_A brave Sea Fight betwixt to_ Spanish _Men of War, and Captain_ Merham,
_with_ Smith.
_Merham,_ a Captain of a Man of War then in the Road, invited Captain
_Smith,_ and two or three more of them aboard with him, where he spared
not any thing he had to express his kindness, to bid them welcome, till it
was too late to go on Shoar, so that necessity constrained them to stay
aboard; a fairer Evening could not be, yet ere Midnight, such a Storm 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
Calms they accommodated themselves, hoping this strange accident might yet
produce some good event; not long it was before they took a small Bark
coming from _Tenerif,_ loaded with Wine; three or four more they chased,
two they took, but found little in them, save a few Passengers, that told
them of five _Dutch_ Men of War, about the Isles, so that they stood for
_Boiadora,_ upon the _African_ Shoar, betwixt which and _Cape Noa,_ they
descryed two Sail. _Merham_ intending to know what they were, hailed them;
very civilly they danced their Top-sails, and desired the Man of War to
come aboard them, and take what he would, for they were but two poor
distressed _Biskainers._ But _Merham_ the old Fox, seeing himself in the
Lions paws, sprung his louf, 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-Admiral did the like, and at the next bout, the Admiral with a
noise of Trumpets, and all his Ordnance, Murtherers, and Muskets, boarded
him on his Broad-side, the other in like manner on his ley Quarter, that
it was so dark, there was little light, but fire and smoak; 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 hour, they boarded him
again as before, and threw four Kedgars or Grapnels in Iron Chains, then
shearing off, they thought so to have torn down the Grating; but the
Admiral's Yard was so intangled in their Shrouds, _Merham_ had time to
discharge two cross barr shot amongst them, and divers Bolts of Iron made
for that purpose, against his Bow, that made such a Breach, he feared they
both mould have sunk for Company; so that the _Spaniard_ was as yare in
slipping his chained Grapnels, as _Merham_ was in cutting the Tackling,
kept fast their Yards in his Shrouds; the Vice-Admiral presently cleared
himself, but spared neither his Ordnance nor Muskets to keep _Merham_ from
getting away, till the Admiral had repaired his Leak; from twelve at noon,
till six at night, they thus interchanged one volly for another; then the
Vice-Admiral fell on Stern, staying for the Admiral that came up again 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 War, for so
they were, and well appointed, taking it in scorn as it seemed, with their
Chase, Broad-side, and Stern, the one after the other, within Musket shot,
plying their Ordnance; and after an hours Work, commanded _Merham_ amain
for the King of Spain upon fair Quarter; _Merham_ drank to them, and so
discharged his Quarter Pieces. Which Pride the _Spaniard_ to revenge,
boarded him again, and many of them were got to the top to unsling the
Main-Sail, which the Master and some others from the Round-House, caused
to their cost to come tumbling down; about the Round-House the _Spaniards_
so pestred, that they were forced to the great Cablen and blew it up; the
smoak and fire was so vehement, as they thought the Ship on fire; they in
the Fore-Castle were no less assaulted, that they blew up a piece 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 Cloaths and Water, which began to grow too fast. The
_Spaniard_ still playing upon him with all the shot they could; the open
Places presently they covered with old Sails, and prepared themselves to
fight to the last Man. The Angry _Spaniard_ seeing the fire quenched, hung
out a Flag 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 he did know well how to use for his best Advantage. Thus
they spent the next Afternoon, and half the Night, when the _Spaniards_
either lost them or left them. Seven and twenty Men _Merham_ had slain and
sixteen wounded, and could find they had received 140 great shot. A
wounded _Spaniard_ they kept alive confessed, they had lost 100 Men in
the Admiral, which they did fear would sink ere she could recover a Port.
Thus Re-accommodating their Sails, they failed for _Sancta Cruse, Cape
Goa,_ and _Magadore,_ till they came again to _Safee,_ and then he
returned into England.
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