, your lordship's most obedient humble servant,

"T. Troubridge."

"Right Hon. Lord Nelson, K.B. &c."

The following is Captain Dixon's official account of the action,
transmitted to Sir Thomas Troubridge; and, as it contains much fuller
particulars than his hasty private letter, which had been inclosed to
Lord Nelson, it is here inserted instead of that communication.

"Lion, at Sea, off Cape Passaro,
31st March 1800.

"SIR,

"I have the honour to inform you that, yesterday morning, at nine
o'clock, Cape Passaro bearing north half east, distant seven
leagues, the French ship of war Le Guillaume Tell, of eighty-six
guns, and one thousand men, bearing the flag of Contre-Admiral
Decres, surrendered, after a most gallant and obstinate defence of
three hours and a half, to his majesty's ships Foudroyant, Lion,
and Penelope. To declare the particulars of this very important
capture, I have to inform you, that the signal rockets and
cannonading from our batteries at Malta, the midnight preceding,
with the favourable strong southerly gale, together with the
darkness which succeeded the setting of the moon, convinced me the
enemy's ships of war were attempting to effect an escape: and which
was immediately ascertained, by that judicious and truly valuable
officer, Captain Blackwood of the Penelope; who had been stationed,
a few hours before, between the Lion and Valette, for the purpose
of observing closely the motions of the enemy. Nearly at midnight,
an enemy's ship was descried by him; when the Minorca was sent to
inform me of it, giving chase himself, and apprizing me, by signal,
that the strange ships seen were hauled to the wind on the
starboard tack. I lost not one moment, in making the signal for the
squadron to cut, or slip; and directed Captain Miller of the
Minorca, to run down to the Foudroyant and Alexander with the
intelligence, and to repeat the signal. Under a press of canvass, I
chased until five in the morning, solely guided by the cannonading
of the Penelope; and, as a direction to the squadron, a rocket and
blue light were shewn every half hour from the Lion. As the day
broke, I found myself in gun-shot of the chase; and the Penelope,
within musket-shot, raking her; the effects of whose well-directed
fire, during the night, had sh