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Right Honorable,
I Have dispatched away this Express to your Honors, to give you an account of what past yesterday be∣tween us and the Dutch Fleet being in Rye-Bay; I re∣ceived Intelligence from Major Bourn, that Van Trump with Forty Sail was off the South-sand head, where∣upon I made all possible speed to ply up towards them, and yesterday in the morning we saw them at Anchor in and near Dover-Road; being come with∣in
Three Leagues of them, they weighed and stood away by a wind to the Eastward: We supposing their intention was to leave us to avoid the Dispute of the Flag; about two hours after they altered their course, and bore directly with us, Van Trump the headmost, whereupon we lay by and put our selves into a fighting posture, judging they had a resolution to ingage; be∣ing come within Musquet shot, I gave order to fire at his Flag, which was done thrice, after the third shot he let flie a Broad-side at us; Major Bourn, with those Ships that came from the Downs, being eight, was then making towards us, we continued fighting till night, then our Ship being unable to sail, by reason that all our Rigging and Sails were extreamly shattered, our Mi∣zen-Mast shot off, we came with advice off the Ca∣ptains to an Anchor about three or four Leagues of the Ness to refit our Ship, at which we labored all the night; this morning we espyed the Dutch Fleet about four Leagues distance from ours towards the Coast of France, and by advice of a Councel of War, it was re∣solved to ply to windward to keep the weather gage, and we are now ready to let fall our Anchor this Tide; what course the Dutch Fleet steers we do not well know, nor can we tell what harm we have done them, but we suppose one of them to be sunk, and another of Thirty Guns we have taken, with the Captains of both, his Main-Mast of the first being shot by the Board, and much water in the Hold, made Captain Lawsons men to forsake her. We have six men of ours slain, and nine or ten desperatly wounded, and twenty five more not without danger, amongst them our Master and one of his Mates, and other Officers: We have received about seventy great Shot in our Hull and Masts, in our Salls
and Rigging without number, being engaged with the whole Body of the Fleet for the space of four hours: And the Mark at which they aimed, we must needs ac∣knowledge a great Mercy that we had no more harm, and our hope the Righteous God will continue the same unto us, if there do arise a War between us; they being first in the Breach, and seeking an Occasion to Quarrel, and watching as it seems, an Advantage to brave us upon our own Coast, &c.
Your most humble Servant, Robert Blake.
From aboard the James, three Leagues off the Hydes, the 20th of May, 1652.