y Saumarez's welfare, I should feel
more tranquil, but I know too well the keenness of her
feelings. The anxiety she suffers on my account will, I fear,
put to the test her practice of those pious virtues we all know
her to possess, and of which she sets so bright an example.
James's presence is of the greatest comfort to me, and alone
enables me to make my cabin supportable. He returned most
opportunely from St. Petersburg the day on which the news of
this affliction arrived, and it was he that communicated it to
me. He was the bearer of Lord Cathcart's despatches, which I
have forwarded, for I could not spare him from me.

We shall now continue the narrative of Sir James's operations at this
eventful period, when the tyrant of France received his first
effectual check, followed by the disastrous retreat of the French army
from Russia, and the liberation of Europe.

Besides twenty thousand stand of arms which had been supplied to the
Swedish army and landed at Gothenburg, the Snipe gun-brig, Lieut.
Champion, had been sent to St. Petersburg with four transports laden
with sixty thousand stand of arms. On opening the arm-chests it was
found that they contained muskets, but no bayonets, and the
indignation of the Russians at this circumstance may be better
imagined than described, when they exclaimed, "What! do the English
think we do not know how to use the bayonet?" On searching, however,
the last ship, the bayonets were found, to the inexpressible joy of
these people; and it cannot be denied that they _did_ make use of them
with fearful effect.

The Briseis was sent with the Admiral's last despatches to Lord
Cathcart, and Captain Ross had the honour of returning with the
important intelligence of the re-capture of Moscow, the defeat of
Murat, and that the French were in full retreat. The Russian fleet
had, however, sailed from Cronstadt and Sweaborg, and it was now too
late to stop them: the accounts reached London on the 8th of November,
and it was a satisfaction to Sir James that he had retained the
command until the overthrow of the invading army. Mr. Saumarez went
home in the Aquilon, but the Admiral remained in the Pyramus at
Gothenburg until the 5th of November, at which time he had delivered
the various papers and instructions to Rear-admiral Hope necessary in
giving up the command to that officer.

Before leaving Sweden he was waited on by Baron Essen, aide