Cahp. XXIL from the I. os James, I. to the Revolution,

Use of it, to make room towards us,the Englijh and Dutch being employedbusily, to sit up their torn Rigging andTackling, and to stop such dangerousShot as they had received from the E-nemy, in the Fight, betwixt Wind andW ater.

Also, the same Day, in the After-noon, there was a Meeting aboard theRoyal James , where both the EngUJhand Dutch concluded, that they wouldgive the Enemy Fight, the next Morn-ing, and that the Royal James shouldbe the leading Ship, and the Admiralof the Dutch should second her ; Andthat they should go directly to the Ene-my’s Admiral, not striking higher orlower, till the James came Side by Sideby her. So, the third of February , bothsecond the Fleets Weighed Anchor, at Breaka ytFight‘ G ff Day; The Great James having theWeather-gage of the Enemy, stoodright with the Admiral of the Portu-guese, which was headmost but one;But coming near them, they waved toLeeward, with their bright armingSwords, and we the like to them. Theysaluted us with a whole Broad-side; ButCaptain TVeddel commanded his Mennot to answer them, ’till they werebrought nearer within Danger, whichCharge was obeyed ; But being comenearer the Admiral, with another oftheir Ships, the great James bestowedupon each of them a whole Broadside,making them both to bear up, one aPort, and the other a Starboard, bywhich Means One of their Ships was cutoff and sundred from them, and waschased three or four Hours by the Eagleand IVeafope, the Hope of the Englijhand Dutch being, that see should nomore return to her Fleet’s Company.The James , following still the Admiraland Vice-Admiral, got upon the Admi-ral’s Side, having the Vice-Admiral onhis Starboard-bow, insomuch that thisDays Fight grew very hot; For oftenthe James was in the thickest of the E-nemy, being at one Time all round a-bout us; But our Men so plied theirOrdnance upon them, that they all re-fused to stand by us, and sied beforeus like Chaff Dust or Smoak before theWind. In this Fight, the James gotbetween one of their Fleet, and singledher out, lying by her Sides with Fore-sail, and Fore-top-sail, a back stays, sonear as a Man might quoit a Bisket intoher, when streight, Mr. Johnson, cameup in the Stern of the James , so near as

4 79

he could hardly keep clear, to whom 1 625.Captain Weddel called, willing him toclap the Portuguese aboard on the Lar-board-Quarter, while the James laythunaring upon him with her great Ord-nance,which he promised to do,but afterrefused it. This Vessel had not so fewas five Hundred Shot thro’ her Hull,

Masts, Sails, and Yards, before see gotclear.

The same Morning, Captain Weddetthad fitted a Portuguese Vessel, (whichhad been formerly taken with someCockernuts) and purposed to have firedher thwart the Admiral’s Hawse, seebeing appointed to come between theDutch Admiral, and the Jonas-, But AgoodDe-thro’ Disaster, or rather Negligence, in rS^J ru fi ra ’'Darby the Master, who came not up,according to the appointed Place, seewas chased by the Frigats, and see hav-ing but ten Men in her, being of noDefence, they were forced to set her onFire, far from the Fleet, and so theMen betook themselves to a Barge,which was left for their Safety, byWhich Means the General^ Project wasdisappointed. ,

All this third Day and Night, thisVessel burnt, and two Hours beforeDaylight, whether see was towed bysome of the Enemy’s Boats or no, isunknown, but see came burning, a-mongst the Englijh and Dutch Fleets,and forced them from their Anchors,by slipping their Cables, which An-chors they took up about three Days af-ter.

The fourth of February, in the Thg EnemMorning, both Fleets made towards the declines titEnemy, who were under Sail, and made Fight.all the Haste they could to get underthe Island of Loivrack, which lies abouteight or nine Miles from Ormus , untowhich Island their Frigats went a-head,conducting them in over a Bar, whomthe Englijh and Dutch followed as far aswith Safety they durst, having neitherthe Help of Pilots, to seun the Dangersof the Place, nor Frigats to go ahead, asConductors, as the Enemy had; Besides,there might have been Ordnance plant-ed aseoar, by the Enemy, which wouldhave been greatly to their Advantage,or otherwise, in the dark Night, theymight have chained two or three Frigatstogether, and turning them upon them,upon theEbb, thwart their Hawse,mightmuch have endangered them,they know-ing the Enemy to be implacable, mall-eious, and politick. These Reasons

6 F caused

161 5 .

^ Confulta-tl »n held.

sfilutions

it.