ived the following letter from Earl
Spencer, then First Lord of the Admiralty.

Admiralty, 30th Sept. 1800.

DEAR SIR,

I am much obliged to you for your letter of the 26th, dated from
Douvarnenez Bay, and was much pleased to find that you had got
hold of that anchorage, as I felt very uneasy at your absence
during the late gales. I should rather doubt whether that bay
could be capacious enough for a large fleet to anchor in without
danger from the batteries; but I have always hoped that some of
our small squadron might avail themselves of that resource on
such an occasion as that which has presented itself to you; and
I have no doubt that the doing so will much assist the
occupation of our fleet off Brest.

Believe me, dear sir,
Your very faithful humble servant,

SPENCER.
To Sir James Saumarez.

Sir James, at the same time, wrote to Earl St. Vincent by the
Marlborough, giving his lordship an account of his proceedings, which
could not but be highly satisfactory.

Caesar, Douvarnenez Bay, 26th September 1800.

MY LORD,

The weather not having admitted the stores and provisions to be
taken out of the Marlborough whilst under sail, I bore up for
this anchorage with the squadron; and early Wednesday morning
the boats were all employed in conveying the water and
provisions to the squadron: but it having continued to blow
excessively hard from that time, it was not until this morning
we have been enabled to accomplish this service.

The Montague and Naiad anchored in the bay Wednesday morning,
and are now under sail. It has blown a very severe gale of wind
at north-west the last two days, and we have saved considerable
wear and tear to all the ships by having taken this anchorage in
good time.

I propose to remain here during the continuation of westerly
winds, or until the weather enables me to resume the station off
the Black Rocks; detaching ships occasionally to watch the
enemy's motions.

I have the honour to be Your lordship's most obedient and most
humble servant,

JAMES SAUMAREZ.
The Right Honourable the Earl of St. Vincent, &c. &c. &c.

The following is an extract of a letter which Sir James wrote to Lady
Saumarez, and sent by the same opportunity. It will be found to give
an accurate description of the important anchorage of which he was the
first who was so daring as to take adv