❝ran with the Austrians eighteen miles "without stopping; the men without arms, "officers without soldiers, women without "assistance. The oldest officers, 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 French"man: they are equally objects of my "detestation, whether royalists or repub "licans: in some points, I believe the lat"ter 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 crew 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. When his ship went into dock, there was not a mast, 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 having cable served or thrapped round.

CHAPTER IV.

CONTENTS.

Sir John Jervis takes the command.-Genoa joins the French.-Buonaparte begins his career.-Evacuation of Corsica.-Nelson hoists his broad pendant in the Minerve.-Action with the Sabine.-Battle of 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 now 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 communi"cated to him by others in the fleet; and "it would appear that he was so well satis

"fied 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 excited some envy. One captain observed to him: "You did just as you pleased ❝ in Lord Hood's time, the same in Admi❝ral Hotham's, and now again with Sir "John Jervis: it makes no difference to "you who is commander-in-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, 90, or the Zealous, 74, and asked if he should have any objection to serve under him with his flag. 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 admi"ral." 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. Scherer, who commanded there, was one of the few French generals, during the revolution, who owed their advancement to other causes than merit: he was a favourite of the directory ; but, for the present, through the influence of Barras, he was removed from a command for which his incapacity was afterwards clearly proved, and Buonaparte was appointed to succeed him. Buonaparte 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.

Nelson supposed, from the information which he had obtained, that one column of the French army would take possession of Port