a cleft stick. Mr. Drake, the Austrian Minister, and the Austrian General, all joined in requiring him not to leave Genoa: if he left that port unguarded, they said, not only the imperial troops at St. Pier d'Arena1 and Voltri would be lost, but the French plan for taking post between Voltri and Savona would certainly succeed: if the Austrians should be worsted in the advanced posts, the retreat by the Bocchetta2 would be cut off; and, if this happened, the loss of the army would be imputed to him, for having left Genoa. On the other hand, he knew that if he were not at Pietra,3 the enemy's gunboats would harass the left flank of the Austrians, who, if they were defeated, as was to be expected, from the spirit of all their operations, would very probably lay their defeat to the want of assistance from the Agamemnon. Had the force for which Nelson applied been given him, he could have attended to both objects: and had he been permitted to attack the convoy in Alassio, he would have disconcerted the plans of the French, in spite of the Austrian General. He had foreseen the danger, and pointed out how it might be prevented; but the means of preventing it were withheld. The attack was made, as he foresaw; and the gunboats brought their fire to bear upon the Austrians. It so happened, however, that the left flank, which was exposed to them, was the only part of the army that behaved well; this division stood its ground till the center and the right wing fled, and then retreated in a soldierlike manner. General de Vins gave up the command in the middle of the battle, pleading ill health. "From that moment,' says Nelson, "not a soldier stayed at his post-it was the devil take the hindmost. Many

2 The Bocchetta. A pass through the Apennines fifteen' miles north of Genoa.

3. Pietra. A town on the coast, about thirty miles west of Genoa.

thousands ran away who had never seen the enemy; some of them thirty miles from the advanced posts. Had I not, though, I own, against my inclination, been kept at Genoa, from eight to ten thousand men would have been taken prisoners, and, amongst the number, General de Vins himself: but, by this means, the pass of the Bocchetta was kept open. The purser of the ship, who was at Vado, ran with the Austrians eighteen miles without stopping: the men without arms, officers without soldiers, women without assistance. The oldest officer, say they, never heard of so complete a defeat, and certainly without any reason. Thus has ended my campaign. We have established the French republic; which, but for us, I verily believe, would never have been settled by such a volatile, changeable people. I hate a Frenchman: they are equally objects of my detestation, whether royalists or republicans: in some points, I be-. lieve, the latter are the best." Nelson had a lieutenant and two midshipmen taken at Vado: they told him, in their letter, that few of the French soldiers were more than three or four and twenty years old, a great many not more than fourteen, and all were nearly naked: they were sure, they said, his barge's crew1 could have beat a hundred of them; and that, had he himself seen them, he would not have thought, if the world had been covered with such people, that they could have beaten the Austrian army.

The defeat of General de Vins gave the enemy possession of the Genoese coast from Savona to Voltri; and it deprived the Austrians of their direct communication with the English fleet. The Agamemnon, therefore, could no longer be useful on this station, and Nelson sailed for Leghorn to refit (about December 8th). When the ship went into dock, there was not a mast, 1. Barge's crew. From ten to twelve men. See p. 141.

yard, sail, or any part of the rigging, but what stood in need of repair, having been cut to pieces with shot. The hull was so damaged, that it had for some time been secured by cables, which were served or thrapped round it.

CHAPTER IV

Sir J. Jervis takes the command-Genoa joins the French-Bonaparte begins his career-Evacuation of Corsica-Nelson hoists his broad pendant in the Minerve-Action with the Sabina-Battle off Cape St. Vincent-Nelson commands the inner squadron at the blockade of Cadiz-Boat action in the Bay of Cadiz-Expedition against Teneriffe-Nelson loses an arm-His sufferings in England, and recovery.

SIR JOHN JERVIS had now1 arrived to take the command of the Mediterranean fleet. The Agamemnon having, as her captain said, been made as fit for sea as a rotten ship could be, Nelson sailed from Leghorn, and joined the Admiral in Fiorenzo Bay. "I found him, said he, "anxious to know many things, which I was a good deal surprised to find had not been communicated to him by others in the fleet; and it would appear that he was so well satisfied with my opinion of what is likely to happen, and the means of prevention to be taken, that he had no reserve with me respecting his information and ideas of what is likely to be done." The manner in which Nelson was received is said to have ex

cited some envy. One captain observed to him: "You did just as you pleased in Lord Hood's time, the same in Admiral Hotham's, and now again with Sir John Jervis: it makes no difference to you who is Commanderin-Chief." A higher compliment could not have been paid to any Commander-in-Chief, than to say of him, that he understood the merits of Nelson, and left him, as far as possible, to act upon his own judgment.

Sir John Jervis offered him the St. George, ninety, or 1. November, 1795.

2. Fiorenzo Bay. On the northwest coast of Corsica. See p. 95.

the Zealous, seventy-four, and asked if he should have any objection to serve under him with his flag.1 He replied, that if the Agamemnon were ordered home, and his flag were not arrived, he should, on many accounts, wish to return to England: still, if the war continued, he should be very proud of hoisting his flag under Sir John's command. "We cannot spare you,' said Sir John, "either as captain or admiral." Accordingly, he resumed his station in the Gulf of Genoa. The French had not followed up their successes in that quarter with their usual celerity. Schérer, who commanded there, owed his advancement to any other cause than his merit; he was a favorite of the Directory;2 but, for the present, through the influence of Barras, he was removed from a command for which his incapacity was afterwards clearly proved, and Bonaparte was appointed to succeed him. Bonaparte had given indications of his military talents at Toulon, and of his remorseless nature at Paris: but the extent either of his ability or his wickedness was at this time known to none, and perhaps not even suspected by himself.

3

Nelson supposed, from the information which he had obtained, that one column of the French army would take possession of Port Especia; either penetrating through the Genoese territory, or proceeding coastways in light vessels; our ships of war not being able to approach the coast because of the shallowness of the water. To prevent this, he said, two things were necessary: the possession of Vado Bay, and the taking of Port Especia; if either of these points were secured, Italy would be safe

1. With his flag. After his promotion to the rank of rear-admiral. 2. The Directory. A body of five members, in control of France from Oct. 27, 1795, till the coup d'état of Nov. 9, 1799, which put Napoleon in power.

3. Barras. A member of the Directory; responsible for Napoleon's promotion to supreme command in Italy.