arrived, who had
been landed to the westward of Palermo by a sloop-of-war, the
"Peterel," she not being able to beat up to the city against the east
wind prevailing. From him Nelson learned that the French fleet had
passed the Straits, and had been seen off Minorca. The next day, the
"Peterel" having come off the port, he went alongside, and sent her on
at once to Malta, with orders to Ball to abandon the blockade,
bringing with him all his ships, and to proceed off Maritimo, a small
island twenty miles west of Sicily, where he now proposed to
concentrate his squadron and to go himself. Troubridge, having already
orders to come to Palermo, needed no further instructions, except to
bring all his ships, instead of leaving one at Naples. Every
ship-of-the-line in the squadron, including the Portuguese, was thus
summoned to join the Flag, in a position to cover Palermo and the
approaches to the eastern Mediterranean. To these necessary
dispositions was owing that the senior officer left at Naples was
Captain Foote, who afterwards signed the articles of capitulation with
the insurgents, which gave such offence to Nelson, and have occasioned
much controversy in connection with his subsequent action.

Troubridge, having sailed at once on receipt of his first orders,
arrived on the 17th with three British ships and one Portuguese. A
heavy gale prevented Nelson getting to sea till the 20th, when he
sailed, and was joined the next morning by the fourth ship from
Naples. The same day came a Portuguese corvette from Gibraltar and
Mahon, with letters from St. Vincent and Duckworth. The former
announced that the French had passed the Straits, and that he was
about to start in pursuit. Duckworth, who also was asked to join off
Maritimo, declined to do so, saying that he must await the
commander-in-chief. Nelson had of course immediately communicated to
the latter his change of plan. He hoped to collect ten
sail-of-the-line, which, "if Duckworth reinforce me, will enable me to
look the enemy in the face"--fourteen ships to nineteen; "but should
any of the Russians or Turks be off Malta, I hope to get a force of
different nations equal to the enemy, when not a moment shall be lost
in bringing them to battle."

On the 23d of May he was off Maritimo with seven ships, Ball not
having joined yet. His spirits were fast rising, as in thought he drew
near the enemy. "Duckworth means to leave me to my fate," he wrote to
Lady Hamilton. "Never