ced squadron of six sail of
the line; and Sir James, as we have before stated, was the officer
selected to proceed on this arduous and important undertaking. None
but professional men who have been in that anxious and perilous
service can have any idea of its difficulties. In such a situation the
commanding-officer must consider himself constantly in the scene of
action, surrounded by dangers of every description, exposed to the
violence of storms, and sailing amidst a multitude of rocks and
variable currents, in the longest and darkest nights, and often on a
lee-shore on the enemy's coast, while the whole of their fleet is
near, and ready to take advantage of any disaster, or change of wind
or circumstance that might arise in their favour.

It has already been shown that Sir James performed this duty to the
entire satisfaction of the noble Earl, and to the country. No storm
ever obliged him to leave his station, which has justly been
denominated _the post of honour_.

We cannot conclude this chapter with more satisfaction than by
subjoining the following interesting correspondence between Sir James
and Earl Spencer, which no longer need be characterised as "secret."

_Secret and confidential._

Caesar off Ushant, 20th June 1800.

At this time, when a proper example should be set to the seamen
of his Majesty's fleet, and a due sense of religion and the
practice of it kept up in the royal navy, permit me to suggest
to your lordship the propriety of a strong recommendation from
the Board of Admiralty to the commanders-in-chief on the
different stations (more particularly the Channel fleet) that
they will cause the public worship of Almighty God to be duly
and regularly performed on board the ships under their command,
and that nothing but the most pressing exigency shall prevent
Divine service from being publicly read every Sunday on board
the respective ships.

It is from the too flagrant neglect of this most essential part
of our duty that I have been impelled to write _in confidence_
to your lordship on the subject, with the hope that proper means
will be adopted to rectify it.

We have signals to denote that the ship's companies will have
time for dinner or breakfast; why should there not be one to
signify that they will have time for the performance of Divine
service? Were such a signal to be made from the ship of the
commander-in-chief on Su