but the third, which belonged to Lady Nelson, and was copiously cited by Clarke and M'Arthur, cannot now, unfortunately, be found; and the loss is the more to be regretted, because (besides the unjustifiable practice of altering words, and omitting passages) it is not always possible to decide, whether the statements printed by those writers actually occurred in the Journal, or were interpolated from other sources. Some difficulty arose as to the best mode of printing these Papers,-whether to give them entire, or to place each entry in the exact order of its date. The former plan was first adopted, but it was thought advisable to prefer the other arrangement, because the entries sometimes supply information not contained in the Letters, and often explain transactions mentioned in them. The JOURNALS will be distinguished by the letters A, B, and C; the letter " A" indicating the Memoranda from the 31st of January to the 13th July ;-"B" indicating the Diary from the 24th of February to the 1st of April ;-and "C" the passages in the larger Journal, quoted by Clarke and M'Arthur, from the 4th of April to the 10th of August, 1794. Some extracts from the Journal of the Siege of Calvi, not given by Clarke and M'Arthur, have been found in the Admiralty. Vide p. 407.] JOURNAL A. January 21st.-Landed about four miles from St. FioBurnt the only water-mill in that part of the country, renzo. much to the distress of the French. TO MRS. NELSON. [From Clarke and M'Arthur, vol. i. p. 146.] Leghorn, January 30th, 1794. I was blown off my Station on the 28th, in the hardest gale almost ever remembered here. The Agamemnon did well, but lost every sail in her. Lord Hood had joined me off Corsica the day before; and would have landed the Troops,3 but the gale has dispersed them over the face of the waters. The Victory was very near lost; however, we are safe. A number of Transports are missing. I am fearful the Enemy will get their Troops from France before I can return to my Station, which will be a vexing thing after my two months' hard fag. I hope to get my Ship to sea to-morrow. I direct this to Bath, where I desire you will not want for anything: my expenses are by no means great, therefore don't be afraid of money. A circumstance happened a few days past, which gave me great satisfaction. January 21st, the French having 3 Lord Hood put to sea on the 24th of January, with sixty Sail, containing troops for the invasion of Corsica. their storehouse of flour near a water-mill close to St. Fiorenzo, I seized a happy moment, and lauded sixty soldiers and sixty seamen, in spite of opposition. At landing, the sailors threw all the flour into the sea, burned the mill-the only one they had, and returned on board without the loss of a man. The French sent one thousand men at least against them, and Gun-boats, &c.; but the shot went over them, and they were just within reach of my guns. It has pleased Lord Hood, but this dreadful gale may have blown it out of his memory. Yours, &c., HORATIO NELSON. TO THOMAS POLLARD, ESQ. LEGHORN. [Autograph, in the possession of John Luxford, Esq., the nephew and legatee of Mrs. Pollard, whose husband was then a Merchant at Leghorn. This letter relates to the sale of some Prizes.] Dear Sir, 3 P.M., Friday, January 31st, 1794. We are now at Sea, but call on Captain Wolseley, and tell him your offer; and if not sold at roupe before his arrival, have no objection to take your money, pledging myself for nothing but supposing the invoice to be right. February 6th.-Landed at Centuri; burned four polaccas loaded with wine for the French Ships at Fiorenzo. February 8th.-Landed at Maginaggio; burned eight Sail of Vessels, took four, and destroyed about 1,000 tons of wine. Added by Captain William Wolseley, of the Lowestoffe, of 32 guns: he died a Full Admiral. TO HIS EXCELLENCY GENERAL PAOLI. [From a Copy, in the Nelson Papers.] Agamemnon, between Bastia and Cape Corse, Sir, Yesterday at a place called Rocliniar, or Porto Novo, they had the presumption to hoist National colours, as also the Vessels in the harbour. This morning I sent on shore a Flag of Truce, saying that I was come to deliver them from the Republicans, and wished to be received as friends, but that if any opposition was made to the landing of the troops I would burn the place. The answer to this message I have enclosed.7 I landed and destroyed the Vessels, they having all National colours on board, with five hundred tons of wine, the National colours flying in the Town, and the Tree of Liberty planted, both of which I struck with my own hands. The people who left the town assembled on a hill, with the National colours flying. When at anchor, a Vessel was seen at Sea. I sent a Cutter in chase of her, who took her. She was from Leghorn to this place, loaded with corn and salt fish, &c. She produced a Pass from your Excellency, dated in October last. I have sent the vessel to the Isle Rousse, that your Excellency may know to what an unworthy object your protection was bestowed; and I think you will agree with me, that she ought only to be considered as Enemy's property; for certainly only our Enemies could be benefited by her voyages to Leghorn. I am, your Excellency's most obedient Servant, N.B. I am sorry the Ragusa Ship has been for some time in Bastia: certain she is not in L'Avasina. • Sic in the MS., but apparently a clerical error of the transcriber for " liani." 7 Vide p. 355. Rog In a Letter from General Paoli to Captain Nelson, dated Murato, 24 January 1794, he said :— "Les petits Corsaires de Bastia ont pris un batiment de Raguse chargé de coton, soie, sucre, caffé, et autres objets de valeur : cette prise est encore à cinq mille de distance du Port ou elle ne peut pas entre. Un marchand Anglois y est détenú prisonnier ;" and he added in a Postscript, "Le vaisseau de Raguse qui a été pris est dans la hause dite L'Avasina à cinq mille Nord de Bastia."-Original, in the Nelson Papers. TO VICE-ADMIRAL LORD HOOD. [From Clarke and M'Arthur, vol. i. p. 148.] Agamemnon, February 8th, 1794. My Lord, Yesterday at Porto Nuovo they hoisted National colours as I passed, also the vessels as I passed, as also the vessels in the harbour. I went to l'Avasina, but there was no Ship there. Captain Fremantle tells me, a Ship under Ragusan colours is in Bastia. This morning being very fine, I anchored off Rogliani, and sent on shore to say that I was come to deliver them from the Republicans, and wished to be received as a friend, but that if a musket was fired, I would burn the Town. The answers from the Commandant was as follows: 'We are Republicans; that word alone ought to satisfy you. It is not to Maginaggio, a place without defence, you ought to address yourself. Go to St. Fiorenzo, to Bastia, or to Calvi, and they will answer you according to your wishes. As to the troops whom I command, they are ready to show you that they are composed of French soldiers.' Upon receiving this answer, I landed, and struck the National colours with my own hand on the top of an old castle, and ordered the Tree of Liberty in the centre of the Town to be cut down, not without great displeasure from the inhabitants. The Military Commandant retired to a hill about two miles distant, where he paraded the troops, and kept the National flag flying all day. We destroyed about five hundred tuns of wine ready to be shipped, and ten Sail of Vessels.9 I am, &c., HORATIO NELSON. 7 The original Letter of the French Commandant is in the Nelson Papers : "Nous sommes Republicains. Ce mot seul doit suffire. Ce n'est point au Maginaggio, lieu sans deffence, à qui il faut vous àdresser. Allez a St. Florent, Bastia, ou Calvi, et l'ou vous repondrá, selon vos desirs. Pour la trouppes que je commande elle est préte vous montrer qu'elle est compose de Soldats Francais. Maginaggio is about a mile from Rogliani. "Le Command'. Militaire du 'Cape Corse." " : 9 General Paoli writing to Nelson on the 13th of February 1794, said :"The punishment inflicted on the inhabitants of Rogliani with the burning of JOURNAL A. February 12th.-Attacked a French Courier-boat, whose crew got on shore at Capreia; after a very smart contest, in which I lost six men, carried her. TO VICE-ADMIRAL LORD HOOD. [Partly from Clarke and M'Arthur, vol. i. p. 148, and partly from an autograph draught.] My Lord, Agamemnon, off Cabrera, February 13th, 1794. In addition to the paper I enclose for your Lordship's information, I have to acquaint you, that on Sunday the 9th, I anchored at Cabrera,1 to see if any of the Enemy's privateers were lying in that port. I sent a message on shore to the Governor, to say, that the trade in these Seas had been very much annoyed by the Enemy's privateers which harboured in Cabrera, and that if any other Vessels were there belonging to the French, I should take them. The answer sent me was, that he had orders to admit of no search whatever in Cabrera; and that if I attempted it, he should repel me to the utmost of his power. My next message to him was, that I wished to be friendly, but unless he would give his word of honour that there were no Vessels in the Port under French Republican colours, I would search them. The Governor upon this gave his word of honour, and I did not think it right to proceed further. This is a new Governor, the former one being turned out for allowing the Romulus and Meleager to take two Vessels out of the Port. Every person in the Island was their Ships was well deserved by their cowardice in permitting that few desperate strangers should provocate your anger upon them. The inhabitants have certainly the best dispositions to come to us again, when they may expect to be supported, but the little resistance they made lately when the French established themselves again in Cape Corse has exposed them to all the misfortunes they now labour under. The answer to your offers from the Commanding Officer there was quite in a Guascon's way, and his flight afterwards well answered to the ostentation of his expression."—Original in the Nelson Papers. 1 Generally called Capraja, a small Island, about three leagues E.N.E. from Cape Corse, of which the English afterwards took possession. VOL. 1. A A |