APPENDIX to the CHRONICLE. 477 



my intention to Iiave preceded the 

 expedition, in company with the 

 Venerable, on board which ship 

 lord Chatham had embarked ; but 

 finding the public service might 

 sufferfrom the commanders-in-chief 

 being separated, I therefore sliifted 

 to the Venerable, and sailed from 

 the Downs at day-light on the 28th 

 ult. 



I have now to acquaint you, for 

 their lordships' information, of my 

 arrival on the evening of that day 

 in the Stone Deeps, with the Ame- 

 thyst and several smaller vessels, 

 where I was joined by the Fisgard, 

 captain Bolton, who had with great 

 judgment placed vessels on the va- 

 rious shoals off this coast. After 

 dark, lieutenant Grovesof thisship, 

 with some skilful pilots in Deal 

 boats, were dispatched to sound 

 the Roompot channel, and to sta- 

 tion vessels at its entrance. 



Early next morning the 29th, the 

 division oflieut.-general sir J.Hope, 

 conducted by capt. Bathurst, in the 

 Salsette, joined me, as did also rear- 

 admiral sir R. Keats, in the Superb. 

 This zealous officer had the com- 

 mand of the blockading squadron 

 ofiF the entrance of the Scheldt ; 

 but observing the armament pass, 

 he, with his usual promptitude, left 

 that squadron under the orders of 

 lord Gardner, and resumed the 

 charge of sir J. Hope's division : I 

 therefore directed the rear-admiral 

 to shift his flag to the Salsette, and 

 to proceed to the Roompot. 



The entrance to that channel is 

 very narrow; and as I was aware of 

 sir H. Popham's local knowledge 

 of the insular navigation before me, 

 1 intrusted to that officer the ser- 

 vice of leading sir R. Keats's divi- 

 sion in, and which he did with great 

 skill in the Sabriua, captain Kittoe: 



the whole were anchored in safety 

 opposite Zeerickzee, situated be- 

 tween the islands of Schowen and 

 North Beveland. 



That afternoon, rear-admiral Ot- 

 way with the left wing of the army, 

 under sir E. Coote, joined me in 

 the Stone Deep, but it blew too 

 fresh to have any communication. 

 On the morning of the 30th, sir H. 

 Popham returned with a letter from 

 sir R. Keats, acquainting me that 

 the division under his charge were 

 all safely anchored ; and I was 

 likewise informed that there was 

 sufficient space in the Roompot to 

 contain all the ships, to which an- 

 chorage sir H. Popham undertook 

 to conduct them ; and as it blew 

 fresh, with all the appearance of an 

 approaching gale.thesquadron was 

 instantly got under sail, and led in 

 by the Venerable, when they all 

 came-to in safety oflPthe Vere Gat. 



As soon as the ships were secur- 

 ed, measures were instantly taken 

 to prepare to land the army on the 

 island of Walcheren. I did not wait 

 for the gun-boats coming up, but 

 ordered those who happened to be 

 near the Venerable, together with 

 the mortar brigs, to push in shore, 

 to cover the landing, and to force 

 the Derhaak batter)'. At half past 

 four the boats put off under the di- 

 rection of lord Amelius Beauclerc, 

 of the Royal Oak, and captain 

 Cockburn of the Belleisle, and the 

 troops were landed in excellent or- 

 der, without opposition; the firing 

 from the mortar and gun-vessels 

 having driven the enemy com- 

 pletely from the Derhaak battery. 

 Having thus accomplished this first 

 object, I lost no time in directing 

 the bombs and gun-vessels to pro- 

 ceed up the Vere Gat, ofFCamvere; 

 and having given sir H. Popham, 



who, 



