corps of 10,000 men, under Sir John Moore, was sent by our Government to the aid of our ally; but, after waiting for some time at Gottenburg for the King's instructions, it was recalled, and sailed on the 3rd of July for Spain, where it could be employed to better purpose. Finland, rent in one campaign from the Swedish monarchy, was annexed to the dominions of the Autocrat of all the Russias.

The dissatisfaction arising from this national humiliation, and from various unpopular measures on the part of the King, occasioned his deposition, in the following year; the transfer of the crown to his uncle, the Duke of Sudermania; and the ultimate elevation of a French revolutionary general to the throne of Sweden.

Report of a Mission to the North of Germany, by Captain Kuckuck, of the Hanoverian Legion, to Lord Castlereagh. London, May 30, 1807.

I have the honour to inform your lordship that, having arrived at Altona on the 9th instant, in the morning, I took all possible dispositions to inquire after everything your lordship had commissioned me with. I sent immediately an officer, a Hanoverian of my acquaintance, on a journey along the coast, to inform himself of the measures of defence employed by the enemy at the entrances of the rivers Elbe and Weser, and also of the number of troops placed on both sides, and I obtained the following information.

At Stade is garrisoned a battalion about 600 strong, who have four four-pounder cannon, with a powder-waggon. There are no cannon besides these, either at this place or on the ramparts. On the battery at Brunshausen are placed three iron threepounders, with a guard of 12 men. Near Twietenfleth is a battery, with three six-pounder guns and one twelve-pounder,

VOL. VI.

P

three of which fire over the river, and one over the road that leads to Brunshausen. The battery is defended on both sides with palisades. A guard of one officer and 36 men is stationed very near the dike. Below the battery lies a cutter, of 12 guns, six and twelve-pounders. The cutter is provided on both sides with stakes shod with iron, and fastened together by chains; in consequence of which the cutter cannot be approached except from before or behind. The crew consists of 40 men.

Below Stade, at a place called Grauer Ort, the enemy began a battery a few days since, and, according to report, six guns are to be mounted on it. At this place the enemy is extremely vigilant, particularly at night.

At Freyburg is garrisoned a company of light infantry, who only bear the name of riflemen; but, in this quality, they are neither skilful nor well exercised, and, moreover, have only muskets, and not rifles.

At Gebestorf, one company garrisoned.

At Neuhaus, two companies. At this place is quartered the Colonel of these troops. His name is Walter.

At Belum, one.

At Oltendorf, three.

At Altenbruch, two.

At Grone, one. The light infantry furnishes the guards and outpost.

At Cuxhaven, three. In this place, there is a battery provided with four six-pounders and a twelve-pounder. This battery is guarded by 48 men. Upon the light-tower is placed a sentinel.

At Dosen, about half a league from Cuxhaven, is a strong detachment.

At Altenwalde, on the road to Bremerlehe, is also stationed a detachment, with two four-pounders.

At Dorum, one company of light infantry.

At Bremerlehe, two companies, and three guns on the battery called Carlstadt. From this place to Bremen, all the troops

quartered there amount, according to the battalions, to 4,000 men. A company ought to consist of 120 men, but very seldom there are more than 70 or 80. The cause of this diminution is the very great desertion. On reckoning in such a manner the strength of the battalions, the whole could not amount to more than 3,000 men. All these troops are moved very often from one place to another, at which they are highly discontented; so that they declared publicly that, as soon as the English made a landing, they would go over to them. All the inhabitants of the places through which this officer passed expressed to him their dissatisfaction with their present situation, and hoped that the report of a landing of the English might soon be realized, to enable them to show their attachment to their King and country, for whom they were ready to risk their lives, to deliver themselves from the yoke under which they laboured.

The enemy provisioned the fortress of Hameln for six months, a business which was executed by the Regency of Hanover, in consequence of a severe order from the French commanding general. The garrison at this place consists at present of one battalion of the Grand Duke of Baden's troops, and another of Dutch troops, the whole amounting to 1,100 men.

Nieuburg is totally demolished, in such a manner as to leave no appearance of a garrison stationed in it.

At Wesel are quartered two depôt battalions of Dutch troops, about 700 strong, mostly invalids. This fortress is provisioned for six months.

In East Friesland, there are not at present any troops stationed.

At Lübeck, there is a garrison of 700 men. At this place are left many wounded soldiers from the battle, under the command of General Blücher. The fortifications are left absolutely as before, and no new works are erected.

Near Travemunde is a great battery with 16 iron cannon; but no other fortifications, either on the Trave or the Ems, or near Emden, are to be found.

At Hamburg, there was a garrison on the 23rd of May, of one battalion of the six Dutch regiments, about 6 to 700 strong. The whole garrison, of about 3,000 men, marched on the 21st of May to Mecklenburg

The enemy have no magazines of provisions whatsoever, because they victual themselves by requisitions. The only depôts of arms and ammunition are in the fortresses of Magdeburg and Hameln.

To give your lordship an idea of the real state of the tendency to insurrection, I enclose herewith a translation of a paper written in the German language, in his own hand, by a Hessian officer, whom I sent for, and, on his arrival at Altona, acquainted, as a friend, with the object of my mission; and I flatter myself that your lordship will find that this was the shortest way to obtain, in a fortnight's time, every information from the north of Germany, of which the enemy is at present in possession, and which I could not have gained if I had travelled in only one part of the country.

The spirit of insurrection appears conspicuous in the whole North of Germany, but these people expected from England a severe blow for the French with a considerable expedition as soon as possible. Every day's delay, therefore, was a loss to the English arms, because the enemy was daily reinforcing himself, and the Swedish force singly is not sufficient to act long with energy against the common enemy; and a part of the expedition, at least five or six thousand men, must land in the river Elbe or Weser, to keep up the communication with the Hessian and the Westphalian insurrectionary armies, and to receive numerous recruits from the Hanoverian and Brunswick territories.

It is impossible to find a way at present to bring recruits to Stralsund, so long as the enemy is in possession of Mecklenburg, though great numbers of recruits wish to enter the English service; and it is equally difficult to bring them through the Danish territory, for, without a valid passport, a man is not

allowed to pass, but sent immediately out of the country. A single individual may perhaps occasionally succeed in getting on board the packet through the Danish country; but this is very expensive. It is likewise impossible to bring recruits down the river Elbe in small boats, the French cutter stationed at Twietenfleth not allowing the smallest fishing-boats to pass without search, and all English levies are forbidden upon pain of being immediately shot when taken-a sentence executed on the 15th of May upon one poor fellow.

Marshal Brune has taken the command of the troops in Mecklenburg and Pomerania, in place of Marshal Mortier, who is called with his troops to the grand army in Poland. He collected there, with the utmost expedition, an army composed of Dutch, Baden, and Saxon troops, consisting at present of 18,000 men. He took his head-quarters, on the 14th of May, at Schwerin, and immediately ordered that Rostock should be fortified. There are expected, in the middle of June, two French divisions, Bonnet's and Molitor's, from Italy, both consisting, according to authentic report, of 11,000 men; and . there is also expected a Spanish corps, 15,000 strong; but it is in general believed that those troops are only 5,000 men, and from Etruria; though the Regency of Hanover is ordered to furnish subsistence for 15,000 men on their route, which they would take through Nordheim: they also want 400 draught horses for this army; but there is no account whatever that Spanish troops have yet crossed the Alps.

The Dutch park of artillery likewise marched on the 22nd of May for Mecklenburg, and passed over the pontoon bridge at Atlenburg on the 23rd. After the passage of that park, Marshal Brune ordered the pontoon bridges thrown over the Elbe at Atlenburg and Lauenburg to be broken up, and again thrown over higher up the Elbe, so that one of them shall cross the river at Domitz.

General Wanning is arrived at Stralsund with two regiments of Prussian troops, and General Rüchel is every day expected