was now promoted by his commander, and praised by all the world,
while his commander generously declared that no praise could do justice
to his actions. The confidence of the fleet, and of the nation too, were
with the Earl of St. Vincent; and, though a few mean and malignant
characters, envious of superior merit, Mould occasionally suggest their
base insinuations, that Sir Horatio Nelson might not be equal to the
management of a large fleet, the commander in chief, one of the first
naval tacticians any country ever produced, had early seen who had the
readiest and clearest conceptions of his own numerous plans, and well
knew that Nelson's genius would keep full pace with any augmentation of
command which it was possible he should ever obtain.

Sir Horatio, with the squadron abovementioned, sailed from Gibraltar on
the 9th of May; and, on the 17th, having captured a small corvette,
which came out of Toulon the preceding night, gained some little
intelligence respecting the fleet, but none to be relied on as to their
destination. His letter to the Earl of St. Vincent, mentioning this
circumstance, concludes with these words--"You may rely, my lord, that I
shall act as occasion may offer, to the best of my abilities, in
following up your ideas, for the honour of his majesty's crown, and the
advantage of our country." A sufficient proof of the concurrence of
sentiment in these two heroic commanders, which led to so glorious a
result.

On the 22d, being in the Gulph of Lyons, at two in the morning, a most
violent squall of wind took the Vanguard, which carried away all the
topmasts; and, at last, the foremast. The other ships also experienced,
though in a less degree, the ill effects of this severe gale. To add to
the disaster, the line of battle ships lost sight of their three
frigates on this eventful day; which proved to be that on which the
French armament had, at length, taken it's departure from Toulon, and
was then actually passing within a few leagues of the unconscious
sufferers employed to watch it's motions.

The little squadron now bore up for Sardinia; the Alexander taking the
Vanguard in tow, and the Orion looking out ahead for a pilot to conduct
them into St. Pierre's Road. This anchorage they happily reached on the
24th; and expected to have met with that friendly reception which their
distresses demanded, from a power professing neutrality. The governor of
St. Pierre, however, had received orders from th