There had been for some time living with the Hamiltons a Miss Knight, an English lady already in middle life, whose journal gives the chief particulars that have been preserved of this period.

"The Queen," she wrote, "wishes, if possible, to prosecute her journey.

Lady Hamilton cannot bear the thought of going by sea; and therefore nothing but impracticability will prevent our going to Vienna." When it was at last fixed, after many vacillations, that they should go to Ancona, and there take small Austrian vessels for Trieste, she exclaims, "to avoid the danger of being on board an English man-of-war, where everything is commodious, and equally well arranged for defence and comfort! But the die is cast, and go we must." She mentions that Lord Nelson was well, and kept up his spirits amazingly, but Sir William appeared broken, distressed, and harassed.
On the 11th the travellers started for Florence, passing within two miles of the French advanced posts.

At Ancona they embarked on board some Russian frigates, and in them reached Trieste safely on the 2d of August.

Nelson was received with acclamations in all the towns of the Pope's states.