enburg.--Amicable confirmation
of the Ghent treaty.--Situation of the fleet.--Sir James's
letter.--Disaster of the St. George and convoy.--Admiral
Reynolds's letter.--Arrival of St. George at Wingo.--Sailing of
the fleet.--St. George and Hero's convoy put back.--Sail
again.--Melancholy wrecks of the St. George and
Defence.--Captain Pater's narrative.--Remarks.--Loss of the
Hero and convoy.--Proceedings of the Victory.--Remarks on
crossing the North Sea.--Sir James arrives at Spithead.

The beginning of the year 1811 was remarkable, as being the period at
which the tyrant of France had arrived at the summit of his career. He
had seized upon Hamburg and every other place on the Continent,
whence a seaman could be procured, and had declared that with one
hundred and fifty sail of the line he would humble the navy of England
and conquer a "Maritime Peace." The disasters of 1810, that ended with
the loss of his Majesty's ship Minotaur, and a large convoy on the
Haake Sands, and the illness of his Majesty George the Third, which
terminated only with the life of that excellent Monarch, threw a damp
on the spirits of the nation, and caused a suspension of all Royal
functions until the appointment of the Regency, on which his Royal
Highness the Prince of Wales took the reins of government at one of
the most eventful periods that ever occurred in the history of the
empire.

Sir James, immediately after his communications with the Admiralty and
the Ministers, applied for and obtained leave of absence. His ship,
the Victory, with seven sail of the line under Sir Joseph Yorke, was
employed in transporting troops to Lisbon, which was surrounded by
Massena's army; but she returned in time to receive Sir James's flag,
which was hoisted on the 2nd of April.

The island of Anholt, which had been garrisoned by seamen and marines
under the command of Captain James W. Maurice, of the Royal Navy, was
attacked on the 23rd of March by a body of Danish troops, amounting to
1600 men; but they were so well received by the Governor and his
brave crew (for the island was on the establishment of a vessel of
war) that they were forced to capitulate, with the loss of their
leader Major Melstedt, two officers, and 500 of their people in
killed, wounded, and prisoners; while Capt. Baker, of the Tartar, and
Captain J.P. Stewart, of the Sheldrake, chased and took several of
their gun-boats employed on that exp