I do myself the honour to inform your excellency that his Swedish Majesty has most graciously been pleased to intrust to me the command of his sea and land forces, who are to act on the coasts and in the Gulf of Bothnia against the common enemy of our respective nations; and I beg to assure your excellency that nothing could afford me more pleasure than receiving your commands, if ever I can be of the smallest use to your excellency. I submit to your excellency's own judgment if it should not be useful to the common service to have respective officers, who are acquainted with the languages, placed aside of the commanders-in-chief. For my part, I should find it very agreeable if Lieutenant John Ross, who served last year on board the Swedish Admiral's ship, would be permitted to resume the same employment on board of this. He is so well acquainted with the Swedish language and customs, that I flatter myself he would have no objection to this proposition. If winds permit, I intend to depart to-morrow with two ships, one frigate, six galleys, fifty gun-boats, and some transports, carrying 7,000 troops, and proceed up the Gulf in order to debark this army on a proper place, so that they might fall in the back and destroy the enemy's troops, who at present occupy the province of West Bothnia. Vice-admiral Baron Cederstrom will remain with one hundred gun-boats and some galleys to protect the Swedish coasts opposite Aland. The Camilla frigate is left cruising in the Aland Haf, to act in conjunction with the British force stationed there by the orders of your excellency. I should think it very useful for the service we are upon if a British frigate and some sloops of war could be stationed at Revel, in order to prevent the enemy from sending any reinforcement to Aland; and also if your excellency should proceed further up in the Gulf of Finland with the British squadron, and make such demonstrations as would contribute to keep the enemy in uncertainty of an attack on either of the coasts in the Gulf. He would thereby be obliged to disperse his forces, which in the present case would be of the greatest utility for the service. I submit all this to your excellency's invaluable judgment, and have the honour to remain, with the highest esteem and consideration, Sir, Your excellency's Most obedient and most humble servant, JOHN AF PUKE, Admiral. His Excellency Vice-admiral Saumarez, Commander-in-chief, &c.