State of Affairs in the Mediterranean. CHAPTER IV. STATE OF AFFAIRS IN THE MEDITERRANEAN OF THE AGAMEMNON- ACTION WITH THE FRENCH FLEET -NELSON IS APPOINTED COLONEL OF MARINES - SENT WITH A SQUADRON OF FRIGATES TO GENOA, TO CO-OPERATE WITH THE AUSTRIAN AND SARDINIAN FORCES SECOND ENCOUNTER WITH THE FRENCH FLEET-NELSON'S MEASURES FOR STOPPING THE TRADE BETWEEN NEUTRAL POWERS AND FRANCE ON THE COAST OF ITALY - OPERATIONS OF THE HOSTILE ARMIES-DEFEAT OF THE AUSTRIANS NELSON'S VINDICATION OF HIMSELF AGAINST AN ATROCIOUS CALUMNY. - THE year 1795 opened with no very flattering prospect for the British interests in the Mediterranean. Corsica had been declared an appendage to the British crown; and the administration of the affairs of the island was committed to its own parliament, under an English viceroy, Sir Gilbert Elliot. This arrangement no doubt disappointed many of the Corsicans, who had been friendly to England as an ally, and who hoped by her aid to raise themselves into an independent state. The French party there was still powerful; the then rulers of the French republic made no secret of their determination to recover the island, and they laboured with indefatigable activity to equip a strong armament for the purpose at Toulon. The British fleet under Admiral Hotham was reduced to thirteen sail of the line, and these were short of their usual complement of men. The French had a superior force in the outer road of Toulon, and thirty ships at Marseilles were equipping as transports, for the conveyance of troops, as it was believed, The French Fleet at Toulon puts to Sea. to Corsica. Their fleet at length put to sea with positive orders to seek and destroy that of the British; and on the 8th of March, Admiral Hotham, then in Leghorn road, received an express from Genoa, informing him that the enemy's force, consisting of fifteen sail of the line and three frigates, had been seen on the 6th off the isle of Marguerite. The British admiral immediately started in quest of them : they were discovered on the 10th; the signal was made for a general chace, and in the evening to form in the order of battle. Nelson now anticipated a general engagement; and, as it was his practice on such occasions, he addressed a few lines to his wife. "We are just in sight of the French fleet," he says. We have but little wind, and unfortunately the enemy are in-shore of us; however, I hope the admiral will allow us to go on, and, if the French do not skulk under their batteries, I trust we shall give a good account of them. Whatever may be my fate, I have no doubt in my own mind but that my conduct will be such as will not bring a blush on the face of my friends. The lives of all are in the hands of Him who knows best whether to preserve mine or not; to His will do I resign myself. My character and good name are in my own keeping. Life with disgrace is dreadful. A glorious death is to be envied; and, if any thing happens to me, recollect that death is a debt we must all pay, and whether now or a few years hence can be of but little consequence." own. The account which Nelson has himself given of the action which followed is too characteristic to allow it to be related in any other words than his This narrative, entitled "Transactions on board his Majesty's ship Agamemnon, and of the fleet, as seen and known by Captain Nelson," after detailing the occurrences down to the 11th, on which Nelson's Narrative of the Action with the French. day the French fleet had been lost sight of, thus proceeds :- March 12th, at day-light, we saw near us the Princess Royal, Fortitude, and Egmont; at the distance of four or five miles to the northward, the Captain, Illustrious, and Tancredi, a Neapolitan 74, [which had been sent from Naples to reinforce Admiral Hotham.] To the E. S. E. were a number of ships with the foot of their topsails out of the water, and to the south a number of ships, their hulls just rising out of the water. At six, the Egmont made the signal for a strange fleet, and at the same time the Princess Royal made the signal for the enemy's fleet south. We endeavoured to join the Princess Royal, which we accomplished at nine A.M. Light airs, southerly, the enemy's fleet nearing us very fast, our fleet nearly becalmed. At a quarter past nine, Admiral Goodall made the signal for the ships near to form ahead and astern of him as most convenient. Admiral Hotham made the same signal, and the Egmont stood from us to join Admiral Hotham; our ships endeavouring to form a junction; the enemy pointing to separate us, but under a very easy sail. They did not appear to me to act as officers who knew any thing of their profession. At noon they began to form a line on the larboard tack, which they never accomplished; at two P.M. they bore down in a line ahead, nearly before the wind, but not more than nine sail formed. They then hauled the wind on the larboard tack, about three miles from us, the wind southerly, Genoa light-house N.N.E. about five leagues; saw the town very plain. At half-past three P.M. joined Admiral Hotham, who made the signal to prepare for battle; the body of the enemy's fleet about three or four miles distant. At six minutes past four, the signal was made to form the order of battle on the larboard tack, and at half-past four for each ship to carry a light during G Nelson's Narrative of the Action with the French. the night; at sixteen minutes past five, for each ship to take suitable stations for their mutual support, and to engage the enemy as they came up. Our fleet at this time was tolerably well formed, and with a fine easterly breeze; which, had it lasted half an hour, would certainly have led us through the enemy's fleet about four ships from the van ships, that were separated from the centre about one mile. At three quarters past five the fleet hoisted their colours, and at dark the wind came fresh from the westward. At fifty five minutes past six, the signal was made to wear together. We had a fresh breeze all night, and stood to the southward, as did the enemy. At At "March 13th, at day-light, the enemy's fleet appeared in the s.w. distant about three or four leagues, with fresh breezes. Signal for a general chace. eight A.M. a French ship of the line carried away her main and fore topmasts. At a quarter past nine the Inconstant frigate fired at the disabled ship, but, receiving many shot, was obliged to leave her. ten A.M. tacked and stood towards the disabled ship and two other ships of the line. The disabled ship proved to be the Ça-Ira, of 84 guns; the two others were the Sans Culotte, 120 guns, and the Jean Barras, 74 guns. We could have fetched the Sans Culotte by passing the Ça-Ira to windward; but, on looking round, I saw no ship of the line within several miles to support me; the Captain was the nearest on our lee-quarter. I then determined to direct my attention to the Ça-Ira, who at a quarter past ten was taken in tow by a frigate; the Sans Culotte and Jean Barras keeping about gun-shot distance on her weather-bow. At twenty minutes past ten, the Ça-Ira began firing her stern chasers. At half-past ten, the Inconstant passed us to leeward, standing for the fleet. As we drew up with the enemy, so true did the Ca-Ira fire her stern guns that not a Nelson's Narrative of the Action with the French. shot missed some part of the ship, and latterly the masts were struck by every shot, which obliged me to open our fire a few minutes sooner than I wished; for it had been my intention to have touched her stern before a shot was fired. But, seeing plainly, from the situation of the two fleets, the impossibility of being supported, and, in case any accident happened to our masts, the certainty of being severely cut up, I resolved to fire as soon as I thought we had a certainty of hitting. Accordingly, at a quarter before eleven A.M. being within one hundred yards of the Ça-Ira's stern, I ordered the helm to be put a-starboard, and the driver and after-sails to be brailed up and shivered: and, as the ship fell off, we gave her our whole broadside, each gun double-shotted, and scarcely a shot appeared to miss. The instant all had been fired, braced up our after-yards, put the helm aport, and stood after her again. This ma nœuvre we practised till one P.M., never allowing the Ça-Ira to get a single gun from either side to fire on us; they attempted some of their after-guns, but all went far ahead of us. At this time the Ça-Ira was a perfect wreck, her sails hanging in tatters; mizen topmast, mizen topsail, and cross-jack yards shot away. At one P.M. the frigate hove in stays and got the Ça-Ira round. I observed the guns of the ÇaIra to be much elevated, doubtless laid so for our rigging and for distant shots: and, when she opened her fire in passing, the elevation not being altered, almost every shot passed over us, very few striking our hull. The captain of the Ça-Ira told Admiral Goodall and myself afterwards, that we had killed and wounded 110 men, and had so cut his rigging to pieces, that it was impossible for him to get up other topmasts. "As the frigate first, and then the Ça-Ira got their guns to bear, each opened her fire, and we passed |