An exact and true RELATION OF The great and mighty Engagement between the English and Dutch Fleets upon the coast of Holland. Being the copy of a Letter sent from the Navy, touching the same.
IF after so many eminent discoveries of the will and purpose of God, touching the establishment of our Commonwealth, any man should be so much averse as to continue opposite to the present rule and steering of those Conservators who now sit at the helm, let them remember, how God useth to dispose of his incorrigible and implacable enemies. But I perceive, one main impediment that keeps men from quitting their old and ancient principles (a sparkling Diamond, in the precious Fundamentals of our English Law; but foul and ignoble to kindle new coals within our dying and decaying embers; for I must ingeniously confesse, they are not yet well sifted,) is, the fear of being counted a Turn-coat: Yet know [Page 2] that if God once declare, as it were from Heaven against thy ways, thy principle or thy party, then it is no dishonor, but ingenuity, and thy duty to Turn: For he hath said in this case, If a man do not turn, he will whet his sword, he hath bent his bow, and made it ready, he hath prepared or him the instruments of death and destruction. And it was a loud declaration from Heaven at our first engagement, when it pleased God to decide the controversie, upon these our Neptune Dominions, for many weeks, in the space of 7 hours: And again, let us but remember, how eminently he hath appeared since in the second and third engagements, at which time we are credibly insormed, that Trump and his Councel of Officers had such a sharp appetite, that nothing would satisfie their insatiable stomacks, but the Isle of Wight for a Breakfast, Dover for a Dinner, and our whole Fleet to make shipwrack of for a Supper; thus did they gorge themselves with spoil, but at the last gave up the account with a final decision, almost, of the whole controversie; for Providence seems, as it were with his own finger, to point out to all the world his resolutions for England, against a proud, imperious, and most insulting Hogen Mogen, that is, the high and mighty Rebel of the Netherlands; and by the several links comprised within his incomparable and golden chain of mercies, has vouchsafed unto us sundry silver prizes, although I must ingeniously acknowledge, sometimes we have purchased them at a high rate: for truly, we have a very stout enemy to deal withal, and that all Europe (by wofull experience) hath found; but really the burthen seems not very heavy unto us; for upon the 13 of this instant, being commanded to the coast of Holland, we all mutually aboard our nimble Amity, resolved as one man to adventure all that was near and dear unto us, in the defence and preservation of [Page 3] the honour and just propriety of our Native Countrey, against all Usurpers, Violaters, and Infringers of the ancient priviledges thereof.
In obedience to command we set sail, with 5 men of war more to range the Holland coast, which we did, and the 14 of the same, we arrived near the said Hollands coast, where one of our Frig [...]ts that was in company, put forth the Dutch colours, upon the boltsprit, and likewise upon the Poop, and had Dutch vains at his Topmast heads then came two Pilot boats of, with 11 Pilots in them, and so they were all taken prisoners, & to make it short we all stood too and again for three days space, where we took amongst us five Busses with Herrings, then began a storm and we lost one another, and after the storm had continued six days, we met with a Hollander come from new Netherland, 14 pieces mounted, 750 hoghosts of leaf Tobacco, and 800 Beaver skins, with some other rich furs, we called to him to strike, he would not, we came along his side, and fired four guns into her, and at that bout shot his tiller in two pieces, it was so much wind that we could not bear our lower guns out, but at the last he steering away something large, we made a little shift to get 5 guns out below, and so boarded him, but was forced of again by reason of the sea it was so great, and they told us they would not yield in that weather, and we answered we would sink them, and so we did within one half hours time, for we ranged along his side twice, and trebble loaded our guns, with round and bar, and shot him under water, the men we saved to the number of 21, whereof one died when he came aboard, she lay with her top sail yards in the water, above 4 hours, which made us imagine that the Tobacco in the Cask was not wet through, that made her swim so long, we lost 4 men, and four more deadly wounded, the Captain and Pylot [Page 4] were both hurt, the one on the thigh, the other on the leg, but now in the mending hand, we shot all her rigging to pieces before we sunk her, and she tore us to some purpose, as had almost at any time yet, we likewise took one Busse, and we took what things was in her, and the men out of her to the number of 13, and so let her go adrift by reason of the bad weather, there is 12 sail more taken, and 3 sunk going into the Texel, they were 40 sail in all, some from the Streights, and some from France, and likewise from the West Indies, the ship that we took was one of them, and had lost her Fleet, this day we are all of us setting sail from Albrough Bay, for the coast of Holland to the number of 22, the rest of our Fleet is there already under the command of Captain Lawson. Van de Witte is ready to come out, but with what number I cannot certainly tell you, for the men that we took in the Buss, would not certifie us of no more then 36 or 40 sail, our boat is going ashore with the wounded men, and I have no time to write any thing more; onely I thought it not amiss to represent you with a List of the names of the Dutch Officers that were taken prisoners in the late fight, and sent to England in the ship Samuel, and commanded by Capt. William Swyer, viz.
- Captain Cornelius Everson
- Cap. Arion Banker
- Cap. Martins Scahar
- Cap. Cornelius Taman
- Cap. Nich. Cloys Johnson
- Cap. Garbrand Scater
- Cap. And. Fortune
- Cap. John Hais
- Lieut. Derrick Clonter
- Lieut. Hendrick Johnson Koning
- Lieut. Helebtan Debuck
- Lieut. James Sequeste
- Ensign John Virmuden
- Ensi. Francis Vandermore
- John Alberton, master
- Batholomew Roulosson, m.
- [Page 5]Feter Williamson, m.
- Garbrant Cornelius, m.
- Peter Stute, m.
- Hilbrack Arion, m.
- Peter Lawson, m.
- Peter Mardinson, m.
- Segabert Martine, Surgeon.
- Bernard Alberson Camp, S.
- Garrat Hendrickson Plugh, S.
- Hendrick Jacobson, S.
- John Juling, S.
- William Dunker, masters mate
- Simond Johnson Haline, ma.
- Duick Abrahams, m.m. sters mate
- Lewis Desonte, m.m.
- Rame Peterson, m.m.
- James Johnson, m.m.
- Martin Joorson, m.m.
- Cloyse Andros, gunner
- Laurence Lawerson, g.
- Daniel Hendrickson, g.
- Cornelius Bomes, Boatswain
- Hendrick Cornelius, Boatswain
- Cornelius Jacobson, Boatswain
- David Otter, Boats.
- Michael Dammart, Carpenter.
- Jacob Polson, Carpenter.
- John Ringes, Carpenter.
- Barnet Johnson, Carpenter.
Postscript.
VPon the close of this letter, the wind blowing, and having a fair gale, we struck off to the Dutch coast, where our General Monk sailing within a league of the Texel bar, with 100 sail, caused the Pendants and Streamers to be hung forth, and there rode with the rest of our Fleet till Thursday in the evening, at which time the seas growing rough, we were forced to ride at Anchor two leagues off; but upon our near approach the next morning, the Governour of the Texel caused the Harbour to be chain'd up, and the Ordnance planted; the like was done at the Brill, Goree, and other places, and great is the allarum throughout all the Cinque-ports, with this suddain change and revolution; for indeed, their design was [Page 6] to be out, before we could be ready to strike sail, and being prevented, the onely way to make it more facile, was for 24 of their chief Lords, to go to every Court of Admiralty, and to hasten out the shipping, whereof eight stately new ships, we hear are ready to lanch torch into the Deep with the rest, and De Witte is to carry the Flag alias the Standard of the Netherlands, who 'tis said is resolved to fight us upon the 10 of this instant September, with one hundred and twenty men of War, and 27 Fireships; besides seventeen sail of French that are joined with them: so that we expect a suddain engagement, and desire the prayers of all the people of God, for his poor creatures amongst the rest, in the day of battell, who subscribes himself,