Nathaniel Dance commanded the China Fleet from Earl Camden, a large and heavily armed East Indiaman. Her listed armament in 1803 was thirty-six 18-pounder guns, and she is described as a three-decker. From a distance, that combination could suggest a 72-gun ship and give Dance a plausible flagship for his deception. The case shows why Linois could not settle the ship's identity from silhouette alone: Earl Camden possessed substantial real firepower as well as a misleading appearance.
Notable Point · 1:24:35-1:25:51
Earl Camden gave Dance a convincing flagship
Nathaniel Dance's Earl Camden combined a three-deck silhouette with thirty-six 18-pounder guns, giving the Pulo Aura deception a plausible warship-like flagship.