The ships were aground near a hostile coast,
his own fleet was hopelessly dispersed, three-quarters of his crew
were dead or disabled, while the vessels with which he was engaged
were constantly recruited by boats from the shore, which brought fresh
men and ammunition, and removed their killed and wounded. At eleven
o'clock Admiral Bossu surrendered, and with three hundred prisoners
was carried into Holland. Bossu was himself imprisoned at Hoorn, in
which city he was received, on his arrival, with great demonstrations
of popular hatred."
De Bossu remained in prison for three years. Later he fought for the
States. His goblet is preserved at Hoorn. His collar is at Monnickendam
and his sword at Enkhuisen.
The room in the Protestant orphanage where De Bossu was imprisoned is
still to be seen; and you may see also at the corner of the Grooteoost
the houses from which the good wives and housekeepers watched the
progress of the battle, and on which a bas-relief representation of
the battle was afterwards placed in commemoration.
Two more heroes of Hoorn may be seen in effigy on the facade of
the State College, opposite the Weigh House, guarding an English
shield. The shield is placed there, among the others, on account of
a daring feat performed by two negro sailors in De Ruyter's fleet
in the Thames, who ravished from an English ship in distress the
shield at her stern and presented it to Hoorn, their adopted town,
where it is now supported by bronze figures of its captors.
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