NELSON AND MALTA
[To the Editor of THE SPECTATOR] SIR,—With reference to Mr. Baerlein's article on Malta in your issue of August i2th, may I point out that Nelson's detraction of Malta was clearly relative only to his particular task of watching Toulon in 1803-4 ? " My opinion of Malta as a naval station for watching Toulon is well known . but having said this I consider Malta as a most important outwork to India and that it will ever give us great influence in the Levant and indeed in all the southern parts of Italy " (to Addington, 28/6/1803). " The length of passage from Malta is terrible " (to St. Vincent, 7/9/1803). " When I am forced to send a ship there I never see her under two months " (to Tyson, 12/12/1803). A number of other quotations could be given indicating clearly that Nelson's criticism of Malta referred only to the inexpediency of using it as a base for watching Toulon in days of sail.—Yours, &c., Junior Army and Navy Club, ALFRED C. DEWAR, Horseguards Avenue, S.W.r. Captain, R.N. (ret.).
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