make her appearance in the gay circles. The beauty and elegance of her perfon will undoubtedly give her a diftinguished place in the fashionable world, unless that sweetness of temper and gentleness of manners which the poffeffes, fhall induce her to prefer the innocent happinefs of private life to the splendour of a court, and the admiration of a ball-room. “The Admiral is fixty four years of age; his countenance is agreeable and commanding, he is above fix feet high, and his perfon is well proportioned. His manners are fimple, eafy, and obliging, equally free from affectation and roughness, the natural expreffion of unfeigned goodness of heart. His life has been fpent in the fervice of his country, and on every occa fion he has maintained the character of a British officer. When a captain, and at that time reckoned the handfemeft officer in the navy, his affiftance was required by the civil power to quell fome infurrection at Portf mouth. The brave Commander, at the head of his crew, with his fword in his hand, convinced the mob that he had fpirit and firmness to enforce obedience if they were determined to refift. His frankness and generofity fpared that alternative, he joked them into good hu mour, and they feparated in peace. "The unpleasant station which has fallen to his lot during this war, certainly pointed him out as a peculiar object of royal favour. When the alarming mutiny at the Nore deprived him of the greater part of his fleet, and he had hardly a fhip left that he could truft, to except his own, the gallant Admiral caused the Venerable to be put clofe in with the Texel, and two frigates to be placed in the Offing to make fignals. By this means he manoeuvred the Dutch till he got a reinforcement. They would not venture out, thinking he was come to reconnoitre, and that the frigates were ftationed to communicate between him and his fleet; but in every instance he has difcovered great difcernment and profeffional knowledge. "After T 2 "After having provoked the Dutch to give him battle, till he was tired and difgufted, he conceived they had fome other object in view, and that his keeping his ftation would prevent the very thing he moft ardently defired. He gave out that he was under the neceffity of returning home to refit. Some of his fleet did certainly stand in need of repairs, and the probability of this circumftance, after having been fo long at fea, gave that credibility to the report which was neceffary to induce the wary Dutch to commence their intended expedition. His feint of coming into port to refit, was fo thoroughly believed to be real, that feveral of his officers and men who had gone on fhore, were left behind when he failed, after having received intelligence of the Dutch fleet being at fea. The determined courage of the Dutch in the scene of action, called forth all the bravery of the British feamen, and it was certainly the beft difputed grand engagement that has been fought during the war. Such are the merits of Lord Duncan, that the Emperor of Ruffia hath noticed and rewarded them. The following letter was fent him by that potentate, and is expreffive of the regard he entertained for his fervices: "ADMIRAL DUNCAN, "In confideration of the talents which you have displayed during your military career; the honourable and distinguished manner in which you acquitted yourself in the command which you had over my fquadron, deftined to combat, conjointly with yours, the enemies of your country, and the zeal which you have manifefted for the well being of my subjects, as well officers as feamen, I have created you Chevalier of my Imperial Order of St. Alexander Newfky, the Infignia of which accompany this for your inveftiture. I flatter myself that the juftice which I now render you will be received by you as a ftriking proof of my high confideration and good withes. I pray God to have you in his holy and particular keeping. (Signed) PAUL" Peterhoff, July 19, -1797. But But it will now be expected that an account be given of Lord Duncan's late victory over the Dutch, with the glory of which Britain long refounded. The preceding sketch specifies fome circumftances previous to the commencement of the action. The battle will be best related in his own words. We prefer this mode of communicating it, as poffeffed of feveral advantages. Who is better able to defcribe the scene than the man who is profeffionally acquainted with fuch affairs? Who can delineate it with greater accuracy than the hero by whose fuperior skill and difcernment the victory is atchieved? Befides, we like to hear a celebrated character relating measures in which he himself bore the principal part, and the fuccefs of which is intimately connected with the welfare of his country. Venerable off the Coaft of Holland, the 12th of October, by Log (11th) three P. M. Camperdown, E. S. eight miles, wind N. by E. 66 SIR, "I have the pleasure to acquaint you, for the information of the Lords Commiffioners of the Admiralty, that at nine o'clock this morning I got fight of the Dutch fleet; at half past twelve I paffed through their line, and the action commenced, which has been very fevere. The Admiral's fhip is dismasted and has ftruck, as have feveral others, and one is on fire. 1 "I fhall fend Capt. Fairfax with particulars the moment I can spare him. I am, Sir, "Your most obedient humble fervant, To Evan Nepean, Efq. Venerable at Sea, 13th of October, 1797, off the Coaft of Holland. "Be pleased to acquaint the Lords Commiffioners of the Admiralty, that, judging it of confequence their Lordships fhould have information as early as poffible of the defeat of the Dutch fleet under the command of Admiral De Winter, I difpatched the Rofe cutter at three P. M. on the 12th (11th) inft, with a short letter to you immediately after the action ૬. was ended. I have now further to acquaint you, for their Lordship's information, that in the night of the 10th inftant, after I had fent away to you my letter of that date, I placed my squadron in fuch a fituation as to prevent the enemy from returning to the Texel without my falling in with them. At nine o'clock in the morning of the 11th, I got fight of Captain Trollope's fquadron, with fignals flying for an enemy to leeward; I immediately bore up, and made the fignal for a general chace, and foon got fight of them, forming in a line on the larboard tack to receive us, the wind at N. W. As we approached near, I made the signal for the fquadron to fhorten fail, in order to connect them; foon after I saw the land between Camperdown and Egmont, about nine miles to leeward of the enemy, and finding there was no time to be loft in making the attack. I made the fignal to bear up, break the enemy's line, and engage them to leeward, each fhip her opponent, by which I got between them and the land, whither they were faft approaching My fignals were obeyed with great promptitude, and Vice Admiral Onflow, in the Monarch, bore down on the enemy's rear in the moft gallant manner, his divifion following his example, and the action commenced about forty minutes past twelve o'clock. The Venerable foon got through the enemy's line, and I began a close action, with my divifion on their van, which lafted near two hours and a half, when I obferved all the mafts of the Dutch Admiral's fhip go by the board: fhe was, however, defended for fome time in a moft gallant manner; but being over preffed by numbers, her colours were ftruck, and Admiral De Winter was foon brought on board the Venerable. On looking around me, I obferved the fhip bearing the Vice-Admiral's flag, was also dismasted, and had furrendered to Vice-Admiral Onflow; and that many others had likewise struck. Finding we were in nine fathoms water, and not farther than five miles from the land, my attention was fo much taken up in getting the heads of the difabled fhips off fhore, that I was not able to diftinguish the number of fhips captured; and the wind having been conftantly on the land fince, we have unavoidably been much difperfed, fo that I have not been able to gain an exact account of them, but we have taken poffeffion of eight or nine; more of them had ftruck; but taking advantage of the night, and being fo near their own coaft, they fucceeded in getting off, and fome of them were feen going into the Texel the next morning. "It is with the greatest pleasure and fatisfaction I make known to their Lordships the very gallant behaviour of ViceAdmiral Onflow, the Captains, Officers, Seamen, and Marines of the fquadron, who all appeared actuated with the truly British spirit, at least thofe that I had an opportunity of feeing. The car "One of the enemy's fhips caught fire in the action, and drove very near the Venerable; but I have the pleasure to say it was extinguished, and she is one of the fhips in our poffeffion. The fquadron has fuffered much in their mafts, yards, and rigging, and many of them have loft a number of men; however, in no proportion to that of the enemy. nage on board the two fhips that bore the Admiral's flags has been beyond all description; they have had no less than 250 men killed and wounded on board of each fhip; and here I have to lament the lofs of Captain Burgefs, of his Majesty's fhip the Ardent, who brought that ship into action in the most gallant and mafterly manner, but was unfortunately killed foon after. However the fhip continued the action close, until quite difabled. The public have loft a good and gallant officer in Capt. Burgefs, and I, with others, a fincere friend. "Captain Trollope's exertions and active good conduct in keeping fight of the enemy's fleet until I came up, have been truly meritorious, and, I truft, will meet a juft reward. "I fend this by Captain Fairfax, by whose able advice I profited much during the action, and who will give their Lordships any further particulars they may wish to know. "As moft of the fhips of the fquadron are much difabled, and feveral of the prizes difmafted, I fhall make the best of my way with them to the Nore. I am, Sir, "Your most obedient humble fervant, To Evan Nepean, Esq. 66 SIR, Venerable, off Orfordnefs, Oct. 15. "In addition to my letter of the 13th inftant, containing the particulars of the action of the 11th, and which I have not been able to fend away until this day, I have to acquaint you, for the information of the Lords Commiffioners of the Admi ralty, |