Page:The reign of George VI - 1763.djvu/151

 from Hull with sixty ships of the line, and thirty-five frigates, to the mouth of the Baltick; he soon learned that the Russian fleet was not even collected: thirty sail of the line were anchored off Stockholm, in expectation of being joined by twenty more from Petersburg, when they were to rendezvous at Copenhagen, where twenty sail were ready for the sea. The Duke no sooner gained this intelligence, than he immediately entered the Baltick, and steering towards Stockholm, designed to fall on the Russian fleet before they had advice of his approach. He executed his scheme with all imaginable success. In a dark night, he sent in six fire ships among their squadron. The effect was terrible, and fatal to the enemy; eleven ships of the line were burnt, and seven frigates; four sunk, and seven taken: the rest were greatly damaged and totally dispersed.