Commander in the Adriatic
One of Nelson’s proteges, William Hoste, patrolled the Adriatic Sea at a time when its coasts were largely under Napoleon’s control, as P.C. McFarlan writes.
On a fine summer’s day in 1793 a young midshipman of thirteen was rowed out to Spithead and boarded Agamemnon. His father, who had procured this appointment for him with Captain Horatio Nelson, held the living of Godwick in Norfolk. His name was William Hoste.
Nelson was under orders to reinforce Hotham’s fleet in the Mediterranean and soon found himself assisting Hood with the evacuation of Toulon. Hoste wrote home to his father: ‘I like the sea very much. Nelson is very kind to me.’
Before the end of the year he had been introduced to Sir William Hamilton at Naples and had witnessed the landing of French refugees at Leghorn. And in 1794 he began his apprenticeship in landing parties at Bastia and Calvi, winning the golden opinions of his commanding officer, and being very popular with the sailors.
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