Chap.XXIL from the I. of James I, to the Revolution,
1625. League with the United Provinces. The raise it, than by borrowing of Personsnext Thing to be thought of was the able to lend, to whom he directed Let-fitting out a Fleet; But for that Mony ters, under his Privy Seal, requiring, bywas wanting, and now was the first Ef- Way of Loan, such Sums as each wassect of the Dissolution of the Parliament taxed at. But these forced Loans cauf-feen. The King could think of no ed great Uneasinesses, as we stall fee inspeedier or more efficacious Method to the Sequel.
CHAP. XXII.
A Sea-fight, in which four Englilh Ships, under the Command of Captain JohnWeddel, and four Dutch Ships, fought three Days in the Gulph of Persia, nearOrmus, againfi eight Portuguese Gallions, and two and thirty Frigats. (a)
Ships Names.
162“| OUR Englijh Ships.
1. The Royal Jams, Admiral.
2. The Jonas, Vice-Admiral.
3. The Star, Rear-Admiral.
4. The Eagle, fourth Ship.
John Weddeli,, chief Comman-der of the Englijh Fleet.
Four Dutch Ships.
1. The South Holland, Admiral.
2. The Bantam, Vice-Admiral.
3. The Maud, of Dort, Rear-Admi-ral.
4. The We as ope, fourth Ship.
Albert Becker, chief Commander
of the Dutch Fleet.
Senc The thirtieth of January 1623. the%nelf the Englijh and Dutch Ships being in theRoad of Gombrean, there arrived a smallFrigat, belonging to a Place calledChowle (which is in War with the Por-tugueje. ) She came in between theMain and Ormus, to whom the Generalof the Englijh, Captain John Weddeli,sent Mr. Andrew Evans, in a smallBoat, to know from whence she came,and whether she could give us any In-telligence of the Portuguese Armada-,Her Answer was, that she came from aPlace, about eight or ten Leagues to theSouthwards of Chowle, laden with Pep-per and other Merchandizes, and with-al she said, that, on the four and twen-tieth, she was off of the Cape called
Cape Cor dell,half way betwixt the Coastof India and Cape Jacques, where, toLeeward of her, she law eight greatGallions, and certain Frigats, whichFrigats gave her Chafe, but she keptherself so near the Shoar that they couldnot fetch her up, and this was the firstInformation of the near Approach of theEnemy.
The thirty-first of January, in theMorning, the Englijh and Dutch Fleetsheard three Pieces of Ordnance,_ shotoff, from Kijhme Castle (a strong Hold,and in War with the Portuguese J) theCaptain of th6 said Castle having beforepromised the General, Captain Weddal,that if he deferyed any Sails, or Ships,in Sight of theCastle, that then he woulddischarge those Pieces, as a Warning tohim, which accordingly he did.
Hereupon, a Man was sent up to theTop-mast-head, in the Englijh Admiral,to look abroad, who being up, present-ly cry ed, a Sail, 2, 3, 4, 3, 6, 7, 8,with many Frigats in their Company.Then the General commanded the Gun-ner to shoot of a Piece of Ordnance, togive Warning to all the Fleet, to putthemselves in a Readiness, for the En-tertainment of ti^e Enemy, putting alsothe bloody Colours out. The DutchAdmiral did the like, with all Speed,getting their Men and Boats from theShoar, weighing their Anchors on allHands, and, getting under Sail, withall possible Celerity, Courage and Re-solution.They stood towards theEnemy,whose Drift was to have taken the En-glijh and Dutch at Anchor, unpre-pared ;
Ja ) This Relation being from one who was present in the^Action, I shall give it mv Readers inhis own Words, • ^
1623.
Mony ex-torted byLoans.
1623.
Farther JSfo -itice of theirComing.
They getSight ofthem.