pelled to return to port, in
the month of September, without performing any deed worthy of notice.
All that the French and Spanish admirals did was to pick up some English
vessels, which were bringing home part of the money and property which
the British had seized, as hereafter noticed, at St. Eustatius.

NAVAL ACTION WITH THE DUTCH.

While the French and Spanish fleets were menacing the English coasts,
a dreadful sea-fight took place between the British and the Dutch.
On returning from the Baltic with a convoy of merchant vessels, Rear
Admiral Sir Hyde Parker, in the beginning of August, fell in with
Admiral Zouttman, with a convoy of Dutch traders, off Dogger Bank.
Parker's fleet consisted of six line-of-battle ships and several
frigates; and Zouttman's, of ten ships of the line, eight large
frigates, and five sloops. On discovering each other both commanders
prepared for battle, and advanced in gloomy silence until the hostile
fleets were within pistol-shot. Never, perhaps, was more determined
valour exhibited than on this occasion. Ranged abreast of each other,
the hostile squadrons fought without intermission for nearly four hours.
The slaughter on each side was terrible: the English losing about five
hundred, and the Dutch about 1200 in killed and wounded. The action did
not cease till the fleets on both sides were disabled; and then
they lay-to for some time repairing damages, and apparently with the
intention of renewing the struggle. As soon as Zouttman's ships were
made manageable, however, he wore round, and with all the sail he could
carry, bore away for the Texel. Parker could not pursue him with any
hope of overtaking him; but on the next day his frigates discovered the
Hollandia, a sixty-eight gun-ship, which had been ruined in the battle,
sunk in twenty-two fathoms of water; and it is said that most of the
crew were in her when she went down. By this victory the voyage of the
Dutch to the Baltic was abandoned; their means of procuring naval stores
were cut off; and their valuable carrying-trade was, for this year at
least, annihilated. On his arrival at the Nore, Parker was visited
by the King and the Prince of Wales; and every captain that had been
engaged in the action, and had escaped death, was presented to his
majesty on board the Fortitude. Notwithstanding, Sir Hyde Parker was
so indignant at the insufficiency of his fleet to effect any great
enterprise, that he resigned; and his son, Sir P