diz to water, that he exclaimed, at the moment of first beholding the
Spanish fleet--"These ships are, certainly, the finest in the world:
thank God, the Spaniards cannot build men!"

Early in August, Lord Hood went with the fleet to remonstrate with the
Genoese respecting their supply of corn to the French, and bringing back
French property under neutral papers: a practice which Captain Nelson,
who was then off Toulon, justly observed, rendered the station there a
mere farce, if such trade should continue to be allowed.

On the 20th of this month, writing to Captain Locker, he observes that
the Agamemnon sails well, and is healthy; but, that he wants to get into
port for refreshment. He says that, by all the accounts, the district of
Provence would gladly become a separate republic under the protection of
England; and, that the people of Marseilles declared they would
willingly destroy Toulon to accomplish this measure.

There seems, at the time of his thus writing, to have been a positive
proposal to this effect then under the consideration of the commander in
chief: for, on the 23d of August, only three days after, did Admiral
Lord Hood publish his celebrated preliminary declaration to the
inhabitants of Toulon, as well as his proclamation to the inhabitants of
the towns and provinces in the south of France, which ended in his
taking a provisional possession of Toulon, with all the ships of war in
the harbour, &c. on the 28th of the same month.

Captain Nelson, however, was not present during the period of this
negociation, or the subsequent taking possession of Toulon; having been
previously charged with dispatches from Lord Hood, dated off Toulon, the
17th of August 1793, and addressed to Sir William Hamilton, Knight of
the Bath, his Majesty's Envoy Extraordinary and Minister
Plenipotentiary at the Court of Naples.

It should seem that he had, also, some intermediate orders to execute;
for, on his passage to Naples, he met with Lord Hugh Conway, at sea, who
had left Toulon in the possession of Lord Hood, and sent Sir William
Hamilton a letter to that effect, dated the 31st of the same month.

There was, evidently, more to be transacted at the court of Naples, than
a mere delivery of these dispatches from Lord Hood, or Captain Nelson
would scarcely have been selected for the business. He went, no doubt,
with confidential communications from the commander in chief to the
British minister plenipotentiary, and obj