Villettes and myself must agree with your Lordship, that firing away many shot at it is almost useless till we have a force sufficient to get nearer. They reserve their ammunition; we will do ours, till more troops arrive, which I fear will not come from Fiorenzo. I am just going with Mr. Duncan to look for a road and to mark out a battery on the ridge above Camponella, where it is intended to mount the two eighteen-pound carronades. It will much annoy the communication between the Town and Camponella. I lost one of my best seamen repairing the lower battery in the night, by a shot from Camponella.

Believe me ever, your most faithful

HORATIO NELSON.

We are now removing an English twenty-four pounder from the upper to the lower battery, to knock down, if possible, Camponella.

TO THOMAS POLLARD, ESQ., LEGHORN.

[Autograph, in the possession of Josiah French, Esq. of Windsor.]

Camp, April 24th, 1794.

My dear Sir, Will you have the goodness to put the inclosed in the Post-office, and to send me some good port wine and claret, if to be had, ten dozen together, a cask of good porter or beer in short, whatever is good we want, some butterfowls I have plenty at present.

work. The original Letter has not been found. In the draught the remarkable passage in brackets was struck out by Nelson himself:

My Lord,

[No date.]

We are in the same state as yesterday, except cne man killed belonging to Agamemnon. The Enemy are still hard at work on the heights. [It is sufficient to make any lover of his Country run distracted.] The battery at the North end of the Town the Enemy have put in a tolerable state of defence, and it appears almost useless to throw away many more shot on it. They reserve their ammunition; we shall do ours till a sufficient force is given us to get nearer, which I fear will not come from Fiorenzo. I am just going with Mr. Duncan to mark out a battery on the ridge above Camponella, where the two eighteen-pound car. ronades may be mounted.

We are fagging, but not in much danger. Our loss has been most trifling since our landing; the Enemy are said to have suffered much.

Believe me, your most obliged,

HORATIO NELSON.

Thank you for your present of peas and asparagus.

JOURNAL C.

On the 27th of April, we began the battery on the ridge for two eighteen-pound carronades, and one twelve-pounder on the spot where Captain Clarke was wounded ;5 250 yards from Camponella, 900 yards from the Citadel, 700 yards from the Town. The labour of getting up guns to this battery was a work of the greatest difficulty, and which never, in my opinion, would have been accomplished by any other than British seamen.

On the 1st of May the new battery opened: the 11th Regiment and Chasseurs were removed to the ridge for the protection of the battery, and the post was strengthened with an additional number of Corsicans. Forty-five Seamen under Lieutenant Andrews were also appointed to fight the battery.

TO MRS. NELSON.

[From Clarke and M'Arthur, vol. i. p. 164.]

My dear Fanny,

May 1st to 4th, 1794.

I need not, I am certain, say, that all my joy is placed in you, I have none separated from you; you are present to my imagination be where I will. I am convinced you feel interested in very action of my life; and my exultation in victory

• Colonel Villettes, in his Letter to Lord Hood, dated "Camp, near Pietra Negra, 13th April, 1794," said, "Exclusive of the concern which must arise from private esteem and regard, I lament most sincerely the loss of Captain Clarke's services on the present occasion. I had appointed him to act as Brigade Major since our coming here, and experienced the most real advantage from his assistance."

is two-fold, knowing that you partake of it. Only recollect that a brave man dies but once, a coward all his life long. We cannot escape death; and should it happen to me in this place, remember, it is the will of Him, in whose hands are the issues of life and death. As to my health, it was never better, seldom so well. I have no fears about the final issue of the Expedition-It will be victory, Bastia will be ours; and if so, it must prove an event, to which the history of England can hardly boast an equal. Time will show the Enemy's force; if it is small, the Fiorenzo Commanders ought to be blamed; if it is large, they are highly culpable, for allowing a handful of brave men to be on service unsupported. My only fears are, that these soldiers will advance when Bastia is about to surrender, and deprive us of part of our glory. The King, we trust, will draw the line of our deserts.

Bastia is a beautiful place, and the environs delightful, with the most romantic views I ever beheld. This Island is to belong to England, to be governed by its own laws as Ireland, and a Viceroy placed here, with free Ports. Italy and Spain are jealous of our obtaining possession: it will command the Mediterranean. I shall most probably be in England in August: if Lord Hood has a proper opportunity of sending me, I shall ask him, and am sure he will not deny me anything in reason. You may have heard rumours of the loss of the Ardent :6 she was commanded by the Bishop of Norwich's brother, a gallant good Officer. Lord Hood has just sent me word that he fears there are no hopes of her being safe. I will tell you as a secret, Bastia will be ours between the 20th and 24th of this month, if succours do not get in. Our Ships are moored across the harbour's mouth, and three boats from each Ship row guard every night. Our loss has been very trifling; the Enemy's very great. Only think of a beautiful Town being bombarded and cannonaded for a month-what knocks it has had. We have many deserters, who paint the horrid situation the inhabitants are in, but they have behaved so ill to the Corsicans, that they are afraid to surrender. Josiah is very well; I have not seen him these ten days, but have written to invite him and Hoste to

Vide p. 334, ante.

dinner that lad is a charming good boy. You will write to father that I am well.

my

Yours, &c.,

HORATIO NELSON.

P.S.-If you write to Miss Walpole, I desire you will remember me to all that good family.

TO THOMAS POLLARD, ESQ., LEGHORN.

[Autograph, in the possession of Josiah French, Esq., of Windsor.]

My dear Sir,

May 2nd, 1794.

The things you were so good as to send me by [my] servant I have; and shall receive in due time, the claret, butter, and vegetables. I have got the porter; and port has not yet appeared, but I dare say it is on board the Victory. Please to send me a cheese or two, Dutch ones. Clarke is getting well fast: Andrews and Duncan have been slightly wounded; and I have had my escapes. The Agamemnon has been unlucky-eleven killed and wounded. We shall be in Bastia in about a week, where I shall be glad to see you, for Believe me your much obliged,

HORATIO NELSON.

TO THE REVEREND DIXON HOSTE,

[Autograph in the possession of Captain Sir William Hoste, Bart.]

Camp, May 3rd, 1794.

My dear Sir, Your letter of March 10th, I received only yesterday; it ought to have arrived near three weeks ago. Your good son had long ago received your letter relative to the melancholy event in your family, as I brought it from the Victory for him; and I am sure he has repeatedly wrote, because

Lieutenant George Andrews.

? Lieutenant Duncan, R.A.

he has told me so, and I have not failed to remind him of the pleasure his letters must give you. The little brushes we have had since I wrote to you, only serve to convince me of the great truth of what I wrote you. In his navigation, you will find him equally forward: he highly deserves every thing I can do to make him happy. Do not you spoil him by giving him too much money; he has all that he wishessometimes more. I love him; therefore shall say no more on that subject.

You will have heard that we are before Bastia with 1000 Regulars and Marines, and 300 Seamen. We landed on the 4th April. The Enemy have force, but what, we cannot exactly say. General D'Aubant with 1100 as fine Troops as ever marched will not join us, declaring that our united force is unequal to the attempt. The Army here is commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Villettes, a most excellent Officer, and I have the pleasure of giving my assistance. We shall in time accomplish the taking Bastia: I have no doubt in the way we proposed to attempt it, by bombardment and cannonading, joined to a close blockade of the harbour. We now hear that General D'Aubant will take the field when the reinforcements arrive from England. I am almost afraid to say what I think such conduct merits. The King cannot approve of it. Bastia is a large Town, walled in with a battery to the North and South of it, a Citadel in the middle, defended by thirty pieces of cannon and eight mortars, four stone redoubts on the nearest hills, and three other posts above them. The Town contains about 12,000 inhabitants— it is said 14,000. The Troops we differ about as to numbers. Success, I trust—indeed have little doubt-will crown our zealous and well-meant endeavours: if not, our Country will, I believe, sooner forgive an Officer for attacking his Enemy than for letting it alone. This Island, the finest almost in the world, I hope will belong to England; the inhabitants are strongly attached to us, and it will give us the command of the Mediterranean. The Italian States and the Spaniards, I believe, are jealous of our taking it, well knowing its conse

quence.

The Agamemnon is moored off our Camp: your dear boy