Instructions made by the Right Honourable Edward Russel, admiral, in the year 1691. For the better ordering the fleet in sailing by day and night and in fighting.

SIGNALS To be Observed In Sailing by DAY.

[ 1] INSTR. I. WHEN the Admiral would have the Sternmost and Lee∣wardmost Ships to Tack first, he will hoist an Union Flag on the Flag-staff at the Mizen-top-mast-head, and fire a Gun; and every Flag-ship in the Fleet is to answer with the same Signal.

[ 2] II. When the Admiral would have the Weathermost and Head∣most Ships in the Fleet to Tack first, he will hoist an Union Flag on the Flag-staff at the Fore-top-mast-head, and fire a Gun; and eve∣ry Flag-ship in the Fleet is to answer with the same Signal.

[ 3] III. When the Admiral would have the Fleet (in bad Weather that they cannot stay) Weare, and bring to the other Tack, he will hoist a Pendant on the Ensign-staff, and fire a Gun; and then the Lee∣wardmost and Sternmost Ships are to Weare first, and bring to the other Tack, and lie by, or go with an easie Sail, which they see most convenient, till the Admiral comes a-head; and every Flag-ship in the Fleet is to answer with the same Signal.

[ 4] IV. When the Fleet is lying by, or sailing by the Wind, and the Ad∣miral will have them bear up, and sail before the Wind, he will hoist his Ensign, and fire a Gun; (which is to be answer'd by the Flag-ships of the Fleet,) and then the Leewardmost Ships are first to bear up, to give room for the Weathermost to Weare, and sail before the Wind with an easie sail, till the Admiral come a-head; but if it should happen, (when the Admiral has occasion to Weare, and sail before the Wind,) that the Jack and Ensign be abroad, he will hawl down the Jack before he fires the Gun to Weare, and keep it down till all the Fleet is before the Wind.

[ 5] V. When the Fleet is sailing before the Wind, and the Admiral would have them bring too, with the Starboard Tack on board, he will hoist a Red Flag on the Flag-staff at the Mizen-top-mast-head, and fire a Gun: If to bring too with the Larboard Tack, a Blue Flag on the same place, and fire a Gun; and every Flag-ship is to answer with the same Signal.

[ 6] VI. When any of the Fleet lose Company, and meet again in the Day, those to Windward shall _____ _____ and those to Leeward shall answer _____ _____

[ 7] VII. When the Admiral would have any Ship in the Fleet to Chase to Windward, he will make the Signal for speaking with the Captain, and hoist a Red Flag in the Mizen-shrowds: If to Chase to Leeward, a Blue Flag: And when he would have them give over Chasing, he will hoist a White Flag on the Flag-staff at the Fore-top-mast-head, and fire a Gun.

[ 8] VIII. When any one (in the Day-time) happeneth to see a Ship, or Ships, more than His Majesty's Fleet, he is to put abroad his En∣sign, and there keep it till the Admiral's is out, and then to strike it as often as he seeth Ships, and to stand with them, that so the Admiral may know which way they are, and how many; but in case they be at such a distance that the Ensign cannot be well discover'd, then he is to lay his Head towards the Ships, or Fleet, which he so de∣scries, and to brawl up his low Sails, and continue hoisting and lower∣ing his Top-sails, and making a Weft with his Top-gallant-sails

[ 9] IX. In case of springing a Leak by Day, or any other Disaster that disables your Ship from keeping Company, you are to hawl up your Courses, and fire two Guns.

[ 10] X. Whosoever desires to speak with the Admiral must spread an English Ensign from the Head of his Main or Fore-top-mast downward on the Shrouds, lowering his Main or Fore-top-sail, and firing Guns, till he is observ'd by the Admiral, who will an∣swer by firing one Gun.

[ 11] XI. When the Admiral would have the Vice-Admiral, or he that Commands in the Second Post of the Fleet, to send out Ships to Chase, he will hoist a Flag strip'd Red and White on the Flag-staff at the Fore-top-mast-head, and fire a Gun.

[ 12] XII. When the Admiral would have the Rear-Admiral, or he that Commands in the Third Post in the Fleet, to send out Ships to Chase, he will hoist a Flag strip'd Red and White on the Flag-staff at the Mizen-top-mast-head, and fire a Gun.

[ 13] XIII. When any discovers Land in the Day, he is to hoist his Jack and Ensign, and keep it abroad till the Admiral answer him by hoisting his; upon sight of which, he is to Hawl down his Ensign.

[ 14] XIV. If any discovers Danger in the Day-time, he is to Tack, or bear up from it, and put a Jack abroad from the Main-top-mast Cross-Trees downward on the Back-stay, and fire two Guns; but if that Ship should strike, and stick fast on that Danger, he is to make the same Signal with his Jack, and continue firing of Guns, until he sees all the Ships in the Fleet have observed him, by endeavouring to avoid the Danger.

SIGNALS To be Observed In Sailing by NIGHT.

[ 1] INSTR. I.WHEN the Admiral would have the Fleet to Tack in the Night, he will hoist two Lights on the Ensign-staff, one over the other, above the constant Light in the Poop, and fire a Gun; which is to be answer'd by the Flag-ships of the Fleet; and every Ship in the Fleet is to hang out a Light extraordinary, which is not to be taken in, till the Admiral takes his in: After the Sig∣nal is made, the Leewardmost and Sternmost Ships are to Tack as fast as they can; and the Sternmost Flag-ship, after he is about upon the other Tack, is to lead the Fleet, whom they are to fol∣low, to avoid running through one another in the Night.

[ 2] II.When the Admiral would have the Fleet (in blowing Weather) to lie a-trey, short, or a-hull, or the Head-sails brac'd to the Mast, in the Night, he will shew four Lights of equal height, and fire two Guns; which are to be answer'd by the Flag-ships in the Fleet; and every Ship in the Fleet is to shew four Lights.

[ 3] III.When the Admiral would have the Fleet to make Sail in the Night, after lying a-trey, short, a-hull, or the Head-sails to the Mast, he

will put out three Lights one over the other in the Main-shrowds, and fire two Guns; which are to be answer'd by the Flag-ships in the Fleet; and every Ship in the Fleet is to hang out three Lights, and not to take them in till the Admiral takes in his.

[ 4] IV.When any Ship has occasion to lye short, or by, after the Fleet has made sail, he is to fire one Gun, and shew three Lights in the Mizen-shrowds.

[ 5] V.If any Ship lose Company, and meet again in the Night, he who hails first shall ask, What Ship's that? And he who is hail'd shall answer, _____ _____ The other who hail'd first shall reply, _____ _____ Then he who was first hail'd shall an∣swer _____ _____

[ 6] VI.When any discovers a Fleet in the Night, he shall fire Guns, make false Fires, put a Light on the Main-top, three on the Poop, and steer after them, and continue firing Guns; But if the Admi∣ral should steer another Course, and fire one, two, or three Guns, (which is to call him off,) then he his to follow the Admiral.

[ 7] VII.In case of Springing a Leak by Night, or any other disaster that disables your Ship from keeping Company, you are to hang out two Lights of equal height, and fire Guns till you are reliev'd by some Ship in the Fleet.

[ 8] VIII.If the Admiral alter his Course in the Night, he will fire one Gun, (without alteration of Lights;) which is to be answer'd by the Flag-ships in the Fleet.

[ 9] IX.When any one discovers Land, or Danger, in the Night, he who first discovers it, is to shew as many Lights as he can, and fire one Gun, and Tack, or bear away from it.

[ 10] X. When the Fleet is sailing Large, or before the Wind, in the Night, and the Admiral would have them bring too, and lie by, with their Starboard Tacks on Board, he will put abroad four Lights in the Fore-shrowds, and fire six Guns; but if with the Larboard Tacks, eight Guns; which is to be answer'd by the Flag-ships of the Fleet; and every private Ship is to answer with four Lights, (it being the same that is in the fourth Article for bringing too in a Fog,) and the Windermost Ships are to bring too first.

[ 11] XI.When the Admiral is upon a Wind in the Night, and would have the Fleet Weare, and bring too on the other Tack, he will hoist up one Light at the Mizen-Peek, and fire three Guns; which is to be answer'd by the Flag-ships of the Fleet; and every private Ship to answer with one Light at the Mizen-Peek: The Stern-most and Leeward-most Ships are to bear up as soon as the Sig∣nal is made.