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have received, but I am sure you do not think me ungrateful. If you come on the North Side, and I hear of it, I will come in. I know you will be pleased with this little earnest of success, but we have had a good deal of plague with her. Two days before we could find the French papers, at last found them in an old shoe. There is a polacre coming this way; I hope we shall fall in her way. I wish I could give a good character of Mr. Capper: he is a drunkard; I need say no more. We shall part whenever he can get Mate of a Merchant ship. George Cruger behaves very well. If you have heard from Mrs. Locker, I sincerely hope she and all the family are in good health; and that you and they may continue so, and enjoy every blessing of this life, is the real sincere wish of

News.

Your much obliged and faithful Servant,

HORATIO NElson.

The Punch killed one man, and wounded three, on board the Bourdeaux Snow. The Minerva sailed six days ago, with fifteen sail, for the Turks' Island Passage. The Tyger, Letter of Marque, belonging to Liverpool, of twentyfour guns, carried into the Cape. They mention an Action off Grenada, between the two Fleets. The people say, Chambers searched them, and let them pass; also a Kingston Schooner.

TO CAPTAIN LOCKER, LOWESTOFFE.

Dear Sir,

[Autograph, in the Locker Papers.]

Badger, Monday Evening, May 3rd, 1779.

I have just received your letter of the 29th, and this morning yours of the 24th, and hope you are much better than when I left you. Since I wrote last, we had very near taken a Schooner privateer, but it coming calm she rowed off. We

2 On the 28th April 1779, the Badger captured La Prudente of eighty tons and nine men.-London Gazette.

The Action fought on the 5th July 1779, off Grenada, between the English Fleet under Vice-Admiral Byron, and that of France, under the Comte d'Estaing.

have no accounts here of any Ships being cut out, but I shall sail in the morning and keep a sharp look out, and hope the next we see we shall be able to get alongside of. I am much obliged to you for taking care of Silvan: do as you please with him; I don't think he will ever stay with me now. May health, happiness, and every blessing attend you, is the real sincere wish of

Your much obliged and faithful Servant,

Dear Sir,

HORATIO NELSON.

TO CAPTAIN LOCKER, LOwestoffe.

[Autograph, in the Locker Papers.]

Badger, May 13th, 1779.

I am very sorry I made you so uneasy about the men that were pressed from the Amity Hall; but I will relate the story in particular, for Mr. Taylor's satisfaction, who I should be very sorry to disoblige, as he has been so exceedingly civil to me, and also upon your account.

When I first saw the Ships in Port Antonio, I took them for part of the Cork Fleet, and sent the boat for men, with orders not to press from homeward-bound Ships. They went on board two, and did not meddle with their people; but thirtyfive men on board the Amity Hall tempted them to bring five; I was not pleased when they were brought on board, and came into Port on purpose to return them, for I had not a thought of keeping any of them; the Master came on board in a most impertinent manner, and with very abusive language told me he should take the Law, &c. I can't say but I was warm to be talked to in such a manner; however, I immediately returned two men and a Neutral, but told him I should keep the other two, for his impertinent behaviour. (This is all the matter.) If you tell the story, I beg you will mention, that the Master forgot to advertise that he had on board two deserters from the Badger. The Master is just coming on board, so I must stop a little.

The Master is just gone, and I never was more surprised than for him to deny the advertisement, that several circum

stances were not what he had wrote about, in regard to the number, and to hinder his proceeding with the Convoy he says he wrote to a gentleman in Kingston his account of the affair, and to beg he would get his men, or to take such methods that he might not [be] blamed if he did not fail. He tells me he never desired to be advertised, he has begged my pardon for his behaviour on that day, and we are parted very good friends (though I believe all he told me is false :) however, it will convince people what sort of a man he is. I am now completing our water, and shall sail in the morning. I intend going off the East End, to see if the report of the fourteen-gun Brig be true.

Since I wrote last I have lost a very fine Brig, who we chased twenty leagues to leeward of the Island, and lost, I am sure, for want of a night-glass. I intend to come in again on Tuesday to save post if possible, but for fear I should not, I leave this here. I see you are quite settled about going home,5 which in all probability may happen before you can hear from me again; but I shall always write to you in England. I hope you will have a good passage, and find Mrs. Locker and all your family, in good health: I hope you will soon recover when you get home. The friendship you have shown me I shall never forget; and though I lose my best friend by your going, I would not have you stay a day longer in this country. I am very sorry indeed Captain Deane is ill; I beg you will give my best wishes for his speedy recovery. May health and happiness attend you is the sincere wish of your Much obliged and faithful Servant,

HORATIO NELSON.

I am afraid the Admiral has got the wrong end of the story about the men; if you think proper, mention it. I beg you [will] return Mr. Taylor my sincere thanks, for the kind part he has taken in this affair.

5 On the 1st of May 1779, Captain Locker applied to the Admiral, Sir Peter Parker, requesting to be allowed to resign the command of his Ship on account of ill health.

• Captain Joseph Deane: he died Captain of the Ruby, on the 12th January 1780. Vide p. 33.

Dear Sir,

TO CAPTAIN LOCKER, LOWESTOFFE.

[Autograph, in the Locker Papers.]

Badger, off St. Ann's, June 7th, 1779.

I suppose before this you have heard of the fate of the poor Glasgow: indeed it was a most shocking sight; and had it happened half an hour later, in all probability a great many people would have been lost. She anchored at half-past three, and at six she was in flames, owing to the steward attempting to steal rum out of the after-hold. Captain Lloyd is very melancholy indeed on the occasion, and I sincerely wish I was at Port Royal for his sake, and the Ship's company's, who are falling sick very fast, with the constant rains we have had since we left Montego Bay; and no place on board the Badger to shelter such a number of men. I suppose I have letters at Port Antonio from you, but I have not been there these three Posts; and am much afraid I shall be obliged to go round the West End, and attempt the South side, the current having set us nine leagues to leeward these last twenty-four hours, although we have had favourable winds: as I have heard of no Packets arriving, I hope to see you at Port Royal.

8

I beg you will remember me very kindly to Mr. Ross, and Captain Deane, who I hope is got well. May health and happiness attend you, is the real sincere wish of

Your most humble Servant,

HORATIO NELSON.

The Lieutenant of Glasgow will take care of this: he is a very good young man I believe, and has not saved a rag but what was on his back.

7 The Glasgow, 20, Captain Thomas Lloyd, while at anchor on the North side of Jamaica, was accidentally set on fire, and entirely destroyed; but the crew were saved, mainly by Captain Nelson's exertions.-See Sketch of Life.

Hercules Ross, Esq., a merchant at Kingston in Jamaica, who is frequently mentioned in subsequent Letters.

TO CAPTAIN LOCKER.

[Autograph, in the Locker Papers.-Nelson was then Captain of the Hinchinbrook, into which Ship he was promoted from the Badger, on the 11th June, 1779.]

My dear Sir,

Port Royal, July 28th, 1779.

We have nothing new here since I wrote you last by the Halifax Pacquet, except the safe arrival of the Lion, Captain Cornwallis, in a very shattered condition. The news of the Action you have heard long before this comes to you. The Hinchinbrook is not arrived, although her cruise has been out these four weeks. Lady Parker is almost mad. The Admiral 2 tells me he will send me out in the Lowestoffe, to cruize for the Hinchinbrook, but I am afraid it will not be farther to windward than the Navassa. Captain Deane3 wished much I should go with him off the Cape, but it will not do. No prizes to any of the Men-of-War except a few Americans. I sincerely hope you have had a good passage home, and that your health is recovered. I, you know, am never well in Port. Janus not arrived: a good deal alarmed for her. Ruby and Bristol sail on Sunday; the Captain of the latter is in a bad scrape: you know Mrs. Browne's affair: he is arrested for 10,000l., and went from the Marshal after being seized. They have petitioned the Governor not to permit him to leave the Island. He is now outlawed-I think the affair will end much to his loss. I beg I may be most kindly remembered to Mrs. Locker and all the family. I hope they and you will always enjoy health and happiness.

I am, dear Sir,

Your most faithful Servant,
HORATIO NELSON.

The Officers who served with Captain Nelson in the Hinchinbrook, from the 1st of September 1779 to the 1st of May 1780, were-Lieutenants A. St. Leger, Geo. Harrison, C. Cunningham, George Bullens, Peter Burns; Surgeon, Fran. Foster; Master, J. Walker; Purser, R. Huggens.-Clarke and M'Arthur, vol. i. in Appendix.

1 Captain the Honourable, afterwards Admiral Sir William Cornwallis, G.C.B. particularly distinguished himself in the command of the Lion, 64, in the action between Vice-Admiral Byron's Squadron, and the French under Comte d'Estaing, off Grenada, on the 6th of July 1779.

" Vice- Admiral (afterwards Admiral of the Fleet) Sir Peter Parker, Knight, from whom, and from Lady Parker, Nelson received the greatest kindness during a severe illness at Jamaica.

Captain Joseph Deane.

Query Captain John Raynor.

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