nelson's operations were unable to check bonaparte's advance inland, and on 15 may victor amadeus iii of sardinia signed a treaty ceding large tracts of land to france. naples sought peace soon afterwards. napoleon's army advanced and defeated the austrians at the battle of lodi, allowing french forces to spread across northern italy, threatening leghorn. on 27 june jervis ordered a hasty evacuation of personnel, stores and shipping from the harbour, and hms "inconstant" came under heavy fire from advance french troops as it withdrew. jervis responded by seizing the tuscan island of elba to prevent the french occupying the island in preparation for an attack on corsica. in corsica anti-british sentiment, initially provoked by british efforts to protect french-supporting corsicans from reprisals, had spread. bitter infighting between supporters of paoli and of the new president carlo andrea pozzo di borgo drove paoli into exile in october 1795, and british efforts to impose taxation on the populace led to an armed uprising centred on corte in early 1796. british troops initially moved against the rebels, before viceroy sir gilbert elliot managed to negotiate a truce.