whole fleet" to Revel. Confining himself to that, he pointed out the
mistake the minister had made, for he had brought "not one-seventh of
his fleet in point of numbers." He mentioned also the deference that
he had paid to the Revel authorities. "My conduct, I feel, is so
entirely different to what your Excellency has expressed in your
letter, that I have only to regret, that my desire to pay a marked
attention to His Imperial Majesty has been so entirely misunderstood.
That being the case, I shall sail immediately into the Baltic."
Retiring thus in good order, if defeated, he had the satisfaction of
knowing that it was not his own blunder, but the wretched dilatoriness
of his predecessor, that had made the Czar, instead of the British
admiral, master of the situation.

Stopping for twenty-four hours at Bornholm on the way down, Nelson on
the 24th anchored in Rostock Bay, on the German coast of the Baltic,
and there awaited the relief he confidently expected. He had scarcely
arrived when a second letter from Pahlen overtook him. The minister
expressed his regret for any misunderstanding that had arisen as to
the purpose of his first visit, and continued, "I cannot give your
excellency a more striking proof of the confidence which the Emperor
my Master reposes in you, than by announcing the effect produced by
your letter of the 16th of this month. His Imperial Majesty has
ordered the immediate raising of the embargo placed upon the English
merchant ships." Nelson plumed himself greatly upon this result of his
diplomacy. "Our diplomatic men are so slow. Lord St. Helens told me
that he hoped in a month he should be able to tell me something
decisive. Now, what can take two hours I cannot even guess, but
Ministers must do something for their diamond boxes. I gained the
unconditional release of our ships, which neither Ministers nor Sir
Hyde Parker could accomplish, by showing my fleet. Then they became
alarmed, begged I would go away, or it would be considered as warlike.
On my complying, it pleased the Emperor and his ministers so much,
that the whole of the British shipping were given up." There is
nothing like the point of view; but it must be admitted that Nelson
extricated himself from an unpleasant position with great good temper
and sound judgment.

He remained in his flagship between Rostock and Kioge Bay, until
relieved by Vice-Admiral Pole on the 19th of June. Nothing of official
importance occurred during thes