Possibly a council-of-war on board the ‘Delfland’ off Buchan Ness, 17 [OS]/27 August 1665. On the left is a port quarter view of the ‘Delfland’ with a crowd of boats under her stern. A galjoot with mainsail brailed is on her port beam. In the right foreground is a boat pulling towards the ‘Delfland’. A large number of ships under easy sail can be seen in the background. The subject is identified from an inscribed drawing (PAH3873).

An offset worked up with pencil and wash, possibly by a later hand.

This is part of a series of drawings depicting de Ruyter’s voyage to Bergen, Autumn 1665. Van de Velde left Holland in his galjoot with the fleet under Tromp in August, and when de Ruyter took over command, went with him to Bergen.