Feb 6, 2022
The tide had flowed more than an hour when we passed the Nore light and came to an anchor.
"What lights are those?" inquired I.
"That's Sheerness," replied Bramble. "We were talking of the French and Danes coming up the river. Why, Tom, it is not much more than one hundred and fifty years ago when the Dutch fleet came up to Sheerness, destroyed the batteries and landed troops there; howsomever, as I said of the French and the other chaps, they won't do so again in a hurry."
— Frederick Marryat, Poor Jack
Sloop becalmed off Sheerness with other shipping, drawing by Dominic Serres, late 18th century.
