TO LORD SYDNEY, SECRETARY OF STATE. My Lord, Boreas, Basseterre Road, St. Christopher's, 20th March, 1785. It is not to criminate any individual, but to vindicate my character as an Officer from the aspersions that are thrown on it by the inhabitants in general of this Island and Nevis,―I beg this may be my apology for troubling your Lordship. The character of an Officer is his greatest treasure: to lower that, is to wound him irreparably. But I trust as it is only by doing my duty that has caused these aspersions, the approbation of my Sovereign will make ample amends for the calumnies of the invidious. In November last, I was appointed by the Commander-inChief to the Station at these Islands to protect the Commerce of Great Britain, which I have endeavoured to do by every means in my power. Americans at this time, I am very sorry to say, filled our Ports; but as I did not think it was a legal Commerce, I have constantly endeavoured to suppress it, the doing of which has so much hurt the feelings of the people in general, from the highest to the lowest, that they have not only neglected paying me that attention my rank might have made me expect, but reprobated my character, by saying that I am the injurer of this Colony, and that the Minister never intended to hinder Americans from coming into our Ports with any trifling excuse, only that the Trade was not be made free from all restraint. This did not appear to me to be the meaning of his Majesty's proclamation, or anything tending that way: consequently I have ever excluded all Vessels belonging to the United States from having a free intercourse with our Colonies, where the Ship under my command has been stationed. But although these Foreigners have been ordered away by me, yet, my Lord, astonishing to tell, these Vessels have almost always gone into some Port in this Island, and unladed their cargoes. What reasons they give to the Officers of the Revenue I know not; but almost uniformly are their reasons admitted to be good. At times the King's Ship is obliged to sail to the neighbouring Islands to procure wood, water and provisions: constantly VOLA I. K when I returned, have I been informed from good authority, that the Americans had free egress and regress to our Ports. The Custom-House do not admit them to an Entry, only the Master of the American makes a Protest (and what they say are ready to swear to) that their Vessel leaks, has sprung a mast, or some excuse of that sort. Then the Customs grant a Permit to land a part or the whole of their cargo to pay expenses, under which Permits they land innumerable cargoes: could the number of them be found out, which I fear cannot, your Lordship would be astonished. At this Island the Customs have refused to give answers to the King's Officers. I send for information, they have answered me, they do not know any right I have to ask; they are not amenable to a Captain of the Navy for their conduct. Yesterday an American Brig came into this Port, said by the Master to be in distress. I told him he must not have any communication with the shore till I had ordered a survey upon his Vessel. People from the shore in boats had spoke to him, and he told them his distress. Now, my Lord, let my heart speak for me. It was dispersed all over the Island, (for my information came from Sandy Point, the extremity of it,) that in the night I intended to turn him out of Port, and that he would certainly sink before morning. There only wanted this report to represent me both cruel and unjust: the account was believed by great part of the Island. This, as the honour of my gracious King and my Country were at stake, has made me take the liberty of addressing your Lordship; for so far from treating him cruelly, I sent an Officer, a carpenter, and some men, to take care of his Vessel, which they did, by pumping her all night; and this morning I have moved him into a safe Harbour. My name most probably is unknown to your Lordship; but my character as a man, I trust, will bear the strictest investigation: therefore I take the liberty of sending inclosed a letter,1 though written some few years ago, which I hope will impress your Lordship with a favourable opinion of me. I stand for myself; no great connexion to support me if inclined to fall: therefore my good Name as a Man, an Officer, and an Eng 1 This letter is not in the Narrative or Correspondence. lishman, I must be very careful of. My greatest pride is to discharge my duty faithfully; my greatest ambition to receive approbation for my conduct. Your letter of 26th February, I received three days after my Father's, of January, and let me assure you that your kind attention in writing by every Packet flatters me very much; and I congratulate you upon your friend Charles Fox being returned for Westminster. The Walpoles will be elated. Don't let them forget you in their prosperity. This Country appears now intolerable, my dear friend being absent. It is barren indeed; not all the Rosys can give a spark of joy to me. English Harbour I hate the sight of, and Windsor I detest. I went once up the Hill to look at the spot where I spent more happy days than in any one spot in the world. E'en the trees drooped their heads, and the tamarind tree died :—all was melancholy: the road is covered with thistles; let them grow. I shall never pull one of them up. By this time I hope she is safe in Old England. Heaven's choicest blessing go with her. We go on here but sadly. The Admiral I have not seen these three months. The family are visiting the Islands. They will be remembered, no fear, go where they will. The 'dear Boreas' is quite forgot, very much disliked, and entre nous, I should not be surprised if the Admiral appoints another Chaplain to the Ship. I shall never ask a favour of him. Report says Captain Kelly pays great attention to Miss, and Sir Richard has said he will give her £5000. My 2 Mrs. Moutray. letter is broken in upon by a scoundrel of a rebel. The whole Island of St. Kitt's are on his side, and against me, but I am in a fair way of casting them. They make me so angry, that I have no patience, and our Admiral does not support us. He is an excellent fiddler. Well, must I say any [thing] about your coming out? it shall be short. Consider well before you set off upon such a wild-goose chase; and at any rate don't think of coming by a Packet: a Merchantman from the Thames is the proper mode of conveyance, and I charge you bring nothing but yourself. Little S is over head and ears in love; what will come of it I know not, but he is in a sad way. Next hurricane months will finish his life I should suppose. As to news, I can't tell you any out of my Ship. Old Jemmy Jameson3 has got the gout. Wallis, and Dent are well, and with Doctor Graham, pay great attention to the Purser's wife. Mr. Lane is at sickquarters; let him stay, I never wish to see his face again. Mr. Oliver and Stainsbury are discharged from the Ship for being principals in a duel against young Andrews. Mr. Powers, I told you long ago, was discharged: he has gone to America. Bromwich and all my dear good Children are well, and all desire to be kindly remembered to you. Lock and Talbot are quite men; you will not know them. When you go to Wolterton, remember me there, and at Norwich to the Boltons, and don't forget me to the Wells Club. Where is Charles Boyles? Tell him Miss is waiting for him: Fame says she is likely to have another child. She often inquires after him. He might put a postscript in your letter; tell him to do it. I wrote to my Father three days ago, but this may arrive full as soon. God bless you. Adieu, and believe I am, your affectionate Brother, HORATIO NElson. May 12th. The Packet has just arrived by which I send this letter. Tell Kate I will write to her in a few days, for Ships sail every 3 All Officers of the Boreas, and are mentioned in this Letter have been already noticed. Vide p. 108. day at this season. I am just come from Nevis, where I have been visiting Miss Parry Herbert and a young Widow; the two latter known to Charles Boyles. Great inquiries after him by the damsels in that Island. My trial comes on tomorrow," but I am sure of casting my gentleman. TO THE REVEREND MR. W. NELSON, BURNHAM. [Autograph, in the Nelson Papers.] My dear Brother, Boreas, St. Kitt's, June 28th, 1785. Your letters up to the 1st of May I have regularly received, and many thanks I return for your kind remembrance of me. This letter must be short, for my time for this six weeks has been all Law. I will write more fully in about a week; but I did not like to let a Packet sail without acknowledging the receipt of yours, my Father's, Mrs. Bolton's, and Kate's letters. Tell them I will write the moment I have my hands at liberty. You ask when I may return to England? How can you who have been at Sea ask such a question? How can I possibly tell? and I never guess. If you sincerely ask my opinion relative to your coming out to this infernal climate, I can only tell you it is a thing I should never think Mrs. Nisbet, afterwards Viscountess Nelson. Vide p. 217, post. Mrs. Nisbet had shortly before received the following account of her future husband in a letter from a female friend : "We have at last seen the Captain of the Boreas, of whom so much has been said. He came up just before dinner, much heated, and was very silent; yet seemed, according to the old adage, to think the more. He declined drinking any wine; but after dinner, when the President, as usual, gave the following toasts, 'the King,' the Queen and Royal Family,' and 'Lord Hood,' this strange man regularly filled his glass, and observed, that those were always buinper toasts with him; which having drank, he uniformly passed the bottle, and relapsed into his former taciturnity. It was impossible, during this visit, for any of us to make out his real character; there was such a reserve and sternness in his behaviour, with occasional sallies, though very transient, of a superior mind. Being placed by him, I endeavoured to rouse his attention by showing him all the civilities in my power; but I drew out little more than Yes' and No.' If you, Fanny, had been there, we think you would have made something of him; for you have been in the habit of attending to these odd sort of people.—Clarke and M'Arthur, vol. i. p. 37. 5 Vide p. 136. · |