the very few persons who had died, or been on the sick
list, transmitted as a curiosity in the above letter, having been
unfortunately lost by Dr. Moseley, their exact number cannot be
ascertained.

Notwithstanding the opportunities given by Lord Nelson for the French
fleet to depart from Toulon, either in the aggregate, by detached
squadrons, or even single ships, more than a year elapsed without any of
them daring to quit the port. A solitary frigate, indeed, had
occasionally appeared, but was soon chased back, and no stratagem seemed
capable of inducing them to move. Among other contrivances to put them
in motion, was that of sending two or three ships of the line, with a
single frigate, off the harbour, while the main body of the fleet
remained at a considerable distance out of sight.

On the 23d of May 1804, Admiral Campbell in the Canopus, accompanied by
Sir Richard Strachan in the Donegal, and the Amazon frigate, were
detached by Lord Nelson thus to reconnoitre the enemy; and, after being
some hours as near the mouth of the harbour as their batteries would
allow, had the pleasure to behold three line of battle ships, and three
frigates, come out. Our ships immediately tacked, in order to draw them
from the land; but only went under an easy sail, so that they soon came
within random-shot. When the enemy began to fire, the people of the
Canopus were just sat down to dinner; which they quietly took, and then
returned their fire: meaning, now, to bring them to close action, though
so far superior. At this moment, however, two more