ecommending me some
excellent champagne. I beg my most respectful compliments to
Lady Saumarez; and, believe me ever, my dear Sir James, your
most faithful and obliged friend,

NELSON & BRONTE.

To Sir James Saumarez, Bart. & K.B.

Since writing my letter, I have to thank you for your packet of
newspapers and your letter of October 1st; nothing could
possibly be more acceptable. I hope we shall see Bonaparte
_humbled_. The Guernsey vessel has made a very valuable
recapture of a vessel loaded with cloths, bound to Lisbon.

Your's faithfully,
Nelson & Bronte.

The above was probably finished on the 19th, the day on which the
Penelope frigate left the fleet with despatches for England,--the last
his lordship ever sent.

During the year 1805 Sir James continued in the command at Guernsey,
having his flag in the Diomede, and occasionally on board a frigate in
her absence. The preparations of the French for invasion, which were
continued with unremitting vigour, made this station of more
importance than it would otherwise have been. Spain, having declared
war early in January, joined Napoleon in the grand object of invading
England; and it was calculated, including the Dutch fleet, that the
united force, which could be ready in the month of April, would amount
to seventy-five sail of the line, fifty frigates, and 2,300 smaller
vessels; and that the invading army would consist of 200,000 men.

It was evident that, without a junction of all his naval forces in the
British Channel, Napoleon had no chance of being able to make a
descent on the adjacent coast; and, to effect this, it was necessary
to draw off a part of our blockading fleets. With this view the Toulon
fleet went to the West Indies, whither it was pursued by Nelson; and,
after an action with the squadron under Sir Robert Calder, it entered
the port of Cadiz. The effectual blockade of that port and of Brest,
together with the interruptions his flotilla met with in its progress
towards Boulogne, defeated Napoleon's plans; and the Channel islands,
which were now in a complete state of defence, continued unmolested.
The only losses on this station were the capture of two gun-brigs,
after a very gallant defence, by a flotilla of very superior force,
off Granville; and the Pigmy cutter, which was wrecked near Jersey.

The memorable battle of Trafalgar at once put an end to all the
speculations of the r