diterranean, upon the renewal of war with France. Living always
with the Hamiltons, the most copious stream of private correspondence
was cut off; and being unemployed after April, 1802, his official
letters are confined to subjects connected rather with the past than
with the then present time. Upon general naval questions he had,
however, something to say. A trip to Wales suggests a memorandum to
the Prime Minister concerning the cultivation and preservation of oak
timber in the Forest of Dean. He submits to him also his views as to
the disposition of Malta, in case the provision of the Treaty of
Amiens, which re-established there the Order of the Knights under the
guarantee of the six great Powers, should fail, owing to the refusal
of Russia to join in the proposed guarantee. At the time he
wrote,--December, 1802,--the question was become burning, threatening
the rupture of the existing peace between France and Great Britain; a
result which, in fact, soon followed, and turned mainly upon this
point. The essential aim in the provision, he observed, was that
neither of the two countries should have the island. If the Order
could not be restored, then it ought to go to Naples, again under the
guarantee of the Powers. It was useless to England, for operations
against France; and in the hands of the latter was a direct menace to
Sicily. This arrangement would accord with the spirit of the treaty;
but if it also was impracticable, Great Britain had no choice but to
keep Malta herself. It would cost L300,000 annually, but anything was
better than to chance its falling again into the hands of France.

In like manner he submitted to the Admiralty plans for the more
certain manning of the Navy, and for the prevention of desertion. The
material conditions of seamen while in the service, the pay and
provisions, were, he considered, all that could be desired; but still
there was great indisposition to enlist, and the desertions in the
last war, 1793-1801, rose to the enormous figure of forty-two
thousand. The remedy he outlined was a Registration of seamen, and of
certificates to be given them, bearing a personal description by
which they could be identified, and on which their character and
services would appear. For lack of such papers, seamen by hundreds
were in London in distress, although large amounts of money were due
them at prize agencies, where the agent feared to pay for want of
identification. A certificate showing fi