perously under the active exertions
of Suwaroff, who is daily hemming in and menacing Turin, and who
has now advanced to Chivasso, and has detached Kaim with a
considerable force to the Valais. The general opinion here is that
the French will evacuate Switzerland whenever their line at
Luceinsteig and Coire is forced, and some accounts to-day seem to
announce that event as having happened.

Moreau, with seventeen thousand men, is at Alexandria, and I
suppose the Naples army will try to join him, although Macdonald
will find that junction rather difficult to accomplish.

We are all still waiting in anxious expectation for news of the
fleet. The Ministers here think the Mediterranean is the object,
and to me it seems not unlikely that they may pursue that object,
and at the same time detach to Ireland.

God bless you, dearest brother.

The occupation which was given by the Austrians and Russians to the
French troops in Italy and Germany, appearing to offer a favourable
opportunity to rescue Holland from the hands of the republicans, an
expedition, under the command of Sir Ralph Abercromby, set sail from
England on the 13th of August, and disembarked off the Helder. On the
30th, the Dutch fleet surrendered, and hoisted the Orange flag. In
order, probably, to give more weight and effect to a mission which had
for its object the restoration of the Stadtholder, it was proposed that
Lord Grenville should undertake an embassy to Holland, and that Mr.
Thomas Grenville (who had in the interim returned home) should proceed
to St. Petersburg.

LORD GRENVILLE TO THE MARQUIS OF BUCKINGHAM.

Dropmore, Sept. 5th, 1799.
MY DEAREST BROTHER,

I was much obliged to you for your kindness to us in writing on the
subject of Lady B. We earnestly hope that all cause of uneasiness
to you on her account has ceased, and that both fever and cold are
gone. If you would let anybody write us a line to say so, you would
much oblige us.

You will have seen that, in spite of wind, we have succeeded at the
Texel. The Lieutenant says that the Dutch fleet had cut the buoys,
and run up into the Zuyder Zee. Lord D. was preparing to lay the
buoys down again, and to follow them, but it was not expected that
Storey would make any further resistance, more than half his fleet
being Stadtholderians.

The wind is n