Story replied, under date of the 22nd of August, that he should be unworthy of Lord Duncan, and forfeit the esteem of every honest man, were he to accept the proposal made to him ; that he knew his duty to his flag and his country ; and that, were Admiral Duncan's force double what it was, he should still retain the same sentiments. The Dutch admiral concluded with an assurance, that he should certainly defend his ships when attacked, but that he would immediately forward the summons to his government. He did so; and at five o'clock on the morning of the 23d, the executive directory formally expressed their approval of Admiral Story's reply. To the two proclamations no reply was returned.

Force being now the only alternative, the British fleet, on the morning of the 26th, again bore up; and by 3 p.m. the transports, with the bomb-vessels, sloops, and gun-vessels, to cover the troops, had taken their appointed stations. Owing to the lateness of the day, the disembarkation was obliged to be delayed until 3 a.m. on the 27th ; when a landing was effected, with no loss (except what arose from some boats oversetting in the surf), under a smart cannonade from the covering vessels. This, as we see, occurred on the 27th ; and yet Admiral Duncan's summons, dated on the 20th, a week previous, began, " More than 20,000 men being, at this moment, disembarked at the Helder, &c." Such an oversight was well calculated to throw a ridicule upon the proposals sent in.

No sooner had the first division of troops begun to move forward, than they were attacked by a Gallo-Batavian force under General Daendels. The engagement lasted from 5 a.m. until evening, when the latter retired to Kéeten, a position two leagues in the rear. The British army lost on this occasion, one lieutenant-colonel, one subaltern, three sergeants, 51 rank and file killed ; one colonel, one lieutenant-colonel, one major, nine captains, six subalterns, 18 sergeants, one drummer, 334 rank and file wounded; and 26 rank and file missing. The Gallo-Batavian army lost 1400 men killed, wounded, and missing, including 57 officers.

Having thus gained possession of the whole neck of land between Kirk-down and the road leading to Alkmaar, the British prepared to attack the Helder point, which contained a garrison of 2000 men. In the night, however, the garrison, first spiking the guns and destroying some of the carriages, evacuated the Helder, and retired across the marshes towards Medemblick. On the 28th, at daylight, the important post of the Helder, in which was a numerous train of artillery, both heavy and field„ was taken quiet possession of by a detachment of British troops, under Major-general Moore ; as were, at the same time, by Captain Winthrop, of the Circe, the following 13 Dutch ships of war, at anchor in the Nieueve Diep:

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