University of Virginia Library

Chapter XX.

[_]

8

A brave Sea fight betwixt two Spanish men of warre,
and Captaine Merham, with Smith.

MERHAM a captaine of a man of war then in the Road,

invited
captaine Smith, and two or three more of them aboord with
him, where he spared not any thing he had to expresse his kindnesse,
to bid them welcome, till it was too late to goe on shore, so that
necessitie constrained them to stay aboord; a fairer Evening could
not bee, yet eremidnight such a storme did arise, they were forced
to let slip Cable, and Anchor, and put to Sea; spooning before the
wind, till they were driven to the Canaries; in the calmes they
accommodated themselves, hoping this strange accident might yet
produce some good event; not long it was before they tooke a small
Barke comming from Teneryf, loaded with Wine; three or foure
more they chased, two they tooke, but found little in them, save a
few passengers, that told them of five Dutch men of warre, about the
Isles, so that they stood for Boyadora, ∥ upon the Affrican shore,
betwixt which and Cape Noa, they descried two saile. Merham intending
to know what they were, hailed them; very civilly they
dansed their topsailes, and desired the man of warre to come aboord
them, and take what he would, for they were but two poore distressed
Biskiners. But Merham the old fox, seeing himselfe in the lions pawes,
sprung his loufe, the other tacked after him, and came close up to
his nether quarter, gave his broad side, and so loufed up to windward;
the Vice-Admirall did the like, and at the next bout, the
Admirall with a noise of Trumpets, and all his Ordnance, murtherers,
and muskets, boorded him on his broad side; the other in like manner
on his ley quarter, that it was so darke, there was little light, but fire
and smoake; long he stayed not, before he fell off, leaving 4. or 5. of
his men sprawling over the grating; after they had battered Merham
about an houre, they boorded him againe as before; and threw foure
kedgers or grapnalls in iron chaines, then shearing off they thought
so to have torne downe the grating; but the Admiralls yard was so
intangled in their shrouds, Merham had time to discharge two crosse
barre shot amongst them, and divers bolts of iron made for that
purpose, against his bow, that made such a breach, he feared they
both should have sunke for company; so that the Spaniard was as
yare in slipping his chained Grapnalls, as Merham was in cutting
the tackling, kept fast their yards in his shrouds; the Vice-admirall
presently cleared himselfe, but spared neither his Ordnance nor
Muskets to keepe Merham from getting away, till the Admirall had
repaired his leake; from twelve at noone, till six at night, they thus
interchanged one volly for another; then the Vice-admirall fell on
starne, staying for the Admirall that came up againe to him, and all
that night stood after Merham, that shaped his course for Mamora,
but such small way they made, the next morning they were not three
leagues off from Cape Noa. The two Spanish men of warre, for so
they were, and well appointed, taking it in scorne as it seemed, with
their chase, broad side, and starne, the one after the other, within
Musket shot, plying their ordnance; and after an houres worke commanded
Merham a maine for the King of Spaine upon faire quarter;
Merham dranke to them, and so discharged his quarter peeces:
which pride the Spaniard to revenge, boorded him againe, and many
of them were got to the top to unsling the maine saile, which the
Master and some others from the round house, caused to their cost
to come tumbling downe; about the round house the Spaniards so
pestered, that they were forced to the great Cabben and blew it up;
the smoake and fire was so vehement, as they thought the Ship on
fire; they in the fore castle were no lesse assaulted, that blew up a
peece of the grating, with a great many of Spaniards more; then they
cleared themselves with all speed, and Merham with as much expedition
to quench the fire with wet clothes and water, which beganne
to grow too fast. The Spaniard still playing upon him with all the
shot they could; the open places presently they covered with old
sailes, and prepared themselves to fight to the last man. The angry
Spaniard seeing the fire quenched, hung out a flagge of truce to have
but a parley; but that desperate ∥ Merham knew there was but one
way with him, and would have none, but the report of his Ordnance,
which hee did know well how to use for his best advantage. Thus they
spent the next after-noone, and halfe that night, when the Spanyards
either lost them, or left them. Seven and twentie men Merham had
slaine, and sixteene wounded, and could finde they had received 140.
great shot. A wounded Spanyard they kept alive confessed, they had
lost 100. men in the Admirall, which they did feare would sinke, ere
she could recover a Port. Thus reaccommodating their sailes, they
sailed for Sancta Cruse, Cape Goa, and Magadore, till they came
againe to Saffee, and then he returned into England.