TO B. M'DONOUGH, ESQ. [Autograph Draught, in the possession of James Young, Esq., of Wells.] Sir, 1st July, 1804. You will herewith receive my letter to his Highness the Dey of Algiers, and proceed in his Majesty's Sloop Termagant to Algiers, the Commander of her having my orders to receive you on board. On your landing at Algiers you will go to the Ministers, and tell them that you have a letter from me to his Highness, which you desire they will deliver to him. They will naturally inquire of you what are the contents of my letter, and if everything is amicably settled; to which you will reply in such a manner as the occasion calls for, and according to the purport of my letter, a copy of which is hereunto annexed. You will give them to understand that you are merely a passenger on your way to Gibraltar, and that unless the Dey wishes to see you, that you have no business with him. You may safely assert from your knowledge of me, and from what you have heard me say, that the British Sloop Ape, and her whole crew, is a point which never will be given up; and you may express my astonishment at her capture and detention, and much more that she should not have been given up directly to Captain Keats. Should my demands in respect to the Ape and her crew be complied with, you will state the loss at 5000 hard dollars; and with respect to the other case of further remuneration for the St. Antonio de Padua, that shall be settled amicably; and that until these two points are settled, that I never will send an English Consul to Algiers, but that the moment these just demands are complied with, that I will send a Consul to arrange amicably the other matters. Should the business terminate favourably, you will return to me from Gibraltar with all expedition, as I wish to place you as Consul to Algiers, and transmit my letter to the Right Honourable Lord Hobart; but should matters, contrary to my wishes and just expectations, not be amicably settled, in that case you will give his Lordship an account of your proceedings, deliver my letter to Lord Hawkesbury, and explain to him your opinion upon the present state of affairs, not only in Algiers, but also in Tripoli. Wishing you every success, I am, Sir, with great respect, your most obedient servant, NELSON AND Bronte. TO THE DEY OF ALGIERS. [Autograph draught, in the possession of James Young, Esq., of Wells.] Sir, Victory, at Sea, 1st July, 1804. I have received your Highness's letter of June 15th, by Captain Keats; and he has explained to me your Highness's solemn declaration, that, in future, you never will commit such an indignity to his Majesty, as sending off his Agent and Consul-General to the Regency of Algiers. Captain Keats has also informed me, that he had, according to your wishes, talked over with your Ministers the precise situation of the several Vessels taken with Passes from the Governor of Malta. Upon several of them much may be said on both sides, and time might be allowed for serious and deliberate discussion, that strict justice might be done without endangering the harmony which ought ever to subsist between his Majesty and the Regency of Algiers, and which I have done everything in my power to preserve, in interesting myself for the removal of Mr. Falcon, who it appears was not a pleasant Consul to your Highness. Your Highness' utmost wishes being gratified in these respects, it is with no small degree of surprise I observe that your Highness should by your own act prevent a Consul being placed at Algiers, by the detention of a bona fide English Vessel called the Ape, with an English cargo, under the pretence that the Vessel was not navigated with one-third of her crew English. Such a pretence (where the two first and only real objects for detention were perfectly clear-viz., the Ship and cargo being English) ought to have subjected the Rais who seized her to your Highness's severest punishment; and I did expect that my worthy friend Captain Keats would have brought me an account of your Highness's having delivered up the Ape and her whole crew, wherever they may have happened to be born, with many apologies for her unjust detention; and also, promised such further remuneration as to justice should belong, in the case of the St. Antonio de Padua. When your Highness shall have complied with these just claims, I will then send a Consul to Algiers therefore, from this moment, if an English Consul is not at Algiers, the cause rests entirely with your Highness. NELSON AND BRONTE. TO B. M'DONOUGH, ESQ. [From a Copy in the Colonial Office.] Victory, July 1st, 1504. Sir, Should the Dey of Algiers have settled all my just demands, and wrote me word so, in that case you will deliver to Captain Pettet the enclosed letter, in order that he may return to the Fleet, and enable me to place you at Algiers as soon as possible. But as Captain Pettet is charged with all my Public dispatches, you will not deliver him the letter, unless you are sure, from under the Dey or his Minister's hands, that everything is finally settled, and ready for Captain Keats' conclusion. I am, &c. NELSON AND BRONTE. TO CAPTAIN ROBERT PETTET, H. M. SHIP TERMAGANT. [Order-Book.] Victory, at Sea, 1st July, 1804. You are hereby required and directed to receive Mr. M'Donough on board his Majesty's Sloop Termagant under your command, and proceed with him as expeditiously as possible to Algiers, where you will remain in the Bay for the space of three days, (should that time be necessary for the accomplishment of his mission with the Dey,) but on no account longer. You will then proceed with Mr. M'Donough to Gibraltar, when, after having landed him, you will cause every possible exertion to be used in refitting the Termagant, (which must not exceed more than seven days.) Having so done, and com pleted your provisions, water, and necessaries, to the usual time, you will return and join me on Rendezvous No. 97, under Cape St. Sebastians, where you will find me, or orders for your further proceedings, taking care to bring with you any Transports which may be loaded for the Fleet. NELSON AND BRONTE. Sir, TO CAPTAIN PETTET, H. M. SLOOP TERMAGANT. [Autograph, in the possession of Thomas Garwood, Esq.] Victory, July 1st, 1804. If Mr. M'Donough delivers you this letter, and informs you that everything is settled at Algiers, ready to receive our Consul, in that case, notwithstanding any former orders, you will proceed and join me, without one moment's loss of time, on Rendezvous No. 102; and should you meet with any of his Majesty's Ships going to Gibraltar, you will put my dispatches on board of them. I am, Sir, &c. NELSON AND Bronte. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE LORD HAWKESBURY. [Autograph, in the Colonial Office, and Autograph Draught.] My Lord, Victory, at Sea, 1st July, 1804. I send you a translation of a letter from the Bey of Tunis, respecting the Passports for his Vessels coming from Holland with his presents. I hope Mr. Clarke, English Pro-Consul at Tunis, has made all the explanations I directed him to do to the Bey; but I much fear, by the Bey's letter, that he has neglected my instructions, and that, from so great a delay, doubts will arise in the mind of the Bey, as to our readiness to comply with his just desires. The effect of their being obliged to ask us for permission to get their presents across the seas, is attended with very good effects. I understand the Dey of Algiers means, when we have settled our matters, to ask for Passports to get over his French presents. I send your Lordship extracts of my letter to Mr. Clarke, and his answer, therefore I have done everything; but the want of proper and little attentions to these gentry, do us much harm. I have, &c. NELSON AND BRONTE TO LADY HAMILTON. [From "Lord Nelson's Letters to Lady Hamilton,” vol. ii. p. 56.] Victory, July 1st, 1964. . Your letters of April 13th, 22nd, and May 13th, through Mr. Falconet, came safe, a few days ago. Mr. Falconet is the French banker;' and he dare not buy a little maccaroni for me, or let an Englishman into his house. Gibbs is still at Palermo: I fancy he will make a good thing of my estate; however, I wish it was settled. He wrote me, a short time since, that he wished I would give him a hint (but without noticing that it came from him) that I thought Mrs. Græfer and her child had better go to England, on pretence of educating her daughter, &c. But I would have nothing to do with any such recommendation: it would end in her coming to me, in England; and saying, that she could not live upon what she had, and that I advised her to come to England, or she should not have thought of it. In short, Gibbs wants to remove her. He is afraid of his pocket, I fancy; and the daughter is, I fancy, now in some seminary at Palermo, at Gibbs's expense. I wrote him word, fully, I would advise no such thing; she was to form her own judgment. What our friends are after at Naples, they best know. The poor King is miserable at the loss of Acton. The Queen writes me about honest Acton,' &c., &c., and I hear, that she has been the cause of ousting him: and they say (her enemies) that her conduct is all French. That, I do not believe; although she is likely to be the dupe of French émigrés, who always beset her. I doubt much, my dear Emma, even her constancy of real friendship to you; although, in my letter to Acton, which Mr. Elliot says he read to her, I mentioned the obligations she was under to you, &c. &c., in very strong terms. What could the name of the Minister signify! It was 1 At Naples. |