CHAP. XX.
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.