I have not time to copy the enclosure which I send you on the subject of pilots, which Vice-admiral Stedinck has just written out before me, as the post goes in an hour and a half; nor shall I perhaps have time to write to Admiral Bertie as I could wish, this being post-day for England. Two ships of the line and a frigate are arrived off Dalaroe, with 2,000 some hundred troops, and 500 sailors; and twenty-four gun-boats set out the day before yesterday from here: fourteen more follow to-morrow or next day. A camp is to be formed at Upsala of 10,000 or 12,000 men; they mean to treat armed at least, which shows spirit. A Baron Taube has been sent to St. Petersburg to ask for passports for Baron Stedinck: he went the day before yesterday, and cannot be back under fifteen days. The Russians are now said to have only about eighty-six gun-boats at Aland, but 11,000 men, and to be taking measures to defend themselves against you: one of the ships of the line is going back to Carlscrona; and a frigate, the Freya, I think. The report that the Swedish harbours would be shut against us on the 14th, must be attributed to the fears of the merchants, I suppose, who are nervous in such a precarious state of things as the present. I have, &c. &c. &c. AUGT. FOSTER. Vice-admiral Sir James Saumarez. Victory, off Carlscrona, 15th June 1809. SIR, I yesterday had the honour to receive your letter of the 9th instant, and although I was before perfectly convinced of the good disposition of the present government of Sweden towards our country, and of the sincerity of the Duke of Sudermania's intentions, I could not do otherwise than make you acquainted with the surmises of the two officers next in rank to me in the fleet. Your letter has perfectly removed any doubts that would have existed upon the subject, and I should place the same dependence in the Swedes as at the time of our alliance with them: the longer they are enabled to protract the negotiation with the Russian government, the more favourable will be the conditions of peace they are likely to obtain, as Russia will lose much of her ascendancy should Buonaparte be defeated by the arms of Austria.