England naturally expects to struggle, his first
object was to acquire all possible knowledge of the naval means of
France. The primary step was to acquire a knowledge of the language.
Accordingly, he went to France, and placed himself in a _pension_.
There he applied himself so closely to the study of the language, that
his health became out of order, and his family requested him to
return. But this he declined, and in his answer said that he had
adopted this pursuit on the best view a military man in his situation
could form. "For it will always," said he, "be useful to have a
general idea of this prevalent language, and a knowledge of the
country with which we have so long contended, and which must ever be
our rival in arms and commerce."

Having accomplished his object of acquiring sufficient fluency in
speaking French, his next excursion was to St Petersburg. He and
Captain Barrington went in a merchant vessel, and reached Cronstadt.
While at sea, Captain Jervis kept a regular log. During the voyage,
all the headlands are described, all the soundings noted, and every
opportunity to test and correct the charts adopted. As an example, he
remarks on the castle of Cronenburg, which guards the entrance into
the Sound, that it may be overlooked by a line-of-battle ship, which
may anchor in good ground as near the beach as she pleases. He remarks
the two channels leading to Copenhagen, puts all the lighthouses down
on his own chart, and lays down all the approaches to St Petersburg
accurately; "because," said he, "I find all the charts are incorrect,
and it may be useful." And he actually did find it useful; for when he
was at the head of the Admiralty, this knowledge enabled him, while
his colleagues hesitated, to give his orders confidently to Sir
Charles Pole, in command of the Baltic fleet. His sojourn at St
Petersburg was but brief; but it was at a time of remarkable
excitement. The Empress Catharine was at the height of her splendour,
a legislator and a conqueror, and surrounded by a court exhibiting all
the daring and dashing characters of her vast empire. His description
of this celebrated woman's character on one public occasion, shows the
exactness with which he observed every thing:--"When she entered the
cathedral, Catharine mingled her salutations to the saints and the
people, showing at once her compliance with religious ceremonials, and
her attentions to her servants and the foreign ambassadors. But she
s