One of the first public measures taken by his Sicilian majesty, after arriving at Palermo, was that of sending away, from the whole island of Sicily, every Frenchman it contained, of whatever description.  A resolution which, if it did not originate with our hero, was too consonant with his lordship’s known inveterate Antigallicanism, not to have received his hearty approbation.

The following notice, dated on board the Vanguard, 6th January 1799, was accordingly issued by Lord Nelson.

“His Sicilian Majesty having directed, that all French, of whatever description, should leave the Island of Sicily—­A ship of six hundred tons, an English transport, will be ready, by to-morrow morning, to receive French emigrants; say, two hundred.  She will have put on board her biscuit, salt provisions, peas, oatmeal, and the common wine of the country.  As this will be an additional gratuity, on the part of the King of Great Britain, the emigrees will, if they chuse it, lay in such stock of fresh provisions, and other comforts, as they please.

     “All those pensioned by Great Britain, will be received by a note
     from the British agent; and all those pensioned by his Sicilian
     Majesty, by a note from the Neapolitan agent.

“A Neapolitan corvette to be attached to this ship, to convey her to Trieste, and back again, and to receive on board such emigrees as the court shall direct.  The transports and corvette out to sail as soon as possible.  Their time of departure will depend on the king’s order.”

On occasions of this sort, no doubt, there will always be some cases of peculiar hardship; but the difficulty of discriminating between the treacherous and the sincere, among a people so excessively insidious, and the danger to be dreaded from deceit, by those who were so severely suffering it’s effects, maybe considered as sufficiently justifying the measure.

Captain Troubridge, having arrived on the 5th, sailed on the 7th, with the Culloden, Theseus, Bulldog, and victuallers, for Syracuse; with orders to collect the bombs, and proceed with them and the Theseus to Alexandria, for the purpose of making a vigorous attack on the shipping in that harbour.  In writing, on this subject, to the Earl of St. Vincent, Lord Nelson says—­“If the thing can be done, Troubridge will do it.”

Captain Louis, of the Minotaur, the present celebrated Admiral Louis, ever one of his lordship’s most deservedly favourite friends, had been now ordered to command on the coast of Italy towards Leghorn:  and Commodore Mitchell, of the Portuguese squadron, was directed by Lord Nelson, if he could not, by the rules of the Portuguese service—­a subject which, his lordship remarked, this was not the time to enter on—­put himself under that very old and respectable officer, Captain Louis; at least, to co-operate with him in the service on which he was ordered, and to remain on that service till farther