I "bear up for every gale," wrote Nelson.
"I must not in our present state quarrel with the northwesters--with crazy masts and no port or spars near us." Even in September, he writes, there are "three days' gale of severe blowing weather out of the seven, which frequently comes on suddenly, and thereby exposes the topmasts, topsail yards and sails, to great hazard, under every care and attention; and there are no topmasts or topsail yards in store, either at Gibraltar or Malta." "The French fleet keep us waiting; and such a place as all the Gulf of Lyons, for gales of wind from the N.W.
to N.E., I never saw; but by always going away large, we generally lose much of their force and the heavy sea.

By the great care and attention of every captain, we have suffered much less than could have been expected.

I do not believe Lord St.Vincent would have kept the sea with such ships.

However, with nursing our ships, we have roughed it out better than could have been expected.

We either run to the southward, or furl all the sails and make the ships as easy as possible." Under such circumstances, it was no small nor unworthy boast he made near the close of the cruise, when the first ineffectual attempt of the French to leave Toulon ended in numerous accidents.
"These gentlemen are not accustomed to a Gulf of Lyons gale, which we have buffeted for twenty-one months, and not carried away a spar." Nelson himself, though reckless to desperation when an adequate object was at stake, in the moments of repose husbanded his means, and looked to the efficiency of his instruments, with the diligence of a miser.
With his own hand he noted the weather indications, including the barometer, at least three times every twenty-four hours, and occasionally even more often.
A rendezvous, however advantageous, was not permitted by Nelson to become a permanent station, or a long-continued resting-place for the fleet.