improbable that the inhabitants of that
country would accede to proposals to that effect, if assured of the
support of our Government and the advantage of our trade to them. Sir
James both personally and by letter, previously to his coming on
board, had expressed to Mr. Smith that the sequestration of the
British property at Carlshamn had been by no means satisfactorily
explained, and requested that an account of this apparently
unjustifiable measure should be speedily given, assuring them that
nothing short of the full restitution of the property would be
accepted, and requiring that his strongest remonstrances should be
transmitted to Stockholm without delay. The consequence was the
appearance of the Baron Tawast, who came with a flag of truce
ostensibly to treat for the exchange of prisoners, but virtually to
explain the affair of Carlshamn. The usual articles for the cartel
were exchanged, ratified, and published, and need not be inserted
here; but the true mission of the Swedish general will be best
understood from the following letter, which Sir James wrote
immediately after the conference.

Victory, in Wingo Sound, 23rd May 1811.

SIR,

I request you will please to inform the Lords Commissioners of
the Admiralty that Major-General Baron Tawast,
commander-in-chief of the Swedish forces at Gothenburg and the
coast adjacent, in the absence of his excellency Count Essen,
having yesterday come on board his Majesty's ship Victory,
under a flag of truce, for the purpose of entering into an
arrangement with me for the exchange of prisoners, and other
points connected with the present state of affairs between our
respective nations, informed me, that he was instructed to
communicate to me, in the most confidential manner, that it was
the earnest wish of the Swedish Government to keep up the most
amicable terms with Great Britain; and that it was not
intended, under any circumstances, to commit any acts of
hostility whatever; that the supplies of water and fresh
provisions for the use of the squadron should be facilitated
both at Hano Bay and Gothenburg, for which purpose picquets
should be withdrawn from the points the most convenient for
these articles to be received; that the correspondence, both by
post or by courier, should be continued unmolested; and that,
in the event of any British subjects being made