A. D. 1653. 451 



guns of the Dutch fleet were too flender in comparifon with thofe of 

 the Englifh ; and Admiral De Ruyter exprefsly declared, that he would 

 not return to fea, if his fleet were not reinforced with greater and better 

 fliips. For (as appears by intercepted letters for Holland), the Englifli 

 commonwealth had then actually 204 fliips of war, great and fmall, and 

 35,000 feamen ; and in October this year, the principal terror of the 

 Dutch was from our great fliips. The Englifli fleet lying on the Dutch 

 coafts during mofl; part of this year, was very grievous to their merchants, 

 their homeward-bound fleets and convoys being in continual danger of 

 falling into our hands. Their fifliing fliips alfo were kept from going 

 out, which brought immediate calamity on their people. \Thurloe, V. \, 

 pp. 290, 514.] 



The Dutch fleets, however, when joined, made 130 fliips, fome of 

 which indeed were Eafl-India fliips fitted up for war. Yet fuch was 

 then the naval ftren2;th of Holland, that in little more than a month 

 they fitted out 125 fliips of war under Van Tromp, who, in July this 

 fame year, had another great engagement with Monk on their own 

 coafl, when there were 27 Dutch fliips either funk or burnt, but none 

 taken, occafioned by Monk's orders, neither to give nor take quarter. 

 Here alfo they loft their great Admiral Van Tromp. Ker of Kerfland's 

 fecond volume of memoirs fays, that great admiral's fliip, the largeft in 

 the Dutch navy, carried no more than 66 cannon ; but the ftates quick- 

 ly difcovered their want of great fliips, and therefor, in this fame year, 

 built twenty fliips of from 50 to 80 guns : yet we fliall fee, by a much 

 better authority, that three years after their largefl fliip carried but 76 

 guns. On the Englifli fide there were many men flain, though only 

 one fliip loft. 



So great was the naval power of England at this time, that it appears 

 by Thurloe, \ibide7n\ that the Venetian ambaflador in England came 

 to folicit the continuance of fome Englifli fliips of war in that republic's 

 fervice fome time longer: a fu re mark, however, of the feeblenefs of 

 Venice's naval power. 



This year an attempt for a north-eaft paflage was made by order of 

 King Frederic III of Denmark, who fent out three veflels, who it feems 

 adually pafled through Waygatz ftraits, which neither Englifli nor Dutch 

 had been able in former attempts fully to accomplifli. Yet in the bay 

 beyond thofe ftraits they found infurmountable obftacles from the ice 

 and intenfenefs of the cold, fo that they were obliged to retuai unfuc- 

 cefsfully : and fo, probably, will every one, who may hereafter attempt 

 what, from repeated trials, has been found fo impracticable. Yet, even 

 fubfequent to this date, the Dutch in their northern voyages, are laid 

 to have again tried for this paflage, but without being able to proceed 

 fo far eaftward as was done in this Danifti attempt. 



Notwithftanding what we have related concerning the Dutch fettle- 



3.L 2 



