action. The fourth joined a few days after them. Nelson thus received
despatches, which rendered it necessary for him to return to Naples.
Before he left Egypt he burned three of the prizes; they could not have
been fitted for a passage to Gibraltar in less than a month, and that at
a great expense, and with the loss of the services of at least two sail
of the line. "I rest assured," he said to the Admiralty, "that they will
be paid for, and have held out that assurance to the squadron. For if an
admiral, after a victory, is to look after the captured ships, and not
to the distressing of the enemy, very dearly, indeed, must the nation
pay for the prizes. I trust that L60,000 will be deemed a very moderate
sum for them: and when the services, time, and men, with the expense
of fitting the three ships for a voyage to England, are considered,
government will save nearly as much as they are valued at. Paying for
prizes," he continued, "is no new idea of mine, and would often prove an
amazing saving to the state, even without taking into calculation what
the nation loses by the attention of admirals to the property of the
captors; an attention absolutely necessary, as a recompence for the
exertions of the officers and men. An admiral may be amply rewarded
by his own feelings, and by the approbation of his superiors; but what
reward have the inferior officers and men but the value of the prizes?
If an admiral takes that from them, on any consideration, he cannot
expect to be well supported." To Earl St. Vincent he said, "If he could
have been sure that government would have paid a reasonable value for
them, he would have ordered two of the other prizes to be burnt, for
they would cost more in refitting, and by the loss of ships attending
them, than they were worth."

Having sent the six remaining prizes forward, under Sir James Saumarez,
Nelson left Captain Hood, in the ZEALOUS off Alexandria, with the
SWIFTSURE, GOLIATH, Alcmene, ZEALOUS, and EMERALD, and stood out to sea