Dutch Indiamen lying at Bergen 25 August [OS] /4 September 1665. The drawing shows on the left part of the castle at Bergen. Close inshore a galjoot is firing a salute as it sails away. In the centre there is a beacon on a piece of rising ground. To the right there are ships at anchor and small craft and the inscription enge [? Ise near den k…te…ij]. The drawing is also inscribed den 4 september 1665, but is unsigned. There is some poor pen work and black wash added by Charles Gore.

The drawing is one of a series made when the Elder accompanied de Ruyter’s voyage to Bergen in the Autumn of 1665. This took place soon after de Ruyter’s return from the West Indies when he was chosen as commander-in-chief of the Dutch fleet. He went out in the frigate ‘Schiedam’ to join the fleet and Cornelis Tromp handed over his command to him. The reorganized fleet sailed northwards to meet the returning East Indiamen. The English found them first, but refused to destroy them at Bergen and de Ruyter was able to escort them home from there, although many were captured after they had been dispersed by a gale.

In the Boymans Museum, Rotterdam there is a highly finished drawing showing the castle and town of Bergen with the English ships in the foreground and the Dutch in the background.