ether
by being left unemployed or through want of information, that wore
Nelson down. "I have not been one hour at anchor for pleasure in eight
months; but I can assure you I never was better in health."

Meanwhile a commission from the fleet arrived in Corsica. Sir Gilbert
Elliot, the representative of the British government in the island,
was at its head, and with him were associated two army officers, one
of whom afterwards became widely celebrated as Sir John Moore. A
satisfactory agreement being concluded, Hood sailed from Hyeres Bay
with the ships and troops, and operations began against San Fiorenzo,
terminating in the evacuation of the place by the French, who upon the
19th of February retreated by land to Bastia. Nelson was not
immediately connected with this undertaking; but he had the
satisfaction of knowing that two of the four frigates, of whose
detention in the island he was the immediate cause, were here lost to
the enemy. He was during these weeks actively employed harrying the
coast--destroying depots of stores on shore, and small vessels laden
with supplies. These services were mainly, though not entirely,
rendered in the neighborhood of Bastia, a strongly fortified town,
which was to become the next object of the British efforts, and the
scene of his own exertions. There, also, though on a comparatively
small scale, he was to give striking evidence of the characteristics
which led him on, step by step, to his great renown.

When Hood himself took command at San Fiorenzo, he relieved Nelson
from that part of his charge, and sent him on the 7th of February to
blockade Bastia,--a strictly detached service, and one of the utmost
importance, as upon the intercepting of supplies the issue of the
siege largely turned. Three weeks later, on the 1st of March, Nelson
wrote: "We are still in the busy scene of war, a situation in which I
own I feel pleasure, more especially as my actions have given great
satisfaction to my commander-in-chief. The blocking up of Corsica he
left to me: it has been accomplished in the most complete manner, not
a boat got in, nor a soldier landed, although eight thousand men were
embarked at Nice;" and, he might have added, although a vessel was
said to sail from Nice every thirty-six hours. Nor was his activity
confined to blockading. He continually reconnoitered the town and the
works, in doing which on the 23d of February he engaged the batteries
at short range, with the "Agamem