Even at Copenhagen he was but second in command, though conspicuously first in achievement.

It was not till the opening of the second war of the French Revolution, in May, 1803, that he himself had supreme charge of a station,--his old familiar Mediterranean.
Being held in such esteem, it was but a short time before Nelson was again sent off from Toulon, to which he did not return during the British occupation.

He was now ordered to report to Commodore Linzee, then lying with a detachment of three ships-of-the-line in the harbor of Cagliari, at the south end of Sardinia.

On her passage the "Agamemnon" met and engaged a French squadron, of four large frigates and a brig.

Though without decisive results, Nelson was satisfied with his own conduct in this affair, as was also Lord Hood when it came to his knowledge; for, one of the frigates being badly crippled, the whole force, which was on its way to Nice, was compelled to take refuge in Corsica, where it was far from secure.