29th Dec.—The Earl informs me of his intention to write to you. I perceive he is resolved to become a favourite of yours by his attention. The order for the Cæsar to anchor in Torbay for twenty-four hours, on her way to Portsmouth, will not lessen his favour with you. After this, I suppose I cannot do less than invite you to take a passage in the ship with your two dear little companions; but it must be on condition that the weather is propitious to my views.
The station off the Black Rocks had hitherto been considered tenable only by frigates during the winter; on which service three or four were annually employed; but which, like the Channel fleet, occasionally took refuge in Torbay. It had been, however, resolved upon by Earl St. Vincent to form an advanced squadron of six sail of the line; and Sir James, as we have before stated, was the officer selected to proceed on this arduous and important undertaking. None but professional men who have been in that anxious and perilous service can have any idea of its difficulties. In such a situation the commanding-officer must consider himself constantly in the scene of action, surrounded by dangers of every description, exposed to the violence of storms, and sailing amidst a multitude of rocks and variable currents, in the longest and darkest nights, and often on a lee-shore on the enemy's coast, while the whole of their fleet is near, and ready to take advantage of any disaster, or change of wind or circumstance that might arise in their favour.
It has already been shown that Sir James performed this duty to the entire satisfaction of the noble Earl, and to the country. No storm ever obliged him to leave his station, which has justly been denominated the post of honour.
We cannot conclude this chapter with more satisfaction than by subjoining the following interesting correspondence between Sir James and Earl Spencer, which no longer need be characterised as "secret."
Secret and confidential.
Cæsar, off Ushant, 20th June 1800.
My Lord,
At this time, when a proper example should be set to the seamen of his Majesty's fleet, and a due sense of religion and the practice of it kept up in the royal navy, permit me to suggest to your lordship the propriety of a strong recommendation from the Board of Admiralty to the commanders-in-chief on the different stations (more particularly the Channel fleet) that they will cause the public worship of Almighty God to be duly and regularly performed on board the ships under their command, and that nothing but the most pressing exigency shall prevent Divine service from being publicly read every Sunday on board the respective ships.
It is from the too flagrant neglect of this most essential part of our duty that I have been impelled to write in confidence to your lordship on the subject, with the hope that proper means will be adopted to rectify it.
We have signals to denote that the ship's companies will have time for dinner or breakfast; why should there not be one to signify that they will have time for the performance of Divine service? Were such a signal to be made from the ship of the commander-in-chief on Sunday morning, it would be generally followed by all the fleet, as they would then know the Admiral's intention to give time for that purpose.