united the jarring interests of the different chiefs, at their
distracted councils, and that they were therefore desirous of his future
assistance; which was, also, the wish of his Sicilian Majesty. Captain
Ball, therefore, was vested with full power to leave his ship in charge
of the first-lieutenant, directing him how to proceed, and to be on
shore whenever he should deem it necessary, either to attend such
meetings, or assist the Maltese army; his lordship observing that,
though neither Sir William Hamilton nor himself had power to grant any
salary for the extraordinary expences he must thus necessarily incur, it
would be proper to keep an account of them, that it might be represented
to his majesty's ministers in England, and the amount allowed him.
At the beginning of March, Lord Nelson was made a citizen of Palermo;
which the court thought might have a good effect, by shewing the
attachment of the English hero to the royal family. This, with other
information, is more particularly mentioned in the following letter to
Earl Spencer, which appears to have been written immediately on Captain
Nisbet's return from Constantinople with La Bonne Citoyenne, bringing
several important dispatches.
"Vanguard, Palermo,
6th March 1799.
"MY DEAR LORD,
"I send you a copy of the Turkish admiral's letter to me, from
Corfu; also, one from the Emperor of Russia: and one from Sir
Sidney Smith, those parts of which, that are ministerial, are--I
doubt not--very proper; but, indeed, my dear lord, those parts of
Sir Sidney's letter which, as a captain of a man of war to an
admiral commanding the squadron in the Levant, are not so
respectful as the rules of our service demands from the different
ranks in it. No man admires Sir Sidney's gallantry and zeal more
than myself; but he should recollect, how I must feel, on seeing
him placed in the situation which I thought naturally would fall to
me. You may be assured, that I shall take care and arrange proper
plans with the Porte for the service of Egypt, and shall support
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