ons for an offensive and defensive
alliance continued, and were ready for ratification when the Oberon
arrived with Mr. (now Sir Edward) Thornton. This ship, on leaving
Portsmouth, was supposed to be bound for the West Indies, and letters
were actually on board her for the Leeward Islands; but on opening her
sealed orders, Capt. Murray, her commander, found he was destined for
Gothenburg, and that he was to have no communication on his passage
with any other ship. Being unacquainted with the coast of Sweden, and
having no pilot on board, his ship unfortunately ran on shore in a
thick fog; the guns were thrown overboard, and every exertion made in
vain to get the ship off. It is scarcely possible to describe the
anxiety of Mr. Thornton (who had been hitherto supposed to be a
passenger for the West Indies) until the morning gun of the Victory
informed them that their ship was on the rocks to the northward of
Wingo Beacon, over which the flag of the Victory (white at the fore)
could be plainly distinguished, and in an hour afterwards he was safe
in the Admiral's cabin.

The utmost caution was still necessary in communicating with Count
Rosen, and so strictly were the orders given by the commandant of the
castle complied with, that several attempts to get Mr. Thornton on
shore were unsuccessful. He was at length smuggled into the fort as a
servant of the Author, who had, from his knowledge of the Swedish
language, no difficulty in passing the gates as a Swedish officer.
Thus were all differences happily adjusted: it was determined to keep
up the appearance of war without committing any act of hostility on
either side.

We shall now turn to the situation of the fleet. Admiral Reynolds had
been stationed at Hano, which is near Matvick, where the convoys
assembled, and which were with very little loss protected through the
Belt. On the 9th of November, the St. George sailed from Hano with the
last homeward bound convoy, which had been put back by a gale on the
1st.

The account of the disasters that befel this unfortunate fleet, which,
as a prelude to the losses which afterwards took place, must be
interesting to every reader, will be best given from the lamented
Admiral's own report to Sir James, which has not before appeared in
print.

St. George, off Nystad, bearing N.N.E. 1/4 E., 19th November
1811.

SIR,

It gives me inexpressible concern to inform you of the sad
disaster which has befal