orty-four guns, into the line, although she had only
eighteen-pounders on the lower deck.

But before entering into the details of the action which took place on
the 5th of August 1781, it is proper to give some of the particulars
of each squadron. That of Admiral Parker was totally unfit for the
line of battle; the ships had been but a short time together, and had
only two or three times practised the usual manoeuvres of forming
the line, &c. The Fortitude was a small seventy-four, but well manned.
The Princess Amelia was an old eighty-gun ship, with reduced metal and
masts. The Berwick was a good ship, and, in addition to her metal, had
two sixty-eight-pounder carronades on the poop; but next to her was
the Dolphin, forty-four, with only twenty twelve-pounders on the
lower-deck, which could not be expected to make any impression on a
sixty-four. The Buffalo was formerly the Captain, of seventy guns;
but, in the commencement of hostilities, not being thought efficient
as a ship of war, she was fitted up as a mast-ship and her name
changed; but, probably for want of vessels, she was again equipped for
war with sixty guns, but only with eighteen-pounders on the lower
deck. The Preston was a good fifty-gun ship, with her proper metal,
twenty-four-pounders on the lower, and twelve-pounders on the upper
deck. The Bienfaisant had the metal on her lower deck reduced. The
Artois, which afterwards joined the squadron, was the finest frigate
then known; had twenty-eight, eighteen-pounders on her main deck,
with, in addition to her complement of guns, heavy carronades on the
quarter-deck and forecastle; she was manned with three hundred
men. The Latona was a fine thirty-eight gun frigate, with
eighteen-pounders; the Belle Poule and Tartar were excellent of their
class.

The Dutch squadron consisted of one seventy-four, one sixty-eight, one
sixty-four, and five fifty-fours. In the action there were five
frigates, the other five having gone off with the convoy; the list of
both will be found in the Appendix to this volume, with that of the
killed and wounded.

The Dutch squadron and convoy, which were bound to the Baltic, were
discovered at four o'clock in the morning about six leagues to
leeward; and there being a fine commanding breeze and smooth water,
everything was favourable, as well for detaching the convoy, which was
immediately done by signal to the Tartar, as for making dispositions
to attack the enemy. The admiral se