To his Excellency Augt. Foster,
&c. &c. &c.
The following farewell letter, written by Mr. Foster to Sir James on leaving Sweden, gives a more decided opinion on the state of Sweden than has hitherto been offered. It concludes the correspondence.
The politics of Sweden have necessarily undergone a great change. The death of the Crown Prince has completed the disasters of the nation, and such is its present state of weakness and discouragement, that I cannot consider the Swedes as having any longer a shadow of independence. Their exposed local situation, will prevent their taking any offensive measures of hostility against us; the futility of any effort of the sort prevents its being exacted from them by Buonaparte; but I have recommended strongly to the merchants here, who have British property, to place it under neutral cover, and by no means to expose themselves in any way through a want of proper precaution. I have had the satisfaction to find they have attended to my advice.
Give me leave, sir, to repeat my best thanks for the communications you continued to honour me with during my residence in Sweden, and to assure you that I am, with great regard and esteem,
Sir, &c. &c.
A. Foster.
To his Excellency Admiral Sir James Saumarez.
Some false reports having been circulated that the cruisers under the orders of Sir James had captured several Swedish ships bound to England and other ports, from which the English flag was not excluded, the Right Hon. Charles Yorke, then first Lord of the Admiralty, wrote a private letter to Sir James accompanying the modification of the order already alluded to, and directing that any captures made under its operation might be restored. To which communication Sir James made the following reply:
Victory, 20th June 1810.
Sir,