Page:Account of the dispute between Russia, Sweden & Denmark, and Great Britain.pdf/11

11 violence, and with ſo great a ſea, as to render it impoſſible for any ſhip to have weighed her anchor. The wind and ſea were even ſo violent as to oblige many ſhips to let go a ſecond anchor to prevent them from driving, notwithſtanding they were riding two cables an end; and, by the morning, the wind veered again. to the ſouthward of the weſt. On the 30th of laſt month, the wind having come to the northward, we paſſed into the Sound with the fleet, but not before I had aſſured myſelf of the hoſtile intentions of the Danes to oppoſe our paſſage, as the papers marked No. 1, 2, 3, and 4, will prove; after this intercourſe, there could be no doubt remaining of their determination to reſiſt.

After anchoring about five or ſix miles from the Iſland of Huin, I reconnoitred with Vice-Admiral Lord Nelſon, and Rear-Admiral Graves, the formidable line of ſhips, radeaus, pontoons, galleys, fire ſhips, and gun-boats, flanked and ſupported by very extenſive batteries on the two iſlands called the Crowns; the largeſt of which was mounted with from fifty to ſeventy pieces of cannon; theſe were again commanded by two ſhips of ſeventy Guns, and a large frigate in the Inner Road of Copenhagen, and two 64 gun ſhips, (without maſts) were moored on the Flat, on the ſtar-board ſide of the entrance into the arſenal.—The day after, the wind being ſoutherly, we again examined their poſ, and came to the reſolution of attacking them from the ſouthward.—Vice Admiral Lord Nelſon having offered his ſervices for conducting the attack, had, ſome days before we entered the Sound, shifted his flag to the Elephant; and after having examined and buoyed the outer channel of the middle ground, his Lordſhip proceeded with the twelve ſhips named in the margin, (Elephant, Defiance, Monarch, Bellona, Edgar, Ruſſell, Ganges, Glatton, Iſis, Agamemnon, Polyphemus, Ardent,) all the frigates, bombs, fire-ſhips, and all the ſmall veſſels and that