The inner, known as the King's Channel, lay under the guns of the defences which had been hurriedly improvised for the present emergency.

These consisted of a line of hulks, mostly mastless, ranged along the inner side of the King's Channel, close to the flats which bordered it, flanked at the northern end by the permanent work, called the Trekroner[29] Battery.

Westward of the latter lay, across the mouth of the harbor proper, two more hulks, and a small squadron consisting of two ships-of-the-line and a frigate, masted, and in commission.

This division was not seriously engaged, and, as a factor in the battle, may be disregarded.
The northern part of this defence was decisively the stronger.

To attack there, Nelson called "taking the bull by the horns." The southern wing was much more exposed.