On the 17th, the Culloden, Minotaur, Swiftsure, and St. Sebastian, arrived off Palermo; but it blew so hard, from the east south-east, that the ships were obliged to strike yards and top-masts.  This gale continued till the 20th, when his lordship put to sea; and, on the 24th, in the morning, arrived off Maritimo.

In a letter of this day’s date, to the Earl of St. Vincent, his lordship observes that, not having been yet joined by Captain Ball or Admiral Duckworth, he has only to remain on the north side of Maritimo, to keep covering Palermo, which shall be protected to the last, and to wait the earl’s orders for regulating his future proceedings.  “Your lordship,” he adds, “may depend, that the squadron under my command shall never fall into the hands of the enemy; and, before one is destroyed, I have little doubt but the enemy will have their wings so completely clipped, that they may be easily overtaken.”  Yet, at this period, it is to be observed, his lordship had only five British ships of the line, with three Portuguese, La Minerve Neapolitan frigate, L’Entreprennante cutter, and the Incendiary fireship.  In a postscript, his lordship concludes—­“No doubt, by this time, the Austrians are at Leghorn; and, if this event had not happened, we should have been in Naples.”

Lord Nelson remained at sea till the latter end of May; when, having on the 28th been informed, off Trappano, by the Earl of St. Vincent, that he might, from the then state of the French and Spanish fleets, act as he thought best, in the situation of affairs; his lordship determined on returning to Palermo, for the purpose of completing the provisions of his squadron to six months, with as much wine as they could stow, that they might be in momentary readiness to act as circumstances should require.  In the mean time, by continuing on the coast of Sicily, to cover the blockade of Naples, he was certain of preserving the former from any attack; to which it would not only be more exposed, were the ships withdrawn, but the spirits of the people receive such a damp that they would make little or no resistance.

On the 30th, Lord Nelson arrived at Palermo; and, having learned that the Bey of Tunis had stopped several vessels with his lordship’s passports, he immediately wrote a very spirited letter to Mr. Magra, the consul, and another to the bey, which he dispatched in the Earl of St. Vincent cutter on the 4th of June.  In these letters, however, he again offers his services, as the mediator of a truce, or peace, with his Sicilian Majesty, as well as with the Portuguese; and observes, that the Marquis De Niza is ready to send a ship for this latter purpose.  His lordship assures the Bey of Tunis, that he has granted no passports to any vessel which his highness, and every good man, will not highly approve of; and, that those who would, or dare, counsel his highness to prevent food from being given to those who are fighting in the cause of God against those vile infidels the French, are no better than Frenchmen.  “I will,” says his lordship to the consul, “have my passports respected, given only to serve the cause in which his highness ought to be as much interested as I am.  This you will state clearly and forcibly to the bey—­that, as I will do no wrong; so, I will suffer none:  this is the firm determination of a British admiral.”