In the left foreground, a starboard bow view of a galjoot with the wind on the starboard quarter. In the right middle-distance, an almost bow view of a ship with pendant at the main. Beyond her and stretching away to the left, a large number of ships dead before the wind.

Inscribed in an old hand on the back, probably translating an original inscription cut from the top of the drawing, ‘Thursday, August 27.1665. The States go aboard of some ships, in order to pacify the crew discontent with the premium in case the ships should be burned-after dinner.’ There is no mention of any discontent in the fleet in Brandt’s ‘Life of De Ruyter.’ The Dutch and English fleets narrowly missed meeting each other to the eastward of Buchan Ness. The Dutch made for Norway in good heart and arrived on the coast near Bergen on the 19/29 Bugust.

This is an unsigned pencil and wash drawing by the Elder. Some of the wash may have been added by a later hand.