try; and where She flourishes most, that will be the greatest Country. I felt it my duty, and certainly it was my inclination, to preserve the Carrying Trade to our Country, as it encouraged British artificers, manufacturers, and seamen. At this moment, there are nearly fifty Sail employed in the trade, between the Islands of St. Kitts, Nevis, and America, which are truly British built, owned, and navigated. Had I been an idle spectator, (without, I hope, being accused of arrogance,) my firm belief is, that not a single Vessel would have belonged to these Islands in the Foreign trade. I could wish to have the Opinion of the Crown Lawyers in England touching these matters, and Doctor Scott's Opinion. A doubt is now started, (and I may probably be persecuted in this Country upon it,) that if the Custom-House give leave to a Foreigner to trade, I have no right to hinder him, but must look on as an idle spectator. I am furnished very lately, by the Admiral, with his Majesty's Proclamation : I should even have esteemed that, a sufficient authority for bringing to punishment all those who offend against it. But Doctor Scott has, by a General Opinion, put these Islands, (which had recognised my right, and were all quiet,) in a ferment against me. I want not-I wish not-to be a Custom House Officer; for however honourable the protecting the Revenue is, I must for ever derive my right of protecting it, from my commission as Captain in the Navy, and not by deputation from a Board, with which I can have no possible connexion in my professional line. My sincere wish and ambition are to prove myself a faithful servant to my Country, by preserv ing to her the Carrying Trade to and from her own Colonies. One thing more, although of a more private nature than the other parts of my letter, I trust to your Lordship's goodness in telling me, is, whether from untoward circumstances a prosecution at Law should commence against me, shall I (if I prove it happened through an earnest endeavour to do my duty properly) be supported by Administration? I have the honour to remain, with the highest respect, Your Lordship's most obedient, humble Servant, TO THE REVEREND MR. NELSON, BURNHAM. [Autograph, in the Nelson Papers.] My dear Brother, Boreas, English Harbour, December 15th, 1785. You are so good a correspondent, that I fear I miss answering all your letters, but let me beg this may not hinder your exactness; for I do not, be assured, miss intentionally. You will have heard from my Father and Mr. Suckling-indeed, I think it was hinted to you, before the hurricane months that I am in a fair way of changing my situation. The dear object you must like. Her sense, polite manners, and to you I may say, beauty, you will much admire: and although at present we may not be a rich couple, yet I have not the least doubt but we shall be a happy pair :—the fault must be mine if we are not. Your rum, &c. I shall certainly procure, and everything you want from hence. I wish you were fixed in your house, for really you begin to be too old to walk about the world without a fixed residence of your own. Marry Ellen, and then you are settled for life; but in all this you will please yourself, I know. I told you long ago, Miss Rosy was married to Major Browne of the 67th. They live at St. John's, and were they to stay there till doomsday I should not ride so far to visit them. I have the Leeward Station still, but direct as usual to Barbadoes. We are put in here by bad weather, having sprung our mainmast, and hurt the Ship a good deal. We are all well on board, and everybody desires their kind remembrance to the Bishop. You are still upon the Books as Chaplain. You will accumulate a fortune if you proceed this way. You shall give me a horse, however. Remember me kindly to Mrs. Bolton and her family when you see them; to the Walpoles, and all my old acquaintances. Bless you, and believe I am, with great truth, Your affectionate Brother, Herbert, President of Nevis, says you seem a good fellow; he will make a cask of remarkable fine rum for you doubleproof. TO THE REVEREND MR. NELSON, SWAFFHAM. [Autograph, in the Nelson Papers.] My dear Brother, Nevis, January 1st, 1786. Although I wrote to my Father and your Honour by the Packet which sailed from St. Kitt's only two days ago, yet as I have received a letter from you since my last, I shall send another across the Atlantic, to say I am well, and as merry as I wish. So I must be, you will conclude, sitting by the woman who will be my wife; and every day am I more than ever convinced of the propriety of my choice, and I shall be happy with her. You will esteem her for herself when you know her; for she possesses sense far superior to half the people of our acquaintance, and her manners are Mrs. Moutray's. The Admiral lives in a Boarding-house at Barbadoes, not much in the style of a British Admiral. Lady H., with her daughter, Mrs. Browne, in St John's, Antigua. They all pack off next May, certainly, and I hope most devoutly they will take the Admiral with them, but he wishes much to remain another Station. He is too much of a fiddler for me. Am I to think you are in Norfolk, or at Bath? You may push for Miss Dorothea, and then you will soon be a Bishop, without any interest but money, which is indeed the strongest of any. To everybody that asks after me, say, 'how d'ye?' To Mrs. Bolton, Edmund, &c., &c., love and kind remembrances. Adieu, and believe me to be, your most affectionate Brother, HORATIO NELSON. Mr. Herbert says he will make some fine rum for you, and you must mind and have the Norfolk turkeys, fat, ready for eating. A merry Christmas, and a happy new year. To my father and Kate give my kind love. TO LORD SYDNEY, SECRETARY OF STATE. [Copy, in Captain Nelson's Narrative, vide P. 179 post.] My Lord, Boreas, Nevis, February 4th, 1786. Herewith I transmit you a Register which was granted at Antigua, to an American. His story is (I have no doubt) fact. He arrived in May, 1784, at St. John's, with no Colours or Papers, said he was obliged to leave the Continent, (this was a long time after the evacuation of New York,) and the man had never been in a British Port. He gets permission in the first instance, by a Protest that his Vessel was not fit to keep the Sea, to sell his cargo. He then asks if he can't obtain a Register; 'Yes,' was their answer; if you can swear to the best of your knowledge, that the Vessel was taken and condemned, and that you are an Englishman, we will give you a Register.' They then, as your Lordship will see by the Register, permit the man to swear that the Vessel was built in America, in 1782, was taken, and legally condemned, although the man had told them before he had no Bill of Sale, copy of Condemnation, or any Paper whatever. The man perjured himself, there is no doubt; but the Custom-House appears to me to have very negligently filled the duties of their station. But now I shall advance a little further, that your Lordship may have every insight it is in my power to give. The Vessel was very old: after her cargo was sold, if the Vessel had not been permitted to a Register, she was not worth taking away, and would have been sold for a hulk, but obtaining a Register she is carried back to America, where a new Vessel of the same description is put upon the stocks. The man then makes another voyage to Antigua, that he may be looked upon without suspicion, and his Vessel be established in the Trade. He then, in the winter, works himself, and in the Spring, 1785, launches a new Vessel of exactly the same dimensions. He has been trading to several of the Islands, but has at last fallen under my inspection, and is condemned: the man not claiming her, only saying, if the Custom-house at St John's, Antigua, had not granted him a Register for his old Sloop, he should still have had his property as an American, and that he has a great mind to prosecute them for encouraging him in taking out a British Register. I cannot help observing how ready the Custom-Houses of this Country are to grant Registers, Entries, &c. It certainly increases their fees: whether they get anything further, your Lordship must judge, as well as myself, for it is a matter that I cannot prove, whatever I may think. They have, hitherto, in all the Islands which I have been at, uniformly opposed the King's Ship under my command: first, upon a ground that I had no right to seize, (that was tried at St. Christopher's); secondly, that the Vessel was in Port, and that I can have no business with Vessels after Entry at the Customhouse; thirdly, it is making myself a judge of their actions, which I have no authority to do. But, my Lord, I shall still go on, and to the utmost of my power, protect to effect the Commerce, the Manufacturer, the Ship-builder, and the Seamen of Great Britain, and preserve them all for Her where I am stationed. If my conduct meets with approbation at Home, I mind not the epithets bestowed upon me by these CustomHouses. My Lord, examine well all sides, and you will soon see, that in the first place, till exemplary punishments are inflicted upon those Officers who have encouraged the Foreigners to trade with our Colonies, the evil never will cease; and after that is done, it will be found necessary to call in all old Registers, and grant a new one, and of a new form. I should conceive something like the Mediterranean Passes, for very many old Registers are daily sold to Americans, and the Custom-Houses gloss over them, although they know how they are obtained. I shall stand acquitted by your Lordship and my Country of any interested views in thus representing these malpractices, for I have no interest to obtain any place, nor do I ever expect any but what rises from a faithful discharge of my duty; and if I am taken notice of for that, I shall always endeavour to keep in view what preferment was given me for. I have the honour, &c. |