that evening; on board of which, invalids,
&c. were next day sent. It was a calm, all day; but, in the evening,
light breezes springing up, the fleet stood out for St. Sebastian's. On
the 16th, the Renown was dispatched for Gibraltar and England; on the
17th, the fleet was beating to the eastward, off Tarragona; and, on the
20th, in the afternoon, passed Minorca, standing for Sardinia, which
they saw on the 23d in the evening, when his lordship sent the Juno with
orders for the transports to join him. At sunset, on the 26th, the fleet
anchored in the Gulph of Palma; where Lord Nelson found his old friend,
Admiral Louis, in the Ambuscade, who had sailed from England the 16th of
February. The whole of this night, and the three following days, were
employed in clearing transports. On the 29th, the Seahorse brought
intelligence that the French fleet were safe in port on Sunday the 24th.
The day following, the signal was made to prepare for sea; and, our
fleet having sailed from Palma, anchored at Palla, on the 31st in the
evening. Next morning, April 1, at day-light, they commenced watering;
and, at sun-set, every ship was compleat, and the fleet moved farther
off shore. Their activity, his lordship remarked, was never exceeded. On
the 3d, at day-light, they sailed from Palla; and, next morning, were
joined by the Phoebe, with the signal that the enemy's fleet was at
sea. At nine, Captain Capel went on board the Victory; and reported to
his lordship, that he had seen the French fleet on Sunday morning at
eight o'clock, and kept with them till sun-set, but lost sight of them
during the night. Lord Nelson immediately sent the Ambuscade to Gaieta,
and the Active to the coast of Africa, for intelligence respecting them.
Next day, the Amazon and transports joined from Malta; and a Turkish
corvette also arrived from Constantinople, with letters of gratitude
from the Grand Vizier and the Capitan Pacha, to which his lordship
immediately returned respectful answers. The Moucheron brig, too, having
this day joined, from Malta, was sent to cruize seven days between
Gaieta and Africa, and to call at Tunis for information. After clearing
transports next day, and sending the Bittern to Gibraltar with
dispatches, his lordship stood to the northward in the evening: and, the
following morning, sent the Active to Cagliari, the Amazon to Naples,
the Seahorse to Maritimo, and Le Tigre to Palermo, for information. The
Active brought no news from