ade by a man whose
determined character left no doubt that it would be carried into
execution. "Nothing shall be left undone that ought to be done," he
wrote to Jervis, "even should it be necessary to knock down Bastia."
From time to time interference was attempted, but the demand for
immediate desistence, made, watch in hand, by the naval officer on the
spot, enforced submission. "The firm tone held by Commodore Nelson,"
wrote Jervis to the Admiralty, "soon reduced these gentlemen to order,
and quiet submission to the embarkation." Owing to the anarchy
prevailing, the Viceroy was persuaded to go on board before nightfall,
he being too valuable as a hostage to be exposed to possible
kidnappers.

On the 18th of October a large number of armed French landed at Cape
Corso, and approached the town. On the 19th they sent to the
municipality a demand that the British should not be permitted to
embark. Under these circumstances even Nelson felt that nothing more
could be saved. The work of removal was continued actively until
sunset, by which time two hundred thousand pounds worth of cannon,
stores, and provisions had been taken on board. At midnight the troops
evacuated the citadel, and marched to the north end of the town, where
they embarked--twenty-four hours ahead of the time upon which Nelson
had reckoned four days before. It was then blowing a strong gale of
wind. Last of all, about six o'clock on the morning of the 20th,
Nelson and the general entered a barge, every other man being by that
time afloat, and were pulled off to the ships, taking with them two
field-guns, until then kept ashore to repel a possible attack at the
last moment. The French, who "were in one end of Bastia before we
quitted the other," had occupied the citadel since one in the morning,
and the Spanish fleet, of over twenty sail-of-the-line, which had
already arrived, was even then off Cape Corso, about sixty miles
distant; but the little British squadron, sailing promptly with a fair
wind, in a few hours reached Elba, where every vessel was safely at
anchor before night. On the 24th Nelson joined the commander-in-chief
in Martello Bay, the outer anchorage of San Fiorenzo. Everything was
then afloat, and ready for a start as soon as the transports, still at
Elba, should arrive. The evacuation of Corsica was complete, though
the ships remained another week in its waters.

The Spanish fleet continued cruising to the northward of the island,
and w