The Neapolitan troops thus obtained, greatly signalized themselves, on
several occasions, while at Toulon: but Captain Nelson, almost
immediately on his arrival, received orders to join a squadron under
Commodore Linzee; who had been detached by Lord Hood, at the request of
General Paoli, to protect Corsica. He could, therefore, scarcely be said
to have at all participated in the occurrences which took place at
Toulon, farther than in thus procuring military aids.
Captain Nelson, indeed, appears to have had little concern with this
unfortunate business: not the less so, perhaps, on that very account.
Notwithstanding all the blood and treasure which this expedition cost
Great Britain, on Toulon's being evacuated the 19th of December
following, Lord Hood was only able to carry away three ships of the line
and five frigates; after burning there nine ships of the line, and one
at Leghorn.
About the period of these transactions, Captain Nelson was with
Commodore Linzee, at Tunis, negotiating for a French convoy under an
eighty-gun ship and a corvette. The English, however, he observed, never
yet succeeded in a negotiation against the French. "We have not," says
he, in a letter to Captain Locker, dated off Sardinia, December 1, 1793,
"contradicted our practice at Tunis, for the Monsieurs have completely
upset us with the bey; and, had we latterly attempted to take them, I am
certain he would have declared against us, and done our trade some
damage."
In this letter he also mentions, that Lord Hood has, in a very handsome
letter, ordered him from Commodore Linzee's command, to take the command
of a squadron of frigates off Corsica and the adjoining shore of Italy,
to look out for some French frigates which were in St. Fiorenzo in
Corsica. With these frigates, it seems, Captain Nelson had, joined with
one or two others, what he calls "a little brush," in the preceding
October. He observes that, if they are active, they may do our trade
some mischief: "but," adds he, "to say the truth, I believe that they
are more inclined to be passive; at least, they had much of that
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