9.

MY DEAR BALL,

"I fervently hope, that Niza has got hold of the French ships from
Toulon. As that business is over, I have only to hope the best:
This day, by his Sicilian Majesty's orders, a letter is wrote to
Messina, to request General Graham to get to Malta with five
hundred men. The Russian Admiral is wrote to, to go with at least
seven hundred. A corps of Russian grenadiers are also expected at
Leghorn, for Malta. If Niza has been successful, all will end well.
Ever your's, most faithfully,

"Nelson."

"I am not well; and left our dear friends, Sir William and Lady
Hamilton, very unwell."

"Captain Ball, Chief of the Maltese."

His lordship had, this day, fallen in with the Salamine brig; which
brought him a letter from Captain Darby at Minorca, stating that a fleet
of twenty vessels, among which were two sail of the line and several
frigates, had been seen steering to the south-east on the 29th of
September. These, his lordship was of opinion, could only be the two
Venetian ships from Toulon, with a convoy for Malta; and, as the Marquis
De Niza had seven sail of the line, one frigate, and three sloops, he
had hopes that the greatest part of them would be taken.

On the 12th, having arrived off Port Mahon; and left orders with Captain
Darby, who had come on board the Foudroyant, for Commodore Troubridge,
with some other ships to follow, his lordship proceeded on his voyage to
Gibraltar. Between Port Mahon and Majorca, however, Lord Nelson fell in
with the Bull-dog, ten days from Rear-Admiral Duckworth, at Gibraltar;
who, giving little or no credit to the report of the ships seen off Cape
Ortegal, and Sir Edward Berry, from Lisbon, assuring his lordship that
the information was entirely disbelieved there, the squadron returned to
Minorca.

On the 14th, his lordship wrote a long letter to Rear-Admiral
Duckworth; in which are some interesting passages, relative to Captain
Nisbet. "I send you down," says his lordship, "the Bellerophon; who,
Darby says, and I believe truly, is in good order, and fit to stand fair
winter's service. The Thalia also goes with him: I wish I could say any
thing in her praise, inside or out. You will receive an order for
holding a court-martial on the lieutenant of marines. Perhaps, you may
be able to make something of Captain Nisbet; he has, by his conduct,
almost broke my heart. The ship, I believe, wants some