Page 122 - Il Mediterraneo quale elemento del Potere Marittimo - Atti 16-18 settembre 1996

108 SIMON PRESTON

he was met by cbeering crowds. His modern equivalent has been described as so-
mething akin to a combination of royality, film star and figbter pilot.
The Mediterranean Sea and its approaches were the principal theatre of this
operation. His main occupati an was the blockading of the French and Spanisb fleecs
co keep cbem from assisting Napoleon's war, pursuing them when they were able
to leave port and bringing them co bactle in a minor or major engagement witb
continuing success whenever be could.
Wbile the reason be was tbere was defensive- to prevent Napoleon from or-
ganising tbe invasion of Britain, bis pasture was always offensive. He bad no fear
of superior numbers and had total confidence in his own abilities and those of bis
ships and men.
In tbe spring of 1793 we find Nelson a young captain witb a new commahd
the "Agamemnon", sbip oftbe li ne, posted co the Medicerranean under the cautious
admiral hotham.
As ever his role was co be continually at sea in ali weathers keeping the French
in the port by blockade. Tbe Spanisb were then temporarily allies of the Britisb.
Nelson was impressed by tbeir fine ships, but not by their seamanship. He was
scornful of a spanish frigate captain who said it was no wonder that the spanish
fleet ha d so many sick me n aboard '' as they had been 60 days at sea' '.
Following che unexpected handover to the Bricish ofToulon induding the Frencb
Fleet, Nelson arrived in Naples on 10 September 1793 to begin bis second and
parallel career as a diplomat- at which he proved successful- altbough his diplo-
macy was rather of the gun-boat variety.
His mission was to cement the loyalty of the two Sicilys and he quickly won
the confidence of "il re nasone'' an d his formidable queen, che sister of Marie Antoi-
nette, and the British ambassador, sir Willian1 Hamilton, an d his young w ife .. La-
ter h e was to win rather more than this Iady' s confidence. At this time Nelson made
a good impression as a diplomat, as a commander and as a man, and the king
sent 4000 men to help defend newly acquired Toulon, now under attack from the
Frencb led by a new face on the scene, the young Napoleon Buonaparte. Buona-
parte was soon successful and a period of French gains began with victories all
over Europe and the Spanish changing sides. Against this background Nelson, un-
daunced, continued to achieve major diplomatic and naval successes in the Medi-
cerranean, taming the slippery bey of Tunis, confining the French and Spanish Fleets
by maintaining the blockade of Toulon and other ports, stiffening the resolve of
tbe Italians, and taking first Bastia tben Calvi by siege, receiving wounds at both.
Bue in september 1796 admiraiJervis was ordered to abandon the Mediterra-
nean and Nelson told co evacuate Bastia, then Elba, tben otber hard bow holiday
resorts. At Cape St. Vincent carne the first of Nelson's four great victories under
Jervi's Command. 15 British sail of the line encountered che Spanish Fleec of 27.
In che "Captain" Nelson broke che line of battle and saved the day by preventing
half che superior Spanish Fleet from joining their compacriocs. He placed his badly