During the months of June and July, Sir James had much correspondence with the ex-King and Queen of France, the Duchess d'Angoulême, and his old friend the Duc d'Havre. Some difficulty attended their transport to England; the Euryalus only being allowed to proceed on that service, and the suite of his majesty, and the royal family amounting to above a hundred persons. The correspondence, however, does not possess sufficient interest to dwell further on it; suffice it to say, that Sir James gave them all the assistance and accommodation in his power, and that they had left Carlscrona before the Victory arrived.
About this time Admiral Cederström, who had vanquished the Russians at Gothland, was called to Stockholm, and Rear Admiral Nauckhoff was appointed in his stead, with whom Sir James exchanged letters of congratulation. The King had gone to Åland; and, as no more was said about the affair of Sir John Moore, things went on smoothly: Baron Rayalin accompanied the King, and Mons. Gullenstolpè acted as adjutant-general of the marine.
The Swedish fleet now consisted of eleven sail of the line and five frigates, which were reinforced by the Centaur and Implacable; and proceeded to the station before agreed on.
Towards the end of July, Sir James was aware of the refractory conduct of the Spanish troops, under the Marquis of Romana, in the island of Funen, where they had been arrested in their progress to Zealand by the appearance of the English fleet. Rear Admiral Keats was ordered to communicate, if possible, with Romana, who was known to be disaffected since the news had reached him of the revolution of affairs in Spain, and to offer every assistance to rescue the troops under his command. It was a great satisfaction to Sir James, that, on the arrival of the next packet, he found he had anticipated the desire of government, from whom he received instructions to the same intent, after Sir Richard had been detached.
The address and tact which Rear-admiral Keats displayed on this occasion is well known. As soon as he had succeeded in rescuing the Marquis of Romana, by seizing on the vessels at Nyborg, and transporting his troops to the defenceless island of Langeland, he despatched a vessel to Sir James, who immediately sailed from Carlscrona, leaving behind Captain Hope, who went home in consequence of the illness and subsequent demise of his wife, Lady Jemima, and made all sail for the Belt. On this occasion Sir James gave a proof of the decision of his character, which could not but make a deep impression on all who were present.
The Victory, about sun-set, had doubled Dars Head, forming with the opposite point in Zealand the entrance of the Great Belt from the eastward. The wind was fresh and directly adverse, when Mr. Squire, master of the fleet, acquainted the Admiral that the ship must anchor for the night, as he could no longer take charge as pilot. Sir James, who had examined the chart, and could see no great risk in working as far as Femeren, where the channel became narrow and the soundings more regular, demanded his reason; which being unsatisfactory, he sent for Mr. Nelson, the master, and Mr. Webb, the north-sea pilot, but neither would undertake the charge, or give any satisfactory reason. Sir James immediately ordered the one master into the starboard, and the other into the larboard main channels, to see that the lead was correctly hove; and having directed the Cruiser brig, then in company, to keep right a-head, he kept the ship under sail till midnight, when she had worked up tack by tack to Femeren, a distance of six leagues. He was thus enabled to reach Sir Richard Keats's division on the following day in time to concert measures for the removal of Romana's army to Gothenburg.
The conduct of these inferior officers could only arise from a desire to make themselves appear of importance, especially in the absence of the captain of the fleet; and their messmates could not but rejoice at their failure, as it brought them sooner to the scene of action.
On the 14th of August, when the Victory arrived off the battery near the centre of Langeland, an officer was despatched to the head-quarters of the Marquis, who embarked on board that ship on the following morning, and before night the whole of his troops were afloat; the Marquis was then removed to the Superb, and the convoy proceeded to Gothenburg, under the orders of Sir Richard Keats. It was much to be regretted that the fine regiment of Asturias could not be rescued; but, having reached Copenhagen, they were disarmed by the Danes and French the moment the intelligence of Romana's rescue was known.
The following extract of a letter from Sir James to his brother gives an interesting account of the rescue of Romana's army:
Victory, off Langeland, 21st August 1808.