destroying the houses and innocent Genoese inhabitants. In the
communications which followed under a flag of truce, Nelson was
informed, verbally, that all the ports of the Republic were closed
against Great Britain. This stand, and the firing on the ship, being
considered acts of hostility, the little island of Capraia, between
Corsica and Genoa, and belonging to the latter, was seized by Nelson,
acting under the counsel of the Viceroy of Corsica. This was done both
as a retaliatory measure, and to put a stop to the use which French
privateers and parties of Corsicans had hitherto made of it, under
cover of Genoese neutrality.

As Jervis was already under apprehension of an outbreak of scurvy in
the fleet, consequent upon the failure of supplies of live cattle
following the French occupation of Leghorn, the closure of the Genoese
ports was a severe blow. It was, however, but one among several
incidents, occurring nearly simultaneously, which increased his
embarrassments, and indicated the close approach of the long-muttering
storm. To use his own words, "The lowering aspect of Spain, with the
advanced state of the equipment of the French fleet in Toulon,"
impelled him to concentrate his force. Rear-Admiral Man, who had been
blockading Cadiz since his detachment there by Hotham, in October,
1795, was ordered up to the main fleet. Swayed by fears very unlike to
Nelson's proud confidence in his admiral and his service, he acted
with such precipitation as to leave Gibraltar without filling with
provisions, and arrived so destitute that Jervis had to send him back
at once, with orders to replenish with stores and then to rejoin
without delay. Under the influence of the panic which prevailed at
Gibraltar, Man had also sent such advices to the coast of Portugal as
caused the commander-in-chief to fear that expected supplies might be
arrested. "Oh, our convoy!" cried Nelson; "Admiral Man, how could you
quit Gibraltar?" Yet, as he wrote to Jervis, he had expected some such
step, from what he had already seen "under his hand to you."

Thus, for the time at least, there were lost to the British seven of
the ships-of-the-line upon which Nelson had reckoned in his letter to
the Duke of Clarence. It was possibly on this account that Jervis
wrote him to shift his commodore's pendant to a frigate, and send the
"Captain" to the fleet. Nelson obeyed, of course, and at once; but
taking advantage of the fact that no captain had yet joi