STATE PAPERS. 



245 



to that of Copenhagen, hy abstain- 

 ing from all that might remove 

 them from the object which both 

 ought to have equally at heart. 

 With respect to the mediation 

 which the count de BernstorfF pro- 

 poses as the most proper means of 

 doing away the difficulties of this 

 discussion, the undersigned thinks 

 he can reply with certainty, that, 

 in spite of the apparent misunder- 

 standing which may have existed 

 between the two courts, there Is no 

 sovereign in Europe to whom the 

 king would refer himself, with re- 

 spect to his dearest interests, with 

 more confidence, than the emperor 

 of Russia ; no one is more ready 

 than the undersigned to do justice to 

 the loyalty and zeal of that sove- 

 reign for the good cause. But he 

 believes that, in a similar case, it 

 would be useless to recur even to 

 that intervention, however respect- 

 able it may be ; and that the court 

 of Denmark, introducing into the 

 discussion the same frankness as the 

 I court of London, and the same de- 

 sire of preventing speedily all ob- 

 jects of fatal misunderstanding, will 

 find out the means of effecting this 

 object without difficulty. 



Whitworth. 



Preliminary Convention between the 

 Courts of Copenhagen and Lon- 

 don, signed at Copenhagen, Au- 

 gust 29, 1800. 



THEIR Danish and Britannic 

 majesties, animated with an 

 equal desire, by a friendly accom- 

 modation, to prevent any disagree- 

 able consequences from following 

 the difi'erence which has arisen be- 

 tween the crowns, from the result 

 of the rencounter between th« Da- 



nish frigate la Freya and some Eng- 

 lish ships of war, and to re-establish, 

 in all their extent, the ties of 

 friendship and confidence v>'hich 

 have long united them, have, for 

 that purpose, named and appointed, 

 as their plenipotentiaries, his Da- 

 nish majesty, the count de Bern- 

 storfi", his chamberlain and secretary 

 of state for foreign affairs; and his 

 Britannic majesty, lord Whitworth, 

 knight of the order of the Bath; 

 who, after having interchanged 

 their credentials, have agreed on 

 the following articles : 



Art. 1. The question, with regard 

 to the right of searching neutral 

 ships, sailing under convoy, shall 

 be referred to a future discussion. 



II. The Danish frigate la Freya, 

 and the vessels which were under 

 her convoy, shall be instantly re- 

 leased, and the said frigate shall 

 find, in the ports of his Britannic 

 majesty, every thing necessary for 

 her repair, according to the usage 

 followed among friendly and allied 

 powers. 



III. To prevent similar rencoun- 

 ters from breeding disputes of a 

 similar nature, his Danish majesty 

 shall suspend his convoys till the 

 ulterior explanation upon this point 

 shall have given rise to a definitive 

 treaty. 



IV. If it should come to pass, 

 however, that any rencounters of 

 the same kind should take place be- 

 fore the instructions to prevent 

 them shall have had their effect, 

 they shall not be productive of any 

 serious consequences ; and the ar- 

 rangement of whatever may result 

 from them shall be considered as 

 comprehended in the object of the 

 present convention. 



V. This convention shall be rati- 

 fied in three weeks, to be counted 



