"At half past ten, the foremost ship of Admiral Nelson's division
passed the southernmost ship of the line of defence. I gave those
ships that were within shot the signal for battle. The block-ships,
Provesteen, and Wagner, and immediately after these the Jutland,
between which and the block-ship Dannebrog, the leading English
ship of seventy-four guns fixed her station, by throwing out one of
her rear-anchors, obeyed the signal, by a well directed and well
supported fire. By degrees, the rest of the ships came up; and, as
they sailed past, on both sides of the ships already at anchor,
they formed a thick line: which, as it stretched northward to the
ship of the line the Zealand, engaged not more than two-thirds of
the line of defence committed to me; while the Trekroner--or Three
Crowns Battery--and the block-ships Elephanten and Mars, with the
frigate Hielperen, did not come at all into the action.

"In half an hour, the battle was general. Ten ships of the line,
among which was one of eighty guns, the rest chiefly seventy-fours,
and from six to eight frigates, on the one side: on the other,
seven block-ships; of which, only one of seventy-four, the rest of
sixty-four and under; two frigates; and six smaller vessels. _This
was the respective strength of the two parties_. The enemy had, on
the whole, _two ships to one_: and the block-ship Provesteen had,
besides a ship of the line and the rear-admiral, two frigates
against her; by which she was raked the whole time, without being
able to return a shot.

"If I only recapitulate, _historically_, what your highness, and
along with you a great portion of the citizens of Denmark and
Europe, have seen, I may venture to call that an unequal combat,
which was maintained, and supported, for four hours and a half,
with unexampled courage and effect--in which the fire of the
superior force was so much weakened, for an hour before the end of
the battle, that several of the English ships, and particularly
Lord Nelson's, were obliged to fire only single shots--that this
hero, himself, in the middle and very heat of the battle, sent a
flag of truce on shore to propose a cessation of hostilities--if I
also add, that _it was announced to me, that two English ships of
the line had struck_; but, being support