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 Peter Parker, was appointed to the command of a squadron of frigates to block up the Dutch ports.