I had the honour yesterday evening to receive your letters of the 15th and 16th inst., enclosing the copy of one you had written to Baron d'Engeström, and of that minister's answer to your letter. It affords me great satisfaction to find that the Swedish government have so readily acquiesced in the representation you were pleased to make to them of the expediency of the squadron leaving the Gulf of Finland, in consequence of the present advanced state of the season, and also of the ready concurrence with the proposal that all the squadron, if required, should be admitted into the ports of Sweden, without adverting to the number that had been previously limited.
I request you will do me the honour to assure Baron d'Engeström, that I shall not withdraw the squadron from this station until the weather renders it indispensable for the safety of his Majesty's ships, and that, on my leaving the Gulf, I shall order a detachment to cruise between Daggerort and the Swedish coast, should it be further required. It is a fortunate circumstance that the preliminaries of peace were so far advanced as not to give a pretext for their being hastened by the squadron having been withdrawn from the station, and it affords me singular satisfaction to find that the government appears so strongly impressed with the measures that have been pursued for the welfare of Sweden.
I shall detach vessels as frequently as possible to maintain the correspondence, and I beg to express my sincere acknowledgments for the punctuality you have shown in permitting me to hear from you by all opportunities that have offered.
I have, &c. &c. &c.
James Saumarez.
To Augt. Foster, Esq.
&c. &c. &c.
Stockholm, 1st Oct. 1809.
Sir,
According to your desire I shall not detain Lieut. Reynolds. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt from him of your letters of the 24th, 25th, 26th, and 28th ult., with their enclosures, which I have delivered as directed. I have given in charge to him your letters which came by the last two mails, bringing our accounts from London to the 19th ult. Another may be expected to-morrow or next day, as the wind was fair at Gottenburg; and according to your wish I shall forward whatever may come to your address by express to Carlscrona. I return you my best thanks for the newspapers and letter from Koningsburg and Pillau, which you were so good as to forward to me.