Journal [of Captain Richard Haddock] in his Majᵗʸˢ ship R. Charles, May, 1673.
Aᵒ. 1673.
May 11. This Sonday morneing, about 7 aclock, we anchored in the Prince’s fleet, to the westwards of them, about 2 leagues to the westwards of Dongenesse, in 1 fadom watter, yᵉ lighthouse beareing N.E. by E. This day I went on bord the St. Michell to waite on yᵉ Prince, who comanded me to weigh and plye up to his ship; but, bloweing so hard, could not.
12. This Monday morneing wind at N.E. and N.E. by N.; blew very hard, and raine some part of the forenoone; could not weigh.
13. This Tuesday morneing, yᵉ wind at north, we wayed and gote up to the Prince’s ship, the St. Michel; anchored alongst her side without her. This forenoone his Highnes Prince Rupert came on bord us, but went of at noone; dyned on bord the R. Prince; after diner returned on bord us. This day we tooke on bord all the Prince’s retenue and goods, &c.; struck downe some of our gunns into hold, to recᵉ new ones in ther roomes. All this afternoone yᵉ wind at north; constant rain.
14. This Wedensday we tooke on bord seaverall of the new gunns and mounted them. The wind this day came round from the N.W. to S.Wᵗ., S.E. and E. by Nᵒ. This day the French fleet apeared in sight about noone; being litle wind, they anchored short of us about 3 leagues.
15. This Thursday we mounted all the rest of the new gunns; the wind at N.Eᵗ. to E.N.E. Yᵉ French fleet wayed and plyed towards us; anchored about 4 miles short of us.
16. This Fryday morneing the French fleet weighed and plyed up to us. About 9 a clock this morneing Monsʳ Conte d’Estrees,[a] ther Admˡˡ, who wore his flagg at yᵉ foretopmast head, being V. Admˡˡ of Fraunce, past by us about musket shote or somewᵗ more asterne of us; struck his flagg, lored his topsailes and saluted us, I meane yᵉ Prince, wᵗʰ 13 peece of ordnance; we returned him eleven in answer. Presantly after Monsʳ Conte d’Estrees came on bord us, to waite on his Highnes yᵉ Prince. This evening came of from Rye his Majᵗʸ and R. Highnes in there yachts; came on bord us; stayed about one hower and a halfe, and then returned to the yachts againe after 8 at night.
17. This Satuarday morneing, the wind at N. by E., blowing very fresh, the Prince went on bord the Cleeveland yacht to waite upon his Majᵗʸ; and about ½ an hower after the King, Duke, and Prince came on bord this ship. This forenoone we spread a standard in the mizen shrowds, fired a gunn to call on bord us the flagg oficers. This day the King and Duke dyned on bord us. The wind hath blowne very hard at N.N.E. and N.E. by N. all day.
18. This Sonday the wind vered to the east and by north, and back to yᵉ N.N.Eᵗ. at night; blew very fresh all day. This day the King dyned on bord Conte d’Estrees; the standard at maine topmast head; his flagg struck wᶜʰ he wore at the foretopmast head. This evening the King and Duke supt on bord us, and at 9 aclock tooke ther leaves of us and went on shore to Rye. This day the noble Lord Ossory[] hoysted the Reare Admˡˡ blew flagg on bord the St. Michael.
19. This Monday morning, about 3 aclock, being at anchor still, the wind at E.N.Eᵗ., we designed to weigh, but, bloweing fresh, we rode fast all this day.
20. This Tuesday, at 3 in the morneing, being alaramed by seavrall gunns from the eastwards, we fired a gunn and put out a light in the mainetopmast shrowds, our signall of weighing, but did not weigh by reason of the ebb tyde, the wind being at S.Eᵗ. We had intelligence, by a sloop, of 70 saile of Hollanders seene on the back of yᵉ Goodwin, and wᵗʰout the Sᵒ Sands Head; but proved to be, by our 2d intelligence by the litle Greyhound, a fleet of Hamburghers of 26 saile only. This forenoone we weighed with all the fleet; stood to the southwards; at noone tackt; litle wind. We anchored about 2 aclock, yᵉ Nesse light howse N. by E., in 21 fadoms, 7 miles distance. This day his Highnes the Prince dyned on bord the Conte d’Estrees, who struck his flagg as soone as the Prince was on bord him, and the Prince’s Jack flagg hoysted up at mainetopmast head; and, whilst the Prince remaind on bord him, his flagg (I meane yᵉ Conte d’Estrees) was kept furld. Towards evening the Hamburgʳˢ fleet plyed by us to the wᵗwards; gave us many gunns in saluts. Yᵉ wind, since 4 in the afternoone, at W.S.W. and Wᵗ. This night we rode fast.
21. This 21 day, Wedensday morneing, at 4 aclock, we wayed wᵗʰ the whole fleet; wind at W. by Nᵒ., a fine fresh gale. By 10 aclock the wind came to yᵉ S.Wᵗ. We steered away on the back of the Goodwin. About 4, afternoone, we anchored in 10 fadom watter, on the flatts of the Nᵒ Forland, the lighthouse beareing W. by S. southerly, about 6 miles distant.
22. This Thursday morneing we wayed by 5 aclock; steered away E. by Nᵒ. and E.N.Eᵗ. to goe cleare of the showld of the Falls;[c] the wind at S.W., a fine gale. After we had gote without ye Falls, we hauled up E. b. S. and E.S.E.; a fresh gale at S.W. About 4 in the afternoone we made the coast of Flaunders. At 6, evening, we anchored in 15 fadoms watter, Oostend spire steeples beareing S.E. by Sᵒ, 5 leagues distant. This evening we saw the Dutch fleet, part of them; they rode in Schonvelt. Our scout gave us accᵗ they were but 86 saile, the outside, small and great. They wayed and turned up amongst yᵉ bancks towards the Weelings.
23. This Fryday morneing, by 6 aclock, yᵉ flood being done, we wayed; wind at S.S.W., litle wind. We stood in; drew our ships into a lyne of batayle. Our squadron ledd the van, the French in the midle, and yᵉ blew squadron in the reare. We sayled and drove soe farr to the N.E. wards that we brought Oostend steeples south easterly, about 5 leagues or six leagues of. Anchored in 11 fadom watter, within the oyster bancks. Yᵉ Dutch fleet, yᵉ nᵒmost, bore E.N.E.; and yᵉ southmost Eᵗ, southerly from us, about 3 leagues. This night have had but litle wind at S.S.W. and S.Wᵗ.
24. This Satuarday morneing we intended, if the should watter hindred not, to goe in wᵗʰ our fleet and set upon the Dutch; sending a party of 35 men of warr, 13 fire ships, and 24 tendors ahead of us, to make the onsett, and we wᵗʰ the whole fleet to have seconded them. But this our intention was this day prevented by God Almighty’s providence, the wind bloweing very hard at S.W. and Wᵗ.S.Wᵗ. This morneing came in to the fleet the Soveraigne, Victory, and Dyamond, out of the river of Thames. Yesterday our scouts gave us accᵗ that yᵉ Dutch fleet, of all sorts that could be told, did not exceed 84. All this day the wind hath blowne very hard at S.W. and W.S.W.; forct us strick our yard, and some ships both topmast and yard.
25. This Sonday the wind hath blowne very hard at W.S.Wᵗ.; forct us in yᵉ afternoone to strick our topmasts and get our sprit-saile yard under the boltsprit. This day severall of the French ships broke from ther ground tackle, but brought up againe wᵗʰ other anchors and rode fast.
26. This Monday, in the forenoon, the wind continued bloweing hard at W.S.W., as did also the night past, but not so violently as the day formerly. In the afternoone the wind dullered. We sett our topmasts and got up oʳ yards; our neighbours the Dutch did the like also. Toward evening indiferent faire weather.
27. This Tuesday the wind hath bine from the S.Wᵗ. back to yᵉ S.Eᵗ., wᵗʰ very thick weather, and then veered to the N.Wᵗ., wᵗʰ some tymes very thick [weather] and raine and wind; all this day very unconstant weather. This afternoone we spread our red flagg for the severall divissions drawne out of the fleet to get themselves into a body for the first onsett upon the enemy; but did not weigh ourselves. Our party out of our squadron anchored to leewards of us, and neere half way betweene yᵉ Dutch fleet and ours. This day yᵉ standard was spread for the flagg oficers. When come on bord, twas resolved that tomorrow, about 10 in the morning, the flood being done and faire weather, that we weigh and atacque the Dutch fleet now rideing in the Schoonvelt, steereing with an easey saile upon them; and, in case they go in to Flushing, then to anchor in their places; and, that they stand of into sea, to stand out with them.
28. This Wedensday morneing, being indiferent faire weather, we prepared our ship; gote upp our sheat anchor, slung our yards, &c. The wind at west, a fresh gale. By 10 aclock we gote up our anchor, and made sayle. Brave weather; wind at W. b. N. and W.N.Wᵗ. We wᵗʰ our squadron steered N.E. b. E. wᵗʰ the north end of the Dutch fleet, yᵉ French wᵗʰ the body, and yᵉ blew squadron wᵗʰ the south part of them. To 11 aclock thay rode most of them fast at anchor, not so much as ther fore topsailes loose. About 12 at noone we bore downe upon the Dutch and ingaged ther van, and the French in the body, our blew squadron in the reare. We fought till twas darke, tacking to and againe in the Schoon Velt. What certaine damage we did the enemy we cannot tell. This night we sailed and drove out againe; came into 6 fadom watter on yᵉ oyster banck. By day light we were gote 3 leagues without the Schoon Velt.
29. This Thursday morneing we anchored in 13 fadom watter by our judgement, S. b. Eᵗ. from Oostend, 6 or 7 leagues of. This day yᵉ Prince called a councill of flagg oficers. Ordered, that yᵉ respective flaggs call ther divissions on bord and take accᵗ of what damages recᵈ yesterday in the bataile. This day the wind blew very hard at S.Wᵗ.; forct us to strick our topmasts and yards and veere out our shot of cable 2½ without bord. This afternoone, about 3 aclock, the Prince sent away a packet for Whitehall, by whome I wrote for London.
30. This Fryday the wind blew very hard, most part of the day, at S.Wᵗ. and W.S.Wᵗ. Towards evening lesse wind. We got up our topmasts.
31. This Satuarday forenoone, foggy weather; afternoone, very faire weather; the wind at N.Eᵗ. This day the Prince tooke resolution to shift shipps, ours being so tender that we could not beare out our lower tire of gunns in the late bataile.
June 1. This Sonday, yᵉ first day of June, the Dutch fleet many of them were under saile, but came not out to us. We gote up our anchor and came to saile wᵗʰ all the fleet, but anchored againe and birth’t our selves in our anchoring posture agreed on, to say: the flaggs to ride N. and south of each other, 4 cables length distant; and the ships of the severall divissions to ride N.W. and S.E. from there flaggs, 2 cable length distant of one side and the other; the flagg ships as they are ranged in ther line of bataile. This day we struck some broken gunns down into hold, and some whole, to the number of tenn, to stiffen our ship if posible.
2. This Monday the wind blowes very fresh at N.E., and did so all the last night and the day before. This day the Prince resolved to shift his ship and goe on bord the R. Soveraigne.
3. This Tuesday evening his Highnes the Prince went on bord the Soveraigne. I and Capt. Young[d] followed him, and this night lay on bord her.
4. This Wedensday morneing, very early, I went on bord the R. Charles to shift the men. Chose out 250 men to come on bord the Soveraigne.
[a] Jean, Comte d’Estrées.
[] Thomas Butler, Earl of Ossory.
[c] A long narrow shoal off the North Foreland.
[d] Henry Young.