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Rh  At a conference previously held with General Paoli, it had been agreed upon, that in consideration of the succours, both naval and military, which his Britannic Majesty should afford for the purpose of expelling the French, the island of Corsica should be delivered into his possession, and bind itself to acquiesce in any settlement he might approve of concerning its government and future relation with Great Britain. After the capture of St. Fiorenzo, Lord Hood submitted to General Dundas, who commanded the land forces, a plan for the reduction of Bastia; that officer, however, declined co-operating, thinking the attempt impracticable without a reinforcement of 2000 men, which he expected from Gibraltar. Upon this the Admiral determined to reduce it with the naval force alone; and leaving part of his fleet to watch the port of Toulon, he sailed with the rest to Bastia, and on the 22d May, after a siege of thirty-seven and a negociation of four days, the town and citadel, with the several posts upon the neighbouring heights, surrendered to the British arms.

The landing of the guns, mortars, and ordnance stores, was under the immediate direction of Captain, afterwards Viscount, Nelson, who occasionally commanded at the batteries. That gallant officer was ably assisted by Captains Hunt, Bullen,