surely no one will think that, in so doing, they compromised, in the slightest degree, their professional character.

The British navy, on this occasion, had no opportunity of displaying its wonted prowess ; but, nevertheless, great praise was due to Vice-admiral Mitchell for the whole of his arrangements, and to his officers and crews in general, for their skill in working the ships through channels so narrow, intricate, and shallow, as those through which they were obliged to pass. The loss of 16 two-deckers (one 74, six 64s, two 50s, and six 44s), five frigates, three corvettes, and one brig, out of a total of about 55 vessels, was a serious blow to the Dutch navy ; and yet half a dozen first class French frigates would have been a greater acquisition to the British navy than the whole 25 vessels which had thus surrendered. The Dutch squadron had, it is true, been taken possession of in the name of the stadtholder, but the British government afterwards purchased such of the ships as appeared likely to be useful. Of the 17 ships and one brig so purchased, eight never went to sea as British cruisers ; and the Washington 74, afterwards named Princess-of-Orange, measured only 1565 tons, which was smaller, by 37 tons, than any British 74, them in a serviceable state.

Although our business is not with military details, we will endeavour to present a summary of what occurred on shore. While the Dutch squadron was changing masters, the army under General Abercromby, now amounting to between 16,000 and 17,000 men, had advanced and taken post behind the Zype, a low and intersected piece of ground about eight miles in extent, that lies at the entrance of the peninsula, and has near it a dyke, behind which the troops intrenched themselves, defending their position by a numerous artillery. The advanced posts of their right extended from Pelten to Eenigenburg; those of the centre, a little behind and parallel to the Great Dyke, were at St.-Martin's, Volkoog, and Schagen ; those of their left at Havinghuysen and Zydawind. In this position the Gallo-Batavian army, composed of, at the least 25,000 men, * and commanded by General Brune, having under him the Generals Vandamme, Dumonceau, and Daendels, on the 10th of September, at daybreak, attacked the British army, and after a most severe conflict, was repulsed and driven back to its former position in the neighbourhood of Alkmaar, with the loss, as represented, of nearly 1000 men, in killed, wounded, and prisoners. The loss of the British on the same occasion was, 37 rank and file killed ; one major-general, one lieutenant-colonel, one major, four captains, five subalterns, two sergeants, 135 rank and file wounded ; one sergeant, 18 rank and file missing. The French attributed their overthrow, in part, to a defection among their allies the Batavians.

On the 13th of September the Duke of York landed at the

* Dictionnaire historique, tome i., p. 64.

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