cuse.

Such instructions, however, had been sent to the governor of Syracuse,
through the preponderancy of French interest at this period, that he
would have found it difficult even to enter, and probably have obtained
little or no refreshment of any kind, though much was absolutely
necessary, had he not, very fortunately, experienced the beneficial
effects of Lady Hamilton's powerful influence secretly exerted in the
only quarter which was not rendered impenetrable by the menacing
insinuations of the then Gallic resident at Naples. It was the
assistance he now procured, by virtue of the talismanic gift received
from Lady Hamilton, and without which he could not, in any reasonable
time, have pursued the French fleet, and possibly might never have come
up with them, that he so solemnly recognized, a short time before his
death, as to make it the subject of a codicil annexed to his will, in
which he expressly _bequeaths that lady to the remuneration of his
country_. On the 20th, in a letter to Sir William Hamilton, he says--

"It is an old saying, the devil's children have the devil's luck. I
cannot find, or to this moment learn, beyond vague conjecture,
where the French fleet are gone to. All my ill fortune, hitherto,
has proceeded from want of frigates. Off Cape Passaro, on the 22d
of June, at daylight, I saw two frigates, which were supposed to be
French; and, it has been said, since, that a line of battle ship
was to leeward of them, with the riches of Malta on board; but it
was the destruction of the enemy, and not riches for myself, that I
was seeking. These would have fell to me, if I had had frigates:
but, except the ship of the line, I regard not all the riches in
this world. From my information off Malta, I believed they were
gone to Egypt: therefore, on the 28th, I was communicating with
Alexandria, in Egypt, where I found the Turks preparing to resist
them, but knew nothing beyond report. From thence, I stretched over
to the coast of Caramania; where, not speaking a vessel who could
give me information, I became distressed for the kingdoms of the
two Sicilies: and, having gone a round of six hundred leagues, at
this season of the year, with an expedition incredible, here I am,
as ignorant of the situation of the enemy, as I was twenty-seven
days ago. I shall be able, for nine or ten weeks longer, to keep
t