rtant service of attempting to destroy the
Russian fleet, and of affording protection to his Majesty's
firm and faithful ally, the King of Sweden, to your direction.
It will not be necessary that you should come immediately to
England, (in the event of your undertaking the command,) as
all the necessary preparations may be forwarded beforehand; and
your coming immediately over might tend to excite a premature
suspicion of the object we have in view. I have not yet opened
this project to any officer, but those on whom I have fixed my
views to assist you, are Rear-admirals Sir Samuel Hood and
Keats, who, besides their great professional merits, have the
additional advantage of being well acquainted with the Baltic.

I have the honour to be,
With great truth and regard,
My dear sir,
Your very faithful and obedient servant,
MULGRAVE.

Guernsey, 27th February 1808.

MY LORD,

I have had the honour to receive your lordship's private and
secret letter of the 20th instant, and I feel most deeply
impressed with the very obliging manner in which your lordship
has been pleased to offer me the command of the squadron
proposed to be sent to the Baltic. Although it is with great
diffidence that I undertake a trust of so high and great
importance, having ever made it the principle of my life to go
upon any service where my exertions for my king and country
would be deemed most useful, I cannot for a moment hesitate to
comply with the commands of your lordship, and I shall hold
myself in readiness to proceed from this station whenever
called upon; requesting your lordship will have the goodness to
allow me sufficient time to make such arrangements as may be
required in London, previous to my going upon the proposed
service. The two officers selected to co-operate with me, are
possessed of the highest merit; and, of all others, those I
should have been happy to apply for, had they not been
previously appointed. I shall be obliged to your lordship to
mention the ship intended for my flag, as also such further
information as may be judged necessary for me to know, with the
probable time that I may be required to go to London; all which
shall be held by me in the strictest confidence.

I have the honour to be,
With the hi