On the 24th of April, there being no doubt that Minorca would soon be given up to Spain, Sir James received the following orders from Lord Keith, appointing him to conduct that service: By the Right Hon. Lord Keith, &c. Whereas orders may be immediately expected for the evacuation of the island of Minorca, and as I think it indispensable that that service should be conducted by an officer of rank, ability, and experience, you are hereby required and directed to proceed thither in his Majesty's ship the Caesar, to be in readiness to take upon you the charge and execution of that duty, following such directions in that behalf as I have already forwarded to the senior officer there, copies of the most material of which are herewith enclosed, and such other instructions as you may hereafter receive from me; communicating with me or with Rear-admiral Sir Richard Bickerton, at Malta, on all occasions when the necessity of the service on which you are employed may so require.--Given on board the Foudroyant, Gibraltar, 24th April 1802. The following is a copy of the orders alluded to: In the event of orders being received by you over land, or the arrival of instructions by sea which may not have reached me, for the evacuation of the island of Minorca, you are hereby specially instructed to carry them into effect in the manner most consistent with the directions which you shall receive. You will enter into immediate communication with the officer commanding his Majesty's land forces, and co-operate with him on all necessary occasions for carrying the evacuation into effect; and you will furnish to him, and to other officers of rank and their families, the best accommodation of which the disposable room in the ships will admit. In such case it will be incumbent on you to obtain, without a moment's loss of time, an exact estimate of the tonnage that will be required as well for the embarkation of the troops as of the stores, &c. The above will be sufficient to show the arduous duty Sir James had to perform. The number of troops to be embarked at Minorca was 5,247; at Malta, 6,529; at Elba, 418; and at Egypt, 4,631; in all, 16,845. These were destined partly to England, and partly to Ireland; to transport which, men-of-war and merchant-ships were collected from all quarters. On the same day Sir James received from Lord Keith a copy of a letter from the secretary of the Admiralty, dated 1st April 1802: