BY my Letter of Thursday last I gave your Lord­ships a brief account of our condition.

I shall take leave now to trouble your Lord­ships with a more particular representation of our proceedings.

On Tuesday morning 29 August, the Fleet with me proceeded down as low as the Shooe, where the Tide of Flood coming in, we anchored.

In the Forenoon of the same day we discovered a great Fleet of Ships coming up into the River; and by a signal from the Adventure Frigot (sent out the 28 for advice) we found them to be the Revolted Ships: at their co­ming nearer we saw their three Flags, and made them to be (small and great) at least twenty in number.

We had by this time a very great experiment of the Mariners affection, those aboard my Ship applying them­selves to a preparation for fight with the greatest alacrity that ever I saw, there being not one of them that disco­vered the least aversness to engage, or unwillingness to lay down his life for the Enemies reduction; which (as the Captians informed me) was likewise the general tem­per of the rest of the Fleet: And truly the special influ­ence of God upon their Spirits was visible to admiration, and (which I value as no small Priviledge and Honor to this undertaking) their eyes, hearts and prayers were so advanced to Heaven (as the place onely from whence they expected their help) that it was a great engagement [Page 4]to our faith, that God would manifest and engage his sp [...] ­cial presence and power amongst us and for us, in the issue of this Service.

The place where we that day anchored was full of Sands, and the Channel narrow; therefore about Noon we began to ply up towards the Buoy of the Oze-Edge, endeavoring to keep the advantage that God had given us, of being to the windward of the Enemy. That night we anchoring off the Buoy of the Oze-Edge, and the Enemy at about a League distance from us, the Prince sent me a Summons by Mr. Henry Seymour about eight of the clock, which I received, and answered, as I gave ac­count in my last to your Lordships; wherein, of the Sum­mons, and of my Answer, I inclosed a Copy.

The same Tuesday night I consulted with a Councel of War, where we determined how to manage the next days action; the sum of our Resolution being, That eve­ry Ship should weigh, and be loose at the windward tide, and get and keep the wind of the Enemy if possible, and assist each other to the best advantage, if engaged; but not on that day to begin the Engagement on our part, we being every hour in expectation of the Portsmouth Ships, and the Channel where Gods Providence had cast us being so narrow, that in case of Engagement some of the Ships would have been necessarily forced upon the Sands, and so destroyed (which inconvenience we considered might be prevented by the Portsmouth Ships falling upon the Rere, while we fell upon the Van of the Enemies Fleet) yet withal to keep our ground about the Oze-Edge, being a place of more advantage then many others thereabouts.

That night and the next day, viz. the 30 of Aug. till about Noon, all was quiet (the Mariners retaining their former Spirit of Courage, Unanimity and Resolution) [Page 5]and then the Tide of flood coming on, the Enemy weigh­ed; I also weighed with the Fleet under my Command, which plying up and down some hours according to the Resolutions of the Councel of War, maintained the ad­vantage of being to the windward of the Enemy, and ex­pected, without scruple, a sudden Engagement, the wea­ther also being fair, and a Calm expected rather then o­therwise: But about four in the Afternoon there fell so great a Gale of wind (amounting to no less then a Storm) that the Admiral of the Revolted Ships, with his whole Fleet, was forced to come to anchor, and so were we, there being no action the remainder of that Afternoon, nor the night following, during which the Admirals of the two Fleets rode about a League each from other.

That day I sent forth a Vessel to enquire after the Portsmouth Fleet.

On Thursday morning 31 Aug. I called a Coun­cel of War; and then it was again considered, That the Portsmouth Fleet was not yet come in, nor heard of; That some Ships of this Fleet (specially the great ones) would in all probability be forced on the Sands, if we should here engage; which would also produce the like effect as to some of the Revolted Ships, whereby the strength of the Navy would be much impaired; That a few hours expectance might bring in the Portsmouth Fleet, whereby we might not onely proportion the Enemies strength, but also by Gods blessing disable their return: We con­sidered withal, That on the miscarriage of this Fleet depended the miscarriage of the Portsmouth Fleet, and the putting of very high advantages into the Enemies hand, further to prejudice the Trade of the Kingdom, and to make their strength at sea much more considerable: Upon which, and some other grounds then offered, it was (amongst other things) unanimously Resolved upon the [Page 6]Question by my self, the Commissioners of Parliament, and the rest of the Councel of War (consisting of twelve in number) not one voyce contradicting it, That the Ships of this Fleet should observe the Enemies motion, and if he ply up, then to ply up before him, keeping as much as might be to the windward, and declining at pre­sent an Engagement, unless it should be unavoidable; and that in case the Enemy should weigh, and fall down­wards, this Fleet should follow them, yet at such a di­stance, that there might be room enough with conveni­ency to anchor, and to succour the Portsmouth Fleet, in case they should be in sight; and so we prepared our selves, in expectation of an Engagement that Afternoon.

But by the time that these and some other Resolutions of the Councel of War were digested, and ready to be signed, the Viceadmiral of the Revolted Ships did, about ten in the Forenoon, weigh, and shortly after so did the rest; and forthwith their whole Fleet stow'd away: I did thereupon give order to the Fleet with me to weigh; and as soon as my Letter to your Lordships of that day was dispatcht, we gave them chase, some of our Ships keep­ing at a small distance: Of which, the Adventure Fri­got espying a Fleet a head of the Enemy, shot a Gun, in to­ken they were the Portsmouth Ships: Whereupon I made all the Sail I could, to the end this Fleets conjunction with the Portsmouth Ships might be improved to the more effectual engaging of the enemy, though the Fleet supposed by Captain Ball to be from Portsmouth, proved other Ships.

Afterwards night being come, and the Pilot conceiving it dangerous further to proceed so near the Sands, I an­chored near the middle of the Gunfleet, about a League and a half short of the enemy (who by shooting off a Gun, and haling up their Sails, gave cause of confi­dence [Page 7]that they were also coming to anchor) purposing to weigh early next morning to pursue them, and ap­pointing some Ships of this Fleet to lie near to observe their motion.

The next morning the first of Septemb. we found that the Revolters had withdrawn themselves in the night▪ and about six of the clock we discovered the Portsmouth Ships (conceived to be those, by the many Guns that passed by way of salute (as was interpreted) betwixt them and some of this Fleet that went up to them) where­upon I gave order to weigh, but the wind grew so high, that the Pilot delivered his opinion, This Ship would not in such weather be able to sail, without danger of siding upon Gunfleet Sands; whereupon we remained there at anchor all that day, the wind continuing to night very high.

This day being the second of September, we weighed from the middle of Gunfleet, and about ten in the Fore­noon met with all the Portsmouth Fleet (other then some of the smaller Vessels that retired into Harwich for shel­ter against the yesterdays Storm) and so we proceeded together to Albrough Rode, to enquire after the Revolt­ed Fleet; where anchoring, I spoke with the Captains that came from Portsmouth, who represent their several Companies to be as cordial and resolute for the enemies reduction as could be desired.

Since my coming hither, I have endeavored to in­form my self which way the Revolters are gone, and finde it most probable that they are retired to Goree, there being not the least intimation in these parts, that they are gone Northwards: Therefore I shall (God willing) repair to morrow morning towards the Downs, where I shall expect your Lordships further Commands; in­tending in the mean time to send an Express to Holland, [Page 8]for a certain account whether the Ships are in G [...]rce, that I may be in a quicker capacity to put in execution such Orders as shall be given me in charge concerning them. I shall adde no more, but to commend it to your Lord­ships consideration, whether it may not be necessary, That the Order be renewed for indempnity to the Re­volters, upon their submission to the Parliaments Obe­dience, and to rest,

I have written to Colonel Temple to take off the restraint of Ships passage by Tilbury Fort, Any Order or Desire from me notwithstanding.