A sea grammar vvith the plaine exposition of Smiths Accidence for young sea-men, enlarged. Diuided into fifteene chapters: what they are you may partly conceiue by the contents. Written by Captaine Iohn Smith, sometimes gouernour of Virginia, and admirall of Nevv-England.

CHAP. XII. Considerations for a Sea Captaine in the choise of his Ship, and in placing his Ordnance. In giuing Chase, Boording, and entering a man of warre like himselfe, or a defending Mer∣chant man.

IN Land seruice we call a man of warre a Souldier either on foot or horse,* 1.1 and at Sea a Ship, which if she be not as well built, conditioned, and prouided, as neere fitting such an imploiment as may be, she may proue (either) as a horseman that knoweth not how to hold his raines, keepe his seat in his saddle and stirrops, carry his bo∣dy, nor how to helpe his horse with leg and spur in a curuet, gallop, or stop; or as an excellent horsemen that knoweth all this, mounted vpon a Iade 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 prouided as himselfe. But I confesse, euery horseman cānot mount himself alike, neither euery Seaman ship himselfe as he would, I meane not for outward orna∣ment, which the better they are, the lesse to be disliked; for there cannot be a brauer sight than a ship in her brauery, but of a competent sufficiency as the businesse requireth. But were I to chuse a ship for my self, I would haue her saile well, yet strongly built, her decks flush and flat, and so roomy that men might passe with ease; her Bow and chase so Gally-like contriued, should beare as many Ordnances as with conue∣niency she could, for that alwaies commeth most to fight,

and so stiffe, she should beare a stiffe saile and beare out her lower tier in any reasonable weather, neither should her Gunroome be vnprouided: not manned like a Merchant-man, which if they be double manned, that is, to haue 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 Mer∣chant Ships in the world doth any way exceed ours. And those men they entertaine in good voiages haue such good pay, and such acquaintance one with another in shipping themselues, that thirty or forty of them would trouble a man of warre with three or foure times their number man∣ned with prest men, being halfe of them scarce hale Bou∣lings. Yea, and many times a Pirat who are commonly the best manned, but they fight only for wealth, not for ho∣nour nor reuenge, except they bee extremely constrained. But such a Ship as I haue spoken of well manned with ra∣ther 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.

* 1.2Now being at Sea, the tops are seldome without one or other to looke out for purchase, because hee that first dis∣cries a saile, if she proue prize, is to haue a good sute of A∣parell, 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 cer∣taine reward allowed him; when wee see a Ship alter her course, and vseth all the meanes she can to fetch you vp, you are the chase, and hee the chaser. In giuing chase or chasing, or to escape being chased, there is required an in∣finite iudgement and experience, for there is no rule for it; but the shortest way to fetch vp your chase is the best.* 1.3 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 euery 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, th•••• 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 ahead sea, and yours a lee-ward ship, if you doe the like your ship will so beat a∣gainst the Sea, she will make no way; therefore you must goe a little more large though you chase vnder 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,* 1.4 and worke well, will so cun his ship, as force you to enter vpon 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 neuer 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 aduantage for your Ordnance is to boord him thwart the hawse, because you may vse all the ordnance you haue on one side, and she onely them in her prow; but the best and safest boording for entring is on the bow,* 1.5 but you must be carefull to cleare the decks with burning grana∣dos, fire-pots, poutches of powder,* 1.6 to which giue fire by a Gunpodwer match, to preuent traines to the powder chest, w^ch are long boards ioyned like a triangle with diuers broad ledges on either side, wherein lieth as many peeble stones or beatch as can there lie, those being fired will make all cleare before them. Besides in an extremity a man would rather blow vp the quarter decke, halfe decke, fore castle, or any thing, than bee taken by him he knowes a mor∣tall enemy, and commonly there is more men lost in ente∣ring, if the chase stand to her defence, in an instant, than in a long fight boord and boord, if she be prouided of her

close fights: I confesse, the charging vpon trenches, and the entrances of a breach in a rampire are attempts as despe∣rate as a man would thinke could be performed, but he that hath tried himselfe as oft in the entring a resisting ship as I haue done both them & the other, he would surely confesse there is no such dangerous seruice ashore, as a resolued reso∣lute fight at sea. A ships close fights, are smal ledges of wood laid crosse one another like the grates of iron in a prisons win∣dow, betwixt the maine mast, and the fore mast, & are called gratings, or nettings as is said, which are made of small ropes, much in like manner couered with a saile, the which to vndoe is to heaue 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 haue vsed sheare hookes, which are hookes like sickels fixed in the ends of the yards armes, that if a ship vnder saile come to boord her, those sheares will cut her shrouds, and spoile her tackling, but they are so subiect 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,* 1.7 that is to put out his colours in the poope, his flag in the maine top, his streamers or pendants as the ends of his yards armes, furle his spret-saile, pike his mizen, and sling his maine yard, prouide your selfe to fight. Now because I would not bee tedious in describing a fight at Sea, I haue troubled you with this short preamble that you may the plainlier vnderstand it.

Notes

• * 1.1

  How to chuse a Ship fit to make a man of wane.
• * 1.2

  His reward that first discries a Ship, or enters a prize.
• * 1.3

  How to giue chase, and escape the chaser.
• * 1.4

  Boord & boord.
• * 1.5

  Boording & en∣tering a ship.
• * 1.6

  Powder chests.
• * 1.7

  Euident signes that a chase will fight.