444 WALCHEREN EXPEDITION [1809. 



It would indeed be their salvation ; and Bonaparte 

 knows full well that he never could expect to see 

 Vienna again if he left Austria at a moment when 

 the regular troops have beaten him in the field, and 

 the people in every quarter are in a state of insurrec- 

 tion against him. He must fight again, I should 

 think ; and if he is beat, it will go hard with him, 

 though perhaps it won't be much worse than mak- 

 ing peace at present. Negotiation will be always 

 open, unless he is much more completely defeated 

 than I fear we have any chance of seeing him. If 

 he beats the archduke, he will then give him peace, 

 but not such a one as he must give at present. 



" The Eussian army, according to General Ben- 

 tham (now one of the Navy Board), consists of above 

 70,000. They are, of course, ill supplied and com- 

 manded ; but when things are so nearly balanced, 

 they may turn the scale. 



" This foolish expedition, I find, you view in the 

 same light in which every rational being must see it. 

 Flushing and Antwerp are certainly the objects (un- 

 less some unexpected good news should come from 

 Germany). I don't suppose there is much risk of its 

 failing ; but the loss of men will be considerable by 

 the military operations, and the climate at the mouth 

 of the Scheldt, I understand, is peculiarly fatal at this 

 season. This will, at any rate, prevent the army 

 from doing good afterwards elsewhere. 



" A letter of Mellish to Ferguson gives a very 

 favourable account of Cuesta ; s army 24,000 foot 



