Victory, Wingo Sound, Gothenburg, 18th May 1809.

SIR,

I have just received the honour of your letter of the 15th
instant, by the messenger Mears, acquainting me with the
particulars of a conference you had with Baron de Lagerbjelke
on the present critical state of Sweden, in consequence, as he
was pleased to state to you, of her desire to remain in amity,
and maintain her commercial relations, with Great Britain; and
requesting you to explain to me the full extent of her danger,
in the confidence that I should give all the assistance in my
power which her perilous situation required, without waiting
for instructions from his Majesty's government. Also informing
me of the formidable preparations making in Finland for the
immediate invasion of Sweden.

The assurances made to you through Baron de Lagerbjelke, on the
part of the Duke of Sudermania, that every effort will be made
to repel the meditated attack of Russia, and that his Royal
Highness has determined not to yield to the conditions of peace
proposed to him, as long as he has the means of defending
himself, will decide me in employing the fleet under my command
in the best manner in my power for the defence of Sweden; for
which purpose an adequate force will be stationed in the Sound
and on the coast of Denmark, to intimidate the Danes from
making any attack on the southern provinces of Sweden; and a
squadron of line of battle ships will be employed in the Baltic
to watch the Russian fleet, and prevent any attempt on their
part to carry an invading army against the coast of Sweden from
the side of Finland.

As the attention of the Swedish marine will be principally
confined to the defence of Stockholm, and the coast within the
Gulf of Bothnia, it is to be presumed that, with proper
exertion, they will be perfectly adequate to that service; and
as three Swedish frigates have been ordered to cruise on that
station, with other armed vessels, and one hundred and six
gun-boats, no doubt can be entertained of their being for the
present sufficient to repel the enemy; and I shall readily
order such further part of the force under my command, as can
be spared from other services, to co-operate in that quarter.
The important transactions going on in the southern coast of