Agamemnon made Nelson a naval diplomat

Nelson received the 64-gun HMS Agamemnon in January 1793 at age thirty-five, a substantial ship-of-the-line command after years of varied smaller vessels. Samuel Hood sent him on diplomatic work with Genoa because naval officers routinely carried national authority into foreign ports in both peace and war. Ships made them visible representatives, while their crews and experience supported negotiation with allies and local governments. Nelson was a blunt rather than polished diplomat, but he handled the assignments adequately and gained increasing freedom to operate independently under William Hotham.