burg.--Capture and Destruction of a Danish
seventy-four.--Sir John Moore goes to Stockholm.--Is arrested,
and escapes.--Expedition returns to England.--Disposition of
the Fleet.--Sir James proceeds to Carlscrona.--Rescue of
Romana's Army.--Sir James proceeds to the Gulf of
Finland.--Capture and Destruction of the Russian seventy-four,
Sewolod.--The combined Swedish and English Fleet off Baltic
Port.--Reconnoitres the Russian Fleet in the harbour, and
determines to attack them.--Prevented by change of
winds.--Proceeding off Baltic Port.--Letter to the Emperor of
Russia.--Fleet returns to Carlscrona.

The success of Buonaparte in Austria and Prussia, by which he was
enabled to force Denmark to join him against Great Britain, and which,
in the preceding year, led to the capture of Copenhagen and to the
possession of the Danish fleet, had now induced Russia to accede to
the proposal of declaring England to be in a state of blockade: Sweden
alone remained faithful. The preparations for invasion which were
making at St. Petersburg having alarmed King Gustavus Adolphus, the
most earnest solicitations were made for a large naval and military
force to be sent from England for its protection. A fleet was
accordingly ordered on that important service, and Sir James Saumarez
was selected as the commander-in-chief best qualified to undertake it.

The Victory, which had been thoroughly repaired after the battle of
Trafalgar, was commissioned at Chatham early in March, by Captain
Philip Dumaresq, for Sir James's flag, which was soon after hoisted:
Rear-admirals Sir Samuel Hood, R.G. Keats, M. Dixon, and A. Bertie,
were placed under his command. The fleet consisted of sixteen ships of
the line; and, including frigates, sloops, and gun-vessels, the number
amounted to sixty-two sail.

Admiralty, February 20th, 1808.

DEAR SIR,

I am in daily expectation of receiving accurate intelligence of
the present state of the naval arsenal at Cronstadt. In the
event of this information being as satisfactory as I have
reason to hope, it is my intention to send a squadron into the
Baltic, consisting of not less than twelve or thirteen sail of
the line. If your health should be such as to admit of your
taking the command of this fleet, I know of no arrangement
which I can make that would be so satisfactory to myself, as to
intrust the impo