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seems an amiable young man. His request for Artillerystores is absolutely necessary; and I am sure your Excellency's zeal for the service of our dear Country will induce you to press for expedition.

I beg leave to present my most respectful compliments. to Lady Hamilton, as does also my youngster. I assure you and her Ladyship that I remember with gratitude both your kindnesses to a stranger. Sir John Acton, being an Englishman, if he remember such an humble individual as myself, and it is not incompatible with your Excellency's situation, I beg to present my respects.

Believe me, my dear Sir,

Your most obliged,

HORATIO NELSON.

JOURNAL B.

March 27th.-At daylight got off Bastia. Sent the Romney to Naples for mortars, shells, field-pieces, and stores. Anchored the Tartar four miles to the Southward of Bastia, and the Scout off the tower of Miomo, three miles to the Northward of Bastia.

March 28th, 29th, 30th, 31st. Close off Bastia; our boats rowing guard off the Mole and Town every night. Sent the Gun-boats to cannonade the town.

April 1st.

TO COMMODORE LINZEE, ALCIDE.

[Autograph, in the possession of Page Nicol Scott, Esq., of Norwich.]
[Bastia, end of March or beginning of April, 1794.]

My dear Sir, If you will order the Agamemnon to be supplied with two hundred fathoms of three and a half inch rope, and one hundred fathoms of two-inch rope, purchases will be rove to drag the guns. We have not a fathom of rope in the Ship. If you can spare us two three-fold blocks, and two two-fold blocks, I shall be much obliged. Believe me, dear Sir, Yours most faithfully,

HORATIO NElson.

[TO CAPTAIN HANWELL.

[From "Marshall's Naval Biography," vol. i. p. 542.]

2nd April, 1794.

Sir, Lord Hood desires that you will move the Scout directly, and anchor her as near the Tower which the Corsicans took last night, as possible. I think possible. I think you may anchor nearer Bastia than the Tower we landed at yesterday: it is of the greatest consequence maintaining the post taken by the Corsicans, therefore I trust long before daylight you will be anchored there. Believe me,

Yours truly,

HORATIO NELSON.

JOURNAL A.

April 3rd.-Landed for the siege of Bastia.

JOURNAL C.

On April 4th, 1794, at ten a. M. the Troops, consisting of artillery and gunners 66; of the eleventh Regiment 257; of the twenty-fifth 123; of the thirtieth 146; of the sixty-ninth 261; of the Marines 218; and of Chasseurs 112; total 1183, and 250 Seamen, landed at the tower of Miomo, three miles to the Northward of Bastia, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Villettes, and Captain Horatio Nelson, who had under him Captains Hunt, Serocold, and Bullen. At noon the Troops encamped about 2,500 yards from the citadel of Bastia, near a high rock. The Seamen and Carpenters were all night employed in cutting down trees to form an abbatis, and also to clear the ground towards the tower of Torga, whence the access to our Camp was by no means difficult. A Captain's picket was always mounted at Torga, with the sentry about a hundred yards in front of it.

Captain Joseph Hanwell, who then commanded the Scout sloop, died an Admiral.

ET. 35.]

LETTERS.

TO MRS. NELSON.

[From Clarke and M'Arthur, vol. i. p. 161.]

April 6th and 16th, 1794.

We are in high health and spirits besieging Bastia; the final event, I feel assured, will be conquest. Lord Hood is at anchor near the Town, and our troops are active. Our batteries opened on the 11th, and apparently have done great execution. Time, I hope, indeed have no doubt, will crown our zealous endeavours with success. We are but few, but of the right sort our General at St. Fiorenzo not giving us one of the five Regiments he has there lying idle.

Yours, &c.,

HORATIO NELSON.

TO WILLIAM SUCKLING, ESQ., CUSTOM-HOUSE, LONDON.

[Autograph, which was given to the Royal Navy Club, in Bond-street, by Captain Montagu Montagu, R.N. It was printed in "The Athenæum."]

My dear Sir,

Camp, near Bastia, April 6th, 1794.

Not knowing where Mrs. Nelson is, I shall trouble you to send my letter. You see by my date where we are, and hope in due time we shall be in Bastia. Our Army is still at FioColonel Vilrenzo, nor can the General be induced to move. lettes commands the Troops and Marines landed from the Fleet. What my situation is, is not to be described. I am everything, yet nothing ostensible; enjoying the confidence of Lord Hood and Colonel Villettes, and the Captains landed We have been landed with the Seamen obeying my orders. two days complete; are within 700 yards of the outworks, and 1,800 of the Citadel. Our battery will open in about two days, of eight twenty-four pounders and eight mortars. I have little doubt of our success; and if we do, what a disgrace to the Fiorenzo wise-heads:—if we do not, it can only be owing to their neglect in not attacking the place with us. Lord Hood has only just sent to tell me of the opportunity for England. Pray remember me to Mrs. Suckling, Miss

Suckling, and family, Mr. Rumsey, and all friends; and be

lieve me,

Your most affectionate

HORATIO NELSON.

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JOURNAL C.

From April 4th to the 10th, all the Seamen were employed in making batteries and roads, and in getting up guns, mortars, platforms, and ammunition; works of great labour for so small a number of men, but which was performed with an activity and zeal seldom exceeded. On the 9th, about eleven o'clock at night, the Enemy opened a very heavy fire upon our Camp, from their mortars and guns. The alarm was beat, and Captain Nelson fully expected an attack. This firing lasted until daylight; and yet, what was extraordinary, not a single man was hurt. The tents were much damaged; but from the troops being under arms, they escaped.

Lord Hood sent in a Flag of Truce on the 11th at seven o'clock in the morning, in one of the Victory's boats. The Officer on his landing was grossly abused, until the arrival of La Combe St. Michel, the Commissioner from the Convention, when the mob became quiet. Having offered his letters to St. Michel, our Officer was informed by the Commissioner, that he could not receive Lord Hood's summons: I have hot shot,' he exclaimed, for your Ships, and 'bayonets for your Troops. When two-thirds of our Troops are killed, I will then trust to the generosity of the Eng'lish.' On the Officer's return with this message, Lord Hood hoisted a red flag at the main-top-gallant-mast head of the Victory; when our batteries opened on the Town, citadel, and redoubt of Camponella, English colours having been hoisted on the rock over my tent, and every man giving three cheers. In our batteries were two thirteen and two ten-inch mortars, one eight-inch howitzer, five twenty-four pounders, two eighteen-pounders, carronades, three twelve-pounders. one four-pounder field-piece, distant from the redoubt of Camponella 800 yards, from the Town battery 1800 yards,

and from the centre of the Citadel 2300 yards. The Enemy returned a heavy fire during the whole day. The Proselyte frigate anchored off the tower of Torga, about 1200 yards from the Town battery. Captain Serocold informed me that she took fire from red-hot shot, and that as he found the impossibility of getting the Ship off the shore, he thought it right to set her on fire in several places, and she burnt to the water's edge.

April 12th. A heavy fire was kept up by us during the whole of last night and this day, apparently with good effect; the Enemy preserving a continued fire upon us. In the afternoon I went with Colonel Villettes, Lieutenant Duncan, R.A., and Captain Clarke, Brigade-Major, with a Corsican guide, to examine a ridge about one thousand yards nearer the Town than our present position, and on which the Corsicans kept a strong guard every night. The Enemy's continued fire of musketry and grape was poured on us during the whole evening. Unfortunately, the last shot they fired from Camponella killed the Corsican guide, who was standing behind Clarke, and shot off his right arm and a part of his right side: Clarke was looking over my shoulder at Camponella, whence we were distant about two hundred and fifty yards.

We began on the 13th of April a battery for three twentyfour pounders close to the Torga tower, which stands on the sea-side, 1230 yards from the Town battery, and 1600 from the Citadel; and, a little in the rear, a battery for two twenty-four pounders, a mortar battery for one fourteen-inch Neapolitan mortar, and for the two ten-inch mortars which are to be removed from the upper battery. We were employed in getting up the guns, mortars, shells, shot, powder, and platforms, and in making the batteries, until the 21st; as also a breast-work to cover a hundred men in case of an attack.

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