University of Virginia Library

Chapter XIII.
How to manage a fight at Sea, with the proper
tearmes in a fight largely expressed, and the
ordering of a Navy at Sea.

FOR this master peece

of this worke, I confesse I might doe better
to leave it to every particular mans conceit as it is, or those of
longer practice or more experience, yet because I have seene many
bookes of the Art of Warre by land, and never any for the Sea, seeing
all men so silent in this most difficult service, and there are so many
young Captaines, and others that desire to be Captains, who know
very little, or nothing at all to any purpose, for their better understanding
I have proceeded thus farre; now for this that followes, what
I have seene, done, and conceived by my small experience, I referre
me to their friendly constructions, and well advised considerations.

A saile, how beares she or stands shee, to wind-ward or lee-ward,
set him by the Compasse; he stands right ahead, or on the weather-Bow,
or lee-Bow, let flie your colours if you have a consort, else not.
Out with all your sailes, a steady man to the helme, sit close to keepe
her steady, give him chase or fetch him up; hee holds his owne, no,
we gather on him. Captaine, out goes his flag and pendants, also his
waste clothes and top armings, which is a long red cloth about three
quarters of a yard broad, edged on each side with Calico or white
linnen cloth, that goeth round about the ship on the out sides of all
her upper workes fore and aft, and before the cubbridge heads, also
about the fore and ∥ maine tops, as well for the countenance and
grace of the ship, as to cover the men for being seene, hee furles and
slings his maine yard, in goes his spret-saile. Thus they use to strip
themselves into their short sailes, or fighting sailes, which is onely the

fore saile, the maine and fore top sailes, because the rest should not
be fired nor spoiled; besides they would be troublesome to handle,
hinder our sights and the using our armes; he makes ready his close
fights fore and aft.

Master how stands the chase? Right on head I say; Well we
shall reatch him by and by; What's all ready, Yea, yea, every man
to his charge, dowse your top-saile to salute him for the Sea, hale him
with a noise of trumpets; Whence is your ship? Of Spaine; Whence
is yours? Of England; Are you a Merchant, or a man of War? We
are of the Sea; He waves us to lee-ward with his drawne sword, cals
amaine for the King of Spaine, and springs his loufe, give him a chase
peece with your broad side, and run a good berth ahead of him;
Done, done, We have the wind of him, and he tackes about, tacke
you about also and keepe your loufe, be yare at the helme, edge in
with him, give him a volley of small shot, also your prow and broad
side as before, and keepe your loufe; Hee payes us shot for shot; Well,
wee shall requite him; What are you ready againe, Yea, yea. Try
him once more as before, Done, done; Keepe your loufe and lode
your ordnance againe; Is all ready? Yea, yea; edge in with him
againe, begin with your bow peeces, proceed with your broad side,
and let her fall off with the wind, to give her also your full chase, your
weather broad side, and bring her round that the sterne may also
discharge, and your tackes close aboord againe; Done, done, the
wind veeres, the Sea goes too high to boord her, and wee are shot
thorowand thorow, and betweene wind and water. Try the pump,
beare up the helme, Master let us breathe and refresh a little, and
sling a man over boord to stop the leakes; that is, to trusse him up
about the middle in a peece of canvas, and a rope to keepe him from
sinking, and his armes at liberty, with a malet in the one hand, and a
plug lapped in Okum, and ∥ well tarred in a tarpawling clout in the
other, which he will quickly beat into the hole or holes the bullets
made; What cheere mates, is all well? All well, all well, all well;
Then make ready to beare up with him againe, and with all your
great and small shot charge him, and in the smoke boord him thwart
the hawse, on the bow, mid ships, or rather then saile, on his quarter,
or make fast your graplings if you can to his close fights and sheare
off. Captaine we are fowle on each other, and the ship is on fire, cut
any thing to get cleare, and smother the fire with wet cloathes. In
such a case they will presently be such friends, as to help one the
other all they can to get cleare, lest they both should burne together
and sinke; and if they be generous, the fire quenched, drinke kindely
one to another; heave their cans over boord, and then begin againe
as before.

Well Master, the day is spent, the night drawes on, let us consult.
Chirurgion looke to the wounded, and winde up the slaine, with
each a weight or bullet at their heads and feet to make them sinke,
and give them three gunnes for their funerals, Swabber make cleane

the ship, Purser record their Names, Watch be vigilant to keepe your
berth to wind ward that we lose him not in the night, Gunners
spunge your Ordnance, Souldiers scowre your peeces, Carpenters
about your leakes, Boatswaine and the rest repaire the sailes and
shrouds, and Cooke see you observe your directions against the morning
watch, Boy, Holla Master Holla, is the kettle boiled, yea, yea,
Boatswaine call up the men to prayer and breake fast.

Boy fetch my cellar of bottels, a health to you all fore and aft,
courage my hearts for a fresh charge, Gunners beat open the ports,
and out with your lower tire,

and bring me from the weather side to
the lee, so many peeces as we have ports to beare upon him, Master
lay him aboord loufe for loufe, mid ships men see the tops and yards
well manned, with stones, fire pots, and brasse bailes, to throw
amongst them before we enter, or if we be put off, charge them with
all your great and small shot, in the smoke let us enter ∥ them in the
shrouds, and every squadron at his best advantage, so sound Drums
and Trumpets, and Saint George for England.

They hang out a flag of truce, hale him a maine, a base, or take
in his flag, strike their sailes and come aboord with their Captaine,
Purser and Gunner, with their commission, cocket,

or bils of loading.
Out goes the boat, they are lanched from the ship side, entertaine
them with a generall cry, God save the Captaine and all the
company with the Trumpets sounding, examine them in particular,
and then conclude your conditions, with feasting, freedome, or punishment,
as you finde occasion; but alwayes have as much care to
their wounded as your owne, and if there be either young women or
aged men, use them nobly, which is ever the nature of a generous
disposition. To conclude, if you surprize him, or enter perforce, you
may stow the men, rifle, pillage, or sacke, and cry a prise.

To call a Councell of Warre in a Fleet; There is your Councell
of Warre to manage all businesses of import, and the common
Councell for matters of small moment, when they would have a
meeting, where the Admirall doth appoint it; if in the Admirall, they
hang out a flag in the maine shrouds; if in the Vice Admirall, in the
fore shrouds; if in the Reare Admirall, in the mizen; If there bee
many squadrons, the Admirall of each squadron upon sundry occasions
doth carry in their maine tops, flags of sundry colours, or else
they are distinguished by severall pendants from the yards armes;
every night or morning they are to come under the Lee of the Admirall
to salute him and know his pleasure, but no Admirall of any
squadron is to beare his flag in the maine top, in the presence of the
Admirall generall, except the Admirall come aboord of him to
Councell, to dinner, or collation, and so any ship else where he so

resideth during that time, is to weare his flag in the maine top. They
use to martiall or order those squadrons in rankes like Manaples,
which is foure square, if the wind and Sea permits, a good berth or
distance from ∥ each other, that they becalme not one another, nor
come not fowle of each other; the Generall commonly in the middest,
his Vice Admirall in the front, and his Reare Admirall in the
Reare; or otherwise like a halfe Moone, which is two squadrons like
two triangles for the two hornes, and so the rest of the squadrons
behinde each other a good distance, and the Generall in the middest
of the halfe circle, from whence he seeth all his fleet, and sendeth his
directions, as he findes occasion to whom he pleaseth.

Now betweene two Navies they use often, especially in a harbour
or road where they are at anchor, to fill old Barkes with pitch, tar,
traine oile, lincet

oile, brimstone, rosen, reeds, with dry wood, and
such combustible things, sometimes they linke three or foure together
in the night, and puts them adrift as they finde occasion. To passe a
fort some will make both ship and sailes all black, but if the fort keepe
but a fire on the other side, and all the peeces point blanke with the
fire, if they discharge what is betwixt them and the fire, the shot will
hit if the rule bee truly observed; for when a ship is betwixt the fire
and you, shee doth keepe you from seeing it till shee bee past it. To
conclude, there is as many stratagems, advantages, and inventions
to be used as you finde occasions, and therefore experience must be
the best Tutor.