JET. 28.] MISSION TO PORTUGAL. 327 



accompany them as secretary to the said mission. 

 You will therefore join the Earl of Eosslyn and Gen- 

 eral Simcoe, who are proceeding without delay to the 

 place of their destination, where the Earl of St Vin- 

 cent will be already arrived, and place yourself under 

 their directions ; and you will exert yourself to the 

 best of your ability in the execution of all such mat- 

 ters as may be intrusted to you. 



(Signed) " BENJ N . TUCKER." 



I was further informed that, to avoid multiplying 

 places unnecessarily, I was named secretary, but in 

 all respects I was to act as a fourth commissioner. 

 General Simcoe was taken ill on his passage out, and 

 grew so much worse after his arrival in Lisbon, that 

 he was compelled to return to England, and shortly 

 afterwards died. The work of the commission there- 

 upon was carried on by Lord St Vincent, Lord Eoss- 

 lyn, and myself. 



Lord St Vincent was ordered to proceed with as 

 little delay as possible to Lisbon, to be in readiness to 

 execute the secret service communicated to him by 

 Lord Howick. He was directed, after having placed 

 the ships off Brest under the officer next in command, 

 to proceed, without a moment's loss of time, to the 

 Tagus, taking with him such of the ships then under 

 his command as he should judge necessary; and to 

 remain in the Tagus until joined by the troops which 

 were about to be employed in this special service. 



The object of this move was to counteract the ex- 



