1922.] FJKST LOiq) DE SAUMARE2, ETC. 119 



the conquest of Sweden might have been considerable. There 

 was a good Swedish fleet. This combined with the Danish 

 and Russian fleets would have more than compensated for 

 the loss of French fleets before and at Trafalgar. It would 

 certainly suffice to break the British blockade. It might even 

 allow him to contest again the supremacy of the sea. The 

 British Government, realising the possibility of this, coun- 

 tered it in the most effective and least costly fashion. Before 

 the enemy had time to realise what they were doing and take 

 action, they demanded the custody of the Danish fleet. It 

 was naturally refused. They blockaded Copenhagen by 

 land and sea, and after six weeks of siege nearly the whole 

 Danish Navy and all the stores in Copenhagen were con- 

 ducted to England. 



Although Russia declared war on England very shortly 

 afterwards, the Copenhagen expedition was of immense 

 value. For the rest of the war England could safely enter 

 the Baltic. The need for this appeared almost immediately. 

 In February, 1808, Russia declared war on Sweden and at 

 once invaded Finland, Sweden's chief possession across the 

 Baltic, and at the same time the Danes also declared war 

 and admitted a French army to Holstein for the purpose of 

 invading Sweden. Early in the Spring a British fleet was 

 despatched to the Baltic under the command of Admiral Sir 

 James Saumarez with the ''Victory" as his flag-ship. It con- 

 sisted of nine battleships of 74 and over and four 64's. Its 

 duties included the protection of Sweden, the blockade of the 

 hostile coasts of Denmark, Prussia and Russia, the suppres- 

 sion of Danish privateers and the encouragement and pro- 

 tection of any British or Swedish ship which carried on a 

 smuggling trade on the hostile coasts. 



Two English 64's were sent on as soon as the weather per- 

 mitted and reached the Sound during March long before 

 they were expected by the enemy. Their arrival was 

 extremely opportune. The French army which the Danes 

 had admitted to Holstein intended to cross to Sweden before 

 the Spring. Their advance-guard of about 8,000 Spaniards 

 had reached the Island of Funen (Fyen) protected by the 

 "Princess Christina Frederick," one of the few ships of the 

 line left to Denmark, when the two British ships the 

 "Stately" and "Nassau" appeared, and engaging the 

 Danish ship, drove it ashore and burnt it on Zealand and 

 isolated the French vanguard. 



The effects of this victory were considerable. With Sir 

 James Saumarez was Sir John Moore and 10,000 men for the 

 defence of Sweden. But the Swedish King's behaviour made 

 their co-operation impossible; and since the safety which 



