Mr. James Saumarez, eldest son of the Admiral, who had accompanied his lordship, made a tour and visited the Swedish, Finland, and Russian capitals; he returned on board the Victory on the 9th of October, when the afflicting intelligence arrived of the sudden death of his sister, the eldest daughter of the Admiral, whose loss was deeply regretted by all who knew her excellent disposition. The shock, as may be imagined, was deeply felt by Sir James; but it will be seen by the following correspondence that his mind was supported under this severe trial, and much as his presence was required at home he regarded his duty to his country to be paramount to every other consideration, and unflinchingly remained at his post. His son (the present Lord de Saumarez) who had just finished his education for the Established Church, was indeed a great comfort to his suffering parent. In a letter, dated 13th October, to the Secretary of the Admiralty, he says,-- There has been no ship in the Hawke Roads into which I could have shifted my flag, since the receipt of their Lordships' letter to send the Victory to Spithead, and the present afflicting state of my domestic concerns renders it of the utmost consequence that I should repair to England immediately; but I have suffered my private feelings to give way to the public service, and have to request that I may receive their Lordships' permission to proceed to England upon the receipt of this letter. In his letter to Lord Cathcart, dated on the following day, he writes,-- Although the afflicting state of my domestic concerns requires my return to England with as little delay as possible, I sacrifice my private feelings to a sense of my duty to the public service, and I have signified to his Majesty's Government my intention to remain here until I receive the pleasure of H.R.H. the Prince Regent upon the above measures (respecting the Russian fleet), when I hope to receive permission to return to England. Sir James having given the necessary directions to Rear-admiral Morris for sending pilots to, and conducting the Russian fleet through the Belt, shifted his flag to the Pyramus and despatched the Victory to England. He was preparing to sail homewards, when to his surprise Rear-admiral George Hope arrived to supersede him; he, however, did not give up the command until everything was completed, and until he had received the following despatch from Lord Cathcart: St. Petersburg, 26th Oct. 1812. SIR, I had the honour of receiving yesterday by the Briseis your letter of the 10th ult., duplicates of your two letters of the 2nd, and triplicates of your letter of the 4th.