On the last day of February, the 28th, Lord Nelson sent instructions to his friend Captain Ball, at Malta, to preside over the meetings of the Maltese people:  their deputies having represented to Sir William Hamilton and his lordship, that he had, by his address, frequently 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 Sir Sidney to the utmost of my power.  It is matter of regret, that no squadron of Turks and Russians are yet gone to Egypt; for, I want all our ships for Malta, Sicily, Naples, and Leghorn:  and my only wish is, that the Turks and Russians would take care of all the French to the east of Malta.  Our situation here is quiet; but who can say, if the French get into our neighbourhood, that we shall remain so?  In Calabria, the people have cut down the Tree of Liberty; but I shall never consider any part of the kingdom of Naples safe, or even Sicily, till I hear of the emperor’s entering Italy:  when all my ships shall