'manufacture of this place, not but what you 'could get a better in London, but it would 'not be a present from my son from Sicily.'

My dear Mother,The packet came in 'here yesterday, and I had the pleasure to ' receive your letter of the 2nd of November. It is very natural you should be a little low in separating from Graham; but from this ' of course you will recover, when you con'sider that he is following the career which is alike honourable and becoming.

'I had letters from him from Cawsand-bay: 'he did not then know he was coming so 6 near to me. I arrived here with my troops ' on the 1st of this month. I left them to 'complete the transports with water and pro'visions, for we had a five weeks passage 'from Sicily, and immediately proceeded off 'the Tagus, to communicate with Sir Sydney (Smith), with whom my instructions directed me to co-operate. I was flattering myself with the hope of seeing Graham, but

'before I reached the Tagus, the bird was 'flown, and Graham had proceeded with the 'command of four line-of-battle ships, to convey the Royal Family of Portugal to the 'Brazils. This is a very honourable com'mand, and consoled me in a great measure 'for my disappointment.

'The service for which I was intended is 'passed, and I am about to return with the troops I command to England, where I ' trust I shall arrive about the end of January, and sooner, if we are fortunate in our passage; I expect to leave this in three days. Orders were sent to detain me in 'Sicily, but I had already left it, which I 'consider as a fortunate circumstance, as, all things considered, that command had no longer charms for me.

'I shall give you a call on my way to Lon'don, and shall, after I have performed my

duty there, return to you, and shall be most

glad if I am allowed to pass a few months with you in quiet.

I

am, you may believe, not a little occu

'pied, but rising early has given me time to

say so much to you. Kind remembrance 'to Jane and to all. I think the Brazils the 'best possible service for Graham, in winter; 'the climate will be fine, and he will be back before the heats.

My dear Mother,-We expect that the 'whole of our convoy will be collected this 'forenoon, and as the wind is fair and the 'weather fine, I hope we shall be able to 'sail in the afternoon.

'I have nothing to say to you, but that I ' am well, and that everything respecting my 'command is as well arranged as we can 'reasonably expect in this sublunary region. If the object of the expedition were more defined, it would be more agreeable; but on

VOL. II.

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the other hand, though not in direct terms, ' yet plenty of latitude is given to me, to act ' at my discretion. If I am successful, my ' judgment will be extolled; if not, if I feel ' no internal reproach, I can be indifferent as to every other.

'I know not how often a packet sails for

Gottenburg, but Frank can tell, and I hope 'to hear of you and Jane very frequently. 'I shall be anxious until I hear how Graham 'stands the heat.

Farewell, my dear Mother, kind remem'brances to Jane, and believe me,

'Always your affectionate

'JOHN MOORE.'

Sir John Moore to his mother:

• Gottenburg, Sweden, May 27th, 1808.

My dear Mother,

I wrote shortly to

Frank by the last packet, who would let

you know that I was here and well. We ' have a packet twice a week from England, and as often to it. Frank has not yet found out this, as he has not sent me the newspapers.

'On my arrival at this place, I found the 'situation of the country very different from 'what I had been led to expect; the military 'force so small, and the government in such 'weak hands, that it was vain to hope the aid 'I was directed to offer could enable the 'Swedes to resist for any length of time. At 'the same time, in spite of this weakness, 'moral and physical, their king's views were ' of the most magnificent kind. Unfortunately 'the conditions upon which this force under 'me was sent had not been explained, and, ' until our arrival, they had considered it to 'be placed under the king's sole direction. My instructions were to keep it under my

own against this the king remonstrated;

and, as I have no power to depart, I was

glad to refer the question home, which gave 'me the opportunity at the same time to state

the situation of affairs here, and to give my 'sentiments. With this view I sent home 'Colonel Murray, the quarter-master-ge'neral.

Now the Right Honourable Sir George Murray.