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HISTORY OF MARINE ARCHITECTURE.

tween that country and the United States, an alliance, professed to be of thestrictest and most friendly kind. Exclusive of this, a miserable force, of whichscarcely any part was ever known to return to Europe, was kept on foot at Ba-tavia for the ridiculously declared intention of protecting their spice settlements,although the allotted safeguard was scarcely ever competent to contend with morethan two or three British, or French ships of the line. In respect to the dimen-sions, and form adopted by the Hollanders, in the construction of their vessels,as well as those intended for the purposes of war, as of commerce, they had va-ried in them as immaterially as they probably had in the habiliments of their per-sons, or the propensities of their minds*. It were unfair, indeed, to attributethis circumstance entirely to an obstinate wish of differing from all the rest ofthe world, the necessity and restrictions imposed upon them by their situation aswell as the condition of their ports, appear to leave very few points in the wholescience, on which they are perfectly at liberty to act according to their ownfancy and pleasure. The shallows and sands which environ their coast, hadlong taught them, that although they might surpass Xerxes in numbers, theycould never emulate Ptolemy Philopater in magnitude and magnificence. Theburthen, or at least the limited draught of water, which by consequenceis almost the same thing, and which they could not exceed, reduced them tothe necessity -of making their first rates as floatsome as possible in orderthat they might carry their lower guns at a sufficient height from the water,

modore Moore of what had happened. The commodore immediately sent captain Adams in theDiana, having with him the Chester of fifty guns and the Hunter and Trial sloops, with orders tosearch the merchant ships, and to use force, if necessary. The day following captain Adams cameup with them, and told the captain of the Dutch frigate, that he must know what his convoy wereloaded with. He answered, that he would not allow his convoy to be searched, and would certainlydefend the ships committed to his care. On this, captain Adams ordered a boat with a British jackin her bow, to be sent on board each of the Dutch merchant ships, letting the captain of the frigateat the same time know, that he would not suffer the British flag to be insulted. The Dutch fri-gate fired a gun at the headmost boat, loaded with grape-shot, by which one man was wounded. Onthis, captain Adams fired a gun at the frigate, in order to bring her to; this was answered by a broad-side, and an action immediately commenced between the Diana and the Dutch ship of war, whichlasted about a quarter of an hour, when the Dutch ship struck, and, with her convoy, wasbrought into the Downs. In the action the Dutch had four men killed and five wounded; among thelatter was the captain, who lost a part of his nose. The Diana had not a man hurt. The merchantships were found to be laden with naval stores for the use of the French navy, and were detained.The war ship was dismissed.

* The annexed plate represents a Dutch vessel, built in 16S4. The variation between it and oneof the most recent construction, is perhaps difficult to be pointed out.

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