Short as the time was, Nelson had already experienced the inconvenience of a senior admiral, lying, like an enemy, on the flank of his communications with Great Britain, and dealing as he pleased with his vessels.  One frigate at least had been sent already to England, without his knowledge and consent.  “I have in a former letter,” he tells the First Lord, “stated my opinion freely upon the stations of Gibraltar and Cadiz being given to the same officer; for without that is done, our convoys can never be considered safe.  There is also another consideration, why the Officer at Gibraltar should be under the orders of the Admiral commanding the Mediterranean fleet—­which is, that any admiral independent of that station, takes all the stores he chooses, or fancies he wants, for the service of his fleet; thereby placing the fleet in the Gulf of Lyons in great distress for many articles.”

Off Toulon, having a large official mail to make up in reply to that brought by the “Swiftsure,” he thought it both quicker and safer, under all the conditions of the time, to send it to Lisbon.  He therefore called on board the “Victory” a smart young frigate-captain, William Parker, a nephew of Lord St. Vincent, gave him orders to take the despatches to Lisbon, and added, “Sir John Orde takes my frigates from me, and sends them away in some other direction from what I wish.  I cannot even get my despatches home.  You must contrive to get to the westward and go into Lisbon, and avoid his ships.  I have not signed your orders,” alluding to memorandum instructions separate from the formal orders, “because Sir John Orde is my senior officer; but, if it should come to a Court Martial, Hardy can swear to my handwriting, and you shall not be broke.  Take your orders, and good bye; and remember, Parker, if you cannot weather that fellow, I shall think you have not a drop of your old uncle’s blood in your veins.”  The memorandum directed him to pass Cape Spartel in the night, steering to the southward and westward to avoid Orde, and ended thus:  “Bring-to [stop] for nothing, if you can help it.  Hoist the signal for quarantine, and that you are charged with dispatches.  If you are forced to speak by a superior officer, show him only my order for not interfering with you; and unless he is an admiral, superior to me, you will obey my orders instead of any pretended ones from him, from my superior officer.”

Parker executed his commission successfully, but in doing so met with a curious adventure.  Leaving Gibraltar with a north wind, favorable for his purpose, he passed Spartel as directed, and, the night being moonlight, saw in the distance Orde’s squadron cruising under easy sail.  Unluckily, one of the outlying lookout frigates discovered him, gave chase, and overtook him.  Her captain himself came on board, and was about to give Parker orders not to proceed to the westward, Orde jealously objecting to any apparent intrusion upon his domain.  Parker