Graham this day. I should have sent you 'this history yesterday, but on Saturday, as you know, we have no post.

'God bless you, my dear Mother; love to

Jane, and

'Believe me, most affectionately,

'JOHN MOORE.'

'Canterbury, March 27th, 1806.

'My dear Mother, I left London early ' yesterday morning, and got down here to dinner at six o'clock. I expect to return to Town in the course of eight or ten days, to ' sit upon a military board. I shall hope then ' to be able to give you a day or two at Cob'ham; this last time it was not in my power.

'You know how tired I have for some time 'been of my employment here. I see little prospect in England of ever being occupied in any manner more important. I never ' believed much in invasion, and now less 'than ever.

'I therefore turned my thoughts to India, 'as the greatest and most important com

'mand that could fall to a British officer; ' and the present I thought the moment of all ' others I could be best spared from home, as 'I shall be back from it before Europe could 'so far recover from its late disasters as to ' render any combination for action possible. 'I communicated my wishes to the Duke of York; they have been since communicated to ministers,-and the principal objection which has been made has been flattering; that they do not wish me to go so far from this country. Lord Lauderdale's appoint'ment has been an additional inducement to 'me to wish to go to India. The leaving

you, you may believe, has had its full weight, but it will be for three or four years at most, during which time I shall, instead of being occupied with trifling details, be employed in the direction and management of a large army, and in the defence of the ' most important colony any nation ever had. 'As a professional exercise, it will be of much

use; and I shall return, still not an old man,

with an independent fortune. As comman

'der-in-chief, independent of the chance of prize-money, from my appointments alone, 'I shall be able to save, yearly, from 8000l. ' to 10,000l.

'It is by no means certain that I shall suc'ceed in getting the appointment; if I do ' not, I shall easily console myself. I did not say anything to you of it before, because ' until there was more chance of its taking 'place it was needless to plague you. My 'love to Jane.

'Believe me, my dear Mother,

'My dear Mother,-After a tedious passage of a month from Gibraltar, of seven weeks ' and three days from Portsmouth, I arrived here yesterday.

'The frigate in which I came sails this fore'noon on her return, and I seize a hurried 'moment to tell you I am well.

• General Fox reached this ten days ago.

He found the troops, on their return from 'Calabria, under Sir John Stuart, where they had landed the beginning of July; and

where, after beating a very superior body of French (at Maida) under General Regnier, ' and driving them out of Calabria, he re' turned to Messina. There has been nothing 'done more brilliant this war. The French 'were, besides three hundred cavalry, be'tween seven and eight thousand infantry. 'The British had no cavalry, and were not quite five thousand in infantry. They met

in a plain, both determined to try their 'strength. They formed and advanced upon ' each other; but the British nerve proved 'the firmest. When they came close, the 'French gave way, and were pursued until

our men were exhausted. Their loss in 'killed, wounded, and prisoners was very great. General Regnier retired with what ' he could collect, which does not exceed three 'thousand.

'I feel much at superseding General Stuart,

'who has performed an action which does so ' much honour to him and to the British arms:

Certainly had it been known at home, I 'should not have been sent here. I have not ' yet seen him ;—he was in the country when 'I arrived yesterday; but General Fox tells 6 me, when he heard I was appointed, he applied to him for leave to return to England: this is natural, and what I should have done in his place. He will however

6

go home with the certainty of receiving the 'honours and rewards he deserves.

'This General Regnier is the man who, in ' his account of the campaign in Egypt, says the English, though they were successful

there, neither displayed talent nor courage!

'All the troops are collected in this neigh'bourhood;-what we can do without the aid ' of other powers I know not. Prince Joseph ' is certainly not very firm on his throne of Naples, but unless other powers come for'ward, any effort of ours could be attended 'with only temporary benefit. But as yet, I ' have had but general conversation with Fox,