ish made complaints against Denmark, saying that
it was carrying food and forage into French and German ports in defiance
of the laws of neutrality. As these laws were of English origin the Danes
did not feel inclined to submit to them, and after the death of Bernstorf
Danish men-of-war were sent to sea to protect their merchant vessels.

Quarrels and hostile feeling arose from this, but the crisis did not come
until the summer of 1800, when Russia, Sweden, and Prussia formed a
treaty for an "armed neutrality" and invited Denmark to join it. England
at once took alarm. While the other nations were powerful enough to defy
her, Denmark was poor and quite unprepared for warlike operations, and
when, in the spring of 1801, a fleet under Admirals Parker and Nelson
appeared on her waters she was by no means in readiness for such a
demonstration.

Taken by surprise as they were, however, the Danes had no thought of
weakly submitting to this hostile movement, and did their best to prevent
the English from passing the Sound. Their chief defence was the fortress
of Cronberg, near Elsinore, where heavy cannon were mounted to command
the narrow strait here separating Sweden and Denmark. But by closely
hugging the Swedish coast Parker kept beyond the range of these guns, and
in April, 1801, cast anchor in the harbor of Copenhagen. His fleet
consisted of fifty-one vessels, twenty of them being line-of-battle
ships.

Alarmed by the coming of the fleet and taking advantage of the delays in
its movement, the Danes had made every possible preparation for a
vigorous resistance. Strong batteries defended the city and an imposing
array of heavily armed ships, drawn up behind a shoal, presented a
formidable line of defence.

Some delay took place, against the wish of the fiery Nelson, who was
second in command of the fleet. Nelson was eager for an immediate attack,
and finally Parker gave way and left the matter in his hands.

Nelson was in command of the Elephant, but finding that ship too large
for the waters before him he removed his flag to the St. George and led
the way to the attack with the smaller vessels of the fleet, Parker
remaining at anchor some miles distant with the larger vessels.

A fierce and bloody conflict ensued, lasting from four to five hours.
Nelson closed on his foe by getting within the shoal, but he met with a
stout and vigorous resistance, the Danish seamen, under their able
commander Olfert Fischer, fightin