64 GRAND NAVAL VICTORIES, 
his celebrated sea-songs, to encourage manly 
and loyal sentiments among the sailors. 
In the year 1797, there were two naval 
actions, both of them important in themselves, 
and peculiarly so from the state of the times : 
one was that of Sir John Jervis, who gallantly 
fought the Spanish fleet off Cape St. Vincent, in 
February ; the other, that of Admiral Duncan, 
who successfully engaged the Dutch fleet off 
Camperdown, in October. These victories dis- 
pelled the gloom that had hung over the nation ; 
for British valour had shone with the greatest 
splendour in both actions. 
On the 11th of October, 1797, Bligh com- 
manded the Director, in the brave Admiral 
Duncan's fleet, at the famous battle of Camper- 
down. The Miss Blighs have some good naval 
drawings by Owen ; one representing the Director 
coming up with the Vrijheid, the ship of the 
Dutch Admiral, De Winter; another showing 
the engagement between them ; and the third, 
the Vrijheid, almost a hulk, silenced, and 
striking to the British flag. The canton of the 
Dutch flag, a valued prize, is in the possession 
of these two ladies. 
The seamen had now, in the eventful year 
1797, returned to their duty; and on the 19th 
of December a public and solemn Thanksgiving 
to God was held in St. Paul's Cathedral, for the 
three great naval victories obtained by Lords 
Howe, St. Vincent (Jervis), and Duncan. 
In 1801, Bligh commanded the Olatton at 
the battle of Copenhagen, under Lord Nelson, 
who, having sent for him after the action, 
