ling, and such men as may be on board the Sandwich, into the Agamemnon. Pray have you got a Clerk which you can recommend? I want one very much: I urge nothing; I know your willingness to serve. The Duke of Clarence desires me to say that he requests you will discharge Joseph King into the Agamemnon, or that I am welcome to any other man, to assist me in fitting out he is but poorly, but expresses the greatest satisfaction at the Appointment you are likely to succeed to, and in which no one rejoices more than your affectionate, HORATIO NELSON. TO THE REV. MR. NELSON, HILBOROUGH, BRANDON. [Autograph, in the Nelson Papers.] My dear Brother, Chatham, February 10th, 1793. I have just received your letter. I shall be in town to morrow, and speak about Mr. Mason; but I apprehend he must pass his examination at Surgeons' Hall, for which I will procure an order, and let you know. Surgeons' Mates are very scarce (keep that to yourself.) I have the pleasure of telling you that my Ship is, without exception, the finest 64 in the service, and has the character of sailing most remarkably well. I have only got a few men, and very hard indeed they are to be got, and without a press I have no idea our Fleet can be manned. The Lieutenants are Martin Hin 7 Son of his cousin W. Suckling, Esq., of Wooton, near Norwich: he is often mentioned. Vide p. 108. * The Duke of Clarence, in reply to Nelson's Letter respecting this man, wrote, "My motive for discharging Joseph King, was in order to promote him; but if you think it will be in your power to be serviceable to him, keep him by all means; and ever believe me yours sincerely, WILLIAM.”—Original, in the Nelson Papers. Joseph King has been already mentioned, vide p. 257. Lieutenant-Governor of Greenwich Hospital, which situation Captain Locker obtained on the 15th of February following, in the room of Captain James Ferguson, deceased, who is mentioned in Nelson's Letters, p. 7, ante. 5 2 ton,' first; Joseph Bullen, second; third, vacant; W. Allison, fourth; Thomas Edmunds, fifth; John Wilson, Master; Custar, Surgeon; Fellowes, Purser; all good in their respective stations, and known to me, except the Surgeon. I am obliged by Mr. Randall's good wishes. Pray remember me to them all. To all appearance, it will be the end of March before we leave the Medway. Love to Mrs. Nelson, and my Aunt, and believe me, Your most affectionate Brother, HORATIO NELSON. Shall enquire about the Chaplain on Tuesday, but hear they are pretty full. TO THE REV. MR. NELSON, HILBOROUGH. [Autograph, in the Nelson Papers.] My dear Brother, February 14th, 1793. We have nothing new here. I shall go down to my Ship to-morrow morning, but I hope to be able to get two days at Hilborough, whilst Mrs. Nelson is with you. Mr. Mason must pass an examination at Surgeons' Hall before he can be appointed, a thing by no means difficult. He must be in London before the 7th of March, as that is the examining day. I would advise him to be at the Navy Office the 5th, to get his order from the Board, without which they will not examine him. Tell Mr. Randall that his old shipmate, 1 Promoted to the rank of Commander in 1795, for his services in the Aga memnon. 2 This respected Officer is now an Admiral of the Blue. 3 The Officers who served with Captain Nelson in the Agamemnon, according to Clarke and M'Arthur, from the 1st of January 1793 to the 10th of June 1796, were, Lieutenants, Martin Hinton, Wenman Allison, Thomas Edmonds, Joseph Bullen, George Andrews, William Lucas, Maurice W. Suckling, Edward Chetham, Peter Spicer, James Summers, James Noble, Henry Compton, James M'Arthur, and Edward Berry; Surgeons, John Roxburgh, Cornwall Reynolds, and Thomas Weatherstone; Master, John Wilson; Purser, Thomas Fellowes. Most truly do I rejoice at your appointment, and hope you will derive every comfort from it. I am very much disposed to like Mr. Fellowes, and have told him so, and that 4 every protection of mine he shall certainly have, against a waste of his stores, &c. ; but that he must be very careful that no just cause of complaint can be made against him, for I will not suffer any poor fellow to be lessened of his due. He seems perfectly to understand me, and I dare say we shall do very well together. Don't be in a hurry about the Charts. I shall see you before we sail. Remember me to your sons, and believe me. Yours most affectionately, HORATIO NELSON. TO MRS. NELSON, AT HILBOROUGH. [From Clarke and M'Arthur, vol. i. p. 124.] Chatham, 15th March, 1793. If the wind is to the Northward of West, we go down the River to-morrow, and are ordered to proceed to Spithead with all possible dispatch, as we are wanted, Lord Hoods writes. me word, for immediate service; and hints, we are to go a cruise, and then to join his Fleet at Gibraltar: therefore I am anxious to get to Spithead. I never was in better health; Purser of the Agamemnon. 5 Lord Hood, then Vice-Admiral of the Red, had shortly before been appointed Commander-in-Chief in the Mediterranean. and I hope you intend a new lease of your life: the not tying up any of the money left you, I consider as a confidence reposed in me, and I shall take care that it is not misplaced. I am, &c., HORATIO NELSON. TO MRS. NELSON, KENTISH TOWN. [From Clarke and M'Arthur, vol. i. p. 124.] Sheerness, April 14th, 1793. Although I have not been out of the Ship since I wrote to you last, yet I know you wish to hear frequently from me. The wind is now got to the Westward, and we are unmooring to go out to the Nore, where I suppose our stay will be very short. I had a visit from the Admiral' yesterday, to examine my Ship; and I can say with truth, she is getting into high order, although we are upwards of a hundred short of complement; yet I think we shall be far from ill-manned, even if the rest are not so good as they ought to be. The Surgeon seems to be a very good sort of man: indeed I have reason to be satisfied at present with every Officer in the Ship. I am, &c., HORATIO NELSON. 6 By her Uncle, Mr. Herbert, President of Nevis, who died on the 18th January 1793. 7 Apparently Vice-Admiral John Dalrymple, Commander-in-Chief, in the Sandwich, at the Nore. TO GEORGE ROSE, ESQ., SECRETARY TO THE TREASURY. [Autograph draught, in the Nelson Papers. The date of this Letter is not given, but the answer of the Lords of the Treasury, acquainting him that the Collector at Nevis could not legally be required by the Treasury to remit the proceeds in question, and recommending him to apply to the Collector himself, was dated on the 20th April, 1793. On the same paper, Nelson made a memorandum "to write to the Admiralty for an order to Captain Patrick Lynn, to receive my volunteers, and to pay their conduct money from the places they respectively enter with me."] Sir, [April, 1793.] On an application made by me in the year 1789, (and on which Mr. Stanley, Attorney-General of the Leeward Islands, gave in a Report approving of the propriety of my application,) that the net proceeds of four American vessels seized by his Majesty's Ship Boreas, under my command, should be transmitted to the Receiver General of his Majesty's Customs, and their Lordships having been pleased to give an order to that effect, I yesterday, (as two of the said Vessels, viz. the Hercules and Nancy Pleasant, were finally condemned by the Lords of Appeal, affirming the sentence of the Vice-Admiralty Court of Nevis,) made application for the moiety of the net proceeds of the said Vessels, when I was acquainted that the monies had not been transmitted to the Receiver-General of the Customs, but that since the affirming the sentence of condemnation, the Board of Customs had ordered the Collector and Comptroller of the Customs of Nevis to remit the King's share of those seizures, Hercules and Nancy Pleasant. Now, I have to request that you will be pleased to move their Lordships that they will order the whole amount of the seizures, Hercules and Nancy Pleasant, to be remitted to England, that the Officers and Ship's company of his Majesty's Ship Boreas may be paid the prize-money due to them, and which they can hardly ever hope to obtain should my request not be complied with. I have the honour to be, &c., |