 | A SEA GRAMMAR. |  |
Chapter XII.
Considerations for a Sea Captaine in the choise of
his Ship, and in placing his Ordnance. In giving
Chase, Boording, and entering a man of warre
like himselfe, or a defending Merchant man.
IN Land service we call a man of warre a Souldier either on foot or
horse, and at Sea a Ship, which if she be not as well built, conditioned,
and provided, as neere fitting such an imploiment as may
be, she may prove (either) as a horseman that knoweth not how to
hold his raines, keepe his seat in his saddle and stirrops, carry his
body, nor how to helpe his horse with leg and spur in a curvet, gallop,
or stop; or as an excellent horseman that knoweth all this, mounted
upon a Jade that will doe nothing, which were he mounted according
to his experience, hee would doe more with that one, than halfe
a dozen of the other though as well provided as himselfe. But I confesse,
every horseman cannot mount himself alike, neither every Seaman
ship himselfe as he would, I meane not for outward ornament,
which the better they are, the lesse to be disliked; for there cannot
be a braver sight than a ship in her bravery, but of a competent sufficiency
as the businesse requireth. But were I to chuse a ship for my
self, I would have her saile well, yet strongly built, her decks flush
and flat, and so roomy that men might passe with ease; her Bow and
chase
∥ and so stiffe, she should beare a stiffe saile and beare out her lower
tier in any reasonable weather, neither should her Gunroome be unprovided:
not manned like a Merchantman, which if they be double
manned, that is, to have twise so many men as would saile her, they
think it is too many in regard of the charge, yet to speake true, there
is few Merchant Ships in the world doth any way exceed ours. And
those men they entertaine in good voiages have such good pay, and
such acquaintance one with another in shipping themselves, that
thirty or forty of them would trouble a man of warre with three or
foure times their number manned with prest men, being halfe of
them scarce hale Boulings. Yea, and many times a Pirat who are
commonly the best manned, but they fight only for wealth, not for
honour nor revenge, except they bee extremely constrained. But such
a Ship as I have spoken of well manned with rather too many than
too few, with all sufficient Officers; Shot, Powder, Victuall, and all
their appurtenances, in my opinion might well passe muster for a
man of warre.
Now being at Sea, the tops are seldome without one or other to
looke out for purchase,
prove prize, is to have a good sute of Aparell, or so much money as
is set downe by order for his reward, as also he that doth first enter a
Ship there is a certaine reward allowed him; when wee see a Ship
alter her course, and useth all the meanes she can to fetch you up,
you are the chase, and hee the chaser. In giving chase or chasing, or
to escape being chased, there is required an infinite judgement and
experience, for there is no rule for it; but the shortest way to fetch up
your chase is the best. If you bee too lee-ward, get all your Tacks
aboord, and shape your course as he doth to meet him at the neerest
angle you can, then he must either alter his course and Tacke as you
Tacke as neere the wind as he can lye to keepe his owne till night, and
then strike a Hull that you may not descry him by his sailes, or doe
his best to lose you in the darke; for looke how much he falls to lee-ward,
hee falls so much in ∥ your way. If he be right ahead of you,
that is called a sterne chase, if you weather him, for every man in
chasing doth seeke to get the weather, because you cannot boord him
except you weather him, he will laske, or goe large, if you gather on
him that way, hee will trie you before the wind, then if your ordnance
cannot reach him, if he can out-strip you he is gone: But suppose you
are to wind-ward, if hee clap close by a wind, and there goes a head
sea, and yours a lee-ward ship, if you doe the like your ship will so
bear against the Sea, she will make no way; therefore you must goe
a little more large though you chase under his lee till you can run
ahead.
Boord and Boord is when two ships lie together side by side, but
hee that knoweth how to defend himselfe, and worke well, will so cun
his ship, as force you to enter upon his quarter, which is the highest
part of the ship, and but the mizen shrouds to enter by; from whence
he may do you much hurt with little danger, except you fire him,
which a Pirat will never doe, neither sinke you if he can chuse, except
you be able to force him to defend himselfe. But in a Sea fight wee
call Boording, in Boording where wee can, the greatest advantage for
your Ordnance is to boord him thwart the hawse, because you may
use all the ordnance you have on one side, and she onely them in her
prow; but the best and safest boording for entring is on the bow, but
you must be carefull to cleare the decks with burning granados, fire-pots,
poutches of powder, to which give fire by a Gunpowder match,
to prevent traines to the powder chest, which are long boards joyned
like a triangle with divers broad ledges on either side, wherein lieth
as many peeble stones or beatch
will make all cleare before them. Besides in an extremity a man would
rather blow up the quarter decke, halfe decke, fore castle, or any
thing, than bee taken by him he knowes a mortall enemy, and commonly
there is more men lost in entering, if the chase stand to her
defence, in an instant, than in a long fight boord and boord, if she be
provided of her ∥ close fights: I confesse, the charging upon trenches,
and the entrances of a breach in a rampire are attempts as desperate
as a man would thinke could be performed, but he that hathtried
himselfe as oft in the entring a resisting ship as I have done both them
and the other, he would surely confesse there is no such dangerous
service ashore, as a resolved resolute fight at sea. A ships close fights,
are smal ledges of wood laid crosse one another like the grates of iron
in a prisons window, betwixt the maine mast, and the fore mast, and
are called gratings, or nettings as is said, which are made of small
ropes, much in like manner covered with a saile, the which to undoe
is to heave a kedger, or fix a grapling into them, tied in a rope, but a
chaine of iron is better, and shearing off will teare it in peeces if the
rope and anchor hold, some have used sheare hookes, which are
hookes like sickels fixed in the ends of the yards armes, that if a ship
under saile come to boord her, those sheares will cut her shrouds, and
spoile her tackling, but they are so subject to breake their owne yards,
and cut all the ropes comes from the top-sailes, they are out of request.
To conclude, if a ship bee open, presently to boord her is the
best way to take her. But if you see your chase strip himselfe into
fighting sailes, that is to put out his colours in the poope, his flag in
the maine top, his streamers or pendants at the ends of his yards
armes, furle his spret-saile, pike his mizen, and sling his maine yard,
provide your selfe to fight. Now because I would not bee tedious in
that you may the plainlier understand it.
| A SEA GRAMMAR. | |