Notwithstanding the opportunities given by Lord Nelson for the French fleet to depart from Toulon, either in the aggregate, by detached squadrons, or even single ships, more than a year elapsed without any of them daring to quit the port.  A solitary frigate, indeed, had occasionally appeared, but was soon chased back, and no stratagem seemed capable of inducing them to move.  Among other contrivances to put them in motion, was that of sending two or three ships of the line, with a single frigate, off the harbour, while the main body of the fleet remained at a considerable distance out of sight.

On the 23d of May 1804, Admiral Campbell in the Canopus, accompanied by Sir Richard Strachan in the Donegal, and the Amazon frigate, were detached by Lord Nelson thus to reconnoitre the enemy; and, after being some hours as near the mouth of the harbour as their batteries would allow, had the pleasure to behold three line of battle ships, and three frigates, come out.  Our ships immediately tacked, in order to draw them from the land; but only went under an easy sail, so that they soon came within random-shot.  When the enemy began to fire, the people of the Canopus were just sat down to dinner; which they quietly took, and then returned their fire:  meaning, now, to bring them to close action, though so far superior.  At this moment, however, two more ships of the line, with another frigate, were perceived coming up fast to their assistance.  This was too great odds, so near their own batteries, and our small squadron were obliged to sheer off, under a press of sail.  The French pursued them, for some time, still keeping the advantage of sailing; but, fearful of following too far, by the time they were five leagues from Toulon, they were recalled, about three quarters of an hour past three, by their signal-post from the hill, and all stood in again.  At six, the rear-admiral saw our fleet to leeward, and joined them at half-past nine.  They had heard, indistinctly, the firing:  and the Leviathan was, in consequence, detached toward Toulon; but had not proceeded far, before our ships were perceived on their return.  This trivial affair was magnified, by the French admiral, Latouche Treville, who had so manfully ventured to pursue, a little way, with two eighty-fours, three seventy-fours, three forty-four frigates, and a corvette, our two eighty-fours and a single frigate, into a compleat discomfiture of the whole British fleet!

In the mean time, though Lord Nelson could in no way contrive effectually to decoy out the wary Gallic boasters, their commerce was not only distressed, but nearly annihilated; their privateers were taken; and the British flag waved, with proud defiance, throughout the Mediterranean, and was unopposed even on the coast of France.  The city of London, sensible of what the experienced security of the British commerce owed to his lordship’s services, though uninformed as to the precise mode in which the hero’s operations