copy; for, I consider it nothing short of madness, to
permit that band of thieves to return to Europe. _No!_ to Egypt
they went, with their own consent: and there they shall remain,
whilst Nelson commands this detached squadron; for never, never,
will he consent to the return of one ship or Frenchman.

"I beg your excellency will take the earliest opportunity of
sending this important information, and a copy of my letter to
Captain Sir Sidney Smith, to England; and ever believe me, with the
greatest respect, your obliged and faithful servant,

"Nelson."

On the 25th of March, Lord Nelson says, in a letter to Captain Ball,
dated at Palermo--"Now, my dear friend, Captain Nisbet is appointed to
the Thalia, a very fine frigate, and I wish he may do credit to himself,
and in her. Will you do me the favour of keeping her, and sending me La
Minerve; for I want Cockburne, for service of _head_. As soon as Captain
Barker's surveys, &c. are over, make one of the small craft bring him
here. I have sent Vanguard to Tripoli, to scold the bashaw. Tunis
behaves well. As Corfu has surrendered, I hope Malta will follow the
example very soon. I am not well; but keep rubbing on, from day to day.
God bless you; finish the business as soon as you can."

Captain Dunn, in the Thalia, for Captain Nisbet, was the bearer of the
above letter with other dispatches to Captain Ball; and Captain Maling
took his passage in the Thalia, to supercede Captain Nisbet in La Bonne
Citoyenne. Captain Dunn went to supercede Captain Barker in the
Incendiary; on his appointment to the Barfleur; and he was required to
join Lord Nelson by the very first opportunity, being wanted to go down
the Mediterranean.

This day, too, his lordship wrote congratulatory letters to the Russian
and Turkish admirals, on the surrender of Corfu; and invited them,
respectively, to co-operate with him in placing the good King and Queen
of Naples again on their throne in the capital of that kingdom. To
Speridion Foresti, Esq. the consul at Corfu, Lord Nelson wrote, also,
the following very flattering encomiums, in a letter which contains some
additional reasons for his lordship's complaint with regard to Sir
Sidney Smith.

"Palermo, 26th March 1799.

"SIR,

"I feel myself very much obliged by your interesting and important
letters, which I have sent to the Earl of St. Vincent. Give me
leave to say that