neutrals to observe neutrality.  Indeed, the circumstances were such that it became impossible to prevent leakage.  The British Admiral was continually protesting to the neutrals against the system of smuggling and privateering, but it was hardly consistent, seeing that we were obliged to make breaches of neutrality in order to get our supplies.  Small privateers, consisting sometimes of mere longboats, infested every swatch and corner they could get into on the Spanish shores, the Ionian Islands, the Barbary coast, the Balearic Islands, and Sicily.  We indicted France for enforcing subsidies from Spain, compelling the Neapolitans to provide for her soldiers occupying Neapolitan territory.  We, on the other hand, were obliged to make use of neutral ports for supplies required for the Gulf of Lyons fleet.  It was a curious position, and both France and England were parties to the anomaly, and each accused the other of the impiety of it.  The British Admiral and his officers never lost an opportunity of destroying the marauders when caught within neutral limits, and Nelson never flinched from supporting his officers in the matter.  “The protection,” he writes, “given to the enemies’ privateers and rowboats is extremely destructive of our commerce,” and then he goes on to give reasons why these vermin should be shot or captured.

He was driven frantic by the demands made for convoys by captains and merchants, and his appeals to the Admiralty for more cruisers were unheeded.  He expresses himself strongly averse from allowing even fast sailing vessels to make a passage unprotected.  Perhaps no human mind that has been given grave responsibilities to safeguard was ever lacerated as was Nelson’s in seeing that our commercial interest did not suffer, and that on the seas he guarded a free and safe passage should be assured to our shipping carrying food and other merchandise to the mother-country.  The responsibility of carrying out even this special work in a satisfactory way was an amazing task, and no evidence is on record that he left anything to chance.  Results are an eloquent answer to any doubts on that subject.  In addition to policing the seas, he had the anxiety of watching the tricky manoeuvres of the French fleet, and planning for their interception and defeat should they weaken in their elusive methods.  Of course, they were playing their own game, and had a right to, and it was for their opponents, whom Nelson so well represented, to outwit and trap them into fighting; but as for having any grounds for complaint, it was not only silly, but inopportune, to give expression to having a grievance against the French admirals because they cutely slipped out of his deadly grasp from time to time and made him weary of life!  His grievances were easier to establish against the Board of Admiralty, who were alternately paying him compliments or insulting him.  Instructions were given that could not be obeyed without involving the country in certain loss and complication.  Officers,