worked like cutters, the Admiral made signal for all captains and pilots to come on board.  He then repeated his order to sail, and enforced obedience.  The fleet sailed, and beat across the North Sea to their station, without an accident; and the enemy returned to their former anchorage as soon as the blockading force appeared.  As the autumn advanced, the pilots gave up the charge of the fleet; but Sir Edward kept his station, until the increasing severity of the gales compelled him to take shelter in the Downs.

In the spring of 1811, he succeeded Sir Charles Cotton as commander-in-chief in the Mediterranean.  He proceeded to his station in the Caledonia, with his brother Israel, lately promoted to be a Rear Admiral, as captain of the fleet; and arrived off Toulon on the 18th of July.  Next morning, two French frigates returning from Genoa with conscripts for the fleet were chased by the Conqueror and Sultan, the inshore squadron; and the French commander, Vice-Admiral Comte Emeriau, sailed out with thirteen line-of-battle ships and a frigate, to protect them.  The Conqueror approached near enough to fire upon the frigates, and afterwards, with her consort, exchanged a few distant broadsides with the advanced ships of the enemy:  but these, whose only object was to secure the frigates, did not wait for the main body of the British force, now fast coming up, but hastened back to their anchorage.  This affair, with the evident high state of equipment of the French fleet, led all to expect that there would soon be a general action; a hope in which the Admiral fully participated.  He writes thus on the 28th of December, 1811, when the fleet was on its way to Mahon:—­

“MY DEAR BROTHER,—­I would not permit a ship to sail direct for England without carrying you a few lines to say we are all well, on our way to replenish our provisions and water for the winter’s cruise:  when this is done, we return to our old ground; or it is possible we may attempt to lay in Hyeres Bay, should we find the ground good for winter gales, of which at present we are not quite assured.  We lay there a month in full expectation it would force the enemy to give us battle, and it will probably at last compel them to do so next spring.  They are actively fortifying the islands and bay all around, in order to guard against attack, and have at least ten thousand men at work:  they suspect our army will move this way.  As far as we can judge from appearances, I have never yet seen a French fleet in half the order the Toulon one is.  They have, I am sorry to say, adopted but too many of our arrangements, and in point of clothing, they exceed us.  They also keep everybody on board, so that the French officers are now of necessity obliged to find amusement in their duty; and become acquainted with their people.  The ships are magnificent; four of 120 guns, larger than Caledonia, and twelve fine two-deckers, are all ready and manned.